The Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan

It seems cliche to call this book a classic, then again I did read it through twice consecutively. Bunyan captures life and all of the triumphs and valleys, all of the people we meet along the way with simplicity and clarity. Christian and his companions give instruction and hope and the scene of Christian and Hopeful crossing the River Jordan together was my favorite scene in the book.

The language, poetry and illustrations all add to the enjoyment of the book. It is a must read for Christians and literature lovers alike.

Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman

This is a classic critique of Western culture and despite nearing it's 30th birthday it is more true today than when it was written. The subtitle is "Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business" which I think is where the conversation on the topic invariably leads. Public discourse in America has become made for TV. There seems to be nothing left that isn't "sound-bite" material combined with images that change every 1-2 seconds. His suggestion that media is a metaphor, reflecting our language and creating our culture is an interesting concept, one that I'm going to have to think on for a while. There is a lot to deal with in this book and its implications are far reaching. Of course the title is metaphorical in itself. Will our culture survive the age of show business? Probably not.

1984 - George Orwell

I waver between seeing the world as Orwell did or as Huxley did. I suppose the difference might be accounted for in that Huxley was writing about a world he saw in the future and Orwell was using hyperbole to describe the world of the present.

I found this to be an excellent story. Orwell doesn't just tell a dystopic story but provides a framework in which the world as he sees it can exist. It is easy to write a sci-fi story about thought control, it is far more impressive to develop scenarios where thought can be efficiently directed by language manipulation and legitimate fear (for example).

While I don't agree with much of Orwell's philosophical outlook, he does understand a great deal about human nature and its limits. Seeing Winston's (the main character) progression through the final chapters demonstrates Orwell's brilliance in that department.

I don't think this book should be read with the intent of "seeing where the world is heading." It is more valuable than that. The story is a platform for Orwell to have individual characters that show us what the world is.

Union with Christ - Robert Letham

This is obviously an offshoot from his research for his book on the Trinity. It doesn't have the impact that his Trinity book does but is still a fascinating work. It is amazing to me to see these doctrines worked out over time and then be held to tenuously by a few faithful theologians during times of heretical push. The best sections were discussion on the hypostatic union (Christ the Son's union with man by becoming completely man) and that of deification of believers and the Eastern and Western ideas of that. The sections on baptism and the Lord's Supper were also really good and I'd like to read more on those topics. I had to read quite slowly to take in some of the ideas. It is also amazing how important these deeper theological aspects of Christianity are for the believer in practical everyday life.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Matt says: This is a excellent story told by a very good writer. What makes it most interesting is knowing some background on Oscar Wilde. It is a tale of the moral decay of the soul as told by a hedonist. There is plenty of Wilde's philosophy espoused by the character Lord Henry and it is carried through to it's logical end in the life of Dorian. Though as a story it is quite good, the real value for me was watching Wilde work through his own worldview with out even flinching. Quite remarkable!

Dana says: A very creative and unique idea for a story. I thought it was well written and that Dorian Gray's character was well developed. I found the murder scene quite disturbing and felt the extreme agitation along with Dorian Gray after he commited the crime. I can't remember ever reading a book where I felt so intensely what the main character felt at times- a trick of a good author I guess. An insightful and true look into sin and how it destroys the soul. This is one of my top ten favorite fiction books of all time.

Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis

Lewis walks the reader through to the logical conclusion of all philosophies attempting to "free" man from the bounds of moral and ethical standards that aren't hedonistic in nature. It is interesting that this book was written in the 1940's. Lewis would have hoped his prophecy would fail, yet we are seeing the fruit of our decision. We have successfully removed humanity from humans.

And now a word from Confucius...

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."

Reading Between the Lines, A Christian Guide to Literature - Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

Matt says: This is a very interesting book by a very interesting author. At first glance it looks like another book that is intent on reinforcing the "Christian ghetto" but even a cursory reading or a knowledge of the author would prove the book to be much more interesting. It is mainly an overview of literature from the perspective of a Christian thinker. This includes the dominant cultural philosophies that birth literature, genres of writing and their historical beginnings and significance, as well as specific examples of literary expression from both Christian and non-Christian writers.

I found one of the most interesting parts of the book was the discussion on comedy v tragedy. A comedy is a story of unfortunate events that eventually lead to a happy ending. As Christians we can view our lives through this lens knowing that the end of the story has already been written and finishes with glorious joy in heaven. Now we can see that all these "tragedies" along the way are not to be taken quite so seriously. For those who believe life ends in nothing, there is only ultimate despair and life becomes about living for the maximum personal pleasure. This is tragic in the end.

This is an excellent book and should be read.

Dana says:  Another fantastic book by Veith!  He is one of my favorite writers. I can't read enough enough from him. This particular work was really helpful for me as my own education regarding literature, how to read and understand it, is quite limited. I learned so much from this book I wish I could take a semester or two from Veith who is a professor of literature at Patrick Henry College. I loved the beginning chapters on the importance of reading and criticism, the forms of literature and all the examples and recommendations in the book that he gives. His treatment of obscenity, pornography, vulgarity, and profanity in the chapter on vicarious experience and sin were very interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read broadly and to people who want to learn more about reading literature.