Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri, trans. by Dorothy Sayers - True confessions - found this pretty boring and had it not been for Peter Leithart's
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy, I wouldn't have been able to get one iota out of it. Now it's difficult to say if I had read a different translation, would I have found it as boring and difficult? It seems that traditionally, this middle canticle of The Divine Comedy is the least loved. So I am not breaking with tradition there. But I will add, to Dorothy Sayers credit, and I do love Dorothy Sayers - one of John's beloved seminary professors, Knox Chamblin, has said that Sayers introduction to this work is the best explanation of the Seven Deadly Sins he has ever read. 5
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - Yes, I finished it and didn't rip out all the whiny Scarlett pages either. I must say that I did end up liking this massive work - in spite of it's "heroine". But I don't want to say too much since this is our August Book Club pick. So in brief, what I liked - the character development - some of the most loved and hated characters ever conceived, the historical aspect - a novel written from the perspective of the South during and in the aftermath of the "Recent Unpleasantness" - my favorite descriptive name for the War Between the States thus far, and the writing. The story did carry itself even though I wanted to physically shake Scarlett from time to time. And that's all I'm going to say about that. 7
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - I picked this up when I got to the point where I needed a break from Scarlett O'Hara. Unfortunately, I was drawn back to Scarlett because this little read just didn't deliver. The premise is interesting - twins born on a stormy snowy night in 1964. One has Down's Syndrome, so dad (a dr.) sends that baby away and tells mom that she died. But what came afterwards was so boring and completely predictable - you can just guess. I finally tonight skimmed to the end just to make sure I wasn't missing something. "Stunning" and "mesmerizing" as it was hailed, it was not - boring and predictable it was. 4
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - Oh I see the eyebrows raising even now - well, don't worry. This was picked as the August read for my Chapters book club. So I picked it up from the library, pretty sure it wouldn't be one I would ever share with the family. Was I ever right - about halfway through I just couldn't take it anymore, so I put it down (and went to throw up). So you can imagine my delight when I found out it was no longer the pick for August - a different book was now in it's place. I don't think I have ever gotten a book out of my house so fast. My advice for this one...just...don't. 1
3 comments:
I'll be picking up Sayer's translation of Inferno for a class I'm teaching this Fall. Are there other translations you would recommend for it? I've also flagged Leithart's book to get as well.
I'm very excited about my line-up for the humanities course I'll be teaching. It is all medieval literature, which I've been getting more into in the past year anyhow. God is good in so many ways that seem insignificant to the casual observer.
Love your book reviews Heather. Though I am not much of a reader I am doing better, almost 2 books so far this year! Though you don't need to be looking over your shoulder quite yet as far as me catching up to you in the number of books read.
I LOVE your book reviews. I am sorry about Lolita. Sounds icky, yicky and slimy times 1,000. In the absence of a book club (((dramatic sigh))) I'm still just pleasantly wending my way through all of Alexander McCall Smith's books. :^) Holly has great taste in books, I must say.
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