40 Things (30!)

Following along with Boof’s 40 Day Challenge leading up to her 40th birthday, day 30!  Her topic is:

30) A favourite sensational novel

I wasn’t quite sure what Boof meant when she chose this topic – a book that makes a sensation when published? a book that has a storyline so sensational that you can’t believe it? a book everyone is talking about?

So I googled it.

And got a lot of hits for “sensation novels,” British novels written in 1860-1880.  (See Wikipedia definition summary: The sensation novel was a literary genre of fiction popular in Great Britain in the 1860s and 1870s, following on from earlier melodramatic novels and the Newgate novels, which focused on tales woven around criminal biographies, also descend from the gothic and romantic genres of fiction. Typically the sensation novel focused on shocking subject matter including adultery, theft, kidnapping, insanity, bigamy, forgery, seduction and murder.)

Well I’m pretty sure this is what Boof meant, as I’ve seen her talk about some of these books and she is British, and I’m also pretty sure that I haven’t read any books of this type.  There was a list of books in this genre and the closest to anything I’ve ever read was “Great Expectations,” except I haven’t read it.  I’ve read Charles Dickens.  🙂  Crime fiction is not my favorite type of fiction and I don’t read too many books written pre-1900.  One book that I loved (that doesn’t fit this in the true sense of the term or at all, really) was “Time and Again” by Jack Finney – a story about time travel to New York City – 1880.

Goodreads summary:  First published in 1970, this highly original cult classic tells the story of Simon Morley, a young Manhattan illustrator who is selected by a secret government agency–presumably to test Einstein’s theory that the past actually co-exists with the present–and finds himself suddenly transported back to the New York of the 1880s. Written with style and elegance, this bold, visionary novel provides “Mind-boggling, imagination-stretching, exciting, romantic entertainment.”– San Francisco Examiner.

I loved this book and was excited when the sequel was written in 1995.  I believe I have that one on my bookshelves.

#30 on my list of 40 things was: Go to see Harry Connick Jr. in concert, which I did on April 5, 2007!  Deadra and I both have loved Harry Connick, Jr. since his early days – his music and his goofy acting career.  Will and Grace – loved it!  Hope Floats – how fun!  When Harry Met Sally music – superb!  I have a LOT of his albums so was glad that he toured during the time that I was working on this list and we were able to see him at the Orpheum in Mpls.  Good times with good friends and good music.

Off to read!