"I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy." Chesterton write of ...more"I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy." Chesterton write of his own conversion, it’s a personal foray into his reasoning, his discoveries and his faith. The beautiful paradox is that it's quite universal.
For me, this is my favorite introduction to Chesterton. He's witty, insightful, brilliant, and an engaging author. I've read Manalive, and a collection of Father Brown stories, and had wondered at his ability to drive paradox and mystery into the common, and derive the common from appears to be a paradox and mystery. This book explains a good deal of his drive and way of thinking.
I'm amazed it took me this long to find Chesterton, on the other hand, I'm not sure I would have appreciated him as much as I do now. I know of and have read some of his contemporaries, Shaw, Wells, Russell, Belloc, and I am quite familiar with those he inspired, like C.S. Lewis and several of the Inklings, but somehow Chesterton didn’t register with me. Surely I had passed him by, but never noticed. Fortunately, I've made his acquaintance, and given his prolific output, I have much to read from him still. Almost one of those "when the student is ready" moments ;)
One thing struck me while reading this book, just how little things have changed since his time. The standard objections to Christianity have barely changed form, Chesterton answers a number of them I still see today, and his answers are still worth considering. Had I a highlighter, I would have worn it out.
Chesterton leaps, twirls and bounces, and if you let him, he'll grab onto your hand and pull you along at breakneck pace, only to arrive where you started, allowing for you being completely different. His mad passion drives his reason, and his reason harnesses his passion, and I merely hitched a ride to a completely familiar place, seen for the first time. See? Even writing about him lends one to start dabbling in the art of paradox and juxtaposition!
In the end, I found I learned more about my religion than I expected, more about Chesterton than I had hoped, and left a deeper appreciation of joy than looked for.
I simply cannot recommend this book enough! (less)
Collins did it again, created a totally engaging world, interesting characters, solid plot line, then drops...more**spoiler alert** ** Spoilers! **
Collins did it again, created a totally engaging world, interesting characters, solid plot line, then drops the ball at the end, just like in Gregor.
Actually, she does more than drop the ball, by killing Prim she negates the entire reason for the series. It's stupid, meaningless and robs the first two books of any significance.
But wait! It gets a little worse. The book taken on the whole is somewhat boring: Katniss does something, gets hurt, spends time recovering, but each recovery period she closer to being insane. Gone is the strong, brave, resourceful girl from the first book, she's somewhat a shadow, a mutt version of herself. She barely acts, but mostly just reactions, letting Snow or Coin or events push her into a position she doesn't want to be.
Everyone important in the series either ends up dead or broken so much that sticking them in a the loony bin and keeping them heavily medicated would have been a blessing.
Some thing where totally telegraphed from the start, President Coin was going to be as bad as President Snow, she would have to die. Heck, her name 'Coin' was a dead giveaway, seeing how much meaning Collins puts into her names.
Katniss not choosing Peeta or Gale was a cop out. Gale deserves better than his exit. Katniss ending up with Peeta was fine, made sense, he was the only one almost as broken as she was, but Gale's ending was weak.
Finnik's death I thought was lame. Nothing heroic befitting a character such as his, in fact, it seems like a cheap trick on Collins part to kill off him after so spending much time fleshing him out and making me like him.
Yes, war bad. Bad things happen. Got it, but it's a message that has been beaten in the public's head at least since the 60's, but I for one didn't read this book for the author's heavy handed preaching of that, I read it because the first book was amazing in terms of human emotions and relationships. Both of which were more caricatures in the last book compared to the first two. Especially the end.
Other parts of this book were darn good, Katniss and Gale facing down hovercraft, Gale's plan to take the Nut, the assault on the Capital leading up to leaving Tigris' shop. The special group number for Katniss' team, 451, which I hope was a nod to Bradbury's book "Fahrenheit 451", since 451 is the temperature at which books burn.
None of which makes up for Katniss hearing about most of the action reported to her or after she's recovered, again, from the last horrible thing.
Even Haymitch seemed less himself than he had been in the other two books.
And what was up with Katniss and Haymitch agreeing to one last Hunger Games? I mean really?
Collins at least allows for her characters to heal this time, unlike in Gregor.(less)
Though written roughly 100 years ago, it was still an excellent overview of Caesar's life and times....moreHistory of Julius Caesar by Jacob Abbott
Though written roughly 100 years ago, it was still an excellent overview of Caesar's life and times. I was already somewhat familiar with his history, but this book went into more detail in areas I wasn't as familiar by highlighting major events in his life as he become the most powerful man in Rome with the entire Roman Empire at his beck and call as "dictator in perpetuity".
I learned a number of things, but one that stuck out the most was at the end, Caesar was killed on the day he was going to be crowned King of the Roman empire excluding Rome in order to fulfill a prophecy about a king defeating the Parthians. His conspirators did that on purpose, as a warning to all would be Roman rulers. Too bad it didn't stick, instead it kicked off civil wars and Caesar's grandson Octavius (later Augustus) took over the same role and expanding it, calling himself 'Princeps Senatus' and concentrating more power unto himself, starting the rule of the Emperors, ending the Republic that had existed for 500 years.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting a solid overview of Caesar's life and times.(less)
The Lost Hero is fantastic continuation of the Percy Jackson series. The story followed Jason, Piper and Leo, the new heroes of the series, and tied i...moreThe Lost Hero is fantastic continuation of the Percy Jackson series. The story followed Jason, Piper and Leo, the new heroes of the series, and tied in Anabeth and Camp Half-blood characters as a bridge between the first series and the new one. The book is told from their prespectives in third person form, with two chapters for each. Unlike the Red Pyramid, I had no problem telling who was who in their respective chapters.
I don't want to give anything away, but the big bad is really quite quite big. And bad. The whole thing revolves around the gods' different aspects as Greek and Roman gods.
I liked Jason, he fit the role very well, having the right blend of trusting his instincts, using his skills and knowledge and trusting his friends.
Piper was a more complex character than I was expecting, her drama unfolded in a way that made sense and didn't feel like Riordin stretched things out for the sake of keeping that plot line alive. When she's weak, it fits, and when she grows into her natural talents and exhibits her strength, that also fits.
Leo, sadly, was the weakest character, mostly because his dialogue seemed watered down and not genuine. But his skills are cool, and he's loyal, and that makes up for it to make him an important part of the trio.
The pacing is like the Percy Jackson books, fast paced, and Riordin has tightened up his plot, letting it drive the story even more than he had in the first books.
Highly recommended for Percy Jackson fans, but I suggest starting with the first part of the series before reading this one. (less)
**spoiler alert** The book was great up until the end. **Spoilers** Collins leaves Gregor a complete mess, a broken and scared 12 year old, wi...more**spoiler alert** The book was great up until the end. **Spoilers** Collins leaves Gregor a complete mess, a broken and scared 12 year old, with no real hope of healing. I hated that part, I liked the ambiguity and that he had to deal with the consequences of being the warrior, but to leave him that messed up with no clear hope of being able to put his life back? Boo.
Next, at the end, all of a sudden the prophecies were meaningless. Wait, what? She just spent the four previous books and almost all of this one showing how the prophecies mattered and directly influenced their lives, and how everything happened the way Sandwich predicted, and how they had to unravel the meanings to save the day, but now all that is just tossed out? The only weak prophecy was the Code of the Claw, but Collins clearly wrote it to be weak so she could pull a fast one on us, the readers. Boo.
Sandwich is suddenly a bad guy. Best way to undermine the whole prophecy business is to make the guy with them turn into some evil nutcase. Boo.
I was willing to let Gregor be a rager with no explanation, after he was the prophesied warrior (until the prophecies weren't valid), but the echo location? Wow, that needs some serious explanation as to why that would work for him in that manner. I mean, it was like he turned into Daredevil, without the tedious back story on how he got superpowers and with just a minor training sequence. Boo.
Luxa and Ripred at the end. Luxa: Exile the rats! Drive them forth into the Uncharted Lands, sealing their doom! Ripred: We'll fight to the death! *bares teeth, sharpens claws* Luxa: So be it, to the death! *draws sword, orders troops to move out* Gregor: Stop being stupid. Look, I broke my sword. Luxa: Well, let's be BFFs, Ripred! Ripred: Oh, totally! Besties 4ever!
Reading that part it flowed well, thinking about after left me scratching my head. I mean, bonding with Ripred is a totally awesome move, gives hope, helps bury the hatchet, etc, etc. Just the speed they went from ready to kill each other to getting matching outfits for celebration feast was almost enough to give me whiplash.
Despite all this, I still give it 3 stars because the rest of the book was a great read! (less)
Having read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall...moreHaving read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall, engaging and clever, she flexes her world-building muscles in these and to great effect. I give all them 4 stars, expect the last book.
Collins does her major themes very well, family, love, loyalty, honor, respect, not judging in haste and being willing to re-evaluate with new evidence, doing one's duty to protect and defend that which one loves, there are consequences for actions, you can't go back to the way things were before, you can only move forward. Most of the messages were clearly spelled out, which is fine for a series aimed at a younger audience. Characters are interesting, they feel fleshed out and rounded for the most part; many grow and change as the series progresses. Collins can be a little violent, but only a few scenes were what I considered to be gory or gruesome.
Boots is adorable and portrayed like a real kid. Her antics and cute sayings ring true making the character believable and likable.
The giant talking critters have not only their own identity as a species, but also as individuals, and some traits run counter the species' traits.
The world is well imagined, interesting and varied.
We're going to put these on our girls' reading lists.(less)
Having read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall...moreHaving read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall, engaging and clever, she flexes her world-building muscles in these and to great effect. I give all them 4 stars, expect the last book.
Collins does her major themes very well, family, love, loyalty, honor, respect, not judging in haste and being willing to re-evaluate with new evidence, doing one's duty to protect and defend that which one loves, there are consequences for actions, you can't go back to the way things were before, you can only move forward. Most of the messages were clearly spelled out, which is fine for a series aimed at a younger audience. Characters are interesting, they feel fleshed out and rounded for the most part; many grow and change as the series progresses. Collins can be a little violent, but only a few scenes were what I considered to be gory or gruesome.
Boots is adorable and portrayed like a real kid. Her antics and cute sayings ring true making the character believable and likable.
The giant talking critters have not only their own identity as a species, but also as individuals, and some traits run counter the species' traits.
The world is well imagined, interesting and varied.
We're going to put these on our girls' reading lists.(less)
Having read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall...moreHaving read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall, engaging and clever, she flexes her world-building muscles in these and to great effect. I give all them 4 stars, expect the last book.
Collins does her major themes very well, family, love, loyalty, honor, respect, not judging in haste and being willing to re-evaluate with new evidence, doing one's duty to protect and defend that which one loves, there are consequences for actions, you can't go back to the way things were before, you can only move forward. Most of the messages were clearly spelled out, which is fine for a series aimed at a younger audience. Characters are interesting, they feel fleshed out and rounded for the most part; many grow and change as the series progresses. Collins can be a little violent, but only a few scenes were what I considered to be gory or gruesome.
Boots is adorable and portrayed like a real kid. Her antics and cute sayings ring true making the character believable and likable.
The giant talking critters have not only their own identity as a species, but also as individuals, and some traits run counter the species' traits.
The world is well imagined, interesting and varied.
We're going to put these on our girls' reading lists.(less)
Having read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall...moreHaving read the first two books of the Hunger Games, and my wife having read all three, we got Collins first published series. Top notch reads overall, engaging and clever, she flexes her world-building muscles in these and to great effect. I give all them 4 stars, expect the last book.
Collins does her major themes very well, family, love, loyalty, honor, respect, not judging in haste and being willing to re-evaluate with new evidence, doing one's duty to protect and defend that which one loves, there are consequences for actions, you can't go back to the way things were before, you can only move forward. Most of the messages were clearly spelled out, which is fine for a series aimed at a younger audience. Characters are interesting, they feel fleshed out and rounded for the most part; many grow and change as the series progresses. Collins can be a little violent, but only a few scenes were what I considered to be gory or gruesome.
Boots is adorable and portrayed like a real kid. Her antics and cute sayings ring true making the character believable and likable.
The giant talking critters have not only their own identity as a species, but also as individuals, and some traits run counter the species' traits.
The world is well imagined, interesting and varied.
We're going to put these on our girls' reading lists.(less)
**spoiler alert** Catching fire was as good as the first one. Collins continued the themes from the first, let her characters deal with the consequenc...more**spoiler alert** Catching fire was as good as the first one. Collins continued the themes from the first, let her characters deal with the consequences of their actions and cranked up the intensity.
Spoiler alert: having them return to the games in a new arena made sense, President Snow needed a way to make Katniss disappear in an indirect manner that was socially accepted; anything else would give the rebels a martyr.
I had been worried that the return would feel forced, or just a rehash of the first book; neither of my fears turned out to be true.
Cliffhanger was well played out, I really need to read the next one now :)(less)
I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. I've read short stories about the titular Jeeves, but this novel exceeded my expectations! Wooster's att...moreI laughed out loud on more than one occasion. I've read short stories about the titular Jeeves, but this novel exceeded my expectations! Wooster's attempts to solve the heartbroken and forlorn's problems, thinking that Jeeves had lost his grip, result in a farce of no little complexity. Wodehouse's characterizations are brilliant, the dialogue twists and turn with unexpected relish and vim, the Jazz-age slang is delightful, and his settings are like finely crafted stages. I grinned throughout this book, being constantly amused and delighted. Wooster is a loudly self-proclaimed genius, and is severely mislead in that self-assessment to the point his aunt started calling him 'Attila', while Jeeves is well known for having a big brain with a certain degree of modesty befitting a gentleman's butler. Bertie's well meaning but inept bumbling might be the center piece of the plot, however Wodehouse casually weaves in more sparkling supporting cast members, situations, dialogue and stories in one book than most authors do in their entire oeuvre. I think I'm dangerously low on superlatives, and this book deserves them all.
So here are just a few quotes:
Yes, Jeeves?" I said. "Something on your mind, Jeeves?" "I fear that you inadvertently left Cannes in the possession of a coat belonging to some other gentleman, sir." I switched on the steely a bit more. "No, Jeeves," I said, in a level tone, "the object under advisement is mine. I bought it out there." "You wore it, sir?" "Every night." "But surely you are not proposing to wear it in England, sir?"
"If Aunt Dahlia has a fault, it is that she is apt to address a vis-à-vis as if he were somebody half a mile away whom she had observed riding over hounds."
"Too often, when a chap of your acquaintance is planning to marry a girl you know, you find yourself knitting the brow a bit and chewing the lower lip dubiously, feeling that he or she, or both, should be warned while there is yet time."
"When we Woosters put our hands to the plough, we do not readily sheathe the sword."
The man had materialized on the carpet. Absolutely noiseless, as usual. "A note for you, sir." "A note for me, Jeeves?" "A note for you, sir." "From whom, Jeeves?" "From Miss Bassett, sir." "From whom, Jeeves?" "From Miss Bassett, sir." "From Miss Bassett, Jeeves?" "From Miss Bassett, sir." At this point, Aunt Dahlia, who had taken one nibble at her whatever-it-was-on-toast and laid it down, begged us—a little fretfully, I thought—for heaven's sake to cut out the cross-talk vaudeville stuff, as she had enough to bear already without having to listen to us doing our imitation of the Two Macs. Always willing to oblige, I dismissed Jeeves with a nod, and he flickered for a moment and was gone. Many a spectre would have been less slippy.(less)
Oh my goodness. I was floored by just how layered this book is. Collins has created a sci-fi dystopia built out of the Roman Empire, the US, "198...moreOh my goodness. I was floored by just how layered this book is. Collins has created a sci-fi dystopia built out of the Roman Empire, the US, "1984" and "Brave New World" combined with her own brilliance. This isn't just a YA sci-fi, this is a work that will be considered a classic. She strips away all our comfortable layers of civilization, brings her characters down to the raw need to survive, and lets humans be humans. Love, loyalty, family, what it means to trust, desperation, the will to survive, betrayal, the barbaric and sadistic, so much is in there. I had a hard time starting the book, the first dozen pages or so are a little slow going, but once she gets the plot moving, she doesn't let up. The characters are caught up in a political machine so far removed from them that it's almost omnipotent, where they are pieces to be used by the Capitol's whim to debase and grind down the Districts. And yet, Katniss, in her gamble to survive, finds flaws and chinks and how to work the system that could easily kill her and everyone she loves or knows without effort, thought, or remorse. This book not only lives up to the hype, it exceeds it.
I liked it better than the fourth Mortal Instruments book, but not quite as much as the first trilogy. The author spent more time developing her chara...moreI liked it better than the fourth Mortal Instruments book, but not quite as much as the first trilogy. The author spent more time developing her characters, even if the setting is more modern than Victorian, but still it doesn't ring entirely fanciful. A pleasing continuation of her fictional world.(less)
Mostly the same as the first three. More Simon, more angsty Jace, which isn't that fun, more Clary not feeling centered. And yet, I didn't like it as ...moreMostly the same as the first three. More Simon, more angsty Jace, which isn't that fun, more Clary not feeling centered. And yet, I didn't like it as much as the first three. Simon's story, yes, the Big Bad of the book, yes, but something wasn't quite put together as smoothly as the first three. Still, not a bad summertime book.
I'd give this 2 1/2 stars if I could, not quite a 3, but definitely not a 2.(less)
Since I read these back to back, this review applies to the fir...more**spoiler alert** The Mortal Instruments
** Some potential spoilers*
Since I read these back to back, this review applies to the first three books. These are flat out entertaining beach books. The author was clearly influenced by Harry Potter and Star Wars, Supernatural and Buffy, at the very least, but this isn't rehashed plot and characters, more like the influences help add interest and flavor. And she came up with a forbidden love interest different from the standard, one that you know cannot be that way. The main antagonist is a variation of Voldemort, but I still booed when he came on stage, Clary and Jace are entertaining and fleshed out enough to feel right. The secondary characters have their own charm and interesting quirks. The first book had some editing problems, and sometimes I had re-read a section to get the image in my mind, but overall it the prose supported the plot; the subsequent books smoothed out many of the rough edges of the first, though some of her descriptions come out strained even in the third. I did like in the first two books the heroes didn't win completely, and nearly failed. The world works as a semi-teenage urban fantasy with mythology built from religious mythology, mostly Judeo-Christian sources, literature and folk lore. It's a book that is very much a product of our times, for better or worse. Heavy in angst and sarcasm, but it doesn't turn gritty, depressing or overstay its welcome. Clare, the author, who I strongly suspect wrote herself in as Clary ;), can pull out some sharp one liners and witty dialogue. Like Buffy grade one liners. They aren't perfect books, I found them to be engaging and quick reads.
Recommended for those that like YA urban fantasies or like something entertaining and easy to read.(less)
I read this years ago when I was a preteen and liked it then. In truth, I approached with some trepidation, what once was enjoyable when young doesn't...moreI read this years ago when I was a preteen and liked it then. In truth, I approached with some trepidation, what once was enjoyable when young doesn't always have the same appeal when older. However, I wasn't disappointed. Heinlein published this in 1966 at the height of his powers as a hard SciFi author. What is a fairly straightforward plot, the residents of the moon rebel, is just a cover for Heinlein's ability to expound to the reader with ideas Heinlein had been brewing on. The dialogue consists of a pidgin of English and Russian with Russian grammatical structures, such as the dropping of indefinite articles, and Russian words producing a stylized and choppy flow, it works well to establish lunar atmosphere (ha!) and fades to the background. Heinlein hits the reader with fairly detailed explanations of the Moon's conditions, both technological and societal, lays on thick 1960's style of libertarian theories about trade and government and introduces the accidental artificial intelligence. This is not a book for beginners, try his earlier works from the 50's like "Have Space Suit—Will Travel" or "Farmer in the Sky". Mike the accidental artificial intelligence is one of my favorite A.I. characters, right up there with HAL, but on the side of the good guys :) I thought Heinlein did a fantastic job having Mike progress during the book. Heinlein correctly anticipated the nature of the internet in that with proper connections, data could be accessed from from anywhere, including images, by computers. Pretty forward thinking. In Heinlein's vision, the equipment needed were telephones and A.I. to get the job done.
Heinlein packs a lot into this book without sacrificing ease of reading. Recommended for hard SciFi fans, the rest of you are on your own :) (less)
I've seen the play perform numerous times, with varying levels of acting skills, some of which were more like the 'rude mechanicals' ;), but hadn't as...moreI've seen the play perform numerous times, with varying levels of acting skills, some of which were more like the 'rude mechanicals' ;), but hadn't as yet actually read the play. It was a delight to read, very accessible even with Elizabethan language and turn of phrases. Enchanting, the Bard is fine form, playing with love, spirits, identity and for laughs; it's a play that will be retold for ages to come.
Aside from Shakespeare's own wit, I was amused that the play-within-the-play was the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, a Roman story set down around 8 AD by Ovid, being performed for Theseus, an Athenian born at least 1000 years before then. Shakespeare clearly chose it to match his story, but with a tragic ending instead of a happy (ah, if the play is a comedy in the traditional sense, but the play inside is a tragedy, how then can the play simply be classified as a comedy? But then again, why not since none of the major characters died, but all of them were married?), did he care if it was an anachronism?
And, of course, there's the age old question of whether he meant it truly as a dream, or was he just covering all his bases?
Regardless, I enjoyed the play, and reading it helped me gain a new perspective on it.(less)
This is one of those stories that repays revisiting now and then. This time around I was struck by the thought that this wasn't a story of pure good v...moreThis is one of those stories that repays revisiting now and then. This time around I was struck by the thought that this wasn't a story of pure good vs. unadulterated evil. It was a story of a man vs his baser, immoral side. Sin and temptation vs the desire to be a good person, not a battle between Heaven and Hell. Stevenson uses a few points of view to explore the story, a common literary technique (See Dracula for another example, written a little later) that allowed him to expose the plot outside the narrower bounds of a single character. It works well to spin a tale of Gothic sensibilities and Victorian morality. Well worth reading.(less)
A collection of murder mysteries by G. K. Chesterton featuring a visually unremarkable priest, the titular Father Brown, but who has a deep understand...moreA collection of murder mysteries by G. K. Chesterton featuring a visually unremarkable priest, the titular Father Brown, but who has a deep understanding of the human soul, it's foibles and strengths, combined with a sharp and penetrating mind. Chesterton takes the standard murder mystery formula and doesn't change it as much as uses it to express a moral lesson, or just an intriguing moral quandary. Father Brown is the embodiment of "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves".
I like murder mysteries, I like Chesterton, so this was a fun read and quite enjoyable. (less)
This was just as good, if not better, than the first. More political intrigue, of course, and Sanderson touches on so many topics, such as what it mea...moreThis was just as good, if not better, than the first. More political intrigue, of course, and Sanderson touches on so many topics, such as what it means to be a good ruler, what is loyalty, friendship, love, belief and doubt, all within a fantastic fantasy world.
Then, at the end, he yanks the rug under you. Actually, I had the rug yanked a few times, even though I was expecting it for at least one time!
And in the end, I had more questions than when I started.
All in all, a highly recommended fantasy book.
(less)
This book doesn't break new ground in classic coming of age hero quest books. It's a fun read, everyone is polite, smiling and bowing to each other. I...moreThis book doesn't break new ground in classic coming of age hero quest books. It's a fun read, everyone is polite, smiling and bowing to each other. I know, it sounds like too much, but the book works as a story. It reads like a D&D module based on The Hobbit, you can practically hear the dice rolling as the characters head off to fight Smaug, er, Slathbog. If the preceding sentence made no sense to you, just think of this as a good elementary school and middle school level introduction to fantasy.
The prose is tight, it stays out the way and tells the story, the world is easy to picture and the magical aspects are handled with the right amount of interest and awe. The characters are charming, if a bit stereotypical. The book also reinforces the ideals of honor and respect.
Amusingly to me, no one uses any contractions. Ever.
All in all it was pleasant to read a straight up sword and sorcery that isn't trying to be ironic or more than just what it is. No massive epic with layers of meaning behind each character, no hidden foes among allies, or allies hidden among foes. It's simple, and I liked that aspect of it. It may not be everyone's style, but I enjoyed it and will be giving it to my kids to read. I do hope the next book has more tension, though, another friendly stroll to vast amounts of wealth would be too much for me :)(less)
This has been around over 300 years, and for it good reason, it's a great spiritual morality play and an interesting theological work.
It als...moreThis has been around over 300 years, and for it good reason, it's a great spiritual morality play and an interesting theological work.
It also conforms with observed behavior of people. Who hasn't met Obstinate, Pliable, Timorous and the like? What Christian hasn't struggled with doubt, felt weighed down with sin, or found themselves in the hands of the Giant Despair at some point?
Yes, it is heavy handed allegory. Yes, it reflects the theology and religious sentiments and practices of the time. But it is a great religious work, written by a man seeking the Kingdom of God and hoping to set you on the path. (less)
Darn fine YA fiction. I read the first three, and I do recommend them to anyone 11 or older. This one is a little darker than the others, Mistress Jan...moreDarn fine YA fiction. I read the first three, and I do recommend them to anyone 11 or older. This one is a little darker than the others, Mistress Jane is a really twisted character, and the ending was a great cliff hanger.(less)
This is the first Chesterton book I've read, and despite it's shortness, vivacity and apparent sim...more"Man found alive with two legs."
This is the first Chesterton book I've read, and despite it's shortness, vivacity and apparent simplicity of plot, I have no way of describing it. The enigmatic quote comes from a telegram from one Innocent Smith, and after Chesterton carefully sets up his pieces, he gleefully sends them sprawling by having Smith leap into their midst.
After that, he grabs paradox by the handful, pulls it though more enigmatic events, then rights everything, or rather, lets you figure out how to right things.
If you let it, it's more of an event than a book, but even if you keep it carefully between the covers, it's still a book well worth reading.(less)
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