The Quiet American by Graham Greene

5/10

This is going to be one of those posts where I don't have much of anything to say because I read this book like seven or eight years ago and don't really remember too much about it. All I remember is that I thought it was ok. I also remember it not meeting my expectations because I really liked the only other Graham Greene book that I had read (The Third Man) and expected this one to be just as good.

In thumbing through my copy of this book I noticed several cool lines and descriptions. My brief perusal of the book appears to indicate that his writing was still sharp for this novel. So I don't really know what I didn't like other than I guess the story itself just didn't do it for me probably. I'm sure it didn't help matters that Brendan Fraser was on the cover of my book and all I could picture was him as I read about the main character. But, I didn't dislike it, don't get me wrong.

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

7/10

I just finished reading this book today. It was good. I have been itching to read another Thomas Hardy book since reading "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" a few years back. Fortunately Mallory selected this book for me because she thought the girl on the cover was "silly".

It should be noted that Thomas Hardy said that he liked this book "as a story" the best of all his novels. This book was slightly better than my expectations. I had somewhat high expectations because it's Thomas Hardy. But my expectations were somewhat guarded due to the fact that this particular Thomas Hardy isn't typically given the same acclaim as some of his other books. It definitely wasn't as good as "Tess" but still had me intrigued throughout.

From the two books I've read of his I have decided that he is like Woody Allen in that he writes excellent female characters. This book had several fascinating female characters including Grace Melbury, Felice Charmond, and Marty South. Much could be said about all three. All I will say is that Hardy seems to have a soft spot for the plights of women and the unfair things that they had to endure back in the day.

I look forward to reading another Thomas Hardy because only reading two is obviously not enough.

My only serious complaint from this book involves not Thomas Hardy but the genius who included several extreme spoilers in the Notes to the edition I read. It's obvious that I'm going to read the Notes as I go along reading the book, so don't put huge spoilers in there. Did they really think that I would read the Notes with no context after I finish the book? I assume the Note is put in to inform and aid the reader as he reads. So don't put in huge spoilers, duh.

Some quotes:

"Why should Death alone lend what Life is compelled to borrow - rest?"

"[T]he determination to love one's best will carry a heart a long way towards making that best an ever-growing thing."

"[T]o every bad there is a worse."

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

7/10

Probably time for another Narnia post. This is one of my favorites from the Narnia series. Sometimes I've told myself that it's my favorite Narnia book, but upon further reflection, it certainly can't be better than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can it?

The Silver Chair is the first time we don't have any of the Pevensie children. We have Eustace who is a cousin of the Pevensie's and a carry-over character from The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader'. And we also have Aslan for brief snippets of course. It's a fun book. I think I like it because it has a quest feel to it, a la The Lord of the Rings, as they go in search of Prince Caspian's (now King Caspian's) son. But I mostly like it because of the intense conclusion (well, at least as intense as a Narnia book can get). I really thought the ending was well done and enjoyable.

A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards

10/10

This is my final Missionary Reference Library book to post. I read this back in December of 2002. It is really good and I enjoyed this book a lot. It does, probably better than any other book, an amazing job at laying out the importance of the restored gospel in a clear and straightforward manner. In fact, as a mission president, he created this as an outline to assist his missionaries "in their study and presentation of the gospel in a systematic and logical manner."

I will now rank the Missionary Reference Library books in order from my favorite to my least favorite:

1. Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage
2. A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards
3. Articles of Faith by James E. Talmage
4. Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard
5. Truth Restored by Gordon B. Hinckley / Gospel Principles