I did not expect Dante’s Inferno to be easy, but it was not as hard as I expected it to be.
In order to make sure that I gave it my all, over the coursI did not expect Dante’s Inferno to be easy, but it was not as hard as I expected it to be.
In order to make sure that I gave it my all, over the course of about 40 days I listened to it twice, had a physical copy that I skimmed and referenced, looked at online study guides, and discussed with some of my Goodreads friends. While I still feel there is more here to be learned and grasped due to all the symbolism and word craft used by Dante, I feel like I at least got a good feel for it in my Divine Comedy rookie status.
During my time with it, I probably looked at three or four different translations. Some of them seemed to be a bit more termed for the layman, but with others you could better see the poetry of Dante. I suppose to really get a feel for how Dante intended it I would need learn Italian (Tuscan Italian to be specific – according to Wikipedia). If you decide to give it a go, I think it may be best to not just settle on one translation but be flexible and try out a few to see which one gives you the best experience.
As I mentioned in my introductory sentence, it was not as hard as I expected it to be. I thought going in that I would be totally confused, and it would be hard to stay focused. But the narrative was enjoyable and not to hard to follow. It was the poetry and the symbolism that makes this one a bit more complex. So many different elements of mythology, literary history, religion, and world history are referenced that it kept my brain on its toes. I mentioned that this felt like an introductory experience because I could probably go back and spend hours on each Canto researching all the things referenced.
While it was a bit of a labor, I am pleased with my overall experience with Inferno and I will likely give the rest of the Divine Comedy a look sometime in the future. ...more
My wife is a big fan of Karen Kingsbury. She received a copy of this as a gift and since it is geared toward a younger audience, we decided to read itMy wife is a big fan of Karen Kingsbury. She received a copy of this as a gift and since it is geared toward a younger audience, we decided to read it out loud as a family. My kids have been really into out loud reading time at night and it is fun to see them get excited to recap what we read the night before. These are times I will cherish forever!
I have not read any Kingsbury myself before this and am not likely to read her again simply because her writing doesn’t fall into my normal preference. But, it was fun to get a glimpse into a book that is part of a series my wife loves so much. As it deals with the younger versions of some of the main characters in her other books, I think that this will be more enjoyed by a Kingsbury fan than someone who is just picking up a young adult book for a stand-alone read.
Kingsbury is a spiritual, Christian author. If this is not your jam, this would not be the book for you. But, if you don’t care one way or another or are spiritual/Christian yourself, and you like cute, coming of age young adult novels, then this book is very worth a try.
When we were finished, my kids asked if there is a sequel. So great to see them excited and I guess maybe there is a good chance I will be reading some more Kingsbury in the future! ...more
Y'all are out there watching Avengers: Endgame while I am at home watching the classic 80s cartoon of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A whole lY'all are out there watching Avengers: Endgame while I am at home watching the classic 80s cartoon of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A whole lotta nostalgia going on.
Why am I watching it right now?
Well, I just finished a reread of the book, and it is simply as magical as I remember. It is a well written fantasy story that is not too complex and, therefore, is accessible to young and old alike. It does indeed have Christian allegory, but it is up to you whether you want to read it with that in mind or not.
One thing about the dialogue is that while it is simple, there are some words and phrases that are dated to the time period it was written. Because of this, a dictionary may be helpful every so often throughout the book. One place where Google came in quite handy was in the chapter about Turkish Delight. It might have been more common long ago or in other parts of the world, but I was not quite sure what it is.
Finally, the best part of this reread was that I read it out loud to my 7 and 5 year old. It feels great to pass great books on to them. Also, it was magical to watch how much they enjoyed it. They we're even drawing pictures of the characters and running around the house pretending to look for the wardrobe!
Side note: some versions of the series have this as the first book. Some have it as the second. Even though I have read them all before, I don't really have an opinion on the matter. I think either order is just fine....more
“’Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’-a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if worst came to worst, a heaven for mosqui“’Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’-a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if worst came to worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.”
This is not your Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis. This is Professor Lewis teaching a theology course. The material is interesting and thought provoking, but the delivery can be a bit dry and heavy at times. Throughout, though, there are little gems like the quote above to make you smile.
At one point, Lewis was an atheist, but over time through his intellectual inquiries and deductive reasoning became a Christian and wrote a series of spiritual books to help explain (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce to name a few). The Problem Of Pain is the first one that I have read, but I will say with this one his approach is definitely analytical – very unlike a church service where they preach to the emotions. This is like going to a calculus class instead of listening to a sermon – so be aware if you decide to read.
Also, as mentioned, this is a book written by a former atheist about Christian ideas. I will not pass judgement on the content or what readers should make of it based on their own spiritual beliefs. I will only say that if you are a hardcore atheist and reading anything with a Christian angle annoys you, then do not read this. If you are an atheist, but like to read about religious concepts, it is worth giving a shot. If you are a Christian, I cannot guarantee that you will like it as it is pretty heavy – not your typical Sunday discussion with your church peers. If you are a Christian theologian, then I would say that you have to read this! If you are another religion entirely, I cannot say for sure if you will find this interesting or not . . .
I already mentioned this is not your Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis – if your only experience with Lewis is Narnia and you really know nothing else about him or his spiritual writings, I suggest doing some research ahead of time before trying out this book or you may be very disappointed.
I am giving it 3 stars – the only deduction being because of my struggle to stay interested in his delivery. Other than that, some interesting food for thought!...more
If you follow my reviews, you know that many of my nostalgic reflections involve my time working at Waldenbooks in the 1990s. That is no different witIf you follow my reviews, you know that many of my nostalgic reflections involve my time working at Waldenbooks in the 1990s. That is no different with The Christmas Box. For those of you who might be familiar with the history of this book, that should come as no surprise. Released in 1995, this short hardcover was a staple stocking stuffer for many years (and may still be). We had stacks of copies a couple hundred high and kept a display at the registers to encourage add-ons. During the month of December almost every other sale included a copy. Sometimes people would by multiple copies of it at a time to make sure everyone in the family had one.
So, since it was a short book and very popular you would think I read it back then to see what all the hype was about. Alas, I did not - I was much more specific with my reading at the time (mainly Stephen King and required high school reading), so a flowery covered book about Christmas wasn't worth my time. This holiday season I decided to remedy that.
I am very glad I took the time! This book has so much heart! It is an engaging, one sitting read. You could probably even easily read it out loud to your family in a couple of installments. The prose was very nice and tears were jerked many times - I was sure someone was cutting onions! I think this book will really resonate with people who try to juggle family time with the rigors of day-to-day life.
Side note: The following bears no impact on my judgment of the book, I just want to make sure everyone is in the know. This is a very faith-based book. I am aware that not all of my Goodreads friends are religious. If you think you may not enjoy a story with a Christ-based focus, then it is likely you will not enjoy this. But if you do like faith-based stories or don't mind them, I can easily recommend this story to you....more
For years, and when I say years it is actually more like decades, I have seen this classic book from time to time but I have never read it. It's not aFor years, and when I say years it is actually more like decades, I have seen this classic book from time to time but I have never read it. It's not a very long book, but I just never took the time to try it out. One of my Goodreads groups is reading it this month, so I figured that now is as good a time as any to give it a go.
I decided to listen to it and it kind of felt like I was listening to a story around the campfire. The biggest thing it reminded me of was when I was a kid at the museum in Cincinnati hearing Native American legends about how the constellations got in the sky. I am not sure how close to any actual lore Hesse's version is, but it was interesting to listen to.
I saw some comments out there about this book being slow. It certainly isn't action packed and there are many philosophical digressions that move away from the story into a spiritual realm. These parts of the narrative can be slow, but they do add to the atmosphere of Siddartha's journey.
Do I recommend it? If you are really into stories about philosophy and spirituality, yes. If you are into reading all the classics, yes. Otherwise, maybe or maybe not - I can't say for sure....more
I would have rated this book higher if the subject matter was as advertised. My wife and I decided to attend a marriage class at church and this was tI would have rated this book higher if the subject matter was as advertised. My wife and I decided to attend a marriage class at church and this was the accompying book. We have taken other courses at our church where the subject matter was on point with the reading materials providing key parts of scripture to emphasize the content (Dave Ramsey comes to mind). Instead, this book was all about the difficulties and struggles of being Christian with a little bit about marriage and family thrown in.
Now, if you are a Christian and reading this review you might say, "Well, Matthew, being a Christian isn't always easy, were you expecting the content to be a cakewalk?" To that I say that I never expect these courses or the content to be easy (that is why we are interested in taking them to enrich ourselves - if it was easy, we probably wouldn't bother!) However, I expect it to be accessible and relevant. If I gave Dave Ramsey to a non-Christian I would feel pretty good that they would enjoy it, gain lots of insight, and maybe the Christian parts of it would have an impact, but it wouldn't push them away from the awesome advice. With this book, I think only hardcore Christians will make it past chapter one and they would not really gain a lot about marriage.
So, I can't really recommend this as a marriage guide and I can only really recommend it as a Christian book if you want to self-flaggelate and feel guilty about how you are not doing Christianity right. I am sure that the authors are great people, but they just don't sell Christianity in a way that works for me.
(Note: my wife and I both realized we felt the same way without prompting reach other. That should tell you something.)...more
I enjoyed this thought provoking book. I have read Matheson before and I like his writing style. I feel like his prose is such that it will draw a widI enjoyed this thought provoking book. I have read Matheson before and I like his writing style. I feel like his prose is such that it will draw a wide variety of people in. The fact that it is so accessible with very little filler or unnecessary flowery-ness is a plus for me.
When deciding whether or not to read this book, you must think about how you feel about stories that conjecture about the afterlife. If that is a touchy subject for you or you are uncomfortable reading about possibilities outside of your beliefs, this is not the book for you. However, if you enjoy exploring possibilities, like to see what someone else speculates, or are fascinated with the "what ifs" and the "maybes", then this is a very good book worth checking out.
Warning: this could be a very difficult book for someone who has recently experienced a loss. Please proceed with caution if that is you. ...more
This is a deeply spiritual book reflecting on God, Faith, and Miracles. If that is something that does not interest you, you may not want to try this This is a deeply spiritual book reflecting on God, Faith, and Miracles. If that is something that does not interest you, you may not want to try this one out. However, if you are Christian or have an open mind when it comes to faith based stories, this is a fascinating story.
The book reads like a combination of the show Mystery Diagnosis and saving Jessica McClure from the well. If you do not remember Mystery Diagnosis, it was a show where someone would have an odd ailment that no one could figure out except one random specialist across the country who is the only one who knows anything about it because only 4 people in the world are affected. If you don’t remember Jessica McClure, in 1987, when she was 18 months old, she fell down a well in her backyard in Texas. It led to a rescue attempt that captivated the world for several days.
Both of these things were fascinating to me, so that makes this story fascinating as well. Even if you are not a Christian and have a hard time stomaching the discussion of faith and miracles, it is a pretty amazing story that is worth checking out....more
The Story was written to help make the Bible more accessible to those who may get lost in the language or who do not have the desire to get the whole The Story was written to help make the Bible more accessible to those who may get lost in the language or who do not have the desire to get the whole message from 1000+ pages.
I think it was pretty good. I can see how it would help some be more comfortable with the journey through the Bible. However, I feel like there was a lot of it that was just a reprint of the source material and, therefore, was not any more accessible than just reading the Bible. If I had to guess, 60% of the people who struggle with the Bible would find this helpful. The rest will probably be just as intimidated....more
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