I`ve fallen off 'The 100 List' wagon this fall and winter. School reading has me very busy and when I have time to read for pleasure I have gone back to reading books that I`ve read a number of times before, for the comfort, or are simple brain candy.
This fall I read "The Remains of the Day", by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's a wonderful book. The voice of the Butler, Mr. Steven's, is perfect. I can't think of the words to describe how interesting he is. How creative the writing style is. It just is. I've never read a book in quite the same style and I enjoyed it immensely.
The book is Mr. Steven's reflection on his career as a butler in Pre-World War 2 England. All events are through his eyes and clouded by his perception of things, which at times, to use some British slang is quiet Daft. In some cases his miss-steps are through result of his belief that he has no other choice, he is after all 'a gentleman's gentleman' and there is a very strict etiquette required for this job. At other times, he is just a plain idiot with some things and all I want to do is shake some sense into him.
After reading “The Remains of the Day”, I picked up another novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, "When we were Orphans". It was disappointing, because while the voice and actions of Mr. Steven's in “The Remains of the Day” were completely entrancing, yet the character of Christopher Banks, in “When we were Orphan’s” was very unrealistic. His behaviour in some of the scenes was completely implausible and I found it impossible to willingly suspend my disbelief while reading this book. It was unfortunate and I hope that when I read another one of his novels, which I want to do, I will find them to be of the same calibre as “The Remains of the Day”.
Along with “The Remains of the Day” I also re-read, "The Red Tent", by , Anita Diamant which if you haven’t read yet, please stop reading this and go read it right now. It’s okay. I’ll wait for you to finish it...
...
...
See what I mean? AMAZING! I love this book. LOVE IT. And that’s all I really need to say, otherwise I’ve devolve into incoherent gushing.
Next up:
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies": I’m a huge Jane Austin Fan. HUGE. I love her book, except “Emma”, because wow! Emma is so very annoying. This speaks to the wonderful writing of Jane Austin for being able to create a character so frustratingly annoying I had to stop reading one of her books.
I’ve also read some biographies of Jane Austin and I’m convinced that she would have laughed until she peed, if she had the chance to read the Zombie version of her book.
This is a wonder book that takes her words and seamlessly blends in a Zombie Apocalypse. Having read “Pride and Prejudice” a number of times I know what parts are hers and what’s been added in by Seth Grahame Smith, yet the add-ins occur so effortlessly that they aren’t noticeable until after the zombie battles are almost over. (I'm looking forward to reading his "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter")
I highly recommend reading the funny and very entertaining book, AFTER reading the original. I think that it’s important to have experienced Jane’s work before reading this; it makes it a lot more engaging.
Let me think, what else I read this fall... Oh, "The Roar", by Emma Clayton. This is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel which was absolutely fascinating. What I liked best about this book was that at the very beginning there’s some foreshadowing to ‘the secret’ and about half way through I thought I had it figured out. As a got closer to the end of the book I felt pretty darn proud of myself for having figured it out and then I turned the page...
I love books that totally blow you out of the water with their endings.
There is a sequel, “The Whisper” and I’m just itching to get my hands on it. (fall 2011)
After “The Roar”, I read “The Mermaid’s Chair”, by Sue Monk Kidd, of “The Secret Life of Bee’s” fame. (also a very good book) Though a very different genre from “The Roar”, what the two books had in common was the unexpected ending. I like that in books.
And now I am reading, “World War Z”, by Max Brooks, which is a great book. It’s very well written and creepily believable. So much so I find myself planning how I would deal with a zombie invasion. I feel like a bit of bandwagon jumper, reading all these zombie books and getting into this whole zombie culture thing that exists. It’s not that I mocked this all in the past, just avoided it out of discomfort and fear.
I’m not sure when or how that changed, but I find it fascinating that there is a growing ‘zombie culture’ in the world today. I’m not ignorant of the whole mirroring of consumer society that zombies embody (heehee) and I can see how it is a reaction to the feelings of pressure to constantly consume. And sure I could write a long treatise on how we are all zombies in western consumer society. But I don’t really feel like it and I think I’ll stick to a more base level with all these zombie books – they’re just fun to read!
I am considering which book on ‘The 100 List’ I will read next, but as I head in to spring I will likely not have time to read for pleasure at all. School reading will have to take over once again until May, at which time I will return to 'The 100 List', or "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters"... it’s a hard call.
`
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
A Christmas Story, In Four Parts
Hope
Once upon a time there was a young woman who was like every other young woman. She had many hopes and dreams. She was going to be married to a good man and that she hoped that she would be very happy with him.
One night before she was married she had a strange dream. She dreamt of an Angel from God who told her that she would have a baby and that this baby would be very special. At that time the people hoped for a person to come forward to help lead them. They hoped for greater understanding in God and believed that a person called the Messiah would answer that hope.
When she woke she became worried because she was not yet married, and this made some people upset. She went to the see the man she was going to marry to tell him what she had dreamed.
He too had had a dream. An Angel had come to him in a dream as well and had also told him that the woman he was to marry would have a very special baby. The angel told him that the baby could be the hoped for person.
This made him very happy and they were married. His name was Joseph and her name was Mary. Both of them hoped that their baby would be healthy and strong. They went forward in life full of hope for the things to come.
Peace
Later when it was close to the time Mary was to have the baby, they were told they needed to go back to the town of Josephs ancestors to be counted for a tax. The land that they lived in was troubled. Many people were unhappy with the way the rulers were running their land. There were whisperings of war.
The journey and the tax were supposed to help bring peace to the land.
This was a hard journey for Mary because she felt big and being so heavily pregnant made her tired very easily. She couldn’t help but worry about her baby and whether the traveling might be harmful. She tried to remain peaceful and calm, but it was hard.
When they arrived in Joseph’s home town, Bethlehem they discovered that so many people had come back to this town that there was no room for them at any inn. It was not a peaceful place, but full or crowds shouting and jostling about trying to find places to rest.
Mary needed to find someplace to lie down; the rough journey had made the baby start to come early. Soon they found an innkeeper who, though he had no rooms, gave them use of his barn.
The barn was full of warm straw and blankets and it was there that Mary had her baby. It smelled of animals, but was a peaceful place to rest. She wrapped the baby in swaddling cloth and lay him in the manger. She named the baby Jesus.
The baby was strong and healthy and that made Mary and Joseph feel finally at peace.
Joy
When it was night, she slept. But not everyone was sleeping. Outside of town, on the hillsides some shepherds were awake watching their flocks and watching the stars in the star. They had a vision of an angel and became frightened, but the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good tidings and great joy. Today, in the city of David a child was born, who will be your saviour, he is Christ the Lord. Go now and find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger. ”
The Shepherds went. They met the baby and saw that indeed he might be the hoped for saviour. They felt great joy in seeing this baby.
Later, some men from the east, called Magi, traveled through the region. They heard stories that a special baby; a baby people said would grow to be a Messiah had been born. They wanted to meet this baby, for they were knowledgeable in these things. As they traveled they visited the man in command of the region, a man named Herod. He too had heard the rumours and was concerned, not happy.
He asked the Magi to come back to him with news of this baby, if they found any, and they agreed.
They found the baby. When they spoke to Mary and Joseph they discovered that they were good people and had a very special baby. It made them very joyful to see. They gave them presents of expensive oil and even some gold. They taught Mary everything they knew about raising a special boy into being a great man.
But then they remembered Herod, who would not feel joy in knowing more about the baby. They decided not to go back to Herod; instead they travelled home by a different route.
Mary and Joseph enjoyed having all the visitors, but were happy when they had time to themselves with their baby. For them just having a child of their own was a joyous event.
Love
Mary and Joseph loved their baby. They knew that other people thought their baby would grow up to be someone great. But they didn’t think too much about that because they loved their baby for who is was, not for who he might become.
Sometimes though, as Mary sat holding her baby, she did think about the things that had happened and held those memories close to her heart. She looked at her baby and knew that he would always be something special.
It is often true that women hear a voice; have a dream that their babies will be special. Mary was no different.
`
Once upon a time there was a young woman who was like every other young woman. She had many hopes and dreams. She was going to be married to a good man and that she hoped that she would be very happy with him.
One night before she was married she had a strange dream. She dreamt of an Angel from God who told her that she would have a baby and that this baby would be very special. At that time the people hoped for a person to come forward to help lead them. They hoped for greater understanding in God and believed that a person called the Messiah would answer that hope.
When she woke she became worried because she was not yet married, and this made some people upset. She went to the see the man she was going to marry to tell him what she had dreamed.
He too had had a dream. An Angel had come to him in a dream as well and had also told him that the woman he was to marry would have a very special baby. The angel told him that the baby could be the hoped for person.
This made him very happy and they were married. His name was Joseph and her name was Mary. Both of them hoped that their baby would be healthy and strong. They went forward in life full of hope for the things to come.
Peace
Later when it was close to the time Mary was to have the baby, they were told they needed to go back to the town of Josephs ancestors to be counted for a tax. The land that they lived in was troubled. Many people were unhappy with the way the rulers were running their land. There were whisperings of war.
The journey and the tax were supposed to help bring peace to the land.
This was a hard journey for Mary because she felt big and being so heavily pregnant made her tired very easily. She couldn’t help but worry about her baby and whether the traveling might be harmful. She tried to remain peaceful and calm, but it was hard.
When they arrived in Joseph’s home town, Bethlehem they discovered that so many people had come back to this town that there was no room for them at any inn. It was not a peaceful place, but full or crowds shouting and jostling about trying to find places to rest.
Mary needed to find someplace to lie down; the rough journey had made the baby start to come early. Soon they found an innkeeper who, though he had no rooms, gave them use of his barn.
The barn was full of warm straw and blankets and it was there that Mary had her baby. It smelled of animals, but was a peaceful place to rest. She wrapped the baby in swaddling cloth and lay him in the manger. She named the baby Jesus.
The baby was strong and healthy and that made Mary and Joseph feel finally at peace.
Joy
When it was night, she slept. But not everyone was sleeping. Outside of town, on the hillsides some shepherds were awake watching their flocks and watching the stars in the star. They had a vision of an angel and became frightened, but the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good tidings and great joy. Today, in the city of David a child was born, who will be your saviour, he is Christ the Lord. Go now and find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger. ”
The Shepherds went. They met the baby and saw that indeed he might be the hoped for saviour. They felt great joy in seeing this baby.
Later, some men from the east, called Magi, traveled through the region. They heard stories that a special baby; a baby people said would grow to be a Messiah had been born. They wanted to meet this baby, for they were knowledgeable in these things. As they traveled they visited the man in command of the region, a man named Herod. He too had heard the rumours and was concerned, not happy.
He asked the Magi to come back to him with news of this baby, if they found any, and they agreed.
They found the baby. When they spoke to Mary and Joseph they discovered that they were good people and had a very special baby. It made them very joyful to see. They gave them presents of expensive oil and even some gold. They taught Mary everything they knew about raising a special boy into being a great man.
But then they remembered Herod, who would not feel joy in knowing more about the baby. They decided not to go back to Herod; instead they travelled home by a different route.
Mary and Joseph enjoyed having all the visitors, but were happy when they had time to themselves with their baby. For them just having a child of their own was a joyous event.
Love
Mary and Joseph loved their baby. They knew that other people thought their baby would grow up to be someone great. But they didn’t think too much about that because they loved their baby for who is was, not for who he might become.
Sometimes though, as Mary sat holding her baby, she did think about the things that had happened and held those memories close to her heart. She looked at her baby and knew that he would always be something special.
It is often true that women hear a voice; have a dream that their babies will be special. Mary was no different.
`
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