June in Review
I’ve not had much success in finding a copy of Macbeth that I would enjoy reading. The first that arrived from the library was discovered to be a “juvenile” edition that promised it had preserved all of Shakespeare’s original language and then admitted it had cut lines for clarity of plot and ease of reading. It quickly found its place in the returns pile. I tried again. This time, I was surprised by a generously proportioned volume with a text-size to match. I concede my need for visual aid, but I’m not that blind.
I will continue my search for the ideal Macbeth. Meanwhile, here are reviews for the books that I enjoyed this month. Perhaps you will find a title to include in your summer reading list.
Books Read This Month
These are books that I read entirely for the first time this month.
This is a simple retelling, delightfully illustrated, of an ancient Egyptian story of a beautiful slave-girl with golden slippers who wins the heart of the pharaoh. This finds historic basis in the Greek slave Rhodopis (“rosy-cheeked”) who married Pharaoh Amasis. Children will enjoy the many details shared with the European fairy-tale. I was fascinated!
His father died when he was eleven, and now young Ralph Moody (known to his friends as “Little Britches”) is the man of the family. Together with his courageous mother and his siblings, Ralph Moody weathers a very difficult time that is short of money and full of unexpected trouble; but he also experiences the rewards of hard work, perseverance, friendship, and family love. This autobiographical book is chock-full of adventures and life lessons—and a few secrets that will change everything. Ralph Moody practices some deception against his mother (including riding in match races to earn money), sometimes with the cooperation of other adults.
The boys were excited to read this sequel to a favorite book—Little Britches, and enjoyed it very much (and laughed a lot), but were surprised by another unhappy ending.
Third Brother (aged 10): (✩✩✩✩✩) I like Man of the Family except for the sad ending. Little Britches has a friend named Hi who is very funny sometimes. This book is hilarious and interesting.
Littlest Brother (aged 7): (✩✩✩✩) This is a story about a real person in Colorado. They call him Little Britches, and now he is the man of the family. The book is interesting and exciting, but I do not like the end.
Howard Pyle invites you to take his hand and join him on a journey through the realm of Fancy—to Sherwood Forest in the south of merry England. There you will meet the Robin Hood, the good stout yeoman renowned in song and story. You will learn how he became a famous outlaw and gathered to himself a band of merry men—Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Allan-a-Dale, and many others. Together, they seek adventures in which they help the poor and sorrowful, and embarrass their enemies—especially the persistent Sheriff of Nottingham. Their days beneath the leafy greenwood and abroad are full of song, jest, manly sports, and good eating.
This was the first Robin Hood book I’ve ever read (the third Howard Pyle). I was surprised to find that Robin, who made us laugh with his caustic wit, was nevertheless a character we did not admire or really like. I admit that my favorite scenes each include Robin Hood getting a sound beating. (Go, Will Scarlet!) It was pleasant to see the conceited spoil-sport get an occasional come-uppance. And although Robin Hood is undoubtably the best archer in all of merry England, unlikely tales of his never missing the target are amended by a scene in which Robin loses a shooting mach and is rewarded with a clout to the head. (Another cheer!)
We were surprised by the absence of Maid Marian, who apparently was not an original character in the English stories. (Robin mentions her once, while thinking about bread with crust the color of her hair. We thought that was hilarious and that Marian should find somebody else.)
All in all, this was a fun and adventurous book that made us laugh many times. Pyle’s graceful “Old English” voice made this a pleasure to read aloud to my brothers, as with all his books. I was sorry when were finished—after weeks of savoring—and had to return the book to the library. This might have made it to my wish-list!
The heroes of the book are a rag-tag group of merry outlaws who have killed men in self-defense, robbed the rich to supply their own coffers as well as give to the poor, and shot the king’s deer. The book is full of their adventures, which often involve disguise, deception, fighting, and robbery. Much of the book’s humor is directed to corrupt members of the Church, which may concern some readers, especially as I remember spare references to true piety. There are also plenty of jokes about beer, and a few—clean—references to pretty and buxom lasses.
The Sterling edition I read (pictured here) was riddled with typographical errors that sometimes confused the meaning. (Several times I had to think what similar word was meant.) This edition has only a few woodcut illustrations, that are repeated throughout the book.
I look forward to reading other versions of Robin’s merry adventures. Rosemary Sutcliff’s Chronicles of Robin Hood looks enticing!
This was my read-aloud book for Littlest Brother, but Third Brother joined us faithfully towards the end, and we always had siblings wander in at an interesting part and sit down for the rest of the reading. (I’ve noticed this ALWAYS happens with Howard Pyle’s books.—I must look up more!)
Other Books
These are the books that I revisited or did not read completely.
I have enjoyed the poems by Donne encountered in various anthologies (“Death, Be Not Proud, “The Good Morrow,” “No Man Is an Island”), so I borrowed this book of his English poems. His striking originality, and his command of language and meter is apparent throughout. Nevertheless, some of the poetry from his “young and wild” days I found inappropriate; I was shocked to discover free love in the Renaissance. (One particularly vile piece suggested that monogamous marriage was invented by a bitter man who wanted to punish women). Truly, nothing is new under the sun! John Donne became a clergyman later in life, and I discovered a new favorite in the Holy Sonnets that thoughtfully and artfully describe scenes from Christ’s earthly life.
The more I read my Bible (KJV), the more I lose patience with retellings. :-) There is nothing to beat the simple grandeur of a good, complete Bible translation. However, the unexceptional writing here is not my main concern. Attempting to pictorially depict God’s presence is a mistake in any case, and Wildsmith represents God with what suggested to us a logo for a global-culture organization. Nothing about this multicolored star within a circle suggests God’s personality, holiness, or majesty; the effect is troublingly impersonal, not to mention irreverent. Wildcraft’s illustrations are praised for their colorful detail, but I found the detail overwhelming rather than intriguing, and the coloring sometimes garish.
This collection of brief but compact essays invites you to read and ponder the world’s best writing from a distinctly Christian perspective. Homer, Aristotle, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Mark Twain, C. S. Lewis and other giants are featured here; I did miss a few authors or books that would have been high on my own list, but the book represents a good start. Essays (written by different people) discuss the author, lend insight into his writing, highlight his best work, and invite consideration of important worldview questions.
“I can’t quite make it out...” Littlest Sister and I had fun with the camera.
Friday, June 22, 2012