September 2011
I am so glad to have gotten out this month’s reviews in a more timely manner (though by the skin of my teeth)! Books for September are an even ten, and there is plenty of lovely music to share thanks to the birthday gift of an iTunes gift card. Above, Third Brother is reenacting a scene from our recent read-aloud, The Buffalo Knife by William O. Steele. See the review below.
Lewis was a master story-teller and here he reworks the Cupid and Psyche myth into a symbolic tale of love and beauty. He tells it through Psyche’s jealous sister Orual, who is writing her life-story as an accusation against the gods. Orual hides her hideous face behind a veil and her hideous soul behind good works, but we discover with Orual that “I can mend my soul no more than my face.” Although pagan on the surface, Lewis uses the story to communicate deep truths of the Christian reality: “Now we see through a glass dimly, but then face to face.”
There is a good summary and review of the book on Amazon HERE. This book includes some mature subject-matter, and is not for young readers. This is a controversial book for some, as it uses pagan mythology to communicate its truths.
This is a classic folk-tale retold by a classic children's author. Magical beans, a fairy, a terrible giant, and a talking harp all make their fantastic appearances. The story is familiar to most of us, so I will not summarize it here. Although Nesbit is skillful as a storyteller, she does add to the problems of the story. Jack is a foolish boy who is weak, lazy, thoughtless, and impulsive. I didn't detect any admirable qualities in this non-hero, but the author seems to be on his side. For example, it is a "good" fairy who advises Jack to "Go straight on and do the things that first come into your head. This is good advice in ordinary life, and works well in this land too." This advice is not good advice—in either 'ordinary or 'fantastic' lives—though Jack's impulsive behavior seems well-rewarded. Also, the narrator excuses Jack's laziness and "incompetence" in work as the common way of those made for adventures—and apparently, for nothing else. Another moral problem intrinsic to the story is whether Jack is actually "stealing" from the giant, since the goods he secretly takes were stolen from his family by the giant. The illustrations are good, but bleak due to the subject matter: poverty, drought, skeletons, and sloppy giants.
In this tranquil picture-book, a young girl tells us how she went with "Pa" on her first owling in the winter woods. It is bitterly cold and very dark, but the little girl knows that she must be very quiet and patient and brave. She has been waiting a long time for this trip, and the two are eventually rewarded with a glorious glimpse of the majestic owl. The lyrical, measured lines are almost poetic. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful. This quiet celebration of family and nature would make a lovely bedtime read.
Millet Tilled the Soil. Sybil Deucher and Opal Wheeler. ✩✩✩✩
Jean François Millet was born a peasant in the coastal village of Gruchy. From a young age his artistic talent was evident, even in the charcoal drawings he traced on his wooden sabots. As a young man, he went to study in Paris, and though there were many struggles, Millet finally achieved artistic fame and the country home for which he longed. I love Millet not only for the beautiful form and color of his work, but for the affection and reverence so evident in his subjects. This dramatized biography for young children is well-written, interesting, and through many stories helps us to better know this simple and pious man. It formed the basis for our picture study this first half-term of home-school.
This is one of those books I had never read but often heard terrible things about. So when a family friend highly recommended it, I decided I would withhold further judgement until I had read it for myself. The first thing I noticed when I opened the book, was that the illustrations were so familiar. Sendak also wrote and illustrated Chicken Soup with Rice, a favorite at this house.
The story begins with the words so familiar to its fans: “The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another his mother called him ‘WILD THING!’ and Max said ‘I’LL EAT YOU UP!’ so he was sent to bed without eating anything.” After he is sent to his room, Max imagines a voyage to the Place Where the Wild things Are. When he arrives, he masters the monsters and is made their King. They all enjoy a Wild Rumpus, but soon Max is lonely and wants to be “where someone loved him best of all.”
Does the message of the story condone misbehavior? Max creates trouble, talks back to his mother, and freely vents his anger through an imaginative adventure. But does the book also communicate the dissatisfying, alienating effects of anger? When the monsters ask him to stay (remain wild and angry?), Max decides he would rather return to his family. When he has left the place where the wild things are, he finds a hot supper—a gesture of forgiveness, acceptance, love, and security. So, while some find the story ‘dark,’ ‘creepy,’ ‘depressing,’ or ‘scary,’ others discover a redemptive theme.
My feelings about the message of the story are mixed, but I do question its literary value. The emphasis here is on the illustrations. (There are even several pages of only illustrations.) The string of run-on sentences that tell the story are broken up among the pages, making it difficult to enjoy a smooth train of thought.
Eleven-year old Thomas Hammond takes a night-time voyage down the stream on a piece of refrigerator packing foam. He wakes just as the fierce current dives underground, dashes him through rocky caverns, and leaves him stranded deep beneath a mountain. What he finds there—a corpse, a dog, a cast-away, four graves, a tomb, and a hidden treasure—all hold answers to questions he hadn’t known to ask. How and why did Thomas’ father die three years ago? And will Thomas ever find his way home? Meanwhile, will his grieving mother Elizabeth be able fend off two unwanted suitors and a criminal band of treasure hunters? You will enjoy this adventure story all the better if you recognize the many connections to Homer’s Odyssey—shared names and themes. There are shades also of Robinson Crusoe and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Though not a classic, this story makes for a rollicking summertime adventure. There is one brief instance of strong language. Murder, violence, and treachery are involved in the plot, so this book is not for young or sensitive children.
The Clark and Brown families will be traveling on a flat boat to a new home in French Salt Lick. Andrew Clark is disappointed at first that he will not be accompanying his brother Ralph and Uncle Aswell on the more dangerous land route. He soon finds, however, that the river route has plenty of danger and adventure to keep him busy! Together the families encounter dangerous shoals, rapids, accidents—and hostile Chickamauga Indians! Along the way, Andy learns to appreciate his friend Isaac Brown. At first, he wonders if Isaac is a coward, because Isaac wants to be a merchant instead of a Long Hunter, like Andy’s revered Uncle Az. Eventually, Andy comes to understand that merchants and Long Hunters both need each other. Another underlying theme gives the book its title. Before the trip, Uncle Az gives Andy a real buffalo knife, but Andy loses it before the trip even begins. In every dangerous situation, Andy mourns for his buffalo knife, but he eventually finds that bravery and resourcefulness are the best weapons he has.
I read this exciting little book to my two youngest brothers (6 and 9). They loved (and hated) the cliff-hanger endings to the chapters! I asked Third Brother if he wanted to share a review on my blog. His answer was immediate, enthusiastic, and succinct: “Sure!—It was a great book!” The photograph at the top of this entry shows him playing The Buffalo Knife.
I slowly savored this book, reading a single essay each day while enjoying the cool of the morning. The fact that birds are particularly plentiful and riotous here beneath the seagrape tree, added to the experience! This volume is dedicated to some of the best bird essays written by prolific nature-writer John Burroughs. His love for nature, indefatigable curiosity, and keen observation are all evident in these friendly and ambling pieces, which are both individual accounts and distillations of life-long observation. Though some nature-lovers consider Burroughs too “domestic,” I appreciated that he learned so much about nature around his New England farm. Burroughs has inspired me to continue my backyard nature observations and begin a nature journal. This was my first experience with Burroughs, but I hope it will not be my last. I plan to soon start Birch Browsings, another anthology of his essays. Unfortunately, Burroughs embraced Darwinism and there are occasional evolutionary and evolution-influenced passages included here, especially dense in the later essays (and in the editor’s introduction). There is one sexist comment: “But the ancients, like women and children, were not accurate observers.”
Other Books
These are the books that I revisited or did not read completely.
Pooser expanded and refined the original four-season color system into a twelve-point system. Follow her guidelines to determine the primary and secondary palettes that will best flatter your natural beauty. Further refine your wardrobe by choosing the lines, textures, patterns, and styles that enhance your looks and reflect your personality.
Are you a Spring, a Summer, an Autumn, or a Winter? Reinvent Yourself... is another book about the popular four-seasons color system. It will help you to determine your season by evaluating the natural coloring of your hair, eyes, and skin tone. Many photographs clearly illustrate the wonderful effect of wearing your season's coloring. Simplify your wardrobe and enhance your appearance by wearing the colors that complement you best.
Music
I received an iTunes gift card from my grandparents for my birthday, and I was so happy to add these favorites to my playlist. The last two are courtesy of my Biggest Brother, with whom I am always glad to share favorite music.
The Munster Hop. Sharon Shannon. ✩✩✩✩✩
I reviewed this in May 2011. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Lyric for Strings. Loreena McKennit. ✩✩✩✩✩
I reviewed this in January 2011. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Granny Quinn’s / The Lilac Reel / Sporting Pal. Solas. ✩✩✩✩✩
I discovered this delightful Celtic medley while searching for new dance music. You’d have to step lively to keep up with this one, though! It has been on my wish list a long time, and I am so glad to finally have it. We play it again and again—and, yes, we can do a brisk reel to it! You can preview and purchase the track on iTunes from the album The Hour Before Dawn.
Canarios (“Canaries”) (Improvisations). Jordi Savall, etc. ✩✩✩✩
There are a few pieces I love so well that I have several versions of them on my iPod. This is one of them. This old Renaissance tune is so simple, so timeless, and full of possibilities for improvisation and ornamentation. This quiet improvisation by Jordi Savall and his fellow musicians is the third version of “Canarios” to be added to my playlist. You can watch Hesperion XXI perform the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Canto Della Terra. (“Song of the Earth”) Andrea Bochelli. ✩✩✩✩✩
“In silence we are listening to the sky, at the window—to this world that is awakening, and the night is already so far away.” You can listen to the entire song, sung in Italian with English subtitles, at YouTube HERE.
Sogno. (“Dream”) Andrea Bochelli. ✩✩✩✩✩
“The flower of the garden marks the time. Here I will draw the day, then, of your return. You are so sure of my love to take it away with you!” You can listen to the entire song, sung in Italian with English subtitles, at YouTube HERE.
Mai Piu’ Cosi’ Lontano. (“Never Again So Far Away”) Andrea Bochelli. ✩✩✩✩✩
“Never again without the hand that warms my heart. Never again so far away, never again so far away, never again without the love of one who has waited for me.” You can listen to the entire song, sung in Italian, at YouTube HERE.
Immenso. (“Immense”) Andrea Bochelli. ✩✩✩✩
“I can feel the silence around me and the music rises softly from the violins. Then I see your face again. It is you, and I am guessing where you are. You, in this, my immense sea—a face I will probably never see again... Yes, it is wiser not to think of you here. I will pretend you are already far away.”
A Downland Suite (III. Minuet). John Ireland. ✩✩✩✩✩
This third movement of the Downland Suite is so serene and lovely. I can easily picture the rolling green downs of England. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
The Running Set. Ralph Vaughan Williams. ✩✩✩✩✩
I reviewed this in February 2011. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Ò’Ganaich Ùir a Rinn M’Fhàgail. (“O Noble Youth Who Has Left Me”) Julie Fowlis. ✩✩✩✩
“O woman at the spinning wheel, you know how my heart is a young Campbell in your possession.” Julie Fowlis sings Gaelic beautifully, accompanied by some of my favorite musicians from the Transatlantic Session. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
The Highwayman. Loreena McKennit. ✩✩✩✩✩
“The wind was a torrent of darkness among the ghastly trees. The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon the cloudy seas. The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor when the highway man came riding, riding riding. The highway man came riding up to the old inn door.” So begins a classic tale of love’s greatest sacrifice. I have always loved this poem by Alfred Noyes, and was so thrilled to find it had been made an equally beautiful song. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Anonyme: Pavane and Gailliarde. Jordi Savall, etc. ✩✩✩✩✩
This is Renaissance dance music that will make you want to leap up and kick your heels (with medieval dignity). This music is so stately and yet so cheerful! I thrill at the first rumble of the drums. You can hear the entire piece at YouTube HERE.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011