Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - Book Reviews--Literature Fall 2008

 I've treated you to all the books I've read "for pleasure" each month over the past year.  I haven't, though, included books I've read in literature class this past semester. I was going to include them, but I found it didn't really work to add them to my monthly reading list, since some of them took longer than a month to read, etc.  So I saved all of those up for the end of the semester, and now that the class is over, here are the books/works we studied in the fall. I have read some of them before (and even reviewed some of them before on here).

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

I've read this before this class several times, and liked it a lot, but I have never fully appreciated it until now. I've learned to see it not just as a children's story or even an adventure novel, but as a fantastic commentary on the age of Swift as well as humanity in general.  It can be enjoyed in either of those three ways, but it is well worth it to be able to enjoy it ALL of those ways at the same time. 

Swift's ironic humor always gets to me, whether in A Modest Proposal or this, his most well known work.  The man was a pure genius.

Swift's satire tells the story of Gulliver. He is shipwrecked and journeys to several faraway lands in the course of years.  His first travel is to Lilliput, where he encounters a race of tiny people--only a few inches high.  This stubborn people was engaged in a war with the neighboring country over whether an egg should be broken on the large end or small end. Swift was commenting on the little issues that were made such a big deal of during his time, such as rifts inside the church and government itself.

The second travel brings Gulliver to a land of giants. This is a fascinating contrast to the first land, and Gulliver must learn to vary his perspective as he finds himself a tiny insignificant man, much like the Lilliputians.

Gulliver's third journey was to a island that floats, where the people were so engrossed in intellectual pursuits they get literally lost into their own world.  Swift satirizes here the intellectual scientists of his day who elevated reason above anything else.

Finally, the last (and most important) journey for Gulliver brings him to the land that is home of two races. One, the yahoos, are human like creatures who disgust Gulliver. The other are horse like creatures who are perfect. Swift presents the idea of a perfect society and contrasts it to Gulliver's home of England, where men are nothing more than "yahoos".

 

Candide by Voltaire

Candide is the story of a young man who travels around the world. Like Gulliver, Candide is a satire.  A big theme of Candide is "why do bad things happen to good people?" The character Candide must deal with this question as he goes through impossible troubles.

The book is clearly mocking this philisophy of "optimism"; that all things will work out for good. It is truly quite worth the read--although definitely not for everybody (you younger folks may want to skip this one!)--as it explores some very deep philosophical and theological issues through a story of a man who misses the answers of life and instead settles to "cultivate his own garden."

Faust, Part One by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I read Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus and I believe I reviewed it here earlier this year. This is another perspective of the same story of the man who sells his soul to the devil. 

Faust is a brilliant man who is tired of his intellectual pursuits. Where have they gotten him? He seems to ask.  When Mephistopheles, the devil, comes to him, he decides to forgo his life in search of something greater; something he does not have--power. Faust sells his soul to the devil, and embarks on a journey of depravity.

This is a very interesting work--and a must-read for any Christian.  While it sounds hopeless and dark, in reality, it is a stark reminder that Satan wants our souls--and will do anything to get them; we, on the other hand, must be on our defense and not succumb as Faust did, but instead, like the main female character of the story, listen for God's voice (even amidst our sin) to proclaim, "She is redeemed!"

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is another book I've read before. Again, I enjoyed it so much more this time around!  Quite an extreme and spiritual tale.

Frankenstein, a young man, aspires to be a great scientist. Yet his plans go wrong when he in his eagerness, actually creates a life. The life he creates starts off well, but because of his appearance, is shunned by society. This causes the monster to, literally, turn monstrous. Frankenstein must deal with the monster as it wreaks havoc across England--killing his family and friends. 

Frankenstein is faced with a horrendous decision when the monster offers him peace--on one condition.  Frankenstein must create a female monster for the monster, so that he will no longer be alone in this world. If Frankenstein does this, the monster promises to stay away from all humans.

Frankenstein must decide. Does he create the female, and hope the monster stays true to his word, or by doing so, is he inflicting a whole new race of these creatures upon the world forever?

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

One of the best novels ever written, this book is also a top on the list of books that best define Christianity. I've read it before, and even reviewed it, so you can check my review if you want to know more about the book itself.

I loved this book the first time I read it, but I'm even more in awe of it now. This book has a stronger message of sin and redemption than any other I've ever read. 

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

Another deeply Christian book with a great message of redemption. Tolstoy, like Dostoevsky, was a Christian man, but unlike Dostoevsky (who wrote his greatest works after his conversion), he wrote many of his more famous works (Anna Karenina, War and Peace) as he was still searching for God (which makes them very Christian works, indeed, actually). However, this book was written after his conversion, and it clearly shows.

Ivan Ilyich has led a pretty normal, ordinary life. He's married, has kids, works hard--nothing exciting, nothing all that great, but nothing bad either. Yet a simple accident leads him to his deathbed.  The first chapter starts off with Ivan's funeral, and the rest of the book starts from the beginning until his death.  We are treated to a rare glimpse of the life of a dying man who realizes he needed something more in his life. But is it too late for him?

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

This plays-- defies what you would normally expect from a book.  It is a very realistic work. This influences the plot--for instance, things don't always work out or resolve themselves--as well as the dialog--like the fact that the character's discussions are like real world ones, with changes of subject and interruptions.

The family in this play is faced with a struggle--they must pay off their mortgage. To do so, they must build cottages to rent on part of the estate. Yet this presents a problem, because to build these cottages, the beloved cherry orchard must be cut down. This presents a theme of change and failure in late eighteenth century Russia.

From a literary perspective, this play is pure genius. From a enjoyment perspective, though, it's not incredible. If you are reading for pure entertainment, you may not quite find this play what you are expecting.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I just love the title of this novella, because it very much demonstrates what this work is all about. The heart of man is truly a heart of darkness, no matter how man may appear on the outside.

Marlow is an Englishman who is given an assignment down the Congo River to import ivory.  But that is just a cover up as he learns he is sent in reality to bring back a ivory importer, Kurtz. Marlow knows nothing about Kurtz, but realizes that a sense of mystery surrounds the man.

Who is Kurtz? And what is he really like? Marlow must find out in this riveting tale.

Mother Courage and Her Children by  Bertolt Brecht

Although written in the 1930's, Brecht's play goes back in time to the Thirty Years War. Here, he tells of a woman, Mother Courage, as she attempts to survive war-torn Europe.

Mother Courage is anything but courageous. She makes her living off the war as she travels around with her family, peddling. One by one her family is killed off--and by the end, we finally have demonstrated true courage.

Some believe this one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.  I agree.  The books presents some very interesting questions--such as "Why bother with morality if bad things still happen?". Unfortunately, the book fails to give a concrete answer.

 

The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot

Oh, my. It is beyond me to interpret this poem. Instead, I will only say that the free verse it demonstrates is amazing. What it means--does anybody know?

It really has some pretty parts. And interesting ones, too. But as a whole, the poem seems to be a collection of unrelated parts, leaving the reader rather confused.

Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello

This satirical tragicomedy was first written in 1921.  At the beginning of the play, an acting company is beginning to rehearse their own play, when several people walk in. These people claim to be characters with a story that needs to be told, and insist the director tell their story in their play.

The director gives these characters' story a chance; but he uses his own professional actors.  The characters are not content--this is their story. These actors can't tell it!  Thus, the characters go through their intriguing story of their family in front of the whole play.

Of course it is interesting that this is almost a play within a play. We have the play itself, and then the story of the characters.  But there is more than creativity here. What is the characters place in life?  Are they real? Are they more or less real than the director and other members of the play, because they have their own story already planned, and not the unexpected moments of 'real life'?

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

"One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug."

Thus begins Kafka's short story--and how could not love it just because of that? 

Imagine. You come home from work, like you do everyday, maybe a bit tired of the monotonous life you live.  You kick off your shoes, loosen your tie, and fall asleep. When you wake up in the morning, you find yourself to have transformed into an enormous bug.

What would be your reaction?  Fear? Horror?  Terror?  Gregor shows none of these feelings--instead, he is perplexed by how, in his current state, he would be able to get to work that day.

But as time goes by, Gregor finds this would be very difficult.  His parents and sister soon come upon him and are--well, a bit surprised. And maybe a little afraid too.

So Gregor begins his new life as a bug. His parents can't bear to be around him, but his sister looks out for him.  Yet, how will they be able to take this transformation? Without Gregor's income, the family is nothing. How will they manage now that they are alone with a giant bug to take care of?  What results of Gregor's metamorphosis is more than his own transformation, but also the metamorphosis of his entire family.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Is it mindless nonsense, or is a great work of literature? Or is it (gasp!!) both?  You can decide here. It is a hard choice when you have a deeper work, but one that seems to lack a plot, conclusion, resolution, climate..."no end and no beginning" as we read in class.

Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, are waiting for Godot. Who is Godot, you ask? These two men aren't sure either. They only know that they must wait for Godot.

This play makes of a mockery of these two men. To the reader, it is obvious that Godot will never come.  These men are just wasting their lives. They continue to do nothing, waiting for someone who won't come and may not even exist, for all we know. It leaves for a rather hopeless play.

• Post A Comment!

Comments

Thursday, December 18, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by ChristineDaae

Wow, great reviews! I think I will read Crime and Punishment, Frankenstein, The Metamorphisis, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, etc.! Those all sounded really interesting to me. I have a lot of short stories in my Literature course by Leo Tolstoy and I have grown to really like his writing. Thank you for posting those!

By the way if you would like to do the Christmas tag, you're welcome to it!

In Christ,
Christine

• Permanent Link

Thursday, December 18, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by sharla88

We just started talking a little bit about Faust in school, we are reading some other stuff by the author.

RYC;
The baby was born on Monday! Healthy and she is so beautiful! (I didn't get the shoes ;))

I'll have to find Middlemarch.
Def. look for the movie! I'll have to get that. Yea, 300 is really good, I'm not so sure about BW, just because I didn't watch all of it.
AH!!! Your so right! He would be a great match! Plus he would just be in the movie which would make it automatically better! LOL We should write WaldenM.! give them a suggestion LOL.
GB~
Sharla~

• Permanent Link

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by CrossView

You really do make me feel like i"m getting further and furhter behind... =P

Gulliver's Travels - I've read the kid's version and seen numerous movies. I'm thinking I ought to read the original??!!

Candide sounds interesting. I've read some of Voltaire's work but not this one.

Faust sounds really good! As does Crime and Punishment....

I'm still not sure about Frankenstein. =/

And Ivan sounds great, too!

Ok, I'm stopping now. You've got me wanting to read so many but you haven't told me where to get the time. =P

• Permanent Link

<- Last Page • Next Page ->