tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40127449156760741342024-03-17T18:05:25.661-07:00Worthwhile Books Books have to be heavy because the world's inside them. - Cornelia Funkehopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.comBlogger838125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-8175300077951201332024-03-14T07:50:00.000-07:002024-03-14T07:50:08.422-07:00The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJEMNYTKc7FXxHUND1sCdCdN0oTUtD9ctxQAqrYCoV0VQueizVCD_cv8ZDFx2VHw7p9dNyn1j8jSUhqUPqFShPEbqohePzURZ-7CeB5O0FWeVrTCFymwvMqKT355E_EnrLC5v1ZmmU8U27ml4LUHmKpNk0ThDV6SY8XSKYkadDYVly-R_0x8hy7mnT3Gu/s400/the%20betrothed.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJEMNYTKc7FXxHUND1sCdCdN0oTUtD9ctxQAqrYCoV0VQueizVCD_cv8ZDFx2VHw7p9dNyn1j8jSUhqUPqFShPEbqohePzURZ-7CeB5O0FWeVrTCFymwvMqKT355E_EnrLC5v1ZmmU8U27ml4LUHmKpNk0ThDV6SY8XSKYkadDYVly-R_0x8hy7mnT3Gu/w134-h200/the%20betrothed.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>I often say I prefer Catholic authors to modern Christian fiction writers because they address human suffering without giving overly simplistic answers. <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3UqLAvw">The Betrothed</a></i></b> by Alessandro Manzoni is a perfect example.</div><div><br /></div><div>The novel take place in Italy in the 17th century, and covers actual historical events of that time, particularly the plague of 1630. Renzo and Lucia are pledged to be married to one another, but serious impediments arise that keep them apart for several years. Can their love withstand the challenges that each must face alone?</div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, this is much more than a story of separated lovers. There are villains and heroes. In the midst of political instability, lawlessness, famine, kidnapping, rioting, and narrow escapes, themes emerge of redemption, forgiveness, and trust in God's ultimate plan. It shows suffering as the great equalizer. When famine comes, both the rich and poor go hungry. When the plague hits, both outlaws and saints succumb to death. AND yet there is a difference in the reactions to the calamities. Some become hardened and rob the dead bodies and pillage the houses. Others lay their lives on the line to help the helpless. Though written from a Catholic perspective, <i><b>The Betrothed</b></i> does not blindly glorify Catholicism. Selfish, ungodly leaders intermingle with the humble and self-giving ones. </div><div><br /></div><div>During the plague, the priests are given the task of manning the lazarettos (housing for the sick and dying). Manzoni writes that as the plague took its toll, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>means, men and courage failed as the necessity for the lazarettos increased</i></span>. Nine out of ten of the priests died. But <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">where suffering was, there they were</span></i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Without giving any big spoilers, I will say that both Lucia and Renzo grow through their trials and learn that <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">God never disturbs the joys of His children but to prepare them for one more certain and endurable</span></i>. Manzoni reminds us that <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">the most cautious and blameless conduct cannot secure us from troubles. [But] when they come, whether by our own fault or not, confidence in God alleviates them and makes them cohesive to a better life</span></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>If anything, the book teaches that the Christian life is full of testing, but that God is faithful.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Betrothed is supposedly the most famous and widely read novel in the Italian language. I listened to a good translation, but I will admit that it was still not easy to get through. Some of the chapters on politics and geography (and even the detailed descriptions of the plague) were laborious. The audiobook, narrated by Nicholas Bolton, helped me to stick with it, and when it was all done, I felt deeply nourished by the hours I had spent in this book. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone else familiar with this title?</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-26188851972522098872024-02-29T14:16:00.000-08:002024-02-29T14:16:05.607-08:00What I Read and Watched in February 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLIzeQkhEXXZ125AAJT7grl5fivUz4keeaRhSJeVJQNkzu0wwgBerU0JLZ3RHkgNfjK_qKs_zDqUSkU5C2my8yaK3gxREoNtd6WJig2c3XrAZcbPFKaxGERTlHGDH62tGIcn-tvYcXhoNsbuSRRiyZts3LxKQB8K5kZ-3RrFaGP6Prv_KxIjiXMjIkj-U/s500/Esio%20trot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLIzeQkhEXXZ125AAJT7grl5fivUz4keeaRhSJeVJQNkzu0wwgBerU0JLZ3RHkgNfjK_qKs_zDqUSkU5C2my8yaK3gxREoNtd6WJig2c3XrAZcbPFKaxGERTlHGDH62tGIcn-tvYcXhoNsbuSRRiyZts3LxKQB8K5kZ-3RrFaGP6Prv_KxIjiXMjIkj-U/w150-h200/Esio%20trot.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>We arrived back in Brazil in January which is summer vacation month. Hence we were able to ease back into our ministry responsibilities and I had loads of time for reading. I read (or finished up) nine books in January and eight in February.</div><div><br /></div><div>J.K. Rowling's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Tf7TU8">The Christmas Pig</a></b></i> was my favorite January read (reviewed <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-christmas-pig-by-jk-rowling.html">here</a>) and the quirky movie "Esio Trot" with Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman was my favorite movie. (I purposedly did not post a trailer because they all give the story away!)</div><div><br /></div><div>In February I read more non-fiction than usual. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3ww2yyS">Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II</a></b></i> was an excellent overview of the war with inspiring stories (review forthcoming), <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49tfXGz">How to Flourish </a></b></i>was an abridged version of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Then came two books on the Christian life with an emphasis on prayer. Henri Nouwen's <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/49xhc7z">The Way of the Heart</a></i></b> dovetailed nicely with <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/4c5aFmq">The Dazzling Darkness</a></b></i> by Guy Bowden (review forthcoming). Interestingly, both had completely different takes on what it means to "pray without ceasing." <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/433nfhW">A Quiet Life in 7 Steps</a></b></i> by Susan Cain was one of the dumbest books I've read in a long time. Cain makes a not-too-convincing case for spirituality without God. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptJKl7KqJ2xVnMF0jFcoPua0RddM6quZUJ4Bae5ni2XddcRzx40GmZSresEYAO7jKFnMXE16aNiPP4fwBF3W7QGpMl22GJfNdwthJzlUa3uUWoYh_dGIs7P5vE6gZV0c1Y_8LZ6UazEtjt0W_KJCdVpovZNUF1i_bPgpqoGqYu7z5_PgRtJruf5wIaBJ3/s500/howards.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="304" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptJKl7KqJ2xVnMF0jFcoPua0RddM6quZUJ4Bae5ni2XddcRzx40GmZSresEYAO7jKFnMXE16aNiPP4fwBF3W7QGpMl22GJfNdwthJzlUa3uUWoYh_dGIs7P5vE6gZV0c1Y_8LZ6UazEtjt0W_KJCdVpovZNUF1i_bPgpqoGqYu7z5_PgRtJruf5wIaBJ3/w122-h200/howards.jpg" width="122" /></a></div>I read two books in preparation for the Literary Life Podcast. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wAGWBy">Howards End</a></b></i> surprised me by being much more than a comedy of manners. Many snippets of its excellent prose went into my commonplace book. The second LLP title was <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SVGQMb">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</a></b></i>, which I liked more than I thought I would. Last of all, I read <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq21mv-PZE">Esio Trot</a></b></i> by Roald Dahl after I saw the movie, but it wasn't nearly as delightful.</div><div><br /></div><div>We mostly watched selections from our DVDs (My Three Sons, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy). We had our annual viewing of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOHGKCle-aY" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">True Grit</a>, which, in spite of its violence and rough language, is one of our favorites for its excellent filming and storytelling. And the soundtrack!</div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-36678214293089327162024-02-23T12:29:00.000-08:002024-02-23T12:29:00.137-08:00He Goes Before Them by Meredith Helsby<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPysWpxBzLl0MaQ4MVd3poGfRh6b701_CQ57DUY5sT6LaCDnxnH7s4RhM2-AbeRkGpYHaCEc5wuGzuf8cbeVQ-vzU0CUjk_wRKim0ja-qN41vuQ5_owffYGLmeVFiaHMy-29igiQplwY8HJsV57-NMvZDcEsUeqv_xR719C2wZ6uu2ZK00VlW6kPDO3Cg/s1500/He%20goes%20before%20them.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="942" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPysWpxBzLl0MaQ4MVd3poGfRh6b701_CQ57DUY5sT6LaCDnxnH7s4RhM2-AbeRkGpYHaCEc5wuGzuf8cbeVQ-vzU0CUjk_wRKim0ja-qN41vuQ5_owffYGLmeVFiaHMy-29igiQplwY8HJsV57-NMvZDcEsUeqv_xR719C2wZ6uu2ZK00VlW6kPDO3Cg/w126-h200/He%20goes%20before%20them.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>I am a huge fan of P.O.W. memoirs, so when my sister told me about this
book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Meredith and Christine Helsby arrived as missionaries to China in 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th brought an abrupt end to their language
study classes and marked the beginning of fifteen months of house arrest. Later
they were transferred to the “Weihsien Civilian Assembly Center” in Shantung Province
with their two-year old daughter, Sandra. Because they were civilians being
guarded by civilians, they did not receive the brutal treatment so famously
recounted in other P.O.W. memoirs. (Japanese soldiers reportedly had only disdain
for Allied soldiers who were “cowardly” enough to surrender and treated them
accordingly.) Though the Helsby’s captors were often gruff and unfair, the prisoners’
greatest depravations came from lack of good food and medical care. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At times the story is told from Meredith’s viewpoint and sometimes from
Christine’s. They write winsomely of how the Lord brought them through many trials.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3vInbHG">He Goes Before Them</a></i></b> was fascinating to me on various levels. First,
because the Helsbys were able to maintain a vibrant faith in the midst of
tremendous adversity. Second, because they were imprisoned with Eric Liddell of “Chariots
of Fire” fame. Christine writes of Liddell's godly influence on the young people in the camp and of the tragedy of his death (caused by a brain tumor) in Februrary of 1945: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Funerals in the Weihsien prison camp were common enough during those
dreadful days, but there was no funeral like Eric’s. The wave of sorrow which
swept over Weihsien was unbelievable. His was by far the biggest funeral held
in the two and a half years of our stay in the camp. Impressive was the fact that not
only the missionary community attended his funeral, but many others whose lives
he so powerfully impacted. Among them were the usually cynical business people,
city government administrators, and even prostitutes. His unassuming
naturalness had given him rapport with everyone he met</span></i><span style="color: #1e1915;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #1e1915; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The final reason I enjoyed it was because after the war, the Helsbys
served in Taiwan and were good friends of my parents. Growing up I always thought
of them as a sweet missionary couple, little dreaming of the tremendous
suffering they had experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-846707120679085362024-02-09T09:16:00.000-08:002024-02-09T09:16:00.244-08:00Worthwhile Movie #21 - BBC's North and South<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fNIyzIBck9R9UWSHUWJc3exULPj1dCJ-y5Z5bobCjxaaDe_NK1TL1mjukucTgqVoImu6imvvC8PHoxErFR6tBWfdyJboQxMiYVwTdoYlorMpYXz-SbsKgr26Qo1PPkctgL1ZBgGsQyH12WhOW-5cC-NP8ulgGcXb6FqoQoODhV9hQSwnNBoShpPQ8wpS/s948/north-and-south.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="948" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fNIyzIBck9R9UWSHUWJc3exULPj1dCJ-y5Z5bobCjxaaDe_NK1TL1mjukucTgqVoImu6imvvC8PHoxErFR6tBWfdyJboQxMiYVwTdoYlorMpYXz-SbsKgr26Qo1PPkctgL1ZBgGsQyH12WhOW-5cC-NP8ulgGcXb6FqoQoODhV9hQSwnNBoShpPQ8wpS/w320-h216/north-and-south.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It’s been
four years since I have recommended a movie, but a recent viewing of BBC’s 2004
production of <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3SiWtyb">North and South</a></b></i> proved that good movies still exist if you are
willing to look for them. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Based on
<a href="https://amzn.to/3Sk45AD">Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1854 novel</a>, <b><i>North and South</i></b> tells the story of how Reverend Richard
Hale moves his family from the (traditional) south of England to the (industrial)
north after he loses his curacy due to “matters of conscience.” Living at
reduced means with a sickly wife, Mr. Hale tutors young pupils and even gives
lessons in Latin to John Thornton, overseer of a large cotton mill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">One of the
main story lines is how Hale’s genteel daughter, Margaret, adapts to this new
reality. Members of Milton's upper class are suspicious of her father’s mysterious departure from the ministry and do not welcome her into their circle. She reaches out to several factory workers, but they misunderstand her overtures of friendship. It is delightful to watch her grow as she stumbles along (yet persists) in building r</span>elationships under these difficult circumstances. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A secondary
story, but a no less crucial one, is about the dynamics of power. Are all the
factory owners villains who care only for money and not a bit for the laborers? Do the workers have a right to strike for better wages? In our present-day understanding (relying heavily on a “<a href="https://www.breakpoint.org/critical_theory/">critical theory mood</a>”), there are only two
categories: the oppressed and the oppressor. No “master” can ever be right. And the oppressed can never be wrong. I was stunned by the deft, nuanced handling of
these subjects in this film. It would have not been made in the same way today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Third, is
the love story, which, though central to the narrative, was understated, simmering
just below the surface for the most part. I love a story of unrequited love
(don’t ask me why!) so the fact that it took four hours for the romantic misunderstandings
to be resolved was fine by me. I also appreciated that the lead characters were
not over the top good-looking. He was a little too hawk-nosed and she a little
too plump by Hollywood standards, yet they were perfection in their respective roles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I am not
sure where this can be streamed (maybe Brit Box?), but we found it on DVD and
were so glad to have discovered it. Now I may have to go back and re-read the
novel!</span></p></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-2255306275000717032024-01-26T06:04:00.000-08:002024-01-28T10:40:00.205-08:00The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRokVsrpwc5LHVQywblpMJX-BFN03AV5cVfpogjn0I3xXZbtDkZW8Ix3N5TwylukL_oyw7Zcotr81FsHtdChFNF-6MDW9WlI4bwodRMMhR1JBVzMXVKnXsoaxVKZ7frq7ASd0WV8-a5kNEANRbdi3JndBy_7qxVIgQjnrZmljJOmrmP0xwG_-BKhzbd-s/s500/Christmas%20Pig.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="337" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRokVsrpwc5LHVQywblpMJX-BFN03AV5cVfpogjn0I3xXZbtDkZW8Ix3N5TwylukL_oyw7Zcotr81FsHtdChFNF-6MDW9WlI4bwodRMMhR1JBVzMXVKnXsoaxVKZ7frq7ASd0WV8-a5kNEANRbdi3JndBy_7qxVIgQjnrZmljJOmrmP0xwG_-BKhzbd-s/w135-h200/Christmas%20Pig.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>I never expected to be blindsided by <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tYoz8D">The Christmas Pig</a></b></i>. I hated the first bleak chapters, and only continued because many people from the Lit Life Podcast group raved over this book. I'm glad I did. </div><div><br /></div><div>Young Jack has gone through many painful family experiences, but through all of them, he has been comforted by a much-loved stuffed pig (DP). When his mean step-sister throws DP away, Jack is devastated. Just when you think you can't take anymore nastiness, Rowling turns the story completely around, doing some kind of literary magic that had me gaping throughout the rest of the story. I've never read anything by her before so I wasn't aware of her ability to create alternate worlds. I was stunned by her brilliance.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the narrative takes place on Christmas Eve when Jack is transported into the World of Lost Things to look for DP. There he discovers that lost items belong to different categories. Items in the "mislaid" section are considered temporarily lost. The "disposable" section is a scarier place because if they land there, they are less likely to be searched for since they can be easily replaced. Other categories exist, but I don't want to give too many spoilers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rowling weaves together an amazing variety of lost things. Not only are there the requisite umbrellas, house keys, and socks, there are also lost feelings such as hope, ambition, and happiness. By giving human charcteristics to these misplaced items, Rowling weaves a powerful story of what is means to be valued. </div><div><br /></div><div>It had "Toy Story" vibes with traces of The Velveteen Rabbit (and even a smidgin of Pilgrim's Progress!) I am intrigued by the number of people who have seen <a href="https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/pathwaslost/">Dante-esque themes in The Christmas Pig</a>. I was not smart enough to pick up on those, but hope to re-read the book more carefully next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because the the tone is dark overall, this would not be a good story for young children, but the book ends with lots of love and warmth. I'm very glad I read it.</div><div><br /></div>Blessings, <div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-55697165514938929492024-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:002024-01-11T19:00:00.132-08:00Reading Goals for 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJvb5t8irVzQgz3mCpiQvHkHSp7umssdQ_pVwjZlaOg-K2b5rwHfOHBK1xAALiiTv_9kxIPEZ-XRJmzCqgM7kLdFGcMgFZLqGF5Lxo7mevl2SYwCsyoDE-8hyphenhyphenRgSfKIkQKGtbxpa0pvzF4KKUk1mGVDI9tW08lTI_oYHVIRFneQrSu5Ulu1XvFZBTPpf1/s1360/inkling%20and%20king%20arthur.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1103" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJvb5t8irVzQgz3mCpiQvHkHSp7umssdQ_pVwjZlaOg-K2b5rwHfOHBK1xAALiiTv_9kxIPEZ-XRJmzCqgM7kLdFGcMgFZLqGF5Lxo7mevl2SYwCsyoDE-8hyphenhyphenRgSfKIkQKGtbxpa0pvzF4KKUk1mGVDI9tW08lTI_oYHVIRFneQrSu5Ulu1XvFZBTPpf1/w163-h200/inkling%20and%20king%20arthur.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>My tentative goals for 2024 are these ten titles:</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47lQnBx">The Inklings and King Arthur</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3H0HVwT">Beowulf</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tzuvop">The Canterbury Tales</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3TKqOqp">Pickwick Papers</a></b></i> or <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48VsB0v">Oliver Twist</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47zwAPf">Bodies from the Library #1 </a></b></i>(vintage detective stories), <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/48hSiIm">Hannah Coulter</a></i></b> by Wendell Berry, <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3TQqbMk">Time for Poetry</a></i></b> by Arbuthnot, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3TMIWju">The Literary Lives of the Inklings</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3H872xO">On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness</a></b></i> by Andrew Peterson and, for my theology class, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47qcMxF">Pentecost and Santification in the Writings of John Wesley and Charles Wesley</a></b></i> by Laurence Wood (a former professor of mine). </div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div>Since I read about 80 books a year, the rest will come from "grazing" on my Kindle, my Hoopla account, and my Audible library. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have several series that I need to finish: Ngaio Marsh mysteries (I'm up to book 9), Jan Karon's Mitford series (book 7), and Narnia (book 4). I may dip into some of the books being covered by the Literary Life Podcast. Looking forward to discovering a few new favorites along the way!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">May your new year be replete with good food, good books, good company, and God's blessing.</span></div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-77756879994657510372023-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:002023-12-29T13:16:11.721-08:00Reading Year in Review 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcHtruD7pMM9-il3PKsg3xcPjFZPrVkIA7WNXfTBRkvtZNKwKkZyOkpelQireDgKkuGDvJJ7f2KXIudAoHUg5WQFonyXO4HUqKhQx13Rlf6RsL9-3dwD6EktvN0Hi-xJ4mYzFx01M_Bq2A1z9nZxyECD5PRQ_fEi1MwRlAoFRfGxJdBtwr8inwBjoRSkZ/s1500/King%20arthur%20pyle%20purple.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1092" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcHtruD7pMM9-il3PKsg3xcPjFZPrVkIA7WNXfTBRkvtZNKwKkZyOkpelQireDgKkuGDvJJ7f2KXIudAoHUg5WQFonyXO4HUqKhQx13Rlf6RsL9-3dwD6EktvN0Hi-xJ4mYzFx01M_Bq2A1z9nZxyECD5PRQ_fEi1MwRlAoFRfGxJdBtwr8inwBjoRSkZ/w146-h200/King%20arthur%20pyle%20purple.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>Some of my reading goals for 2023 were sidetracked by the unexpected rabbit trail of the Arthurian legends, but it was a happy detour. Of the five versions I read, Howard Pyle's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/460STMG">The Story of King Arthur and His Knights</a></b></i> was the one that most captured my heart, making it my <b>favorite book of the year</b>. Some of my other top picks were:</div><div><br /></div><div>Best devotional book: <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/40pz3tA">My Utmost for His Highest</a></i></b>. I dust off my copy every few years for a re-read. Chambers doesn't pull any punches about the cost of being a disciple. Very heart-strengthening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most difficult, but worth the effort: <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/47agMDb">Norms and Nobility</a></i></b> by Hicks. Although it is a book on education (the classical tradition), it is also a book on what it means to be fully human. Lots of food for thought. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZbIDUeMBa5fhGnYP2ragK7WcLYC0chUPu8Ht5-2icTi0lSE3FEtpomfvSkoUwalLZa-NQCTFV4ZpGwbsf7Pj5BHRKwE2CJVJOHcSqZg7g3kgE7N5ZOBYNNWV6EV4dr6H8vh8MFad-IfH7XI3JdTaLbw7LH_3IH7zHw5OJyE88M0moPzdt8_lilrR1bfI/s400/The%20Kings%20Equal.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZbIDUeMBa5fhGnYP2ragK7WcLYC0chUPu8Ht5-2icTi0lSE3FEtpomfvSkoUwalLZa-NQCTFV4ZpGwbsf7Pj5BHRKwE2CJVJOHcSqZg7g3kgE7N5ZOBYNNWV6EV4dr6H8vh8MFad-IfH7XI3JdTaLbw7LH_3IH7zHw5OJyE88M0moPzdt8_lilrR1bfI/w136-h200/The%20Kings%20Equal.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>Non-fiction: <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3QphCVm">Supper of the Lamb</a> </i>by R.F. Capon<b style="font-style: italic;">. </b>I loved this cooking memoir for its "joie de vivre." Life is beautiful (and hard). Don't waste it.</div><div><br /></div><div>YA books that were delightful: <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3FMtmMs">Miracles on Maple Hill</a> </b>by Sorenson and <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Qo4Ea7">The King's Equal</a> </b>by Katherine Paterson</div><div><br /></div><div>Biggest surprise and <b>second favorite</b>: <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46WUzrQ">The Bridge of San Luis Rey</a></b></i>. (No one ever told me how wonderful this 1928 Pulitzer prize winner is. Review is forthcoming.) </div><div><br /></div><div>What about you? What were your favorites of the year?</div><div><br /></div><div>All 84 books that I read this year are listed on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2023?ref=yyib_dec_23_yyib_eml_top25row?rto=x_gr_e_nf_yyib23&utm_medium=email&utm_source=yyib&utm_campaign=2023&utm_content=spotlight1&ref_=pe_3496280_782550320">my Goodreads page</a>. </div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-61552772786824144482023-12-21T12:58:00.000-08:002023-12-21T12:58:33.415-08:00Satan's "Nothing" Strategy by Tony Reinke<div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwjv8a2MdZAu2v4UF3pdODxu4wJLMVc4LFxamKkHngo-wn36gbg-ARlGqDIGHTF7iiCM6Vd9ehovkqJVTCnH37nMXRFAEnr6HPKNrhJFJYCZWZBpEQlQReoYJFY5rhA8H2OjRVjDQwEaWvFeHquvkBDxE7cmVL6mTj3turZSCfTVylo1hyP2FlbVB6A/s5472/cell%20phone.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwjv8a2MdZAu2v4UF3pdODxu4wJLMVc4LFxamKkHngo-wn36gbg-ARlGqDIGHTF7iiCM6Vd9ehovkqJVTCnH37nMXRFAEnr6HPKNrhJFJYCZWZBpEQlQReoYJFY5rhA8H2OjRVjDQwEaWvFeHquvkBDxE7cmVL6mTj3turZSCfTVylo1hyP2FlbVB6A/w200-h133/cell%20phone.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@priscilladupreez?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Priscilla Du Preez</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/cell-phone?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In order to keep <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2023/04/12-ways-your-phone-is-changing-you-by.html">my earlier review</a> of <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZEmkSh">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a> </b>from being too long, I opted to put this lengthy quote in a separate post. In this passage, Reinke recounts scrolling through his newsfeed after a tiring day of work. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">On and on I flicked down a list of disconnected and fragmented items, most of them only barely important or interesting. I was not edified or served, only further fatigued because of missing a nap I should have had or a walk I could have taken.... What I am coming to understand is that <b>this impulse to pull a lever of a random slot machine of viral content</b> is the age-old tactic of Satan. C.S. Lewis called it his "nothing strategy" in <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3JXuX5b">Screwtape Letters</a></b>. This nothing strategy is very strong, strong enough to steal away a man's best years - not in sweet sins, but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why in the gratifications of curiosity so feeble that the man is only half aware of them. A hamster wheel of what will never satisfy our souls. Lewis' warning was prophetic to our digital age. We are always busy, always distracted, diabolically lured away from what is truly essential and truly gratifying. In our digital idleness, we fail to enjoy God and we fail to love our neighbor. <b>We give our time to not what is explicitly sinful, but also to what cannot give us joy</b> or prepare us for self-sacrifice. <b>Satan's nothing strategy aims at feeding us endlessly scrolling words, images and videos that dull our affections instead of invigoration our joy and preparing us to give ourselves in love</b></span></i><b>. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>(This is the exact same thing that Francis de Sales addressed in my previous post on his advice to Philothea: <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">It is a pity to sow the seed of vain and foolish tastes in the soil of your heart, taking up the place of better things, and hindering the soul from cultivating good habits</span></i>.) </div><div><br /></div><div>Lots to think about!</div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-35500331390576589492023-12-07T18:55:00.000-08:002023-12-07T18:55:11.297-08:00Reading as a Spiritual Discipline - Quote from Jessica Hooten Wilson<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ3tASucyrSNaVxiT-1TeaGGrA7uP8FddfmELBMAMqWl3_5hhuSlezxEXn_HLQO-rsQNDpMoF2qaFVpfGVNAZ_PlWRaNuwOsMFltWi1aB0NrIdQXQPchVG9Fybtnx2kBpecnQtffOguOP9OWbUY-yLpWfNR7mM0Mcrr2WPSrRwLkGe9-nOqgOFB23xoFr/s560/christian-books.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="560" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZ3tASucyrSNaVxiT-1TeaGGrA7uP8FddfmELBMAMqWl3_5hhuSlezxEXn_HLQO-rsQNDpMoF2qaFVpfGVNAZ_PlWRaNuwOsMFltWi1aB0NrIdQXQPchVG9Fybtnx2kBpecnQtffOguOP9OWbUY-yLpWfNR7mM0Mcrr2WPSrRwLkGe9-nOqgOFB23xoFr/w200-h150/christian-books.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Reading is a spiritual discipline akin to fasting and prayer and one that trains you in virtues, encourages your sanctification, and elicits your love for those noble, admirable, and beautiful things of which St. Paul writes in his Letter to the Philippians. <b>We read because without books our world shrinks</b>, our empathy thins, and our liberty wanes. We read for the same reason that people have read - and shared poems and stories - for thousands of years: because our eyes are not enough by which to see. The time and place in which we live blinds us to other perspectives and ways of being that are not our own experience. <b>We read because we have been given the gift of imagination and intellect, and we exhibit our gratitude by using it</b></i></span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>(from p. 62 of <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3tCqU8M">Reading for the Love of God</a></i></b> by Jessica Hooten Wilson)</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-91601273030409258952023-11-30T18:38:00.000-08:002023-11-30T18:38:17.096-08:00What I Read and Watched in November<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm0fApsk2Wyqo5zJuwg9VlXE-0hST98d-Jmsg-qky9NWxoG1q6_kSKIGWdN3K79DlOzVEHb6Suq_FrCkVbHGxWWFiduRM7RvB5pyxJdnfw8tk-soisSEOM-IkUq6v92Uril77Ncgk6dx3XJHuva4JM9-MJLjeBO0zwg-pwjiKi6bgSxsQJ8vnW8pHqBX8/s500/rose%20garden%20husband.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm0fApsk2Wyqo5zJuwg9VlXE-0hST98d-Jmsg-qky9NWxoG1q6_kSKIGWdN3K79DlOzVEHb6Suq_FrCkVbHGxWWFiduRM7RvB5pyxJdnfw8tk-soisSEOM-IkUq6v92Uril77Ncgk6dx3XJHuva4JM9-MJLjeBO0zwg-pwjiKi6bgSxsQJ8vnW8pHqBX8/w133-h200/rose%20garden%20husband.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>When I'm overwhelmed, I do more movie viewing than book reading, so November was light on books. I finished the excellent <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46CRBHX">Norms and Nobility</a></b></i> by David Hicks, which is a marvelous book primarily about the fundamentals of classical education, but secondarily about what it takes to be a flourishing, virtuous society. (It's pricey so I'm glad my library had a copy.) Next came <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3QUNxx5">Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey</a></b></i>, which I really liked after getting past the feminist intro and reading the actual diaries (last 1/5 of the book); then came <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/49UMHcj">Rose-Garden Husband</a></i></b> (a fluffy vintage novel), which fit the reading mood I was in. Edith Schaeffer's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3uvz6rU">Hidden Art</a></b></i> was not difficult reading, but my brain couldn't quite take it in. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnzvEJ0Ic-Qry4VHa9efQWVTfHqlOXPwhms-dQeXW6fBU4FCHnVhXzgLgQ726QCa8w5t0p0TlPS7FGUyBz3TbtAKilDspjR1R5gO4VH5tj2zvhcXrS5XjGBdIaw5I6w0V31NpcxCFSVzcLdqcfOnkck_lYeui9R35wz6ph7C5-hp8n905MOnTpC0UW5Sm/s1000/I%20am%20david%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="670" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnzvEJ0Ic-Qry4VHa9efQWVTfHqlOXPwhms-dQeXW6fBU4FCHnVhXzgLgQ726QCa8w5t0p0TlPS7FGUyBz3TbtAKilDspjR1R5gO4VH5tj2zvhcXrS5XjGBdIaw5I6w0V31NpcxCFSVzcLdqcfOnkck_lYeui9R35wz6ph7C5-hp8n905MOnTpC0UW5Sm/w134-h200/I%20am%20david%202.jpg" width="134" /></a></div></div><div>I enjoyed all the films I watched this month. We like the older Hitchcock movies because they are less grizzly and have a good dose of humor in them. Dan and I watched <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFP3JJGhjVw">Foreign Correspondent</a></b></i> (1940) and <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaUiJRjhOUc">The Lady Vanishes</a></b></i> (1938) on YouTube. On another date night we enjoyed <i><b><a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89830879104?pwd=0FgTwPDRZUCOXj1SdG2EzsIcXBry1b.1">I am David</a></b></i> (2003) for its good acting and filming. By myself I watched the classic holiday film, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Rhi3T9">The Shop Around the Corner</a>,</b></i> with the wonderful Jimmy Stewart. I also chuckled through <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7QDbfGEmL4">Signed, Sealed and Delivered for Christmas</a></b></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ever have months when reading just seems impossible? With less deadlines in December, I'm hoping to improve! </div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-9920703770185884772023-11-23T18:23:00.000-08:002023-11-23T18:23:11.003-08:00Reading for the Love of God by Jessica Hooten Wilson<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Why and how
we read matters as much as what we read</span></span></i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #b45f06;">. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>It is not enough to read the Bible; you
must eat the book</i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US">(quoting Eugene Peterson and Ezekiel 3:3).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The premise
of <a href="https://amzn.to/3M7QIzM"><i><b>Reading for the Love of God</b></i></a> is that words must get inside you and change
you. This is transformation vs. information. If you want to know how to "eat the
book," learn how to read – not only the Bible but other great books as well – as
a spiritual practice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCciP97-6EyDL9fjqa5HEID5Jz3vRxwP3hcdAh8_hHfnTGg3nidzZRr7y965KgLT7_Pt_zAd4QvhP11fjoK89IKRUrIZI4K7Lo8LeUo8irFeJ1BELnJYlFkXfr6Cu0ipVCa6kdlw9O5TvfVD_RwqQOKCNEL55qZw7fwheATyEivoCKSNaVEVwN7L1PutZ/s450/final%20reading%20for%20the%20love%20of%20god.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCciP97-6EyDL9fjqa5HEID5Jz3vRxwP3hcdAh8_hHfnTGg3nidzZRr7y965KgLT7_Pt_zAd4QvhP11fjoK89IKRUrIZI4K7Lo8LeUo8irFeJ1BELnJYlFkXfr6Cu0ipVCa6kdlw9O5TvfVD_RwqQOKCNEL55qZw7fwheATyEivoCKSNaVEVwN7L1PutZ/w129-h200/final%20reading%20for%20the%20love%20of%20god.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>Wilson’s
book often reminded me of the Literary Life Podcast because both she and they
emphasize the folly of reader-centered education (where students are asked how the
text makes them feel thereby missing most of what the text is actually saying). She suggests that one way to avoid that is to use the ART metric. In it, the Author, Reader and Text are given equal emphasis. Yes, the readers emotions
are involved, but only after he begins to pay attention to what the text is actually
saying - all the while being respectful of the author’s point of view. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #b45f06;">To be a
critic is to stand over the text making the reader judge and master over the
text. This standing over prevents the understanding necessary to be
transfigured by the reading. The reader should approach the book in the way a
student draws near a teacher, with a willingness to learn, to receive, from the
books</span></span></i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #b45f06;">.</span> (p. 11) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Wilson places
a strong emphasis on how medieval Christians saw deeper meanings in everything
they read in the Bible, and criticizes Luther (and the Reformation) for making the literal
meaning of the text paramount thereby excluding the other “senses”
(allegorical, tropological, and anagogical). I find this to be problematic because
it leaves too much room for heretical interpretations. One of her main examples
of a saint whose reading style we should imitate is Juliana of Norwich. But
Wilson doesn’t mention that Juliana’s zeal to see the love of God in every verse
of Scripture caused her to negate the possibility of wrath, judgment or hell. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Apart from
that caveat, I appreciated Wilson’s deep love for the written word and her
encouragement to keep reading deeply.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #b45f06;">A life
of reading counteracts the malformation of screen and digital technology…. In
contrast to many other pastimes, reading demands engagement. It asks something
of the participant. It cultivates that person’s imagination and increases their
vision of the world</span></span></i><span lang="EN-US">.
(p. 15)</span></p>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-50009921539710089902023-11-09T18:03:00.000-08:002023-11-09T18:03:13.585-08:00Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyxJ9bCUKlmXE43snmBAkuY-AgDrz4kYi4UFr-pZxtvSYpMNumZkYzsZXNWaN6zXnd7x5hF8He_ooDRwv50ykDfjqk0CgkkBmgTDujupvl-tg_m4LmQlUX7j3AsmP7YMJVgC3CubCH7FEVIAeInLwQfgZAJezngOJwinrSIzWgORfihEEgG9pMeeZYMnz/s442/miracles%20on%20maple%20hill%20vintage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyxJ9bCUKlmXE43snmBAkuY-AgDrz4kYi4UFr-pZxtvSYpMNumZkYzsZXNWaN6zXnd7x5hF8He_ooDRwv50ykDfjqk0CgkkBmgTDujupvl-tg_m4LmQlUX7j3AsmP7YMJVgC3CubCH7FEVIAeInLwQfgZAJezngOJwinrSIzWgORfihEEgG9pMeeZYMnz/w136-h200/miracles%20on%20maple%20hill%20vintage.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>I started <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3QTSWpa">Miracles on Maple Hill</a></b></i> many years ago and couldn't get past the heaviness of the first few chapters (which didn't seem appropriate for a children's book). BUT I kept hearing good things about it and am glad that I gave it another try. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as the story begins, we sense that something is not quite right with Marly's father. We learn later that he was a prisoner of war during WWII and returned with PTSD symptoms. Her mother is moving Marly (age 10), her father, and her older brother Joe to live in the country to aid her father in his recovery. Marly is hoping that the present stresses of her family life will be relieved by this change, but she has no idea of the many good things that are coming her way. </div><div><br /></div><div>The word "miracles" in this story can easily be translated as the acts of kindness that bring comfort and peace to this hurting family. This abundance of grace is conveyed through kind neighbors, the beauty of the changing seasons and even, on occasion, from Marly's brother who normally doesn't have time to bother with her. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was the 1957 Newbery winner so it assumes that kids were semi-literate and would understand references to Thumbellina, Joseph in the Bible, Shakespeare, etc. It also gives a gentle nod to differences between males and females, which I found refreshing, but which I know would not be acceptable in present-day stories. It also treats kids with respect by not talking down to them about hard subjects. Living in the country Marly discovers some hard realities about life and death. Why are their poisonous plants and mushrooms in the midst of so much glorious beauty? </div><div><br /></div><div>Though written for children, I got some strong Wendell Berry vibes with regard to rootedness and the healing power of community. Yes, the beginning is heavy, but it sets up the stage for the miracles that will need to happen to restore Marly's family. It is a beautifully told story and I loved the gentle way it teaches kids that though life can be hard, it can also be very good.</div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-2698860402830448602023-10-26T13:00:00.001-07:002023-10-27T03:25:03.564-07:00What I Read and Watched in October 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XZQJK58GzCmisQ_CKxgy8LyA8cBY4jUNRLsTe0GrcXOUyNtjz7jWDpAgWc9bzobRgzkJs-8wf-ySZxU_o3H4GKUy40cIRZYX3Ix15qlE3g340AtzYpXjcIEPV7sOerCqMpYhIHZaaHGHqpN6yCJOKpTjZy_w_4L4KLwNOKEc9d_QCbdv2XISimgdeU2_/s400/The%20Kings%20Equal.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XZQJK58GzCmisQ_CKxgy8LyA8cBY4jUNRLsTe0GrcXOUyNtjz7jWDpAgWc9bzobRgzkJs-8wf-ySZxU_o3H4GKUy40cIRZYX3Ix15qlE3g340AtzYpXjcIEPV7sOerCqMpYhIHZaaHGHqpN6yCJOKpTjZy_w_4L4KLwNOKEc9d_QCbdv2XISimgdeU2_/w136-h200/The%20Kings%20Equal.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>Our rented apartment has no television so I continue to get a remarkable amount of reading done. The books I read in order of most-to-least appealing were 1) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3S9XB7O">The Bridge on San Luis Rey</a></b></i> by Thornton Wilder (simply astonishing in its breadth of understanding of the human condition), 2) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3tJfi3N">The King's Equal</a></b></i> by Katherine Paterson (a delightful fairy tale with a strong, yet feminine heroine), 3) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/472L7mF">Miracles on Maple Hill</a></b></i> by Virginia Sorenson (1957 Newbery winner), 4) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Fs0n0m">Reading for the Love of God</a></b></i> by Jessica Hooten Wilson, 5) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/471kjDh">When the English Fall</a></b></i> by David Williams (dystopia in an Amish community), 6) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3s52Smc">On Asking God Why</a></b></i> by Elisabeth Elliot (collected essays), 7) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46Qiw3W">Out of a Far Country</a></b></i> (non-fiction redemption story), 8) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/45NpDJu">The Gabriel Hounds</a></b></i> by Mary Stewart (I love her suspense novels, but this one droned on for 150 pages before my heart rate even mildly accelerated.)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsF50QvMYf9-JPQXfc2FU_Wlc-Ou6k-bjRiRAFXOLgle-nLvtbEuGRUlLdkxgP6OHfuwbfo4Kfe3wcpANbZ5kCGWxfYtVvvTHEMGw7xDkH8dmz8bYYj1X9OHrvadaVtj2UPUOhAVtZotysPaQ3mmEglxlR9DxJ1q8ZCLmgsGQyWW6c03r4d7sXhHcYVVM/s300/The%20African%20Queen.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="211" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsF50QvMYf9-JPQXfc2FU_Wlc-Ou6k-bjRiRAFXOLgle-nLvtbEuGRUlLdkxgP6OHfuwbfo4Kfe3wcpANbZ5kCGWxfYtVvvTHEMGw7xDkH8dmz8bYYj1X9OHrvadaVtj2UPUOhAVtZotysPaQ3mmEglxlR9DxJ1q8ZCLmgsGQyWW6c03r4d7sXhHcYVVM/w141-h200/The%20African%20Queen.webp" width="141" /></a></div>The movies that I watched on my computer were: <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/46Bvsut">The African Queen</a></i></b> (via Hoopla), which was a fun classic that my husband and I both enjoyed. On YouTube I started to watch a Hallmark mystery called <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Jq_nwy6Z0">The Curious Caterer</a></b></i>, but turned it off after 5 painful minutes of poor acting, banal script and odd situations. <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_pGvSdkaU">The Carrot Cake Murder</a></b></i> is a sequel of sorts to the <i><a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2020/11/murder-she-baked-mystery-series.html">Murder, She Baked movies that I've raved about</a></i>, but was so badly done that I barely hung on until the end. Finally, I watched another Hallmark mystery (via Frndly TV), <b><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHc6F2Ki62Y">The Dancing Detective</a></i></b>. The male character was over-the-top ridiculous, but he kept me laughing. Plus, the footage of Malta was breathtaking. </div><div><br /></div><div>I linked to the books so you could read more about them, but I read all of them from library, thrift store or loaned copies. Hopefully, so can you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-11621141494512222142023-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:002023-10-12T17:34:00.140-07:00Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqfGjNXorRZ789095SjD68UqaDMr6mi9hutPPe_7YIOzGxyaVUoa0b5phe2UbzVMrK9cpYm2q8iSt-J1XLb_uUeGVa6SFtn1MOmNQur44m_J3XGUe4n1YDxvcHBF6Cka2Z_7nV-BLxI_uZIsgc95v9lwzuBps4RR7UQeDKh_30PbxQV2uSuB0Otj5mN82/s1218/surprised%20by%20joy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqfGjNXorRZ789095SjD68UqaDMr6mi9hutPPe_7YIOzGxyaVUoa0b5phe2UbzVMrK9cpYm2q8iSt-J1XLb_uUeGVa6SFtn1MOmNQur44m_J3XGUe4n1YDxvcHBF6Cka2Z_7nV-BLxI_uZIsgc95v9lwzuBps4RR7UQeDKh_30PbxQV2uSuB0Otj5mN82/w131-h200/surprised%20by%20joy.jpg" width="131" /></a></div></div><div>Lovers of
great literature will revel in <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48d1mi4">Surprised by Joy</a></b></i>, the biography of a man who was led
to salvation by his reading diet. The progression of “great books” in Lewis’ life
worked on him like drops of water on a stone. Eventually their Christian themes
made a groove in his heart that he could no longer ignore.</div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="oypena"><span lang="EN-US">The “joy” he writes of is not happiness as the world
defines it, but the pang of inconsolable longing (p. 62) This longing for joy
led Lewis to finally embrace theism and, soon afterwards, Christianity.
Interestingly, once he became a Christian, he no long sought after those stabs
of joy as before. He still had moments of intense feelings (“tastes of
heaven”), but he no longer idolized those experiences. He took them as moments
of grace pointing to an eternal reality yet to be experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="oypena"><span lang="EN-US">The book recounts his miserable days as a school boy,
his difficult relationship with his father, his first friendships, and the heart
change brought about by books. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk145334838"><span class="oypena"><span lang="EN-US">In his penultimate chapter called “Checkmate”,
he writes: <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">All the books were beginning to turn against me. Indeed, I must have
been as blind as a bat not to have seen, long before, the ludicrous
contradiction between my theory of life and my actual experiences as a reader.
George MacDonald had done more to me than any other writer; of course, it was a
pity he had that bee in his bonnet about Christianity. He was good in spite
of it. Chesterton had more sense than all the other moderns put together;
bating, of course, his Christianity. Johnson was one of the few authors whom I
felt I could trust utterly; curiously enough, he had the same kink. Spenser and
Milton by a strange coincidence, had it too. Even among ancient authors the
same paradox was to be found. The most religious (Plato, Aeschylus, Virgil)
were clearly those on whom I could really feed. On the other hand, those
writers who did not suffer from religion and with whom in theory my sympathy
ought to have been complete – Shaw and Wells and Mill and Gibbon and Voltaire –
all seemed a little thin… It wasn’t that I didn’t like them. They were all
entertaining; but hardly more. <b>There seemed to be no depth in them</b>. They were
too simple. The roughness and density of life did not appear in their books</span></i>.</span></span></a><span class="oypena"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="oypena"><span lang="EN-US">One of my favorite books of 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-60832676311164320252023-09-28T20:00:00.002-07:002023-09-28T20:00:00.171-07:00What I Read and Watched in September 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7UA9i8CJI63Oycxxo_g6o34H4YmO6bvYctmGP8J35bBHXR7pNBoM4k-e6CR6c65m96lBe7ukmjBCaqccuNfTN4PNXmtxBxQsw_miGr0Wfyr9cVDcvHENaKplp8MnIoMlpjHZDR9z0LI7hH9vQ7qH1kPVPI1HE1nhjHAPnA3qkoFvn_f-GAx57oby3u36/s1500/a%20childs%20anthology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="998" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7UA9i8CJI63Oycxxo_g6o34H4YmO6bvYctmGP8J35bBHXR7pNBoM4k-e6CR6c65m96lBe7ukmjBCaqccuNfTN4PNXmtxBxQsw_miGr0Wfyr9cVDcvHENaKplp8MnIoMlpjHZDR9z0LI7hH9vQ7qH1kPVPI1HE1nhjHAPnA3qkoFvn_f-GAx57oby3u36/w133-h200/a%20childs%20anthology.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I enjoyed everything that I read this month. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3LG4Hga">Overture to Death</a></b></i> by Ngaio Marsh (#8 in the series) was delightful, and I enjoyed <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3rtg6sG">A Child's Anthology of Poetry</a></b></i> (edited by Elizabeth H. Sword, a thrift store find for 99 cents) as my bedtime book. C.S. Lewis' <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48xBMos">Surprised by Joy</a></b></i> (another 99 cent purchase) was my hands down favorite. Because of it, I downloaded (and paid way too much for) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/48t2MW2">Volume 1 of his letters</a></b></i>. The book I almost didn't finish was <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZCtQ0T">Stories of King Arthur and His Knights</a></b></i> by U. Waldo Cutler, but it took a turn for the better in the last half. I finished a Bible study called <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3PTwJqZ">God's Blueprint for Bible Prophecy</a></b></i>, which was a deep dive into the book of Daniel. Not an easy study, but worth the effort. I appreciated Madeleine L'Engle's views on faith and art in her book, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ESgUL1">Walking on Water</a>.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhc9v6zXCSnwBCN60eOoc0XuQXIH-kZMXKYKBDMj4L52p2Y4c5RTaxQu03GPf_rut3AEzVg3szOp_raPqOj8VbDircU2M1ziQPYYIjgKc7mAkFGfqaGu91wuXKX6Gh1E-S5cPr5eVxjqE8D5Cjx-Q8PheEmbF44dZC08QrQWoTJXamoF-hLCWdJD9BD00/s1000/camelot%201982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhc9v6zXCSnwBCN60eOoc0XuQXIH-kZMXKYKBDMj4L52p2Y4c5RTaxQu03GPf_rut3AEzVg3szOp_raPqOj8VbDircU2M1ziQPYYIjgKc7mAkFGfqaGu91wuXKX6Gh1E-S5cPr5eVxjqE8D5Cjx-Q8PheEmbF44dZC08QrQWoTJXamoF-hLCWdJD9BD00/w200-h200/camelot%201982.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We didn't have much time for movie viewing this month. After I finished Cutler's version of the Arthurian legends, I watched <b><i>Camelot </i></b>(1982 HBO available through my Hoopla app). I remember hating the 1967 movie when I saw it 40 years ago, but now that I am familiar with the stories, I could appreciate the nuances in the HBO version. The lyrics by Lerner and Loewe were absolutely brilliant. Dan and I enjoyed <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RapotpnVP8o">A Puzzle to Die For</a></b></i> (Hallmark Mystery, also via Hoopla). Dare I admit that when we had a short span of time for visual amusement we watched a few episodes of <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTPHI3oDPHY&list=PL_9BlJ1ZNr7nWXxRxrDGyBOqVG2gny9H8">Petticoat Junction</a>? </b></i>Not having a TV in our present living situation has certainly enhanced my reading life! </div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-88027736070752809392023-09-15T07:57:00.000-07:002023-09-15T07:57:00.150-07:00The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsbfmU6kcar9g97BveNS1AbibasxKXQpy5hgqpl7ZLRky3hFuaC5THKcxm-7tuMP2zRV0Yf2-M-jK_jcAlW1p0K6GTOfJToTuEq3PQAxWDSv8C9zZVBdIm5cleONA63jXruvpceYrhp5H7GlwuldiGWa1G5fZuorox70mmlj8V6A551daZ8Jz8tYHJ8es/s293/supper%20of%20the%20lamb%20book.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="193" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsbfmU6kcar9g97BveNS1AbibasxKXQpy5hgqpl7ZLRky3hFuaC5THKcxm-7tuMP2zRV0Yf2-M-jK_jcAlW1p0K6GTOfJToTuEq3PQAxWDSv8C9zZVBdIm5cleONA63jXruvpceYrhp5H7GlwuldiGWa1G5fZuorox70mmlj8V6A551daZ8Jz8tYHJ8es/w132-h200/supper%20of%20the%20lamb%20book.webp" width="132" /></a></div>I have never
understood the allure of food memoirs, but <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47Hf3pm">The Supper of the Lamb</a></b></i> may have
converted me. Capon, an Anglican priest, author and home chef, opens the book
with self-deprecating honesty:<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"> I am an amateur. If that strikes you as
disappointing, consider how much in error you are. Amateur and nonprofessional
are not synonyms. The world may or may not need another cookbook, but it needs
all the lovers – amateurs – it can get. It is a gorgeous old place, full of
clownish graces and beautiful drolleries, and it has enough textures, tastes and
smells to keep us intrigued for a lifetime. Unfortunately, however, our
response to its loveliness is not always delight: it is, far more often than
not, boredom. And that is not only odd, it is tragic; for boredom is not
neutral – it is the fertilizing principle of unloveliness. In such a situation,
the amateur – the lover, the man who thinks heedlessness a sin and boredom a
heresy – is just the man you need</span></i>.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">He
continues: <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">The world looks as if it has been left in the custody of a pack of
trolls. Indeed, the whole distinction between art and trash, between food and
garbage, depends on the presence or absence of the loving eye</span></i>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Hence his emphasis on the
importance of slowing down and paying attention to life’s myriad details,
including the delights of cooking from scratch. </span>At times he
uses a wise grandfatherly tone; at other times he is more like a back-slapping
older brother who loves a good joke and a good cigar. Some passages were hilariously
funny. He waxes eloquent on the beauty of onions, the necessity of sharp knives
and (most memorable of all) the glory that is baking soda.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Capon uses
cooking as a metaphor for life. Don’t go for the processes pre-cooked garbage
that passes as food because it’s more convenient. The best things in life take
time and care and may even give you heartburn. “Real life” will cost you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">We were
given appetites not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its
goodness and hunger to make it great. That is the inconsolable heartburn, the
lifelong disquietude of having been made in the image of God. All man’s love is
vast and inconvenient. It is tempting, of course, to blunt its edge by caution.
It is so much easier not to get involved – to thirst for nothing and no one, to
deny that matter matters and, if you have the stomach for it, <b>to make your bed
with meanings which cannot break your heart</b>. But that, it seems to me, is
neither human nor Divine. If we are to put up with all other inconveniences out
of love, then no doubt we must put up with the bother of love itself and not
just cut and run for cover when it comes</span></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The last 25%
of book is recipes, which are a pleasant, but non-essential addition. The main "recipe" is in the first 250 pages and it is on how to live life to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span>May your
eyes be open “<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">to see the bounty of small things</span></i>.” </p></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-33273832277871440452023-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:002023-08-31T18:05:51.738-07:00What I Read and Watched this Summer 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQz2dpd7e7bumsOnSusuf7wtJNHBGV1XkT_LX73mFsLRbwOOZwu8wIk4YdyvB4AJTvhCrtvXwFppdkGRaf53dR5DUp2ALOZ6ZYISHSv-6rR33peCQobwYqpAulCDUOX-HVmo00W0J2I5xvTWnI1bCxGtaDdzga2bqZktCmq1v5CHHjqakTIgw1I1j6sOf/s445/most%20reluctant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQz2dpd7e7bumsOnSusuf7wtJNHBGV1XkT_LX73mFsLRbwOOZwu8wIk4YdyvB4AJTvhCrtvXwFppdkGRaf53dR5DUp2ALOZ6ZYISHSv-6rR33peCQobwYqpAulCDUOX-HVmo00W0J2I5xvTWnI1bCxGtaDdzga2bqZktCmq1v5CHHjqakTIgw1I1j6sOf/w141-h200/most%20reluctant.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>We were on the road most of July and didn't watch anything. But in August we settled into our apartment and had a few evenings free to use my Hoopla account. I like Hallmark mysteries but the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Darrow and Darrow </i>pilot was a huge disappointment. Not only was it cheesy, the acting and script were embarrassingly bad. The way the case was solved went against one the <a href="https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/ronald-knox-10-commandments-of-detective-fiction">chief rules of detective fiction</a>: a true mystery must include clues that the reader (or viewer) can see for themselves. The resolution of the mystery cannot come out of nowhere. Secondly was <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-iQAkVRKLA">Dog Jack</a> </b>(a true Civil War story), which was also poorly acted and scripted. On the bright side, we really enjoyed <a href="https://amzn.to/3R1TNER" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert</a>, which we watched at a friend's house.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmQT9pg7LAhJQGNt14_PG-YH0LGW4V0XpJ97xN7PKbTxvTQmEGYUb8U9pDTuZ76gerG2aBsNXks06DGzvYibtqjfSVs6SZmp-NuURRXM9Q0XYpFFi7lOfCQkhn9OKOxCW2mJbEWA7O4FEtBw5J7KmTdX-ADnP4NgWFj2HUBqiog9dDjVL4flD0nVRWsfv/s500/Thornyhold.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmQT9pg7LAhJQGNt14_PG-YH0LGW4V0XpJ97xN7PKbTxvTQmEGYUb8U9pDTuZ76gerG2aBsNXks06DGzvYibtqjfSVs6SZmp-NuURRXM9Q0XYpFFi7lOfCQkhn9OKOxCW2mJbEWA7O4FEtBw5J7KmTdX-ADnP4NgWFj2HUBqiog9dDjVL4flD0nVRWsfv/w131-h200/Thornyhold.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>My reading choices paid much bigger dividends. Except for <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/45C2TwN">Le Morte d'Arthur</a></b></i>, which I ditched after 15 hours (of the 30 hour audiobook), everything else I read in July was good: <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3QUzbi0">Thornyhold</a></b></i> by Mary Stewart, <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3EbYbcK">The Musgraves</a></i></b> by D.E. Stevenson, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/45jyCCw">The Truth and Beauty</a></b></i> by Klavan, and the vintage novel, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/45IPHp8">The Clue of the Twisted Candle</a></b></i>, by Edgar Wallace. In August I enjoyed Deborah Crombie's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3E8acju">A Share in Death</a></b></i>. Because it was an audiobook, I could not skip over the swearing, but I thought Crombie's prose was exceptionally beautiful. I liked her detective and his sidekick too. Finally, I read Robert Farrar Capon's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3KV8oOq">The Supper of the Lamb</a></b></i>, which I loved. (review forthcoming)</div><div><br /></div><div>All of these titles are reviewed on Goodreads, but I cannot figure out how to link to my reviews with their new configurations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-76667117564415580842023-08-25T13:23:00.000-07:002023-08-25T13:23:00.138-07:00The Duchess of Bloomsbury by Helene Hanff<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiw8cH_e8tcCIdBFaR1gee8hUs-A0OMpFU-uHxrnj3Pl4BFixSUYEoyLxkKXstQXwBmW58W-ktg-nnDtxN8qQOfphe732otTjjUsl33bGMiz3x8IZ_3LDCeNp9DyNMUTdzpMqAUhUrbm73asXf9NVLklrGkS4mq-1-SuQAZqK04L-Iw8MxW06QJPs4BA/s1600/charing%20cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="963" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiw8cH_e8tcCIdBFaR1gee8hUs-A0OMpFU-uHxrnj3Pl4BFixSUYEoyLxkKXstQXwBmW58W-ktg-nnDtxN8qQOfphe732otTjjUsl33bGMiz3x8IZ_3LDCeNp9DyNMUTdzpMqAUhUrbm73asXf9NVLklrGkS4mq-1-SuQAZqK04L-Iw8MxW06QJPs4BA/w121-h200/charing%20cross.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>Consider this a belated review of <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3oNMftS">84 Charing Cross Road</a></b></i> which I enjoyed in 2021 and again in January of this year. I am a fan of epistolary novels so the 20 years of correspondence (1949-1968) between Helene Hanff (book lover from New York) with Frank Doel (a book seller from London) was pure delight. The audio version is spot on in highlighting their differences of manner. And <a href="https://amzn.to/3oNMftS">the 1987 movie</a>, with stellar performances by Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, is one of my favorites. (You can watch the trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7vOZTosT_w">here</a>.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Because of her success with the book <i><b>84 Charing Cross Road</b></i>, Helene is finally able to afford a trip to London.<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><a href="https://amzn.to/3OP0lFS" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Duchess of Bloomsbury</a> recounts her dream-come-true:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">All my life I've wanted to see London. I used to go to English movies just to look at streets with houses like those. Staring at the screen in a dark theatre, I wanted to walk down those streets so badly it gnawed at me like hunger. Sometimes, at home in the evening, reading a casual description of London by Hazlitt or Leigh Hunt, I'd put the book down suddenly, engulfed by a wave of longing that was like homesickness. I wanted to see London the way old people want to see home before they die.</span></i> </b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w51twCO50OQv1FVDr14piqjBn3JthF4EizIPIlbIl_000_FeYYlMqws0P5hrDfnVqBupTj_fH-qJRYQ8xsrzOEfyXOWbTDzZSF64zBAekv7x51V31eru-sQa8R4mrAcKM-P95i2FxkRIk4PXVgG_Cnpn4J_8hZ1SLpmRqCO8RYswIDUM_RuVmFHwwg/s500/duchess2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w51twCO50OQv1FVDr14piqjBn3JthF4EizIPIlbIl_000_FeYYlMqws0P5hrDfnVqBupTj_fH-qJRYQ8xsrzOEfyXOWbTDzZSF64zBAekv7x51V31eru-sQa8R4mrAcKM-P95i2FxkRIk4PXVgG_Cnpn4J_8hZ1SLpmRqCO8RYswIDUM_RuVmFHwwg/w133-h200/duchess2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Marks and Co., the bookshop that had been her main supplier, has closed and so she meets a host of new people who offer to show her the town. She's a bit overwhelmed with the modest fame that her book has brought her and jokingly calls herself "The Duchess of Bloomsbury" since that is where her hotel is located. Many of the characters she meets are as quirky and endearing as she is. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is a must for every bibliophile if only to identify with how easy it is to go off on to rabbit trails while reading a good book. Helene remarks that one set of books by Arthur Quiller Couch took her eleven years to read because of all the books she read in between to better understand his comments. She so identifies with Couch that she nicknames him "Q" (which explains the title of her next book, <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3IZhyZp">Q's Legacy</a></b></i>.) </div><div><br /></div><div>I was fascinated by the fact that though she had not read as widely as she would have liked, she had read deeply; <i><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">My problem is that that while other people are reading fifty books I'm reading one book fifty times. I only stop when at the bottom of page 20, say, I realize I can recite pages 21 and 22 from memory. Then I put the book away for a few years</span></b></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to be able to do that. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was able to get these first two books via digital download from my library, but it looks like Q's Legacy may cost me $6!</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-89096646994623175922023-08-11T07:16:00.012-07:002023-08-11T07:16:00.141-07:0015th Anniversary of Worthwhile Books<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqXHlm2JiyA066P5454kj7kv407rqy13WkXRGuaeQrlGOCul-s2zufb-txiBAOrEoeeBMoH4sfbbiKYKkQ5-ooiW3ZmGwmr_Er2jMYWXIzFY-5J0hGvNxYf3XXu6vYYhA6zyljba3UHkmE4QSilCIAtkuE8HiR7EPOfd2IUDI779IuYm1IgSpqDlIRzib/s1080/15%20years%20of%20blogging.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqXHlm2JiyA066P5454kj7kv407rqy13WkXRGuaeQrlGOCul-s2zufb-txiBAOrEoeeBMoH4sfbbiKYKkQ5-ooiW3ZmGwmr_Er2jMYWXIzFY-5J0hGvNxYf3XXu6vYYhA6zyljba3UHkmE4QSilCIAtkuE8HiR7EPOfd2IUDI779IuYm1IgSpqDlIRzib/w200-h200/15%20years%20of%20blogging.png" width="200" /></a></div>How did 15 years of blogging go by so swiftly? When my sister-in-law, Diane, suggested that I start a blog to point people to the classics, I never dreamed it would become my new favorite hobby. Many of my blogging friends have stopped posting because their lives have taken different tracks. And I have slowed down to twice-a-month. So why do I even keep going? </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't do it for the stats, although I am always pleasantly surprised during my 5-year checkups to see which posts have garnered the most attention. And I don't do it for the accolades, although I love it when readers comment. <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">I do it because</span> <span style="color: #b45f06;">I love stories that nurture the heart and mind. I read a book more carefully and thoughtfully when I know I have to write about it. </span></i>Writing then helps me to sift out the main ideas and cement them into my brain. A much needed help as I grow older!</div><div><br /></div><div>By the way, the top five posts are still <i><b><a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/code-name-nimrod-by-james-leasor.html">Code Name Nimrod</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/horse-and-his-boy-by-cs-lewis.html">The Horse and His Boy</a></b></i>, <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2014/03/recommended-librivox-recordings.html">Recommended Librivox Recordings</a>, <b><i><a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-towers-by-jrr-tolkien.html">The Two Towers</a></i></b> and <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/aesops-fables-not-just-for-kids.html">Aesop's Fables</a> </b>although a dozen other posts have reached a thousand views. Small potatoes in the blogsphere, but still gratifying.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to those who have been reading my posts through the years. I hope we can keep encouraging one another to read the best books.</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-45515577598294351832023-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:002023-07-27T20:00:00.140-07:00Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb5L3vvSQzXFasn0Z3S0rhDnxfwmVESN1h_Yz528eBTjkdlF6F1A0F5NhlnRbJZnhjMAXsCiMxVu1kbLGcFFdfxMN-yTTENy8c-JGrZ5q-GwAyO-nswiXL3JVU4lLbYMwsfs8ZzwDf4GWg0m1FXVUD9uUIm3Y2v8oY9S3vgkeihHJ8dFZiEkwzYkVfQ/s499/Uncle-Toms-Cabin.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="373" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQb5L3vvSQzXFasn0Z3S0rhDnxfwmVESN1h_Yz528eBTjkdlF6F1A0F5NhlnRbJZnhjMAXsCiMxVu1kbLGcFFdfxMN-yTTENy8c-JGrZ5q-GwAyO-nswiXL3JVU4lLbYMwsfs8ZzwDf4GWg0m1FXVUD9uUIm3Y2v8oY9S3vgkeihHJ8dFZiEkwzYkVfQ/w149-h200/Uncle-Toms-Cabin.webp" width="149" /></a></div>(Be aware that some mild spoilers are inevitable in this review.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I avoided <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/40SOLvU">Uncle Tom's Cabin</a></b></i> for years anticipating caricatures, bad writing, and preachiness. Frankly, it was much better than I expected. Yes, there are some stereotypes, but there are also many nuanced, well-drawn characters. I had to read all 300 pages before I could decide in which group to fit Uncle Tom. It would have been easy to write off him for his unusually placid outlook on life, which is why I think Stowe was wise to create a needed contrast in the character of George. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes Stowe was preachy, but she also worked hard to show different points of view on slavery. It was fascinating to see every possible Scripture verse (both to defend and denounce it) coming out of the mouths of the main characters. Some, like Maria, hold to their views of slavery no matter what they see with their own eyes. Others, like Ophelia, grow in their understanding of the problem. Though Ophelia is convinced that slaves have eternal souls and should be educated and treated well, she is initially horrified when Eva kisses one of the black servants. She slowly evolves, becoming a tender and true woman of faith. </div><div><br /></div><div>Three drawbacks: Stowe, in her effort to be gracious toward blacks, unknowingly writes condescendingly, often making blanket statements about them as "a sensitive and impressionable race," or describing a person as acting "after the manner of their race." It doesn't wear well today, but I'm sure that at the time of her writing, it was seen as sympathetic. Also, the "N" word is used frequently by both whites and blacks. Last of all, the saintliest person in the book was, to me, the least believable. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was intrigued by the fact that even though slavery was the primary issue in the novel, a strong secondary theme was theodicy. Is it possible to trust God in the midst of extreme suffering? Very thought-provoking!</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-66120811875621475412023-07-13T11:54:00.001-07:002023-07-17T03:18:14.097-07:00Lord Peter Wimsey Books 11-15 and One More<div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUDqdyMuY6LSoXZUIHd3i2bHKnKAjcWiNOhG67q0G9zEr7cHxyKVcwvQAWQVQXFXnxOWAtK3Kbz-abwk2KuRvda8vmi5BX0yKIQr7YULBQYzsqD10VN89bR-pn4G-5bU1pA96drqCjI5Pw9J_8fxksW7HgNobYaHKHnxMiTOOn2oOgMiYIQ5xHIyNMSTs/s500/in%20the%20teeth.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUDqdyMuY6LSoXZUIHd3i2bHKnKAjcWiNOhG67q0G9zEr7cHxyKVcwvQAWQVQXFXnxOWAtK3Kbz-abwk2KuRvda8vmi5BX0yKIQr7YULBQYzsqD10VN89bR-pn4G-5bU1pA96drqCjI5Pw9J_8fxksW7HgNobYaHKHnxMiTOOn2oOgMiYIQ5xHIyNMSTs/w131-h200/in%20the%20teeth.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>It took me three years, but I have finally made it through all of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels. And what a wonderful ride it was! I had my favorites along the way, but I can see myself revisiting ALL of them again.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">9. (#11 was accidently reviewed in <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/lord-peter-wimsey-novels-6-10-by.html">my previous Wimsey post</a>.) <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46it4Jt">Hangman's Holiday</a></b></i> - All of the stories in this book had me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the protagonist, Montague Egg. My full review is <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2022/10/hangmans-holiday-by-dorothy-sayers.html">here</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">12. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3JwDvPY">Gaudy Night</a></b></i> - The 3rd novel with Harriet Vane. Lovely to watch their relationship deepen. Review<a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2022/08/gaudy-night-by-dorothy-sayers.html"> here</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">13. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3poyrWM">Busman's Honeymoon</a></b></i> - the last official Lord Peter novel. My very favorite. Reviewed <a href="https://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2022/11/busmans-honeymoon-by-dorothy-sayers.html">here</a> (w/ spoilers).</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">14. <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46j6TCZ">In the Teeth of Evidence</a></b></i> - Good stories, but not enough Lord Peter.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">15. <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/46eYIrn">Striding Folly</a></i></b> - A</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> quick fun read. Only three stories, but two of them are about Lord Peter as a father. Very endearing.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3PnDkKu">The Wimsey Papers</a></b></i> - A collection of letters and documents supposedly written by the Wimsey clan during the first year of WWII. </span>I enjoyed eavesdropping
on many of the characters from the previous novels. Though it was all too
short, I thought it was a great way to conclude the 15 books in the series. </div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div>The novels are quite pricey at Amazon, but I was able to get all of these through my library via digital download. I bought <a href="https://amzn.to/3CLNhKc">a compilation of the short stories</a> (books 4,9,14, & 15) when it was on sale for $2.99. Also, I saw that you can buy <a href="https://amzn.to/3NKoiNt">the first three novels and a dozen short stories for 99 cents</a>. (the price at the time I wrote this post.)</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-1117174516943227552023-06-29T14:53:00.000-07:002023-06-29T14:53:24.493-07:00What I Read and Watched in June 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ1r-bSN54wOrUqFPi5SWhyHpI8QQ5Raz-XA7LvH4fRa2s73Q5bCXhG51aNfOxSbukWm0I_6tONEem6_u1y5q1YIcQxQY91kDKycatNDe7PHkvfk0I-IA8bgUM2tQUpDF9e576Qo-2P0_gl_am8eafVvMQr5tHqgma_nQWGfDbjaQxspQixp_V7oasCNG/s346/praying%20the%20bible.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="227" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ1r-bSN54wOrUqFPi5SWhyHpI8QQ5Raz-XA7LvH4fRa2s73Q5bCXhG51aNfOxSbukWm0I_6tONEem6_u1y5q1YIcQxQY91kDKycatNDe7PHkvfk0I-IA8bgUM2tQUpDF9e576Qo-2P0_gl_am8eafVvMQr5tHqgma_nQWGfDbjaQxspQixp_V7oasCNG/w131-h200/praying%20the%20bible.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>This was a hectic month as we taught our classes, kept up with ministry responsibilities, and tied up loose ends before leaving our apartment for six months of home assignment. I am looking forward to easy access to libraries and cheap books in the U.S!</div><div><br /></div><div>The books I read in June are listed in order of favorite to least favorite, although I enjoyed them all:</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/43POqMx">All the Light We Cannot See</a></b></i> by Doerr, which I reviewed at Goodreads. (some foul language, but what an amazing story!)</div><div><i><a href="https://amzn.to/43ShTWm" style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Happiness</a> </i>by Kinlaw - a superb series of sermons on Genesis 1-3 </div><div><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Nny5Id">Praying the Bible</a></b></i> by Donald S. Whitney seemed a little hokey at first, but when I began to put it into practice, I received rich dividends. Still learning how to pray through the Psalms. </div><div><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3PjhFDc"><i>The Way to Pentecost</i></a></b> by Chadwick was another devotional book that encouraged me to trust in Christ's strength and not my own.</div><div><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3NEi41N">The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis</a></b></i> - I learned a lot, but it was uphill climbing.</div><div><i><b><a href="https://archive.org/search?query=A+Maid+in+Arcady">A Maid in Arcady</a></b></i> by Ralph Henry Barbour - Vintage fiction that I read when sidelined by a bad cold.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnkGrMe9SDcB5oUBl1khhcKjg9u_zCK9oD2xHwBabL5I7PYfjd3s9aV9VAdJcrKYOrdmUFm4KqxYBbeUtbn6a1gdOucjLfxgbshldw_ULlxR_7y2l3RgV2ssSYA6scGHZ9hzORi3a1G0jIjYaSEfgFkqd8-pYV7zy1Q1SvLDUozdBOQGZcvhGnPNCIKDn/s500/medieval%20mind.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnkGrMe9SDcB5oUBl1khhcKjg9u_zCK9oD2xHwBabL5I7PYfjd3s9aV9VAdJcrKYOrdmUFm4KqxYBbeUtbn6a1gdOucjLfxgbshldw_ULlxR_7y2l3RgV2ssSYA6scGHZ9hzORi3a1G0jIjYaSEfgFkqd8-pYV7zy1Q1SvLDUozdBOQGZcvhGnPNCIKDn/w200-h200/medieval%20mind.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I finished up three books that I have been reading for months: <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3NnyKcF">All Things Wise and Wonderful</a></b></i> has been our date night read-aloud since September of last year and evoked much laughter and a few tears. I started <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/43SDq0X">Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories</a></b></i> in January, but finished it early because I couldn't just read one a day. I also finished <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/46g60uQ">Living a Life of True Worship</a></b></i>, my favorite 40-minute Bible study from Precept Ministries.</div><div><br /></div><div> All our Friday night movies this month were via my library's Hoopla app. <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aL0ml00S9Q">Lilies of the Field</a></b></i> with Sidney Poitier (for which he won an Oscar) was delightful. The Hallmark Hall of Fame, <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXA-hjC7350">Harvest of Fire</a></b></i> was also excellent. (The trailer makes it look a lot more melodramatic than it was. And I got a kick out of seeing Eric Mabius from the <i><b>Signed, Sealed, Delivered</b></i> movies as a gawky teenager.) Finally, we watched the Hallmark mystery, <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga_Vwcybm6U">Abracadavar</a></b></i>, which had just the right amount of suspense for me (very little. ha!) </div><div><br /></div><div>What about you? Did you read or watch anything commendable?</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-15371132706072695932023-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:002023-06-22T20:00:00.133-07:00Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales<div><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZI6Psq"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZI6Psq"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoByc-qegUu8wdnUNZwL5vS30fhdB51PP9UonBgvKA_UWSWDuqQ7KyJuhxv4qmhhKRwr41cpyCIKtQQjxs25zZRkXHRrM6a1l2YokGONdPVt-ttm1Tes5xY9XgesZKv6yZavzAMMfODMIO-sO-GhIKRHp6k267S6RpYZBaXlsPkoRpzy8wLGhN9GyCpA/s283/intro%20to%20a%20devout%20life.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="178" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoByc-qegUu8wdnUNZwL5vS30fhdB51PP9UonBgvKA_UWSWDuqQ7KyJuhxv4qmhhKRwr41cpyCIKtQQjxs25zZRkXHRrM6a1l2YokGONdPVt-ttm1Tes5xY9XgesZKv6yZavzAMMfODMIO-sO-GhIKRHp6k267S6RpYZBaXlsPkoRpzy8wLGhN9GyCpA/w126-h200/intro%20to%20a%20devout%20life.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><a href="https://amzn.to/3LUg3OC">Introduction to the Devout Life</a></b></i> has been on my TBR list for at least 20 years so when I heard that the <a href="https://ascensionpress.com/pages/catholicclassics">Catholic Classics podcast</a> was going to cover it, I jumped on board. What better way to understand a Catholic classic than through the eyes of two priests? I ended up getting "two-for-the-price-of-one" because they not only commented on each chapter, they read the chapter at the beginning of each episode.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book is based on actual letters written to Madame Louise de Charmoisy, the wife of one of St. Francis' cousins, who had asked him for spiritual guidance. He was later encouraged to compile his advice into a volume aimed at a more general audience. In the book, he addresses his letters to "Philothea" (lover of God) and it is written in a wonderful, fatherly tone.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Therefore, my daughter, I say that although it is lawful to amuse yourself, to dance, to dress, to feast, and see seemly plays, - at the same time, if you are much addicted to these things, they will hinder your devotion, and become extremely hurtful and dangerous to you. <b>The harm lies, not in doing them, but in the degree to which you care for them</b>. It is a pity to sow the seed of vain and foolish tastes in the soil of your heart, taking up the place of better things, and hindering the soul from cultivating good dispositions</span></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the great strengths of the book is its powerful imagery. After he advises Philothea to read and ponder over Scripture each day, he writes, <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">At the end of your meditation linger a while, and gather, so to say, a little spiritual bouquet from the thoughts you dwelt upon, the sweet perfume whereof may refresh you through the day</span></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes the chapters were meaty enough to require no additional comments. At other times the chapters were "just okay," but the commentary that followed was stellar. On Day 16, for example, the subject was on the necessity of humility and Father Gregory remarked, <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">We can enter this life of humility because we realize <b>it is not ours to create, but ours to enter into</b>. There's a beauty to that. There's a difficulty, but also a beauty and a confidence that we ought to have as Christians that God is at work. <b>He loves you. He wants to share His life with you. And that's what the devout life is all about</b>. Full stop. That's what we are chasing after. Like Holiness, it's His gift to give and ours to receive</span></i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though I underlined something on almost every page, I'm not sure why I am not more enthusiastic about <i><b>Introduction to the Devout Life. </b></i>The Catholic emphases were off putting at times, which may be why I don't recommend it wholeheartedly. It could be because my top book in 2022 was William Law's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3K8iThJ">A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life</a></b></i>, which I think is more accessible. </div><div><br /></div><div>While I couldn't always keep up with the podcasts, I managed to read one short chapter from the book each day and was enriched by each one. I'm very glad I finally tackled this devotional classic.</div><div><br /></div>Blessings,<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-91812934673895944322023-06-08T20:00:00.000-07:002023-06-08T20:00:00.133-07:00The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFlGzHzY9AGL6A0ZfsNU_nWwCAazd0nga27tEEMZpgAN8G7erhy6U-Qub5fSQWUXeIOvzimbU0s9jbYPqFhcRWyTstAhRXViU9kwxNM34TyMameLugeLoswoN6StJ5MJ3KfjtVSAyjsdeA9TUiEvUhtIuoEfg3jWgIKGzAyzOqh2Jvr1toebH4d4GVA/s270/king%20arthur%20pyle2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFlGzHzY9AGL6A0ZfsNU_nWwCAazd0nga27tEEMZpgAN8G7erhy6U-Qub5fSQWUXeIOvzimbU0s9jbYPqFhcRWyTstAhRXViU9kwxNM34TyMameLugeLoswoN6StJ5MJ3KfjtVSAyjsdeA9TUiEvUhtIuoEfg3jWgIKGzAyzOqh2Jvr1toebH4d4GVA/w133-h200/king%20arthur%20pyle2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I had been
primed for Howard Pyle’s <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3o548np">King Arthur and His Knights</a></b></i> by two previous retellings
of the Arthurian legends (Green’s and Knowles’). But I wasn’t prepared for how
deeply I would love this third version.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">From the
very first page, I was captivated by Pyle’s affection and reverence for this
legendary king. In the introduction he wrote, <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">I believe that King Arthur was
the most honorable, gentle Knight who ever lived in the world. And those who
were his fellows of the Round Table – taking him as their looking glass of
chivalry – made, altogether, such a company of noble knights that is hardly to
be supposed that their like will ever be seen again in this world</span></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Truly his
heart was “stirred with a noble theme.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Unlike the
two previous authors I read, Pyle manages to weave the legends together into a
cohesive and beautiful adult fairy tale, which I found enthralling and at times
achingly beautiful. Because he was unconcerned with brevity (this is the first
of four volumes), he also includes many details that the others left out about Guinivere,
Sir Pellias, Excalibur, Merlin, and much more.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDklDCkGjYFs5cds0wJ_ac4aAJ_JKY_meT8jEhBXGmaAxUVAjB3V2ORTj5BuJOdQQwS-YTiqvv9P5ORIUm71WqGNjwCs53KIcWdejI53n45U3_4WMgRQJjElpR4kM1SlxSyDIZBKXgu89dKG_cAcqjJpc6ByNs7vYREPH32z_VhU8b6-ZqnssvJchrA/s318/King%20Arthur%20NC%20Wyeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDklDCkGjYFs5cds0wJ_ac4aAJ_JKY_meT8jEhBXGmaAxUVAjB3V2ORTj5BuJOdQQwS-YTiqvv9P5ORIUm71WqGNjwCs53KIcWdejI53n45U3_4WMgRQJjElpR4kM1SlxSyDIZBKXgu89dKG_cAcqjJpc6ByNs7vYREPH32z_VhU8b6-ZqnssvJchrA/w161-h200/King%20Arthur%20NC%20Wyeth.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The rich language
made my heart sing! At times it was something simple like the black knight being
called the “Sable” Knight. At other times it took on fabulous fairy tale tones
such as, <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Thus died that wicked man, for as King Arthur drave past him, the
evil soul of him quitted his body with a weak noise like to the squeaking of a
bat, and the world was well rid of him</span></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I normally
hate moralizing in books, but I thought Pyle was very effective in making
connections between the knight’s actions and his expectations that his readers
would also live lives of faithfulness and honor: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">So endeth
the story of the winning of Excalibur, and may God give unto you in your life,
that you may have His truth to aid you, like a shining sword, for to overcome
your enemies; and may He give you Faith (for Faith containeth Truth as a
scabbard containeth its sword), and may that Faith heal all your wounds of
sorrow as the sheath of Excalibur healed all the wounds of him who wore that
excellent weapon. For with Truth and Faith girded upon you, you shall be as
well able to fight all your battles as did that noble hero of old, whom men
call King Arthur</span></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This is a
book that I can’t wait to own so that I can underline it to my heart’s content. I listened to
the audio version by Stuart Langton (via Hoopla) and then read the chapters on
my kindle to savor them a second time. Though the language is occasionally
difficult, most of the old-fashioned words can be deciphered within their
context. Highly recommended if you love beautiful storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> I am only on the beginning of this fantastic journey. </span>There are no less than 456 books listed at <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2801">Goodreads of Arthurian Legend retellings</a>!</p></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4012744915676074134.post-64543335843225471932023-05-25T20:00:00.000-07:002023-05-25T20:00:00.132-07:00King Arthur and His Knights by Roger Lancelyn Green<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5p1yxEi8QN2CT1n4Gk2PACooLFUMOelYxfI29KgJU-zzS3lMu-Ah4xamzRESrBgnAOYlAvM9t_deiZuyFKd_7sIRPkG6Ztt6bHC52fmQ65K-5GiVbQm-rZVfX88gm5mfmXBZwje-T6HIOoaJVI1E9eIYi6wowDkuLXQa4HIDHgM8_A0L1eP3F0-eNA/s1000/king%20arthur.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="622" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5p1yxEi8QN2CT1n4Gk2PACooLFUMOelYxfI29KgJU-zzS3lMu-Ah4xamzRESrBgnAOYlAvM9t_deiZuyFKd_7sIRPkG6Ztt6bHC52fmQ65K-5GiVbQm-rZVfX88gm5mfmXBZwje-T6HIOoaJVI1E9eIYi6wowDkuLXQa4HIDHgM8_A0L1eP3F0-eNA/w124-h200/king%20arthur.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>My entire knowledge
of the Arthurian legends is based on movies from my childhood (“Camelot” and
Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone”), so this book was bound to be enlightening.
I must admit the first fifty pages were tough going with countless knights
being named on one page and countless unnamed knights being killed on the
opposite page. But I’m glad I persevered.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In the
introduction to <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3lRNHdi">King Arthur and His Knights</a></b></i>, Green states that although he used Sir Thomas Malory’s “<i><a href="https://amzn.to/3nXAMrc"><b>Le Morte D’Arthur</b></a></i>”
as the basis for his retellings, he also includes stories from half a dozen
other sources. I was disappointed that Green told the stories quite simply without
any beautiful language, but discovered that the legends themselves are so
compelling that they don’t need much embellishment. I thoroughly enjoyed the
book once I adjusted my expectations in that regard. As I read, I was reminded
of other favorite stories. The lion that meets Sir Percivale had Aslan-like
characteristics and the Enchanted Ship and the Quest reminded me of Lord of the
Rings. At times I felt I was immersed in a sad and beautiful fairy tale. The Christian
symbolism throughout was also fascinating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Green does
his best to weave the separate stories into a single timeline, but don't expect the same cohesiveness as a novel. The first group of stories introduce
Arthur and the evil Morgana le Fay. Book Two is about the noble
knights of the Round Table. Book Three focuses on the quest for the Holy Grail,
and Book Four is about the final days of King Arthur’s reign.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">My nephew named
his new daughter Columba (after a woman in the Arthurian legends) and I wanted
to know more about her. Sadly, she appears in only one sentence in this book,
but I am delighted that my curiosity led me to take the plunge into these fabulous
tales. It is easy to see why they have captured the imagination of fans for centuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">P.S. When I finished this, I immediately devoured <a href="https://amzn.to/3oB3JZG">Sir James Knowles' version</a> which was a bit longer and in King James English (which seemed more fitting). I loved both versions.</span></p></div><div>Blessings,</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKBbj9T4mFGogMlXRLQ3_dSl0MS6gmsZTQXgWBWES6QlLm87WfkNiLmB2kN4sOoi3QB3TqMBnFhoUIOUlQQYyEiN1OJCQCoXB6-EIAVht6KOTYl1aL2PUd_HG4LVn-Hv1jJgeM4h0YRZS/s1600/Signature+small.JPG" /></div>hopeinbrazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05842290165385823751noreply@blogger.com0