Books really end of August
I have a read a few books.
Going back to comfort food, I read two of Dorothy Sayer's Peter Wimsey's. "Whose Body" and "Clouds of Witnesses" are the first two in the series. I loved this series as a child, and it was pleasant to return to it. Two was quite enough, however. Sayers continual use of upper class twitisms is more grating than it used to be.
Words made Fresh. This was a Library Thing review book. I'll just post that review below for those who are interested in literary essays.
It's only fair to start by saying that I don't share Mr. Woiwode's Christian world view. That being said, it's always a pleasure to read an
intelligent, passionate writer, even if I don't always agree with him. Which was the case with "Words Made Fresh."
There are certainly places of common ground. Even in the essays in this slender volume where
Mr. Woiwode and I disagree, it's clear that he has a strong intellect and argues his case well. However, as with anyone who feels passionately
about a specific point -- it can began to stretch the fabric of your point out of recognition.
So, while I appreciated Mr. Woiwodes essay on Updike, a writer whose work I have never personally cared for, for the depth and richness he was able to bring to my understanding; I had a difficult time with his essay on Gardner, a writer a deeply
admire, because we are at opposite poles in our understanding of this gentleman's work.
The juxtaposition of the essay on religion in school and Dylan amused me. There was a basic irony in having these two
back to back that I'm surprised the author didn't notice. The fact that he didn't notice, and perhaps like all of us, is capable of holding two
separate and competing notions firmly in place without noticing their disconnections just makes him human. Having been raised Catholic, I was
taught to believe several impossible things before noon every day, so I can understand how the dichotomy slipped by. Still, it amused.
His final essay on Shakespeare, for me, was worth reading through the wholebook. It was a masterful summation of the arguments why Shakespeare, and not Marlowe or de Vere or some other person, wrote Shakespeare. Please. It was the glovemaker's son from Stratford. While I may cock an eyebrow at some of his conclusions, they are less far fetched than some others I have read and at least Mr. Woiwode is one of the few who does poor Anne justice.
The essays are dense. At times, they appear to wander a bit from their points. I found them uneven, not just because I am not, like Mr. Woiwode, a Christian, but because the sway of his powerful intellect sometimes seem to lose its way, and then indeed he
lost me as well. But those that are good are very good indeed and I am glad to have read it, especially for the essays on Updike and Shakespeare.
After a million, possibly two million, years of NOT reading Lois McMaster Bujold, I have finally read Shards of Honor. And found it quite entertaining. For those who haven't read it, it's a regency romance with space suits, blasters, and planetary war subbing in for the usual balls, Napoleonic war, and dashing soldiers/navy officers. Lots of fun. As Fred (as in Fred at Pegasus Bookstore) said when I picked up the second and explained why, "They're kind of cheesy, but lots of fun. Oh the things our friends do to us." :)
Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders. Another Poiret. I read them for the clever plots.
I am rather disappointed in my reading this year -- not just the quality (way too much comfort food -- what up with that?) but not that much! Only 39 books (discounting the knitting books). This is pretty poor. I really must do better.
Going back to comfort food, I read two of Dorothy Sayer's Peter Wimsey's. "Whose Body" and "Clouds of Witnesses" are the first two in the series. I loved this series as a child, and it was pleasant to return to it. Two was quite enough, however. Sayers continual use of upper class twitisms is more grating than it used to be.
Words made Fresh. This was a Library Thing review book. I'll just post that review below for those who are interested in literary essays.
It's only fair to start by saying that I don't share Mr. Woiwode's Christian world view. That being said, it's always a pleasure to read an
intelligent, passionate writer, even if I don't always agree with him. Which was the case with "Words Made Fresh."
There are certainly places of common ground. Even in the essays in this slender volume where
Mr. Woiwode and I disagree, it's clear that he has a strong intellect and argues his case well. However, as with anyone who feels passionately
about a specific point -- it can began to stretch the fabric of your point out of recognition.
So, while I appreciated Mr. Woiwodes essay on Updike, a writer whose work I have never personally cared for, for the depth and richness he was able to bring to my understanding; I had a difficult time with his essay on Gardner, a writer a deeply
admire, because we are at opposite poles in our understanding of this gentleman's work.
The juxtaposition of the essay on religion in school and Dylan amused me. There was a basic irony in having these two
back to back that I'm surprised the author didn't notice. The fact that he didn't notice, and perhaps like all of us, is capable of holding two
separate and competing notions firmly in place without noticing their disconnections just makes him human. Having been raised Catholic, I was
taught to believe several impossible things before noon every day, so I can understand how the dichotomy slipped by. Still, it amused.
His final essay on Shakespeare, for me, was worth reading through the wholebook. It was a masterful summation of the arguments why Shakespeare, and not Marlowe or de Vere or some other person, wrote Shakespeare. Please. It was the glovemaker's son from Stratford. While I may cock an eyebrow at some of his conclusions, they are less far fetched than some others I have read and at least Mr. Woiwode is one of the few who does poor Anne justice.
The essays are dense. At times, they appear to wander a bit from their points. I found them uneven, not just because I am not, like Mr. Woiwode, a Christian, but because the sway of his powerful intellect sometimes seem to lose its way, and then indeed he
lost me as well. But those that are good are very good indeed and I am glad to have read it, especially for the essays on Updike and Shakespeare.
After a million, possibly two million, years of NOT reading Lois McMaster Bujold, I have finally read Shards of Honor. And found it quite entertaining. For those who haven't read it, it's a regency romance with space suits, blasters, and planetary war subbing in for the usual balls, Napoleonic war, and dashing soldiers/navy officers. Lots of fun. As Fred (as in Fred at Pegasus Bookstore) said when I picked up the second and explained why, "They're kind of cheesy, but lots of fun. Oh the things our friends do to us." :)
Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders. Another Poiret. I read them for the clever plots.
I am rather disappointed in my reading this year -- not just the quality (way too much comfort food -- what up with that?) but not that much! Only 39 books (discounting the knitting books). This is pretty poor. I really must do better.