Book Review: A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

A Circle of Quiet (Crosswicks Journals #1). Madeleine L'Engle. Seabury Press (1971). 246 pages. Genre:  Non-fiction, Memoir.

First Line: "We are four generations under one roof this summer, from infant Charlotte to almost-ninety Great-grandmother."

Summary:  These writings are taken from the author's journals about the early days of her marriage when her children were little.  She and her family lived year round at Crosswicks, a big old New England farmhouse. It is about daily life, the author's struggle to fit in time to write, trying to balance the work of a mother and homemaker with attempting to get a book published, and the people who make up the community.  It includes reflections on motherhood, writing, the state of the world, and God. 

My thoughts:  This was my second attempt at reading this book.  The first time I tried to read it, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind and couldn't get into it.  I decided to give it another try and am so glad I did.  It has become one of my favorites reads of 2021.  

In these pages we meet the author, who is best know for her book A Wrinkle in Time.  We also meet her husband, Hugh Franklin, an actor and their children.  Things are not told in a linear fashion like a story would be, rather we get glimpses into their lives combined with reflections on various things.  Sometimes quotidian details are included, other times lofty thoughts.  

Although this was published in the early 1970's, the actual journals were written in the 1960's.  Many of the things she was concerned about are still concerns today and have become even more prevalent.  I found it really interesting to get inside a mind living during the 1960's and to see what her concerns were, what she thought about.  Of course, I always love all the details of daily life, so journals appeal to me.  

There are three more books in the Crosswicks Journals series and I am eager to read them.

Quotes: 

"'But what about the mystery writers? They don't make any response to the problems of the world in their stories.' And I cried, 'Oh, but they do!' and cited some of my favorite writers, Josephine Tey, John Dickson Carr, Dorothy Sayers - I could go on and on - and said, 'Think about them.  Their mysteries may be nothing but exciting stories on the surface, but there's a definite moral response to the world in every single one of the really good ones."

"The more limited our language is, the more limited we are; the more limited the literature we give to our children, the more limited their capacity to respond, and therefore, in their turn to create.  The more our vocabulary is controlled, the less we will be able to think for ourselves.  We do think in words, and the fewer words we know, the more restricted our thoughts. As our vocabulary expands, so does our power to think.  Try to comprehend an abstract idea without words: we may be able to imagine a turkey dinner.  But try something more complicated; try to ask questions, to look for meaning: without words we don't get very far.  If we limit and distort language, we limit and distort personality."

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

As You Like It. William Shakespeare. First Published (1599). Genre: Classic, Play.

First Line: Orlando: "As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion: bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness."

Summary:  Duke Senior has been banished by his younger brother, Frederick.  Duke Senior's daughter, Rosalind, stayed with her cousin at her uncle's court. Duke Frederick hosts a wrestling match between his wrestler, who never loses, and a young man named Orlando.  Rosalind and Celia are there to witness the match.  This time the Duke's wrestler doesn't win, but is bested by Orlando.  Rosalind becomes favorably disposed towards Orlando, which angers her uncle to the point that he banishes her from his court.  

Rosalind and Celia take to the forest in disguise.  Rosalind as a man and Celia as his brother. They soon learn that Orlando has also taken to the forest after escaping the evil designs of his brother, Oliver.  As Rosalind and Celia encounter Orlando, Rosalind uses her disguise to test Orlando's affections for her.

My thoughts:  This was a fun read!  I found this easier to read and understand than some of the other Shakespeare I have read.  It was easy to keep the characters straight - even when one was dressed as someone else.  I think this would be a good place to start if you are new to Shakespeare.

Quotes:

"Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak."

"I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat."

"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages."

Jacques: "By my troth.  I was seeking for a fool when I found you."

Orlando: "He is drowned in the brook: look but in, and you shall see him."

Jacques: "There I shall see mine own figure."

Orlando: "Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher."

Book Review: The Gentlewoman's Choice by George MacDonald

The Gentlewoman's Choice. George MacDonald. Bethany House (1987) (First published 1882). 220 pages.  Genre:  Classic.

First Line: "It was a gray, windy noon in early autumn - certainly not the sort of day one would choose for a holiday."

Summary:  Hester Raymount is a young woman who desires to serve God by serving the poor.  Unfortunately doing so is not as easy as it would seem.  Some look down upon her for spending time with the poor, while others feel she is putting her life in danger by exposing herself to smallpox and other illnesses.  When her wayward older brother disappears and her younger brother is ill, Hester is called on to show compassion to those nearest to her. 

My thoughts:  George MacDonald's writing can be difficult to read at times.  It can be wordy and he often sermonizes, but persisting is very rewarding.  George MacDonald's way of seeing the world is illuminating.  He has a way of getting to the heart of a character's motivations that causes the reader to pause and reflect. 

In this story we have Hester, who is a good person that desires to follow God.  We have her older brother, who is a Prodigal Son character.  Her youngest brother is still quite young, but follows God with a childlike enthusiasm.  Her mother doesn't like conflict and tries to protect her children.  Her father is distant and feared by his children.  Hester's fiancee is a shallow man, but Hester believes he will become deeper.  Each of these characters changes and grows in profound ways throughout the story.

One of the major themes in this book is letting God use you right where you are.  Hester exemplifies this when she uses her ability to play music to encourage others.  She doesn't feel like that is doing anything, but finds that it is often just what is needed.  

This isn't an easy read.  I often found myself re-reading passages because I got lost and forgot what he was talking about.  I also had to stop and think about a passage at times.  But, this is a book that will hang around in my mind for some time to come. 

Quotes:

"A home where children are humored and scolded and coaxed and punished instead of being taught obedience is like a moral slaughterhouse instead of the training ground it was meant to be.  So-called 'Christian homes' can be the worst of all in this regard."

"The truth is when a man cares for nothing that is worth caring for, the fault must indeed lie within himself - in the character the man has made, and is making, out of the nature God has given him."

"She was perhaps the only one able to love him fully, for the mother's heart more than any other God has made is similar to his in the power of loving."

"The only way to learn the rules of anything practical is to begin to do the thing."

Book Review: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Black Arrow. Robert Louis Stevenson. Adamant Media Corp. (2001) (First published 1883). 242 pages. Genre: Classic.

First Line: "On a certain afternoon, in the late springtime, the bell upon Tunstall Moat House was heard ringing at an unaccustomed hour."

Summary:  Young Dick Shelton has been in the care of Sir Daniel since the death of his father.  When Dick learns that Sir Daniel is a murderer and he might be next, he takes to the forest in an attempt to save his life.  There he is captured by a band of outlaws, but soon becomes their leader.  Sir Daniel's reputation precedes him and Dick has no trouble gaining followers for his cause. He realizes that he must go to battle against Sir Daniel in order to regain his fortune.  Along the way he must discern between friend and foe, survive a shipwreck and fight for his life. 

My thoughts:  If you are in the mood for adventure, chivalry, mystery and a little romance, then The Black Arrow is for you.

Dick Shelton knows that his father was murdered, but when he overhears talk that the murderer was Sir Daniel, the man who has been his guardian for several years, he feels betrayed.  He also realizes that Sir Daniel is plotting to kill him next.  So, he takes to the forest in an attempt to get as far away as he can.  But, there are outlaws in the forest and he is quickly captured.  Dick is brave and not afraid to fight.  But he is also a good judge of character.  He is willing to listen to what the outlaws have to say.  Along the way he has to steal and later feels remorse.  In fact, he tries to make amends for what he has done. 

There are lots of secrets, both in the castles and in the forest.  As soon as Dick thinks he has made a friend, he often just as soon finds himself fleeing once again.  

Robert Louis Stevenson has a great understanding of human nature and that definitely comes across in this story.  I especially noticed this in the character of Dick.  He is brave and willing to fight and lead others into battle, but he makes mistakes due to his lack of age and experience.  Throughout the story he grows and becomes more mature. 

This story was originally published as a serial in a magazine for boys.  Two years previously, Treasure Island was published in the same way.  Sometimes that can make the story drag a little.  However, The Black Arrow doesn't seem to have as much repetition as Treasure Island and that made the story move along well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging work of historical fiction.

Quotes:

"Nay, I was not born yesterday.  I can see a church when it hath a steeple on it; and for my part, gossip Arblaster, methinks there is some sense in this young man."

"Well, Dick was not much of an inventor, and what he told was pretty much the tale of Ali Baba, with Shoreby and Tunstall Forest substituted for the East, and the treasures of the cavern rather exaggerated than diminished.  As the reader is aware, it is an excellent story, and has but one drawback - that it it not true; and so, as these three simple shipmen now heard it for the first time, their eyes stood out of their faces, and their mouths gaped like codfish at a fishmonger's. "

Book Review: Home by Marilynne Robinson

Home (Gilead #2).  Marilynne Robinson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2008). 325 pages. Genre:  Fiction.

First Line:  "'Home to stay, Glory! Yes!' her father said, and her heart sank."

Summary:  Reverend Boughton is well-advanced in years and is becoming more feeble each day.  Glory is the youngest of the eight Boughton children.  After her life fell apart, she returned home to care for her father.  Jack, the black sheep of the family, returned as well. He and Glory begin the work of getting to know one another while caring for their father and keeping him happy.

My thoughts:  I read Gilead last year and really liked it.  This story runs concurrently with Gilead. Gilead is the story of John Ames and a letter he is writing to his son.  John had his son in his old age and he is afraid he will not be able to tell him all the things a father should tell his son.  John Ames and Reverend Boughton are best friends.  They have known one another for as long as they can remember.  In Gilead, we heard about Glory coming to care for her father and that Jack was visiting.  It was interesting to read about these things from a different point of view.  But, I can't say that I liked this one as well as I liked Gilead.  

Glory has come home to care for her father.  She knows he is not long for this world and he requires more assistance each day.  But, since the relationship she was in fell apart and she no longer has a job, she really had no other place to go.  She loves her father and is glad to be able to help him.  

Jack was always the child that went off by himself.  He rarely participated in what the rest of the family was doing.  Everyone always walked on eggshells around him because they were afraid if they upset him, he would leave.  As he got older he stole things, drank and had a relationship with a young woman that produced a child.  He never took any responsibility for that child.  Jack has been a worry to his father for years.  So when the Reverend receives word that Jack is coming home, he is cautiously optimistic.  He has been let down so many times, that he can't allow himself to become too excited about the possibility of Jack returning.  But, Jack does return.

In many ways this book was uncomfortable and difficult to read.  As a reader, you could feel the tension in the atmosphere.  This speaks to the brilliance of Marilynne Robinson's writing.  Of the three, Glory is the most honest character.  She is uncomfortable around Jack, but only because she doesn't know him well.  She takes him as he is and thinks well of him.  She is always eager to help him.  

Most of the time I wanted to shake Jack.  He is constantly concerned with himself and what others think of him.  I guess maybe he has reason to be.  He knows he has been a worry to the family, but he claims he can't help what he does.  His lack of personal responsibility was frustrating.  One good thing I can say about him was that he seemed to be remorseful and he was very polite. 

Reverend Boughton loves Jack deeply.  But he is constantly giving him backhanded compliments.  He will compliment him while also jabbing him.  He feels like he has let him down as a father.  It is not surprising that a minister would have high expectations for his children, but it is clear that several of the children present themselves as the people they think their father wants them to be, while not being so lily white in reality.  Some of them felt the pressure to live up to these expectations, but felt they couldn't.  I'm not sure that Reverend Boughton saw his children for who they really were. 

But, ultimately, I think Jack did want to change.  He just wasn't sure how to do it.  He was one of those people who feels things deeply and this is what made him run away or drink. He couldn't bear to be hurt, so he fled even when he knew this would hurt those he cared about most.

This is a complicated and moving story.  While I didn't like it as much as I liked Gilead, I have a feeling it's going to stick with me for a while.  

Quotes:

"She went off to help her father put his socks on and shave and get his shirt buttoned, and  she thought, as she often did, At least I know what is required of me now, and that is something to be grateful for."

"It's television that makes things seem important, whether they are or not."

"Her father had always said, God does not need our worship.  We worship to enlarge our sense of the holy, so that we can feel and know the presence of the Lord, who is with us always."

"Still, there was something strained about it all, as if time had another burden, like humid air, or as if it were a denser medium and impervious to the trivialization which was all they would expect or hope for on an evening like this one, now that grace was said."

"He looked like a man full of that active contentment that makes even ordinary movement graceful."

 

Book Review: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Leo Tolstoy (translated by Peter Carson). W.W. Norton (2014) (first published 1886). 84 pages. Genre:  Classic

First Line: "During a break in the hearing of the Melvinsky case, the members of the court and the prosecutor met in Ivan Yegorovich Shebek's room in the big law courts building and began talking about the famous Krasovsky case."

Summary:  Ivan Ilyich was a good person living a decent life.  When he becomes ill after an accident and begins to see that he will not recover, he has a chance to examine his life and the choices he made. 

My thoughts:  This is a short, but powerful work.  I was struck by how real the situations drawn in the book were.  Tolstoy was able to get to the heart of the human condition.  If you switched out the clothing, and added cell phones, the story could have taken place today.  

Another thing that struck me was the way that Tolstoy told the story.  He never tells the reader what to think, instead he just gives the facts and lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions. As Tolstoy began describing Ivan Ilyich,  I realized that he was very ordinary.  He wasn't a bad man, but there was nothing exemplary or endearing about him.  He liked the feeling of power his job gave him, but knew he would never abuse it.  At one point he is decorating an apartment before his wife and kids move in and is delighted by the results.  The narrator says this, 

"In actual fact it was the same as the houses of all the people who are not so rich but want to be like the rich and so are only like one another: brocade, ebony, flowers, carpets, and bronzes, everything dark and shiny - everything that all people of a certain type do to be like all people of a certain type."

As Ivan Ilyich becomes more and more ill, he begins to reflect on his life and wonders whether he had not lived in the way he should have.  This part of the story made me think of A Christmas Carol.  However, Ivan Ilyich does not have a guide through these dark thoughts.  In that way this is a darker and heavier look at this type of meditation.  Also, Ivan Ilyich realizes that he is dying, he is not going to recover and he struggles with this.  Thankfully he does find some relief in the company of one of the servants.  The man is always cheerful and willing to do whatever is asked of him.  He never complains and Ivan Ilyich wants to spend time in his presence.  He also finds some solace in the tenderness shown to him by his son.

I enjoyed reading this and know that I will continue to think about Ivan Ilyich for some time.

This book satisfied the something Russian category of The Literary Life Reading Challenge.

Book Review: The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad of Homer.  Translated by Samuel Butler. Walter J. Black, Inc. (1942) (First Published 800 B.C.). 391 pages. Genre: Classic.

First Lines: "Sing, O Goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus,  that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.  Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Zeus fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles first fell out with one another."

Summary:  The epic story of war between the Trojans and the Achaeans, involving gods and men.  The Iliad takes place during the tenth year of the Trojan War and begins with an episode involving a man who would not free the daughter of a priest of Apollo.  

Agamemmon is forced to give her up, but in retaliation takes from Achilles the lovely Briseis.  And so, war goes on between Agamemmon and Achilles.  There are tales of battles, adventure and other goings on during the final year of the war.

My thoughts:  This is my first time reading The Iliad.  I have read a couple of retellings over the years, but never original.  One of the categories in The Literary Life 19 in 2021 Reading Challenge is an Ancient Greek or Roman work, so the timing was right to read it.  I am so glad I did.  It is such a great tale full of acts of valor and heroism.  Also full of very descriptive battle scenes.  The way the tales are told is reminiscent of the way stories are told in the Bible.  

For example; "Socus had turned in flight, but as he did so, the spear struck him in the back midway between the shoulders and went right through his chest. He fell heavily to the ground and Odysseus vaunted over him saying; 'O Socus, son of Hippasus, tamer of horses, death has been too quick for you and you have not escaped him."

The telling is descriptive in a matter-of-fact way.  The reader is not told what we should think about the people or events, rather the story is played out and the reader may make his own judgement.  

Something that stood out to me was the way parents were involved in the lives of their grown sons and daughters.   Especially mothers and sons.  One situation in particular was when Patroclus, friend of Achilles is killed.  Achilles mourns deeply and his mother hears from her home and goes to him.  She comforts and helps him.  She also mourns with him and for him because she realizes that in his anger he will pursue Hector and will be killed in the battle.  She is the daughter of a god and is able to help him by getting him new armor.  But, she cannot save him from being killed.

I also enjoyed the use of similes -

"And now as a band of reapers mow swathes of wheat or barley upon a rich man's land, and the sheaves fall thick before them, even so did the Trojans and Achaeans fall upon one another;..."

"As a lion fastens on the fawns of a hind and crushes them in his great jaws, robbing them of their tender life while he is on his way back to his lair - the hind can do nothing for them even she be close by, for she is in an agony of fear, and flies through the thick forest, sweating, and at her utmost speed before the mighty monster - so, no man of the Trojans could help Isus and Antiphus, for they were themselves flying in panic before the Argives."

"As when the west wind hustles the clouds of the white south and beats them down with the fierceness of its fury - the waves of the sea roll high, and the spray is flung aloft in the rage of the wandering wind - even so thick were the heads of them that fell by the hand of Hector."

"As when a cloud goes up into heaven from Olympus, rising out of a clear sky when Zeus is brewing a gale - even with such panic-stricken rout did the Trojans now fly,..."

The Iliad is not hard to read, however I will admit I found my mind wandering at times.  I listened to most of it, but did read some as well.  I discovered Librivox, which contains recordings of books in the public domain.  The Iliad is divided into 24 books or chapters and each book is a separate recording read by a different person.  I chose to do it this way because I took several months to finish the book. I did read some chapters, but mostly listened.  

If you have never read the Iliad, I encourage you to give it a try.

Book Review: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. Harper (2011). 258 pages. Genre:  Non-fiction, Biography.

First Line: "'Kamila Jan, I'm honored to present you with your certificate.'"

Summary:  Kamila Sadiqi has just received her teaching certificate.  The year is 1996.  The place is Khair Khana, Afghanistan.  Kamila is the second of eleven children, nine girls and two boys.  Her country has always been at war, but woman have been free to become educated.  Mr. Sadiqi has instilled in his children the importance of obtaining an education.  

The very day Kamila receives her certificate, there are rumors that the Taliban is taking over.  Within 24 hours, Kamila's life completely changes.  Yesterday she was able to travel freely around her city wearing only a headscarf.  Today, she can leave her house only for necessities and then she must wear a full burqa and be accompanied by a chaperone or risk being beaten or killed. 

As the Taliban continues to take over, Mr. Sadiqi's life is endangered.  He retired from the Army, but he is seen as a threat to the Taliban because he served the enemies of the Taliban.  It becomes necessary for him to leave the country.  Within a few weeks his wife joins him, leaving their children in Khair Khana where it is safest for them.  Kamila is the oldest child still living at home and feels it is her duty to somehow bring in some money to help the family.  Women are not allowed to leave the house to work.  But, Kamila's older sister has a tailoring business.  While Kamila never learned to sew like her sister, she is determined to learn so that she might make suits and dresses for local shops. 

My thoughts:  The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a riveting story.  It is told by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, a reporter who met Kamila while doing research for her graduate's degree.  Her topic was women who work in war zones. She had been an ABC News Political reporter for ten years before deciding to return to school to obtain a graduate's degree.  She was adept at uncovering stories that mattered.  As she conducted her research she spent a lot of time with Kamila and would consider her a friend.  This gave her some superb insight as she wrote the story.

The first thing that struck me about Kamila was that she came from a wonderful, loving family.  With a mother and father who loved one another and their children and were very involved in one another's lives.  Her father felt strongly that all of his children should become educated and successful.  The family felt like a cohesive unit, all working together for the good of the family.  There was no hint of rivalry or teen angst of any kind.  But rather, each child was eager to help out however they could. 

When the Taliban first took over and the girls were no longer able to attend school, they spent most of the day reading books owned by their family.  The girls were voracious readers and soon read all they could from their own library.  Kamila suggested that they contact some of their friends in the neighborhood and exchange books with them.

"'She reads a lot, though I am not sure what kinds of books she likes.  We have the poetry covered; maybe she can bring some of those great Persian detective stories - I think she is addicted to them.'"

It was amazing to me that Kamila could learn to sew a dress so quickly.  Maybe this was a liberty taken by the author to move the story along, but maybe when one focuses only on that and is not distracted by television, movies and social media the learning curve is much smaller. 

Before reading this book I knew very little about the history of Afghanistan.  The author includes bits of history along with the story she is telling, which is also history, but it is history that has happened during my lifetime.  It was fascinating to hear about events, such as 9/11, from another part of the world and gain another perspective. 

Some of the themes I appreciated were family, hard work, perseverance, kindness, and following rules.

I recommend this book if you like biographies of people from other countries, if you are interested in learning what it is like to live under Taliban rule, or if you like stories about strong families.  

Book Review: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

My Family and Other Animals (Corfu #1). Gerald Durrell. Penguin (2004) (Originally published 1956). 273 pages. Genre: Non-fiction, Autobiography, Travel. 

First Lines: "This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I am my family made on the Greek island of Corfu.  It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages."

Summary:  When Gerald Durrell was ten, he and his two older brothers, one older sister and their mother, moved from England to the island of Corfu.  This book chronicles their five years there, the interesting people they met, the beauty of the island and, of course, the animals that Gerry found so intriguing.

My thoughts:  Gerald Durrell's style of writing makes this book easy to read.  He has a way with words that makes you laugh.  

I love his portrayal of his siblings.  His older brother, Larry, tends to over exaggerate most things.  He does most things big.  Whether it is his reaction to something or the number of people he invites to a party, the bigger the better.  Leslie is more down to earth and logical.  He prefers to spend his time with a gun in his hand hunting for prey.  Margo can be overly dramatic.  She prefers to spend her time reading magazines or sunbathing wearing very little clothing. 

Gerald's mother is a saint.  She tolerates with patience each of the quirks of her children and especially a house full of unlikely pets.  I tolerated my children's quirks as well, but having a house full of scorpions, snakes and large birds would have driven me crazy.  While she is tolerant, she is also not afraid to tell it like it is.  When the children are arguing, she tells them that they argue about the stupidest things.  

I loved the descriptions of the island and the beautiful things that grow there.  The animal life and Gerry's interest in them was fascinating as well.  I'll admit there were a few situations that had me squirming though.  

If you like to visit exotic places from your armchair and meet interesting people and animals, I recommend this book.  

Quotes: 

"Upstairs Margo was in a state of semi-nudity, splashing disinfectant over herself in quantities, and Mother spent an exhausting afternoon being forced to examine her at intervals for the symptoms of the diseases which Margo felt sure she was hatching."

"'A dreadful journey!' Mother agreed.  'When we came out of the cinema I thought we were going to get a car, but no, he hustled us into a cab, and a very smelly one at that.  Really, I think he must be mental to try and come all that way in a cab.  Anyway, it took us hours and hours, because the poor horse was tired, and I was sitting there trying to be polite, dying to scratch myself, and longing for a drink.  All the fool could do was sit there grinning at Margo and singing Turkish love songs.  I could have cheerfully hit him.'"

"So Dodo settled in, and almost immediately showed faults in her make-up which caused us more trouble than all the other dogs put together.  To begin with she had a weak hind-leg, and at any time during the day or night her hip joint was liable to come out of its socket, for no apparent reason.  Dodo, who was no stoic, would greet this catastrophe with a series of piercing shrieks that worked up to a crescendo of such quivering intensity that it was unbearable.  Strangely enough, her leg never seemed to worry her when she went out for walks, or gambolled with elephantine enthusiasm after a ball on the veranda.  But invariably in the evening when the family were all sitting quietly, absorbed in writing or reading or knitting, Dodo's leg would suddenly leap out of its socket and she would roll on her back and utter a scream that would make everybody jump and lose control of whatever they were doing."

Book Review: A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte M. Mason

A Philosophy of Education (Original Homeschooling, Volume 6). Charlotte M. Mason. Tyndale House (1989) First published 1925. Genre: Non-fiction.

First Lines: "These are anxious days for all who are engaged in education. We rejoiced in the fortitude, valour and devotion shown by our men in the War and recognize that these things are due to the Schools as well as to the fact that England still breeds, 'very valiant creatures.'"

Summary:  Charlotte M. Mason was a nineteenth century British educator living and teaching in the Lake District of England. She wrote the first book in this series in 1886 containing what she had learned about teaching young children.  She established her "House of Education" in 1892.  This was a training college for governesses.  This is the sixth volume of the Original Homeschooling Series written by Charlotte Mason.  This volume details her philosophy of education as well as giving specific details about each area of the curriculum for elementary and secondary schools. 

My thoughts:  I have read this volume three or four times and each time I learn something new or deepen my understanding of something.  I used Charlotte Mason's philosophies while home educating my children.  I was amazed at the simplicity and rigor of the methods.  

At the crux of CM's philosophy is the use of books of literary quality in the curriculum.  Because of this, I think her methods apply to anyone who reads and I always find reinforcement for the reading life in her works. The importance of being someone who reads and thinks can not be understated. 

Something else that always strikes me when reading this book is the relevancy of her methods.  For example, I was first introduced to the importance of habits from reading this series.  Part of the philosophy are "Three Instruments of Education".  The three instruments are: Education is an atmosphere, Education is a discipline and Education is a life.  She says of Education is a discipline: 
"By this formula we mean the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully whether habits of mind or of body."  Some of the habits of the mind, intellectual habits, she discusses are; the habit of self-education, the habit of telling what they have read either orally or in writing, the habit of attention.

"Attention is not the only habit that follows due self-education.  The habits of fitting and ready expression, of obedience, of good-will, and of an impersonal outlook are spontaneous bye-products of educations in this sort.  So, too, are habits of right thinking and right judging."

She talks about what physiologists tell us about thoughts that become habits.  There are several recent books that have been written on this very topic.  

I highly recommend this series and specifically this volume for anyone home educating their children.  But I also recommend it to all parents, teachers and anyone interested in education.

Quotes:

"People are naturally divided into those who read and think and those who do not read or think; and the business of schools is to see that all their scholars shall belong to the former class; it is worth while to remember that thinking is inseparable from reading which is concerned with the content of a passage and not merely with the printed matter."

"If we fail to ease life by laying down habits of right thinking and right acting, habits of wrong thinking and wrong acting fix themselves of their own accord."

"Consider how laborious life would be were its wheels not greased by habits of cleanliness, neatness, order, courtesy; had we to make the effort of decision about every detail of dressing and eating, coming and going, life would not be worth living."

"For the mind is capable of dealing with only one kind of food; it lives, grows and is nourished upon ideas only; mere information is to it as a meal of sawdust to the body; there are no organs for assimilation of the one more than of the other."

"Education is a life.  That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin, and God has made us so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, Scripture word, musical symphony; but we must sustain a child's inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food."

The Literary Life Reading Challenge - A book on education

Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot. Picador (2019). 273 pages. Genre:  Fiction. 

First Lines: "'Oh gosh, is that the time?  Sorry, I have to go,' the man mumbled evasively, as he stood up and reached for his bag."

Summary:  Funiculi Funicula is a small, basement cafe in the city of Tokyo.  The cafe serves delicious coffee, but it is also becoming known for its ability to allow people to travel in time.  The cafe is over 100 years old and its interior hasn't changed much since it opened.  While the summers are hot, the cafe has no air conditioning, but is always cool.  

In order to travel in time, there are several rules that must be followed.  Most notably, "no matter how hard one tries while back in the past, one cannot change the present".  Most people are deterred from attempting time travel by these rules.  However, one summer, four people decide to take a chance and travel back in time.  Each of them has some unfinished business in a relationship that causes them to think that if they set things right in the past, they can more easily accept what has happened in the present.  Is it pointless to go back in time if you can't change the present?  Or is there something else to be gained?

My thoughts:  This was a unique, moving story that unfolds page by page.  

The cafe is run by a manager and his wife.  They have one other employee, who has appointed herself as the one who instructs those desiring to time-travel on the rules.  She also pours the coffee.  The other characters make up the atmosphere of the cafe.  They are regulars who interact with one another and several of them decide to travel back in time this particular summer.  

There are four chapters in the book which correspond with the four characters that time-travel.  These are relationships that are common to all of us, which makes it easy to identify with these characters and the unfinished business they have.  The chapter titles are:  The Lovers; Husband and Wife; The Sisters; Mother and Child.

I enjoyed the writing style of this author.  He interspersed present day conversation with stories of the character's past.  It was easy to switch back and forth because there would be a symbol (a coffee cup) on the page separating one from the other.  The author also included some factual information about Tokyo or the cafe's history or a medical condition experienced by one of the characters.  I found this interesting and it added depth to the story.  

I don't often read stories involving magical realism or time travel, but I'm glad I read this one.  It was an enjoyable read that I won't soon forget.

Quotes:

"Water flows from high places to low places.  That is the nature of gravity.  Emotions also seem to act according to gravity.  When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond, and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it.  The truth just wants to come flowing out."

The Literary Life 19 for 2021 Reading Challenge

 I will be joining The Literary Life Reading Challenge again this year. I enjoy this challenge because it gets me to read things I wouldn't otherwise read.  Also, the hosts of the podcast, Cindy Rollins, Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks, often discuss books that will fill a category from the challenge.  I will record my progress here.

A Poetry Anthology - One Hundred and One Famous Poems (I didn't finish this - I read 130 pages)

A book (or selection) of Letters - Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

A book from Your To-Be-Read Stack - The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

An Ancient Greek or Roman Work - The Iliad by Homer

A Book on Education, Art or Literature - A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason

A Victorian Novel - The Gentlewoman's Choice by George MacDonald

A Lesser-Known Book by a Well-Known Author - Home by Marilynne Robinson 

A Shakespeare Play - As You Like It

A Book You have Avoided - The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile 

Finish a Book You Started but Never Finished - A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

A Literary Biography - My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary

Something Russian - The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

A Regional or Local Book - Diggin' Up Bones by Bonnie Wright

A 14th, 15th or 16th Century Book - The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Book in a Genre You Don't Normally Read - Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael D. O'Brien

An Obscure Book Mentioned by Thomas Banks (or any book mentioned on the podcast) - Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

A Light Comedic Novel - Boo by Rene Gutteridge

An "Other World" Book - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

A Travel Book - My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell