April 2003-August 2003

I'm told that the author is going to be reading this review, so it will have to be a positive one. Fortunately, I don't have to lie. Dragonfly is a great read. The premise is nothing new--a child has adventures in a mystical realm. But unlike Dorothy, Meg Murry or the Pevensie children, Bridget Anne (also known by the nickname Dragonfly) heads down to a dark realm--the essence of Hallowe'en. Not quite hell, but much closer than any other "faerieland" of which I've read. But it's not all blackness, either. There is love and hope and faith amidst the suffering and death. Mr. Durbin does a very good job of bringing the story to life, weaving together the plot and characters. Nothing is wasted--details that I just thought of as embellishment suddenly turn out to be important to the plot. One of the folks who reviewed Dragonfly at Amazon.com* said that the book reminded him of Ray Bradbury. Me, I was reminded of C.S. Lewis, partly because of the basic premise, partly because of the underlying Christianity of the heroes. (And partly because the only Bradbury I can recall reading is Farenheit 451.) But despite Mr. Lewis' skill in portraying good and evil characters, his fiction comes across as a weekend gardener--a tad dirty, but still very prim and proper. Dragonfly, to continue the metaphor, is more like a real farmer, for whom sweat and dust are a part of daily life. I really enjoyed reading this and I'm going to put it on my shelf so I can read it again. I suspect it will only get better the second time around.
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* I know, what the heck am I doing visiting Amazon.com when I keep telling people not to buy there? Well, I tried to order this from Seattle's most dangerous bookstore, Harvest Logos, and they were, sniff, unable to get it from their distributor. I was so upset, I only bought one book from them that day. (It was a Bible, so I won't be reviewing it soon.) Anyway, Michael told me to get it from Amazon.com. I checked to see if it was there and yes indeed it was. There were also reviews to read. However, if Amazon had it, I figured Elliott Bay Books, which is not so dangerous but is a very nice store to patronize, could get it, too. They could, so I ordered the book without having to sell out. Of course, obtaining Dragonfly would probably be worth it.
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Philosophy and Contemporary Issues by John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger
Read in April of 2003

I took a Philosophy class way back in my first year at the venerable College of DuPage. My expectations were high--I was expecting to be introduced to and enthralled with all sorts of great ideas. The reality turned out to be rather tedious. In ruminating over the experience, I figured that my problem was that the issues covered were extremely abstract, where I was interested in ideas with more practical applications in everyday life. Well, now, 20 years later, I've had a chance to read through my wife's philosophy text book and find that I haven't changed much. This book is a collection of articles to introduce some of the main areas of philosophical thought along with some modern issues which fall under these categories. Some were fascinating, some bored me to tears. (The ones with the big words, mostly.) And a lot of time, I found my self saying, "Yeah, but does it really matter?" Oh, well. This would make for some good waiting room material. Plus it contains plenty of booklists to aid one in pursuing those ideas that capture one's attention.
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Read in April of 2003

Hoo boy, talk about a philosophical adventure! A major chunk of this book is the narrator describing the geography, flora and fauna of the world's oceans. A yawner right? Well, no, not really. The story of this book is that in the late 1860's there are reports of ships encountering a mysterious creature. A couple of ships are actually attacked by this beast, so a U.S. naval ship is dispatched to hunt it down. In the course of the hunt, the narrator, an assistant professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History, and two companions are knocked overboard and discover that this leviathan is actually a submarine captained by a mysterious man known as Nemo. Nemo takes the three men aboard, refusing to release them lest they reveal his secrets, yet in all other ways treating them as passengers. As the story progresses, the sub, the Nautilus, travels about and the characters encounter the wonders and dangers of the world's oceans. Between the biology lectures, the mystery of Captain Nemo is also slowly revealed. The climax is somewhat tame, compared to late 20th century fare, but all in all it's a satisfying and well written. Y'all should check it out.
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The Nautilus Sanction by Simon Hawke
Read in April of 2003

As I was finishing up 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I got the hankerin' to pull this one off the shelf. This is the fifth book in Simon Hawke's Time Wars series, in which time travelers have adventures in the points in "history" which inspired some of Western civilization's great tales of wonder or heroism. In this case, the Temporal Corps, allied with science fiction writer Jules Verne and whaler Ned Land, have to stop a villain who has stolen a nuclear sub and is hiding out in the waters of the mid-19th Century. Mr. Hawke starts off paralleling 20,000 Leagues fairly closely, substituting Jules Verne for Verne's character Aronnax, but once they encounter the Nautilus, the story ventures far afield as the characters travel to 1807 to encounter pirate Jean Lafitte and finally ends up in a climax reminiscent of a James Bond movie. It is still an enjoyable read and I enjoy Mr. Hawke's characters, but the Ned Land and Captain Drakov of The Nautilus Sanction can't really compare to the "real" Ned Land and Captain Nemo. All in all, it's entertaining waiting room material.
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Jefferson Park Reconstructed by the Jefferson Park Alliance
Read in April of 2003

I recently signed up for a neighborhood e-mail list. I figured that after almost ten years of residing here on Beacon Hill, I should make a little more effort to get out amongst my neighbors, even if it's only in cyberspace. Anyway, it's been interesting and mostly fun, but the high point has been when one neighbor praised this book and offered to loan it to anyone interested in reading it. After some deliberation, I gathered my courage and took him up on his offer. This is a small book produced by the Jefferson Park Alliance, a group of neighbors who have gathered together in an attempt to guide the improvement of the big park in our neighborhood. It looks at the history of the park from its beginnings, as a potential site for the University of Washington in the late 19th Century, to the present day. The land has seen many changes over the years, serving as pasture lands for cows, a prison, picnic grounds, golf courses, an Army recreational camp, and a Veteran's Hospital. And there have been almost as many proposed uses which never managed to come to fruition. For me, it was a fascinating read as I learned the history of my current home. (I'm of the mindset that everyone should learn about the history of their town or neighborhood, but I digress.) It helps me appreciate the park as it exists now and also gives some perspective as I encounter the forces that are trying to change Beacon Hill today. Anyway, I would certainly recommend this to my neighbors, and I would think that this might also be interesting waiting room material for anyone else.
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Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
Read in April of 2003

I've been meaning to reread Dragonflight for a few months now, to see if it's suitable to pass on to my 10-year old. (It isn't.) I picked up a copy at the Friends of the Library sale and was impressed as to how good a book this was. (Maybe it was the book that set me off on my fantasy kick in my late-teens. But I digress...) Dragonflight is a tale of Pern, a distant planet which every 200 years or so is invaded by extraterrestrial spores that the natives call "Threads". Pern is protected by the Dragonriders, men and women who control large, winged, fire-breathing beasts. They burn the Threads in mid-air, preventing them from reaching and destroying the planet's vegetation. As the story opens, Pern has been Thread-free for almost 400 years, the Dragonriders have dwindled in numbers and are no longer held in high respect by most of the people. Few pay attention to the old ballads which recount the threat of the Threads and the valiant deeds of Pern's protectors. Even the Dragonriders themselves have gotten lax in respecting the old traditions and their advice and warnings. The dragonman F'lar, however, still believes the old tales and is out on a quest to find a rider for the dragon queen that's about to hatch. He finds Lessa of Ruatha, a lass of royal blood who is hiding from the man who slaughtered her family and conquered their lands. Together the two struggle to restore Pern to some semblance of its former self as the Red Star, which heralds the coming of the Threads, draws ever nearer. How that all works out, of course, is wonderfully written. The characters are interesting and the world and history of Pern is richly developed. (It only makes sense that it has supported a number of sequels.) Oddly enough, however, what struck me most when I started rereading it was parallels to the Christian church in America. Like the dragonriders, the church once held an honored position in the society, but is now seen by many as an anachronism. But the church, too, exists to struggle against a very real threat and has sadly contributed to its own decline. Anyway, the stories soon diverge, and the ending of Dragonflight is far from Biblical. Be that as it may, it is a great read and it's going on my shelf. After all, eventually my girls will be old enough to read it.
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Peace Child by Don Richardson
Read in May of 2003

Peace Child is a modern Christian classic, the story of a missionary who went to work among a stone age tribe, the Sawi, in the early 1960's. He tells of the violent ideals of their culture--vengeance, treachery and cannibalism--and how it seemed to have no common ground with Jesus' message of peace, love and forgiveness. But much to Mr. Richardson's surprise, he found that God had provided links within the culture of the Sawi through which they, too, could understand and relate to Jesus' story. (This concept is further developed in Richardson's book Eternity in Their Hearts.) It was a fascinating read, first experiencing the Sawi culture and their reactions to Western civilization, and then reading of Mr. Richardson's own reaction to them. I don't know if it can be enjoyed solely as a tale of cross-cultural communication. I was a bit put off by the account of the Sawi's encounter with the white folk, (probably evidence of my own prejudices) so I could imagine that a non-Christian may not have much sympathy with the missionaries. But I would definitely put it on my shelf if my wife hadn't already put it there. So, give it a try, if you're at all interested in missionary stories or cross-cultural communication.
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The Humor of Christ by Elton Trueblood
Read in May of 2003

Interesting little book, in which the author puts forth the idea that some of Christ's statements should be taken as humorous. The book was written in 1963 and at the time the American church apparently was very prim and proper. I know that the image of Jesus that I got growing up was very quiet and proper and even tempered. Not the type of character who would chase money changers out of the temple or holler out to a festival crowd to come and get living water. Anyway, Dr. Trueblood makes a good case that Jesus might have cracked a smile once or two in His ministry. There's one point where he stretches the point a bit too long, when he attempts to sell his idea that Jesus' comment on the parable of the unjust steward were spoken in jest. I've heard a better interpretation of that in the book Poet and Peasant, but it is a hard passage so I have to give him credit for wrestling with the issue. Despite the slightly too liberal, mid-20th century theology, I'd say check it out.
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Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
Read in June of 2003

This, I think, is the literary equivalent of a chick-flick. It was supposed to be a conversion story of this girl who became first an Orthodox Jew and then a Christian. Or at least that's the impression I got from the flyer they gave me at Harvest Logos. But instead I got... well, okay, it is a conversion story... sort of. Okay, not sort of. It is. But it's not a nice, straightforward narrative. No nice, simple tale of a victorious spiritual pilgrimage here. I mean, the spiritual journey is there, but you've got to dig it out. "Out of what?" you may ask. Well, here's the chick thing: Ms. Winner has filled this whole book with relationships! Relationships with boyfriends. Relationships with girlfriends. (Women will understand that distinction. Guys, get your minds out of the gutter.) Relationships with parents. Relationships with pastors and rabbis and friends and classmates and church members. And mixed up in the whole tangled tapestry of her life is a relationship with God. And even that is fraught with sin and struggle. Of course, that's not the worst of it. The worst thing is that I liked it. Even though I was raised in the faith I now embrace, I felt a definite kinship with Ms. Winner. I too, want a deeper relationship with the God who became a human being to save me. And I too end up falling far short of the most simple faithfulness. I grew to enjoy the way she wove together her realtionship with Jesus with the everyday things in her life--holidays, customs, personal possessions and, most of all, her relationships with others. To be honest, I even got a bit envious of the way she could see all this in her life and so beautifully express it. She can dwell lovingly on the story of Ruth. Me, I'll turn to the books of Kings and dig Elijah calling down fire from heaven or Elisha playing practical jokes on Aramean soldiers.... Hmmmm, I guess God wrote the Bible for guys, too. Oh, well. As far as Girl Meets God goes, I recommend that you check it out. I'm even half tempted to buy it.
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The Waiting Child by Cindy Champnella
Read in June of 2003

This book is all about the love of a "mother" for her child. I know, I know. I really need to see my doctor about falling testosterone levels. But I have an excuse. My wife was the one who got this from the library and I had to read it right away before she took it back. Why bother? Well, it's an intriguing tale. It's the story of a little girl, now named Jaclyn, who was adopted from an orphanage in China and essentially nagged her family to go back and adopt the younger boy whom she "mothered" there. The fact that her aunt and uncle were able to manage to adopt the little fella is something of a miracle, but the really amazing thing about this story is Jaclyn's love for the boy she called "Xiao Mei Mei". (I won't translate that lest I spoil the surprise, but you Chinese speakers are probably scratching your heads) That four year old girl had a devotion and sense of justice that puts a lot of us adults to shame. It also moved a number adults to help out a little boy who needed a family. I pray that those qualities continue to grow in Jaclyn as she grows up. Anyway, this is a compelling story that is definitely worth checking out, even for you macho men out there. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read some Conan the Barbarian or something...
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Museums of the Northwest by Harriet Baskas
Read in July of 2003

This is an accidental book for me. I picked it up impulsively as I was waiting in the checkout line at the Friends of the Library book sale. It was just a nice reference book on museums in Washington, Oregon and lower British Columbia. I put it on the shelf and had no intention of reading through it. Reading through reference books can be quite tedious, y'know. But then one morn I was looking for something light and new to read and I gave in to the impulse to peek at this new aquisition of mine. Well, now I've finally finished after weeks of reading a little bit here and a little bit there. Am I wiser for it? Well... I have come to the conclusion that it is common practice for a community to gather a bunch of old keepsakes into an old train station or Carnegie library and call it a history museum. And well they should, because what is a museum but a collection of old keepsakes? Anyway, as far as reading goes, this is definitely waiting room material. But it is a very nice resource for those who might be taking road trips through the Pacific Northwest.
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City of God by Saint Augustine
Read in July of 2003

This is one of those classics that I felt obliged to read someday. I found a cheap copy and after a while I finally picked it up and plowed through it. It was rather interesting: in the early 5th century, Rome was sacked by barbarians from the north. Some folks tried to blame it on the Christians, saying that this was punishment for turning away from the old gods. City of God was Augustine's refutation of the accusation, and further exposition on the nature of those people faithful to the true God. The "city" of God, as he called it. Anyway, it had a lot of interesting ideas. Like any historical work, it was a kick to read something from the past. I was impressed by Augustine's sophistication (you'd think that by now I would have shed the modernist prejudice that our ancestors were a bunch of yokels) and was intrigued when he offhandedly referred to some of the Greek and Egyptian deities as historical people with inflated reputations. Oh, if I only had all the time in the world to investigate these things! Anyway, as enjoyable as this (abridged) version was, I'll have to rate it as very good waiting room material. It was a great read, but it really didn't change my life or even shake up my thinking for a bit. Guess I'm just too orthodox.
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War Talk by Arundhati Roy
Read in July of 2003

Ms. Roy writes quite beautifully about horrible things. War Talk is a collection of essays centering on the warmongers of our age--from fascist mobs in Baroda, India to the Commander in Chief in Washington, USA. I can't imagine that it would be pleasant reading for any American who wants to feel good about their country. But this American found it very compelling. Her politcal biases are definitely leftist, but many of the points she makes transcend politics. What the hell is so important that it can justify the pain, suffering and death on which Ms. Roy reports? The only answer which comes to my mind is "nothing". The events of this year have increased my interest in things political and have pushed my political ideals to the left. What will come of it and how War Talk fits into it all, I don't know. But it has helped me to understand those psalms of lament in the Bible--the ones in which the writer cries out to God for deliverance, justice and vengeance. Go ahead, sacrifice some comfort and check out War Talk.
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Enchanted Night by Steven Millhauser
Read in July of 2003

Ever have one of those nights when you're all revved up and have nowhere to go? When the daily routine becomes unbearable and you feel the urge to go out and find some magic to jumpstart your life? No? Well, then don't bother with this book. If you have had nights like that, then maybe you'd want to read Enchanted Night. One could say that it's the story of insomniacs in a small Connecticut town. Well, maybe a better description is to say that it's the poetic account of a hot summer night that traces the intertwining journeys of a few restless people. (and other creatures) For me, at least, it struck a chord of memory, bringing back those random evenings when I was feeling alone and longing for a touch of joy and magic. It offered the briefest of glimpses of what form such magic might take. Of course, it offers no answers or grand, dramatic events. It might not even inspire you to take a midnight prowl yourself. (I myself read it "by the light of the moon" as suggested, but my only thought afterward was to get some sleep.) (Well, if my wife had been awake, I might have been inspired to cuddle a bit....) But it was an enjoyable read, full of mood and atmosphere. Ummmm, yeah, go ahead and check it out.
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The Ivanhoe Gambit by Simon Hawke
Read in August of 2003

I've been meaning to reread Simon Hawke's Time Wars series since I reread book 5, The Nautilus Sanction, a few weeks back. I finally got around to it and have decided to not only reread the series, but also attempt to read the original works which inspired each volume. (Stay tuned for my review of Ivanhoe...) Anyhoo, The Ivanhoe Gambit is the book that started it all. The story introduces us to Sgt. Major Lucas Priest, a soldier in the Temporal Corps. In the future, once time travel has been discovered, national conflicts are resolved by sending soldiers to serve among the armies of the past. The scores are tallied and then the winner announced. A bit silly perhaps, but it makes a good backdrop for the tale. Anyway, Sgt. Major Priest has just returned from a hitch in the Punic Wars and decides to volunteer for a hitch with his friend, Sgt. Bobby Johnson. He's in for a surprise, however, since Bobby is assigned to an adjustment mission--one where past events have been messed up by time travelers and need to be restored by the Temporal Corps. In this case, a rougue time referee has assumed the role of King Richard the Lionheart and threatens to alter the history of England. Priest, Johnson and two other soldiers assume the roles of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, Little John and Ivanhoe's squire and attempt to stop the imposter. What follows is an enjoyable adventure tale which vaguely parallels the plot of Ivanhoe. It isn't great literature, but it is entertaining. Mr. Hawke's characters are likable and there's some surprising twists. It's a book to keep on my shelf for those times I want a quick, enjoyable read.
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Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Read in August of 2003

Now I know why bookstores have different sections for fiction and literature. Just before reading this, I read The Ivanhoe Gambit, which is based on Ivanhoe. If you read the review of Gambit, you know I thought it a good book. But it is quite pale in comparison to Ivanhoe itself. The plot, the characters and the descriptions of the setting have much more depth than the same in Mr. Hawke's work. I was half tempted to believe that I was meeting real people in 12th Century England. (Of course, I should also point out that Ivanhoe is a much longer book...) Anyway, the tale centers on Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight who has returned from a crusade in the Holy Land. His father has disowned him, because he dared to love the noble Rowena against the old man's wishes. His nation is under the power of Prince John, the dishonest brother of King Richard, who is looking to sieze the throne for himself and who would not welcome Wilfred, a loyal follower of the King. What follows is a masterful tale of chivalry, politics and romance played out by realistic characters. The 18th century English of the book is not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely worth the effort to read. It's a book for which I'll have to find space on my shelf.
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The Timekeeper Conspiracy by Simon Hawke
Read in August of 2003

Book 2 in the Time Wars series finds the time commandos interacting with characters from The Three Musketeers. This time around, terrorists from the 27th Century are looking to change history by killing Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII and Queen Anne in 17th Century France. Two of the soldiers from The Ivanhoe Gambit are loaned out to the Temporal Intelligence Agency to help outwit the bad guys. This one is a lot more light hearted than its predecessor--whether that's due to the quotes from The Three Musketeers or Mr. Hawke is emulating Mssr. Dumas' style, I don't know. Having already starting reading The Three Musketeers and my edition's introductory essay, it seems that Mr. Hawke has done his homework and pulled some ideas from the sundry sources used by Alexandre Dumas. Anyway, this one's a good book based on a great classic. A tome to keep on my shelf.
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Yucatan Before and After the Conquest by Friar Diego de Landa
Read in August of 2003

This is a translation of a report made by Fr. Landa in the mid 16th Century concerning the native people of the Yucatan peninsula. Apparently he had got in some hot water with the authorities back in Spain, and had written the piece as part of his defense. Ironically, this is (or was, back in 1937) one of the only historical records we have regarding the native cultures in that area. It's ironic, because Fr. Landa was very keen on westernizing the natives and at one point destroyed a number of native writings. Anyway, it was somewhat interesting primary source material, but not having any special interest in Mayan culture (this book happened to be one of my wife's many textbooks) the best I can rate this is waiting room material.
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The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Read in August of 2003

This book I already had on my shelf. I had bought and thoroughly enjoyed it years ago. I forget why I first bought it. Maybe it was because I had recently seen and enjoyed the film version directed by Richard Lester. Or maybe I was just in the mood to buy a "classic" on the day I happened to be in the bookstore. (That happens sometimes, y'know) Either way, I came to enjoy the book on it's own considerable merits. In case you don't know, The Three Musketeers tells the tale of Monsieur D'Artagnan, a young man who comes to Paris in 1627 to seek his fortune. In short order he meets and is befriended by three of the Musketeers--the elite army regiment assigned to protect King Louis XIII. The four men have a variety of adventures, thwarting the schemes of the King's rival, Cardinal Richelieu. The four are true swashbucklers, full of testosterone, bluster and honor. (Well, their own code of honor, a bit different from what might be respected in 21st Century America.) All in all, it's an exciting tale with engaging events and characters.
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