Happy 88th year to "The Great Gatsby"!

Today is the 88th year since "The Great Gatsby" was published on April 10th, 1925. We, of course, have a special interest in anything Fitzgerald because his editor, Max Perkins, lived at 26 Main Street (now the Inn). There is even greater interest in The GG this year because the Baz Luhrman film comes out next month and we are very very interested to see how that goes (it looks Bazrageous!). Our Snapdragon literary club read it a few months back so it is fresh in our minds for film viewing.

This is from a letter Fitzgerald sent to Perkins on October 27th, 1924 with his first draft of the novel,

(I think that at last I've done something really my own), but how good "my own" is remains to be seen.

Then on November 18th, 1924 Perkins responded with this articulate and beautifully crafted response,

I think the novel is a wonder. I'm taking it home to read again and shall then write my impressions in full;—but it has vitality to an extraordinary degree, and glamour, and a great deal of underlying thought of unusual quality. It has a kind of mystic atmosphere at times that you infused into parts of "Paradise" and have not since used. It is a marvelous fusion, into a unity of presentation, of the extraordinary incongruities of life today. And as for sheer writing, it's astonishing.

You can read more of their correspondence on the site, "Letters of Note" that posts fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams and will be publishing a book next month. Did you know that the title Fitzgerald was keen to go for was actually, "Trimalchio in West Egg"? Perkins didn't quite think that was a fit and  guided him back towards his original title, "The Great Gatsby".

So, have you read it lately? If you need a refresher, this clever infographic (found on pinterest, of course) below is a help or go check out this fancy site.

We'll chat again once the movie is out!

Snapdragon DIY: fortune eggs for Easter

Here's a fun little DIYer that we worked up for our guests over Easter weekend. We wanted more subtle colors so we sprayed the plastic eggs gold (taping some off for cool patterning). Then we filled them with chocolate and typed up some special wee notes for each. Then we hid them in the guest rooms. Egg hunts shouldn't just be for kids! We are already thinking on how to expand for next year.

March literary club meet-up: "Bandanas & October Supplies"

For March we will be reading, "Bandanas & October Supplies" by M. Dylan Raskin. We will also be hosting Raskin next month for a reading from the author. Read his book this month and come to the Inn next month to meet the author.

M. Dylan Raskin (MDR to friends) is back with the most unexpected of books—an offbeat love song to his ailing mother—that reads like a punk-rock version of The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Of course, there's a twist. As always, young Mr. Raskin has a lot on his mind. His generation is still stocked to the gills with morons and "walking clichés," and MDR's favorite things—blanket forts, fleece pants, cozy trees, and the month of October, to name just a few—are still in woefully short supply. But when his mother is diagnosed with cancer, MDR's usual troubles are forced to the backseat. Together, mother and son hit the road in their little Honda del Sol and scour America for peace and quiet and the "October supplies" they need to keep going. Equal parts road story, elegy, and hallucinatory bildungsroman, Bandanas and October Supplies is a bittersweet love story that is like no other book ever written about death, life, and the complex devotion between a mother and a son.

All are welcome. See you in a few weeks!

February literary club meet-up: "Peace Like a River"

As we gear up for Nor'easter Nemo, we thought it was about time we get the book announced for the month since there could be some quality time to read over the weekend with all this predicted snow (but will it really happen?).

Some of the general thoughts from the discussion of last month's, "Gone Girl" were that  it was a real page turner with an intricate twisting plot but we felt there wasn't much character development. It felt shallow. We didn't really care about who they were and, in turn, why they were acting as they were. Yes, there were moments that were funny and interesting  but overall, it felt sort of flat. How about you, have you read it? What was your takeaway? 

This month we are zooming back a few years to a book recommended from some women that have never led us astray in their book suggestions. "Peace like a River" by Lief Enger was written just after 9/11.

Hailed as one of the year's top five novels by Time, and selected as one of the best books of the year by nearly all major newspapers, national bestseller Peace Like a River captured the hearts of a nation in need of comfort. "A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing, " Peace Like a River is "a collage of legends from sources sacred and profane -- from the Old Testament to the Old West, from the Gospels to police dramas" (Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor). In "lyrical, openhearted prose" (Michael Glitz, The New York Post), Enger tells the story of eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and its remarkable conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates. Leif Enger's "miraculous" (Valerie Ryan, The Seattle Times) novel is a "perfect book for an anxious time ... of great literary merit that nonetheless restores readers' faith in the kindness of stories" (Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press).

Did you read this back when it came out? We are excited to delve in.  Please join us on February 28th at 7:30PM in the Maxwell Perkins library to discuss. All are welcome to attend, even if you aren't able to read it but want to come listen and enjoy some discussion.

You can also join the facebook group here.

See you then!

Recent Review: Room 3

It's February! Yesterday was warm & windy but the temperature is much more February today. Enjoy your first weekend of the month. We are gearing up for a full few days with our wonderful guests. Here's a recent review from one of our past guests. 

Always am a bit hesitant to head to B&B's as I feel they can be on the musty side and so on. This place was a winner though. Completely renovated in 2010 it has beautiful pine floors, good wifi/TV, etc, excellent bathroom with heated floors and a bed that was so good, we slept through breakfast. Well sized, immaculate with modern/cheerful rooms. Very quiet as well & with helpful staff. Located in the pretty locale of Windsor and near 89/91 so easy on/off. Close to Quechee/Woodstock areas. Head to Simon Pearce for a great dinner by the water.

Room Tip: We stayed in Room 3. Up one floor. Faces street and parking but was still very quiet with lots of light.

Year in review: 2012

Live @ Snapdragon with Chris Velan

Announcement that Colin Firth will be playing Maxwell Perkins in upcoming film

Beautiful Simon Pearce glass trees on our mantels

Our DIY pumpkins

A summer of beautiful weddings

Recipient of 2012 Certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor

Our week with Gordon Ramsay 

Making lip balms with our very own beeswax

Having the most wonderful guests (and their notes)

More weddings

A new swing

Jen, our amazing event/wedding planner 

and of course our 2012 Holiday Video

What a wonderful year. Thank you to all of our amazing guests. 

Here's to another great one in 2013!

January literary club meet-up: "Gone Girl"

Happy New Year folks! Our literary club took a break for the holidays after reading "The Great Gatsby" in November. We had an excellent discussion that evening on the excellence of Fitzgerald's prose and his biting social commentary of his time. We are ready to start the new year off with a book that topped many of the reading lists for 2012. Perhaps you have already read it?

On January 31st at 7:30PM will meet to discuss, "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  We haven't read a good thriller since " The Devil in the White City" earlier last year so we thought this would be a good change of pace for us. 

From the author,

You might say I specialize in difficult characters. Damaged, disturbed, or downright nasty. Personally, I love each and every one of the misfits, losers, and outcasts in my three novels. My supporting characters are meth tweakers, truck-stop strippers, backwoods grifters ... 

With Gone Girl, I wanted to go the opposite direction: what happens when two people intertwine their lives completely.I wanted to explore the geography of intimacy--and the devastation it can lead to. Marriage gone toxic.
Gone Girl opens on the occasion of Amy and Nick Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. (How romantic.) Amy disappears under very disturbing circumstances. (Less romantic.) Nick and Amy Dunne were the golden couple when they first began their courtship. Soul mates. They could complete each other's sentences, guess each other's reactions. They could push each other's buttons. They are smart, charming, gorgeous, and also narcissistic, selfish, and cruel.

Are you ready to dive in? Luckily there is an extra week this month so you have 4 weeks to read and join us to discuss. All are welcome!

You can join our facebook group here to check out any updates.