Great Books

One of the greatest joys in my life is reading. I loved the book club I was in because it forced me to read outside my usual choices. Several people have sent us books since we've been here and our church library has a decent selection of novels and a wide variety so I'm sure that as I run through my preferred choices I'll be soon reading books that I normally wouldn't choose, which is always good.

Being inspired by Calandria and Karen's blogs, I'm posting several great reads. Some I've just read, some I've read over and over. All are definitely worth the time!

This was Oprah's first pick when she restarted up her book club again a few years ago. It's the story of Cain and Abel played out over 3 generations of Californians at the turn of the century. The struggles of the brothers revolve around those verses in Genesis in which both Able and Cain bring offerings to God--God is pleased with Abel's offerings but not Cain's, leading to jealousy and the eventual murder of Abel. The desire to please a father and continually coming up short in comparison to a brother is at the heart of the novel.

And while we're on Steinbeck..."Grapes of Wrath" is one of the best American novels ever. Period. Steinbeck wrote it in 1939, right on the heels of the Dust Bowl and immediately understand the pain and devaluation of people that was happening. His descriptions of the Joads alternate with chapters of the larger collective conscience of those displaced people. It's sparse--no wasted words or flowery descriptions, but practically perfect in its rendering of life. Everyone's probably seen the Henry Fonda movie, but read the book.

They're called classics for a reason--they represent the essential elements of the time in which they were written and yet cross all boundaries of time and place. My two Jane Austen crazy friends (and 3 watchings of the recent movie while traveling to Tanzania) inspired me to read "Pride and Prejudice." Which, I admit, was helped along having seen the movie first. But the structure of society at that time, the manners and expectations, and the wit are terrific. I'm onto "Sense and Sensibility" now (which also was made into a recent movie, but one I haven't seen).

I am a big fan of American literature, especially Southern fiction. "Huckleberry Finn" is typically touted as the definitive work of American literature, but I have always loved "Tom Sawyer". Twain perfectly capture the dialect, the enthusiasm, and the lives of the people of Harper's Ferry. His knowledge of local superstitions, which are gospel to Tom, Huck, and Joe are amazing as well as humourous.

Along with things Southern comes an interest in slavery. The author of "Slaves in the Family" is descended from some of the wealthiest slave owners and sellers in (I think) South Carolina. Because of his family's meticulous (bordering on obsessive) record-keeping in all aspect of their lives, he has been able to trace slaves owned by his family back to villages in Africa. For those African-American descendents, they are some of the very few who can pinpoint where their ancestors came from. I'm not a big non-fiction fan, but this one I couldn't put down.

Along the same lines, but fictional is "The Known World", an account of a black family (slaves that were able to purchase their own freedom) who owned other slaves. Historically, there were these people who owned other slaves for a variety of reasons. The main character, whose father bought his own freedom and that of his wife and son, is "mentored" by the richest white man in the county and confronts the questions of what determines success and its outward trappings, as well as the need for the kind of labor required to run farms of a certain size at that time.

Lest I get too stuck on the South, this is the last one. Most everyone has read (or seen) "The Prince of Tides". Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors and this one combines the Holocaust, Southern dysfunctional families, cancer, suicide, Rome, the Vietnam war, and a murder hiding out as a monk all into one great book. It's one of the few books I've read that travels a terribly painful road as the protagonist comes to grips with his past and has a great feel good ending that doesn't feel forced or artificial.

Did you know that Harper Lee only wrote one book in her entire life? I guess you don't have to write anything more after "To Kill a Mockingbird". It is perhaps my favorite book of all time. I loved that it's written from the point of view of the child. It's one of the few books where I've loved the movie as much as the book. And I should mention that you don't have to be from the South to "get" small town life. There were a few Boo Radley and Bob Ewell types where I grew up in Montana.

Speaking of Montana--there is nothing bigger in a small town than it's basketball team. When our team went to the divisional or state tournaments, businesses and school would close so EVERYONE could head to Missoula or Billings or Helena or Bozeman for the tournaments. The whole town turned out on Friday or Saturday nights (teams played home one night and away the other) to watch the team, dissected every play and call at the cafes the next morning, and took every win and loss personally. "Blind Your Ponies" centers on a Class C basketball team (a school w ith less than 100 kids) that hasn't won a game in over 4 years. In true small town fasion (at least for Montana) everyone is connected, secrets run deep, and the hopes of the whole town ride on the shoulders of the 6 boys that make up the team. If you love basketball and/or Montana--read this! The title is from a Native American legend of a band of warriors that returned to camp to find all the women and children dead. In their grief--and absolute faith in being reunited with them--they blinded their horses and rode them off a cliff to their deaths. The story becomes a metaphor for hope against all odds and the reality that they face every game.

(No pics for these last 2--wouldn't upload for some reason)

If you have a great book to recommend, pass it along--one that really touched you and made you think--I'll post them as well!