Christian Mythmakers by Rolland Hein - another of my literature geek books. A chapter given to each writer, such as Dante, Tolkien, Lewis, Chesterton, Bunyan....Hein takes the most brilliant of our storytellers and opens up their lives and writings to us through the lens of their own Christianity. Their faith was so much a part of them, that it manifested itself in stories of which we today can still read, enjoy, and learn from. As has been said before, the essence of art is to delight and instruct. This book showcases some of my favorite teachers. 9
Eragon by Christopher Paolini- Ok, 1) I don't know why my blog formatting is wigging out on me and 2) I don't know why so many Christian parents were horrified by Harry Potter (based on that they heard, not read) and were NOT horrified by Eragon (based on what they heard, NOT read.) So if I might be a bit edgy -everything that has been wrongly dumped on Harry is in Eragon. The invocation of spirits for power used by the good and the bad guys - is there. Which is exactly what the Bible is talking about when it speaks of sorcery. With a bit of New Age mumbo jumbo thrown in for fun- just like Star Wars. The end. Don't believe everything you hear, even if it is coming out of a Christian periodical, book, mouth - find out for yourself and make informed decisions for yourself and help your kids make informed decisions. Wisdom, use wisdom. So, with that out there, did I like Eragon?
I was not thrilled. But I tried to keep in mind the youth that wrote it, and, for a 15 year old, it wasn't bad. I happen to live with some pretty gifted young writers, so I am biased. That said, I thought the dialog in particular was so completely cheesy, it was not believable. It got in the way of the drama of the story and seemed forced. The story itself seems like a complete knock-off of Lord of the Rings - which I am not opposed to. Authors for centuries have been re-telling their favorite tales. But gifted authors do it much more subtly - you don't realize the influence until you have stripped away at the layers of the story. That's brilliance. This felt like a knock off to me. But I may be bitter because of all the bad flack Harry has been getting and Eragon hasn't. It's possible.
Having outed the sorcery aspect of the story, would I let my kids read it? Well, they already have - at least three of them. I'm trying to catch up. But I don't regret them having read the series, these particular kids. It was my oldest son who let me know about the sorcery as we were discussing the whole Harry Potter outrage. He had read the first three books, and identified the magic as as such and then went on in the story. It didn't give birth to a weird fascination with the occult, he didn't start praying to Baal, he didn't run out and pick up a deck of Tarot cards. THIS particular child would not do that - that is not a bent for him, that is not his struggle. But if he did have a bent towards dark things, if he was facinated by such things, I would be cautious in letting him read it. If he wanted to read the series, I would probably read it with him to talk through things biblically as they were encountered.
So will I read the rest of the series? Up until the last chapter, the answer was no. I have too many other things I want to read to waste my time. And then BANG - the brilliance of Christopher Paolini got me too. The last chapter left such a hook, that I finished wanting to know what happens next. The whole book was agonizing for me to read, and yet, I want to know more. That is what he is good at - that is his gift as a storyteller. And that's why he is a bestseller. So with that all said...6.
Sorry about the format...
Anyway, next up the book two and three of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins,
Catching Fire and Mockingjay. This series is one of those that catches you up in and carries itself. Once begun, I could not put any of these books down. They are rivetingly plot-driven, while allowing you care for the characters at the same time. it's not just 24, but at times it felt like it. The series as a whole is, I think, a warning to North American culture to beware what we find entertaining. Collins uses motifs and names from the ancient Greek and Roman world - which is interesting, because it would not be the first time North America, particularly the US was compared to Ancient Rome. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't get into the plot. I wrote about the Hunger Games here. I was disappointed with the end of Mockingjay. It felt like I had been left beat up on the side of the road. After all the emotion I had invested in following Katniss and Peeta and all, I needed it to have been worth it - and it wasn't. Disappointingly so. We are left with glimmers of hope, but not without some major heartbreak. But it was well written - fun to get so caught up in a story I couldn't do anything else - fun to still be thinking about the story and the symbolism meant for us to read and understand. So read it, but know there will be emotional aftermath in the end. 8
2 comments:
As I told Shawn before he started reading The Hunger Games (I finished them all in I think 3 or 4 days) they are like Lost, Survivor, Firefly, Gladiator (obviously) and The Bachelorette (which I strangely mean as a compliment in this instance) ... and I think I'm leaving another one out... all rolled into one amazingly riveting package.
Oh and I agree. The ending was underwhelming. It ended like a... hmm... like a dandelion fluff which I guess fits a little tiny theme that makes its way in and out. But then I sort of think maybe that's how those characters would feel after all of that. They would have serious (to put it mildly) emotional/mental/every other way trauma. It would be less believable if it culminated in anything super thrilling.
Oh, and I agree about your HP comments of course. Burke just finished the last Eragon book (I swear he reads faster than me!) He says he's read all there is to read now (sacrilege!) and that he will now just write books. LOL
Post a Comment