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For me, Warhol’s Ruthenian identity is core to what I think of him as a man & an artist. Although not core to Danto’s interpretation of Warhol, he does mention the similarities between Warhol’s Campbell Soup cans & the Byzantine icons of his youth.

Chapter Fourteen:

The dynamic building between Anne & Captain Benwick reminds me of a stage adaption I saw this past November, dealing with Mary Bennet receiving a love interest. The bookish, why demeanour of her suitor is almost identical to Captain Benwick.

Lady Russell, on the other hand, is starting to overstay her welcome in my eyes. She is more of a force for evil, not good, & hampers Anne’s independence.

Chapter Thirteen:

Anne is continuing to endear herself to me. Her good manners are not tainted with a snobbish personality, as with Lady Russell. As Austen writes,

“Admiral Croft’s manner were not quite of the tone to suit Lady Russell, but they delighted Anne. His goodness of heat and simplicity of chapter were irresistible.””

I believe Admiral Croft & Anne share similar qualities in that regard.

Chapter Twelve:

I love reading for many reasons. However, I must concede, action is not something I comprehend well when reading. Louisa’s fall & injury happened so fast, I did not comprehend it at first. In a film, I would have much sooner realised what happened.

This chapter also shows the difference in emotional maturity between Mary & Anne. It is disappointing to see how immature Mary is in this situation.

Chapter Eleven:

Whenever there is a reference to the Isle of Wright, as there was in this chapter, I have to pause, as I am very fond of that little island. Good memories.

Additionally, I immediately can connect with Captain Harville. Tall, dark, & a perfect gentleman? I hope I can live up to these qualities. I would not mind being a bit lame too, if it meant I could indulge in his artistic & intellectual hobbies.

Chapter Ten:

Whether it be Mary, Louisa, Henrietta, or Anne, I can see any of these young ladies being the main character in their own novel. Of course here, Anne is the focus. Despite being the shy & reserved character in many respects, she also has an air of maturity, & dare I say, maternal instinct. The moment between Charles & her was sweet. By being a gentleman, Charles shows his virtue & sense of forgiveness.

Chapter Nine:

In a more modern, (I dare not say civilised) age, Captain Wentworth & Charles Hayter would be exchanging some comedic glances at one another, as they vie for Anne’s affection. I suppose this is why I enjoy the written word. The modern embellishments, which in my humble opinion, detract from the story, are absent. I know for certain, I would wince at any modern adaptation of this story.

Chapter Eight:

“If a man has a lot of wife, he still wants to be afloat again.”

How very true. Of all the motifs in literature & film, one of my favourite is the young soldier/sailor/man in uniform. Even more so, I feel for the loss, suffering, & even death of these young men, such as Richard.

Again, Anne is left out to dry just like Mary Bennet in this chapter. Left to provide the music instead of dancing.

Chapter Seven:

As with Pride & Prejudice, I am surprised with how well the dynamics between young men & women hold up in this story. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

In this chapter, we see the eternal struggle between the nurturing, motherly type (Mary), and the jaded, cold type (Anne), when it comes to children.

Frederick & Anne’s chemistry could easily be that of young adults today.

Chapter Six:

The dynamic between Mr. & Mrs. Musgrove is similar to that of Mr. & Mrs. Bennet: a disinterested husband & an overbearing wife.

Likewise, I find Anne to be quite similar to Mary Bennet as they are the often forgotten sibling with a musical panache.

In all, I enjoy making these comparisons as they allow me to quickly form bonds with the characters in the story & understand their perspectives.

Chapter Five:

I enjoy any chapter which mentions Michaelmas.

Chapter Four:

“…but Anne, at seven and twenty, thought very differently from what she had been made to think at nineteen.”

How very true this statement is. I can say with a great certainty, my disposition at nineteen was much less mature, let alone less knowledgeable, than that which I have now. I pray I can say the same after the next seven years.

Chapter Three;

As I have hinted at before, many novels set in the Regency Era seem to contain variations of the same setting, story, & characters, not that I am complaining.

I also enjoyed the discussion of the weather-worn appearance of the men in the Navy compared to other professions. For modern man, many of the faces & bodily appearances from this past era would be foreign at least, & most likely shocking.

Chapter Two:

For me, as always with Jane Austen, I must keenly remember the characters at play. The multitude introduced in such a short period of time can lead me to confusion later on in the story. Keeping a chart, connecting the characters together might not be a half bad idea, especially for a publisher who wants to differentiate their edition from others.

Chapter One:

For me, fiction revolving around the landed gentry is my comfort place. Dilemmas regarding inheritance, entails, & coming out at the debutante ball. I love this stuff. In many ways, once you read one story of the 19th century landed gentry, you have read them all. However, they all have their own twists & special characters. This novel will have its own, however, we shall see what they shall be.

Epilogue:

“Will he ever return?”

No, I do not believe so.

That last line, “And I have by me, for my comfort, two strange white flowers, shrivelled now, & brown & flat & brittle, to witness that even when mind & strength had gone, gratitude & a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of man.”

Perhaps The Time Traveller remained attached to Weena, & could not bear the memory of her death.

Chapter Twelve:

As The Time Traveller returns from beyond the pale, he is ridiculed, & mocked, as his story is too fantastic. Like the man who leaves the cave, he returns a changed man, & cannot re-assimilate to the society whence he came.

It is for this reason, I believe The Time Traveller never came back. Perhaps he became lost, or died in the sands of time. However, he most likely could not bear to return.

Chapter Eleven:

The topic of mankind’s existential futility has been rattling in my mind throughout reading this book, however, without the Eloi, Morlocks, & lost Time Machine to distract us, it is ever more apparent now.

This man of science sees the end result of mankind’s success. Man is forgotten in the sea of time. Futile is his quest to build an everlasting legacy. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Chapter Ten:

As I read this chapter, the loss of Weena still throbs painfully. The Time Traveller states he feels a “keen stab of pain,” however, is this enough? Is it out of forgiveness or out of apathy in which he lacks pursuing retributive action? I believe the latter.

As I figured, The Time Traveller’s focus is still on the Time Machine. This man of science is not a man of honour. He is an anti-hero.

Chapter Nine:

What a harrowing chapter. With how much H.G. Wells has invested us, as the reader, into the innocence & purity of Weena, her death strikes like a dagger to the heart. So strong is this emotion, that if I were The Time Traveller, I would go to war with the Morlocks & massacre them all for her honour. If the only goal beforehand were to get back home, it is no longer. Her death requires retribution.

Chapter Eight:

If the previous chapter highlighted The Time Traveller’s protective care for the Eloi & Weena, then this chapter focuses on The Time Traveller’s hatred of the Morlocks, & his thirst for blood. The desire to kill these “sub-human” creatures makes me think there might be a bit of an ideological eugenist in The Time Traveller. After all, it was not so taboo in the early 20th century.

Chapter 7:

References to the Carolingian Kings, the realisation the Morlocks are literally eating the rich, & more Weena? I like this chapter very much. In my ways, our protagonist is starting to face “The White Man’s Burden” as written by Kipling. The Eloi are the noble savages whom he is defending from the savage Morlocks. By building weapons & torches, The Time Traveller is truly the bearer of civilisation.

Chapter Six:

Apologies for the delay. However, how can you not love Weena, so pure & full of love. On the other hand, this chapter’s description of the underworld home of the Morlocks is vivid and intense. The sounds of the machinery, the smell of the thick air, the feeling of the cramped tunnels, & gruesome, lanky fingers of the Morlocks are all sensed through this reading.

Chapter Five:

I want to make a comparison between the Eloi & Ronald Dahl’s Oompa-Loompas, however, I believe that is an inaccurate comparison. The Eloi are clearly not working class minions, that title would belong to the Morlachs.

Weena is an adorable character, and she must be protected at all costs!

Wells’s description of Weena drowning in the river & the Morlachs’ grotesqueness are equally terrifying.

Chapter Four:

The Time Traveller's theory on the state of man in
802701 AD is a wonderful diatribe on the weakening human spirit. I read luddite arguments, & a foretaste of Ted Kaczynski.

Again, I have to give H.G. wells credit, the unpredictability in this novel sets it apart from most of the drivel which attempts to present itself as science fiction to-day.

Chapter Three:

I must give H.G. Wells credit, it was much harder to write science fiction in his day. Because of men like him, modern notions of science fiction exist. In many ways, he was a literary pioneer.

The description of the little men of the future always leaves me uncomfortable. In Wells’s future, the world js not full of technological marvels & a cyberpunk megapolis, but of a weirdly archaic society.

Chapter Two:

I am enjoying the contrasting comedic and dramatic elements present in this chapter. The Time Traveller, in his ragged appearance, compliments nicely with the ribbing by the Editor & the Journalist, & the wine.

There is something to be said for oral storytelling as our narrator even states how his writings cannot compare to the story told by the Time Traveller, which will come in the next chapter.

Chapter One:

I enjoyed The Invisible Man, however, The Time Machine is already becoming my favourite of H.G. Wells’s works. There is just something about that room which Wells describes so well, full of great minds, discussing the plausibility of The Time Traveller’s invention. I wish I could be in that room, dressed in white tie, drinking brandy, & battling wits with the top minds of the late Victorian era.

Part Three: Burning Bright

When I read the passage regarding the pedestrian who was sacrificially slaughtered in lieu of Montag (p. 148), I finally felt something deep & powerful.

Granger’s explanation of how every man in his network is a “book” in himself (p. 151) is also profound.

This chapter is my favourite in the book.

The ending is wonderful in its symbolism. Granger & his men as the symbolic Phoenix.