The Un-Monk

Something Missing is a novel by Matthew Dicks. It is different than anything I have ever read. After I finished it I passed it along to Dad and Emily. They probably have different opinions of it, and so I encourage them to comment on my post and give their two bits. This book is more on the fluff reading side than serious literature.

Martin has OCD to the same level as Monk, but he employs his "skills" on the wrong side of the law--he is a professional thief. Professional is exactly the word for what he does. He treats his thievery as a 9 to 5 job. He has a list of "clients" that he visits every week and only steals what they won't miss. Some of them he has been stealing from for 10 years! The book, although written in the third person, has a stream of consciousness feel to it. It's like Martin is taking you along on his daily visits, narrating what he is doing and why. For the first bunch of pages I felt stressed because I was waiting for him to get caught. But no, he is not the type to put himself in situations where he might get caught.

I enjoyed this book because of the excellence of the character development and the seamlessness of the plot. In the end you sense that Martin will be redeemed and that his life will no longer be empty. That redemption is a natural result of who Martin is and the choices that he makes. He is nothing if not ingenious. There is one page that I would leave out where he discourses about his philosophy about going to the bathroom in public restrooms. I can see where it is an extension of his character, but it seemed rather gratuitous to me. Aside from that, Something Missing is a well-crafted first novel that I am glad I read.

I, Claudius

At the West Jordan library they had a large display of first books in series. I was astounded at how many there were. (I guess everyone wants to know what happened after the story ended.) One of the books there surprised me--I, Claudius, by Robert Graves. I'm used to thinking of series as a modern phenomenon, usually found in fantasy books (which Tolkein started with LOTR), but I had heard of this book when I was a child and found that it was originally published in 1934. Since Sarah has been studying Roman history along with her Latin (you can't study a language without having something to say in it) I thought that it would be interesting to increase my knowledge of ancient Rome.

I,Claudius is a historical novel that pretends to be an autobiography, and since the real Claudius is a historian, the autobiography extends back before Claudius's birth to establish the historical setting for the things that went on during his life. Graves translated a history by Suetonius (an ancient Roman) called Lives of the Twelve Caesars before he wrote his novel. According to Wikipedia, his story owes a lot to Suetonius.

This was a fascinating read to me. As I have read other info on Roman history, the historians feel that the decline and fall of the Roman empire happened a few hundred years later. Still, the things that I read about everyday life in Rome during this time period strike me as the beginning of that decline and fall. The number of secret combinations in Rome during this time period is astounding. There were so many people who lost their lives so that people who had power could preserve their power. I was also amazed about the attitude regarding marriage at the time. People married and divorced all the time. As the political winds shifted marriages shifted as well. Some people were forced to divorce people they truly loved so others could forge alliances to their families. This loose view of family ties even influenced imperial succession. None of the 5 emperors in this book were really sons of the men they succeeded. They were all adopted sons and heirs, but were nephews or great nephews or other such things--even when there were biological sons around.

I thought this book was really well-written. It was a window into a completely different world for me. Although there were unsavory and immoral things going on, they were generally referred to and not described so this is not a story where you have to watch for inappropriate spots. Another interesting thing is that this story takes place during the same time that the Savior lived, so you get an idea of what the world he lived in was like. They don't really talk about Christians in the book, but one can easily see how what we know about the early church could fit into this environment. It did take some commitment to finish the book. It wasn't one of those where the words fly off the page and you don't realize you are turning the pages. Claudius likely was able to live long enough to become emperor because he had disabilities. Now scholars believe he had cerebral palsy. He limped, was somewhat misshapen, had a tic, and stammered. Many of his family thought he was an idiot and didn't take him seriously. He spent lots of his time in libraries researching history. He was actually quite a prolific author in real life. Graves tries to write the book as if it was Claudius writing it, so it is an interesting style to get used to.

I, Claudius only covers the period of his life up to the point where he becomes emperor. I will admit that I didn't turn right around and head back to the library and check out Claudius the God as soon as I finished the other book. I was ready for something lighter. Still, I expect that sometime, sooner or later I will read it, if only to get the rest of the story. FYI, there is a BBC miniseries based on the novel that received many awards. I remember when it was advertised but never watched it. Your Dad heard that it was somewhat risque at times. I am not surprised given the story it tells. Still, all of that is part of the story about how we got where we are today. That, in my opinion, is one of the reasons that it is worthwhile to read history and historical novels. Like the scripture says, "With all thy getting, get understanding..."

Lots of Reading

I am so overdue when it comes to posting on this blog--especially because for some reason I have been doing a ton of reading this summer! I'm not sure why that is, because it seems like I really don't have that much more time. I think that one reason is because the books are there, so I am picking them up and carving out little niches of time to read. Actually, some of these books have been so compelling that I start out with a little niche, but end up having to finish. So, here are some thoughts about what I have been reading for the last while. I know that this reading hasn't been as highbrow as Mary's, but I have enjoyed it.

First of all, The Blind Side. Mary gave me this--for Mothers' Day? (Notice that appropriately placed apostrophe?) I really enjoyed that book. The author tries to tell two stories at once: the evolution of the position of left tackle, and how the Tuohys changed Michael Oher's life. Certainly the second story is the more compelling of the two. I found it hard to stop reading in the sections that talked about Michael's life. Still, the football sections were interesting, too. They were just harder reading. I enjoyed reading about the science of football. My reaction was similar to when I started taking classes for library school. I had been to libraries all my life. Who knew there was so much to learn about them? The same thing was true as I started reading the football sections. That was how a professional thought about football. It was saddening to read about all of the superficial people who operated on a level of "What's in it for me?" but I was really uplifted by the Tuohys and their simple Christian idea of doing the right thing by a person who needed it. Sure they helped Michael become a NFL football player, but they also taught him how to be an honorable man, to rise above adversity, and to do good in the world--skills of eternal importance.

I also read the Dwarf Home trilogy this spring by Douglas Niles. The three books that make it up are The Secret of Pax Tharkas, The Heir of Kayolin, and The Fate of Thorbardin. If you remember, Douglas Niles wrote the Watershed trilogy that Mary owned and that the rest of us read to pieces. He is a talented writer and has a lot of output. Lately he has been one of the contributing authors to the Dragonlance series. I really enjoyed this trilogy. Most fantasy books deal with the interactions of multiple "races". These books were basically about dwarfs, although there were three kinds of dwarfs in this world. The story starts out kind of dark, but I really enjoyed it. One thing that sets Niles up a level higher than some authors is that he does a good job developing characters. After a little bit of a slow start he creates a compelling story line. He also does a good job of tying up loose ends in a believable way. So if you are looking for some good recreational reading, you would probably enjoy this.

To be continued....

Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte

I just finished reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte, and it was so good that I wanted to write about it right away. The books I love best are often ones where I feel a connection to the main character. This story, told in first person, is about a young woman who goes to work as a governess when her family hits hard financial times. Although she has been little exposed to the world previously, she finds that the principles of morality, industry, and self-identity that she had been raised on are not typical fare for families she works for. Her sentiments about relationships and principles to live by resonate greatly with my own, both in their feeling and in their expression.

So many of the demands that the parents make of her as a governess are ridiculous, given the constraints they require. They want their children to be taught and molded with as little effort or bother to the children as possible. They would be great fans of obtaining knowledge and skills by osmosis if it were effectual in any degree! When I was talking with Mom and Dad about this book, Dad mentioned that that's actually a huge problem even today: giving responsibility but no authority. Needless to say, Agnes's efforts are greatly ineffectual, not from any lack on her part, but because the parents undermine everything she does with their own examples and relationships with their children.

There's another issue in the book that struck home with me, and that's how Agnes deals with her feelings on the romantic relationship front. It amazes me that with all of the years' distance between Anne Bronte's time and my own, that women should still be so similar in how we feel about things, and even how we act on them (and this thought is in reference to all of the women in the novel--both the good behavior and sentiments and the bad). Anyway, Agnes keeps her growing feelings for Mr. Weston, the newly arrived local curate, very much bottled up inside, but thinks about him a great deal and longs to run into him, particularly when the capriciousness of her charges leads them to pretty much make Agnes a hermit. I need to back up a little and say that Rosalie, Agnes's beautiful but heartless charge, decides at a certain point to make Mr. Weston one of her conquests because she'd already broken Mr. Hatfield's heart and was bored from lack of sport. Poor Agnes has to go through the agony of hearing about Rosalie's machinations to bring Mr. Weston to heel, without being able to express anything but indifference for the whole situation.

There is a point where Agnes struggles to accept that her hopes and dreams may never be realized. Here is a portion of her internal struggles: "[Is] it likely my life all through will be so clouded? Is it not possible that God may hear my prayers, disperse these gloomy shadows, and grant me some beams of heaven’s sunshine yet? Will He entirely deny to me those blessings which are so freely given to others, who neither ask them nor acknowledge them when received? May I not still hope and trust?" (Chapter 20)

"Should I shrink from the work that God had set before me, because it was not fitted to my taste? Did not He know best what I should do, and where I ought to labour?— and should I long to quit His service before I had finished my task, and expect to enter into His rest without having laboured to earn it? ‘No; by His help I will arise and address myself diligently to my appointed duty. If happiness in this world is not for me, I will endeavour to promote the welfare of those around me, and my reward shall be hereafter.’"(Chapter 21)

In these words you can see the struggles she has within herself. Luckily, things all turn out well. She opens a school with her mother and Mr. Weston moves to a nearby town and eventually proposes. It's almost as good as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, and very similar in the way you have the satisfaction of seeing two equally yoked, good people end up together.

This book is really rich in many ways, but I've only addressed a few things. I recommend it to everyone to read!

For Whom the Bell Tolls Part 2

I finished reading this novel a couple weeks ago. Thinking back on it, Hemingway has some interesting things to say about the tensions between being an individual and having personal views and opinions and functioning as a part of a greater unit. I would think that it would be very hard in war to maintain your individuality because you sometimes get orders that just don't make sense. Robert Jordan's job in this novel is to blow up a bridge at the same time that the rest of their army or regiment makes an attack. The only problem is that he discovers that the other side is going to be more prepared than they thought or hoped, and the attack would actually be useless. Jordan sends someone with a message indicating this, but by the time it gets to the general it's too late. There's a scene where the general in charge recognizes the futility of their planned assault but goes ahead with it anyway. After giving the go ahead order, "Golz watched the planes with his hard proud eyes that knew how things could be and how they would be instead and said, proud of how they could be, believing in how they could be, even if they never were, 'Bon. Nous ferons notre petit possible,' and hung up."

I think it's tragic the feeling of futility that comes in this situation. So what's the difference between this situation and situations that you read about in the Book of Mormon, for instance? Well, I guess that in comparing those two, that there are some stark differences. It makes me think, though, about the battle in which the chief captains of the Lamanites attacked the city of Noah in Alma 49. What must the troops have been thinking as they followed their orders to attack?

I think a lot must be said for the leaders and soldiers being united in the cause for which they are fighting. In Hemingway's novel, it seems that foreigners from Russia and other countries are really involved in the leadership of the Spanish Civil War, so maybe they don't care as much about the people, but only the cause. And even then their precise motivations for participating seem murky at best. Just like Amalickiah "did not care for the blood of his people." It seems to me that if you care first about the people, that will guide the decisions you make throughout the war. You will be conscientous and somber in examining the why behind the fight and the execution of the how.

At the end of the day, maybe the only principle to live by is to do your best in the sphere in which you are placed. Care about the people on your team and have compassion and understanding for those who aren't.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

So it's been quite a while since I posted about anything that I've read lately, but the book I've been working on lately is Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. I'm not finished reading it yet, but there are some things that I wanted to mention. I really like Hemingway's writing style. It's very readable, and the way he does stream-of-consciousness is very similar to the way I think. One of the things that stands out to me about his writing is how much action really takes place in a conversation. When the characters get together, they talk about a lot of different principles that pertain to what it's like to be a human being.

This particular novel takes place during the Spanish Civil War and centers around the orders Robert Jordan, the main character, has to blow up a bridge across enemy lines. So he hooks up with some revolutionaries that are hiding out in the mountains to help him with that task. In their interactions they talk about everything from killing--whether it's okay and how it affects you--to what it means to love another person. Robert Jordan has many internal conversations about whether--or how much--he's been corrupted by the war and his role in it.

One of the biggest themes that I've seen so far in the book is that both sides of the conflict have so much in common. Both sides have decent people who might be good friends if only they didn't wear different uniforms. Both sides have also committed atrocities against the other. In this way Hemingway rips away the "us vs. evil" mindset and reminds us that every person has a name, a face, a history. Which leaves us with the question, what cause is so important that it's worth fighting and killing your brothers to accomplish? Is it really worth the suffering war creates? It all comes back to the words of John Donne quoted at the beginning of the text:

"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine own were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

The Blue Girl

I read Charles de Lint's The Blue Girl about a week ago and have been meaning to post about it since then. For all those of you who've read Jack of Kinrowan, there are some similarities both in the world de Lint creates and in the themes he addresses in the book. One of the themes that struck me the most was the idea of new beginnings. In the second paragraph of the book the main character, Imogene, says somewhat skeptically, "I'd just transferred to Redding High, after my mom moved us from Tyson to Newford so that we could 'find ourselves.' Find herself, she really meant. Neither my brother Jared nor I was particularly lost." I didn't realize how much foreshadowing was in that comment made in passing. This book is all about Imogene finding herself, only she didn't really know it until the end. And the book never comes out and says it bluntly (though I guess the good books never really have to).

So Imogene has always been a bit of a misfit and ran around with a gang in her previous city. Here she's having to deal with an increased awareness of the Faerie-ish world, which is where de Lint pulls out the familiar theme of light versus dark, good versus evil. However, in the midst of it all you get this friendship between Imogene and Maxine, who are about as different as night and day. Only you see the progression throughout the book of the positive influence they both have on each other. Maxine is able to be more herself and see her relationship with her over-intrusive mother improve, and Imogene finds a better balance between being tough and fulfilling her potential as a person.

One scene at the end particularly illustrates this. Imogene and Maxine are having their "showdown" with the shadowpeople amamithim. Imogene realizes how they can kill the amamithim, but Maxine convinces her not to, saying "The Imogene I care about wouldn't do it." While Imogene doubts the veracity of that statement, the next day she thanks Maxine and admits that she knew she would have crossed a line if she'd actually killed them. It's a culminating point when the character and the reader realize all the changes that have been slowly taking place in Imogene, but were disguised by more interesting/immediate things. It reminds me, too, of the people of Ammon in the Book of Mormon. Change is totally possible, but you have to keep making the decisions that brought on the changes instead of letting yourself slip back into old habits. Because you'll probably fall further back than you were in the first place.

This book was a fun read, but it said a lot about having integrity and standing strong, whether that be against bullies or against the darker side of yourself.

Howl's Moving Castle

I think Howl's Moving Castle is becoming one of my all-time favorite books. Right now, I keep a copy of the book next to the rocking chair I use to put Cordy down for her naps. I read random chapters while I am rocking her to sleep.

I think one of my favorite aspects of the book is the relationship between Howl and Sophie. I like the fact that they constantly give each other crap. I always laugh whenever anything not great for Howl happens, he says, "Sophie strikes again!" It's funny that she seems to always be driving him toward his destiny. I also enjoy the fact that even though both Sophie and Howl are well aware of each others' weaknesses, that really is ultimately what brings them together in the end. Howl may shake his head and be convinced that Sophie is always doing things to bring him closer to his doom, but at the same time, he works hard to try to get the spell off of her and keep her safe. Sophie, on the other hand, may complain about how heartless Howl is or how frustrated she is with him chasing girls all the time, but through their interactions, she comes to recognize that Howl really has a tender heart underneath all the fluff. I just really like the reality that their relationship has. Both of them recognize the weaknesses in each other, but also see the huge potential that the other one has.

I also am struck by Sophie's desire to stay in disguise through most of the story. It seems like it's easier for her to be herself when other people don't really know it's her. It's only at the end when she and Howl realize that they care for each other that she finally lets her disguise go. I think that one of the challenges in life is to be comfortable enough with ourselves to allow others to see us as we really are. I think sometimes it may be easier to pretend to be what we're not than to let others see us warts and all. Sometimes the superficial change is what we need to have the confidence to be ourselves.

Fablehaven

I just finished the last Fablehaven book a couple of days ago. It's kind of funny because both Sarah and my friend Susan recommended them to be, but I didn't really feel like reading them for a while. (Maybe I was getting sick of fantasy, I don't know). Anyway, I have to admit I started reading them right after Susan returned one of my books she had borrowed telling me that it was too much like Lord of the Rings to be interesting (which I had to disagree with, but honestly, what fantasy book out there doesn't have elements of Lord of the Rings in it?), so I went into reading the first book in the series thinking, "Oh yeah? Well, I bet this book is a rip-off of other fantasy books too!" I did find many similarities with plot points to other fantasy books, but after I while I let that go because the author wrote in such an engaging style that I just enjoyed reading them for their own sake.

All in all, I was really pleased with the series of books individually and as a series. I was very pleased with how the series ended, and I think the books are totally rereadable. In fact, I reread half of the first book right after I finished it because I enjoyed it so much. I need to reread the series again anyway because there were some things mentioned in the final book that were a little hazy for me (I read pretty fast and don't always absorb the details), but I'm not sad about that.

One of the things that really stuck out to me in the final book was the discussion that Patton had with Seth (ok, not really discussion, but I didn't know what else to call it). I thought his point about making choices was really true in our lives as well. I liked how he addresses bad decision making and learning from past mistakes. I don't want to go into huge detail for those who haven't been lucky enough to read it yet, but it really made me think about how that applies to what I'm trying to do in my life.

Watership Down

This past week I finished Richard Adams' classic Watership Down. I have to admit that this book took me longer than most to finish. The first half does not move very quickly and the book seems to end several times. To combat this feeling, Adams divides it into several sections, but it still seems to drag on in some spots.

For those who have not read this story, it is like a glorified Peter Rabbit. It follows a group of rabbits who are trying to establish a new home somewhere in England and the adventures they have along the way. While I was reading it, I got a lot of comments about the rabbit on the cover and how people could not believe that a book about rabbits could be interesting. I, however, found it to be a charming book. The world Adams creates is very vivid. He even comes up with a new vocabulary that the rabbits use (example: "elil" = predators, "silflay" = to feed above ground). The depiction of the temperment of rabbits also seems very accurate. One of the main themes of the story is how the rabbits overcome their natural instincts in order to succeed in many seemingly impossible tasks.

Watership Down is famous for providing a allegorical commentary on many issues, such as man's relationship with the state, and the natural tension between friendship and leaderhship. I particuarly enjoyed the development of relationships, especially between Bigwig and Hazel. At first, Bigwig only hesitantly offered his support to Hazel as Chief Rabbit, but over time he learns to trust Hazel's judgment. Bigwig recognizes that although he might be the biggest and strongest of all the rabbits, Hazel is able to take all the individual talents of the rabbits (Blackberry's cleverness, Bigwig's size, Fiver's intuition, etc.) and magnify them to the benefit of all. This relationship culminates in Bigwig's showdown with General Woundwort. Bigwig is injured, but refuses to abandon his post because his Chief Rabbit instructed him to defend the run at all costs. I think this, even more than the dog, is what was the deciding factor in the battle.

I would definitely recommend this book to all those who have never read it. For those who have read it, please comment. There are many other themes, such as the stories about El-ahrairah and General Woundwort's method of governance, that I would love to discuss in greater detail.

Fluff Reading

Some days its nice to just have some fluff reading to enjoy-- something that you can just pick up for a few hours to reward yourself or blow off some steam, but that you don't have to have a huge relationship with. That's what I was looking for today. Sarah stayed home sick, and I have spent the last couple days working on taxes. Now that I have both of the rough drafts done I wanted something easy to read that would allow me to dump some stress. I was also hunting around the house to find the Prisoner of Azkeban. (Have any of you seen it? Is it in Provo, by chance?) While searching the shelves I found the prequel to the Wheel of Time series and the 2nd Mrs. Pollifax book. New Spring got the nod first and I read around 75 pages of it. I am feeling that Robert Jordan can't write a short book. I also think that a person who is a Wheel of Time afficianado would like it best. I couldn't keep going. Then I turned to The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax. This is a perfect book for some enjoyable escapism. If you are familiar with the Mrs. Pollifax books, this is the one that is primarily set in Turkey. Later on in the series the plots start to become formulaic, but there are some principles about these books that I really like. They are spy books, but the violence isn't gratuitous. I like that she basically believes in people. Yes the bad guys are bad, and hardened, but one of Dorothy Gillman's beliefs seems to be that most normal people are basically good. Another one is in common with J.R.R. Tolkien--that normal people can do incredible things. I guess that is something that I need to hear occasionally. So, if you want some light, slightly suspenseful reading, Dorothy Gillman is a good choice. I always laugh when I read the part in this book where she needs to drive the helicopter to get the good guy to the airport on time. Nicely done! I should add, that I think well-written fluff reading should be part of everyone literary diet.

James Herriot, Author

James Herriot is author of the All Creatures Great and Small and its sequels. Dad gave me these books for Christmas, and they have been a joy to read! They are basically the memoirs of Herriot, a vet in the English countryside town of Darrowby in the early 1900s. Herriot's good-humored account of his myriad experiences there are funny, thoughtful, and often poignant. These books are a celebration of life, in all its aspects.

One of the things I appreciate most about Herriot's writing is that he doesn't take himself too seriously. He relates his own strengths and weaknesses in a genuine way, and his overall compassion and understanding of those around him make him a very likeable narrator.

I think it's interesting in the third book of this series, All Things Wise and Wonderful, Herriot has been called into active duty during WWII. Each chapter begins with an experience in the RAF training, but usually transitions to more of Herriot's experiences as a vet in Darrowby. I like reading more about his experiences, but sometimes it would be nice to read about his experiences in the RAF. There have been a few of them, and maybe there are more in store, but I found it surprising how often he reminisced to the time before his enlistment. It was almost as if he needed something to begin each segue, so that's the approach he took. Again, there may be more about his RAF experiences further on in the book (right now I'm a tad over halfway through).

These books are perfect to read when things get a little hard because of their light-filled perspective of life. The feeling of them is as if you are reading the "peaceable things of the kingdon" and you can get back to your own life with a more positive outlook. Any book that can do that is definitely worth the effort to read!