Thursday, December 4, 2008 - November Book Reviews

 The Diamond of Darkhold

This fourth book in the Ember series was not a letdown. I didn't have my hopes up for this book--with a series where three books before have been very well written, could one possibly expect the same from the book that completes the saga? The author surprised me again and I believe this is my favorite of the Ember books, after the first one.

In this book, we go back to Doon and Lina after they have escaped the underground city of Ember. They have fit in well in their new home in Sparks, but it is not without problems. In a world ravaged by war, there is not enough basic necessities for the people of Ember and Sparks to live off of for the coming winter.

Doon and Lina attempt to solve the problems and are faced with only one answer--they must return to Ember. But secrets still exist under the ground in that deserted city--or is it deserted? Will Doon and Lina be faced with only two choices--death above ground, or death in their dead city?

If you are an Ember fan, I think this book will please you!

Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life

One of her last and greatest novels, George Eliot (pen name of Mary Anne Evans) published Middlemarch in 1874.

Dorothea Brooke is a charming young woman with philanthropic ideas. Her greatest goal in life is to further her intellect and change the world for the better. She is not content to merely settle down and marry any local well to do landowner. Instead, she finds herself interested in a middle aged scholar, Edward.

The story follows Dorothea as her ideals begin to burst. She expects a perfect relationship with Edward, and when they marry, she is startled to find out that maybe, her ideas on marriage were not quite right.

"Dorothea, with all her eagerness to know the truths of life, retained very childlike ideas about marriage. She felt sure that she would have accepted the judicious Hooker, if she had been born in time to save him from that wretched mistake he made in matrimony; or John Milton when his blindness had come on; or any of the other great men whose odd habits it would have been glorious piety to endure; but an amiable handsome baronet, who said "Exactly" to her remarks even when she expressed uncertainty,--how could he affect her as a lover? The really delightful marriage must be that where your husband was a sort of father, and could teach you even Hebrew, if you wished it."

Middlemarch follows Dorothea as she has to learn that her ideas on love, though noble, are not all that must exist for a happy relationship. It was an eye-opening read for me, because I will say, I do have similar ideas about relationships to Dorothea's. But the story illustrates what a relationship must really be built on--it can be neither a fairy tale romance full of happiness, nor can one be totally happy with a business-like marriage built around unromantic ideals.

The book does not completely focus on Dorothea, though. It is a study of many residents of Middlemarch, including the new young doctor as he comes to town, hoping to further his career and remove the discrimination against his "novelty" practice of medicine. We are also treated to Fred's story, a young man's carefree choices lead him into a life of debt and may cost him the girl he wants to marry.

Overall, Middlemarch is not just a charming tale of small town life, but also a deep novel filled with truths about people, relationships, and social status.

Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff and Cathy. They are probably one of the most famous literary couples of all times, right after Romeo and Juliet. This is their story--the story of an orphaned gypsy's obsessed love for a young woman. When she betrays him, he seeks revenge-- a revenge that will not just take over his life, but affect all who know them.

Definitely a classic novel of great insight regarding obsessive love, Wuthering Heights also brings with it wonderful characters--shallow Cathy, passionate and tormented Heathcliff, gentle Edgar, miserable Hindley, and deceived Isabel. These are the kind of characters one loves to see in books--and it is fascinating to watch their lives unravel because of theirs and other's actions.

It is not a happy love story (c'mon, where's the fun of that--there's enough of those in real life!). Instead, it is a brilliant tale of passion, revenge, and finally, closure.

Don Juan

I've always enjoyed Lord Byron's poetry, although I have not read a whole lot. This poem surprised me, though. It is very different from Byron's other more serious, romantic works. Instead, Byron delivers this narrative poem with humor, irony, and wit. I had many many laughs over it! I have to quote a reviewer from Amazon.com (forgive me!) "Byron dictated a lot of it out loud while he was shaving in the morning. I'm not kidding. Read this brilliant stuff, and imagine a guy just making it up as he goes along, in the bathroom while he's shaving." Yes, now that leaves for a funny work!

This is Byron's greatest masterpiece, it is said, although he died before it was completed. We are still left with over sixteen cantos left.

Don Juan, at age sixteen, is forced to flee from his country. Following this, we are treated to an extended account of his journey and troubles and he, literally, tries to find his place in the world (and pick up a few women along the way. Blah! There's always a catch with literature, you know). And truly, everything one could experience in life is in this poem!

Overall it is a wonderful and funny poem--I'd recommend it even to those of you who struggle with poetry, as it truly does read like prose.

The Wood Beyond the World

It is very easy to see why this book influenced fantasy as we now know it. Among the first books to mix fantasy, science fiction, and supernatural elements (which is so commonly what we consider fantasy to be now), we can still see how this book changed the genre that is very popular in current times.

William Morris is known for writing books that followed the patterns of a medieval romance. Thus, this book is written in the style of that chivalrous time--from the amount of many unrelated adventures down to the very grammar.

After he finds out his wife has been seeing another man, young Walter leaves his homeland. During a terrible storm, he is taken to a secret country, where he meets up with a evil (and beautiful) queen. After discovering her true nature, Walter must teem up wit the queen's pretty young maid and together, they must find away to defeat evil.

The plot is interesting, and it is wonderful to see how this influenced fiction. It is also nice to read a book published in 1894 with the style of a medieval romance. Yet, for all of that, the story was only okay. Rather predictable, it isn't terrible--but don't expect an epic fantasy story. Instead, lower your expectations and settle for a charming fairy tale, and you won't be let down.

The Princess Bride

I only have one thing to say about the author's sense of humor in this book.

"Inconceivable!"

I think a good majority of my readers have seen this movie and probably know it for the humorous story it is. However, I assure you, the book is ten times more funny.

Goldman says that he abridged S. Morgenstern's classic satire to include only the "good parts" that he enjoyed as a young boy. Of course, Morgenstern's book never existed, leaving Goldman with an incredible literary device that he employs better than anyone who ever tried it.

So if you want a lot of laughs (and danger and intrigue and love and romance and death and terror and philosophy and about anything else you can think of), get ready to embark on a tale of the most beautiful woman in the world, Buttercup, and her "farm boy" Westley. But when Westley dies, Buttercup promises to marry the wicked Prince Humperdinck--until she is kidnapped by a Spanish fencer who swears to revenge his father's death by finding the six fingered man who killed him, a Turkish giant wrestler, and a Sicilian genius. If that is not bad enough, Buttercup and her captors find themselves being followed by a masked man in black--could it be the Dread Pirate Roberts? Follow the gang through the Cliffs of Insanity, the Fire Swamps, and the Zoo of Death in this hilarious fairy tale!

Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Most of you know that C.S. Lewis was professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature. He wrote many books on the subject. This, though, is a collection of never before published essays on literature of that era. It sounds intimidating, but actually, it is an enjoyable read even if you do not have much experience in literature of that time. I found it extremely helpful (I even found a wonderful quote to use in my Arthurian Literature speech!) as an introduction to earlier literature, as well as exploring it on a deeper level at the same time. It works for anyone, beginner or someone more familiar with medieval literature.

The book contains essays on authors such as Dante and Tasso, and on medieval thought itself, and how it influenced the literature. I found the most fascinating parts, though, to be the essay on Le Morte D’Arthur (I'm an Arthurian lit nut! Which reminds me, the introduction in this book almost made me cry, because I've always wished Lewis would have written a book on Arthurian literature. Turns out, he was planning on it before he died. *sniff*) and the many essays on Edmund Spenser, including Lewis' famous biographical sketch of him, as well as essays talking about common devices in medieval literature.

If you are interested in literature, especially early literature, or would like to know more about it, this is a good place to start! If you are already familiar, then I am sure you will pick up some new things here!

Present Concerns

We usually think of C.S. Lewis the apologist, C.S. Lewis the fiction writer, and C.S. Lewis the literature expert. However, it isn't often we get to see C.S. Lewis the newspaperman. In this collection of essays, though, we are treated to Lewis' views on, well, "present concerns"--the current events of his time.

Things haven't changed all that much. We're still debating the same issues we debated in the fifties, it appears. The essays are startling relevant--whether on war, book censorship, or living with the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

Quite a good look at yet another side of Lewis as you can explore nineteen essays published in newspapers and magazine from the forties through the sixties. It is a strange mix of different topics, but all are extremely important.

 Letters to an American Lady

Although he actually was not that fond of letter writing, Lewis wrote many letters throughout his life to various friends, family, and fans. This collection of letters are to one middle-aged American woman that he never met.

Written during the last thirteen years of his life, these letters touch on some major parts of his life--his marriage, his widowhood, and his own sickness (the last letter being written not too long before his death). We also are treated to a look at his relationship with this woman as they both grow through the various struggles in their life (In fact, the woman, who had numerous family and financial struggles, received money from Lewis for many years, even after his own death).

The letters are a light look into the everyday life of Lewis. He wrote about his life, his likes and dislikes, and his activities. Showing a side of Lewis you can only see through his personal correspondence, this is a must read for all Lewis fans.

Studies in Words

Since C.S. Lewis was a literature expert, he also had a very natural interest n linguistics. This is his primary work of linguistics--a fascinating look at the origin, history, and modern uses of eleven words.

Lewis relates how these words have developed over the years, and how their meanings have changed. He shows how this affects our knowledge of early literature, as well, as we have come to know different words as meaning uses that they were not intended for.

This is a very scholarly work, to be sure, but nonetheless, very interesting!

Selected Literary Essays (C.S. Lewis)

This book is hard to find (it has not been reprinted) but it is just a gem. I wish I owned it--I loved every bit of it. It contains twenty-two essays on numerous literary subjects. Whether on authors themselves, literary devices, rhythm, or even psycho-analysis and literature, there is a lot covered in this selection!

Among my favorites were essays on Sir Walter Scott, Kipling, Shelley, Jane Austen, and Marlowe. I was amazed at how my reaction to various works, authors, and styles were so similar to Lewis'!

Literature fanatics, this one is definitely for you. Lewis gives clear and insightful examples as he interprets and explains literature--from Shakespeare to the Bible to T.S. Eliot. 

 NOTE: Before you die over the amount of books I read this month, I'll let you breathe. Of the following, I didn't read the entire book, because they are all essay collections that overlap. Some of them I only had to read one essay, some I had to read all but one essay. Technically, I have read everything in all these books, but because, again, they overlap, it's not as if I sat and read all these cover to cover. Gee, I don't have THAT much time on my hands. :) and since they overlapped, I'll just give short reviews. If I can. ;)

The Weight of Glory

This a shorter collection of essays and sermons. "Weight of Glory" is perhaps Lewis' most famous sermon considering heaven and what lies ahead of us. A few essays, written during World War Two, directly address war. "Transposition" is an enlightening little essay on spiritual "experiences". My favorite of these essays was probably "Is Theology Poetry?" which explains the Bible and theology from a literary point of view. Other essays address prayer, forgiveness, and more.

If you just want to check out some of Lewis essays, you can start here. However, most of these are published in other works, so it is not necessary if you want to read all of Lewis' works or prefer something that has more to it.

The World's Last Night: And Other Essays

This is another shorter work--seven essays in all. Like the above work, it has been published before, so it is not the best collection. Again, if you don't want to do some serious digging, though (and feel free to ask me about any of the specifics of what overlaps and whatnot, if you are interested), this is a decent (and cheap) collection.

The seven essays explore prayer, belief, good works and working good, and Judgment, among other topics.

They Asked for a Paper

Several of these were also published in Selected Literary essays. These are more academic works, twelve in all. One of the highlights of this book was "De Descriptione Temporum", Lewis' inaugural lecture at Cambridge University. Other than that, though, most of these are readily available elsewhere. Unless you are like me and on a mission to read everything by Lewis, you really don't need this book.

Rehabilitations & Other Essays

Quite a mix of different (mostly previously published) essays! The two highlights in this for me that I had not read elsewhere were both on teaching English.

Christian Reflections

This is a book of essays that is primarily Christian in nature. All have been published in other essay collections. However, if you want to focus on only Christian works instead of academic, then this is a good collection to start with. Fourteen essays cover topics like Biblical criticism, modern theology, music, prayer, the Psalms, and Christianity and literature. A worthy investment for a shorter collection of Christian works.

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Comments

Thursday, December 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by sharla88

"Inconceivable!" HHAHAHHA LOVE this, my dad says that all the time, complete with lisp. :D. I loved Diamond of Darkhold too, glad you liked it. I couldn't read your part about Middle march, I SO want to read that.

Those peep's in my picture thing look SO good now I can't wait for Easter! LOL That would be taking my fangirlyness pretty far if I signed off with Gerard Butler! LOL I never saw Mim's Island, I knew he was in it, was it cute? I have seen him in... POTO (of course) Reign of Fire, which I really recommend you would prob. like it, has Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey in it love that movie. And 300 in which he is pretty awesome, but we had to fast forward through a few to many parts for my taste. AND Beowulf which I did not Finnish watching it wasn't that great his acting was good, but one of the actors I can't stand so I didn't like it very much. I think that's it.

Raoul was actually on some persons list as one of the best costume drama characters!!!! I did not get that he should never be placed on a list with Mr. Darcy and the Phantom!!!!

LOL Well, I guess that won't be one on my reading list!
GB~
Sharla~

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Thursday, December 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by luckyme

No I do not have a copy of Prince Caspian (my dad rented me one). But I hope to get one for Christmas.
God Bless,
Luckyme
P.S. Hey I was just wondering, did you do my tag yet?

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Friday, December 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by ChristineDaae

Yeah, it's fun. He goes to all the games and my younger brothers love going to the practices every once in a while and meeting some of the players! Unfortunately, my sister and I have an all-day piano concert rehearsal and we won't be able to make it. We are in a Monster Concert with 140 students so it takes a lot of practice!

Oh, that's a good idea! We make a lot of different kinds of cookies too, so I bet that would be interesting!

Good book reviews! I think I'll try Wuthering Heights and some of those CS Lewis books. I have read some of the others that you posted about, and you really covered the premises well!

In Christ,
Christine

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Friday, December 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by CrossView

Some of those I've never even heard of! =P

And the ones I do "know", I've forgotten.

But Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life sounds like one I'd like to read!

Re: Your question- I really have no idea... LOL!

http://www.reddirtlane.blogspot.com/

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Saturday, December 6, 2008 - interesting...

Posted by SuperAngel

I haven't read any of those books. You gave some nice reviews though! :)

I forgot to add Reese's to my candy list. I really love the Reese's Pieces!

btw... so... today is the army navy game... who is gonna win? :P
Love,
Miss Amanda
http://superangelsblog.com

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Psycho

wow... you do read a lot!

I write fictional novels. I've been posting one (Chosen Generation) on my blog theinvasion in small increments, if you wanna read that one. All comments are appreciated, even if you hate it!

wanna be friends?

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by lotrsavvy

Ok, I really need to read Wuthering Heights and I SO want to read Princess Bride!!!!! I'll have to get myself to the library sometime (well... I'm at the college library all the time... but I don't know where to search for books there. haha and I don't have a library card there.)

Yeah... I just couldn't bring myself to abandon the nice peoples here. :)

Yeah, Raoul and Christine are just really weird in that movie... and the way the actress (knew her name, now can't remember it) who plays Christine pronounces some of the words... she just sounds fake to me. Well, as does Raoul. haha

Hahahaha, that'd be nice. I looove that accent. heehee

LOL Yeah, I also made a friend in my Graphics program who's good with math, so she can help me too.

Jennifer

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Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Charlotte

Well... I've read ONE of the books you reviewed this month! Ok, I admit... I started Wuthering Heights... and didn't finish. So that makes two and a third I guess... haha! I am ashamed. But I'll try again. Really. I'll try to try at least!

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Saturday, December 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by carygrant19

I just realized I didn't comment on this one! Heh he!
I love 'The Princess Bride!' I've already said this.
I love 'Wuthering Heights!' I've already said this.
I can't wait to hear the December book reviews.

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