The Sunday Salon

Ah...the completion of a good book and the anticipation of starting a new one is an exciting place to be. Three hours ago I finished my third book of the week, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. I sit here looking at two new books, both review copies sent by the authors, awaiting their turn: The Triumph of Deborah and Down to a Sunless Sea. They are very different from each other on every level. I'm not sure which one I will open first. I'm also about halfway through reading aloud to the kiddos from The Icy Hand, the second book in a new series for kids called Something Wickedly Weird. It has pirates, ghosts and talking fish. It's very interesting so far.

As our homeschool starts up on Tuesday I anticipate my leisure reading time will virtually vanish. I hope not as I have been on a role lately and I have several ARCs on their way to me as I type. I can only wait and see. What about you? Does your reading time take a hit when school bells start a-ringin'?

Review: Rain

Rain and Other South Sea Stories
by W. Somerset Maugham

"The wise traveller travels only in imagination...........Those are the best journeys, the journeys that you take at your own fireside, for then you lose none of your illusions."

Poignant.

There are six short stories and two one-paragraph soliloquies in this collection. Each story takes place on the islands of the South Seas except for the last which is set near Honolulu and bears that island's name. Some are positive and some are negative to the way of life led in the islands among the natives and the English who oversee them. Written in 1921, the language is rich but peppered with disparaging comments about women and non-white men. I never mind much about such things because, well, this was the way the world was back then. But some could easily take offense at it.

Several of the stories start with a young man falling passionately in love with a virginal native girl. There is much emphasis on just how deep and true the love is for both parties, the couple often living in a state of heavenly ecstasy for a little while until slowly the love is drained away or found to have been more of a hypnosis caused by living in such a paradise. Each of the stories has a slightly different feel but all of them end with a sense that real love is not possible. The world will intrude upon it; our own sinful natures will corrode it. True love is an illusion that will inevitably be brought to light. It is quite a despairing way to look at the world.

William Somerset Maugham was an unhappy man in real life and this comes out unmistakably in his writing, at least it does in these stories. In The Painted Veil (which I reviewed here) love is hopelessly strangled but personal enlightenment and growth are still possible and give some hope to life.

If you don't mind a despairing view of life as long as it feels real or if you, like me, require well drawn characters above plot then you may enjoy this book. Two more Maugham titles await my attention from their perches on the bookshelf, Of Human Bondage and Up at the Villa. As Maugham was a prolific writer there will never be a shortage of good stories to read.

ETA-Upon rereading my review I realise that I sound negative towards the book. I love Maugham's descriptions and characters. He reminds me so much of Edith Wharton, another favorite author of mine. I tend to be drawn toward depressing literature in general so my review is really a positive one. Really.

The R.I.P. III Challenge is Here Again

Carl is at it again! He is enticing me to join another reading challenge. I have participated in all of Carl's challenges from the beginning and can honestly say that he hosts the best challenges ever. This year he is making a change to the R.I.P. III Challenge. He is asking us to give a "pool" of possible reading options instead of a list that we will feel compelled to read but ultimately will stay from, resulting in a feeling of guilt. He has just made it too easy for me to join. Here is my pool:

• The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• The Nutcracker and the Golden Pot by E.T.A. Hoffmann
• Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
• A Fine and Private Place by Peter Beagle
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Though I am having a very productive reading month I know it will slow down with the start of school next week so I am signing up for Peril the Second which only commits me to reading 2 of the above selections, with the hopes of getting to a couple more when I can. Happy reading!

Review: The Complete Maus

The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegleman

I have practically no experience with comic books so I put off reading Maus for a long time. But I have heard so many ecstatic reviews, I finally decided to find out for myself what all the hype was about.

It didn't feel like reading a comic book at all. Now I know why the term "graphic novel" is used. This was such an artfully and tactfully written and drawn account of WWII. It's also a very personal story for the author, who displays to the world his feelings of guilt for not having suffered through the horrors that his parents did and inadequacy in telling the tale. It is honestly told and full of raw emotion. And it works as a graphic novel better than it would have as just a written account. I am glad to have finally spent some time in it. I encourage everyone to pick it up. It's worth it.

Though it wasn't my original choice I will count it as my modern classic for the Classics Challenge. I believe it will be considered a classic for a long time to come.

Review: A Fatal Waltz

A Fatal Waltz
by Tasha Alexander

I watched a lot of Matlock when I was younger. After that I was into Diagnosis Murder. Eventually I moved on to more modern and sophisticated detective shows like Law and Order and CSI. I flatter myself that I am pretty good at solving a mystery.

This mystery involves a cast of utterly modern characters set in 1891 in London and Vienna. The protagonist, Lady Emily Ashton, must solve the mystery of who murdered the despicable Lord Fortescue before her closest friend's husband is wrongly sentenced to death for the crime. With very little by way of clues and a few dangerous suspects, she embarks on an adventure that will bring her in contact with an anarchist and a man bent on starting war. The closer she gets to answers the higher the stakes get.

I was pretty confident that I had the mystery solved before the murder even took place. The more I read the more sure I was. In fact, I was kind of ticked that it was so easy. But it wasn't; I was wrong. Ms. Alexander did a good job of laying few clues and diverting my attention.

Honestly I have very little good to say about the book. The writing wasn't terrible but "historical texture and emotional depth", as the New York Times put it, it did not have. Through most of my reading it felt like an episode of Murder She Wrote. The characters and dialog were completely wrong for the historical setting. There was just nothing real about it. But I still enjoyed it enough to finish it. It is brain candy reading just a few notches above chick lit and made me role my eyes throughout but I never considered putting it down. It's not necessarily my cuppa tea but it has its merits and would make a fine read for those who like mysteries. It is the third book in a series. I may just go back and read And Only to Deceive and A Poisoned Season.

ETA: According to Amazon reviews the first two books in this series are much better. Many reviewers feel that A Fatal Waltz was rushed and lacks the proper character development for the new reader. Good to know.

Review: The Awakening

The Awakening
by Kate Chopin

"The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.

The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."

This radiantly beautiful quote exactly expresses how I feel while I'm swimming. The choice of words perfectly describe my own experience. When I am underwater I feel comfortable with myself. I feel encased in silk, graceful as a ballerina. Because there is no noise I feel alone even if I am in a public pool with 100 strangers. To me it is like heaven. But in the case of The Awakening, the sea represents some intangible vastness that is equally seductive: autonomy. I believe that it is a dream that every person shares, whether outwardly or just within their heart. Whenever life throws you a curve ball do you just wish you could run off somewhere and start a new life? Or even just get a breather for a few brief moments? As a mother I can state truthfully that I have the occasional fantasy of a private deserted island.

What this book has drawn from my soul is an appreciation of expressive prose in defining something my heart longs for at times. But there is a repulsion within me at the same time. We cannot truly have autonomy without isolating ourselves, pushing those around us away. You cannot be an individual and connected to someone else at the same time. Edna Pontellier discovers this over the course of the novel. SparkNotes interprets Edna's final act as a realisation that she is truly alone in her awakening, that she is embracing her independence to the fullest extent; and maybe the experts at SparkNotes know better than I based on the context of Kate Chopin's views that she expressed freely during her lifetime. But I was left with a different impression. Edna's realisation to me was that she cannot truly possess herself as she wants because what she really wants is to be possessed by someone else of her own choosing and within her own rules. The problem with this idea is that the person who is under her rule is then possessed by her and loses his own autonomy. There is a double standard in this arrangement. Total autonomy means a total separation from everyone else. It means living completely selfishly. Edna's awakening is lauded by some as revolutionary but what it really is is self-centered, thoughtless, and ultimately unbearable.

Let me be clear. I loved this book. Rich and beautiful it is. But I will see it with my own eyes; the eyes of a woman who understands the implications of an independent life in a world full of people. No one really wants to be alone for the rest of their life.

Review: Writer to Writer

Writer to Writer

by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I have been reading a few books about how to write well, how to develop a storyline and characters. When a friend loaned me this book I thought it would be more of the same but it was different, in a good way.

Writer to Writer is very Christian but if you are not a Christian and are looking to find out how to be a published author then you shouldn't let it discourage you from picking through this book. The first two chapters are the most heavily Christian as Bodie asks the reader to determine if writing is your call from God and then encourages you to pursue it if you determine that, yes, God has placed that desire in your heart. This part could be the right push for some and can easily be ignored if you are not into it. It's the rest of the book that really holds the meat.

It had never occurred to me to consider writing articles for magazines but this is a way of getting a foot in the door. Bodie's advice on scouring the Writer's Market magazine to find venues for your writing was indeed very valuable. She explains how it works and gives examples. She shows the writing techniques for a good article (5Ws and an H, Inverted Pyramid, Upright Pyramid) based on her experience writing for a newspaper and various magazines. She gives examples and exercises to build the writer's confidence. She discusses querying, editing, and dressing for success. I'd say this book is for the person who has no doubts that writing is their future career but doesn't know how to get started. I found it extremely helpful and will hold on to it for a ready reference. Gosh, I hope my friend didn't want the book back anytime soon.

Exacting Eclectic Reader

I was doing a little e-surfing when I came across this little reading quiz at BookBrowse.com. It hit me pretty squarely.

Your Personality: Exacting Eclectic Reader
Your responses showed you fitting into two different groups - the exacting reader and the eclectic reader.

The expression 'so many books, so little time!' sums up your life. You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.

You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

Review: Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis

"The title, Mere Christianity, indicates the intention of Lewis, an Anglican, to describe the Christian common-ground. He aims at avoiding controversies to explain those things that have defined Christianity in nearly all places and times. Lewis restates the fundamental teachings of the Christian religion, for the sake of those basically educated as well as the intellectuals of his generation, for whom the jargon of formal Christian theology did not retain its intended meaning." This is a great description of the purpose of this book taken from Wikipedia.

Not originally in written form, these lectures ran on air during WWII. Dr. Lewis was chosen to give these lectures precisely because it was not his field of study but a personal passion. He could speak to the layman as well as the educated about what it meant to be Christian. When you keep this in mind then the apparent flaws aren't so glaring. The layout is not smooth or logical for a book but is very likely to work well for a radio broadcast. That is not to say that it is not a logical book. There is a great deal of logic, it is just not set out in a clear outlined format. I felt some of the examples could have been better, especially his argument for why men ought to be the head of the household and not women. He made it sound as if women were just silly. I have no problem with the doctrine but the reason given is condescending.

I did have a few squabbles with some points in the final chapters. At one point he makes this bold statement:

"[God] said (in the Bible) that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His
words."

Since Lewis doesn't give any Bible references (a fault that can be understood as stemming from this originally being a radio broadcast) I have no way to check his statement. But since earlier in the book he explains the difference between our being creatures made by God as opposed to Jesus who was a son begotten of God and therefore, of the same material(a spiritual being), I believe that what is meant here is not that we will actually be made into little gods and goddesses but that we will be transformed from creatures into actual sons and daughters, transformed to be just like Jesus. But it was a bit of a shock to see it stated and not explained or even given a proper reference.

Another issue I take with Dr. Lewis is a matter that I suspected from experience with the Narnia series. This is how he explains it:

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence
to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with
Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points."

This idea needs to be fleshed out a bit more for me. It just doesn't sound right. If the person dies a worshipper of the Buddhist religion then doesn't that make him a Buddhist and not a Christian, since a Buddhist does not believe in the divinity of Christ? Where is the Scriptural evidence for this point?

I wish there were Scripture references throughout as Dr. Lewis makes his claims about what God said or meant. And I wish that there was greater importance put on the Bible as our only means of knowing about God. But as a general reference to what it means to be a Christian it is a wonderful resource, one i will be passing along to my friends who ask what it is all about. The book did inspire me to think again on the basics and it even taught me a new way to look at a few things. I will continue to read C.S. Lewis and his works of both non-fiction and fiction. He was a great man of faith that left an indelible mark on the world.

I will leave you with a quote that I rather enjoyed for its humor and truth:

"But there is a difficulty about disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all your reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream can rise higher that its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on."

The Sunday Salon

My reading picked up more this week but you wouldn't know it because my attention was divided among several choices. I just finished Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. It's a little different than what I expected but I need to think about it before I review it. I'm also working my way through Writer to Writer by Bodie and Brock Thoene. They give writing direction and encouragement from a Christian point of view. I am finding it pretty helpful, more than I thought it would be. I am also reading some short stories by W. Somerset Maugham called Rain and other South Sea Stories. They are interesting character sketches with strong endings. They remind me a little of Maugham's contemporary, Edith Wharton. The last title vying for my attention is the audio book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. It is an interesting biography about a young man who leaves all his possessions behind to pursue the ultimate backpacking trip through Alaska. He loses his life in the pursuit of enlightenment and a closer communion with nature.

This is our last week of swimming lessons and lifeguard training. It has been a good summer for hanging out with our friends and getting exercise. The summers from my childhood were never this restful. And I could use all the rest I can get as school will be starting soon enough. Have a great week everyone.

Dad Going Home

Dad found out last night he may safely go home. His house was mercifully spared which is just short of a miracle. If you could see a map of where my Dad's house is in relation to where the fire was you would be amazed too. The fire is now 45% contained and moving away from the more populated areas so hopefully no more homes will be lost. Thanks for all your concerns and prayers. They have been greatly appreciated.