November Book Bracket
Well, this was quite the dropoff from last month. I finally said goodbye to the Audible subscription but, funny enough, at the end of the month, I got another great deal for the next three months, so that's back. I'm grateful I had time to slow down on - I caught up with podcasts instead of plowing through audiobooks, and made it through some physical books, as well. I'm also happy to have an even bracket this month!
The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins**
A tale centered on a mysterious woman who wears only white, a drawing master, the gentlewoman Laura with her unhappy marriage, and the people who help her through a literal identity crisis.
Why I picked it up: This was the last book I squeezed into my listening schedule before my Audible subscription ended. It is in the public domain, but I didn't want to try to navigate Librivox's varied quality of narration. I will say that the reader for this version, Billy Howle, did a great job.
My impressions: Think of this book as a crossover between the novel of manners and the Victorian all-the-loose-ends-tie-together novel. Or, as a somewhat darker Jane Austen novel with a smattering of The Count of Monte Cristo elements sprinkled here and there. This book took a bit of time to get into, but I don't regret the slow beginning because of how it played into the ending. It drew me in and I wanted to know what happened next - I'm starting to wonder if I'm just in a frame of mind this fall where I'm more susceptible to being captivated by certain books (and by this, I mean enjoying it enough to make poor decisions about staying up late). I liked the structure of this book, being not an epistolary novel, but one constructed out of different written accounts of many different characters. I do fault this technique with being somewhat redundant at times (noticeably towards the end, once the reader has put pieces together themselves), but it plays beautifully in some sections. This book does take the reader through several bad relationships, with one being what would be considered emotionally/physically abusive in our day, so it's not a light read, by any means. However, it wasn't so miserable for the main characters that I had to put it down, which has happened before (Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, comes to mind). This book wasn't the most intertwined plot I've ever read, but it was up there and connected many different threads by the end, which I usually find very satisfying. I can't say that there's a good moral attitude held by one of the main characters towards revenge and forgiveness, but it did feel good to see innocent characters have their names cleared. There are plot points that connect to fornication, and even the lovely Laura keeps romantic feelings for one character after committing herself in marriage (yikes), so there are some things that would make me hesitant to recommend this book to some high school readers, but there are also good examples of virtue in both male and female characters.
The Aeneid, by Virgil; translated by Sarah Ruden
This epic poem recounts the journey of Aeneas as he flees a sacked Troy to fulfill his destiny of fathering the Roman empire.
Why I picked it up: This was a book that was chosen for a book group I'm in. I went with this translation because it was recommended by the group and it was relatively cheap to obtain.
My impressions: To be forthright about this, I didn't actually read through the last two sections. However, I feel that I read enough to say that I read the poem (ish). The last two books were basically role calls and detailed descriptions of gory battle, from what I understand. I enjoyed much of the poem, with some parts slowing down just a bit, but I also skipped Book 4, which I remembered from World Lit 1 in college and didn't want to reread. The best part was probably actually the sacking of Troy - not because of the violence, but because it was the most memorable part. It was interesting to see how Virgil painted Greek heroes like Odysseus (Ulysses), and took the side of the Trojans. The slowest parts were the naming of person after person after person from this, that, or the other place. This work reminded me of why I'm uncomfortable with so much Greek mythology - the gods come across as caricatures embodying many of humanity's flaws, including promiscuity and going behind backs to make bad things happen. I was surprised by just how gory things got sometimes, and it didn't hurt me to skip some of those more detailed battle scenes. I guess I'm satisfied with the fact that I can say I've basically read this classic piece of literature, but I doubt I'll ever feel the need to reread it. I wouldn't recommend it for reading, but I think high school and older guys would enjoy it more than gals - especially those battle scenes.
Called to Life, by Fr. Jacques Philippe
Fr. Philippe looks at the ways God calls to us in our lives, from the fact that we are created human beings to Holy Scripture and life events, all the way through interactions with others.
Why I picked it up: This was one of the last Fr. Philippe books I picked up on that golden day at Goodwill and it seemed like a good morning meditation read.
My impressions: Even though this wasn't my favorite of Fr. Philippe's books, some parts of it really spoke to me. I wasn't blown away by the beginning, in which Fr. Philippe seemed to tell the reader that he's operating from a Catholic-Christian perspective, but hopes he can reach any person of good will. He did end up going in very Catholic directions later in the book, but the first part came across as somewhat watered-down. Much of the work seemed sort of common-sense, but I appreciated the sections in which he talked about Scripture, especially the appendix, which explained the lectio divina prayer method. This section had me trying to engage more with all the daily Mass readings and trying to prepare for it in a better way, so the work has borne good fruit already. I also really liked some of the quotes I pulled out, which concerned various topics. This is a good book, and it seems like it might be a good read for those who are looking for God's voice in their lives or looking for a book that's a beginner-level introduction to Fr. Philippe's works.
These High, Green Hills, by Jan Karon
The third book in the Mitford series follows the lives of Fr. Timothy, his wife Cynthia, and all the other colorful characters who make up the quaint small town - but the idyllic community is not free from difficulties or the dark side of life.
Why I picked it up: Thanksgiving break came up and it seemed like a good time to roll out these somewhat addictive books.
My impressions: Though not as strong as the second book, this one was still good. It was more of the same, but it's neat to see how characters change, or come to the fore, or fade back, but know that they still have a part to play in the story - or will have a part later on. I found some of Timothy's reflections upon married life a little too mushy for me, so I skimmed some parts. There was one really gripping part in the early middle section that pulled me in, but I appreciate that these books can have a more serious look at life and how hard some situations can be for people. This is a good continuation of the series, and I'll look forward to reading more, maybe during Christmas break. This is a good book for those who have enjoyed the first two books in the Mitford series.
Bracket Play
A small bracket makes for an easier time deciding the winner. Although the next installment of Jan Karon's Mitford series was enjoyable, it just wasn't the work of literature that The Woman in White was, so the older work won the first battle. Fr. Jacques Philippe's book was the obvious choice over The Aeneid, and it went on to win overall. Although I appreciated different aspects of The Woman in White, not least of which was the tight weave of the tale, it had enough flaws that it ended up giving the win to Fr. Philippe's book. Called to Life has not been my favorite book by Fr. Philippe, but it had some insights I really liked and was a book I felt could be recommended to anyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment