Early December Readings

Bibliographies rule! In addition to reading like a maniac, I checked out several bibliographies from the library. These are lists of suggested reading from various approaches. Some of the more frivolous (and fun!) bibliographies were Book Lover cookbooks. Two loves combined!

Anyway, it occurred to me that I'm not as well read in the classics as I should be. So, I've been making reading lists (yet one more compulsion for my brother to call me on).

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

For every few contemporary books I read, I want to throw in one of the classics. The fact is, for being an English major, I’m not as well-read as I would like. It’s shameful that I would know these stories by movies, rather than by literature.

For having been written in the 1800s, the story is surprisingly easy to read. In some of the older books, it’s difficult to follow along the dialogues, as they are riff with strange patterns, slang, and references. But, I’m having no such problem with The Count. The story is so intriguing. We start off really caring for the young Edmond …he is a sensitive, gentle, kind-hearted fellow who is well-liked by all, except for a handful of people who are jealous of his good fortune. After his betrayal by the said jealous comrads, he is locked in prison for several years, and when he comes out, he is altered in many ways. For one, due to his friendship with and education by the “mad” abbe, he comes out a much more polished person than he went in (not to mention, now he’s rich, since the abbe shared the location of his vast wealth hidden on the deserted island of Monte Cristo ). But not all of his changes are for the better. His desire for revenge has altered him quite a bit, so that some people find they are repulsed by him (I was, myself, while reading Edmond ’s rant on the necessary of torturing people who deserved more punishment than death). One character actually compared him to a vampire.

It appears that the Edmond of old did good simply because that was his natural inclination. The “Count” did good as a means of acquiring “friends” (you may as well call them tools) for fulfilling his long-term plans of revenge. It’s as if he takes the all the good and training given to him by the old abbe, and becomes it’s antithesis.

I had to laugh at one description…..even several years after his escape from the prison, Edmond is described to have an unearthly, pale pallor to his skin. That made sense immediately after his escape from prison…after all, he had been underground for years. But, several years as a sailor AFTER his escape would surely have added color to his skin, yes? Why would he still maintain the paleness of a prisoner after all this time?

Anyway, the detail of the characters, and the interweavings of storylines and plots is well done and fascinating. I have particularly enjoyed the sense of humor that some of the characters have revealed.

In the end, the Count seems to reevaluate whether he had the right to act as an avenging angel. Especially when certain innocents died in the process (the young girl and the little boy who were poisoned). It bothered me when he decided that he really was doing what God wanted, although, he admits, he did have regrets. Hmmmm. I also couldn’t help marvel at the audacity of the Count as he told one of his enemies that he “forgave” him…..after he had already stripped him of everything. What significance is a forgiveness after you’ve already excercised your revenge to the fullest extent?

It was an unexpected twist at the end of the book when Edmond did not end up with his first love. I fully expected that to happen all the way through the novel….it’s the route that most authors would have taken. Instead, while they parted friends, and it was clear that Edmond would have tender feeling for her the rest of his life, they both knew that too much had happened to each of them to ever be together again.

Overall, an unexpected marvelous read that really causes one to reflect on one’s own feeling of right and wrong.

Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by John Shelby Spong

I’m disappointed. The book started off with so much promise, but almost ended up like an exercise in arrogance for Spong. I agree with Spong that fundamentalism is a dead-end for Christianity. But, instead of a book-length rendition of everything that’s wrong with fundamentalism, I wanted an explanation of how the Bible could be viewed by those of us who weren’t fundamentalists. He himself stated that he loved and valued the Bible…..but he never explained why….or (more importantly to me) how. What’s more, some of the arguments he used as examples of conflicts in the Bible were weak, even to my limited knowledge….for example, he called Abraham a murderer and said, “So much for ‘Thou Shalt not Kill,’” and pointed out that Moses had broken the “Thou Shalt not Lie” commandment by tell the Pharoah that he was taking the Hebrews to the desert to pray, but he would bring them right back. Both incidents were pre-commandments….so his argument is ridiculous, even to me who agrees with his anti-fundamentalism. By the time I was half-way through the book, and Spong still hadn’t done anything except bash fundamentalists, I just quickly scanned the rest of the book, and then gave up.

The Storytellers Companion to the Bible – Jesus’ Parables

Fascinating. I’m not all that interested in the new stories, frankly. But, the scholarly discourses on the little bits of readings is very information and interesting. For example….when Baby Jesus was born, and is surrounded by shepherds guarding their flocks….who knew that to the original audience of the Bible this was a symbol of danger??? Today we see shepherds as pasteural, gentle, protective, benign, etc. However, being out in the country was to be unprotected from brigands, and shepherds were themselves known to be violent persons at this time. I’m really enjoying this book.

Truck – A Love Story by Michael Perry

I am LOVING this book, and will absolutely check out Perry’s other novel, Population: 485.

This book is all about the journey, not the destination. It’s written in what almost feels like a personal journal, as you reflect on gardening, cooking, failed romances and promises of new ones, living single, gardening, redneck living in a small town, and – the main point – the love of an old, beat-up pick-up truck. Perry incorporates a writing style that is pure delight. His sense of humor, often self-effacing, is a pleasure, and his use of metaphor is completely fresh.

The 101 Best Graphic Novels by Stephen Weiner

I for one want to know what’s up in the graphic novel genre. It seems to be getting bigger all the time. I initially wrote it off as just big comic books, but it’s come to my attention that there are some fabulous, adult stories out there. My friend, Erik, who is well read and has a sophisticated reading style, has caught the graphic novel bandwagon….so I thought it was time to check it out. I know I peeked at the book 300 by Frank Miller, and would really like some time to read it, especially since I loved the movie so much. Anyway, this little book had a list of some of the best graphic novels out there (at least according to Weiner), and he kindly categorized them for adult, youth, and child. So, with a focus on adult, I requested a few graphic novels from my public library. One can never have too much to read, right?