Well, my intention for this reading challenge had been that I would read a book, then post my thoughts about said book to thoughtfully go through this year of reading. However, thus far that has clearly not happened. That is not to say that I have not had thoughts to share as I read these books, I just have not been diligent enough to take the time to share them.
So I will share some spare thoughts on the things read so far from my list. I have tried to read bits from each category in order to keep my brain stretched and to not get stuck in or tired of any one genre. Thus the list is varied, which was part of the point of my choices for the year, to continue on the reading path started by my Master's Programme last year.
Books completed thus far...
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
I chose this book because it is one that had escaped my reading and as it is a central classic of Christianity, I thought it would be worth my reading. What I did not expect was the fantastic picture it painted of the thought and life of the age into which it was written. Bunyan made it a point to write a work of encouragement in the vernacular and very common language of the day. In this, I believe, he succeeded. It is a beautiful allegory of the Christian life and all the trials and glories therein. I love the friends that Christian meets along the way and leads to heaven, or sadly loses on the path. I was very intrigued by the heavy-handed message against consumerism and commerce as being a great, arguably even the greatest, evil faced. This is seen as Christian and his traveling companions enter Vanity Fair and are attacked and stolen away. I shudder to think what Bunyan would have to say about our world of materialism and commerce today. In the foreword to my edition, it was mentioned that there were many critics that were vehemently opposed to a work that appealed so widely to a "common" and un-educated seventeeth-century audience. This was an era in which more and more people in the world were becoming literate, not just the educated upper classes and it was thought that fictions and novelizations of things stole something of the true spirit from them and this was one major line of thought toward
The Pilgrim's Progress. In today's world, most literature is fiction, is the novel, and the un-educated language of Bunyan appears quite the opposite. However, the idea that people could read and interpret this work themselves was terrifying in the contemporary time because they had always had Priests, Pastors, Reverends, Vicars, what have you to guide their thinking...what if they interpret this work incorrectly to their mortal peril?!?! *gasp* I love what this work and this debate did to bring about independent thought and ownership of each person's personal faith and walk with God. I also love the value Bunyan gives to story, after all, he argues, Jesus spoke in parables. Deep truths and philosophies seem to be more poignant when delivered in the form of a story. All this to say, I really enjoyed the process and illumination of reading this work. I cannot believe it took so long to get to it.
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
There are so many reasons that I chose to add this one to the list. To start with, it is a classic of Children's Literature that every single person should read. Secondly, growing up Winnie the Pooh was a dear friend of mine and I would often wander to the Hundred Acre Wood. However, I had a few random Winnie the Pooh stories I had read out of Disney collections of stories, that may or may not have been the real thing, so I decided it was time. I decided this long before this reading challenge appeared on my radar. When in London at Christmas I wanted to get myself an iconically British book from Hatchard's, the oldest bookshop in London, as I was perusing the shelves I came across a beautiful edition of Milne's classic that had been reprinted just as it was when it was initially published in 1926--there was no question that this was the perfect choice. Add to this that my mother, when in London in the 1970's for a study programme purchased for herself the complete stories of Paddington Bear, so I had to get the other British bear as I was in London. That is enough back story, I think. As expected, this collection of stories and adventures of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo, and, of course, Christopher Robin, was fantastic and extra fantastical. I love the imagination involved in the stories and the heart with an emphasis on friendship. The lessons of what it means to be a friend and to be unselfish and to learn together is beautiful. And who doesn't love a bear with a honey jar stuck on his nose?!
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
This book was chosen because this author has been stated as one of the best Science Fiction writers and I have long had every intention of reading some Philip K. Dick. When deciding what to read, I had a hard time, however. The choice was between reading something amongst his many works that have been made into films (most of which I have seen, and would thus have preconceptions) or to choose something brand new to experience. After much thought and deliberation, I decided to go with something that had produced an absolutely fantastic film,
Bladerunner (1982). In that I wrote and researched my Master's dissertation on film and literary noir and this fell into that category, I could not but choose this. I had looked at the film in the neo-noir section of my thesis, and I absolutely loved delving into the Science Fiction Noir. The original story on which the film is based did not disappoint. I loved the obvious grasp that Philip K. Dick had of the Noir genre of film and fiction and he included all of the tropes and expected elements that guide the reader to know it is a noir: the disgruntled "investigator" and/or thug, the series of femme fatales, the dilapidated and seedy world of San Francisco, and the loss of hope in all the characters we encounter. There is even a scene at a theatre with a sexed-up replicant female that Deckart has to destroy. The language and images painted in this book were great. Philip K. Dick truly is a master of the craft and I look forward to reading more by him.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
This is another classic work of Children's Literature that I felt I needed to say I had truly read. I know somewhere along the way I had read this and probably all of the other bunny stories by Potter, but I could not recall. So, I diligently purchased a collection of
The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit, and let me tell you, this was money well spent. I aptly timed the reading of these stories to co-incide with Easter week and each night, my mom and I read these aloud and had a proper story time, which, I am certain, is the best way to experience these lovely stories and illustrations of these naughty little bunnies. I will definitely go back and read these stories again and again alongside
Winnie the Pooh.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
I chose this book for several reasons, the first of which is that it won the 2009 Man Booker Prize. I had also decided that I wanted to gain more exposure to works on or inspired by history to widen my knowledge and such. This book was fantastic. It is part of a trilogy called the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy. It is the story of Henry VIII and his rise and fall through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. I find this choice of perspective very interesting because the story of Henry is generally told from the perspective of either his wives or Sir Thomas More, and thus, Cromwell is painted as a villian. In
Wolf Hall we see the birth and rough childhood of Cromwell and his apprenticeship and growth under Cardinal Wosely and finally his rise to power as what was essentially Henry's most trusted advisor. As this personal story progresses we see the power that Henry VIII had as well as all of his insecurities and the maneuvering of all of the court around him in their desire for power. On a political note it is very interesting to see the way in which Thomas simply worked hard to get to where he was and was very devoted to those he worked for, this, I think, is the point Mantel is attempting to make with these books--Cromwell was not a villian, simply a practical man. In these books, More is painted as more of the villian and as a ridiculous character which is an interesting perspective (especailly if you have seen the series, "The Tudors"). The feminine side of this book is equally interesting and poignant. Cromwell was not a mysogynist, in fact he gives great power to his wife and expresses great respect for all the women in Henry's life, especially Catherine of Aragon. But it is Anne, in this book, who becomes the central powerful woman, and through Cromwell we get to hear and see her rise and all of the rumours about how she got there: who she slept with, who she stepped on, and how she manipulated Henry. This book ends as Anne has had Elizabeth and assured that Mary, Catherine's child, is made a bastard to assure Elizabeth's place. But Anne has been able to produce no male heir for Henry and she is beginning to be nervous and insecure as he obviously goes to other beds in the night.
This was a fantastically personal and obviously well-researched book. The second book in the series,
Bring Up the Bodies, won the 2012 Man Booker Prize and is just out in paperback and it sits on my bookcase awaiting me. I look forward to the continuing saga.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
This is yet another book that I feel I should have read by now, but it had escaped me. I am pretty certain it goes without saying that I very much enjoyed the process of reading this book. It was rather heavy-handed with its views of mass consumption of entertainment and products. After spending a year discussing and debating the entertainments of the masses versus the elite I feel that I should maybe disagree a little with the premises of this book, but I cannot say that I did. This world in which all the humanities all beauty all nature all choice has been taken away is deplorable and ugly and disgusting to me. I do not want to live in a world run so efficiently where there is no space for independent thought and only room for science. Ugh! It is definitely a thought-provoking read that I am still thinking about. Also, it involves one of the greatest lines in literature that I have encountered recently: "I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
Okay, okay, I can hear you all now "YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK?!" and my answer to that now is a resounding, "I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS HAPPENED!" this was seriously one of the most beautiful fantastical books ever. I love that it is the first children's science fiction work and it is well worth the Newbery Award that it won. A beautiful story of faith in the unseen, of the fact that it is ok to be different, and that we all grow out of our awkward stages; or is it saying that we grow into them and we come to be okay with it? I love the adventure of these three lost and strange and hopeful children and how they overcome great evil with the help of what is good. In this book L'Engle created the truly classic characters of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which...I love them a lot. The journey and adventure and finding hope and having sight for what matters is such a beautiful message and one that I believe we need to cling to more and more today. I definitely intend to read the rest of this trilogy.
Well, this has been my reading journey thus far. I am currently into
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis and plan to post about the process of this book as well. Please feel free to comment, agree, disagree, converse about these books with me, that is what this is all about after all!
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