Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates ~ Week Three Discussion Thread + Community Rules & Spoiler Guidelines

Admittedly, I am behind on my reading for The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates this week. I hope to be caught with Part Three very soon. I wanted to stick to the posting schedule I'd created at the beginning of this read-along. So, with this in mind, I enlisted the aid of Google Gemini to help me flush out the major themes and discussion questions for Part Three of The Accursed. Read the following!

When reading Joyce Carol Oates’s The Accursed, one quickly realizes that the "curse" terrorizing Princeton, New Jersey, in 1905 is far more than a supernatural phantom. It is a physical manifestation of the moral rot, racial violence, and sexual repression buried beneath the polished exterior of Gilded Age America. In Part 3, Oates escalates her gothic pastiche to brilliant, unsettling new heights as the narrative shifts focus from suburban anxieties to the horrifying logic of the demonic "Bog Kingdom."

The Unreliable Historian and the Framing of Horror

A central triumph of the novel—which I really began to appreciate after reading Marianne’s Week 3 post over at Let’s Read—is the framing of our narrator, the late-twentieth-century historian M. W. van Dyck II. Marianne astutely pointed out that van Dyck may well be an unreliable narrator, and once you start looking for the cracks in his scholarly facade in Section 3, they are everywhere.

Van Dyck insists he is compiling an objective, painstaking record in 1984, but his mask as an impartial archivist slips constantly:

• Class and Racial Blind Spots: Writing as an elderly product of the Princeton establishment, van Dyck shares the same socio-political prejudices as the 1905 elite. He routinely sanitizes or rationalizes the community's moral failures while maintaining an air of high-minded decorum.
• Convenient Omissions: He openly admits to withholding, burning, or redacting letters and diary entries whenever the details become too scandalous or damaging to prominent families.
• Impossible Omniscience: Despite claiming to be a mere collector of historical documents, van Dyck casually penetrates the private inner thoughts, feverish hallucinations, and subconscious fears of figures like Woodrow Wilson and Upton Sinclair—turning "history" into a highly subjectively fabricated narrative.
• Personal Stake: Van Dyck isn't a neutral bystander; his own ancestry connects directly to the Slade family line and the events of the curse, giving him every reason to shape how history remembers these events.

As van Dyck channels private visions and glosses over uncomfortable truths, Oates—and van Dyck himself—reminds us that official historical record-keeping is often just as complicit in cover-ups as the perpetrators themselves.

The Horror of Social Hierarchy

Part 3 stands out as the narrative center of gravity for the novel’s social critique. Through Annabel Slade’s captivity under the demon Count Axom Mate, Oates transports readers to the Bog Kingdom—a twisted, funhouse-mirror reflection of Princeton elite society. In this subterranean underworld, populated by grotesque reptilian birds, mollusks, and forgotten corpses, class oppression is laid bare.

Oates doesn't pull her punches: the nightmare of the Bog Kingdom is not an invasion of external evil, but a direct reflection of Princeton's upper class. The way Count Axom Mate discards his former wives and mistreats the "unproductive" laboring class mirrors the cold ruthlessness of turn-of-the-century industrial capitalism and racial hierarchy.

Historical Figures as Flawed Mortals

One of Oates’s sharpest achievements in Section 3 is her continued subversion of historic titan figures. Woodrow Wilson (then President of Princeton University) continues his descent into self-righteous paranoia and petty bureaucratic feuds. Rather than portraying him as a noble statesman, Oates presents Wilson as a deeply conflicted hypocrite whose pious outward demeanor masks secret infatuations and moral cowardice.

Contrasting Wilson's elite ivory tower are figures like Upton Sinclair and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Sinclair’s frantic socialist idealism highlights the severe labor and economic exploitation of the era, while Clemens’s outrage against lynching and white supremacy underscores the true evil haunting the town—not red-eyed devils, but systemic racism and white silence.

The Verdict on Section 3

Part 3 is dense, atmospheric, and intentionally hallucinatory. Oates uses structural subversion—interweaving letters, academic histories, unreliable narration, demonic visions, and pastiche—to challenge the very nature of storytelling. It is not a quick or comfortable read, but as an indictment of American historical amnesia, Section 3 is masterclass gothic literature.

   Discussion Questions for Our Read-Along

1. The Unreliable Narrator: Building on Mary Ann's observation about M. W. van Dyck II, where in Section 3 do you feel his bias as an elderly Princeton traditionalist is most obvious? Do you think he is intentionally hiding the truth or simply blinded by his own background?
2. The Mirror of the Bog Kingdom: How does the surreal ecology and social structure of Count Axom Mate’s Bog Kingdom reflect the real-world socio-economic conditions of 1905 America?
3. Historical vs. Fictional Monsters: Oates contrasts supernatural demons with real-world horrors like racial violence, lynching, and labor exploitation. Which forces in Section 3 feel more terrifying or destructive to you?
4. The Deconstruction of Woodrow Wilson: How does Oates’s portrayal of Woodrow Wilson challenge the traditional historical narrative of his legacy? Is he portrayed as a victim of the curse or an active contributor to it?
5. The Role of Repression: Many characters in Section 3 suffer from psychological hallucinations or physical illnesses. How does secret guilt or sexual repression act as a gateway for the curse?

Marianne, from Let's Read, has posted her Week Three thoughts regarding Part Three of The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates. Please click on the link provided to read and comment on Marianne's post. Marianne has once again provided food for thought in her post this week.

Drop Your Thoughts Below!

Feel free to answer any of the questions above, share your favorite line or footnote from Part One, or link your preliminary blog post/review draft in the comments!

Community Rules & Spoiler Guidelines

To keep our discussion engaging, respectful, and easy to navigate across different reading paces, please follow these group guidelines:

• Respect Diverse Perspectives: Book bloggers bring varied analytical styles and opinions. Critique the text, arguments, and narrative choices vigorously, but keep all interactions courteous and constructive.
• Use Spoiler Tags Outside Weekly Threads: Keep all plot discussions strictly within the designated week’s thread or channel. If you reference events beyond the current week's reading target in general chat, use spoiler tags (e.g., ||spoiler text|| or standard forum markup) and clearly label the page/chapter range.
• Tag Review Drafts & Posts: Feel free to share links to your blog posts, review drafts, or social media coverage! When posting links, mark whether the content contains spoilers so members reading at a slower pace can browse safely.
• Pacing & Asynchronous Courtesy: We encourage deep, long-form responses. If you reply to a post from earlier in the week, quote or tag the specific section so members can follow the conversation thread easily.
• Self-Promotion & Crossposting: Use the designated #Blog-Share thread to post your final reviews, group roundups, and cross-promotions. Keep main discussion threads focused on live text analysis.

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine

Author: Rabih Alameddine 

Narrator: GM Hakim 

Format: Audiobook (Unabridged) 

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Stars) 

Audiobook Length: 8 hours and 38 minutes

Award: 2025 National Book Award for Fiction

Publisher’s Summary

From National Book Award finalist and winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction comes a tragicomic love story set in Lebanon, a modern saga of family, memory, and the unbreakable attachment of a son and his mother.

When Raja—a 60-something gay former philosophy teacher in Beirut—is offered an unexpected residency in Virginia, it sets off a series of reflections and recollections. Dancing across six decades, the novel explores the bond between Raja and his firebrand mother, Zalfa, amidst the backdrop of Lebanon's turbulent history, from the Lebanese Civil War to recent crises. It is an expansive, funny, and deeply moving novel about national trauma, community, familial devotion, and forgiveness.

Opening My Mind (and Headphones) to a Slow Burn

When I first hit play on the unabridged audiobook for The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother), I have to admit I was on the fence. The initial chapters move with a deliberate, quiet pace, and for a short while, I wasn't entirely sure if the narrative was going to capture my attention.

However, as I continued listening during my quiet reading hours, the story began to unfold like a rich, intricate tapestry. My early hesitation faded completely, replaced by a deep appreciation for Rabih Alameddine’s immersive storytelling. By the time I reached the final chapter, I was thoroughly swept up in its world, earning this National Book Award–winning novel a solid four stars in my book log.

Complex Family Dynamics & Queerness in Lebanon

Set primarily against the vivid, layered backdrop of Lebanon, this novel excels in its exploration of human relationships and cultural nuance. At its heart is the tender, complicated, and fiercely emotional dynamic between Raja—a gay former philosophy teacher—and his mother, Zalfa.

Alameddine navigates the intersections of family, deep devotion, and LGBTQ+ identity with incredible sensitivity. The novel doesn't shy away from complex realities or historical trauma; instead, it leans into the messiness of love, memory, and belonging. It treats its characters with a profound level of empathy, allowing their flaws and triumphs to feel intimately human.

The Audio Experience

What truly elevated this listen for me was GM Hakim’s brilliant narration. Bringing a book with such rich cultural texture, shifting tones, and emotional subtlety to life requires a skilled performance, and Hakim delivered flawlessly. Across its 8-hour and 38-minute runtime, the pacing, emotional cadence, and voice work brought Raja and his mother off the page, making the audiobook a deeply rewarding way to experience the text.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) isn't a fast-paced thriller to rush through; it’s a contemplative, expansive novel that invites you to settle in and let the characters breathe. If you enjoy multi-generational family sagas, nuanced international literature, and stories that thoughtfully center LGBTQ+ lives, I highly recommend picking this one up (or grabbing the audiobook!).

I asked Google Gemini to help me change up my book review a bit. I feel like my book reviews are kind of stagnant. Tell me how you like this book review! 

Lastly, it should be noted that The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine was the last book selected this year for the Online Rainbow Book Club I've participated in this year. We will be discussing this novel next week.

Until my next post, happy reading.

BookGive Free Book Room in Denver, Colorado

 

Wow, I recently learned about BookGive Free Book Room in Denver, Colorado!! This place gives away FREE books. BookGive is located inside an old gas station. Kinda of a cool concept... Sort of like a Little Free Library, but on a grander scale.

My understanding is that BookGive is "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative that transformed a vintage gas station (formerly Regis 66) into a free community bookstore and resource center." I discovered the quoted information after doing a Google search.

I'd enjoy visiting BookGive one day. It looks like a fabulous place to visit. I wonder if any of my blog readers have been there. Let me know if any of you have visited BookGive. I'd love to hear about your experience.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates ~ Week Two Discussion Thread + Community Rules & Spoiler Guidelines

 

If Part One of Joyce Carol Oates’ sprawling 2013 postmodern Gothic masterpiece The Accursed sets the stage with the terrifying, surreal abduction of young Annabel Slade from her own wedding altar, Part Two: "The Curse Incarnate" escalates the nightmare.

Oates doesn't just treat "the curse" as a series of spooky, isolated ghost encounters. In Part Two, she uses supernatural horror to expose the rot underneath Gilded Age American respectability. The line between literal demonology and the toxic social realities of the era—racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and extreme class inequality—begins to blur entirely.

1. Key Thematic Developments in Part Two

The Bog Kingdom as a Dark Mirror

In Part Two, we get deeper glimpses into the subterranean realm where the mysterious demon-bridegroom "Count Ax Mate" / "Mr. Mayte" has taken Annabel Slade. The Bog Kingdom isn't just a fantasy dungeon; it operates as an grotesque caricature of Gilded Age capitalism. It is a feudal hierarchy where the ruling elite feed on worn-out servants and the discarded lower classes. Annabel’s descent mimics the psychological enslavement of women who were traded off into polite Gilded Age marriages—where autonomy is surrendered for illusory comfort.

The Hypocrisy of "Good, Christian" Princeton

One of Oates’ sharpest moves in Part Two is contrasting literal monsters with historical elites. Historical figures like Woodrow Wilson (then President of Princeton University) navigate campus infighting and social obligations while turning a deliberate, cowardly blind eye to real-world horrors like lynchings and racial violence. Oates poses a unsettling question: Who is truly accursed—the demonic shapeshifters, or the respectable white patriarchy that passively permits atrocities?

Mass Hysteria & Psychological Contagion

Part Two highlights how the curse manifests as a psychological infection across Princeton. Husbands grow wildly paranoid, suspecting their wives of illicit affairs with incubi, while girls at nearby seminaries experience bizarre group hallucinations involving swarms of snakes. The polite facade of 1905 New Jersey is unraveling from the inside out.

2. Character Tracker: Part Two Status & Arcs

Because The Accursed blends a massive cast of fictional families with famous real-world figures, keeping track of everyone can get overwhelming. Here is a snapshot of where key players stand during Part Two:

Character	Real or Fictional?	Role / Status in Part Two	Key Plot Points & Arc
Woodrow Wilson	Historical	President of Princeton University	Stressed by administrative battles and personal neuroses. Confronted over racial violence and lynchings, he stubbornly equivocates to maintain his social standing.
Annabel Slade	Fictional	The Missing Bride	Imprisoned in the sinister Bog Kingdom by Count Ax Mate. Trapped in a feverish, hypnotized state, coming face-to-face with the monstrous nature of her captor's world.
Count Ax Mate / Mr. Mayte	Fictional	The "Demon Bridegroom"	Operates as a charismatic, aristocratic vampire/demon figure. Tailors his seductions to prey specifically on the hidden hypocrisies and repressed desires of Princeton society.
Josiah Slade	Fictional	Annabel’s Brother	Obsessively pursues leads to find his sister, venturing into dark, taboo places while grappling with his family's curse and moral complicity.
Upton Sinclair	Historical	Socialist Crusader & Author	Living near Princeton after publishing The Jungle. Functions as a radical voice challenging the town's elite, highlighting class warfare and industrial exploitation.
Jack London	Historical	Radical Author & Socialist	Introduced as an explosive, unapologetic contrast to Princeton’s genteel academics. His presence highlights the tension between raw, elemental forces/class struggle and polite society's ivory tower.
Todd Slade	Fictional	Cousin to Annabel	Marked by uncanny, disturbing encounters; seen by family members as inherently "accursed" or connected to the dark forces visiting the town.
M.W. van Dyke II	Fictional	The Unreliable Narrator	An elderly Princeton historian attempting to reconstruct the 1905 "Curse" years later. His bias and desperate need to preserve Princeton's reputation constantly leak through his writing.

3. Takeaway Thoughts for Reading Groups

If you're reading The Accursed for a book club or class discussion, Part Two is where the novel's core thesis really takes shape:

1. The True Nature of the Monster: Is Count Ax Mate an external supernatural evil, or is he simply the manifested guilt and darkness of the town's founding families?

2. The Unreliable Narrator: How does M.W. van Dyke II's aristocratic bias shape how the story is told? Notice where he attempts to excuse figures like Woodrow Wilson or downplay systemic racism.

3. Pastiche and Style: Pay attention to how Oates parodies early 20th-century Gothic literature (think Bram Stoker or Edgar Allan Poe) while injecting modern, biting critiques of power and privilege.

Drop Your Thoughts Below!

Feel free to answer any of the questions above, share your favorite line or footnote from Part One, or link your preliminary blog post/review draft in the comments!

Community Rules & Spoiler Guidelines

To keep our discussion engaging, respectful, and easy to navigate across different reading paces, please follow these group guidelines:

• Respect Diverse Perspectives: Book bloggers bring varied analytical styles and opinions. Critique the text, arguments, and narrative choices vigorously, but keep all interactions courteous and constructive.
• Use Spoiler Tags Outside Weekly Threads: Keep all plot discussions strictly within the designated week’s thread or channel. If you reference events beyond the current week's reading target in general chat, use spoiler tags (e.g., ||spoiler text|| or standard forum markup) and clearly label the page/chapter range.
• Tag Review Drafts & Posts: Feel free to share links to your blog posts, review drafts, or social media coverage! When posting links, mark whether the content contains spoilers so members reading at a slower pace can browse safely.
• Pacing & Asynchronous Courtesy: We encourage deep, long-form responses. If you reply to a post from earlier in the week, quote or tag the specific section so members can follow the conversation thread easily.
• Self-Promotion & Crossposting: Use the designated #Blog-Share thread to post your final reviews, group roundups, and cross-promotions. Keep main discussion threads focused on live text analysis.

UPDATE: Marianne, from Let's Read, has posted her Week Two thoughts regarding Part Two of The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates. Please click on the link provided to read and comment on Marianne's post. Marianne has once again provided food for thought in her post.

Additionally, I did have help from Google Gemini in flushing out the analysis for part two and organizing the character tracker for part two.

Happy American Archives Month!!!

After writing and publishing a post about the Sacramento Archives Crawl and learning that October is National Archives Month, I found myself wanting to learn more about National Archives Month. I learned that National Archives Month began in 2006! 

Below is additional information about National Archives Month I discovered through the use of Google Gemini.

American Archives Month (often referred to as National Archives Month) takes place every October in the United States. Spearheaded nationally by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) alongside institutions like the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), it celebrates the importance of preserving historical records and highlights the vital work archivists do to make history accessible.

Core Purpose & Goals

• Public Education: Demystify what archives are and raise awareness about why preserving paper documents, audio/video recordings, and digital media matters for history, culture, and accountability.

• Promoting Accessibility: Show the public how to access local, state, and national history—whether for genealogical research, historical inquiry, or civic engagement.

• Highlighting Professionals: Showcase the archivists, conservators, and record managers behind the scenes who catalog, clean, digitize, and safeguard primary sources.

Key Signature Events During the Month

• #AskAnArchivist Day: A nationwide social media event where archivists from universities, museums, government repositories, and presidential libraries answer questions directly from the public on platforms like X (Twitter), Instagram, and Threads.

• Electronic Records Day (#ERecsDay): Coordinated by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) to educate the public and government agencies on managing long-term digital preservation, backups, and digital file integrity.

• Behind-the-Scenes Tours & Open Houses: State archives, presidential libraries, municipal repositories, and local historical societies host open houses, virtual tours, and document transcription parties.

How Organizations & Communities Participate

1. Unlocking Hidden Collections: Institutions share "mystery photos" or highlight standout primary sources (letters, old maps, rare artifacts) across social channels using #ArchivesMonth.

2. Community Archives & Family History: Libraries and archives host workshops teaching individuals how to properly store and preserve family heirlooms, photographs, and personal digital files.

3. State & Local Proclamations: Governors and local officials issue official proclamations declaring October as Archives Month to support public funding and awareness for preservation.

Will you be participating in an archive crawl?

Whoa, author, Sally Rooney, says she can no longer sell books in UK!!

 

I came across an article posted on The Guardian titled, 'Sally Rooney says she can no longer sell books in UK due to Palestine Action support' by Haroon Siddique and George Francis Lee. In the above mentioned article, the authors wrote the following:

Sally Rooney has said she is being forced to withdraw her books from sale in the UK because of her support for the banned organisation Palestine Action.

The Irish novelist, whose books include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, said her public support for the direct action group meant she could no longer receive royalties from UK sales.

After Palestine Action was banned last year, Rooney said she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action. Supporting organisations banned under the Terrorism Act is an offence and she subsequently cancelled a trip to the UK to pick up an award, for fear of arrest.

In a statement provided to the Guardian, the bestselling author said: “‘In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. The following month, I wrote an opinion piece expressing my intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed or otherwise prohibited group here in the Republic of Ireland.

Click on the above link to read the full article. 

Sacramento Archives Crawl 2017 - The Crawl Is For All

 Once again, Sacramento is hosting its annual Archives Crawl during National Archives Month. I discovered the following information about this event on the Sacramento Archives Crawl website:

The Crawl is for All

Every October, in celebration of National Archives Month, archives and special collections libraries from throughout the Sacramento region open their doors to the public and showcase their rarely seen holdings during the Sacramento Archives Crawl.

The Crawl is held at four host institution sites in downtown Sacramento: the California State Archives, California State Library, Center for Sacramento History, and Sacramento Room at the Sacramento Public Library. Free bus transportation is provided between all four locations.

Date: October 17, 2026

Schedule: 10 am - 4 pm

Cost: Free

I'd love to attend the Sacramento Archives Crawl this weekend, but I am unable to attend due to other obligations. Maybe next year? Keeping fingers crossed.