Books Blog : faith

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill

Bufkinite@evpl — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Written in her 89th year, Diana Athill writes in Somewhere Towards the End not so much about getting old, but reflects on her life and, especially as the book goes on, about being old, and the matter-of-fact changes age imposes on one.

It gives me great hope to read something written by a 90 year old that demonstrates a sharp wit and reflective mind, not to mention a breezy and engrossing writing style. A few extended quotes may serve to whet your appetite for more:

On religious belief:

“Faith – the decision to act as though you believe something you have no reason to believe, hoping that the decision will bring on belief and then you will feel better - that seems to me mumbo-jumbo. I can’t feel anything but sure that when men form ideas about God, creation, eternity, they are making no more sense in relation to what lies beyond the range of their comprehension than the cheeping of sparrows…

…And surely the urgent practical necessity of trying to order [life] so that its cruelties are minimized and its beauties are allowed their fullest possible play is compelling enough without being seen as duly laid on us by a god?"

On gardening:

“And still, each time I’m there [in the garden], I manage to do at least a little bit of work myself; tie something back, trim something off, clear some corner weeds, plant three or four small plants, and however my bones may ache when I’ve done it, I’m always deeply refreshed by it. Getting one’s hands into the earth, spreading roots, making a plant comfortable – it is a totally absorbing occupation, like painting or writing, so that you become what you are doing and are given a wonderful release from consciousness of self.”

On fidelity:

“Fidelity in the sense of keeping one’s word I respect, but I think it tiresome that it is tied so tightly in people’s minds to the idea of sex. The belief that a wife owes absolute fidelity to her husband has deep and tangled roots, being based not only on a man’s need to know himself to be the father of his wife’s child, but also on the deeper, darker feeling that a mans owns woman… And woman’s anxious clamour for her husband’s fidelity springs from the same primitive root: she feels it to be necessary proof of her value.”

If you're intrigued by any of this, there is more - much more - in this delightful book. What a full and interesting life this woman has had!

The Longest Trip Home

wag.mado@evpl — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:08:00 GMT

After reading several mixed reviews on John Grogan's newest book, I took the plunge and decided I'd see for myself. I really didn't think there was any way I could like the book as much as the bestselling "Marley and Me", but I didn't think it would be as bad as some of the reviews I read either.

This memoir is mostly a story about growing up Catholic in the 1950's. Since, I grew up Catholic in the 1950's, I could relate with almost everything - except being an altar boy. I could also understand how those who did not grow up Catholic may not like the book - and realized how those who are Catholic could be offended or taken aback by Grogan's feelings about his religious upbringing with extremely devout parents.

The book (which I listened to on audio, read by Grogan himself) did have places that seemed to drag on. However, I stayed with it because I never lost my curiosity about where the story was taking me, as Grogan tried to become his own person, living life with a moral code different from his parents.

All that being said - I liked this book. It was an honest, sometimes humorous, sometimes heart wrenching memoir, written by a person who tried to find his own place in the world even when it didn't follow the path his parents had in mind. In that respect, this could be the life story of many of us.

Oh, and about the book being as good as "Marley?" Heavens no! Not even Grogan himself could upstage that beloved dog.

Strong at the Broken Places

wag.mado@evpl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:55:00 GMT

This book's preface begins, "These are the faces of illness in America. Do not look away.......Quite simply, they are us." If you have ever known someone with a chronic or terminal illness, you probably already know that each person approaches their difficulties in a way that is all their own. Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen is a book that demonstrates this. He features 5 people who have been given life changing diagnoses. Cohen interviews them over several years, asking them questions and observing them in their everyday life. The interviews speak of fear, loneliness, and anger - but also show the personal strengths that allow these people to thrive, revealing the common ground they all stand upon. Although it may sound depressing, I found this book full of life. To me the stories are all about living in the truth, with as much hope as one can muster. And after all, isn't that what we are all trying to do?

"The Third Angel" by Alice Hoffman

MediaPhile@evpl — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:18:00 GMT

Alice Hoffman has long been one of my favorite authors. But the truth is that I have grown a bit weary of the atmospheric, otherworldy touches that are entangled into every scene in every novel.

So I was pleasantly surprised to read this intricately woven story of three women whose lives are connected by family and circumstance -- with only one minor ghost muddying the reality.

Much of the action takes place in a fictional London hotel patterned after the legendary and bohemian Chelsea Hotel in NYC. Spanning the last few decades, each of the three sections of the novel sheds more light on the puzzle of how and why these women's lives turned out like they did.

This is a book to be savored and, perhaps, reread. You might want to keep a pad and paper at hand to jot down names and details.

Oh, and a juvenile John Lennon shows up briefly -- but I will let you find him yourself.