Mornings in Florence

Mornings in Florence, Being Simple Studies of Christian Art for English Travellers by John Ruskin, 115 pages

Mornings in Florence takes the form of a guidebook, wherein the reader is instructed how to profitably spend six successive mornings in Florence examining the art and architecture of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.  It is a book written in open contempt for the guidebooks of Ruskin's day, and it is undoubted that he would have been no more impressed by Mr Steves in our day than he was by Mr Murray in his own.  Moving back and forth between Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, and the Duomo, the purpose here is less to tell the reader what he should see as how he should see.  And this is a gift that extends to much more than the appreciation of Cimabue and Giotto and Botticelli, great as they are: "Easy or not, it is all the sight required of you in this world - to see things, and men, and yourself - as they are."

Ruskin is able to see things as they are, not because of his excellent education or refined sensibility or even because he was an incredible snob, but because he was not a materialist, not even unconsciously.  Whatever the truths or errors of his personal metaphysics, Ruskin was able to hear that "higher wisdom, governing by her presence, all earthly conduct, and by her teaching, all earthly art, Florence tells you, she obtained only by prayer."

Stoner

Stoner by John Williams, 278 pages

When William Stoner left his parents' small farm to attend the University of Missouri, he never expected that he would be spending the rest of his life there.  By chance he discovers in Archer Sloane's English course a love of literature and poetry he had never known he possessed.  It is a love that remains with him all his life, through disappointments in his career, his romances, his marriage, and his fatherhood.  It is, in the end, the pattern of all his loves, and the one love to which he remains most true.

John Williams, who taught at the same university for a time, is clearly at ease describing familiar places and personalities.  This gives his writing a powerful realism, so that the novel is genuinely moving without being sentimental.  The flap of the first edition describes Stoner as "a man who is clearly out of keeping with his times," and if the lackluster sales of the book upon its publication bear this out, its subsequent rediscovery suggests that Stoner, like Sloane before him, is of a type that exists in all times.

Notes on the Lord's Prayer

Notes on the Lord's Prayer by Raissa Maritain, 122 pages

Assembled posthumously from notes left by the author for a work that was never completed, Notes on the Lord's Prayer is a commentary on the seven petitions of the Paternoster as recorded by St Matthew: Hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, Give us this day our daily bread, Forgive us our trespasses, Lead us not into temptation, and Deliver us from evil.

In his foreword, Thomas Merton laments the modern division between "spirituality" and "theology", recommending this book as a corrective.  This should provide a suggestion of the depth of thought as well as feeling, of sense as well as sensibility, present in this meditation, designed not only as a pious exercise but also as an exploration of the divine mysteries.

Cardinal Manning

Cardinal Manning: A Biography by Robert Gray, 327 pages

Henry Manning did not set out to become a clergyman.  Financial pressures forced him away from a promising future in law and politics into a clerical career in the Church of England.  He did not set out to become a Catholic.  A long process led him from his upbringing in the heart of Evangelical piety into a more grounded, apostolic faith, and only a genuine crisis of conscience drove him out of Anglicanism.  Having become Catholic, however, and a Catholic priest, he did set out to take a leading position in the Catholic Church in England.  Conscious of his own considerable gifts, he was not reluctant to use them to guide the Church and society in the direction he thought best.

In his own time, Manning was highly esteemed.  Although his conversion cost him many of those dazzling friendships he had made in his youth, his tireless efforts for the working classes of England won for him an admiration far broader and no less genuine.  This was enhanced by his emaciated appearance, which seemed to be a visible record of long decades of prayer and fasting - Chesterton recalled seeing him in his cardinalatial robes looking like "a ghost clad in flames."  Subsequent generations were not so kind.  Comfortable secular scoffers had Lytton Strachey's infamous hackiograpy, which depicted Manning as an ambitious hypocrite.  Among Catholics, Manning's troubled relationship with St John Henry Newman caused his reputation to decline even as that of Newman grew.

Robert Gray's biography, then, is an important recovery.  For Gray's even-handed account of Manning's life, thought, and work reveals a man who was, indeed, ambitious and driven, yet fully aware of these tendencies in himself and determined to fight against them and, where possible, bend them towards good.  In the end, the reader is likely to echo the sentiment of the author, "if Henry Manning is not saved seventy times seven times, God help the rest of us."

Field of Cloth of Gold

The Field of Cloth of Gold: Men and Manners in 1520 by Joycelyne Gledhill Russell, 190 pages

In 1520, the King of England, Henry VIII, met with the King of France, Francis I, upon a field in northern France not far from Calais.  On one level, the meeting was part of Cardinal Wolsey's triangulation strategy, positioning England as the difference maker in the struggle between France and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain.  On another, it was an opportunity for displays of royal magnificence by both princes, and feats of courage and skill during the days of tournaments that amused the two courts.  In the end, little of lasting value was accomplished, and the event serves in many ways as a brilliant coda to medieval Christendom before the horrors of the Reformation.

Russell's book is an exhaustive academic study of this legendary gathering.  As such, the casual reader is likely to find it exhausting.  Still, there is much of value and interest here, not only to the antiquarian, but also to those attempting to better understand a moment and period out of which the modern world was birthed.

Hell or Connaught!

Hell or Connaught!: The Cromwellian Colonisation of Ireland 1652-1660 by Peter Berresford Ellis, 252 pages

Catholic Ireland revolted against the Protestant rule of Charles I in 1641.  By 1644 the Irish were supporting the King against Parliament, and after the execution of the King in 1649 the Roundhead army arrived in Ireland to end resistance by fire and sword and, most deadly of all, starvation.  Hundreds of thousands of Irish, perhaps as much as a quarter of the population, perished and thousands more were enslaved and transported to the New World.  In Ireland itself, the decision was made to isolate the native Catholic population in the province of Connaught, the northwestern quarter of the island, with the lands thus depopulated to be given as pay for the Commonwealth soldiery and the London investors who backed the campaign.

The story of this decision, the effort made trying to put it into effect, and the pain it engendered are the primary themes of Ellis' history of the period.  There are other important narratives here, too, including the impact of land speculation, the religious sectarian divides among the colonists, the internal politics of the Commonwealth, ultimately resulting in its end, and the disappointments of the Restoration.  Ellis tells these stories, and more, including the long running personal feud over the survey of Ireland, in a straightforward manner that nevertheless manages to incorporate primary sources and contemporary poetry to provide a complete picture of a crucial moment in Irish history.

Leonie Martin

Leonie Martin: A Difficult Life by Marie Baudouin-Croix, translated by Mary Frances Mooney, 157 pages

Leonie was born in 1863 to Ss Louis and Zelie Martin, the third of their six children, all daughters, who survived into adulthood.  All six eventually became nuns, with five joining the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux.  Leonie alone entered the Visitandine order at Caen, finally persevering on her third attempt.  Then again, Leonie had always been the difficult one, a sickly child, struggling with disobedience at home and failing in her studies at school, a trial and a worry to the mother who died when she was 14.  How she overcame these shortcomings, not alone but through the grace of God and her saintly intercessors, is the great theme of this short book.

Although Leonie Martin has not been canonized, Marie Baudouin-Croix's biography is unmistakably a hagiography.  It elides difficult, complex issues, notably the mental illness that afflicted Louis Martin in his later days, simplifying them into hardships to be overcome with the holy serenity of faith.  The problems this presents are more than compensated for by the author's evident understanding of, and sympathy with, the religion and religious life of the Martin family.  This is undoubtedly her story as Leonie herself would have liked it told.

Emperor of Japan

Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912 by Donald Keene, 723 pages

When the 122nd Emperor of Japan ascended the Chrysanthemum throne in 1867 at the age of 14, no Japanese emperor had exercised real power for nearly seven centuries.  A year later, the last shogun resigned his position and the man who would be known as Meiji became the actual as well as symbolic ruler of Japan.  The country was dominated by a feudal aristocracy, educated according to Confucian principles, and threatened by the greed of the Western powers.  When Meiji died 45 years later, Japan had rapidly Westernized, adopted a parliamentary system, defeated China and Russia in successive wars, annexed Korea, and established itself as a major power on the global stage.  It had, however, lost something which is less tangible.

It is unclear how much influence the Meiji emperor actually exercised over the seismic changes that occurred in Japanese culture and politics during his reign.  Indeed, it is difficult to say much of anything about the personality of the emperor, given the reverential protectiveness of all those in a position to know him.  The few candid accounts of the man were provided by foreign dignitaries whose access was necessarily limited.  Understandably, then, Donald Keene's biography is as much a portrait of the era as of the emperor who gave the era its name, although discerning readers may sense the spirit of the man moving throughout.  Keene himself seems devoted to the fashionable cult of "progress", but his devotion does not become fanaticism, indeed, some of the most memorable passages concern Ulysses Grant's role in the preservation of No drama and the European derision of Western-style dance halls in Tokyo.  The result is a compelling, rich tale of an era of momentous change, both for better and for worse, told through the refracted image of the man who was its symbol.

Leopard

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, translated by Archibald Colquhoun, 320 pages

Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salinas, would be perfectly content ruling over his large family, amusing himself with his mistress, indulging in his passion for astronomy, playing with his dog, and watching over his hereditary estates with benevolent indifference.  Unfortunately for him, history has other plans, as Garibaldi's revolutionaries lay siege to Palermo, with Fabrizio's own nephew, the dashing Tancredi, joining them in their effort to overthrow the monarchy.  Even in the security of his country estate at Donnafugata, the prince has to reckon with his eldest daughter Concetta's love for Tancredi and his nephew's growing affection for the bourgeois beauty Angelica.

The Leopard is a masterpiece.  It is not a dramatic novel - most of the major external conflicts are resolved without struggle or comment.  The real drama is social, historical, psychological, and, in the end, metaphysical.  Despite the sentimentality of its characters, it is a remarkably unsentimental work.  There is much to attract us in the passing world of the Sicilian nobility, but the novel does not romanticize them.  CS Lewis famously remarked that there is no "magic about the past.  People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we.  But not the same mistakes.  They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us."  So it is with The Leopard - the novel unfolds for the reader a universe of values which overlaps but significantly diverges from those of liberal modernity and allows him to judge between them.

March-October 2024 Totals

 

March-October 2024 Totals

Julie was the clear reader of the group of three reviewers with a total of 22 books and 7513 pages, followed by Shirley who had 11 books with 3073 pages.  The group read a grand total of 35 books and 11,158 pages during this time period.  Great job everyone!!

Vincent Price: The Art of Fear

 Shirley J.   Adult Non-Fiction       A less than complimentary look at actor Vincent Price's horror films

Vincent Price: The Art of Fear by David Meikle     248 pages

I love Vincent Price but this was a grueling book to force myself to read.    I have never read a more scathing, bitter account of this brilliant actor which is not any where near where this author described his talent.   According to David Meikle, (who is this guy anyway?)  Vincent Price merely offered a one-dimensional performance and basically had 3 reactions he executed in every performance always playing the same character in every horror film he starred in.   Have I said yet how much I dislike this author?   He uses Vincent Price's name to sell his caustic account of the actor and may I add that he alludes to every thing but Vincent Price who seems a minor character in this raunchy bit of literature.   I find this book an offense and an affront to Vincent Price's character and acting ability and this twit needs to go back to whatever hackery he came from.  What a jerk!   David Meikle mocks everything about Vincent Price throughout and I would not recommend this piece of drivel to anyone.  I do love the photos and there are a handful of interesting bits to be gleaned here but the author's nasty attitude prevails throughout so I cannot in full conscience recommend it though in Vincent Price's name I wish it had been as good as it could and should have been.  

The Home Edit: Stay Organized: The Ultimate Guide to Making Systems Stick

 

Shirley J.        Adult Non-Fiction       How to go from dis-organized to organized while making your space look like a beautiful rainbow showplace!

The Home Edit: Stay Organized: The Ultimate Guide to Making Systems Stick by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin     256 pages

First of all the illustrations throughout this book are gorgeous.  Now, these ladies are hugely pro using bins.   They don't like the look of boxes regardless if they be the boxes of cereal, macaroni or any food that comes in boxes nor the boxes appliances or anything we buy come in.   They just think food is better stored and displayed in see through containers and once you know you are keeping something you bought that came in a box or especially boxes that items are shipped in said boxes must be recycled and gone from the home.   They are big proponents of colorfully displaying clothes on racks and in closets thus making items easier to see and match for quicker dressing and getting out the door in the morning or evening.    They offer really good tips and their methods are beautiful to behold.  Their labeling of containers and bins are flawless.   They definetly believe in downsizing upholding the philosophy of less is more and that folks tend to use only 20% of the clothes in their closet (creatures of habit we grab the clothes we like and ignore the rest).   A good book, I enjoyed it.   Not sure if while I agree with the beauty and simplicity of see through bins, I would actually follow through and keep up with them but that is my own laziness and not a lack on the book's part.   I recommend this book to all who want to get a handle on organizing their stuff but if you are looking for a deeper purge of clutter this tends to be for those needing organizing skills more so than purging heaps of items.   

Huda F Are You?

Shirley J.              Young Adult Memoir  Graphic Novel              Huda Fahmy's first year of highschool    

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy   192 pages

Huda Fahmy is a Muslim and in this book she has written a memoir about her first year of highschool being a Muslim, a teenager and a hijabi girl living in Dearborn, Michigan.   The book talks about how she is trying to understand who she is growing up in a society where in the Muslim community she still wants to define herself.  Is she a hijabi fashionista?  A hijabi gamer?  She tries becoming a member of many different cliques at highschool trying to see just where she fits in but none of the groups she attempts to become a part of really speak to her of feeling included nor ever really finding that spark of this is who she is and what she wants to be.   It takes trying on the various different interests to bring her to where she gets a better understanding of herself and where she fits.    A really good coming of age story relateable to all teens who are going through the feeling different stage to find their identity in life.    I recommend this book to middleschoolers on up Muslim and non-Muslim alike.  We all search to find our place and our role in life and this book is very user-friendly in showing how to navigate that difficult journey.    

 

Tidy the F*ck Up:The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t

Shirley J.           Adult Non-Fiction                 Straight talk on decluttering your home, office and life

Tidy the F*ck Up:The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t by Messie Condo    192 pages    

In homage to Marie Condo, organizing and cleaning Queen, Messie Condo is a tongue in cheek calls 'em as Messie sees them straight talk complete with expletives for emphasis look at how to see our sh*t for what it is and tidy it the f*ck up.     While looking around our homes we might be so overwhelmed we are unable to move from in front of the t.v. to actually confront our clutter but Messie verbally shakes us into reality and motivational mode to get the f*ck up and do something!  I love this book for its ability to get you up off the couch and get you to not just think about your stuff which it does but more so to want to tackle it and get it in order and to quit letting it be the boss of you like an unwanted guest that moves in and doesn't want to leave.  Messie Condo begins by quoting the late comedian, George Carlin, who said, "Our house is just a place to keep our stuff so we can go out and get more stuff."  I love this book.  I am re-reading it now that I have finished it just to remind myself all the good tips in gives and they are legion.   Adults, do yourself a favor and check this book out especially if you like laughing because while being totally real this book will also make you chuckle and see yourself in many of the scenarios.  Due to the language maybe young children should not be exposed but teenagers as soon as you are mature enough to hear advice from an adult who peppers their language generously with expletives but who will tell you the factual truth while doing so on how to clean up after yourself and keep on the organized non-hoarder road, or if you have grown up with messy ways, this will be a clear map for how to get your sh*t together in life, literally.  5 stars out of 5!

 

The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again

 

Shirley J.                                  Adult Non-Fiction                     Fun is critical to a human's well-being    

The Power of Fun:How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price    352 pages

Catherine Price says that fun is essential to all people.  Her daughter describes it as "sunshine," which is accurate.   Fun is essential because without it how sad and boring would life be?   Fun is laughter and commarderie.  It is experiencing new things in new ways.   It is adventure and making memories.  It is the thing or things in all of our lives that make us happy.  One person's joy may not be the same for the next guy/gal but it is the thing that bring joy and makes the heart palputate a little faster, brings a smile to the lips and sparkle to the eye.   It can be seen most notably in children but adults are just as good at experiencing fun when they open themselves to it.   Price discusses the meaning and explores ways to have fun and incorporate fun into all aspects of life.  Fun is not immature, it is not selfish nor self-indulgent it is living the dream of how beautiful and happy life can be.  She explores the psychology of fun, her idea that fake fun is watching television, or reading and how she doesn't feel introverts are really getting the concept of fun by doing solo activities.  In her interpretation, fun is sharing experiences with others.  Posting things to social media she says is not "fun".     It is trying to fill an emptiness within but not her definition of fun.   True fun is playfulness, connection and flow that which fulfills us.  Gives us energy, community and purpose.  Fun makes us flourish.   And in the end you will enjoy the process.   

The Civil War: An Illustrated History

 Shirley J.            Adult Non-Fiction              The Civil War explained in detail, the battles, the generals,       the times, the strategies, the sentiment, the north, the south, slavery, correspondence, life during war at home.

The Civil War: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey C. Ward, with Ric Burns and Ken Burns   425 pages         

What a truly wonderful work.  So many eye-opening things you will learn here from the first hand accounts of those who were in the midst.  From Lincoln to Jefferson Davis, politicians, abolitionists, generals, soldiers, slaves this book brings to life a time long passed as if it were taking place right in front of you.   It will make you laugh at times but it will also make you cry.   The photos are all of actual people and places significant during the war.   I kept thinking of the years and the ages of my parents and great-grandparents to place where they might be on the timeline and what they might have been experiencing in the areas of the United States they were in.   I found the answer to some questions I had when doing genealogy I came across terms I did not understand but was enlightened on while reading.   WOW!   This book really made the Civil War a reality to me not just something you read about in history class.   I highly recommend this book and the accompanying 9 episode documentary film (PBS) that goes with it.   It is beyond words.  It literally takes you right there.   It is spellbinding.  I recommend this to anyone with an interest in the 1860s in America and the Civil War in particular.  So moving, you will never think about the Civil War without associating certain faces and acts with it.

Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the Other Side

 Shirley J.           Adult Non-Fiction                    The life story of Hollywood Medium, Tyler Henry

Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the Other Side by Tyler Henry    224 pages

Hollywood Medium, Tyler Henry shares in this memoir how he experienced his "knowing" at an early age and how he came into the fullness of his psychic senses when he was 10 years old and he told his mother that his grandmother had just passed away.   He had always had psychic experiences even as a toddler, he just didn't understand what they were.   The revelation of his grandmother's death led him to study and research to find out what was going on with him.  He grew up in a religious home after all and no talk of ghosts or anything of that nature had ever come up.   His family were church goers every Sunday.  He grew up in a small town in California no type of supernatural talk around town till one day a man and woman opened a shop with incense, books on all sorts of topics new to him, herbal cures, auras, divination, developing your third eye, chakras, reiki, crystal healing, etc. and the couple offered tarot readings.  Tyler became a voracious reader learning as much as he could.  He eventually started doing Tarot readings himself then realized he was more in tune with his psychic abilities than he knew.  The owners of the shop allowed him to do readings and his intuitive talents had people coming from all over eventually as word spread about his uncanny abilities.  He soon found that just like when he was a young child and saw "people" in his room that he wasn't afraid of but didn't understand why they were there, he began to be able to intuit messages from the beyond for people he was doing readings for.  Soon messages started coming to him for people he would come in contact with out in the world at random.  He was eventually asked to do Hollywood parties and gained a following of prominent celebrities requesting him to come do readings for their parties which grew into the cable t.v. show Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry.   If anyone has an interest in divination of any kind Tyler Henry's book would definetly be of interest.   His show is very interesting to watch to see his process for revealing things to friends and family of the dearly departed.   I would recommend this book to mature highschoolers on up.  I think younger might not be able to discern without being impressionable.

Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

Shirley J.                      Adult Non-Fiction                     Tips for Senior Adults living alone

Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age by Joy Loverde    681 pages

Advice and tips to stay healthy, financially secure and happy to the end of your days.    Lots of good recommendations for those who have no plan in place for their well-being as they age.   Goes into depth of what is to come as we age.   Teaches seniors to be proactive to plan for their own lives rather than rolling over and letting family, neighbors, lawyers, caregivers, etc. decide their fate.   Shows how to put plans in place to cover all eventualities.   Good book.   I highly recommend this to middle-agers up through seniors, lots of good information, ted talks, reading and websites, etc. listed  Goes way beyond estate planning and wills.   Discusses what to do if diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimers, immobility, etc.  Great resource.
 

Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have To Give Up in Order to Move Forward

Shirley J.                   Adult Non-Fiction            How to tell when it is time to end things and move on    

Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have To Give Up In Order To Move Forward by Dr. Henry Cloud       238 pages

Excellent book on identifying problem areas in life, how to assess when it is time to sever toxic relationships (red flags), how to identify volatile work relationships and how to cope or fix issues or end employment (them or you).  So much good information here.   Things we see and deal with every day that can make life difficult, stressful and miserable then the good doctor offers situational ethics to get out of said situations.   He offers scenarios we definitely are familiar with and answers that are so understandable and doable you will wonder what took you so long to apply them.   High praise for Dr. Cloud and his clearing the fog on those gray areas.   I recommend this one to mature teens on up.  Everyone could do with his dose of reality and benefit from his advice.

                    

We Were the Lucky Ones

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter 416 pages

 

In another review (for The Sunflower House), I mentioned that I was always surprised by the stories still left to be of World War II---and we’re still 20 years this side of the end of the war. While the former was about the baby factories, this one is the tale of a Jewish family’s struggle to survive, and to reunite.

 

I’m glad that author Georgia Hunter put a family tree at the beginning. I had to refer to it several times because of all the family members, the spouses, and the grandchild. Sol and Nechuma had five children, ranging from 31-year-old Genek to 21-year-old Halina. Without going back to look, each of the children has a chapter or more to tell their part of the story.

 

The Kruc family was a happy one, living their lives in the Jewish traditions of 1938 Poland. They were well aware of the rhetoric spewing from Germany and the possibilities of another war. This time with Adoplh Hitler leading the charge.

 

One thing that really sets this novel apart from the others is that it focuses on one family, and the piece de resistance (no pun intended) of the provided timeline. Between each chapter, Huner provides historical facts about major news events. These factoids are no more than a page in length, most no more than half a page.

 

Given what each individual experiences, the stories, which flow well and in a chronological manner, can be intense, so it is nice to have that small break.

 

As the family breaks apart, they scatter to various other countries like France, Siberia, Persia, Argentina to escape the Nazis and find a safe place to live until the war was over. Still each and every one of the characters has two goals: to survive Hitler and to reunite. Is that too much to ask? Sometimes, it seems so, and almost impossible to achieve.

 

I understand that this novel has already been made into a series on a streaming channel, but I don’t have that so I’ll probably never see it.  I’m sure the book is better anyway. We Were the Lucky Ones receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.