June 2021 Book Bracket

 June 2021

I did not get quite as many books read this month as I had hoped, but considering everything else I've been able to accomplish, six is quite a respectable number.

Miracles, by C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis explores the objections of a naturalist mindset to miracles, answers the difficulties, and considers the greatest miracle of all, the Incarnation.

Why I picked it up: I realized that I have not read multiple major works by a great author and figured I better get to it.

My impressions: I admit, I struggled to make it through this book. I worked on it on and off for at least two, maybe three months. It felt rather academic and dry, not very much like other of his works of a similar cast that I have enjoyed, such as "Mere Christianity." Reading it across a long period of time did not help my retention. There were a few comments here and there that I found insightful, but they were often buried in the middle of a chapter of otherwise dull text. This book might be helpful to those who do struggle with the idea that miracles might be possible (or actually likely), but I was not one of those people; I already believe miracles happen and did not need to be convinced. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book. There's nothing wrong with it from a theological standpoint, as far as I can tell, but a few comments would likely be deemed racist. I might recommend this book to someone who doesn't believe in miracles but is willing to explore the possibility, but I don't know if I'd recommend this work to C. S. Lewis fans or those who already believe in miracles.

Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia Wrede

Princess Cimorene runs away from a dull, stereotypical fairytale princess life and thoroughly enjoys working for the dragon Kazul and having adventures in her magical surroundings; this is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Why I picked it up: A friend loves this series and recommended it to me after sharing that the series to which it belongs is a comfort read for her.

My impressions: This book reminded me strongly of "The Ordinary Princess" by the way it takes fairytale tropes and flips them on their heads. It was a quick and enjoyable read that poked fun at the genre and gleefully jumped into the unexplored potential of fairytale worlds. The main characters is a lot of fun to read about and the characters, though sometimes a little flat, are very consistent and properly developed. There's not much substance to the story, but it was a fun escape for me while I procrastinated on other responsibilities. There was one part of the book that explained how some character concocted and performed a spell, so wary parents will want to be aware that that is in the book. A witch is portrayed positively as well, but the magic element is not really delineated as good or evil magic; it is the person or creature who uses magic that is good or evil. I would recommend this book to those who love fantasy and fairy tales, but with a warning about those elements; I think it would be about the reading level of middle-to-upper elementary-age students. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Night's Bright Darkness, by Sally Read*

Award-winning British poet Sally describes her story of conversion from atheism to Catholicism.

Why I picked it up: This book was available for free on the Formed.org app and it looked like a quick and easier read than some of the other works in my to-read pile.

My impressions: I seem to have read multiple conversion stories in the past year, and this one was solid, but perhaps not particularly memorable. I appreciated that the author was not afraid to voice questions as she had as an unbelieving nurse and that she chronicled the slow process of coming to the Church. She talked about an affair or two as well as a few times she modeled nude for different purposes, so this is definitely a book for adults. I did like that these scenes are not salacious and definitely serve the purpose of laying the ground for talking about theological truths. I would say this book is alright as far as it goes for the genre, but it's not necessarily a book that I'd recommend to others - I'd say Jennifer Fulwiler's "Something Other Than God" is a better read for this type of book.

Searching for Dragons, by Patricia Wrede

This sequel to "Dealing With Dragons" follows Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, and his adventures with Princess Cimorene as they work to rescue their friend, the King of the Dragons, from scheming wizards.

Why I picked it up: My fortitude failed me when I looked at my stack of "To Read" books set aside specifically for summer and went with an easy read instead.

My impressions: This book was even more fun than the original. I loved the descriptions of Mendanbar's magic as something he could actually see and hold on to - I found it extremely creative. The story is a fun quest and introduces some interesting new characters. I appreciated the connections Wrede made between comments at the beginning of the story and events at the end, bringing it full circle, but not in a way that was too convoluted or interconnected. Again, magic and spells play a significant role throughout the book, so parents and readers who are sensitive to that will want to be aware. Those who enjoyed "Dealing With Dragons" will definitely want to read this book as well.

Jesus the Bridegroom, by Brant Pitre

Biblical scholar Brant Pitre describes different aspects of the Gospels in light of how they were likely viewed in ancient Jewish eyes, talking specifically about Jesus as bridegroom to the Church.

Why I picked it up: I purloined this book from my sister's shelf because it was by an author who's been on my "to read" list for a while. Don't worry, I'm returning this book after I finish this review.

My impressions: I liked being able to dive deeper into different parts of the Gospels without having to take a class or do the research myself. The author is knowledgeable on a variety of works, spanning not just the Bible, but ancient Jewish texts and some very difficult works, such as JP II's "Man and Woman He Created Them," his Wednesday audiences out of which the Theology of the Body has largely drawn. I learned a lot from this book. It was not what I would call a thrilling read, but it was nowhere close to being inaccessibly academic. The book itself is not necessarily what I would consider meditation material, but I think it would be enormously enriching to meditate on the Gospel passages explored in this book after reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Gospels, the context surrounding the Gospel accounts, and one solid Catholic understanding of certain aspects of Scripture.

Calling on Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

This third installment of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles follows the witch Morwen and her cats as they join forces with Cimorene, Mendanbar, Kazul, and other characters to defeat the wiles of the troublesome wizards.

Why I picked it up: It was book three in a series I was reading and I wanted something easy after I finished "Jesus the Bridegroom".

My impressions: It was fun hearing the voices of Morwen's cats, but I thought this book was a weaker story than the previous two. There is a problem that a group sets out on a quest to solve, but I wasn't very invested in the action this time, and the plot felt plodding. Some rather major developments happened off-stage (the demise of an important character from the earlier two books, for example) and I was hopeful that maybe the author would come up with a new villain or villainous group, but no luck there. It was nice that Wrede continued to introduce new characters and giving voice to the cats was a clever idea. The ending was not very satisfying (which makes sense, considering that this and the following book make a two-parter), but it did not end on a big cliff-hanger, either. As with the previous two books, those sensitive to magic would want to seriously consider if this is a good book for them, but otherwise an alright sort of adventure. 

Bracket Play

In the first showdown, Pitre's book took home the victory over Lewis's work on miracles, which had been less engaging and less impressive than I had expected, given the excellence of so many others of his works. The conversion story of an award-winning poet had been good, but it was not nearly as memorable as the original book in the Enchanted Forest series, which played delightedly with fairy tale tropes. The final game of Round 1 went to the second book in that series, which was a much more exciting and engaging quest than the third book, which lacked momentum to keep the story moving. "Searching for Dragons" had a buy in Round 2, and the theological work won over fantasy because of its great insights into Jesus as bridegroom to the Church. Pitre's work ended up winning the championship this month because of it's good scholarship and lack of problematic elements (e.g., magic). I may be more likely to discuss "Searching for Dragons" with others in some situations, but "Jesus the Bridegroom" definitely has substance and is deserving of the victory this month.

Books Attempted and Put Down

Three to Get Married, by Fulton Sheen

Sheen explains why God is so necessary for marriages to survive, as well as what marriage is on a spiritual level.

Why I picked it up: This book has been on my to-read list for years and I decided it was time to check it out from the library at my alma mater.

Why I put it down: This is an excellent work, but it wasn't what I needed at this time. I hope to try reading it again when I'm actually married.