Too Busy to Blog!

But there is always time to HOP!

It has been a while since I participated in the Book Blogger Hop. Jennifer has added a new "question of the week" feature since I last hopped.

This week's question is: "Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?"

My answer is A. J. Cronin.  That's kind of a funny answer, since Cronin published his first novel in 1931 and his last in 1978. So he is definitely not a new author -- just new to me.  I read Three Loves this February and reviewed it here. I enjoyed it so much that I added Cronin to my list of authors whose works I plan to read in their entirety, or as close to it as I can manage.

Happy Hopping!

Author of the Day: A. J. Cronin

A. J. Cronin (1896 to 1981) was a prolific mid-century author who wrote more than 20 novels, many which were made into movies or television shows.

Cronin was born and raised in Scotland, with a Protestant mother and a Catholic father. Many of his characters came from similar backgrounds.  Cronin was a medical doctor before he became an author and many of his books, especially his most famous, The Citadel, concern medical school and doctors. 

I have had a copy of The Green Years on my TBR shelf for decades. But I only got around to reading his books after I found a nifty matching set of six of his most popular books at a library book sale. I started with Three Loves, his second published novel and the earliest in my set. I was swept away in the story, which is sometimes all I want out of a book.

I may never get around to reading all of Cronin's fiction and non-fiction -- most of his books are out of print -- but I would like to try. I only included novels and his autobiography on my list, I have not included "serial novellas" (unless they have been published in a book), short stories, or a play.


Those I have read are in red; those on my TBR shelf are in blue.

Hatter's Castle (1931)

Three Loves (1932) (reviewed here)

Grand Canary (1933)

The Stars Look Down (1935)

The Citadel (1937)

Vigil in the Night (1939)

The Valorous Years (1940)

The Keys of the Kingdom (1941)

Adventures of a Black Bag (1943) (out of print and hard to find)

The Green Years (1944)

Shannon's Way (1948)

The Spanish Gardener (1950)

Adventures in Two Worlds (autobiography, 1952)

Beyond This Place (1953)

A Thing of Beauty (also published as Crusader's Tomb) (1956)

The Northern Light (1958)

The Native Doctor (also published as An Apple in Eden) (1959) (out of print and very hard to find)

The Judas Tree (1961)

A Song of Sixpence (1964)

Further Adventures of a Black Bag (1966) (out of print and hard to find)

A Pocketful of Rye (1969)

Desmonde (also published as The Minstrel Boy) (1975)

Lady with Carnations (1976)

Gracie Lindsay (1978)

Doctor Finlay of Tannochbrae (1978)

Review of the Day: Three Loves

Three Loves is A. J. Cronin's second novel, first published in 1932. It tells the engrossing, ultimate tragic, story of the three loves of Lucy Moore -- her husband, her son, and God.
Into all three relationships, Lucy brings the same monumental pride, bull-headed obstinance, and self-defeating melodrama that lead to her ultimate downfall. Life gives Lucy some hard knocks, but it is hard to feel sorry for her when she antagonizes all those who try to help her.

It is Lucy’s stubborn hostility that makes this book more interesting than the typical family drama. Although she is not likeable, she inspires some sympathy because she means well in her monomaniacal way. Like with a Greek tragedy, it is hard to tear away even when the tragic end is so apparently inevitable.

The book is fairly long -- over 550 pages -- but moves right along with plenty of action, plot, and conflict among the characters. Some of the attitudes and assumptions of the characters are a little dated, but with illegitimate children, adultery, violent death, lesbianism, insanity, social injustice, and Church hypocrisy, there is nothing stodgy about the story.

Cronin was a prolific mid-century author who wrote more than 20 novels, many which were made into movies or television shows. Judging from Three Loves, it is easy to see why he was so popular.

NOTES

This book counts as one of my choices for both the Chunkster Challenge and the Typically British Challenge.

OTHER REVIEWS

(I realize that other reviews of this book are unlikely, but if you have reviewed any Cronin book, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it here.)

Teaser Tuesday

Her heart leaped and abruptly she turned as the door swung open and Lennox entered. His face, set already to an unusual severity -- it was not the expression with which he entered her house -- soured further at the sight of her; pushing back his hat from his brow, he immediately exclaimed: "You've turned up!" 

-- Three Loves by A. J. Cronin

This is the first A. J. Cronin novel I have read and I feel like I have discovered a lost continent of books available for me to explore.

Cronin was a prolific mid-century author who wrote more than 20 novels, many which were made into movies or television shows.

Judging from this book,it is easy to see why Cronin was so popular. The book is fairly long -- over 550 pages -- but moves right along with plenty of action, plot, and conflict among the characters. It is an easy pick for the Chunkster Challenge. 

Three Loves is his second novel, but the earliest-published of the set I have. I found this matching set at a library book store. I am hoping that there are other volumes that match this edition. But whether I can find matching editions or not, I plan to read many more of Cronin's novels.

But what is really teasing me today is this blog question. Please help!

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Opening Sentence of the Day: Three Loves

"When she finished dressing, Lucy went to her bedroom window, but there was still no sign of Frank."

-- Three Loves by A. J. Cronin. No cover picture available.

A. J. Cronin was a Scottish writer, best known for several of his novels that were made into movies, including The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom, and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film.

Three Loves is his first novel.  Published in 1932, the novel is about the three loves of Lucy Moore -- her husband, her son, and God. So far, it reminds me of a slightly dated Maeve Binchy novel.  I like it.

I've had a copy of The Green Years on my TBR shelf for decades, but have never read it or any of his other books. But I found a nice matching set of hardbacks at a library book sale, so I am going to gradually make my way through them in publication order.

This one counts as one of the books I am reading for the Chunkster Challenge because it is over 550 pages long.