Pint of Purple: Emily Nabney, Books Editor

What book are you reading at the moment?

This is going to make me sound uber-pretentious, but I am currently slogging through Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa (one of the oldest and longest books in the English language). Clarissa is a beautiful but headstrong heiress, gets involved with a sexy rake against her family’s wishes. He wants to seduce her because she’s famed for her ‘virture’ – and will use any tactics necessary. It’s pretty dark and steamy for the eighteenth century and I’m fascinated by the twisted games he plays with her. Perhaps I’m a sadist. Or is that a masochist?

Who is your favourite literary character?

I have a soft spot for tragically idealistic women who want more than their circumstances allow: Emma Bovary, Marianne Dashwood, Sansa Stark and Anne of York in The Kingmaker’s Daughter. I couldn’t possibly speculate what this reveals about me.

Early exposure to Gossip Girl at an impressionable age has meant that I harbor a special love for badly behaved boys like Mr Rochester and Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games. I did go through a brief Edward Cullen phase, but thankfully I’m all better now.

What is the first book you remember reading?

This is a difficult one because I read a lot as a child, but one book that does stand out is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read and re-read the family copy obsessively, though I had little to no interest in the rest of the Narnia books. I remember having an intense dislike of Lucy – Susan was defintely my favourite. I have no idea why I connected with her so much, because she’s flat even by the cardboard cut-out standards of Narnia land.

What is your all-time favourite book?

Jane Eyre. Always Jane Eyre. It was the first ‘classic’ book I read (at the tender age of nine – I was a precocious child) and the story has always stayed with me. It’s the perfect blend of Gothic atmosphere and frustrated passion. There are few heroines as compelling and real as Jane is – and it’s always refreshing to read about a girl who’s valued for her intelligence and compassion rather than her looks.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would be the title?

Probably something like Trying Very Hard to Be a Disney Princess and Failing Miserably at It.

Kindle vs. Book?
Both! I love my Kindle for course texts and holiday reading, but I have hard copies of books I want to treasure (including a gorgeous copy of Sense & Sensibility with illustrations which I’d never want to live without). I don’t see why it has to be an “either/or” situation.

How much is a pint of purple?
I’m way too classy for Pop. Besides, we all know that Fish Bowls are where it’s at.

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Image Credits: Header (fanpop.com), Image 1 (themoonsfavors.blogspot.com), Image 2 (periodfilms.ru), Image 3 (abenewjourney.com).