The Odyssey

originally written by Homer
retold by Barbara Leoni Picard


What can I say about this book? It was wonderful. The story of the great King of Ithaca, Odysseus, and his travels after the Trojan War (the setting for Homer's Illiad). Odysseus left his home on Ithaca to fight at the great city of Troy. That war raged on for 10 years before it was over. For 10 years the Greeks all were away from their homes. And finally, the moment came to return home. Odysseus was especially eager to return home, as he left his wife a young bride with a new baby- one who never knew his father. Poor Odysseus is met with challenge after challenge on his return home. Many bits of this story are familiar to anyone with a knowledge of Greek Mythology. One of the very first missteps of Odysseus is on the island of the Cyclops, where he manages to blind the son of a great Greek God. In revenge, the God curses the remainder of Odysseus's voyage. And so his journey continues for another agonizing 10 years before he find his home again.

Meanwhile, we also meet his son and find out the state of affairs in Ithaca. They are not good. Suitors upon suitors have been attempting to woo the heart of fair Penelope, who still holds onto hope of seeing her husband return-even after 20 years. The story finishes grandly, and I feel ever the more richer for having read it.

This was a wonderful story. I have read The Iliad before, but never The Odyssey. I thoroughly enjoyed The Iliad, so I was looking forward to this one. Interestingly enough, both stories were actually originally poems. Many versions of both can be found in the poetic form- much like Shakespeare is poetic, and at times, needs to be deciphered. But for this particular story I chose a young adult version that had been translated into story form. It was truly entertaining, and a fairly easy read, since it was a YA version. I highly recommend The Odyssey, although it wasn't exactly an adventure on the high seas like I had hoped. Very little actually happened on sea. I still enjoyed it though, and challenge anyone who hasn't read it to do so- you will be grandly rewarded for your efforts.

the Quilter's Daughter

by Wanda Brunstetter

I love to read about other cultures. I have always been interested in learning more about the Amish people, there's something so intriguing about living a simple life. Wanda Brunstetter is a Christian author who has spent a lot of time among the Amish and has managed to capture the essence of an entire society on the pages of a book. This book is not a light read by any means. Easy to read, yes. Beautiful and capturing, yes. Light read, no. I started reading this book yesterday afternoon, and I literally crawled out of bed late last night to finish it. It's been such a long time since I read into the wee morning hours. It was so worth it. This book was beautiful. I was fully immersed in the lives of Abby and Fannie and their families.

Abby is a young Amish woman who is betrothed to a wonderful young man. She spends her life running a quilt shop- selling quilts as well as making them. When she learns that her mother is expecting a baby, she quickly offers her assistance in preparing for the arrival of the baby and helping run the household until her mother can handle things. Soon, disaster strikes Abby's young life and caring spirit. She loses her Faith and her handle on life itself and finds herself in need of help. The ensuing journey is one that eventually restores her Faith in both her God and her family.

Let me start by saying this is very much a Christian novel. If that's not your cup of tea, you will not enjoy this book. Secondly, this is the second book in a series of three, so you may want to read the first one first, the Shopkeeper's Daughter. While I do feel I can successfully go back and read the first one now without knowing too much, it probably would have been better to read them in the correct order. But I do have things to say about this book and these people. So often we see the Amish portrayed in movies and on television as farmers, and not much more. But there is so much more... the very being of the Amish people can be broken down to their Faith. Absolutely everything they do is for the love of God. Everything. Their days do not begin without earnest prayers, praying for the day ahead, and thanking the Lord for that day. And they're not just prayers. They're not just saying random prayers. Prayer is their answer to everything. And wholeheartedly, they believe that God answers. It is their Faith that drives them every day. As the farmer is doing his chores, he's thanking God for the opportunity to work his land. With every stitch of thread, the quilter is thanking the Lord for the beautiful colors and the ability to work the fabric into a work of art. It's simply stunning and amazing.

Even though this is a work of fiction, it causes great reflection. I am really looking forward to reading the other two books in the series. And not only does this book cause me to think on my own Faith, it also gives me an urge to consider taking up quilting, and try to create my own work of art. This book is a great inspiration and is also very encouraging. I am very grateful to have read it.

After the Rice

by Wendy French

I saw this book today at the library, and it looked like a fun read. The back was promising, and I was really in the mood for some chick-lit. You know, a book I could sit down and read in just a few hours, and I did just that. Why watch a movie when you can read an equally entertaining novel. This quick paced book was based around the harried life of a newlywed. Everything in her life comes to a head at once, and newly married, her and her husband are still trying to figure out the place for their extended family in their new life together.

Megan is a college student, looking for direction while her husband works. And then one day, Megan suspects she is pregnant, and didn't plan to be. All at once her and her husband become hosts as an Uncle, Sister, and Infant Niece all move in at once. And everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

This was a very fun book to read. The author, Wendy French has a real gift for dialogue. The banter that occurs among the different family members is priceless. You can imagine that it is your family having the conversation- true hialrity at its finest. I seriously wish Wendy French would consider a career as a playwright- she has such talent for witty dialogue that would make a fantastic script. All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, and was happy to spend an hour or two curled up with it. While I didn't agree morally with some of the goings on in the book, it was still enjoyable. So if you're looking for a fun, quick read, this is your girl. After the Rice by Wendy French, chick-lit at it's finest. She also has two books called sMothering and Going Coastal, and I may just have to get my library to pick them up for me when I have another day with some time to spare.

A Diversion

Part of starting this blog was to expand my horizons a bit when it comes to reading. I tend to get in ruts and read the same type of thing over and over.

I've been reading Moby Dick. While the core story is very good and is capturing me at times, the endless rhetoric and lectures are really bringing the book down. I am halfway through the book, because it is just excruciating to me to read all the technical stuff. I want the story, and Herman Melville took about 20 pages simply to tell me about the different breeds of whale. Honestly, I don't see why that was integral to the story. It's just excrutiating to read, to be frank, and I've really been torn with whether or not I should continue or put it down and walk away. I mean, it's great literature! And there is a good story in there...somewhere. So today I have decided that what I am doing is reading for pleasure. I am not in 10th grade struggling to read a book and write a paper. I am reading for the enjoyment of it. And Moby Dick is driving me insane. So I will send the book back to the library. But before I move ahead to The Odyssey, I'm going to read another book or two to unclog my brain. I know I will enjoy The Odyssey, but the writing will take some getting used to. And I admit that I am now a bit leary about Master and Commander, but I will plod on. I will adjust the reading list to the left accordingly. I will be back to sea soon.

Bel Canto

by Ann Patchett

In the interest of keeping this blog somewhat fresh, I thought I'd review a book that I have read recently. I am still in the midst of Moby Dick, but it is taking a while, and I hate to leave my book reviews sit for as long as I think it may take me to finish it. This is not a two or three day novel. But on to Bel Canto.

Here is an excerpt directly from Ann Patchett's webpage. This book is described below more eloquently than I could put on the page.
Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different countries and continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.

I really enjoyed this book. Another virtual discussion group selection, I read this whole book in one day. I just couldn't put it down. I was drawn in to the intimacy of the hostage situation, and rooting on some of the different people. I got to know both the hostages and the captors, and I so desperately wanted all their hopes and dreams to come true. This book showed how people with nothing in common can completely become one society, and how that society can manage to function. It was wonderful to see how the language barrier quickly was overcame. And how, while each person started the hostage crisis thinking only of themselves and their loved ones on the outside, they eventually thought only of the others with them. They very quickly adapted to "this is how life is now" and lived each day accordingly.

Bel Canto means "beautiful song" in Italian, and it truly was a beautiful song. This book was definitely worth my time to read, and I do believe that I will read it again. I will be looking for more from Ann Patchett in the near future, as this book was so wonderfully written. I will confess that I was not happy with the ending. But I think that was because by the end of the book, I felt I had become personally invested in what happens to these people...I will stop there, because this is simply a must read. It was wonderful.

I did purchase this book, so if there is someone who lives nearby and would like to borrow this book, please don't hesitate to ask.

Forever: a novel

By Pete Hamill

Forever begins in the green fields of Ireland in the early 1700's. We are introduced to a young boy by the name of Roger Carson and his family, and we get to know this boy, Roger Carson. We smile with him, we laugh with him, we grieve with him. And in the year 1746, Roger is now known as Cormac O'Connor. He sets foot in the very new city of New York. Through acquaintances and friends that Cormac makes, Cormac becomes the beneficiary of a rare gift- the gift of immortality. But Cormac's immortality has a price. He is never to leave the island of Manhattan, and he is never to try to kill himself, as that will surely doom him to the depths of hell like he could only imagine. He is told that in order to continue living forever, he must truly enjoy life. And then we are taken on a whirlwind journey through time from 1746 thru to the horrific events of September 11, 2001.

I learned a lot with this book. Pete Hamill did an incredible job weaving a tale of fiction into the actual factual events of history surrounding the growth of New York City. I found myself rooting for Cormac every step of the way as he learned to enjoy life through learning itself. Whether that be learning a language, learning to play piano, or learning a trade like bricklaying, he did it with fervor and mastered the task at hand. This book almost read like two. There was the tale of Cormac before he left Ireland to seek vengeance for the death of his parents, and there is the Cormac after he receives his gift. They were two very different men, yet similar in small ways. I confess that when I first picked up this book, I suspected that Cormac's immortality would be granted by a vampire. I found the concept of an African witch doctor, or babalawo, much more interesting than a vampire's kiss would have been.

This book was a selection for the online discussion group that I am part of. This is a book that I am glad to have read. It was very entertaining, and I just couldn't put it down. There were parts of the prose that I just wanted the author to get on with it. And then, towards the end, I knew that the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 were a part of the story, and once we got to the modern part of the story, I kept waiting for that with every turn of the page. Would I read it again? That I don't know. As with many, many books, I didn't care much for the conclusion. After such a long drawn out story, it wrapped up very quickly, and the resulting decision from Cormac didn't seem quite right in my opinion. But overall it was good- and definitely worth my time to read.

Next I'll be reviewing Moby Dick... but you will have to be patient with me on that one. It's going to take a while to digest.