Pg. 123
May 9, 2008 by Wendy
It’s the wedding weekend. I’ve pressed my dress, painted my nails and charged the batteries in my camera. Most importantly, I’ve made the cake. It’s sitting on the kitchen work surface as I type, anxiously awaiting Saturday afternoon and its fifteen minutes of fame and glory.
I will, of course, post photos of the finished cake once the day is over. For today’s post, though, I’ve accepted a tag from Holler and Pat. They asked me to pick up the nearest book, open to page 123, count five sentences down and then write down the following three sentences.
Ok doke.
I’m re-reading Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon at the moment. It’s a book that is often studied in Scottish high schools but I never have nor never will teach it. I love it too much. Selfish? Maybe. I just don’t think I could bare anyone scoffing at Chris or Euan or Rob of the Mill or any of the other characters I know so well.
Anyhoo, here are the lines. They say a lot about the heroine, I think.
—————-
”Then he rose and shook hands, Well, well, it’s Miss Guthrie come up; you’ve been thinking of the will no doubt?
She told him, Yes, just that; and that she was going to live on at Blawearie a while, not roup the gear out at once, could he see to that with the factor?
He stared at her with his mouth fallen open, But you can’t live there alone!”
You’ve just put a book on my must-read list. Tell us more about Gibbon.
Enjoy the wedding Wendy and I bet your cake is lovely!!!! Well done you!!! Thanks for doing the tag. Sounds like a most interesting book.
Christina - He was a Scottish writer who wrote at the beginning of last century. Sunset Song is the first book in a trilogy called A Scots Quair. It’s set in a farming community in north east Scotland (The Mearns) and captures the lives and attitudes and language of the farming community beautifully.
The first chapter, with its Scots words, wry narrator and detailed history of the novel’s fictional community, is pretty hard work to read but, wow, is it worth it. I re-read just that chapter sometimes. It’d make a great theatrical soliloquy. :)
Pat - Thank you! Really enjoyed this tag.
I taught Sunset Song at Higher for years. No-one ever scoffed. They were far too involved with Chris - and the discussion of the later relationship with her father led to some of the best moments in my entire career. And we watched the old BBC film of it, and the TAG theatre production, and there were tears.
Enjoy the wedding!
Good morning Wendy! I’m sure your cake is amazing and for sure delicious..I’m waiting to see all the photos :-D
Best wishes for these days and enjoy yourself as much as you can!!!
Kisses
Silvia
Good luck with the wedding - looking forward to our peek at the cake
I read the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Trilogy a few years ago and agree that Chris is a great heroine - the Scottish language is great too once I relaxed and stopped worrying about what the words meant! It really creates the mood of a different world.
I can’t wait to hear about the wedding, Wendy! :)
Looking forward to the wedding photos Wendy! Have fun :)
Chris - Your words have tempted me to teach it to my higher class next year. Yes, I think I will. :)
Silvia - Thank you for your lovely wishes. Photo on its way!
Johanna - I love the language. Always want to read it out loud.
Susan - Watch this space!
Lore - Thank you! :)
I am guessing the wedding is over now. How did it all go? Did you have a fabulous time? I can’t wait to see the cake!
Oh and thanks for doing the meme! I missed out on that book somewhere along the way, but it sounds good :)
Holler - See my next post for wedding pics! :)