Fyodor Dostoevsky

In preparation for next month's meeting for The Gambler I read one of Dostoevsky's other less commonly read novels The House of the Dead. One of the reasons for reading (and loving) Dostoevsky is that he can open up the soul of man and shine light into every crevasse. The House of the Dead is a semi-autobiographical story about being in a Siberian prison (see my review here). I'll leave you with a quote regarding the prison officers that were in charge of corporal punishment (a brutal process consisting sometimes of 1000's of lashes with sticks), one of the great passages dealing with psychology and behavior in anything I've read...

Anyone who has once experienced this power, this unlimited mastery of the body, blood and soul of a fellow man made of the same clay as himself, a brother in the law of Christ - anyone who has experienced the power and full license to inflict the greatest humiliation upon another creature made in the image of God will unconsciously lose the mastery of his own sensations. Tyranny is a habit; it may develop, and it does develop at last, into a disease. I maintain that the very best of men may be coarsened and hardened into a brute by habit. Blood and power intoxicate; coarseness and depravity are developed; the mind and the heart are tolerant of the most abnormal things, till at last they come to relish them. The man and the citizen is lost forever in the tyrant, and the return to human dignity, to repentance and regeneration becomes almost impossible. Moreover, the example, the possibility of such despotism, has a perverting influence on the whole of society: such power is a temptation. Society, which looks indifferently on such a phenomenon, is already contaminated to its very foundations. In short, the right of corporal punishment given to one man over another is one of the sores of  social life, one of the strongest forces destructive of every germ, every effort in society towards civic feeling, and a sufficient cause for its inevitable dissolution.

Spiritual Autobigraphies

Augustine is the first writer to answer that annoying question: Who wants to hear about my life, anyway?  For Augustine, as for Margery Kempe, Teresa of Avila, John Bunyan, Thomas Merton,  and an unbroken line of spiritual autobiographers who stretch  right up to Charles Colson, the answer is: all those, who like me, are sinners (by any measure, a wide intended readership).  If the purpose of autobiography is to point sinners to grace, the autobiographer can be humble and self-centered.  Minute, individual self-examination (a most satisfying activity) has enormous importance to thousands of readers.  After all, the same divine image sleeps in them; they must perform the same self-scrutiny and encounter the same God.  

                                                   
                                                   -Susan Wise Bauer, The Well Educated Mind

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Dana says: Within the first few pages of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens I had to stop and wonder why on earth I had waited 36 years to read him! I don't want to get ahead of myself but I think its pretty safe to say that after reading just one of his books, I already love him. Had I no other reading responsibilities I would spend all of 2016 soaking up all the Dickens I could.

A Christmas Carol is a familiar enough story, as it has been represented in so many different film adaptations over the years but it seems to me nothing was quite like reading it. Dickens greatest strength lies the in power of his description and I only wish my own vocabulary greater so that I could do him justice when trying to praise his writing. From the ghost of Marley (shake those chains!) to the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future Dickens does a superb job of telling a fantastic story that delights and disturbs the reader, all the while making the reader search his or her own heart in regards to the many issues Dickens brings up in A Christmas Carol. I really loved this book and now understand why my good friend Betsy reads it every year at Christmas time. Count me in and bring on more Dickens! 

Delightful Instruction

"When it comes to imaginative literature, our time is best spent with works that both "delight and instruct," a phrase primarily associated with the Roman writer Horace (65-8 B.C.E.), used in one version or another by many other critics.  Aristotle explained that literature doesn't get in the way of understanding real life, it actually helps us understand real life.  Appreciating imitation- and any form of representation- is an intellectual virtue.  Reading and studying literature, therefore, does not detract from understanding reality, but actively contributes to your knowledge of truth.  You learn something about reality by looking at imitations of it."

               - Steven J. Venturino, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Literary Theory and Literary Criticism

Through Western Eyes, Eastern Orthodoxy: A Reformed Perspective - Robert Letham

This is a wonderful book for someone looking for insight into the Eastern Orthodox history, theology and church practice. Letham's strength is the historical summation which gives not only an understanding of where and how doctrine developed but deeper appreciation for the depth of thought and often controversy involved in what we now often take for granted in our systematic theology.

The Eastern Church has many problems (lack of exegesis, iconography, incomplete view of justification, etc.) but they also have things that the Reformed Church can learn from especially the focus on Trinitarianism and the Unions (Trinity, Incarnation and Theosis). Letham presents the East in a way that makes them less threatening and allows a Reformed thinker to avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water. In fact, I now believe that the Reformed have more in common with E.O. than with much of the broader Western Evangelicalism.

This is an important book.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

"Whether viewed as a subtle, self-conscious exploration of the haunted house of Victorian culture, filled with echoes of sexual and social unease, or simply as "the most hopelessly evil story we have ever read," The Turn of the Screw is probably the most famous of ghostly tales and certainly the most eerily equivocal."

Dana says: I hate scary movies but love scary books. My idea of scary is probably pretty tame compared to most peoples but I do enjoy the thrill of feeling a bit scared in my bed at night when I am reading. I will still never forget reading Steven King's "The Shining" while in high school and being terrified while reading it in the middle of the day in my bedroom, needing to turn the light on! I still consider that to be the scariest book I have ever read. Other books I have found scary, though in different ways would be Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James hit a different note- it wasn't scary as much as it was creepy and eerie. Anything with children and possible possession is at least these things. Though a short book page-wise (120 pages) it was surprisingly not a quick read. This was due to the writing style of James which was extremely dense and detailed as he slowly and subtly built up the suspense and tension of the story. In fact, I found his writing style to be unlike anyone else I have ever read and I am inspired to read more from him. The story itself was just okay but the way it was written and the ambiguity of certain things in it are what I really enjoyed about the book.

  

And now a word from Jane Austen...

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

I think I enjoy the dystopic stories more than any other fiction. I think it gives more true insight into humanity and I find that appealing. This is one of the classics. Huxley wrote a foreword to the book addressing some of its short comings. It does say that he wishes he had given another option to the Savage than the 2 that were left open. I would agree with that. The ending was so abrupt I found it a bit disappointing. The book leads to interesting discussion on freedom, struggle, pain and grief and how those relate to social stability. It is a fantastic story of what seems to be a not so distant future.

The Book Club Companion by Diana Loevy

Dana says: I am always looking for ideas to improve and enrich book my Ladies' Book Club! This was a quick and easy read as most of it is short overviews of books the author recommends for book clubs. I really appreciated that she gave the overviews without spoilers as this is often not the case. The author also had other fun things in the book to help make book club meetings themed and memorable according to the books you're reading (cocktail recipes from the books, menu ideas, meeting place ideas, etc.). The book was divided up into different chapters by genres of books with a list at the end of each chapter of books your book club might be reading according to what was published each decade over the past ten decades. I did find a few books that interested me but her book recommendations were heavy on contemporary writers which I am not much interested in. She did give some advice on hosting and leading discussions which I found helpful. 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

"Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love."

Dana says: This was the last of the Jane Austen novels I still had left to read. I can tell I am improving at reading Austen and understanding her more than I would have a few years ago. This book was about as good as Manchester Park but I did not enjoy it nearly as much as Northanger Abbey, which had me laughing out loud, or P & P which is one of the two best love stories in all of fiction. What was a little hard for me in this particular book is that I didn't really care for any of the characters. I especially found Marianne annoying. After finishing it I listened to Jerram Barrs class on it (Covenant Seminary- Tea with Jane Austen) which was really good and opened my eyes to things in the book that I didn't notice on my own.   

The Ladies' Book Club was not crazy about this book.

The Law - Frederic Bastiat

The simplicity of this work is its strength. Afterall, the law shouldn't be complicated. This should be required reading for every legislator, not that I think they have the will to understand it. The law is defensive in nature. It protects your life, liberty and property from other people. It cannot protect you from yourself. It cannot give you anything for it has nothing to give. When the law is used like this politics becomes a non-issue. What a relief that would be!

And now a word from Plato...

The Island of Dr. Moreau - H.G. Wells

For being a very short novel (a novella I guess) this story was very good and felt complete. I very much enjoyed the story as mere entertainment as Wells is a good writer who can pique the imagination without being overly verbose. There is a lot to consider in the philosophy of Wells that comes through the story as well; such as, the meaning and origin of humanness, and the basic equality in humanity, what governs human behavior and so forth. I think I would wholly disagree with Wells on the answers to those questions but the story is a great way to stimulate the ideas and conversation on the topic.

More Than Words

Matt says: This is an interesting book because it is about authors who have had profound influence on current writers. There were a hand full of authors that appealed to me. Some of the best essays were about authors that brought alive the mundane and ordinary to show God's common grace. Some of the essays were disappointing (esp on Dostoevsky). Overall a pretty good book.

Dana says: My second time with this book. It was interesting to note which parts struck me the first time reading it and which parts struck me this second time. Over all I got more out of this second reading because I read much more literature now than I used to. This book includes a wide variety of writers from different denominations within Christianity (both in the authors who write the essays and the writers they are writing about) and some can be challenging depending on what denomination you come from but all are thought provoking. I wish essayists coming from a Reformed background would have been included, such as Leland Ryken and Gene Veith.

My favorite chapters this time were the ones on Kierkegard, Thomas Merton, John Milton, Hans Christian Andersen, and Tolkien. But just as in my first reading my favorite of of all essays again was the one by Yancey written on John Donne- worth the price of the book alone.

A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

Dana says:  I don't get her.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a timeless classic. The story occurs in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression where a black man Tom Robinson is accused to raping a White woman. Despite the significant evidence pointing to Tom's innocence, the all white jury finds him guilty."

 Dana says: I thought I must have read this before in school but reading it this past month it seemed totally unfamiliar to me. Compared to our last book (Scarlet Pimpernel) this was a much slower paced book with most of the subject matter being ordinary, every day stuff. That being said it was not boring. Lee's writing is good and the characters very realistic. I loved the name "Boo Radley" and enjoyed the few Gothic themes scattered here and there. The name of the book, the idea of "mocking birds," the way evil affects good and the loss of innocence themes throughout the book were thought provoking and well done. Atticus Finch was the best character of all and the way Scout learns who he is and what she learns from him (the importance of putting yourself in someones else shoes,courage, and doing what is right among other things) make the book worth reading.

Ladies' Book Club loved this book.

This Side of Paradise - F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is a story that plot-wise I had a problem with. The reality is, there is no plot. The story has been described as semi-autobiographical and if so, it is admirable for its honesty. There is little to admire in Amory (the protagonist) but unfortunately there is much to identify with. His desire to be known and respected, his egotism and his laziness all strike a chord with the reader. It also shows the inevitability of loneliness from devotion to such a lifestyle.

The Complete Idiots Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism by Steven J. Venturino

Dana says: Caveat Emptor- Its almost unfair for me to rate this book as I found much of it to be over my head. When I bought it I thought I was basically buying myself a lit 101 class in book form but after having finished it I saw that I took the wrong class!

The first part defines literature theory and literature criticism and then defines things such as theme, form, plot, motif, narrators, characterizations, imagery, and figurative language. All good stuff.

The second part moves on to discussing how we read and takes a look at the different schools of thought- New Criticism versus Old Criticism, Russian Formalism, and Reader-Response Criticism and then ends with Aristotle and neoclassicists. All very interesting.

The third part is where I started to get lost. The best way I can describe it is to say parts 3-6, which is the remainder of the book, is like reading about how people read and interpret books through their particular worldview. Plato is discussed first and then it goes on to the Romantics, Marx, Freud, Saussure, Feminists, Gender and Queer theory, Ethnic studies, Disability Studies, Structuralism, Deconstruction, Psychology, Cultural Studies, Historical Studies, Post-colonial Criticism, and then ends abruptly with Ecocriticism. Most of these sections were quite philosophical to me and hard to understand. But the gist of it to me seemed like all these critics are reading all these things into books whether the author meant it or not.

The overall worldview of this book is quite different from my own and I disagreed with the vast majority of it. However, this was for the most part an interesting read and opened my eyes to a number of things I was quite unfamiliar with. My favorite part of the book was definitely the chapter dealing with Aristotle and his views on reading, in particular on reading for fun and intellectual profit and his teaching on catharsis. I am in hearty agreement with Aristotle and his friends who believe that "when it comes to imaginative literature, our time is best spent with works that both delight and instruct." The chapter on Aristotle alone was worth the price I paid for the book.

Emotional Intelligence - Daniel Goleman

There is a lot of good information in this book, most of it confirming what we know by common sense (if one possesses enough emotional intelligence). It is an important reminder of the difference between "smart" and "intelligent." The interaction between the brain and the mind is beyond the purview of the author's worldview and may be the most important question not addressed.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

"Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down."

 Dana says: I had never heard of this book until my friend Shelley suggested it for my ladies classics book club a few month ago. I am glad I added it to the reading list as I really enjoyed the book. It did take me about 50 pages to get into it but from then on it was hard to put down. Very fast paced with surprises, suspense, heros, villains, romance and historical insight into France and Britain during the late 18th century. I enjoyed the characters (even if Margarite Blankely is rediculously vain) and found Orczy's writing to be quite smart and entertaining. I even learned a few new words! Highly recommended for anyone who likes a good adventure story with good writing!

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Dana says: This was my first George MacDonald book and was recommended for my Ladies' Book Club by a few of my girlfriends who love it. I did enjoy it even though I felt like I was reading a children's book. I normally do not read fantasy and found the creativity and imagination of MacDonald to be delightful. His depiction of the cob's animals was one of my favorite parts. I also liked the sweet relationship between Irene and her King-papa and the some of the conversations between Irene and Curdie and Curdie and his mother about believing and understanding. I kept waiting for a twist or major revelation of some kind at the end but there really wasn't anything like that.

I think Irene's great great grandmother in this book is supposed to be some kind of God-type figure but she seemed very strange to me and for most of the book I wasn't sure if she was good or evil. I think I expected her to be more of a figure like Aslan is in the Narnia series than what George MacDonald portrays in this book. Maybe I will change my mind after the Ladies' Book Club discussion...

The Question of God - Armand Nicholi, Jr.

This book is not written as a "conversation" between Lewis and Freud as some authors do. It is a very well organized and readable description of each man's views on various topics. Nicholi uses a number of quotes from the personal and public writings of both Lewis and Freud to demonstrate these views and their fidelity to them.

I thought this was a really well done book and was easy to read.

"Second Thursdays: Ladies' Classics Book Club" Kick Off!

Here is the first meeting of  "Second Thursdays: Ladies' Classics Book Club", so called because we meet on the second Thursday of the month to discuss a classic.  Last night was  our first meeting with eight ladies in attendance between the ages of 29-70.  Our first read was the famous classic East of Eden by John Steinbeck.  Though I do agree that Steinbeck was a very talented writer I did not care for this book.  But most of the group really liked it and the book easily provided a few hours worth of discussion.  Of course we enjoyed some treats and wine as well- a few California wines to go with the Salinas Valley theme of the book.

Modern Fascism - Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

This is a very good book on the rise of German Fascism. I was expecting (hoping) that it would be more focused on fascism as it is alive today. The history and defining of fascism was what I found most helpful. I always assumed it was based on hyper-nationalism but found that it is more based on a rejection of transcendence with pagan roots, seeds of environmentalism and grounded in existentialism. I suppose one smarter than myself can make the connection from the environment of the early 20th century that gave rise to fascism and the intellectual climate of today. I'm not going to lie, I was hoping Veith was going to do that for me.

Another interesting part of the story is the development of the phrase "will to power." Power seems to be a major theme of fascist thought and what better basis for it than the autonomous will of man. This of course comes from the rejection of transcendent truth and law (something the Nazis blamed Jewish thought and religion for) and is easily identifiable with Heidegger's existentialism.

Overall a good read, just not what I was expecting.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

"In his journal, John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel."

Dana says: This was my first choice for my Ladies' Book Club. Ever since seeing it at the Friends of the Library book sale I was intrigued by it. Its a large book at around 600 pages and I have to admit I hated it until around page 325. After that I found few things to like about it. No doubt about it Steinbeck is a good writer and the story was interesting enough to keep me reading it but if I hadn't been reading it for the book club (of which I am the host) I am not sure I would have finished it. I found all the reading about and the attitude toward prostitution in the book to be almost more than I could bare. Without the relief given by the inclusion of the characters  of Samuel Trask and Lee I am sure I would not have made it through the book. All this being said I will give this book 3 stars, but just barely. Steinbeck is very good at character development and he definitely tackles big issues in this book but I really yearned for some redemption. And even though I am at odds with the Steinbeck's view concerning man and his nature I am glad to have read this and do think it will make for some good Book Club discussion.

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

I feel that I am out of my depth with this book. I'm not sure exactly what Conrad was intending. On a surface level it may be some commentary about imperialism but I doubt that was where he wanted the reader to stop. The title itself encourages us to go beyond the physical darkness that is in the heart of the Congo. Kurtz is obviously the key. We find a man that seems to have the propensity toward extremism who finds himself in a place where the encouragement of social custom and morality is removed and what is found in Kurtz is an evil within himself that takes full possession. Actually we see the evil building from the shores of Africa inward with the utter disregard for human life. Kurtz seems to be the pinnacle of what the release of man's primal nature can look like, and it's not pretty.

"The horror, the horror!"

The Book Group Book by Ellen Slezak

Dana says: Found this for a buck at the Friends of the Pima County Library sale. How timely! The book consists of about 25 essays written by people who are in book clubs all over the country and then several reading lists from these groups. I was shocked to find out that most of the people who are involved in book clubs are women and even more shocked to find out that most of the book clubs (at least the ones represented in this book) read women authors exclusively or feminist writers only. To borrow a phrase from the 80s- gag me with a spoon! Even though I think this way of reading is stupid I plowed through the book in a few days and did glean a few good ideas out of it for my own book club.

When Helping Hurts - Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

Matt says: This is a very interesting book but really only half of it is helpful for individuals or smaller organizations like churches. The main point of the book is that giving people money is almost always harmful to both the giver and receiver. What the book calls for is really much more costly than opening your wallet. Truly helping the poor involves investing time because "poverty" is only partially material in nature. I liked the suggestion that we are all "poor" in some ways and recognizing that goes a long way toward eliminating the god-complex that can develop in poverty relief.

The book was quite repetitive at times and often read like an academic text book. It is quite a wake up call and can be controversial, especially regarding missions.

Dana says: This is a very eye opening and thought provoking book on an important subject. The authors do a great job of explaining what poverty truly is and then offer different solutions to aid in poverty alleviation. The greatest thing I took away from this book is the authors worldview that all people are made in the image of God and are meant to glorify God by fulfilling their vocational calling. This idea is the foundation of their solution. The authors have a humble attitude and stress that all people are impoverished in some way and that we can all learn from each other. There are some great practical ideas of ways to help the poor but this book is geared more towards organizations than individuals overall. A must read for all church deacons and anyone who works in poverty alleviation.

The Four Loves - C.S. Lewis

I had a little trouble rating this book. On one hand, I don't think I should give every Lewis book 5 stars. This book is excellent but not my favorite of his. On the other hand, it is astounding that anyone can so thoroughly cover the topic of Love in 140 pages! What to do?

As I think about this book I find myself of 2 minds. Four Loves? How could there be so many? and yet it hardly seems like enough. Lewis is a master of classification and opens your eyes to that which you would not have thought of as love (but why you aren't sure) and anchors the more familiar loves so they don't start absorbing that which is not their own.

The format of the book is also very important. He begins by breaking all love down into Need-Love and Gift-Love and how both are necessary to our creatureliness. He ends with Charity which is its own form of love and yet the "gardener in the garden of all loves." It is the love that makes all other loves good and keeps them from becoming gods in themselves.

How to rate this book? Hmmm....I think I just answered that.