January 2021 Book Brackets
Some audiobooks and children's fairy tales helped bump up the number of books read this month, but there was also time for some Catholic works, too.
Book Reviews
The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas, by Madeleine l'Engle
Middle child Vicky experiences the joys and anxieties of the Advent season as she prepares to be the angel for the church pageant and wonders if her mother will have the baby in time to be home for Christmas.
Why I picked it up: The author of the "Catholic All Year" compendium mentioned this as a recommended read during the Advent season. It was available in my local library system.
My impressions: This very short book (less than 50 pages) is a realistic-feeling story about one family as it prepares for Christmas with different special activities during every day of Advent. I liked the religious references, the focus on family, and the overall homey tone of the book. There were some very beautiful comments in the book, such as the only thing we can truly give God is ourselves. It's not something I anticipate reading again, but I think it could be a nice read for a child during Advent.
The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald
With the help of her great-great-grandmother, Princess Irene and the miner boy Curdie work to foil the plan of the goblins who live in the mountain.
Why I picked it up: I wanted a comfort read and figured this would be a good one since I hadn't read it for a while.
My impressions: Not as magical this time as the first read, but still a great story. I like being able to sense theological underpinnings to the story. However, some weird parts are still weird (great-great-grandmother has Irene go to bed with her; gives her a bath even though Irene is eight years old...not sure what was needed there), and the descriptions of the goblins, their creatures, and some of their conversations are still kind of creepy to me, even as an adult and reading this book for at least the third time. It's a good fairy tale with some very likeable characters; however, it might not be suitable for young readers of fairy tales if they are sensitive to scary things...or if parts of it are just too weird.
Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott**
Jo and her husband, Mr. Baehr, have a school for many young boys and a few girls, and guide the growth of their charges to become virtuous and the best versions of themselves.
Why I picked it up: I wanted another audiobook (**) and this book was available as well as on my list of books to read. It was narrated by four or five different volunteers.
My impressions: Having different narrators was not as enjoyable an experience as having the single reader for "The Thirty-Nine Steps", as some were easier to listen to than others, but it did not interfere with the experience too much. As for the story, there's not really a plot, but lots of character development. It's one of those books that just follows characters around as they grow up. The stories are interesting enough to keep attention, but it's not a page-turner, by any means. An audiobook was probably the best possible way for me to "read" it since it was easy to have it going while I worked on other things. Those who enjoyed "Little Women" would probably find something to like in this book, but I don't foresee myself picking it up again for a reread.
The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald
Princess Irene's grandmother sends the miner boy Curdie, along with some grotesque but good creatures, to save the king from disloyal, plotting subjects.
Why I picked it up: I had finished rereading "The Princess and the Goblin" and it seemed proper to follow it up with the sequel.
My impressions: This is going to be a longer review because there's a decent bit of thought generated by reading this book and the original tale by MacDonald; I guess this is more of a book report and comparison-contrast. So, skip the next part if you want to avoid some spoilers. I'd say this is a darker book than the original, and not quite as good. The "bad guys" in this story were humans, and many of them basically were jerks if they weren't downright conniving. There was also a lack of the lightheartedness that came up at times in the original (for example, no stomping on goblin feet in this book - just lots of mean people). It is the more violent of the two books as well, I'd say. Curdie kills several creatures, there is a battle at the end, and the fifty terrifying goblin creatures wreak havoc on unrepentant scoundrels in a manner that the animal rampage in C. S. Lewis' "That Hideous Strength" evokes to bloodier effect. However, it was still an interesting read - I found myself wanting to have more time to read it, even if it didn't have a thrilling "page-turning" quality. This book had one main storyline to follow, whereas the original wove together two different narratives very harmoniously. I appreciated that we got to follow Curdie and that he was not a static character. I don't know why the goblin creatures reappeared in this book, but giving them more time and showing that they weren't necessarily evil, although they were ugly, played well with other great fairytale elements, such as a special ability Curdie is given by the grandmother and the fact that the virtuous and the vicious do receive their just desserts in the end. I felt like MacDonald tried to slip more social commentary into the narrative, and it wasn't necessary, but it also didn't take up too much time. I recalled from last time that the very end of the story is a sort of epilogue that is quite sad (at least to me), so I tried to stop before I read all that again. I was disappointed that a key goblin creature, Lina, was hinted to have been a woman at some point and took on an ugly form after doing something bad, but that was never actually resolved. I found that rather unsatisfying. Overall, this book is probably less suited to young readers than the original is, and it should definitely be read after the original. Last notes: the townspeople talk about exorcising the palace, where they have mistaken goblin creatures for demons, so parents sensitive to that sort of thing might want to be aware. Also, a religion is mentioned and the head minister depicted in a not-so-flattering light, in the way of commentary on real life, I believe - just so you know.
The 21 Undeniable Secrets of Marriage, by Dr. Allen Hunt
Catholic convert Dr. Hunt lays out the twenty-one titular secrets of marriage in a quick, easy-to-read book that includes an explanation of each secret and a practical way to practice each.
Why I picked it up: My mom had started reading it and passed it on to me so that I could get a better idea of what is called for in a marriage.
My impressions: I think this book would be great for Catholic couples to read. It is definitely directed towards couples who are already married, but I believe I gained some good insights from this book. Some of it was already familiar to me (the love languages, not going to people outside the marriage to resolve all problems, etc.), but some was new. I don't think I'll remember much right now because I'm not actually married, but I think it would be a good book to keep around to reference if and when I get married. I liked the stories of couples that were included in the book - narratives always have so much to attract! I'd definitely recommend this book to married Catholics, whether they are new to the sacrament or have been married for a while (wow, that probably sounds really presumptuous coming from an unmarried woman!).
The Reed of God, by Caryll Houselander
In a work published in the midst of World War II, Houselander reflects on Mary and her qualities, and through Mary, on Jesus Christ.
Why I picked it up: I wanted to read this book for Advent because it had been recommended as a good Advent or Lenten read. I didn't finish it until well after Christmas Day, however.
Quote: "Each saint has his special work: one person's work. But Our Lady had to include in her vocation, in her life's work, the essential thing that was to be hidden in every other vocation, in every life. She is not only human; she is humanity. The one thing that she did and does is the one thing that we all have to do, namely, to bear Christ into the world." - pg. 4
My impressions: This is an excellent book and I want to reread it again in a few years. The book is about Mary, but by the end, I found the focus was more exclusively on Jesus. I appreciated this and the fact that the focus switched so naturally, because it is a way to show how growing close to Mary is really growing close to Christ. Parts of it were hard to read, like feeling called out about "flinching" over hard passages in the Gospels, but so much of it was beautiful. It was again hard to pick out one quote because many spoke to me or were so lovely - "the indefinable lightness of heart which descends upon him like Pentecost" (- pg. 106) jumped out at me as I reread the quotes in my florilegium for this book. I was able to start practical application of one idea right away - a simple thing, greeting Jesus silently in each person I meet (if I remember), but there were many points that would have worked well for meditation. I highly recommend this book to any Catholic who is up to that reading level; it is definitely what I would call a spiritual classic.
Jo's Boys, by Louisa May Alcott**
The boys and girls of Plumfield come of age around the world or at the nearby higher education institution, some making their way, some falling in love, some having adventures, but all growing in maturity and virtue.
Why I picked it up: I wanted to "read" (listen to) the last book in the series of Little Women and Librivox was a good way to do it.
My impressions: This book would have been easier to read through in book form than Little Men: I feel that, while there was still not much plot, the episodes were more interesting and "higher stakes" than the woes and joys of the youngsters. It was fun to see how the characters had developed and continued to through the course of the book. I detected some strong "drawn from real life" sentiments about being an author expressed through Jo, but I don't know how much was for the sake of story and how much was perhaps just Alcott venting. It was a good finish to the series, with the lives of the children being summarized nicely in the last paragraph. However, I got the sense from that last chapter that Alcott was ready to be done with this fictional family and was trying to head off any questions by wrapping things up so nicely. I'd recommend this book over Little Men, but it's not a "must read". It should not be read without reading Little Men first, however.
Bracket Play
I read an uneven seven books this month, but bracket play still worked out nicely; I gave "The Reed of God" a buy for the first round since it was so good. The book on marriage easily defeated the minimalist "24 Days Before Christmas", and a favorite, "The Princess and the Goblin" likewise beat the plot-weak "Little Men". However, the match was closer between "The Princess and Curdie" and "Jo's Boys". I ended up handing the victory to "The Princess and Curdie" because I figured I'd be more likely to reread that one myself. However, that hard-fought victory came to naught, because "The Reed of God" trounced it in the next face-off. The game was very close and I couldn't really decide...I was going to announce "21 Undeniable Secrets" as the winner, but I felt like I was betraying a beloved book that had meant so much to me...so I had MacDonald's book win. In any case, I figured it didn't matter too much, because I knew "The Reed of God" would win it all this month. No prizes for second place, but I do want to make a not that I couldn't really decide between those two books. "The Reed of God" was sometimes hard to read, particularly sections that I felt called me out, but I was encouraged and felt like I learned a lot and could apply some of the concepts in my own life right away.
