Banned Books Week– 9/24-10/1

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Banned Books Week, books, censorship, classics, literature, politics

Burning vs. Banning, To-may-to vs. To-mah-to

This week is the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, an annual event aimed at defending the First Amendment and celebrating our right to read whatever we choose.  I won’t wax philosophic on the value of such an event.  We all know that censorship is bad and freedom is good, and that it is the job of a parent to guide their child into the world of adulthood, not to challenge books that acknowledge the existence of said world.  For those who don’t think censorship is still a problem in our tremendously enlightened age, perusing a list of frequently challenged books might surprise you (Where’s Waldo, really?).  In honor of Banned Books Week, I am reading Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer.  This is one of the most controversial books of the past century and has been in my ‘To Read’ stack for quite a while.  Look for my review later this week, and in the meantime go read a banned book of your own.  Comment and let me know what books you pick!

#57: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre

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100 books, book review, books, espionage, le Carre, literature, spy, thriller

After the intellectual workout of reading Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, I decided to read something a bit less exhausting and more purely entertaining.  Fortunately, I had on my shelf one more novel by John Le Carré– Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.  This is another espionage classic from Le Carré, himself a former intelligence operative.

Tinker, Tailor once again features the everyman spy, George Smiley, who finds himself drawn out of retirement to hunt a Soviet mole in the upper echelons of Britain’s spy agency.  There are four primary suspects, and the book follows Smiley’s efforts to discover the guilty party.  Along the way he deals with his own feelings of disappointment and despair in the face of his wife’s infidelities and his inevitable aging.  This novel is a quick read despite being over 300 pages, and is highly entertaining.  Le Carré does an excellent job of building suspense as Smiley laboriously uncovers the traitor’s identity.  The last 150 pages are impossible to put down.  In contrast to many other thriller/espionage writers, Le Carré uses only the words he actually needs to convey any particular scene.  So rather than getting a decent plot dressed up in words clearly out of a thesaurus (I’m looking at you, Clive Cussler), the reader gets an excellent plot served up without ostentation.

The one drawback to Le Carré’s writing is that it relies very heavily on the jargon of the British spy agency of his day, meaning the average modern American reader may have trouble keeping up with some of the action.  A bit of effort at the beginning (and the use of the internet on occasion) is more than enough to overcome this small obstacle.  This book was highly entertaining and is a must read for fans of the espionage genre.  I also look forward to the upcoming film version, starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

The Current Count:

57 Read, 43 To Go

#56: Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard

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100 books, book review, books, Kierkegaard, philosophy, religion

After thirteen laborious days, I can finally cross another book off of my list.  Soren Kierkegaard is one of those writers whom I have always intended to read at some point, but had never quite managed to tackle.  Thanks to a fortuitous find at the Half Price Books Labor Day sale, that has changed.  Fear and Trembling is Kierkegaard’s consideration of the story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac.  Despite its small size (only 150 pages), this book requires a tremendous amount of concentration and mental effort.  That effort was definitely well worth it. 

Fear and Trembling is divided into several sections.  The first is a preface from Kierkegaard’s pseudonym, Johannes de silentio.  This is followed by an exordium and a Speech in Praise of Abraham.  Finally, there is a section of Problemata in which Kierkegaard presents three major questions: Is there a teleological suspension of the ethical?; Is there an absolute duty to God?; and Was it ethically defensible of Abraham to conceal his purpose from Sarah, from Eleazar, and from Isaac?  The first half of the book, consisting mainly of the speech in praise of Abraham, is relatively straightforward and contains some wonderful examples of Kierkegaard’s literary talent.  The meat of the book, however, lies in the Problemata.  This is where the reading gets rather dense at times, and many sections require multiple reads to become intelligible.  Kierkegaard is writing in a dialectical style based on Hegel’s philosophy, which means that he uses several terms in a very specialized manner.  Once you clear that hurdle, the arguments become more clear and Kierkegaard’s genius becomes more dazzling.

Kierkegaard’s explanation of what it means to have faith, based on Abraham’s example, is truly remarkable.  What many people take for granted as the first step necessary in becoming a believer of any religion, Kierkegaard identifies as an ultimate goal reached by precious few.  What Abraham demonstrates is a willingness to go beyond the bounds of normal ethics due to a divine command that cannot be made understandable to any other person.  In order to have faith, Abraham was forced to separate himself from and be placed in opposition to humanity and its moral code.  What made Abraham’s act most remarkable was not merely his willingness to obey the command, but the absolute belief that somehow he would not lose Isaac despite sacrificing him.  Kierkegaard makes it clear that Abraham did not think that he would not ultimately be made to sacrifice Isaac, but that despite killing his son, that son would somehow be restored to him.  The willingness to believe that on the strength of the absurd is, according to Kierkegaard, the mark of faith.

This is not a book that can be summed up in one short blog post.  It is laden with profundity to an incredible degree, and is not an easy read.  It is, however, extremely rewarding.  Rather than try to summarize further, I will simply say that any person interested in the nature of faith or the relationship between individual faith and universal morality needs to read this book.

The Current Count:

56 Read, 44 To Go

Page to Screen: Lawrence of Arabia

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Arabia, book review, books, history, Lawrence of Arabia, movies

Today I inaugurate a new series– Page to Screen.  In these posts I will look at classic books that have been made into movies and cinematic masterworks that began as books.  For the first installment, I have selected one of my all time favorite movies– Lawrence of Arabia.

The Background 

Thomas Edward Lawrence began World War I as a minor officer assigned to the British Army staff at Cairo.  Due to his expert knowledge of Arabian language and culture, Lawrence was assigned as an adviser to the Arab uprising against the Turkish Empire led by Emir Feisal, a son of the Sherif of Mecca.  Although under Feisal’s nominal command, Lawrence was the operational leader of the revolt.  Under his guidance, the Arabs successfully waged a wide-ranging guerilla campaign against the Turks.  Lawrence eventually led the Arabs in the capture of Damascus.  An ambitious American journalist publicized Lawrence’s exploits, making him a hero celebrated around the world.

The Movie

Few films have achieved the popular and critical acclaim enjoyed by Lawrence of Arabia.  The American Film Institute listed Lawrence as the #5 film of all time on its 1998 100 Years… 100 Movies list, and at #7 on the 2007 list.  This movie is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest cinematic productions of all time, and deservedly so.  David Lean’s direction manages to convey both the underlying desperation of the Arab revolt and the dynamic relationships between the main characters built on bravado in the face of that desperation.  Some directors are too heavy-handed with their actors, leading to films that seem less than natural.  Lean avoids this pitfall and the result is marvelous.  He is helped in this regard by a truly incredible cast.

Peter O’Toole

Peter O’Toole is phenomenal as the complicated Lawrence.  His Lawrence is charming and intelligent, bold and courageous on the one hand, while painfully lonely and uncertain about his abilities on the other.  O’Toole portrays a real man in all of his complexity rather than a heroic caricature.  The other actors are equally wonderful.  Omar Sharif is the handsome and earnest Sherif Ali, while Anthony Quinn is the combative and rugged Auda abu Tayi.  Both performances rank among the all-time greats.  Again we see real people on the screen where lesser actors would have offered mere character sketches.  Finally, Alec Guinness as Prince Feisal brings a dignity and gravitas to a role that could have been forgettable in less capable hands. 

The cinematography and the score push the movie into the cinematic elite.  The film is visually stunning, with the camera work highlighting the desolate beauty of the desert landscape.  Maurice Jarre’s score adds to the emotional impact without distracting from those stunning visuals.  The soundtrack has a signature melody that is instantly recognizable.  The script simplifies and combines many of the historical characters and events involved, but perfectly captures the spirit of Lawrence and his enterprise.

To be fair, this movie is very long and moves slowly at times.  If you aren’t the type to appreciate long, artistic landscape shots to set the scene for later action, you will want the remote nearby to fast forward through a few sections.  That said, SEE THIS MOVIE!!!  It is everything that a historical epic should be, and few other movies come close.

The Book

Compared to the tremendous popularity of the film, the book behind the movie is relatively unknown.  T.E. Lawrence was encouraged by many friends and admirers to write his own account of the Arab uprising against the Turks.  The result was Seven Pillars of Wisdom.  This book is one of the most remarkable pieces of writing that I have ever encountered.  Part history and part autobiography.  Part novel and part philosophical treatise.  Part anthropological study and part guerilla warfare handbook.  Part travel guide and part confession.  This book is as complicated as its author.

Lawrence has a wonderful gift for capturing landscapes and personalities but is often extremely verbose.  The result is a captivating book that is very, very long and very, very detailed.  If you think the long desert shots in the movie were tiresome, try reading fifty pages describing those same scenes.  The prose is beautiful and the descriptions are evocative.  The problem is that Lawrence describes every journey in this detail, and every lava formation, and every canyon.  The action scenes are better, with Lawrence conveying the emotions that accompanied his various triumphs and setbacks with sincerity and grace.  His cultural analysis of the Arabs and their various religious and tribal associations is insightful and useful reading in a world so focused on Middle Eastern tensions. 

The downside to this book is its length.  At nearly 700 very large pages, it is quite an undertaking.  Lawrence’s writing is not conducive to burning through the pages.  Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in Lawrence or Arabia in general, but not if you are looking for a casual read.  The abridged Revolt in the Desert would be a better idea for the casual reader.  If you do choose to read this book, try to find an old copy.  The newer paperback editions are fine, but the old hardback has a heft to it that seems appropriate to the subject.  The text is accompanied by some great illustrations that really add to the reading experience.  My own worn copy is pictured above, and it is one of my favorite old books.

My Pick: The Movie

In the end, I would have to choose the movie over the book.  I loved reading Lawrence’s account, but it took me over a month to get through it.  The movie is truly a masterpiece.  The directing, the acting, and the cinematography are unbelievable.  If you have never seen it, rent it today!

Hmmm…. 100 books is a lot….

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100 books, books

It’s that time of year again, that happy time when my motivation begins to dwindle at a rate roughly equivalent to the diminution of my free time that goes along with the start of a school year.  I’m not giving up, but I am limping along.  I think I have mentioned that I switched from teaching English to teaching Speech and Debate.  That also means I am now the coach of the debate team.  What I gained in ease of material I am paying for in loss of time.  My afternoons and weekends are much busier than last year.  That said, I will continue to read and blog.  My pace might just be a bit slower than it has been up to this point.  I am not reducing my target because that defeats the purpose.  If I try to get to 100 and fail, that gives me my target for next year.  If I change my goal to 75 and get there, I will know that it is because I changed to rules to win the game.  So the target remains the same.  One major change I will be introducing is the inclusion of at least one new series of posts, Page to Screen.  In this series, I will look at classic pairings of books and movies and then offer my take on them.  My reading time may have diminished, but I need the intellectual stimulation this blog provides worse than ever.  Spending all day with teenagers can be mind numbing, and blogging helps keep my brain cells alive and active.  Thanks for the supportive comments and the blog views, I will try to keep the posts coming!

#55: Klingsor’s Last Summer by Hermann Hesse

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100 books, book review, books, Hesse, literature

After wrestling with a book of stories from Thomas Mann without much success, I decided to return to one of my favorite authors, Hermann Hesse.  I chose one of his few works that I have not yet read, Klingsor’s Last Summer.  This book is actually a collection of three novellas: A Child’s Heart, Klein and Wagner, and the titular story of Klingsor.  Each story is excellent. 

A Child’s Heart recounts a young boy’s theft of some candies from his father’s room and his subsequent tormenting guilt leading up to being confronted by his father.  This story does a wonderful job of capturing the deep and powerful emotions of which a child is capable, and the uncertainty that accompanies these often new sensations.  It reminded me of Augustine’s story of stealing from the pear tree, but Hesse presents the feelings through the eyes of a child, whereas Augustine is a grown man looking back.  The power of Hesse’s story is how instantly recognizable and relatable the feelings of the main character are to all readers.

Klein and Wagner was my favorite story in the book.  In it, a man flees from his middle-class life after embezzling a large sum of money in his position as a minor government official.  He struggles with the causes of his abrupt resort to crime and with the strange new world that confronts him in the absence of his former principles of right and wrong.  The struggle between individual desires and the rules of society drive the narrator to despair and ultimately to suicide.  Again, Hesse’s ability to put the reader in the shoes of the narrator is remarkable.

The final story tells about a famous painter named Klingsor as he experiences a final burst of creativity in his last summer of life.  He grabs the cup of life with both hands and drinks until he simply cannot take any more.  The reader feels transported to Klingsor’s side as he attempts to embrace the wonders of life and nature with his entire being, only to accept that his time is nearly up. 

Hesse is an author who writes in a language that is both emotional and spiritual.  His characters and their crises have a sincerity that can only come from the author’s own experiences.  The thing I love most about his work is the feeling of spiritual connectedness that all of his writings seem to exude.  To Hesse, all of us are linked through the divine spark within, regardless of race, religion, or social standing.  The key to happiness, for his characters and for his readers, is the recognition of the divinity within and the acceptance of the transitory nature of the physical world.

The Current Count:

55 Read, 45 To Go