March Book Brackets
I find it ironic that during a month focused on basketball brackets, I have one of the leanest ones to date. I read only four books this month. Ouch. I ended the month with about five books partially completed - some because they were long, others because I was having trouble getting into them.
My Reviews
The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis considers what four major kinds of love are (including affection, friendship, eros, and charity), how they can go wrong, and what they can be at their best.
Why I picked it up: It seemed like it was time to reread this work and get it off my "to read" section of my bookshelf.
My impressions: I think this book is best for someone who has not considered how "love" can mean different things. I was impressed by this work when I first read it in college, but it did not blow me away this time as it had previously. Some of it felt rather like his own private opinion on the subject, and I thought Lewis rambled a bit within the different sections. That's not to say he's wrong about the topics; it's just rather casual, as, I'm sure, it was meant to be. The work contains some hallmark Lewisian comments, and his analogies (e.g., lovers look at each other, friends are side-by-side and looking at the same object) are stellar and make what could be a very abstract discourse into a very intelligible one. I tabbed the most striking and quotable sections as I read so that I can revisit them. I recommend this book for probably high school and college-age readers preferably, but there's no reason an older reader would not love the book.
Silence, by Shusaku Endo
A Jesuit missionary serving clandestine Christian communities in an anti-Christian Japan suffers a crisis of conscience and faith.
Why I picked it up: This book was on the "I should read this book because it's classic, but I hope I never do" list. And behold, I'm auditing a class that required it.
My impressions: It was fitting that I read this book during Lent, for it was a penance, indeed. I can say I found pretty much nothing about reading this book enjoyable. Once again, I feel that this is a book in which I can see there's some beautiful writing taking place, but I have no connection with it or anything more than a cold, intellectual appreciation for such skill. I find stories that involve persecutions in Japan and England are more difficult to stomach than those about persecution in ancient Roman times, and I wonder it that influenced my response to this story. In any case, it's not one that I foresee myself recommending. I certainly would discourage anyone who is not strong in their faith from reading it, as it has an inconclusive, or at least, non-explicit examination of fidelity to faith and apostasy, and the point at which one turns into the other. Even those strong in their faith will not find this book an encouraging or pleasant read.
Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
This retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid is told from the perspective of Psyche's oldest sister, who is ugly but desperate for her sister's love.
Why I picked it up: I have started reading one book a month to discuss with a particular friend, and she preferred this book of the two options I offered her. Also, my sister has encouraged me (and at least one of her friends) to read it.
My impressions: SPOILER ALERT: Beware of reading further if you have not read this book before; skip to the last separated paragraph below if you wish to know my thoughts on who might want to read it.
Where do I start? I think I ought to say this book shares elements to lots of other works C. S. Lewis has written, but it was unlike any of them in tone and setting. It's his take on a pagan myth, set in a pagan world, but strongly Christian themes come through, especially at the end. I felt like I could detect ideas or characters that would show up, or had previously been explored, in other works - the overly attached mother in "The Great Divorce," the feel of the end of "The Last Battle," and multiple kinds of love - and how they can go wrong - in "The Four Loves." Since I had read that last book so recently, I felt throughout much of the book that I knew what points Lewis was going to make, so I felt I lost out on some potential excitement. However, he did a great job of really pulling the threads together at the end in the second part of Orual's manuscript, and he surprised me in a very enjoyable way. My sister recommended that I brush up on the original Psyche/Cupid myth, and I think that it is a good idea to do so; I referred to a summary of it a few times while reading. If you end up with a version similar to the one I read, you might check the back of it and see if C. S. Lewis' own summary of the myth is included there.
I think this book is good for mature readers, not only so that it can be appreciated well, but also because the characters don't shy away from topics like losing virginity, making men into eunuchs, etc. It's not explicit, but it's not something that I, a pretty sensitive reader, would have been able to handle in high school, and probably not college, either. However, my sister read it as a high school student and really liked it. So, know yourself, and know that this is NOT the Chronicles of Narnia. I also think this is a good book to discuss with friends.
The Good Master, by Kate Seredy
Jancsi and his visiting, wild-mannered cousin, Kate, have adventures on his family farm on the plains of Hungary.
Why I picked it up: I heard somewhere that this was a good book and it was sitting on my shelf for a while, waiting to be read. I also admit that I was motivated to get at least one more book read this month, so I went the cheap route and picked up a shorter, fast-moving children's book.
My impressions: This book was somewhat reminiscent of the "Little House on the Prairie" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, although set a little later in time (perhaps the 1910s?). We learn about different tasks completed on a farm, from tending to animals to cooking to creating different domestic products. There was not really a plot, but it did have some character development for Kate, which I think helped. However, I did notice that, like Ingall's books, there is some racism incorporated in the story - Gypsies, or Romani people, are portrayed negatively, and even the heroic father, Marton, is depicted as treating them poorly and reinforcing negative stereotypes. One group of Gypsies is shown in a positive light, but they were made to seem different from another Gypsy group. That element left a bad taste in my mouth, but other than that, it was an alright, although not particularly memorable, children's read. I would not necessarily recommend this book to others to read because it's pretty bland, but depending on the line parents want to take on books that include racist elements, it might be something a child could read, especially with discussion of problematic sections.
Bracket Play
Easy bracket this time - the very unenjoyable "Silence" went down quietly against Lewis' discussion of four different kinds of love, and the flawed "The Good Master" lost to the infinitely superior piece of fiction, "Till We Have Faces", which soundly beat the other Lewis book in the second round to take first place.
