As you probably know by now, one of my favorite books is Little Women. One of my all time favorite characters is Jo March. She is an incredible free spirit, with a fiery ambition which allowed her to do some pretty incredible things, in a completely carefree manner, at a time when women were not allowed to do much more than be a good wife and raise proper children. There’s a line in the movie (and I’m not sure if its in the book) with Winona Ryder where she says rather wistfully,
“ah, I should have been a great many things, Mr. __”.
I love that line – don’t we all think that very thing through many stages of our life? But do we ever stop to consider the clutter we’ve accumulated that has kept us from being a great many things?
Around January, we talked about New Years Resolutions and the things we wanted to change about ourselves. Well, now its time for some consideration in regards to not just the Spring Cleaning of our physical environment, but also our inner selves – getting rid of the emotional and mental clutter. You know, the things that have kept us from being the great many things we should have been.
One of my favorite movies is Practical Magic, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. There’s a scene towards the end where the group of women (an ad hoc coven) get together to help Nicole Kidman exorcise the nasty boyfriend’s spirit from her body. After the exorcism, life is happy and lovely and very fairytale-ish. This is really sort of metaphoric for all of us – it may not be a nasty boyfriend, but we all have some experience we need to exorcise. There’s a line in this scene about doing some spring cleaning. I love that line but never really thought about it until very recently. In the movie, the character is talking about sweeping out all the dust on the floor left by the exorcism. However, I think that whole exorcism was much more than what we normally consider Spring Cleaning – it was getting rid of the clutter that was holding Jillian back.
The coven helped Jillian (Kidman) rid herself of the clutter (the nasty abusive ex-boyfriend) that had consumed her. Isn’t that what we do when we Spring Clean? Rid our homes of the clutter that consumes us? We sift through the old stuff, the clutter, and get rid of it. We clean our house. But how often do we consider cleaning our soul – our being – our self? Over the years, I’ve forgotten that spring cleaning isn’t just about the physicality of life – your home or your filing cabinet at work. It also includes getting rid of the clutter that is keeping you from becoming the person you may yet become.
That said, with the generosity of the Hachette Book Group, I am offering five sets of books to five winners in the Old Musty Books Spring Cleaning Giveaway. The following five books range from cleaning the house to getting rid of the clutter in your life:
- My Little Red Book By Rachel Kauder Nalebuff ISBN: 0446546364
- See Jane Lead By Lois Frankel ISBN: 0446698113
- Galway Bay By Mary Kelly ISBN: 0446579009
- Mistress Bradstreet By Charlotte Gordon ISBN: 0316169048
- Dream in Color By Linda Sánchez , Loretta Sánchez , Richard Buskin , Nancy Pelosi ISBN: 0446508047
- Kiss Off By Mary Esselman , Elizabeth V?lez ISBN: 0446690287
- Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven By Susan Gilman ISBN: 0446578924
- Put Your Dreams First By Thembisa S. , Vanessa Williams ISBN: 0446409464
As always, you have to share something to be entered into this giveaway. To tie this into books and reading, I want to know from you:
The name of one character (and the name of the book) that you wanted to be like, and for extra consideration, tell me why. (on your own, please consider what is it that has held you back from being like this character. Is it time for some spring cleaning?)
The usual restrictions apply – you must live in the United States or Canada and no P.O. Boxes please. This giveaway will expire on March 31, 2009.
Good luck to everyone and I look forward to hearing your submissions.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
This is probably going to sound shallow, but I’ve always wanted to be like Nancy Drew. I love mysteries and solving puzzles. That’s exactly what she does. I don’t particularly love the dangerous situations she gets into and I think I’d be pretty scared. However, I’ve been known to be a little daring so I think I can handle it.
I’d love to win these books.
I loved the friskiness and determination of Scarlett O’Hara. Although she started out a pampered diva type, when the occasion called for it she worked her fingers to the bone to save those she loved.
I probably would choose Evelyn Dixon from a new book I just read called “A Single Thread” by Marie Bostwick. This character ran into some big mid-life crises (divorce, new career, breast cancer) and yet she picked herself up & made a new life for herself.
PamelaS stole my answer. Who doesn’t want to be Scarlett O’Hara?
Wonderful idea which is unique and intriguing. I was always in awe of Anne of Anne of Green Gables. When I was very young I read the entire series which I found even then captivating. When I think of Anne she has courage, fortitude and capability as well as compassion and sweetness. She succeeded and was well liked by everyone.
People have already said Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone With the Wind”, but I actually wanted to be Scarlett from the follow-up book, I think it was just called “Scarlett”. I loved the original, but I’d be heartbroken to be without Rhett!
E-mail is vvperesk@gmail.com
I have to say I admire Maisie Dobbs, from the Maisie Dobbs series. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have been living in another era and the time in which Maisie lives is fascinating to me, the 1900′s through the 1930′s England. She has many qualities which are to be admired. She operates her own business as an investigator and is very intuitive. She possesses common sense and has fine judgment. It would be lively and an amazing experience to be that type of individual.
Gone with the Wind is my favorite book and I adore Scarlett as many have said,but I would like to be Jo in LITTLE WOMEN. I like her independence, love of books and writing! Thanks for letting me enter the giveaway!
Every since I was in the second grade I have loved the name “Mary” and even tried to pass as “Mary” instead of “Darby” on my first day of school in 3rd grade. I don’t know where I picked my love for the name “Mary” yet it had to be from a book and since I can’t recall the book I was reading in second grade (Unless the girls name in “the secret garden” is “Mary”; I loved that book), the most recent Mary I have read about that I admired was Mary Boylen. I admired her spunk and what is holding me back? I don’t know that anything is holding me back…we like those who we can relate to the most.
Thanks for the giveaway and the thoughtful Q&A!
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Probably Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich series…I know its not a great literary read but a)she has a ton of fun b)knows the value of a great pair of shoes c)every day is different and d)Ranger and Joe Morelli…need I say more?
LOL…you may laugh, but I always wanted to be Ramona Quimby from Beverly Cleary’s series about the young girl. She was so imaginative, adventurous, and independent. I still smile when I think of her.
I have just read “Sisters Choice” by Emily Richards. Jamie is a sister who unselfishly has concented to be a surgate so her sister can be blessed with children of her own. She has eggs implanted and becomes pregnant with twins. Near the end of the pregnancy she finds a lump in her breast. She chooses the life of the babies over her own life even thought she has two girls of her own to raise. I would like to think I would make wise choices the way Jamie does.
I’m another Anne of Green Gables fan, my favorite books when I was young and enjoyed them as an adult too. I was always in trouble so very easily identified with her.
Not long ago I read the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and I just loved the name August Boatwright. I have been fascinated with bees for many years and when this book came out it seemed perfect for me. How can you go wrong with a name like August, the middle of summer??
roylsue@telpage.net
I want to be like Bella in Twilight, because she’s so strong and loved her Edward no matter what.
In the book, Lad a Dog, I wanted to be the dog that rescues and saves the day, kindof like Lassie before TV. Well, since I’m writing this, a dog is an animal I’ll never be, although they are rather loyal to their “people.” The way Lad and his master cared for each other needs no translation. It’s a classic by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Having a copy somewhere, spring cleaning can’t come to soon. The weather’s breaking.
Edmond Dantès from The Count of Monte Cristo — vengeance and redemption.
Laura Ingalls from The Laura Ingles Wilder books. She always found a way to get in trouble and that Nasty Nellie always got what was coming to her and mostly with the benefit of Laura. She rocked!
lastnerve2000@gmail.com