Thursday Next, First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

I’m normally a very avid Jasper Fforde fan, but I’m getting the impression that he needs to slow down. He has been producing novels at an alarming speed, and the effect seems a bit disjointed.

In Thursday Next, First Among Sequels, a large part of the book reminds me of my literary criticism class, in which large conversations intent on explaining the unexplainable bordered on the downright silly. It’s as if people have asked Fforde how his “Bookworld” could possibly exist, and in response, he created whole chapters of real Thursday Next trying to explain the science of books to her cadets (fictional versions of herself). What? Putting Reader Response Theory into scientific, and even mechanical terms just didn’t quite fly, in my opinion. While Fforde prefers to push the borders of rational thought on a regular basis, something fell short on this attempt. It just wasn’t as interesting as his earlier attempts at the same.

L. Frank Baum used to write sequels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by using plot suggestions from dedicated fans who wrote in. In some parts of this most recent book, it seems that Fforde did the same. It was as though he had a number of great ideas about the characters he’s created, but they came together almost disjointedly, or not at all (the book ends on a cliffhanger). Diehard Ffordians will still enjoy the book, but in my opinion, it could have used a few more revisions before publication.

The Second Chance (movie)

I started watching this movie expecting the worst. Either the acting would be horrible, the plot shallow, or I would be overwhelmed by outright sappiness. Before you think I make this judgment about all Christian films (just most), I’ll explain that this movie doesn’t even seem to have made it to theaters. I know of no one else (other than those who watched it with me) who has seen it, in the churchworld or otherwise.

My first indication that this movie would surprise me was the rating. It’s not often you find a Christian movie rated PG-13. This may explain some its lack of success. For anyone wondering, the movie is clean, but deals with real inner city issues like drugs, gangs, and prostitution, thus the rating. There are also a few uses of language, none of which are gratuitous. My second indication that this movie was different was that I found myself disliking the main character. As a matter of fact, most of the characters in this movie are ambiguous, with both appealing and appalling characteristics. This is essential to good story, and it was in fact used quite well.

I don’t want to give away the whole premise of the movie, but you must know that its purpose is to challenge, convict, and awaken. There are no easy answers provided. Because of this, the natural demographic for Christian movies is put off, but you shouldn’t be. Find a copy of this movie somewhere (you can borrow mine if you’re close) and watch it.

Skype

It has been quite some time since I've blogged on something other than books, but I do note that these reviews are of the things that make life interesting. Even though I believe books to be a strong part of that, I sometimes feel the need to share about other interesting things. Things like Skype, for instance.

I admit that the last time I seriously spend time "chatting" or "instant messaging" was in the late 1990's. Thus, when a friend encouraged me to sign up for Skype, I was skeptical. On the other hand, this friend happens to be in Australia, and after finally breaking down and signing up, I just had what was in essence a free phone call with her for almost thirty minutes. Wow. At any point in the conversation, we could have a Jetsons style webcam aided conversation, we could switch to type-only chatting, and we could have a traditional phone conversation. And it was all free. If you haven't signed up, go to Skype.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

Never have I appreciated the Third Person omniscient as much as I do when I read the stories from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. There. I haven’t used such a sterile term to describe a book since my 8^th grade book reports. And yet, it does the job. This selection for “Point of View” is brilliant for an author who seems to understand humanity better than most. While this is the case in almost all this series, it is particularly delightful in Blue Shoes and Happiness, where each character inevitably has thoughts of the weaknesses of those around them. Their relationships are highlighted by these little insights which characters carry, but will never reveal. How much people know about us, but never say! And aren’t we grateful to them for it?

Mma Makutsi has a penchant for unpractical shoes, Mma Potokwane inevitably manipulates and bullies, but only for the good of the orphans, Phuti Radiphuti is more traditional than he lets on, and so on. These character flaws, clear to the reader, and especially within the thoughts of other characters, are never spoken aloud. How an ongoing theme of tact could possibly be as rewarding as McCall Smith makes it is beyond me. In this volume, the rule of tact is forgotten on one issue – Mma Ramotswe’s “traditional” and generous figure, and unhappiness results. Thank God for the comfort of friends when such unspoken rules are broken. Thank the old Botswana morality. These things are not important, after all.

Tisha by Robert Specht

As a literature major in college, I overdosed on fiction. On summer vacations and for years after I graduated, nonfiction was the only form of literature I could stand. It seemed simpler, somehow. Now that I’m over that period of life, I realize that real life is far less simple than fiction, and both are reasonable stories. That said, when I can find a book which blends both story and biography well, I devour it delightedly.

Tisha is the true story of a young school teacher’s first year in the Alaskan wilderness. The Alaska of the early 1920’s isn’t all that different from the Alaska of today, so something about this young woman’s story rang true to my heart when I first read it. I was a college student, the same age as Anne Hobbs, the protagonist, and I was teaching Bible school in rural Alaskan villages, both Native American and white settlements. Anne’s compassion is irresistible, and her battle against prejudice fueled my own determination to do the best I could. Copies of this book are hard to come by, and when I found one in a used bookstore in Farmington, New Mexico, I had to buy it. The story was just as delightful the second time around (a hard feat to accomplish), and if you can get your hands on it, I recommend you read it at once. My copy is on its way to a friend.

The River Between Us by Richard Peck

As a brilliant and prolific author, one might never know that Richard Peck specialized in young adult fiction unless they new that he had written books awarded with The Newbery Medal and Honor. It’s not that his books aren’t short, it’s just that they are so full of life, story, character, and drama, that it’s always a surprise that they’re of typical young adult length. In addition, he never talks down to his readers, treating his young adult readers as though they deserve the very best of his writing. I am in awe of his skill, and while I can’t say that I would recommend every one of his books, I certainly commend him to you as an excellent author.

The River Between Us follows a family through the early years of the Civil War, retelling oft forgotten stories of the time, of soldiers dead through disease more than battle, of vibrant cultures unheard of in the postwar years. The story is brilliant, but the details drew me in: long underwear, scrapple, dances, bonnets, candles, and oil lamps. Never before has this time period so real to me. And Peck isn’t content to leave it at that. He also weaves in the next generation, just prior to U.S. involvement in World War I. In doing so, he successfully accomplishes what many good authors fail to do – he finishes the story. I closed the final page of this short novel with a satisfied sigh, content with how I left them. The story wasn’t over, but I was able to leave my part in it without feeling cheated, and for an author to accomplish that is a great achievement indeed.

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

If you have ever read a novel by Jasper Fforde, you realize that it is hard to know what to make of him. I’m certain that friends of his must have said the same thing, even after spending time with him face to face. When I encountered the first of his famous Thursday Next series, The Eyre Affair, I was convinced I had chanced upon another of those critically acclaimed novelists who flop in the realm of actually selling books. Little did I know that Fforde’s bizarrely delightful writings would find a niche in postmodern literature, securing each of the subsequent books in the series a place on bestseller lists.

In my last post, I mentioned that I’m on the lookout for books for readers, those books which utilize as pieces of a puzzle all the literary information a reader has stored in their memory. Fforde is brilliant at this, but unlike Alexander McCall Smith, he has trouble bridging the gap for the casual reader.

The Fourth Bear, second in his Nursery Crime series, may be one of the least obscure books Fforde has yet written, though it still generously gave the reader literary allusions aplenty. In fact, at surprisingly frequent intervals throughout the story, the author makes fun of himself and the very act of writing a novel. In this and The Big Over Easy (first in the series), Fforde rewards readers of his other books with payoff plotlines including characters introduced in earlier works, but they can certainly be read alone. And I highly recommend that you do so.

If you haven’t read the Thursday Next books, you won’t be lost in these quirky tales incorporating suspenseful mystery and nursery rhyme, but you will enjoy the author’s clever melding of worlds. While I found The Big Over Easy a superior work (The Fourth Bear seemed a bit too hastily finished), both are worth taking a look, whether you are the escapist reader or a serious student of literature.

At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith

I am always on the lookout for books which appeal to readers. These books are of genres which somehow say to the bookworm or the overeducated, “Look, what you have learned is not useless – it’s helping you to understand this story!” When such a work is fictional, the result is far more gratifying. The Portuguese Irregular Verbs series by Alexander McCall Smith represents three such books, appealing to literary, philosophical, and anthropological understandings. At the same time, any student of human nature would be thrilled by the whimsical interactions of the characters in this and other McCall Smith works.

As a huge fan of the delightful characters in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, I picked up this slender piece of fiction at a used book store, eager to encounter others of the author’s works. The author understands people, that much is certain. As adept at noting the finer points of human relationship in England, Germany, and Columbia as he is with his Botswana tales, McCall Smith brilliantly weaves a tale not so much about story as it is about people. Don’t read this book looking for a linear, western plot, rather enjoy each individual character and culture peculiarity.

I look forward to reading the other two short novels in this series, and will be certain to report on them to you.

Wicked and Luther

Just over a week ago, I finally finished reading Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. It had taken me over two years to read it. This was not because it was uninteresting, but simply because even the softcover of the book was so huge, and it didn’t fit into my suitcase very well.

Maguire has a delightful understanding of L. Frank Baum’s Oz, reminding us that even fantasy characters are not so different from us, and that there is no true Utopia while humans still live there, at least not on this side of death. His explorations of the philosophy of what makes good versus evil are well described and thought provoking. Focusing on a hapless woman whose every intention for good brought evil to those she was near, Maguire brought to mind a not-so-fictitious character I have also encountered recently.

The movie Luther is about the spiritual and political journey of Martin Luther, as his passionate theology sparked the Protestant Reformation. It’s a brilliant movie, adding depth to a legendary character much like Wicked does. The road was far from smooth for Luther, whose beliefs were misinterpreted by many, leading to thousands of deaths during his lifetime and his published prejudice against the Jews was later quoted by Hitler as support for his holocaust. And yet, few in the church would argue that Luther was “wicked”, a force for evil in this world.

I realize that comparing a fictional character and a real-life worldchanger may be a far stretch, but bear with me. Both “characters” sought the greater good, which was at a surprising cost. How could one be considered wicked while the other benevolent? In Maguire’s book, the Witch sought good of her own creation. She depended upon her own abilities and her own self. When she failed, she failed alone. Martin Luther passionately trusted the God he was serving. He was fully aware of the failings of his humanity, and trusted God to bring about the good which he so desired to see. His very trust that he was incapable led him to entrust the mission to God, who truly made it happen, despite human failing.

Perhaps then, it is a relief to know that we are all “wicked”, but a loving God can keep us from falling, as well.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

(Jude 1:24-25 ESV)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

So I admit, it has been a while since I last updated this blog. Hopefully I haven’t lost any readers because of it. My summer was busier than I could have imagined, with a two hour commute on a day that began at 9:00 AM and ended at 11:00 PM. But that’s more than you needed to know. I did keep reading over the summer, but my chief project was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I vowed not to review it here, because I didn’t want anyone who hadn’t read it yet to miss any surprises thanks to my writing. Perhaps in a year or so, it will be safe to do so. Though truthfully, those who would read it don’t need my review to persuade them of it, and those who won’t read it aren’t likely to be persuaded otherwise.

Today’s review is non-literary, but one I had to share. I spent the day exploring Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and had a thoroughly enjoyable and awe-inspiring experience. I’m a huge fan of the National Parks, and I’m always impressed by the diversity of people I meet there. The fact that so few of them speak English reveals to me that these parks are one of our greatest treasures, and a huge part of what makes the US unique. I could write a separate review on quite a few parks, and I may yet do that, but for today, I have to recommend this little known treat.

Montrose, CO doesn’t seem to be towered over by anything all too imposing. The gently sloping foothills it borders hardly look like anything in comparison with the jagged peaks to the south of it. Thus, I was completely surprised when less than a half hour’s drive out of the city took me to an overlook that left me transfixed at the sight of it. The Gunnison River’s canyon through those sloping mountains is anything but gentle. Sheer dropoffs into a jagged canyon are breathtaking, to say the least. Even though August is the height of the season for these parks, I was often left alone or with only those in my party for company as I dared to near the edge of certain overlooks. The relative privacy of a mostly undiscovered park was another of its draws.

There is little more I can say about this, so I will leave you with a picture. Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to discover it for yourself. Find out more at http://www.nps.gov .

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Picture

For Better or For Best: Understand Your Husband by Gary Smalley

After a spat with my husband over nothing in particular, I was walking through a small town and happened into a thrift store where I found this book. “Aha!” I thought. “This book will solve my problems!” Amazing, isn’t it, how we’re willing to suspend logic, given the possibility of an easy answer?

I skimmed my way through the book, skipping ahead to the chapter I thought would be most helpful. Perhaps it was, in that it told me nothing I didn’t know and was a good reminder that I needed to buck up and admit my part of the blame in our fight. Those moments of realization are never enjoyable, but what follows certainly is. J

Ah, yes, about the book. Written in 1979 by a man, the intended audience is, obviously, women. Noting the inherent conflict of interests this might bring up, I plunged in anyway, and found the book not only quaint, but downright funny in places. I found this dated little list in a chapter entitled, “How To Increase You Husband’s Desire To Spend Quality Time With You.”

1. Be attentive to his concerns when he comes home.
2. Look as attractive as possible when he comes home.
3. Prepare appetizing meals.
4. Show interest and ask questions about his job, activities, problems, achievements.
5. Listen attentively by focusing your eyes on him.
6. Don’t make him compete with the TV, the dishes, or even the children when he’s trying to talk to you.

Pretty cute, isn’t it? I especially love the modifier, “when he comes home.” Curtis and I found the list incredibly unhelpful, and decided to make our own. I’ll post that in another blog, but in the meantime, I would love your additions to it. Please leave a comment with a suggestion, and I’ll make a new list.

Subaru and a Family Reunion

Renting a car is an unusual pleasure. You get to pretend to be someone else for a little while. You are the person who would buy this sporty little speedster as opposed to the practical minivan you drive around. You are the wealthy person with only 400 miles on your car, as opposed to 140,000 miles your real car has traversed. Perhaps I should quit writing in the second person when it’s really me I’m talking about. I thoroughly enjoy this temporary gratification. Or rather, I did.

This past week, my husband Curtis and I traveled to a family reunion on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Twenty-two family members shared an old Coast Artillery barracks with bad plumbing, aged carpets, and a stunning view of the ocean. It couldn’t have been better. I could have participated in this event pretending to be something I’m not, a real temptation when faced with such an event. But something wouldn’t have fit. Instead, I found myself living among family I know well, and those I haven’t seen in years, feeling comfortable in my skin. It would be fun to be different, but I didn’t need to be. I was accepted as the person I am, however unstylish or worn out. This brings me back to the Subaru.

During our time in Washington, we drove a 2006 Subaru Legacy. I got into this car, ready to adopt a new persona, a different attitude, a "new car" life. But something didn’t fit. Literally. No matter what way I adjusted the seat or the steering wheel, the car was ridiculously uncomfortable. I couldn’t even get out of it without groaning. (Review moment: don’t ever buy this car. :) )

I’ve given up on wanting to be something I’m not. On the inside, I was comfortable with my family, makeupless and real, and now that I’m back in my 1998 Ford Windstar, with its dents and noises and 140,000 miles, my outside is comfortable too.

The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum

As a pre-teen in the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas library, I remember discovering an entire bookcase of “Oz books”, as I then called them. L. Frank Baum indeed wrote many sequels to the book upon which the famous movie is based, and while some are written better than others, they all left a delightful imprint upon my childhood.

As an adult, I now see interesting social commentary throughout the series, but nowhere so much as in this, the first sequel of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In college, I recommended this book to a friend of mine who was studying gender theory, having no idea how rich this tale actually is in material for that subject. For example, at one point, Baum has two armies at war with each other, each made entirely of girls. Non-human characters like the scarecrow and tinman are the real heroes, and women come to their aid when their courage is not enough. Human men in the book are cowards, weaklings, or conniving powermongers. Is it possible that Baum was an early feminist? I know very little of his personal life, nor of his philosophies other than that which he reveals through these fantasies. What I do know is that, two days after I finished reading this book (having purchased it at an antique store, since it is out of print), my mind is still whirling with the repercussions of the story line. There is something to be said for writing which does that.

For those of you who may be wondering, I do read novels intended for adults, but I have discovered that it is far easier for me to find accessible, enjoyable, and succinct literature in the competitive field of children/adolescent writing, than it is for me to find such in books intended for adults. In addition, my less than predictable lifestyle makes it far more pleasurable to bury myself in a book that I can finish quickly, than to draw out a novel over several weeks. I’ll have to review a lengthy “grown-up” novel soon, however, just to keep things interesting for you.

Blowing Bubbles After the Rain

---If you have never endeavored to do this, go right out to the store and buy yourself some bubbles so you're ready for the next rainstorm. You are never too old for playing in the cool sweetness after the rain. We had extra fun with these, because they were scented like peppermint, and once they had covered every surface in iridescent beauty, it was as though we had decorated for Christmas, right in the middle of spring. If you're looking for good bubbles to buy, we got this fun scented variety at the Dollar Tree, and were delighted with the results.

Me

Spiderman, Despereaux, and Forgiveness?

It always intrigues me to see a common theme running through the media I encounter. It seems that when an idea becomes trendy, it reveals itself throughout the mass media. I never expected, however, for the theme I’ve encountered most recently to be forgiveness.

In Spiderman III, the traditional plot of superhuman villains needing to be vanquished had its usual spins and turns. The interesting plot twist in modern superhero movies is that the creation of a villain is a psychological/spiritual as well as physical act. Thus, it shouldn’t be surprising that in this most recent superhero movie, the destruction of a villain is also in the realm of the metaphysical. A strong contrast is revealed between two villains in the end, one who embraces hatred which leads to his destruction, and one who seeks redemption and forgiveness, finding release in the end. What a surprising and beautiful theme. The only problem arises from the fact that this movie is full of gruesome violence, destructive choices, and creepy graphics. That’s all well and good if you like that sort of thing, but if it’s the theme you’re attracted to, allow me to share a quote from the much tamer action adventure The Tale of Despereaux, which was, incidentally, the 2003 Newbery Medal winner, and a brilliant accomplishment by Kate DiCamillo.

“Forgiveness, reader, is, I think, something very much like hope and love, a powerful, wonderful thing. And a ridiculous thing, too. . . But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, ‘I forgive you, Pa.’ And he said those words because he sensed that it was the only way to save his own heart, to stop it from breaking in two.”

While forgiveness is a theme which best runs through the stories of all our lives, it never hurts to be reminded by someone else. If you haven’t read The Tale of Despereaux, find yourself a copy and be reminded. And, I suppose, you might watch Spiderman, as well.