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.