The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I've read many good reviews about this book and so decided to listen to it on tape while I'm doing other things. It really is a gripping story. It has mystery plenty, haunted house, ghost, disturbed family, literary illusions, the whole bit. I won't go into the story because it's been thoroughly described but definitely a good read. A little scary but not too much!

the pearl by Douglas Smith

This is a fascinating and well-researched history of a famous serf opera singer who went on to marry one of the wealthiest Russian nobles of the time. The book goes into some detail about the history and practice of serf theater, which is something I've never heard of, and of the institution of serfdom in general. I've read a fair amount of modern Russian history, specifically about the revolution but this is a topic I was totally unfamilar with and a very unique story. Most shocking about it is that it's true! the pearl is the stage name of Praskovia Kovalyova, born a serf (or slave) to Count Nicholas Sheremetev in Russia during the time of Catherine the Great. With his backing and training provided by him, she develops into an incredibly gifted singer and actress. They become lovers, eventually marry, she gives birth to his only heir and then dies probably of sepsis contracted through childbirth. Their union challenges all the beliefs of social order of the time. They both pay a high price for their relationship but eventually become an example of a new order of how society must be organized. I enjoyed reading this very much.

Kya- The Golden Bowl

This is book two for the classic challenge. The story line is that a very wealthy art collector and his adored only daughter both take a spouse. The daughter marries for love but the new husband is somewhat like a valuable acquisition. The father marries, at his daughter's request, the daughter's beautiful but poor friend. There is a betrayal, which I won't betray, and the bulk of the book is taken up with the psychological manipulations that bring the book to its' conclusion. This is primarily an interior story. There is a plot and there are plot developments but mostly it is about what the characters are thinking and by extension feeling. I would consider this not an easy book to read. The writing is very dense and not leavened with humor. I think it is an interesting and challenging read and I'm happy to have finished it.