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Definitely a curious read, but I wonder why I want or enjoy it.

This reads freely and vividly. The cruelty of the Romans is unnerving.

I have pleasurably pressed on through subsequent selections:
A Marble Woman, or the Mysterious Model;
The Skeleton in the closet;

I am now intrigued by A Whisper in the Dark.

The next and final selection is: Perilous Play.
All of this is concluded by Stern.
Louisa is a master of intrigue using many seemingly insignificant details and rounded characters which all prove to become very significant as a story unfolds.

I have completed reading "A Marble Woman", which could have been named "A Marble Duo" or such. I was totally caught off guard through all of the revelations of the final pages. The finale was gratifying recompense for the mysteries along the way. I greatly resented and misapprehended Germain's intrusions and presumptions.

I have finished section one: V.V.; or, Plots and Counterplots. Am about to embark on Section two: A Marble Woman: or, The Mysterious Model.
I found V.V to be better than mere pulp fiction, hastily scribbled off for the publisher. I am not one to capture details as I encounter them, but Alcott builds the total plot heavily around them. Hence I was totally surprised when everything came to fruition and revelation.

This is an engaging account of self discovery and change to adapt to unfavorable circumstances. I am suspecting that Mary, the protagonist, is becoming the object of the book title through discovery of a rejected and untended, yet once beloved, garden. Her total outlook on life and her surroundings is changed by placing herself in charge and thus taking ownership of this mentioned garden.

With feigned regard for Spencer aka John Pontius, I have elected to place this book where it belongs: not on my shelf, nor in someone else’s hands. This has all the evidences of very creative fiction from unauthorized sources. I have tolerated it through too many pages, wondering why I continue to read.

The novels are good enough, but not always intriguing and engaging. The first novels, which grasped lasting fame for RLS, were great. I want to be done with it without abandoning it outright. Something yet to come might be as good as Kidnapped and as Treasure Island. David Balfour is the final novel of the seven. It promises to be the sequel to something that I no longer remember.

Everything that The Father has done for man since the birth of his Only Begotten Son has been the preparation of the world (the Prologue ) for the great millennial day when that Son Jesus will reign over all mankind as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. This is an awesome and carefully prepared review of all those events.

Chapter 22. I am enjoying reading this book. Some of it has reminded me of situations during the Socialist era of my mission in Chile 1972-1974. We experienced very little of the shortages and resultant long lines. Unfortunately most of the unbearable waiting in long lines was borne by the families with whom we boarded.

I am anxious to complete this reading. I don't have anything else behind it, but I'll find it.

I have spent most of my unoccupied time in a post-stroke rehabilitation hospital reading about situations and adventures in a world that I had not previously imagined. I am more convinced than ever before that I must suppress any Marxist-Leninist ideas that I encounter.

Ican’t believe it! The Master of Ballantrae is dead in a mid-night brotherly sword fight duel by candle light out in the yard. Where can this story go from here?

Ii have read only the chapters that seemed interesting, but this seems to include all of them. It is a mixed review of prophecy with recognized historical fulfillment.

After the first few pages, I wasn’t going to read this book, but I found it cluttering my desk, picked it up, and got to reading again. I still feel the same about it. I give it no creedence. I believe it to be a creative work of fiction.

I have read through the Preface and Introduction, identifying the included lectures that interest me. Like in "REFLECTIONS ON MORMONISM", a kindred book, I find that my interest is as broad as the Symposium. I will likely end up reading nearly all of this.

I started at mid-book, p. 13, interested by how the Greek Hellenism philosophy affects our modern society. Continued reading past Columbus' inspired exploration into the mass explorations and immigrations into this "new world".

This is hardly believable narrative. How convenient that I fell asleep at a reasonable stopping place. I am struggling to move forward because I do not resonate to it, but fight off sleeping.

I thought that I'd abandoned reading this but picked it up to check it out before distribution.

By finishing reading the symbolism of the color white, I have reached Ch. 6: numbers as symbols. This should grow to be ever more enlightening!

On p. 597 I find the beginning of another unknown novel: The Master of Ballantrae. At the end of “The Black Arrow” p. 594, the previous novel, I was sorely tempted to mark the book as finished.

II have found the conclusion of another little-known novel: “The Black Arrow”, which deserves to be better known. This has been another wild, engaging experience that ends “happily ever after” following a long account of the loving couple fighting their way to get together at the altar.

Currently beginning Black Arrow, BOOK III: MY LORD FOXHAM. This is a marvelous adventure of bows with arrows and crossbows with projectiles. Don't forget the archaic language of Middle English.

This is a fascinating detailed review of my own religious philosophy, revealing to me some details that I had overlooked. I have given it a good marking for future review.

p. 486. I have reached the end of Black Arrow, Book I. This concludes the adventures of John Matcham, under the guiding and protective hand of Dick Shelton. These traveling companions have reached The Moat House of Sir Daniel. They approach in trepidation, unsure of their future in Daniel's hands.

Reading a fascinating study of "imago dei"--man in the image of God: why and how. Man is eternal, like God, and subject to eternal laws of gradual progression.

I have finally reached the happy ending for David Balfour of Shaws and his loyal friend Alan [aka Mr. Thomson]. Without the kind help of strangers along the way they would never have made it to finality. Next I will launch into The BlackArrow.

Although the grammatical constructions are not uniformly smooth, the adventures are uniformly interesting. Once I had begun reading, the book was hard to set aside. It is fascinating to learn of the many sites that lie near home. I will hang onto this for
future reference.

Iam enjoying reading captions on pictures and much of the associated text. I’m scanning tthrough, as necessary, to find anything of interest.

Cheated, starting at p.129, Ch. 7 with most interesting matter. The rest is worth reading, too. I’ll be back.

OLD NEWS:

I finished TREASURE ISLAND, Prince Otto, Jekyll & Hyde, well entered upon Kidnapped. Ch. VI.