Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

9/10

I think once I post this that I will have made a post for every Dickens book that I have read (which is only five), but I plan on reading others, so this will not be the last. It is another Dickens classic. Does any other author have more "classics" than Dickens? Oh, Shakespeare I guess. Dickens is a characters man. He writes individual characters better than probably any author ever. And that's why I enjoy his stuff. I think this one here is one of his better ones (not sure where I rank it or even if a ranking of Dickens would be possible).

The book is about a boy named Pip (short for Philip Pirrip, but his "infant tongue" could only make "Pip" out of it and so that name stuck). The first part of the book during Pip's youth is completely entertaining. It concerns action with an escaped convict (who Pip assists out of fear) and plenty of good ones with Mrs. Joe (Pip's mean older sister and guardian) and Joe Gargery. Joe Gargery is my absolute runaway favorite character in this book, and one of Dickens' all-time best characters, in my opinion. He is super nice, very uneducated, but everything he says is awesome. It is absolutely heartbreaking when Joe and Pip reunite later on in the book and Pip has changed so much. Then there's the goings on with Ms. Havisham and Estella. Estella's lame and is a jerk to Pip but Pip loves her anyway for some reason. And Havisham is nuts. But good ones still occur. My favorite is when he boxes Herbert Pocket. Ha ha, it is awesome.

Pip all of the sudden receives an inheritance from some random benefactor (he presumes that it is Ms. Havisham and the reader does not find out who it is until nearly the end and it is a fun little twist). Pip starts this tutelage under a lawyer and he gets close with the clerk. Another awesome character is the clerk's way old dad, "The Aged". Oh man, he is showtime. Pip and The Aged's interactions are priceless.

I know I didn't talk much about what was really going on. I will mention how Pip is being trained to be a gentleman and has great expectations for his life now that he has been put in such a fortuitous position. The book, to me, is just mainly about characters and their interactions with one another. And it is sweet.

Two quotes:

"If we all did what we undertake to do...we might live in a Republic of the Virtues."

"Her mind, brooding solitary, had grown diseased, as all minds do and must and will that reverse the appointed order of their Maker."

Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

8/10

I read this collection of short stories (22 of them to be exact) on the flight home from Virginia after having driven Mike out there as he was about to begin dental school (that was quite a while ago). I should say that I began to read them at that point and I finished the stories up entirely a short time later (I did not read all 22 stories on the plane).

I am what you would call a Poe fan, I am in the Poe corner, and I have Poe's back. I don't want to wax Poetic or anything, but I really enjoy his stuff (ah, see what I did there). Poe , to me, is one of the coolest writers ever. To garner the dark reputation that he has shows that he was effective with his craft (even though, sadly, I don't think he got much recognition in his time from what I've heard).

A few of my favorite stories:

-A Descent into the Maelstrom: I actually really, really liked this one. It's about a dude who recounts a story of surviving a whirlpool after being shipwrecked. He just kept funneling downward for hours, observing all sorts of objects being pulled under. A funny part that I always remember because I am sort of the same way (to a lesser extent) is when, at the start, he is on the top of a summit before he tells his story. The line goes like this, "In truth, so deeply was I excited by the perilous position of my companion, that I fell at full length upon the ground, clung to the shrubs around me, and dared not even glance upward at the sky..." It's funny because I hate seeing other people close to cliff ledges.

-The Murders in the Rue Morgue: Is claimed to be the first detective story. It's in a similar vein as that of Sherlock Holmes, but before Sherlock Holmes was Sherlock Holmes. Instead, it is C. Auguste Dupin. Dupin is showtime. There are three Poe stories with Dupin, and this was maybe my third favorite of them (while still liking it). There is this strange murder in a house where one person's head is nearly decapitated and the other is stuffed up a chimney for a good one. It's interesante.

-The Mystery of Marie Roget: This is a story based on a real-life murder story (apparently it is the first murder story to be based on a real murder). A girls body is found in a river and Dupin does what Dupin do.

-The Purloined Letter: This is my favorite of the Dupin stories. It is the most creative and the most fun. An important letter is stolen and the authorities know who stole it and that the letter is absolutely in this dudes apartment (for reasons that I won't spell out). They tear that place inside and out with the most creative and fascinating searches and they still cannot find it much to their bewildered befuddlement. Finally, Dupin goes and dominates in point two seconds. (Spoiler Alert!) He finds the letter pinned to a bulletin board in plain sight. Ha ha. He knew the guy with the letter knew that the police would assume some elaborate hiding place, and so he hid it in plain sight. Awesome. Then he steals the letter away from him by a cool little decoy trick. Dupin, you've done it a-gain.

-The Pit and the Pendulum: This guy is being tortured by being put in this dark cell. In the cell is a dark pit that the guy almost falls into if not for a fortuitous trip. After feinting, he wakes up and is tied up on this wooden board. Above him is this menacing, swinging pendulum that is slowly sliding downward toward him. He lures rats to come chew off the ropes barely before the pendulum kills him. The walls then begin to move in and push him toward the pit. He is dramatically saved at the last second by some rescuers. It is an intense and crazy free-for-all.

-The Tell-Tale Heart: My all-time favorite. Seriously, probably my favorite story ever. I just love it in every way. Plus, this is one of the earliest stories that I realized that I liked. If you trace my genealogy of a love of reading all the way back, this very well may be my Adam, as it were. No work of fiction has done a finer job of allowing the reader to enter the mind of a deranged mad-man. And boy is it a wild ride. This guy, for good laughs, is so insistent on proving his sanity that he repeatedly states over and over about how he is going to prove to us that he is sane. He, of course, slowly shows the opposite and ends up losing it at the end. The pacing of the story is just fascinating. I liken it to a heart, much like the heart of the old man under the floorboards. The pace is slow and calm at first, slowly picks up, and the story finishes in this rapid, frenzied flurry like a sped up heartbeat. Poe utilizes the exclamation points and italices with perfect precision. Bravo I say, Bravo!

There are plenty of other stories that I also enjoyed, but I think we have gone on long enough. Plus, it is a rule of thumb to always end with The Tell-Tale Heart. Rules are rules.

Pretty sure nobody read this whole thing. But this whole blog thing is more for my sake than yours anyway, so that's in all your faces.

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card

7/10

I read this book probably like six years ago, so my memory is somewhat sketchy concerning the details. It is the next book in line in the Ender series after Ender's Shadow so that would make it the 6th book in the series. But, technically, it is the 2nd book in the Bean portion of the series. I think I explained this splitting of the sequels in one of my previous posts (probably Ender's Shadow).

So, the big war is over (the one covered in Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow). Back on earth, the kids who were in battle school (largely Ender's squad) are some of the best and the brightest back on earth concerning warfare matters between nations. Well, several of the kids are kidnapped so that certain nation's will be deprived of a brilliant mind to assist the war efforts. The evil Achilles once again rears his ugly head. Bean does his usual brilliant problem solving and so do his cohorts. Much fun is had by all.

I enjoyed the book. The Bean sequels are less science-fictiony than the Ender sequels. Both sequel sets have redeeming qualities about them. But I do like a lighter dose of science fiction it seems like. This book was fun. It isn't some ground-breaking novel, but I don't think it was meant to be anyway. It's just fun to follow some of the characters that one comes to know and like in the first book. And if you are able to buy in to the idea of youngsters being this brilliant and gifted in the first book, then I don't see why we can't continue in that way of thinking for the others.

A quote:

"Death is not a tragedy to the one who dies. To have wasted the life before that death, that is the tragedy."

"But for a Small Moment" by Neal A. Maxwell

8/10

I just finished this book yesterday. It is all about the many things that Joseph Smith learned and all the ways that he grew because of his experiences in Liberty Jail (Maxwell calls the Jail 'the prison-temple' because of the sacred revelations received there). It's a good read, and, in true Maxwell style, is very scriptural and doctrinally oriented. He discusses in depth some of the important doctrines that the Prophet learned while incarcerated as well as the doctrines that he felt were of great importance after his release. A large chunk of the book deals with the doctrine of pre-mortality with some sweet scriptural support. Another main topic, perhaps obviously, is how the Lord strengthens us through trials and how his true disciples handle such adversity. The Prophet serves as a prime example of how to behave when faced with trials. There are a lot of things that one could learn from this book. Simply put, the world would be a better place if they read this book and applied its principles. I am glad that I read it.

Quotes:

"It is a rare person who can appreciate such lessons while the lessons are in process; it takes special perspective."

"For Joseph Smith, suffering increased his obedience."

"The richness of the Book of Mormon has been missed by critics and casual Church members alike. They fail to see that both the intricacy and the simplicity of the book are beyond the capacity of any mortal being to produce, including Joseph Smith. What came through Joseph was beyond him and stretched him!"

"God has no distracting hobbies."

"The promise was and is that those who would try to destroy the work of the latter-day seer 'shall be confounded'. One of the ways in which this promise continues to be kept, of course, is the absence of successful, substantive challenge to the massive, complex translations and revelations which came through Joseph Smith."

"We fully expect such doctrines to be scrutinized and even criticized by others. We reserve the same freedom to engage in scrutiny of their beliefs. All in mutual good will, however."

"Given all the disapprovals of past synods and councils, the doctrine of premortal existence is demonstrably not one that could have been reestablished by backward reasoning or research. It could only have come through modern revelation and restoration. Though the doctrine does not abuse logic, it is more than logic alone can fully support. It rests upon the certitude and direction which can come only from divine revelation and affirmation, which is precisely what occurred."

"We can be comforted to know that God, who knows our capacity perfectly, placed us here to succeed. No one was foreordained to fail or to be wicked."

"Desire, challenge, obedient response, and subsequent development interplay in the life of each serious disciple."

"Of the approximately 70 billion individuals who, up to now, have inhabited this planet, probably not more than one percent have really heard the gospel...Even so, before the final judgment and resurrection all will have had an adequate opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. This underscores the mercy of God and the justice of God."

"Endurance is continuance in striving for spiritual improvement, outlasting while becoming."

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

10/10

I read this book one year ago. I brought it on our Anniversary cruise. Nothing like laying pool side with epic Russian literature. Also, once I make this post I will be completely updated with making posts of books I have read since the blog began. Every post after this will consist of books that I have either just finished or that I read in the pre-blog era.

This book was tremendous. Simply tremendous. It is one of those books that while you are reading it you know and feel that you are reading something special. In true Dostoevsky fashion, the book deals heavily with moral and spiritual struggles.

The book consists of three brothers who are quite drastically different from one another. There is the oldest, Dmitri, who is undisciplined and rambunctious. He often quarrels with his father (who is a pretty crappy father and person in general) over some money that he felt was owed to him as an inheritance. Ivan is the next oldest (he plays probably the least prominent, but still important, role of the brothers). He is very smart (which leads him to a disbelief in God) and also despises his father but is less vocal about it. Alyosha is the youngest and is mentioned as being the hero of the book in the first chapter. He is the character that the reader identifies himself with since he is the one who has all the good qualities that we all desire to have. He is a student in a monastery under the tutelage of holy men. He is very spiritual and relies on his belief in God to overcome many difficulties that his brothers, in contrast, have a much harder time overcoming. He is the one character that all the other characters respect and have a close relationship with. He is kinda like the Michael Bluth of the dysfunctional Arrested Development family, minus the hilarity. Maybe not the perfect comparison, but I gave it a shot anyhow.

(Spoiler Alert!) After the father is murdered, Dmitri is accused of it based on some overwhelming evidence (although the events leading up to the trial indicate that it was not Dmitri but the illegitimate son and servant (who has epilepsy) of the father. He confesses this to Ivan and claims that he murdered the father with Ivan's blessing. Ivan does not handle this news well. He feels extreme guilt and goes quite insane during most of the remainder of the book. The final trial is fantastic and amazing to read (I think the closing argument by the prosecutor was like over 100 pages or something?)

And there are tons of other important and crucial characters that I haven't mentioned and important and crucial happenings that I skipped over as well. It's just one of those books that must be read. Dostoevsky was planning on writing further and this was just going to be the first part in a series. Unfortunately, he died like 4 months after the book was fully published. Bummer for us. I would have loved to see what else he had to say.

Quotes a'plenty:

Dostoevsky writes this in the preface: "The book can be abandoned at the second page of the first tale, never to be opened again. But then, you know, there are those considerate readers who have a compulsion to read to the end, so as not to be mistaken in their impartial judgment;...It is before this type of person that my heart somehow becomes lighter." Don't know why I like this quote other than I guess it kind of explains my compulsion to finish books even when I dislike them so as to give an honest assessment of the work as a whole. However, Fyodor, you had me from the second page and I did not even think twice about not staying on for the whole ride.

"For men are made for happiness, and any one who is completely happy has a right to say to himself, 'I am doing God's will on earth.' All the righteous, all the saints, all the holy martyrs were happy."

"God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man."

"For even those who have renounced Christianity and attack it, in their inmost being still follow the Christian ideal, for thitherto neither their subtlety nor the ardour of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue than the ideal given by Christ of old."

"It's the great mystery of human life that old grief passes gradually into quiet tender joy."

"Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education."

"They talk of hell fire in the material sense. I don't go into that mystery and I shun it. But I think if there were fire in material sense, they would be glad of it, for, I imagine, that in material agony, their still greater spiritual agony would be forgotten for a moment."

"The sight of an unworthy father involuntarily suggests tormenting questions to a young creature, especially when he compares him with the excellent fathers of his companions."

Henry IV Part One by Shakespeare

6/10

I finished this book in the emergency room of the hospital the night Cassie went in when her gall bladder flared up. I read like half the book there until like 3 a.m. as we just waited and waited. Picture it now: Cassie keeled over in her chair in pain as I greedily turn page after page of Shakespeare excitement oblivious to the sufferings of my dear, sweet wife. Kind of a sad picture I suppose.

So, if you have read my previous blog posts, you well know that I enjoy my Shakespeare. I'm not a nut or anything, just a casual fan. That being said, this one wasn't my favorite by any means, but it was still enjoyable.

This is one of Shakespeare's history plays. It concerns the reign of Henry IV (duh), but the drama arises because he unethically gained the crown by usurping Richard II (also a Shakespeare play, which, for some reason, I decided not to read before this one). Those loyal to Richard II obviously felt like they needed to right this wrong. Plotting is undertaken and eventually a little battle ensues (which, I think, is the best part of the play).

Two characters worth noting (could note more of course): Hal, who is the Prince of Wales and the King's son - he is a rowdy fellow who frequents taverns and gets himself into all sorts of mischief. The final battle is a nice little proving-ground for him. The other character is Falstaff - one of Hal's pals who is the main source of entertainment in the play. Many a splendid pun is made at his expense about how fat he is. While he is in the same rowdy mold as Hal, he is quite a charismatic guy who is always going into some pretty sweet speeches. I think my favorite Falstaff moment comes during the battle where he gets scared and plays possum like he has been killed. Then, after a main player is killed in the battle, Falstaff does this mock dramatic revival and he stabs the dead guy in the leg and tries to take credit for the kill. Ha ha. Good old Falstaff.

One let down to the book was the surprising lack of really great one-liners that I have grown accustomed to with Shakespeare. Here are two lines that I liked:

"Art thou to break into this woman's mood, Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own!" Oooh, burn on the ladies.

A good burn by Falstaff: "Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life." Ha ha, Falstaff.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

1/10

I just finished this book a few days ago. I actually started it in January right before school in the hopes to finish it before school started, but then Cassie had to go to the hospital and I had to put the book on hold half way through and finish it after the semester. So there's a cute little timeline recap for you.

I classify this book as "I read it so that you don't have to." Man, this book was so, so crappy. It was a snooze alert times infinity. Which is sad. I mean, have you ever read a book from an author and you really liked it, then you read another book by the author and you are tremendously disappointed? That's kinda what happened here. I enjoyed 'The Man Who Would Be King' (mentioned previously in this very blog several posts ago). But this one just didn't do it for me (which is unfortunate because this book is the one that is actually considered Kipling's masterpiece somehow). In Kim's defense (and Kipling's), it is never a good idea to read a book halfway and then finish the other half four months later. But still, I wasn't into the book in January and they (Kim/Kipling) are just lucky that there was even an excuse available to them at all.

On to the summary: Kim is this youngster (not sure of his exact age, but I pictured him to be 12-ish as the book begins). He is likable enough, one of those inquisitive kids that have no troubles having conversations with adults. This lama comes into town and Kim is super curious about him and ends up tagging along with the lama on various adventures. The lama is looking for some river that will supposedly cleanse him of his sins or something. Stuff happens (not really) and the lama I guess finds his river at the end. I was unsure whether he actually found it or if he metaphorically found it (a perfect example of why I didn't like the book). Now Kim is left to decide to continue in the path of the lama and spirituality or to follow the ways of the world (he went to some military school in the middle of the book).

That's it. Seriously. Plus, I don't really tend to like books that I can't understand (whether that lack of understanding is a fault of the book or a fault of the reader doesn't make the reader like the book either way). The book was just so foreign to me. It took place somewhere in Afghanistan I think and the lingo was weird. The descriptions of objects and places were confusing and difficult to understand for some lame American. I would read a page and just be like, "Uh, what?" And going back a second time didn't help. Confusion built on confusion which, unfortunately, leads to a lack of close and careful reading. In the end, this is one of my least favorite books of all-time. Maybe my least favorite (of the ones that I had the gusto to power through and actually finish). You are here forewarned dear reader. But, if you want to read it for yourself, feel free. Then, come back here and let me know what was so great that I missed out on (if you can find out for yourself what that great something was). It was just one of those books that worships the setting and culture. Which is fine I guess. But setting and culture by themselves don't make for an enjoyable read for me. Obviously it does for others since I think I am in the minority with my opinion about this book.

While I did not enjoy the book, here are three quotes that I did enjoy:

The lama makes this statement about a snake: "Great evil must the soul have done that is cast into this shape." Ha ha. I agree, lama. Snakes are pure evil.

"Very foolish it is to use the wrong word to a stranger; for though the heart may be clean of offence, how is the stranger to know that? He is more like to search truth with a dagger."

"True courtesy is very often inattention."