I have a confession to make:
I...am afraid...of the Big Bad Woolf.
Which begs the question: what am I doing here? I guess I was invited by a good friend and couldn't refuse. Besides: I don't want to appear as though I don't appreciate a good book. I guess my opinion of a good book is...well, non-vernacular. Take the works of Terry Brooks, for example. Probably his most well-known series--relatively speaking, of course--would be the Shannara series, of which there are currently seventeen entries, and more are on the way. In addition, series that were once seperate from these, such as The Word and the Void, are becoming incorporated into the Shannara universe. It is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi style series, and they are distinctive in their character and imagination. The first entry ever written, The Sword of Shannara, was written in the early 1970s, and it heralded a new tradition in episodic fantasy writing ever since The Lord of the Rings. The first Shannara book I ever read was The Wishsong of Shannara, in the seventh grade, and I fell in love.
Make no mistake: I know the difference between the classics and popular fiction. Terry Brooks is a bold writer, but his works just don't compare to the likes of even the most contemporary masterpieces, like Conroy's Lords of Discipline, or Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany. So why even mention the series? It is because this series doesn't compare, that I mention it. It stands out as a great book without assuming too much of itself. It isn't about trying to change the world, or proving a point; it is simply a fairy tale, an epic adventure.
There are, of course, more serious books that I find interesting as well. Orson Scott Card is a fine Sci-Fi writer. His Ender series is an intense and involved space tragedy, full of international and interplanetary intrigue. He also has a very interesting series depicting a futuristic scenario of Earth's descendants, based on the history of Nephi and his family in the Book of Mormon. It is called the Homecoming series, very interesting interpretation of religious texts. Like children's books? I would recommend The Lorax, by Dr. Suess, or Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig. Want satire? Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett are good authors for that.
So sure, I like books. I am still afraid of the Big Bad Woolf, the books that the world says mean something. I guess there are a few that I have come to like in that area, but I find it hard to adapt to that world. I feel bad, sometimes, as if I am failing to apply myself to good reading, but I look back and realize that there are good books out there, and I have read a few of them in my time. I may find it hard to find a good new book for me, but I am grateful, all the same, for good reading.
3 comments:
Wow. That didn't take you long. Welcome to the experiment.
I suppose you hit the nail right on the head. I can go elsewhere to find "the lists" of classic books. I read many of them in high school. The read-a-thon continues in college. Like you said, reading those books can be beneficial for their depth and depiction of the human experience.
But this is summer. And what are "summers" really for? In my opinion summers are kind of like Sundays. We take a break from the things that we have to do, to the spiritual things that we (hopefully) want to do. Both realms of projects have value if we let them.
So. Back to the experiment. I want to find those books that still have merit but don't merely make it on the lists. And who better to ask then my close friends and family?
Now, as you've probably noticed, I've written up several reviews of books that I've read this summer. I'm still waiting for the friends and family to do their part. I honestly don't want a senior thesis for every book. I just want a basic synopsis of the book (hopefully without spoilers) and what you thought of it.
If the book was fantastic, tell me it was fantastic. If it was terrible, tell me it was terrible. My hope is that we can all find a book or two that we wouldn't have otherwise read. I don't expect life changing events, but hey, if it happens...congrats!
Let's look forward a few years. I fully intend to write up a little review of every book I read from now on. And if everyone was writing? Think of the possibilities!
I have to agree...sometimes what the rest of the world puts out there as, "Classic", or a, "Must-Read" are nothing near what would make a list of my favorite books. I've noticed lately that everything getting good press is like voting for Obama...just because it's different it's good. Well...not to me. I want to look at all the issues, read through the pages, and then decide if it's something I value, or if I'm going to vote for someone else. Every book club that women I know discuss lately involves the current Oprah vote or New York Times Best Seller list, and they all tell me how amazing it was and how their whole club just loved their last read. I have taken a chance once or twice and tried to read some of those books, but they are always about some tortured suffering soul who never resolves their own behavior and so, live on in depression. How is that supposed to enrich and uplift my life?
Enrich, uplift, entertain. Those are my three choice adjectives for a book on my list, and happily, sci-fi/fantasy does the job quite often. I have a good life, but being taken completely out of that life into the future or into a world where dragons talk and numbers are fashionable?...that's something I can get behind. Besides, those stories may be a bit formulaic...good versus evil and love conquering all...but what better story is there? I'll take the underdog winning out over almost unbeatable odds while finding true love in the end ANY day over what the rest of the world calls a classic anymore.
I've read Tolstoy, Austen, Po, and Twain, and love those too, but sometimes...Summertimes...something less heavy is just the ticket.
For something light, try the Sisters Grimm series, or maybe the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. For something more involved, but still the underdog making good...I always turn to the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams. I love it when a book makes you think, "I want to name my son Simon after a hero like that one." I even know a kid named Ender, so that should tell you something.
Yay for reading!
By the way...did you know that there is a whole website dedicated to Jake's blog? www.goodreads.com is like Facebook goes to the library. Enjoy!
I agree. Who needs Oprah? And where did you meet this Ender child?
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