Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - April Book Reviews

 A Tale of Two Cities

I've been meaning to get back into Dickens, and getting a free copy of this book motivated me! I was delighted to find this to be one of the best Dickens I have read--probably even replacing David Copperfield as my favorite Dickens novel.

Set in the cities of London and Paris during the French Revolution, this is a war story that is very different than some of Dicken's other novels. It is full of action and suspense. During the way, a young French aristocrat, Charles, flees to England, where he falls in love with and marries Lucie. Lucie is loved by another man, though, an alcoholic, cynical pessimist, Sydney.

When Charles returns to France for a short time he is arrested. Will he face the guillotine, or can something save him from the chaos in France? The startling ending leaves the reader to think about the themes down to the very famous last words, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

April Morning

This short novel details the fateful day of April 18, 1775, through the eyes of a fifteen year old boy. History fans with recognize that date as the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Adam Cooper and his young brother Levi, live with their parents and grandmother on a small farm near Lexington. He is fascinated by the threat of war--and is determined to prove himself a man to his father.

His chance comes sooner than he thinks as the British invade the town. The young boys watches his friends die in the battle, and tries to prove himself. In the end, Adam has to grow up in many ways during this day long period, as his life dramatically changes in just a few hours.

Somewhat reminiscent of Johnny Tremain (although for an older crowd and more psychological in nature), this is a great look at colonial America and the life of an average child during the beginning of the war.

Faust: Part Two

I read Faust One in literature last semester and have been meaning to pick up the second part for a while now. A little background--Faust Part I basically tells the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil, and reaps the consequences of that. Faust II continues his story, but it is not even close to Faust I in terms of storytelling.

From a poetic perspective, Faust II is fascinating. Goethe switches from different styles of poetry all throughout the poem. He brings in characters from mythology and history, and weaves a complex poem. However, it flits from here to there so much, that it often ends up confusing in a sort of psychedelic sort of way.

Whereas I'd recommend Faust I, II isn't worth it unless you really want to know the end of the story or explore the poetry. It is beautiful as poetry, but it lacks the drama and spiritual enlightenment of Faust I.

 

The Turn of the Screw

This is a frightening, harrowing short novel by Henry James. Some even say it is his best. Most would classify it as a "ghost story" but it is more complex--and frankly, just plain more than your typical ghost story.

A young governess is given the job of caring for two children. These children seem like the ideal charges--sweet, cute, and well behaved. But there is a mystery behind these two children--and there is a mystery involving the former governess and a male hand at the house. Both died under strange circumstances--but both suddenly make "appearances" to the new governess. Furthermore, she is convinced that they have possessed the children in her charge! 

Are these phantoms really ghosts? Or is it all in the head of the main character? There are many interpretations of this famous story--and the reader will have fun trying to decipher them until the very end! A very complex, but wonderfully written story.

The Aspern Papers

A literary historian functions as the narrator in this novella as he travels abroad to seek information on a dead poet he is researching. While Jeffery Aspern's poetry was well loved and known, his personal life was kept hidden. Not even a picture of him existed. Our protagonist is determined to find something regarding this poet--anything that would propel his own self into literary fame. Thus, he is thrilled when he finds the home of an old lady and her niece--the older lady having supposedly been at one time involved with the dead poet.

The narrator presents himself to the niece as a suitor, but in reality wants to find out more about Aspern. He knows the lady owns letters, documents, and even a picture of the poet, and it is his goal to find this--while remaining undercover.

Of course, things never go the way you plan, and that gives the reader a unexpected ending!

It is interesting to note that the tale of the old lady and her friend the poet is based partially on letters written by Shelley and Byron.  This is alluded to several times in the text if you pay close attention!

 This is really quite a charming tale. It is simple, yet striking. Any lover of literature, poetry, or romance will delight in it!

A Preface to Paradise Lost: Being the Ballard Matthews Lectures Delivered at University College, North Wales, 1941

This is considered one of the most well known of C.S. Lewis' scholarly works. As the the title suggests, the book actually started as a series of lectures Lewis gave in the forties, and later he converted it to written form.

John Milton's Paradise Lost is probably one of the most debated of all literary works. Everyone has something to say about it. Take a Norton Critical Edition of the book and you will find in the back an incredibly extensive list of essays written by modern critics such as Lewis, T.S. Eliot,  and Northrop Frye, and ones by classic literature authors themselves, like Coleridge, Shelley, Byron, and Johnson.

Thus you knew C.S. Lewis, one of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century, would have something to say about it. In fact, Lewis' book turned into a very well respected critique on Paradise Lost--and marked Lewis as the top Milton scholar forever.

The Awakening

The Awakening is a short novel about Edna Pontellier and her family and friends. The young woman is married to a rich, but rather boring husband, and describes her children, though she loves them, as equally boring.

This book is considered a precursor the feminist movement, giving literature a new look at women and their desires. While noteworthy in that respect, and unconventional--it was very controversial when published--unfortunately, it does not leave the reader any better off. It is a classic, in that it had influence on the surrounding world, but as a novella, it falls short it providing a sufficiently interesting story.

Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics

This poem is Lewis' first published work. He was just twenty years old, and had recently returned from the battlefields of France, wounded. His famous tutor, William Kirkpatrick, encouraged him to publish the poems, and while they were not as well received as Lewis would have liked, gave a great glimpse into the mind of the young author.

Of course, this was a few years before Lewis' conversion. Thus, the poems provide a slight contrast to the worldview of his later years. Yet the writing is most definitely his--rich in mythology and romance. This is an excellent look at post war, pre Christian C.S. Lewis.

Paradise Lost

Isn't it shameful I waited until I was eighteen years old before I read this book? The epic poem is probably the greatest ever written, and has stood the test of time since first published in 1667.

Most of you probably know the basics of this story--a retelling of Genesis in blank verse. I knew that before I was going into it. Yet I had no idea how fascinating this story would prove to be. It isn't just a retelling of Adam and Eve, and the fall, and how it affected human history. It is written as an epic romance, but it also functions as a commentary.

Every Christian should read this book. Everyone should read this book for the literary merits, but Christians should be particular interested in this poem. It is not Scripture, of course, but it gives you an idea on the emotions, events, and experience of Adam and Eve, as well as turning Satan into an incredibly powerful literary figure. We can't take it as truth, but it is like a biblical commentary--if you know the true story, you can decipher what is truth, and what is opinion. Truth is what matters, but sometimes opinion can help us understand a lot more.

Doctor Zhivago

This famous piece of Russian literature is set during the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the Russian Revolution.

Yuri Zhivago is a poet and doctor. His idealism is a stark contras to the war surrounding him, but eventually even the young peace loving doctor is caught up in the war. It breaks apart his family, and life, including that of his love, Lara.

While this is a very famous book (and movie), I found it hard to move through. I generally enjoy Russian literature, but later into the 20th century Russian literature does not impress me as much. While it wasn't a complete waste of time, I don't believe I'm any wiser for having read this book. It had ups and downs.

Inkheart

I'm so cool. I read another contemporary children's book! And even more shocking, I enjoyed it!

Twelve year old Meggie, and her dad Mo, live by themselves after the death of her mother. One night, though, a strange figure comes to talk with Mo. Meggie is intrigued, especially when her father and the stranger, called Dustfinger, whisk her off to her Aunt Elinor's. The eccentric older woman is a rare book collector, and has an immense library. Meggie and her father both are avid readers--but Meggie does not know that her father has a secret about his reading.

Turns out, Mo is not a typical reader. When he reads aloud, he transports the characters, events, and objects from the book, into our world. Meggie is shocked at this revelation, and even more so to find out that Dustfinger is a character from a book that Mo had "read out" years ago. Dustfinger isn't the only one, though. The evil Capricorn and his men were also read out, and want back in their book.

Mo believes this would be too dangerous, so Capricorn and his men resort to desperate measures. They will do anything to be read back into their story...anything!

Madame Bovary

Flaubert's masterpiece is a compelling tale. It is easy to see why it is a classic.

Emma Bovary is a young, vibrant woman who falls into a marriage with a steady and loyal doctor, Charles. While she at first is delighted with Charles, she finds his plain, provincial life boring, thinking he lacked the ambition to rise to the top. She falls into a number of affairs and they eventually lead to her downfall.

Interestingly, it is Charles who turns out the hero. He is steadfastly loyal, loving, and generous to his wife, despite her very numerous shortcomings and failure to support him and their child.

While no Anna Karenina, this is an insightful book about adultery, remorse, forgiveness, and mercy. 

 Ella Enchanted

Another modern children's book on my shelf for this month. Surprising, eh?

I caved in and saw this movie before I ever read the book. That may have given be a bit of a different perspective of the book. I can say I do think I liked the movie a bit better. I did enjoy the book immensely though.

Ella is a young girl who lives in a fictional world. Her fairy godmother gave her a gift upon her birth--the gift of always being obedient. Of course, this turns out to be a curse as well. Upon Ella's mother's death, her father remarries, and her new stepsister's learn about her secret "gift". They learn to use it to their advantage.

Can Ella break free from this "gift"? Will the kind prince, Char, be able to help her? It is a charming story and lots of fun!

 Who Killed Kit Marlowe?: A Contract to Murder in Elizabethan England

I think I first became interested in Christopher (or "Kit') Marlowe in British literature class when my lit class described Marlowe as "one of the most violent figures" of British literature. I don't know why that interested me, but it did, and I've been reading about the author on and off since.

While nothing in this book can be proved, the author lays the foundation of how he believed Marlowe lived and died. We know a lot about Marlowe, but his death is a mystery. He was only 29 when he died in 1593, apparently in a tavern brawl in Depford.

There are many variations of the story of his death, though. Basically, though, there are two categories--some say his death was real, some that it was fake. We do know, besides being a poet, Marlowe was a spy for the government. Thus, his death could have been more than just a tavern brawl--it could have been a deliberate attempt to take Marlowe the spy out. Secondly, if his death was fake, he could have faked it himself (there is some mystery and suspicion involving whether or not a body was ever present) to avoid being taken out by his enemies. (Some who believe in this theory also believe that Marlowe faked his death, then went on to write many more plays under a different name--the name of William Shakespeare. This is actually a somewhat plausible theory...but I'll save it for later!)

The author of this book tries to prove the first case, which is indeed the most likely. Marlowe was taken out because he was a spy. The drunken tavern brawl was a coverup.

This is very much a fascinating subject to research. Unless you are interested, I don't know if I'd say read this book, but if you happen to be like me and want to know who killed Marlowe and why he died, this is a great scholarly work to start with, that reads much like a mystery novel.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by CrossView

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." Sadly, I've only ever read the comic book version... =P

April Morning looks good. Probably becuase I like Johnny Tremain.

K, I'll pass on Faust 2. Thank you for reading it so I don't have to! ;o)

You've convinced me that I need to read Turn of the Screw. And I'm a dork since I keep thinking of that Nicole Kidman ghost story movie after reading your review....

And still more C.S. Lewis? He's written so much that I'd swear he's still alive and writing!

And now I must add Paradise Lost to my list!

Doctor Zhivago, I still have to see the movie.

Inkheart, I'm loving it!

Madame Bovary I read in college. And as a bad example I have to say that I stayed up all night writing a researtch paper on it the night before it was due...

I loved Ella Enchanted. K made me read it years ago. And I like the book MUCH better than the movie!

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