ON THE SMALL SCREEN
The Other Bennet Sister (BritBox)
Mary Bennet is the odd sister out. Very smart, but plain compared to her other sisters, she is harassed, berated by her mother, and oftentimes just ignored by her many siblings. In Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, she is viewed as having no marital prospects, while her sisters all gain husbands.
The Other Bennet Sister begins with the scenario in Austen’s novel but then goes beyond it to create a world and another life for Mary. She spends time in London with her aunt and uncle, acting as a fill-in governess for their children. The Gardiners introduce her to London social life, and Mary meets and even captures the attention of two very different young men, Charles Ryder and Tom Hayward. But her mother intervenes, thus providing more challenges for Mary to overcome.
There are 10 episodes and they are short, just 30 minutes each. Those familiar with Mrs. Bennet’s managing ways and Caroline Bingley’s superiority complex will delight in their portrayals here. Highly recommended for Jane Austen fans!
A NOVEL FOR FATHER’S DAY
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout’s new novel, The Things We Never Say, is set in Massachusetts, not Maine, and none of the characters are familiar from her earlier works. No Olive Kittredge here. Instead, we have high school history teacher, Artie Dam, husband, father, and a lonely man. At 57, Artie is distressed by the state of the world (it is not said directly, but the book opens just before Trump’s second term), somewhat depressed, sad in his marriage, and generally out of sorts.
But he is a good teacher and frequently shows compassion toward difficult students (his wife Evie considers him “soft.”) He obsesses over whether humans have free will, and in his spare time loves sailing alone on the bay in his boat. When his son Rob shares a secret with him, Artie is initially both unsettled and doubtful. The knowledge of this secret brings father and son closer together, and they begin to communicate regularly with each other, texting and phoning. In many ways, the expansion of their relationship is the most significant one in the novel.
Through Artie, Strout explores how families and friends communicate or don’t, delving into the secrets and fears individuals keep to themselves or share only selectively with someone outside the family. More than any of Strout’s works that I know, this is a political novel, quietly so. U. S. politics with all its disruption, division, and angst is an underlying thread surfacing only fully in Artie’s unexpected friendship with Ken. Some readers may find this novel dreary; I found it thoughtful and memorable. Recommended! (~JWFarrington)
LUNCH OUT
Q Noodles (Cary)
If you have a hankering for soup dumplings or any kind of noodles, a visit to Q Noodles would be most satisfying. Tucked away in a less visible part of a strip mall behind DQ and Paris Baguette, it can be easy to overlook this restaurant. In fact, I had never spotted it before our lunch here this past week.
The menu is extensive and includes a variety of pork and chicken buns, steamed and panfried dumplings, dim sum, and hot and cold noodle dishes, along with sweet and savory rice offerings. Our table of ten shared two combination towers of dim sum (tasty) besides what we ordered individually. I opted for the Sichuan beef noodle soup. In a big bowl, it was nicely spicy and enough for a second lunch the next day. The Chief Penguin went for the Ybin spicy dry noodles with minced pork. His dish was really spicy, and he loved it. Lots of the other dishes are mild and would appeal to those who aren’t fans of spicy fare.
The dining room is very attractive with its wall poster and inviting seating. Service was friendly, but leisurely; we were definitely ready when the food arrived. Q Noodles is so close that the C.P. and I could easily walk there—who knows when we will next want to satisfy a noodle craving!
Note: Restaurant photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
