What are you reading at the moment?

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Seven days - seven book recommendations - day one.

'Anatomy of a Soldier' by Harry Parker.

I was put onto this by a colleague of my partner - whose husband - a red cap - military police - was serving in Afghanistan at the time. A remarkable book. The - only slightly - fictionalised account of the author's experience of having most of his legs blown off by an IUD - and his recovery. The genius conceit - every chapter is written from the point of view of an inanimate object - his kit - boots, radio, rucksack - the tourniquet that keeps him alive - his chair - crutches - non-linear in narrative. It sounds quite depressing - but it isn't - a triumph of the human spirit - ultimately an uplifting book. I don't mind admitting - I cried - in places reading this. I've sent this book to several people - not one has failed to be moved. Recommended.

For the avoidance of doubt - this enterprise - is just for anyone - to recommend a book - and why they like it. Please join in.

Yours - I.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555
 
I've maybe been approaching this wrong. I've merely been nominating one book a day for seven days. Not read one each day :D. Anyhoo, can I start off? I got this earlier on in the year. It takes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a reference point, but speaks more about solitude and cabin fever. Atmospheric and well written. Actually, I have a couple of creepy suggestions, since ‘the nights are fair drawin' in'. I'll offer them as the week progresses.

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Quality cover art - we all create our own monsters - don't we? Reminded me of the darker moments of 'The Mighty Boosh.' A MacFarlane trip gone horribly wrong? Cabin fever - reminiscent of sections in 'Train Dreams' by Denis Johnson - as sent to me by @Barry Giddens - a one sitting book - a novella almost - compelling - none the less. I.
 
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Seven days - seven book recommendations - day one.

'Anatomy of a Soldier' by Harry Parker.

I was put onto this by a colleague of my partner - whose husband - a red cap - military police - was serving in Afghanistan at the time. A remarkable book. The - only slightly - fictionalised account of the author's experience of having most of his legs blown off by an IUD - and his recovery. The genius conceit - every chapter is written from the point of view of an inanimate object - his kit - boots, radio, rucksack - the tourniquet that keeps him alive - his chair - crutches - non-linear in narrative. It sounds quite depressing - but it isn't - a triumph of the human spirit - ultimately an uplifting book. I don't mind admitting - I cried - in places reading this. I've sent this book to several people - not one has failed to be moved. Recommended.

For the avoidance of doubt - this enterprise - is just for anyone - to recommend a book - and why they like it. Please join in.

Yours - I.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555

@Digimonkey Iain; thanks for the tag - much apreciated; added to my list! All the best, Chris
 
I've always loved Steineck's writing; whether it's the sweeping vistas of East of Eden or The Grapes of Wrath, he has an economy of style that seems much more than the sum of its parts. Travels with Charley in Search of America vied with Cannery Row and its companion piece Sweet Thursday for tonight's recommendation.

For @Digimonkey, @patw, @Missoni, @RussellR5555, @Blademonkey, @Barry Giddens and @Ferry-shave

As the title suggests, it's a tour around America in the early 1960s with his poodle Charley. With a nod to Cervantes, Steinbeck fashioned a camper van for travel and sleep; naming it ‘Rocinante' after Don Quixote's nag.

The characters he meets are painted beautifully; as is the zeitgeist of America that time - civil rights and tolerance, notably.


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Seven days - seven book recommendations - day one.

'Anatomy of a Soldier' by Harry Parker.

I was put onto this by a colleague of my partner - whose husband - a red cap - military police - was serving in Afghanistan at the time. A remarkable book. The - only slightly - fictionalised account of the author's experience of having most of his legs blown off by an IUD - and his recovery. The genius conceit - every chapter is written from the point of view of an inanimate object - his kit - boots, radio, rucksack - the tourniquet that keeps him alive - his chair - crutches - non-linear in narrative. It sounds quite depressing - but it isn't - a triumph of the human spirit - ultimately an uplifting book. I don't mind admitting - I cried - in places reading this. I've sent this book to several people - not one has failed to be moved. Recommended.

For the avoidance of doubt - this enterprise - is just for anyone - to recommend a book - and why they like it. Please join in.

Yours - I.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555

Great idea and very happy to participate - now to put my thinking cap on! Great review although the subject matter does make me reluctant despite what you say.
 
I've always loved Steineck's writing; whether it's the sweeping vistas of East of Eden or The Grapes of Wrath, he has an economy of style that seems much more than the sum of its parts. Travels with Charley in Search of America vied with Cannery Row and its companion piece Sweet Thursday for tonight's recommendation.

For @Digimonkey, @patw, @Missoni, @RussellR5555, @Blademonkey, @Barry Giddens and @Ferry-shave

As the title suggests, it's a tour around America in the early 1960s with his poodle Charley. With a nod to Cervantes, Steinbeck fashioned a camper van for travel and sleep; naming it ‘Rocinante' after Don Quixote's nag.

The characters he meets are painted beautifully; as is the zeitgeist of America that time - civil rights and tolerance, notably.


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Steinbeck stayed with me from my school days "Grapes of Wrath", I never explored any further but am tempted on this one thanks for the review.
 
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Seven days - seven books - day two

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Dr. Johnson.

Compelling - in places - laugh out loud funny - influenced by the 'Fisher King' medieval myth - but most importantly - 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad - I always find something new in it. The death of the sixties idealism. 'A savage journey to the heart of the American dream.' - I.

@Scotshave @Ferry-shave @patw @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555 @Barry Giddens
 
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Seven days - seven books - day two

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Dr. Johnson.

Compelling - in places - laugh out loud funny - influenced by the 'Fisher King' medieval myth - but most importantly - 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad - I always find something new in it. The death of the sixties idealism. 'A savage journey to the heart of the American dream.' - I.

@Scotshave @Ferry-shave @patw @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555 @Barry Giddens

Laugh out aloud indeed. I drew strange looks on the train earlier this year; owing to a misplaced guffaw. It was page twenty four, paragraph three. Blood, lizards and golf shoes...
 
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Reading Parte Trois

A ‘Gothic' offering today. Collins is often compared to his contemporary, Dickens. The latter's moral compass is, I feel, somewhat rigid. Collins isn't afraid to bring suggestions of androgyny and to subvert Victorian stereotypes; especially in the characters of Marian Halcombe and Frederick Fairlie.

Collins must have also been aware of Dante's Inferno; aside from direct reference, the structure of the novel descends and shows us different levels and multiple layers of emotional and psychological Hell. Even the description of one of the characters in a theatre; sitting right at the bottom: look at Botticelli's depiction of Hell; then think about the physical layout of a theatre.

Gothic, certainly; but not a ghost in sight. Domesticity teetering on madness; family secrets and patriarchy. One of the first ‘sensationalist' novels, it was serialised in the magazine All the Year Round.
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For @Digimonkey , @patw , @Missoni , @Ferry-shave , @Blademonkey , @Barry Giddens , @RussellR5555
 
View attachment 48116

Seven days - seven book recommendations - day one.

'Anatomy of a Soldier' by Harry Parker.

I was put onto this by a colleague of my partner - whose husband - a red cap - military police - was serving in Afghanistan at the time. A remarkable book. The - only slightly - fictionalised account of the author's experience of having most of his legs blown off by an IUD - and his recovery. The genius conceit - every chapter is written from the point of view of an inanimate object - his kit - boots, radio, rucksack - the tourniquet that keeps him alive - his chair - crutches - non-linear in narrative. It sounds quite depressing - but it isn't - a triumph of the human spirit - ultimately an uplifting book. I don't mind admitting - I cried - in places reading this. I've sent this book to several people - not one has failed to be moved. Recommended.

For the avoidance of doubt - this enterprise - is just for anyone - to recommend a book - and why they like it. Please join in.

Yours - I.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555


...I can commit to seven book reviews but perhaps over a slightly longer time period than seven days. I hope this mostly keeps in spirit with the challenge. In any event I applaud Ian's @Digimonkey initiative. Here goes with review 1:

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Karen Armstrong is a former Catholic nun and studied at Oxford (she left organised religion but not her search for spirituality). Her book, The Spiral Staircase, is a good description of the struggles that led to her leaving the convent. - “Compassion has been advocated by all the great faiths because it has been found to be the safest and surest means of attaining enlightenment because it dethrones the ego from the centre of our lives and puts others there, breaking down the carapace of selfishness that holds us back from the experience of the sacred.” Which reminds me of Huxley's observation “It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'try to be a little kinder.”

“A History of God” details the evolution and concept of God over 4,000 years; a history of how humanity has perceived and experienced God focusing primarily on the three Abrahamic or monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book appeals to both believers and atheists.

All three faiths trace their claims of Truth back to a single man, Abraham, who believed in a god named El - while Abraham did worship a single god, he also believed in other gods. It details how, at different times in history people perceived God in different ways and attempts at times to bridge the gap between a metaphorical and philosophical understanding of religious texts (Torah, New Testament, Koran) and a literal one. She appears to suggest that the former is often embraced by societies elites and the latter by societies grass roots.

It goes on to analyse the reaction to the emphasis on logos (rational, scientific thinking related exactly to facts and external realities) of the Enlightenment as opposed to mythos (that which is timeless and constant) that had been essential to people's view of the world. Armstrong uses the word “mythos” as it relates to mystery and mysticism, rooted ultimately in traditional biblical and Islamic history “which gives meaning to life, but cannot be explained in rational terms.”

The Bible says God created man in His own image. Karen states as fact the exact opposite: Man created God in his own image, then re-created him a lot of times in response to changing historical and cultural conditions.

I think Armstrong asserts that faith is at its best when it is mystical and transcendental and she worries about the inherent intolerance in monotheism (I believe in one true God; your God must be wrong).

The book is engaging though repetitive and dense at times but a great read none the less. It will definitely keep your cogs whirling long after you put the book down.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555
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...I can commit to seven book reviews but perhaps over a slightly longer time period than seven days. I hope this mostly keeps in spirit with the challenge. In any event I applaud Ian's @Digimonkey initiative. Here goes with review 1:

View attachment 48156

Karen Armstrong is a former Catholic nun and studied at Oxford (she left organised religion but not her search for spirituality). Her book, The Spiral Staircase, is a good description of the struggles that led to her leaving the convent. - “Compassion has been advocated by all the great faiths because it has been found to be the safest and surest means of attaining enlightenment because it dethrones the ego from the centre of our lives and puts others there, breaking down the carapace of selfishness that holds us back from the experience of the sacred.” Which reminds me of Huxley's observation “It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'try to be a little kinder.”

“A History of God” details the evolution and concept of God over 4,000 years; a history of how humanity has perceived and experienced God focusing primarily on the three Abrahamic or monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book appeals to both believers and atheists.

All three faiths trace their claims of Truth back to a single man, Abraham, who believed in a god named El - while Abraham did worship a single god, he also believed in other gods. It details how, at different times in history people perceived God in different ways and attempts at times to bridge the gap between a metaphorical and philosophical understanding of religious texts (Torah, New Testament, Koran) and a literal one. She appears to suggest that the former is often embraced by societies elites and the latter by societies grass roots.

It goes on to analyse the reaction to the emphasis on logos (rational, scientific thinking related exactly to facts and external realities) of the Enlightenment as opposed to mythos (that which is timeless and constant) that had been essential to people's view of the world. Armstrong uses the word “mythos” as it relates to mystery and mysticism, rooted ultimately in traditional biblical and Islamic history “which gives meaning to life, but cannot be explained in rational terms.”

The Bible says God created man in His own image. Karen states as fact the exact opposite: Man created God in his own image, then re-created him a lot of times in response to changing historical and cultural conditions.

I think Armstrong asserts that faith is at its best when it is mystical and transcendental and she worries about the inherent intolerance in monotheism (I believe in one true God; your God must be wrong).

The book is engaging though repetitive and dense at times but a great read none the less. It will definitely keep your cogs whirling long after you put the book down.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555
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A fine review; many thanks.
 
Just catching up. You are an erudite lot!
One disaster after another for me recently. All first-world stuff thankfully. The biggest problem, apart from the boiler and the washing machine packing up, has been no internet for nearly two weeks. The Mrs has just reported that it seems to be working fine now. So it should after five engineers visits! So I'm reporting back for class.
 
...I can commit to seven book reviews but perhaps over a slightly longer time period than seven days. I hope this mostly keeps in spirit with the challenge. In any event I applaud Ian's @Digimonkey initiative. Here goes with review 1:

View attachment 48156

Karen Armstrong is a former Catholic nun and studied at Oxford (she left organised religion but not her search for spirituality). Her book, The Spiral Staircase, is a good description of the struggles that led to her leaving the convent. - “Compassion has been advocated by all the great faiths because it has been found to be the safest and surest means of attaining enlightenment because it dethrones the ego from the centre of our lives and puts others there, breaking down the carapace of selfishness that holds us back from the experience of the sacred.” Which reminds me of Huxley's observation “It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'try to be a little kinder.”

“A History of God” details the evolution and concept of God over 4,000 years; a history of how humanity has perceived and experienced God focusing primarily on the three Abrahamic or monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book appeals to both believers and atheists.

All three faiths trace their claims of Truth back to a single man, Abraham, who believed in a god named El - while Abraham did worship a single god, he also believed in other gods. It details how, at different times in history people perceived God in different ways and attempts at times to bridge the gap between a metaphorical and philosophical understanding of religious texts (Torah, New Testament, Koran) and a literal one. She appears to suggest that the former is often embraced by societies elites and the latter by societies grass roots.

It goes on to analyse the reaction to the emphasis on logos (rational, scientific thinking related exactly to facts and external realities) of the Enlightenment as opposed to mythos (that which is timeless and constant) that had been essential to people's view of the world. Armstrong uses the word “mythos” as it relates to mystery and mysticism, rooted ultimately in traditional biblical and Islamic history “which gives meaning to life, but cannot be explained in rational terms.”

The Bible says God created man in His own image. Karen states as fact the exact opposite: Man created God in his own image, then re-created him a lot of times in response to changing historical and cultural conditions.

I think Armstrong asserts that faith is at its best when it is mystical and transcendental and she worries about the inherent intolerance in monotheism (I believe in one true God; your God must be wrong).

The book is engaging though repetitive and dense at times but a great read none the less. It will definitely keep your cogs whirling long after you put the book down.

@Scotshave @Barry Giddens @patw @Ferry-shave @Blademonkey @Missoni @RussellR5555
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Thank you for posting this - an excellent review of an excellent book. I'm a big fan of Armstrong - and funnily enough - one of my choices later this week is likely to be by her. In my opinion you nailed it by highlighting the opposition - juxtaposition - of mythos and logos - this is key to understanding her theological world view - and to extend that - understanding humans in general. Thanks again - I look forward to whatever you choose next - cheers - I.
 
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