Reading about the South

When I read books by Miranda James I can't help thinking about the movie Victor/Victoria. In an early scene, Julie Andrew's character exclaims to Robert Preston's character "A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?"

Male librarian Dean James writes the Cat in the Stacks mysteries as female author Miranda James whose main character is male librarian Charlie Harris. These books fit into the "cozy" genre as they take place in a little town in Mississippi called Athena. They're fun, easy reading with no graphic sex and violence - a nice break from some of the grittier mysteries I read. I recently finished Arsenic and  Old Books, the sixth book of the series.

And I just started reading Rita Mae Brown's Crazy Like a Fox. This is part of the Sister Jane Arnold series about foxhunting. This is another fun, light read.

I really like reading Rita Mae Brown's books. While I found her Mrs. Murphy series sort of silly, I don't mind the animals talking to each other in the foxhunting series. To me, it feels as if their conversations add depth and insight to the story and also adds to the information about the history and ecology of foxhunting that is woven into the plot.

Best of all, I like Rita Mae Brown's stand-alone titles. While Rubyfruit Jungle feels a little dated now, it was a real shocker when it was first published. Other favorite titles are High Hopes (about the Civil War) and Alma Mater.

What ties these two author (Miranda James and Rita Mae Brown) together is their detailed descriptions of life in the South, especially manners. Both authors are perpetually referring to "proper" behavior.

As much of a rebel as Rita Mae Brown is, Sister Jane Arnold, Master of the Jefferson Foxhunt, is always properly attired on the hunts and expects others to be too. There is a lot of description of the traditions of foxhunting and of the refined and cultivated south.

Charlie Harris sometimes gets angry or upset and would like to do or say something but doesn't because of his Southern upbringing. He also dislikes it when others ignore traditions.

Having lived in Massachusetts all of my life, and despite the state's Puritan history, Southern traditions and manners seem a little extreme to me. After all, I became an adult during the 60's when we "let it all hang out".  Since then I've found a comfortable behavior pattern for myself somewhere between being a Hippie and a Southern Belle.

Ultimately it all boils down to the Golden Rule.