“A novelist has made a fictional representation of life. I doing so, he has revealed to us more significance, it may be, than he could find in life itself.”~Bernard de Voto
If you’re not familiar with and linking to and perusing the Saturday Review of Books here at Semicolon, you’re missing out. Here’s how it usually works. Find a review on your blog posted sometime during the previous week of a book you were reading or a book you’ve read. The review doesn’t have to be a formal sort of thing. You can just write your thoughts on a particular book, a few ideas inspired by reading the book, your evaluation, quotations, whatever.
Then on Saturday, you post a link here at Semicolon in Mr. Linky to the specific post where you’ve written your book review. Don’t link to your main blog page because this kind of link makes it hard to find the book review, especially when people drop in later after you’ve added new content to your blog. In parentheses after your name, add the title of the book you’re reviewing. This addition will help people to find the reviews they’re most interested in reading.
After linking to your own reviews, you can spend as long as you want reading the reviews of other bloggers for the week and adding to your wishlist of books to read. That’s how my own TBR list has become completely unmanageable and the reason I can’t join any reading challenges. I have my own personal challenge that never ends.
I think I’ve mentioned here before that Mr. Shelley is not my favorite person or poet. However, he managed in Ozymandias to capture the spirit of the Biblical admonition, “Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19)
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, is about a month away, on March 9 this year. We would do well to remember the arrogant and the mighty who were fallen and forgotten before we were born and come before the Lord God of the Universe in humility and repentance.
Ms. Napoli has novelized several folk and fairy tales already, and The Wager is another good entry in that genre. It’s the story, taken from a Sicilian fairytale “Don Giovanni de la Fortuna“, of Don Giovanni who makes a wager with the devil: he can have riches unimaginable that will never run out if he will go for three years, three months, and three days without bathing, shaving, changing clothes, or combing his hair. If he loses the bet, the devil, of course, gets Don Giovanni’s soul.
The details of Don Giovanni’s three+ years of degradation are fairly graphic and horrific. If you’re not up for pustules and bodily wastes, don’t read the book. Nevertheless, although the book started out rather slowly, the tension and the theme in particular built to a compelling read that I’m still thinking about today. (I finished the book last night.) Making a bet or a deal with the devil, hazarding one’s soul in return for X, is a popular theme in folk tales and in literature. The story mirrors the first story of Adam and Eve who exchange their souls for a lie and a piece of fruit. And only the sacrifice of Christ can redeem the soul from Satan’s lies.
However, in many popular stories, like this one of Don Giovanni, the wagerer pays for his own folly, redeems himself, so to speak, by outwitting the devil. Don Giovanni emerges through great suffering to live happily ever after. The idea that suffering, in this case self-inflicted suffering, is redemptive in and of itself seems to me to be flawed. Suffering is suffering; it’s nasty, uncomfortable, and possibly meaningless—unless it can be redeemed and madeinto a growth experience by someone else, someone who transcends our suffering and gives us hope and a future. Of course, the Someone is Jesus Christ. Although, Don Giovanni professes to be a “good Catholic” in Ms. napoli’s novel, he doesn’t look either to religion or to Christ for rescue. He does find meaning in the simple kindness of strangers and fellow beggars and that of a myserious artist who sees past his appearance into his soul.
It’s true that if I can be loved in spite of, in the middle of, all my sin and humiliation, my life can become something beautiful by the power of Christ in me. It’s not true that any human love can accomplish this transformation in me; however, I suppose Don Giovanni’s story is an imperfect picture of The Great Story of God’s reclamation and cleansing of his people.
Other fairytales for young adults reimagined by Donna Jo Napoli (well worth your time if you like this sort of thing): The Magic Circle (Hansel and Gretel) Zel (Rapunzel) Brown Bear daughter recommends. Beast (Beauty and the Beast) Crazy Jack (Jack and the Beanstalk) Spinners (Rumpelstiltskin) Hush: An Irish Princess’s Tale (Icelandic folk tale) Brown Bear Daughter also recommends. Breath (The Pied Piper of Hamelin) Sirena (Greek mythology) Bound (Chinese Cinderella)
I’ll leave you with a humorous take on making a bet with the devil, not to mention some fine fiddle playing, in this 1979 song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band:
In spite of the success of Johnny, the boy fiddle player, and Don Giovanni, I would suggest that you make no bets with the devil unless you’re prepared to pay the price. Satan is a deceiver, and our souls are already in hock without Jesus.
Picture Book Preschool is a preschool curriculum by Sherry Early based on picture books that she has been reading to her children for the past twenty years. Each week of Picture Book Preschool is built around a theme, and includes a suggested character trait to work on, a Bible verse, and a list of seven picture books to read to your children.
Epic is right. Mark and Delia Owens first went to Africa in 1974 to study lion behavior in the Kalahari Desert. They lived in the desert for seven years and wrote a book about their experiences, Cry of the Kalahari. The couple then returned to the U.S. to complete their graduate work and then attempted to return to their work in Botswana. However, when the government of Botswana declared them persona non grata, they were forced to look for another place to carry on their vocation in wildlife management and conservation. North Luangwa National Park in Zambia and the preservation of the endangered elephant population there became their mission.
Mission, obsession, calling—all these words are somewhat inadequate to describe the dedication with which Mark Owens in particular approaches the task of protecting the elephants from poachers who are slaughtering the elephants for the meat and for the ivory trade. Mr. Owens literally endangers his own life while trying every trick, weapon, and argument in the book to stop the poachers. He flies daily (and nightly) “missions” to find the poachers. He begs and encourages and bribes the native Zambian game guards to do their jobs and arrest the poachers, without much success. He sends letters of appeal and sends radio messages to anyone he thinks might help. And all the while, the elephants are being killed at the rate of several thousand per year.
Finally, in October 1989, seventy-six nations vote to list the African elephant as an endangered species and to forbid trade in ivory and all other elephant parts. This action along with the Owens’ work in confronting poachers and educating Zambian villagers about the value of wildlife in attracting tourism dollars is instrumental in slowing to a near-halt the poaching of elephants on a large-scale basis.
Of course, after reading an entire book about the anti-poaching efferts of Delia and Mark Owens, I had to see what the couple is doing now and what the status of the elephants in North Luangwa is now. The Owens have returned to the U.S., but their conservation and education project in North Luangwa continues under the auspices of Zambian Hammer Simwinga and the Owens Foundation for Wildlife Conservation. The Owens have most recently been working on grizzly bear conservation in North Idaho. The elephant population in North Luangwa is said to be slowly increasing.
I’m not really an animal person. While I think it is a worthwhile goal to save endangered species, such as the African elephant, it’s not a cause I feel called to give my life to. Still, I am interested in Africa, and particularly in Zambia this year, so I found the adventures of Mark and Delia Owens fascinating.
Joan at Lines in Pleasant Places: “I didn’t plan on having you at age eighteen, but God did. He knew from before I was born, that I would have you at only eighteen. He knows now if you are a boy or girl, and He has a plan for your life, as well as mine.”
Keiki Hendrix at Wonder of Days: Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, “over 46 million children have died. Let that sink in – 46 million. This hits me at home because one of those 46 million is named Elizabeth and she was mine.”
Judy at Carpe Libris: “I don’t think we realize sometimes that the issue of abortion involves real people, men and women who are struggling to do the right thing. Whether it be the question of “Do I abort or not?” or “What is my family going to think?” or “How is all of this going to affect my life?”, there are some agonizing decisions to be made.”
Marcia Morrisey at Patheos: When you are struggling, and the medical people are so forceful, the idea of abortion blips through your mind, unbidden, because you’re told it is a real option, and when you’re emotional, it’s easy to fall for fall for rhetoric.
That Mom: As the crisp melodic phrases of Mozart danced off of her fingertips, my heart swelled with pride and a sense of the awesome God who created this child, choosing her as His own before the foundations of the world, and giving her life in my womb.
I found another list or two that I want to hang on to, after I closed the January List of Lists at the Saturday Review: Good Spiritual Reading in 2010 from HouseBlog. I saw several recommendations here that I’d like to check out.
I have a couple of reading problems that I want to air and get advice about:
1. I got a new Kindle for Christmas. I was excited, and I downloaded several books and read a couple on the Kindle. I also started two books on my new device, but I’m finding that I keep making excuses and reading “real” book instead of finishing the ones on the Kindle. I think it doesn’t feel right to me to read on the Kindle, not as satisfying somehow. Did any of you who have an ereader find that there’s a learning curve or a time of getting used to the device and starting to feel comfortable with it? I feel as if I’m not really reading or something.
2. I think my reading has been negatively impacted by the computer. I love blogging and computers and the internet. I’m not an anti-technology person. But I find myself skimming and rushing through books lately because, I think, I am so much more aware of all of the books that I want to read. I have to get through them fast because there are so many good books out there yet to read. Of course, that attitude isn’t conducive to good, relaxed enjoyment of the book I am reading right now. Have any of you experienced the “reading rush”, and how did you begin to slow down and enjoy the moment?
Finally, what have you been reading? And have you taken the time to slow down and enjoy your reading and other activities?
Obviously, these lists are not complete. I will be reading and gathering ideas for reading and adding books and links to reviews for . . . as long as I remain interested in the project. If you have any suggestions, blog reviews, or other information to add to my Africa pages, please leave a comment. If you’re looking for a book to read about Africa or about a specific African country, check out my Reading Through Africa pages.
“‘I read every opportunity I can, and the pressure to grab those opportunities has grown more intense since the arrival of my daughter six years ago. I read and take notes on books I’m reviewing every day – as well as on vacations and all the major holidays. I read in the hours before dawn and while I proctor my students’ exams and while I wait for an oil change or a doctor’s appointment.”~Maureen Corrigan
If you’re not familiar with and linking to and perusing the Saturday Review of Books here at Semicolon, you’re missing out. Here’s how it usually works. Find a review on your blog posted sometime during the previous week of a book you were reading or a book you’ve read. The review doesn’t have to be a formal sort of thing. You can just write your thoughts on a particular book, a few ideas inspired by reading the book, your evaluation, quotations, whatever.
Then on Saturday, you post a link here at Semicolon in Mr. Linky to the specific post where you’ve written your book review. Don’t link to your main blog page because this kind of link makes it hard to find the book review, especially when people drop in later after you’ve added new content to your blog. In parentheses after your name, add the title of the book you’re reviewing. This addition will help people to find the reviews they’re most interested in reading.
After linking to your own reviews, you can spend as long as you want reading the reviews of other bloggers for the week and adding to your wishlist of books to read. That’s how my own TBR list has become completely unmanageable and the reason I can’t join any reading challenges. I have my own personal challenge that never ends.
Today is the beginning of Bloggiesta, but I can’t actually start until this (Friday) evening. Still, I can start my list of things to do to the blog:
1. Look at each of the 105 draft posts I have in my drafts folder and decide what to with them: finish and schedule, throw away, or continue to save for later.
2. I want a map like this one at Book Journey.
3. Write and schedule Poetry Friday posts through April.
4. Consider applying to be on the INSPY Advisory Board.
5. Figure out exactly what the schedule is for the Faith N Fiction Roundtable, and what I’m supposed to do when.
6. Clean up and re-sort my category tags.
7. Make a list of Houston-area book bloggers. If you blog about books and live in or near Houston, Texas, please leave a comment so that I can add you to the list. (I’m planning something special. Shhhh, it’s a secret.)
I may, probably will, add to this list later. See you all later Bloggiesta! Ole!
Friday evening: Worked for about three hours. I wrote one book review post, worked on other draft posts, commented on several blogs for the Comment Challenge, and made a reading map (although the map isn’t exactly what I want it to be). See y’all tomorrow.
If you’re not familiar with and linking to and perusing the Saturday Review of Books here at Semicolon, you’re missing out. Here’s how it usually works. Find a review on your blog posted sometime during the previous week of a book you were reading or a book you’ve read. The review doesn’t have to be a formal sort of thing. You can just write your thoughts on a particular book, a few ideas inspired by reading the book, your evaluation, quotations, whatever.
