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Now, by St. Paul,
the work goes bravely on.
We're not in Kansas anymore,
Toto. I wanna go back!
Great Writers and Good Books
The Bible |
Ah,
the Good Book. The Word. What can I say? Therein lies
the source of so much life, so much meaning, so much darn frustration
(!). You read it reverently and searchingly. Sometimes, you
just shake your head wondering what some esoteric passage means and in
more heavy moments, you wonder why He acts in the ways that only He
can. You humble yourself, steel yourself for whatever you might
find, and you jump right back into the mix. It is the Word of
God... but we don't need to pretend it is either simple or clear.
And alas, like a many-layered onion, it can move you to tears (of
joy, repentance, and frustration). Onion analogies are
tricky. |
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Chris
Furman |
The
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. Well, never judge a book by its
cover. Don't let the whimsical comic book cover let you turn your
bourgeois reader's nose up with condescension. <smile>
This book is perfect for a free afternoon or two. It isn't
horribly long and it is infinitely readable. No, it isn't about
the current Catholic scandal over priests. It is the story of
Catholic boys growing up, rebelling, coming of age. Though Furman may
not be the greatest writer per se, he writes a good book that
will leave you strangely shaken/moved by its end. And unless
you're a humourless bore, you should find yourself laughing and shaking
your head all throughout. A strange blend of gravity and
levity. Recently made into a movie starring Jodie Foster; I
haven't seen it so I can't vouch for it.
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Margaret
Atwood |
The
book is Alias Grace and it is such a good one. It is
essentially the story of Grace Marks - one of the more celebrated
criminals of her time. Accused of murdering her master and her
mistress, she barely escaped hanging through the work of concerned
clergy and activists. But those are the dry facts. The book
is scintillating. With a writing style that alternates between
various viewpoints and the changing tone of voices, Atwood pulls you
right into Grace's life and mind. You'll soon find yourself hoping
for her innocence but all the while, you'll find the facts very
hidden. The overlapping narratives pull you closer to the truth
while leaving you hoping for just a bit more. A
charismatic, sensual story that will linger with you days past the final
page... it haunted me. The psychological insight, the detailed historical context,
the perfect development of character... ah, you can't escape this
book! Atwood writes of feminist themes but don't let that turn you
away (if you're so inclined)... she's not a feminist writer, she's just
a gifted writer of feminist themes. Big difference!
Next on the agenda: The Blind Assassin (for which she won the
Booker Prize). And that one is supposed to be off the charts,
baby! |
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F. Scott
Fitzgerald |
The
man near-well changed my life! More on that later.
Amory Blaine is me... well, he was taller. And he was
white. Minor differences. <smile> Then
again, perhaps This Side... is a lot like The Catcher in the
Rye (Salinger) in that every male reader thinks the book was written
especially for them. Only I truly understand this
book. <crazy twitching eyes>
You need to look past The Great
Gatsby as something you read in high school. With that
mindset, what if you'd read the Bible in high school? Would you so
easily consign it to the junk heap of the mind (two inches left of the
medulla oblungata)? <smile> |
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Albert
Camus |
I'm
a far cry from being an atheist or a full-blown existentialist.
You need not worry (but thanks!). Just thinking of Camus brings a
strange resonance somewhere in the head/heart. Well, I'm speaking
less of Camus the Writer and more of Camus the Man. Regardless of
your position on faith and life, this book should give pause to
think. Speaking of The Stranger, the text is a strange
blend - his spare prose is appropriate for such heavy subject
matter. Of course, his point is that such topics need not be so
grave. Read The Plague but if only one, The Stranger.
Just like reading Nietzsche, you'll find that existentialism is but a
short hop (and a skip) from Christianity - those few feet being all the
stuff of Faith. And so I'm drawn to Camus. Read him
over Sartre.
Anybody read The Myth of
Sysiphus ? I'm working on it now but if you've read it, let's
talk.
."...the nakedness of
man faced with the absurd."
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Stephen
Pressfield |
About
the battle of Thermopylae. Intense and well-written. If
you're a history buff, this could be the next on your list. You
may watch a movie like the Two Towers and feel a chill during the
massive, beautifully-rendered battle scenes. But Pressfield takes
the cake when it comes to evoking the epic, blood-spilling,
testosterone-pounding nature of war. These days, valor and honor
are virtues almost foreign but - oh my - how this book will make it all
mean something! Far from hokey, it is a well-written good read. Read this book and you will be shaken
and moved. And ne'er does the pace really slow down throughout the
entire text. --a book
for anyone but an especially good choice for guys who don't particularly
enjoy reading... |
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Sinclair
Lewis |
Golden-tongued
preacher rises to the top. Scruples vacillating from one steeple
to the next, Elmer Gantry typifies the opportunistic man of God.
Of course, this book was quite the scandal when it first came out but
Christians would do well to consider Lewis' insight into religious
fervor in an insulated church sub-culture. Now, I'm no fan of Mr.
Gantry; he's a scoundrel and a cruel womanizer but he's also a complex
figure. He isn't evil. Just so bad. But sometimes
good? Throughout the book, you'll ask, does this man have any
faith? And the answer isn't so clear. Can good things happen
through bad people and dirty motives? Sure. That's
Grace. A landmark on the vast plains of American literature,
Lewis' book is worth recommending. A few chapters were just a
little too out there and that's where the book loses a bit on
quality but overall, this book should leave you shaking your head and a
bit wiser(?). This book jarred me like a hard slap upside the
head. You'll see the very human side of your own faith. And
that's humbling. And humility is always a good thing.
<sigh... smile> |
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John
Steinbeck |
John
Steinbeck for President. Wait, he's not alive anymore but anyhow,
I'm a real fan. When asked to list my favorite books or authors,
Steinbeck always jumps to mind. Perhaps it is a reflection of who
I am but I'm drawn to his view of humanity and life. If you've
ever read Of Mice and Men or Cannery Row, you'll note his
love (or is it...) for the common man. Frankly, he subtly romanticizes -
to heroic proportions even - the life/death/struggle/simplicity of the
down-and-out. Sure, some critics love to drop flying elbow attacks
on his posthumous head but oh well, I guess I've got my sappy streak
(under this hard masculine shell of course). Read Travels with
Charley for some great, honest non-authorial insight. If
you're willing, try The
Winter of Our Discontent for something with a different Steinbeck
sound & flavor - for one, it is much darker.
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Richard
Yates |
Hey,
wadda y'know! Here's a Pretentious Statement ...Richard Yates is one of the
better writers of the last 50 years. I was introduced to this
genius of human emotion (usu. the darker end though) in Harper's.
A few years back, they presented a previously unpublished short story, Bells
in the Morning. A short 23-paragraph snapshot of two men
sitting in a miserable foxhole. A sad story for sure but,
strangely touching and pretty. His great use of contrast and narrative
shifts (seamless) are pretty gnarly. Read Revolutionary Road or buy a collection of his
short stories (a comprehensive anthology on paperback is finally out). His drawing power is
strange; as
melancholy as he might be (No. Contrary to popular wisdom, the
hills are not alive...), he keeps you reading. Lots of stories about small
people hoping to be, thinking they are, or sad they're not big
people. He paints a pathetic picture but it isn't really
ugly... it just is. It is as if he's saying, guess what, this
is life, it surrounds us (and is us, to whatever extent)) whether
we like it or not. A realist more than a cynic.
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Leo
Tolstoy |
The
best book I've ever read? Well... yes. With a few qualifying
remarks. I know the book is long. That's
understatement. <smile> If you enjoy books, it is more
than worth the time and effort. I caught myself laughing out loud
in public places reading this. His observations on man and society
are amazing and funny. The most ambitious book you'll read, it
covers everything and actually succeeds.
Tolstoy was - depending on your
perspective - either an eccentric or a man of deep, singular
convictions. Why not both.
For a compact summation of his
beliefs, pick your brain over The Death of Ivan Ilych.
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Ann
Patchet |
Bel
Canto? A beautiful, beautiful book. With terrorists and
all... the book is actually very romantic. Not sappy, mind you.
Just romantic: love, longing, wistfulness, hope-for-something-different.
I won't give away much but the book starts slow and casual. And it
builds with subtle momentum that really envelops you midway.
Patchet's writing style is by no means deep or overwrought and
that's to her credit. Considering that the bulk of the novel takes
place in one home, I was impressed with her ability to keep things
moving even though... well, nothing moves. <smile>
Terrorists and guns and beautiful music (a beautiful woman) combine in
the strangest of ways.
Changes in scenery always keep an
author busy describing this tree and that house and the weather (darkandstormynight)...
but that can be a cheap ploy (I'm guilty). Anyhow, this book would
make for a difficult film to direct but that's why I'd want to see
someone try.
Winner of the Pen/Faulkner and
Orange Awards. National Bk. Critics Finalist.
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Arundhati
Roy |
The
God of Small Things. Well, here's a book
I recommend with a shivered spine. Just thinking of it
moves me to some weird place. It took me two tries to get
through it. The first time, well, I really hated it. I
thought the writing was pretentious and a bit too flowery. I put
it down after about 40 pages and left it for dead. But reading is
about moods and circumstances in life. Ahh, and so the hands of fate
led me back about a year later and what a
difference. Suddenly, it was beautiful. Never have I
read a story so hauntingly fantastic. Roy's language is poetry akin
to Salman Rushdie's (similar themes too). Layers upon layers of
symbolism and imagery... a book to be read multiple times. The
language is sensual, whimsical and I'd say, perfect. But through
it all, it is a powerful story of regret, resignation, hope, and
death. An ambitious book that moves from plot to society to
history to philosophy to plot. With highest recommendation...
And did I mention the language?!? Read it. |
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Time to update...
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Joseph
Conrad |
This book is classic a
primer on better grammar and style. But (I've already broken a
rule!) it's actually a fun read. You'll find it engaging.
Of course, grammar rules are always in flux but you can never go wrong
if you follow the advice of Strunk and White. |
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Joseph
Conrad |
Feeling
Guilty.
I know everyone hated this back in high school. I liked it
though.
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Charles
Frasier |
Uhhhh... More
later.
I'm sure you've all heard a lot about this one.
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Bernard
Schlink |
Mor
elater
A disturbing, beautiful book. You'll
close the cover, not knowing what to think.
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William
Maxwell |
Just a solid, simple,
moving, well-written book. Sad and matter-of-fact... speaks to you
with the wisdom of ages. Not much wasted space in this one.
Considered a writer's writer for a reason. More later. |
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Orson
Scott Card |
I'm not particularly
fond of science fiction novels. Usually so campy. But
following a professor's recommendation, I checked this one out.
Wow.
More later.
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Eugen
Herrigel |
Oh, I'm a Christian by
all means. But I learned a lot from this book. And it did
shape the way I am now. More later. |
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Randall
Ballmer |
Honest thoughts on
faith. Destined for the pulpit, Ballmer became a professor at
Columbia instead. His struggles revealed openly. More later. |
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Ellen
Langer |
Should change the way
you think. We limit ourselves everywhere. A book to be read
by everyone. More later. |
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Gary
Larson |
Probably wasn't
healthy for a 3rd grader to be reading this stuff. Muhuhahaha.
Once again, more later.
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Bill
Watterson |
I could never
leave Watterson out of the picture. Come on!
Sorry, more later.
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Mort
Walker |
I may be the only here
on this one. But I grew up reading Beatle Bailey. Was bored
on a camping trip when I bought a book at a gas station in the boonies.
Not necessarily haha-funny but I love it for familiarity and
its representation of all sides of human (particularly male) nature.
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There's no place
like home... There's no place like home...
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