This is a plot driven Wild West Thriller. The pace is racy and it moves from one scene to the next. The characters areThis book is a great entertainer.
This is a plot driven Wild West Thriller. The pace is racy and it moves from one scene to the next. The characters are not that developed. But that does not matter as the unfolding events keep you engaged.
The main theme in the novel is The Family Bonds - The Value of Family. Other accompanying themes are: What is a True Religion (The Apache Religion or the Christianity or do they both mean the same - 'God is God after all'), Love between a Father and his Daughter & Courage in the Face of Difficulties.
But then, these themes are not reflected upon in a profound manner. They emerge out via the racy dramatic/tragic events.
The title - St. Agnes - arrested my attention as I was searching for books on Catholic Saints. Then I lookI came to know this book purely by accident.
The title - St. Agnes - arrested my attention as I was searching for books on Catholic Saints. Then I looked at the description of the novel. It said something about the nuns. Again the curiosity was fed generously be that detail.
Three nuns along with some seven orphaned children trapped in the grand canyon and there are Apaches who wait to hunt them down. These nuns, especially the superior looks for a miracle - A Man sent from God to save them - and she fervently prays for it. Then comes a fleeing outlaw. He sets out to save them.
Will he save them? Is the outlaw really the Chosen One sent by God to protect the Nuns and the Children? Will the faith of the Sisters be rewarded?
An interesting stream of questions. And they are answered in an interesting manner in this fast paced novel which is built around the tension - whether the nuns and the children would be killed or not?
Read it.
It is a great entertainer. If you are spiritual and religious (like me) you will also find that the novel is also layered with meanings dealing with Faith (of both the nuns and the Native Indians; the Faith of the Native Indians in their Ancient Ones is remarkably woven with the plot); Individual's, read sinner's, redemption by an redemptive act; and God's Providence in the extreme situation.
By the way, one of the sister's name in the novel is Sr. St. Agnes. ...more
I had read some of the poems of Mary Oliver and I loved them. To try out a collection of her poems, I started with thiThree and half stars.
A Mistake:
I had read some of the poems of Mary Oliver and I loved them. To try out a collection of her poems, I started with this work. The only reason was that it was cheaper among all other works of Oliver. In my enthusiasm I ordered it immediately not realizing that it is actually a collection of Oliver's essays and not poem. The mistake was made. I realized the mistake only when I received the book in my hands.
About the Book:
It is an excellent collection of essays mostly focusing on the Natural World - Oliver writes about the Sea, Dunes, Fishes, Turtles, Birds (Gulls and Owls), Trees, Dogs, Spider, Bear, etc. She writes with passion and as a person who truly adores them as a reflection of the one and the same REALITY.
She writes in one of her essays: "I would say that there exist a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else, and that our dignity and our chances are one. The farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family...."
Also she writes about some of the Nature Poets - Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, Emerson, and Edger Alan Poe.
The prose is generally lovely. It suited me in some essays and in some other essays I found the prose too tedious.
Post Script:
I placed also an order for a book of collection of her poems. I already glanced at some of the poems in that collection. They are truly lovely. ...more
A strange story told, I think, solely for the purpose of teasing the reader's hope in the face of stark and dark reality. When the reality hits you, iA strange story told, I think, solely for the purpose of teasing the reader's hope in the face of stark and dark reality. When the reality hits you, it hits you hard. And it is only natural of every human person to expect something miraculous - to hope in the hopeless situation for the better - in the matter-of-fact real bad situation. Bierce knows this well. So he takes you on a leash and the reader runs around as far as the leash permits. Then he pulls you very hard and it almost chokes you to stop. And dawns on you the realization of the hard reality. Bierce has done exactly that in this story.
Try reading it. You will not regret it. And it is just 17 pages. All the more, it is free in Aldiko....more
Having only 15 pages, it was easy to read it in 5 mins.
The story is simple. A Man is murdered/killed. Who kiThanks to Aldiko again. It is a free book.
Having only 15 pages, it was easy to read it in 5 mins.
The story is simple. A Man is murdered/killed. Who killed or what killed him? It is a mystery. May be a supernatural force or may be a force in the nature that is yet undiscovered by us and is invisible to all our senses as of now. What will you make of it? Is it something supernatural or unknown natural force? What will you name such a thing? May be, the damned thing.
Bierce has teased the minds of readers alluding to both possibilities (supernatural/natural)....more
I am lost for words to write a review that could justify my experience of reading it.
All I can say is that: i) this novel isMay be Four and Half Stars.
I am lost for words to write a review that could justify my experience of reading it.
All I can say is that: i) this novel is NOT about great characters; ii) this novel is NOT about a great place; iii) this novel is NOT about a great plot.
BUT, THIS NOVEL IS A GREAT PIECE OF LITERATURE.
In other words and to put it in a nutshell: Can beauty be found in the ordinary? and Can ordinary be beautiful? As an answer this novel emphatically says YES....more
I remember enjoying a collection of jokes surrounding the Catholic Church and its members in my seminary days. It was titled Church Humour.
This book I remember enjoying a collection of jokes surrounding the Catholic Church and its members in my seminary days. It was titled Church Humour.
This book by J. F. Powers reminded me of that book. Of course in the former book everything was in a short form. But the short stories in this collection are relatively lengthy. The striking similarity is that the short stories are set mostly in rectories involving parish priest, his assistant, bishop, the housekeeper, the janitor in the church, the ushers, the pets of parish priests, etc. The stories revolve around every day happening in the presbyteries. The petty church politics gets a funny treatment. Though they are everyday happenings, J. F. Powers makes them very interesting. He engages you in all the stories.
I enjoyed reading almost all the stories. Some of the deserve five stars. I especially loved the title story - THE PRESENCE OF GRACE. That story should be a must read story for every major seminarian, deacon, newly ordained priest, and every assistant parish priest....more
This is a story about Love. This is a story about marriage. This is a story about redemption. This is a story about forgiveness.
The stAn excellent book.
This is a story about Love. This is a story about marriage. This is a story about redemption. This is a story about forgiveness.
The story is really short. The prose is economical. The impact, I got, was tremendous.
The story is about a rich girl deserting her riches for the love of her life. She is an Irish Catholic and the boy for whom she leaves everything is related to German Protestantism. The life seems to be good. But when at the end of her life as the couple is reduced to abject poverty, she probes few questions relating to her life.
She loved wealth and fame - the worldly treasures. But as the life is ending she longs for heavenly treasures. The one who had abandoned religion turns to religion. The other worldly treasures cannot be obtained unless the commandments of Scripture are obeyed. The one commandment she finds utmost difficulty with is the commandment regarding forgiveness.
"It's all very well to tell us to forgive our enemies; our enemies can never hurt us very much. But oh, what about forgiving our friends? That's where the rub comes!"
And whom did she find it hard to forgive? Her own husband who put up every torture that she threw at him. In her death bed, it was he who was looking after his lover/wife. But she considered him her mortal enemy.
"People can be lovers and enemies at the same time, you know. We were...A man and woman draw apart from that long embrace, and see what they have done to each other. Perhaps I can't forgive him for the harm I did him. Perhaps that's it."
The last scene (the death of the lady) is symbolically placed. Reading it I was struck and it was here the impact was strong. The book remains in me and will remain in me for many days.
I know I have not done full justice to the book. I have not succeeded in transmitting the feel that I had as I finished the book. There are far too many symbols and images in so short a book that I will have to reproduce the entire work to make you see it. Turning into a Willa Cather fan....more
A short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne whose The Scarlet Letter is one of my all time favourites. This short story once again pAnother gift from Aldiko.
A short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne whose The Scarlet Letter is one of my all time favourites. This short story once again proved my belief in Hawthorne.
About the Story:
Mr. Alymer is both a philosopher and a Scientist who specializes in Nature and Chemistry. He gets married to the beautiful Georgiana. The life is good until the day he finds that a slight mark on one of the cheeks of Georgiana is a blight to the perfect beauty she is. A small spot renders takes hold of his entire being and he is tormented. In fact, that small spot was seen by many as a lucky charm that enhanced the beauty. But Alymer sought perfection. And because life was a torment for him, his wife comes forward for any experiment that would result in the removal of the birthmark. And who could be the best one for the job than Mr. Alymer himself? She submits to his experiments. And did Alymer achieve what he wanted? If so, at what cost? Read the story. It is just 22 pages long
The Moral/Theme of the Story:
To be perfect is the aim. But it is always impossible to be both human and to be perfect. Humanness is defined by imperfections. Accept the little imperfections in others. That is the best the Nature can offer to you. To strive for perfect human being in this word is to look for 'the perfect future in the present.' Perfection is of the Other World (the Perfect Future). Aim for it and be aware that it is not that easily attainable in this world....more
Toni: The Idea of Physical Beauty - "Probably the most destructive iAn imagined interview with Toni Morrison:
Me: What is your take on physical beauty?
Toni: The Idea of Physical Beauty - "Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought."
Me: Why do you say so?
Toni: "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do."
As I prepare the next question, Toni asks to be excused saying she had already spoken much. As an aside almost, she advised me to read her The Bluest Eye.
Then, I read the novel. And, now I can say that the sentences uttered by Toni in the imagined interview are the apt descriptions of the novel that spanned some 200 pages. She had really said much.
Beauty is a concept that is made by the society. And society anywhere and everywhere is divided. The division might have any number of basis or causes. Ultimately everything boils down to a single division - the oppressing class and the oppressed. In such a society all that is associated with the oppressing class is valued high. One among them is the idea of physical beauty. Not only that, the idea is propagated in every way possible till it becomes imprinted in the mind of everyone as the normative concept of beauty. The destructive nature of this structure is evident when the member of the oppressed class wants to acquire the characteristics of the oppressing class. This may be impossible especially when the division is also marked by the difference in the colour of the skin.
So this is the story of a black girl, set in 1940s USA, wanting to be beautiful. To her to be beautiful means to have blue eyes like the white girls. Blue eyes on the black face is repulsive. But she does not know that. She does not even know that she is beautiful even without the blue eyes. Why? Because all around, everyone, including her own family members, considers black as ugly. The outside gaze decided everything. The beauty proper to each person and colour was not accepted.
At last, anyway, she got the blue eyes. But at what cost? It is at this stage that I wanted to spit on the society. And I was also seriously aware that the spittle will be on me as well.
An Aside:
Being a Tamil, a south Indian I could very well associate this novel and the events narrated in the novel with many of the events happening in 'incredible' India. For instance, the vegetarian food (the food of the high caste society) decides the value of a person. The Classical art indulged mostly be the high caste people get high coverage in the media than the traditional art forms.
A Tamil translation of it (in fact translation of it in many Indian languages) will be of great service to Indian society.
This is a well known story. I have heard it narrated in many sermons or spiritual retreats. But I had never read the original work. So when I saw the This is a well known story. I have heard it narrated in many sermons or spiritual retreats. But I had never read the original work. So when I saw the book in the library by a pure accident, I chose to have a first hand experience of it.
The story is simple and lovely. The language is beautiful. I loved reading it. And this being the season of Advent, the book served also the other purpose of aiding my spiritual preparation for the Christmas. It is a good Christmas read.
On the flyleaf of the book, you are already given in nutshell the theme of the book.
Let me reproduce it:
"Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul, May keep the path, but will not reach the goal; While he who walks in love may wander far, Yet God will bring him where the blessed are."
About the story: (view spoiler)[It is about the fourth Magi who missed the caravan. And yet who undertook the journey alone with three precious stones - the gifts to be offered for the Infant Jesus. Because of various reasons he wanders about thirty three years before finding Christ (Christ on the Cross). But by then he had spent the precious stones for the least of the breathers that he had met on the way. God tells him that he had done the right thing and that he had already met Christ many times. SO it was time that he came for his eternal reward. (hide spoiler)]...more
1. It is a bit of everything and whole of nothing.
2. There are themes in the novel and they are either undeveloped or underdeveloped oAbout the novel:
1. It is a bit of everything and whole of nothing.
2. There are themes in the novel and they are either undeveloped or underdeveloped or overdeveloped. No theme is well developed.
3. The premise is good. But the execution is floppy.
4. There are characters. But there is no deep understanding into a character. The characters are wooden.
A Small Explanation:
The novel contains a real appreciable premise: "the search for a believable God in the times of great scientific discoveries on the one hand and unimaginable human evils of the society on the other hand." The protagonist (a Christian priest) is unable to cope with his belief in God as the creator for science explains many things in a matter of fact manner which sees no First Cause (God) and this is all the more solidified when human beings enact man made horrors (Holocaust) and they go unpunished. The protagonist wants a proof that Devil has become the host of Hitler and that Hell is filled with such persons as Hitler. But then, the execution is very floppy. Most of the times it read like a non fiction book.
Or is it my perception which is wrong? May be. E. L. Doctorow might have had his own intention in writing a novel in this particular manner. But that was not transferred to me....more
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