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.

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."