THE POISONWOOD BIBLE

by Barbara Kingsolver



"The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them all they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil." (From the CD container)

I really liked this book. The telling of the story from multiple perspectives is almost always a technique I enjoy, and it is done wonderfully here. Each took away very different lessons from her experiences in Africa, and I loved being able to see close-up how each was changed as those experiences were interpreted and reinterpreted as time passed.

I found one of the most memorable scenes to be when Nathan is arguing Biblical translation and interpretation with the former missionary of the village, Brother Fowles. Not only was it interesting in light of my recent reading of Misquoting Jesus, but the way Brother Fowles was able to relate Bible passages to native spiritual beliefs of the Congolese was breathtaking. It gave me a unique and beautiful perspective to consider next time I am reading it.

Like Dances with Wolves, this was one of those book that made me want to scrub the white from my skin so I didn't have to associate myself with the people and politics of Western culture that participate in the exploitation that so devastates other countries and cultures. I love the way of life I am blessed to be able to live in America, but does that mean it's the way everyone should live? Just because I like it doesn't make it a good idea.

LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY

by Susan Vreeland



Remember when I was discussing "narrative" and how we tend to look for the story in nearly everything we see? This book is a perfect example of that! It is the story behind Renoir's famous painting entitled, of course, "Luncheon of the Boating Party", pictured here:


The models are real people, and Susan Vreeland has taken known facts about their lives and the life of Renoir, mixed in some literary license for depth, and has created her own masterpiece. Experiencing the summer of 1880 France with this group of such diverse characters reminded me a lot of Fitzgerald's depictions of the Roaring 20's in the U.S., young, vivacious people living their days with gusto, certain they will someday take the world by storm.

Luncheon of the Boating Party is not a book I would have even picked up if it hadn't been for the Art History Reading Challenge. That's the beauty of the Reading Challenges. We stretch our boundaries and sometimes come up with gems like this one.

To see more information about the book and the history of the painting, see Susan Vreeland's Official Site.

DAY

by Elie Wiesel



"Love is worth as much as prayer. Sometimes more." From Day (p. 13)

Recovering in the hospital after nearly being killed by a cab, a Holocaust survivor struggles with his will to live while burdened with his memories of the past.

Day is much more subtle than the previous two books in this trilogy, Night and Dawn. In fact, it would be very easy to breeze through these 120 or so pages and end up wondering what the big deal is. The heinous things the narrator saw in his life are never discussed, only hinted at. The reader must use his or her own knowledge to fully absorb the questions posed. How does a person go on living after experiencing something like the Holocaust? How does one view normal, daily life as anything but completely frivolous?

This story did not leave me drained and sad the way the others did, but that doesn't mean it made no mark. What would I do if I had seen my whole family wiped out? My whole city? How can I relate to someone who has seen those kinds of horrors? We don't know the past experiences that have made most people we meet who they are and they don't know ours, but with the things that go on in the world today there are many people we encounter who bear emotional scars like these -- scars we never see with our eyes, but we can feel them in our hearts if we try.



See a Reading Group Guide for Day here.

Related Post:

My thoughts on Dawn.

Cool Quotes Now Available Here!

It is taking me three days to read a 100 page book, but that's because I spent all my time getting my project organized. That was a project all in itself! Thank you to all of you who have been leaving such encouraging comments! You're making it even more exciting!

I don't have anything terribly enlightening to say at the moment, but I wanted to let subscribers know that I have added a "Daily Quotes for Lifelong Learners" widget to my sidebar that's pretty fun. Stop in and take a peek! Also, as I go along in my plans, I will be adding "Resources" links to various online tools and sites that I find useful in case anyone else is interested in investigating them.

Back to work for me! Happy reading, Everyone!

LLP: March/April 2009 Monthly Plan

OK. Down to the nitty gritty. Here is what I plan to accomplish by April 30, 2009:

(Struck out entries are finished as of April 28, 2009. If I've posted about the reading, the link is provided.)

Books To Read:

Day by Elie Wiesel (My Thoughts)
Survival In Auschwitz by Primo Levi (My Thoughts)
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Stone
Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Pere Goriot by Honore de Balzac
Blindness by Jose Saragamo
The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene (My Thoughts)
Managing Your Own Learning by James R. and Adelaide B. Davis
How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch (My Thoughts)
Book III of The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer
Book IV of The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer

Listen to Teaching Company Lectures on:

Tristam Shandy
Dangerous Liaisons
Pere Goriot
Wuthering Heights
Moby Dick

Text Chapters To Read:

The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative
Chapter 3 (My Thoughts)
Chapter 4 (My Thoughts)
Chapter 5 (My Thoughts)
Chapter 6 (My Thoughts)
Chapter 7 (My Thoughts)

Writing About Literature: Step by Step
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Finish What's In A Name Challenge


Good thing the NBA season is just about over for me, isn't it?
:-)



Back to 2009 Second Quarter Goals
Back to 2009 General Concepts
Back to Lifetime Learning Project Personal Mission Statement

LLP: 2009 Second Quarter Goals

By June 30, 2009:

1) Complete 1/2 of Teaching Company "Classic Novels" Course
2) Complete Reading of Text: The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative
3) Complete First 5 Chapters of Writing About Literature: Step by Step
4) Finish at least four of my Reading Challenges
5) Finish up to Book 6 of The Faerie Queene

Monthly Plans To Reach My Second Quarter Goals:

End of March through April
May
June

(Note: Links will be added as plans are finished and posted.)

Back to 2009 General Concepts
Back to Lifetime Learning Project Personal Mission Statement

Lifetime Learning Project: 2009 General Concepts

The yearly "goals" I will set for my Lifetime Learning Project are general concepts I would like to explore along with one or two specific Projects to support them.


2009 General Concepts

1) To explore various methods of self-education on various topics in order to identify subjects and techniques I would like to use going forward with my Lifetime Learning Project (LLP).

2) To expand my knowledge regarding how to study and write about literature in general.

3) To utilize Books 'N Border Collies to hone my writing and communication skills in an effort to provide entertaining and educational content for my readers.

Mini-Project 1: Read all the books and listen to all the lectures for The Teaching Company Course "Classic Novels: Meeting The Challenge of Great Literature".

Mini-Project 2: Compose an essay on the use of Reading Challenges for personal growth and self-education.


At the end of the year, I will revisit all of these goals in writing. I will explain what I did to achieve each one or why achievement was not attained.


To assist in achievement of the General Concepts, I am setting both flexible quarterly goals and more concrete monthly goals. I started this too late to include First Quarter of 2009, so I will begin this year's plan with Second Quarter:

2009 Second Quarter Goals
2009 Third Quarter Goals
2009 Fourth Quarter Goals
2009 Summary

(Note: I will be writing the "Goals" posts in the future and will link them here as they are finished. The whole Project will be linked in my sidebar for easy access. I'm off to write Second Quarter Goals now!)

CATHERINE CARMIER

by Ernest J. Gaines



"After living in San Francisco for ten years, Jackson returns home to his benefactor, Aunt Charlotte. Surrounded by family and old friends, he discovers that his bonds to them have been irreparably rent by his absence. In the midst of his alienation from those around him, he falls in love with Catherine Carmier, setting the stage for conflicts and confrontations which are complex, tortuous, and universal in their implications." From the back cover of Catherine Carmier

"I know what you're looking for. Dignity, truth -- you want to make something out of a senseless world." Madame Bayonne to Jackson Bradley in Catherine Carmier

I read this book, Ernest J. Gaines' first novel, because I was so moved by A Lesson Before Dying that I wanted to read another of his just to see if it hit me the same way. There are some deep issues to ponder in Catherine Carmier, the strongest of them being the ties to our families, good and bad. It explores what we may or may not owe our families for the sacrifices they make on our behalf and what can happen when those sacrifices are made at the cost of one's true potential. The themes are strong, but I didn't feel them the way I did when I read Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying. Being as this was his first novel, I'm not too surprised or disappointed. It was still a good book and left me looking forward more of his work.