Nature and Selected Essays - Ralph Waldo Emerson
OK, this is the first book I've read on the challenge so far that I didn't enjoy immensely. This is not to say that it wasn't without merit or that I didn't get some enjoyment from it. It is a thought provoking book, full of interesting thoughts on Nature, art, poetry, the soul, religion, etc. However, I had to read it for my class, and I'm not sure that I would have finished it if that was not the case.
First of all, the essays took a lecturing tone, which was not surprising as Emerson was a preacher and a teacher. However, after a while this tone started to wear on me, detracting from my enjoyment of the ideas. I also found him to be overly wordy. Maybe it is just because I'm coming off of Hemingway, but it just seemed to me that his ideas could have been expressed more succinctly. However, once you penetrate the prose, many of Emerson's ideas are surprisingly modern. Self-reliance, constant change, the creation of our world in perceiving it, the fact that we alter a situation through the act of observation, all seem surprisingly relevant and distinctly American.
So don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry I had to read this, and not just because of my grade. Ultimately I got through it, and I feel like I learned something. I feel enriched, but its the kind of enriched feeling I get from eating oatmeal and fresh fruit, rather than the enjoyment I might get out of steak and eggs.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Week 3 - The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
OK...OK...it's a short book...I know...but there's lots of books on my list that are long, so I think it balances out. Besides, it won the Pulitzer, so anyway...
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway's classic tale of man against nature in it's purest form. The Old Man is a fisherman who has not done well of late, to the point where the boy who normally helps him fish is forbidden to go out with him anymore. He still helps the man, giving him moral support and securing bait for his trip.
The Old Man, determined that his luck should change, ventures far out to sea, farther than anyone else would go. He winds up landing a huge marlin, easily as big as his boat, and with nothing more than a fish hook, lines and a harpoon, battles the fish for days until it finally succumbs. The Old Man, wounded and exhausted, is unable to get the fish onto his boat, even if the boat could hold the weight, and is forced to strap the fish to the side for the journey home. This of course attracts sharks, and the old man must fight them in order to protect his prize.
The Old Man has a great deal of respect for the fish and the ocean, and he constantly questions whether he has overstepped his bounds by going out so far, and whether he has the strength in his old age to prevail.
This is a glorious book, told with Hemingway's trademark terseness and clarity. Most of the story centers around the Old Man's adventure and his thoughts while battling the fish and the sharks. The boy is important, but in his absence rather than his presence, as the Old Man frequently wishes he were there to help him in his seemingly insurmountable task.
I guess, I'm 3 for 3. Another strong recommendation. My next books are probably going to be associated with the classes I am taking. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his selected essays are probably up next, although I also need to read my book on FDR and the New Deal.
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway's classic tale of man against nature in it's purest form. The Old Man is a fisherman who has not done well of late, to the point where the boy who normally helps him fish is forbidden to go out with him anymore. He still helps the man, giving him moral support and securing bait for his trip.
The Old Man, determined that his luck should change, ventures far out to sea, farther than anyone else would go. He winds up landing a huge marlin, easily as big as his boat, and with nothing more than a fish hook, lines and a harpoon, battles the fish for days until it finally succumbs. The Old Man, wounded and exhausted, is unable to get the fish onto his boat, even if the boat could hold the weight, and is forced to strap the fish to the side for the journey home. This of course attracts sharks, and the old man must fight them in order to protect his prize.
The Old Man has a great deal of respect for the fish and the ocean, and he constantly questions whether he has overstepped his bounds by going out so far, and whether he has the strength in his old age to prevail.
This is a glorious book, told with Hemingway's trademark terseness and clarity. Most of the story centers around the Old Man's adventure and his thoughts while battling the fish and the sharks. The boy is important, but in his absence rather than his presence, as the Old Man frequently wishes he were there to help him in his seemingly insurmountable task.
I guess, I'm 3 for 3. Another strong recommendation. My next books are probably going to be associated with the classes I am taking. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his selected essays are probably up next, although I also need to read my book on FDR and the New Deal.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Book 2 - The March - E. L. Doctorow
First a little general business - if you want to skip to the review just jump down to where it says "The March."
Whew! This has been a tough week. I decided to take a couple of classes, and both of them started on Monday. The first is a literature course that I alluded to in an earlier post, the second is a political science course on American National Politics. So in addition to my reading this week, I've had stuff to read for school. This will ultimately contribute to the challenge, as I have to read a number of books for the classes.
The American Literature Course of course will add several books to my upcoming list. Moby Dick is already on there. I will be adding the others shortly. I won't be counting my Political Science textbook, I don't think, but there are two other books for this class. One is on the New Deal, and one is about the Reagan Revolution. They are short books, about 150 pages each, but I don't see why I shouldn't count them.
The March - E. L. Doctorow
The March is a fictionalized account of General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous march to the sea following his taking of Atlanta late in 1864. Sherman ran a rather brutal and unorthodox campaign. Deep in the South, he relied not on supply lines, but instead he looted the rich southern plantations and towns in order to get the supplies to keep his army going. If the people offered resistance, he would take what he wanted anyway and burn their houses to the ground.
The March tells its story through the eyes of many characters. General Sherman is the closest we come to a main character because his campaign is responsible for setting the stage, but many other characters are of equal importance. Emily Thompson is a displaced southern belle who finds herself in love with a Union surgeon, who allows her to tag along with his mobile hospital as a nurse. Pearl, the daughter of a white landowner and a slave woman, passes as a white drummer boy for a time, and finds herself in the camp of Sherman, as well as in the Surgeon's hospital. Will and Arly, a pair of misfit Rebel soldiers, are introduced as prisoners of the Confederate army, one for desertion and the other for dereliction. They manage to escape and find themselves changing uniforms when it suits them to stay alive. These are but a few of the characters that find themselves caught up in Sherman's army as it marches from Atlanta to the sea, and then on up into the Carolinas.
The story therefore winds up being less about the march and more about the people it affects. Doctorow shows the war through many eyes: southern landholders, freed slaves, Union and Rebel soldiers and the officers that command them. The characters while powerful, seem not so much to drive the action as to be caught up in it, powerless to stop the onslaught of Sherman's army.
I believe this book was a runner-up for the Pulitzer a few years back. Again, another good read, and a strong recommendation!
Whew! This has been a tough week. I decided to take a couple of classes, and both of them started on Monday. The first is a literature course that I alluded to in an earlier post, the second is a political science course on American National Politics. So in addition to my reading this week, I've had stuff to read for school. This will ultimately contribute to the challenge, as I have to read a number of books for the classes.
The American Literature Course of course will add several books to my upcoming list. Moby Dick is already on there. I will be adding the others shortly. I won't be counting my Political Science textbook, I don't think, but there are two other books for this class. One is on the New Deal, and one is about the Reagan Revolution. They are short books, about 150 pages each, but I don't see why I shouldn't count them.
The March - E. L. Doctorow
The March is a fictionalized account of General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous march to the sea following his taking of Atlanta late in 1864. Sherman ran a rather brutal and unorthodox campaign. Deep in the South, he relied not on supply lines, but instead he looted the rich southern plantations and towns in order to get the supplies to keep his army going. If the people offered resistance, he would take what he wanted anyway and burn their houses to the ground.
The March tells its story through the eyes of many characters. General Sherman is the closest we come to a main character because his campaign is responsible for setting the stage, but many other characters are of equal importance. Emily Thompson is a displaced southern belle who finds herself in love with a Union surgeon, who allows her to tag along with his mobile hospital as a nurse. Pearl, the daughter of a white landowner and a slave woman, passes as a white drummer boy for a time, and finds herself in the camp of Sherman, as well as in the Surgeon's hospital. Will and Arly, a pair of misfit Rebel soldiers, are introduced as prisoners of the Confederate army, one for desertion and the other for dereliction. They manage to escape and find themselves changing uniforms when it suits them to stay alive. These are but a few of the characters that find themselves caught up in Sherman's army as it marches from Atlanta to the sea, and then on up into the Carolinas.
The story therefore winds up being less about the march and more about the people it affects. Doctorow shows the war through many eyes: southern landholders, freed slaves, Union and Rebel soldiers and the officers that command them. The characters while powerful, seem not so much to drive the action as to be caught up in it, powerless to stop the onslaught of Sherman's army.
I believe this book was a runner-up for the Pulitzer a few years back. Again, another good read, and a strong recommendation!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
One Down, Fifty-one To Go!
Seven days in, and I have completed my first book, "No Country For Old Men," by Cormac McCarthy. Set in Texas, this is a gritty tale of the futility of good in the face of unrelenting evil. There aren't really any heroes in this book, just survivors, and very few of those at that.
LLewellyn Moss is a welder who happens on a drug deal gone bad and makes off with 2.4 million dollars of cash, prompting both parties to the transaction to try to kill him. Wendell Bell is the sheriff who is largely powerless to protect his constituency against escalating violence from the drug trade. Anton Chigurgh, the psychopathic hitman, whose weapon of choice is a cattle gun powered by compressed air, is a grim reaper, killing almost everybody he comes in contact with.
The chase roars through Texas and Mexico, leaving a trail of death in it's wake. Chigurgh pursues his prey relentlessly, with a single minded philosophy and a physical discipline that makes him an almost unstoppable force. McCarthy has a terse writing style that complements the barren Tex/Mex landscape, and propels the action ever forward.
All-in-all, a very good book. I highly recommend it!
LLewellyn Moss is a welder who happens on a drug deal gone bad and makes off with 2.4 million dollars of cash, prompting both parties to the transaction to try to kill him. Wendell Bell is the sheriff who is largely powerless to protect his constituency against escalating violence from the drug trade. Anton Chigurgh, the psychopathic hitman, whose weapon of choice is a cattle gun powered by compressed air, is a grim reaper, killing almost everybody he comes in contact with.
The chase roars through Texas and Mexico, leaving a trail of death in it's wake. Chigurgh pursues his prey relentlessly, with a single minded philosophy and a physical discipline that makes him an almost unstoppable force. McCarthy has a terse writing style that complements the barren Tex/Mex landscape, and propels the action ever forward.
All-in-all, a very good book. I highly recommend it!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Book List
These are books that I am currently reading or considering:
Moby Dick - Herman Melville - I might need this for a class I'm thinking about taking and I've never read it. My professor kept saying that he thought this was one of the best examples of the Great American Novel.
No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy - Yes, I've seen the movie, and from what I've read so far and what I remember of the movie, the movie seems to be pretty true to the book. You'll have to take my word for it that I read it.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon - One of those books that has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while, but I never got around to reading. I think I heard an interview with the author which piqued my interest. It won a Pulitzer Prize, so hopefully it will be a worthwhile read.
The Lexicographer's Dilemma - Jack Lynch - This has to do with the evolution of "Proper" English. I love things to do with the history of language. This would be an example of the type of non-fiction book in which I would be interested.
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson - according to the author, this is a book about life, the universe and everything, from the Big Bang to the ascendancy of Homo sapiens. Another example of what I regard as interesting non-fiction.
Well, that's a start. I'll be amending and re-prioritizing the list as I deem necessary. Feel free to add suggestions!
Moby Dick - Herman Melville - I might need this for a class I'm thinking about taking and I've never read it. My professor kept saying that he thought this was one of the best examples of the Great American Novel.
No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy - Yes, I've seen the movie, and from what I've read so far and what I remember of the movie, the movie seems to be pretty true to the book. You'll have to take my word for it that I read it.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon - One of those books that has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while, but I never got around to reading. I think I heard an interview with the author which piqued my interest. It won a Pulitzer Prize, so hopefully it will be a worthwhile read.
The Lexicographer's Dilemma - Jack Lynch - This has to do with the evolution of "Proper" English. I love things to do with the history of language. This would be an example of the type of non-fiction book in which I would be interested.
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson - according to the author, this is a book about life, the universe and everything, from the Big Bang to the ascendancy of Homo sapiens. Another example of what I regard as interesting non-fiction.
Well, that's a start. I'll be amending and re-prioritizing the list as I deem necessary. Feel free to add suggestions!
Let's Get Started
Hello,
My name is Keith. I'm 48 years old, currently unemployed. In a prior life, I worked in software development, both as a developer and a manager. I have decided to take some time off and try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I've been mostly goofing off for the last year, but I have taken a few classes, including a literature class. This has rekindled an interest in reading for personal pleasure, and I have decided to embark on a challenge. I have decided to attempt to read 52 books this year. I plan to do this whether or not I take any more classes or manage to find a job. A quick Google search will reveal this to be a fairly common challenge, and I don't know if anyone will wind up reading this blog, but hopefully having to write about the experience will keep me going. Perhaps also, there is an offhand chance that someone will read this and be inspired to do the same.
I'm going to have to assume that at least for now I am a voice in the wilderness, but if anyone is out there and wishes to make suggestions for what I should read, please feel free. I plan to read from contemporary novels and classic literature, although I think there is a good chance I will delve into biography and other non-fiction. I'm not sure that there is anything that is off-limits, but we will have to see. I'm not necessarily going to let popular opinion make my reading decisions for me. I just look to you for suggestions.
I also look to you for feedback. If anyone winds up reading this blog, it would be nice to be able to discuss the books. I guess we'll see if that takes shape or not.
To give you an idea of what I've been reading lately, I just recently finished an American Literature Class in which we read the following:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
O Pioneers - Willa Cather
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey
I may take another class this semester, which will of course dictate some of the books I will read. I also do not necessarily plan on sticking to a one book/one week schedule. I also may read more than one book at a time, and re-prioritize books based on my whim. The ultimate goal is to read 52 books over the course of the year. I welcome you to follow my progress, and join in if you like!
Keith
My name is Keith. I'm 48 years old, currently unemployed. In a prior life, I worked in software development, both as a developer and a manager. I have decided to take some time off and try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I've been mostly goofing off for the last year, but I have taken a few classes, including a literature class. This has rekindled an interest in reading for personal pleasure, and I have decided to embark on a challenge. I have decided to attempt to read 52 books this year. I plan to do this whether or not I take any more classes or manage to find a job. A quick Google search will reveal this to be a fairly common challenge, and I don't know if anyone will wind up reading this blog, but hopefully having to write about the experience will keep me going. Perhaps also, there is an offhand chance that someone will read this and be inspired to do the same.
I'm going to have to assume that at least for now I am a voice in the wilderness, but if anyone is out there and wishes to make suggestions for what I should read, please feel free. I plan to read from contemporary novels and classic literature, although I think there is a good chance I will delve into biography and other non-fiction. I'm not sure that there is anything that is off-limits, but we will have to see. I'm not necessarily going to let popular opinion make my reading decisions for me. I just look to you for suggestions.
I also look to you for feedback. If anyone winds up reading this blog, it would be nice to be able to discuss the books. I guess we'll see if that takes shape or not.
To give you an idea of what I've been reading lately, I just recently finished an American Literature Class in which we read the following:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
O Pioneers - Willa Cather
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey
I may take another class this semester, which will of course dictate some of the books I will read. I also do not necessarily plan on sticking to a one book/one week schedule. I also may read more than one book at a time, and re-prioritize books based on my whim. The ultimate goal is to read 52 books over the course of the year. I welcome you to follow my progress, and join in if you like!
Keith
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