Why I Love to Read, part 6

Why I Love to Read- Monday special.
Reason number 6:
Reading can teach you about life.
And this book has many lessons about life.

"Man's Search for Meaning" was written in 1946, telling about the author's experiences in Auschwitz during W.W.II.  Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist.  Although he survived the Holocaust, his wife, mother and brother died there. 

  Frankl writes that the meaning of life is found in every moment of living; life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering and death.

  In a group therapy session during a fast inflicted on the camp's inmates, Frankl offered the thought that for everyone in a dire condition there is someone looking down, a friend, family member, or even God, who would expect not to be disappointed. Frankl concludes from his experience that a prisoner's psychological reactions are not solely the result of the conditions of his life, but also from the freedom of choice he always has even in severe suffering. The inner hold a prisoner has on his spiritual self relies on having a hope in the future, and that once a prisoner loses that hope, he is doomed.

Frankl concludes that there are only two races of men, decent and indecent.  No society is free of either of them, and thus there were 'decent' Nazi guards as well as 'indecent' prisoners, most notably the kapo who would torture and abuse their fellow prisoners for personal gain.

"What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life - daily and hourly. Our question must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual."

“The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.” ― Viktor E. Frankl 

"Man's Search for meaning" belongs to a list of "the ten most influential books in the United States".

Frankl died in 1997 at the age of 92.  His book had been translated from German into 24 languages and had sold 10 million copies at the time of his death.

What books have changed public opinion?

When Canada Reads focused on finding a book that could change the nation, I questioned my friends about what books they knew that have changed public opinion.  Here are a few:

Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" in 1792. She argued that women are not naturally inferior, but lack education.
Equality of the sexes is a big topic and Mary was a pioneer in writing about this issue.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

The book that I would choose for this issue is "Uncle Tom's Cabin", written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe.  It was very popular as a novel as well as a play and energized anti-slavery forces in the American north, while causing anger in the south.  She wrote more than 20 books and was known for her public stand on social issues of the day.  I thought it was a very powerful book!

Rachel Carson

Perhaps the book that should have been chosen for Canada Reads about the environment is "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson, written in 1962.
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and she was concerned about the environment, specifically pesticides.  This book led to a ban on DDT and other pesticides. She also wrote about ocean life.

Sylvia Fraser

As Sylvia Fraser began to write her sixth novel, in 1989, about incest, she began recalling her own experience with her father, which had been concealed for 40 years by amnesia.  She recounts in her memoir, "My Father's House: a Memoir of Incest and Healing", how her personality had split in two with a second self that assumed the relationship with her father, and it surfaced in sudden rages and convulsions and sexual violence in her novels.
I have not read this book, but it was recommended as a book that had an affect on the public.

Farley Mowat

Farley Mowat, alive at 92, is a Canadian author and environmentalist.
His book "Never Cry Wolf", written in 1963 was made into a film and is credited with changing the public opinion of wolves. His books have been translated into 52 languages and sold more than 17 million books. 
We read this book in one of my book clubs.

Anna Sewell

Another book club choice was "Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell, written in 1877. Anna came from a Quaker family in England. Because of mobility problems, she used horse-drawn carriages.  She began to love horses and was motivated to attempt to change public opinion on the treatment of animals.

Jane Jacobs

Wow!  There are so many aspects of life to be passionate about and write about.  Jane Jacobs wrote about urban renewal and changed the way that cities are planned in her book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities".
She moved to Canada in 1968 and joined the opposition to the Spadina Expressway and the network of expressways in Toronto.  In the male-dominated field of urban planning, she was called a 'crazy dame'. But she did make a difference!

I could go on and on and on.  My friends had lots of ideas!  I guess books really can change public opinion and therefore change the nation.

Why I Love to Read, part 5

Why I Love to Read- Monday special.

Reason number 5:

I love to read because books are often made into movies.

It is most interesting to see how the book is presented in visual form.

When you have developed the whole world in your brain, it sometimes doesn't match what you see on the screen.

But the movie can also enhance your enjoyment.  When the story takes place in a time or place that is far from your experience, the visuals make the story much richer.

The novels of Jane Austen are easily available in movie form and transport you to 19th century England.

It is even more difficult to visualize the life of early prehistoric humans.  I was fascinated with the Earth Children series, but the movie really brought it to life in a new way- just to imagine the earth before civilization, the lushness of the environment!  Delightful!

Clan of the Cave Bear

"Angela's Ashes" was such a wonderful book, that I was hesitant to watch the movie.  The story is very emotional and heart-breaking.  I decided to go to the theatre and sit in the back- alone, so that I could cry as much as needed.  However, it turned out to not be as emotional as the book.  The children were so delightful and took the sting out of the emotion.  It was really enjoyable!

Other movies turned out to be more emotional than the book - 

"Bridges of Madison County",  "The Help", "The Horse Whisperer".

I chose not to see "The Hunger Games" movie.  I had enough difficulty with the book.

  The whole concept just freaked me out!

New experience for me!

We are going to Pennsylvania on a bus trip,

 and one of the experiences will be a stage production of the book

 "Half-stitched" by Wanda Brunstetter.

Amish territory, Amish novel.

Can't wait!

psychological thrillers

  Well....I just read another psychological thriller.  Two thrillers in a very short time.  Both by accident- didn't know that either one was a thriller when I started it.
  I have already written about "The Little House", which was recommended to me when I was talking about doing a blog on in-laws from hell.
  Well, last week I looked for relief from the long winter by wandering a book store.  Who could resist this cover?  I jumped into it right away!  Couldn't resist and couldn't put it down.
  But I can't say that I wasn't warned.  On the cover, the recommendation says, "Exceptional...It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page."  Of course, I didn't read that before I was hooked.  Then it was too late.

"Christine, who turns out to be 47, wakes as the novel opens in an unfamiliar bedroom next to a man she for a moment thinks is an aging one-night stand. Instead the man is Ben, who says he’s her husband, that he’s always loved her, that she was in a serious car accident 20 years earlier and suffers from a rare form of amnesia: Although she can retain memories throughout the day, they are wiped out entirely overnight. Since memory is the largest part of identity, Christine truly does not know who she is. Losing one’s memory, it seems, differs little from losing one’s mind."

This novel is written by an audiologist in England.  Published in 2011, it has been a bestseller in many countries and has been translated into over 30 languages.  It is called an "out-of-nowhere literary sensation".  And now there is a movie, starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong.

This cover would have been a dead giveawa

      

What is Louise reading?

Louise's porch

the view from Louise's home

Louise lived in this gorgeous city of Nelson, British Columbia.
Terri and I were fortunate to visit there in 2011 for the Kootenay Book Festival.
It was a weekend of discussions on 5 predetermined books.
The Slap
The Help
Mao's last Dance
All Over Creation
The Year of Meats

But there was also lots of exciting sightseeing.
We had never met Louise before we arrived in Nelson,
but she decided to give these Ontario girls a 'whirl'
of the area.  She showed us the countryside and we just loved Louise!

Now, Louise is living in a retirement home in
Victoria.  She is still an avid reader.
As we are buried in snow, I was thinking of
Louise on the mild west coast.
Thanks to e-mail, we can keep in touch.  She let me know that the retirement home has experienced an outbreak of the flu and even when they were well again, they were asked to stay in their rooms with meals delivered to them.  So, Louise had lots of time to read.  And I was surprised at her choice of books.
She read "The Hunger Games" - all three books!
And they kept her engrossed!
Then she re-read "The Glass Castle" and "Half Broke Horses".  She reports that the weather has not been bad.  There has been a lot of rain and the cherry trees are in bloom.

 

Why I Love to Read, part 4

Why I Love to Read- Monday special.
Reason number 4:
I enjoy delicious language!
And John Steinbeck can really put words together in a fascinating way!

Quotes from "East of Eden":
"Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with the book all over his face and hands."

"Cathy had always been able to shovel into the mind of any man and dig up his impulses and his desires".

Quotes from "Grapes of Wrath":
"On the highway the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food.  And the anger began to ferment."

"Man- he lives in jerks.  Woman, it's all one flow, like a stream , little eddies, little waterfalls but the river, it goes right on".

                  Both books are amazing!

________________________________________

I keep a book of quotes and I can't resist adding these quotes (men may skip these).

"Most men are only speed bumps anyway, aggravating distractions scattered along life's otherwise pretty nice highway.  You might run into a good one every long once in a while, but even then he's usually got something wrong with him.  Good women, on the other hand, are everywhere.  You can pick and choose, find the best ones, start a club, and have friends for life." (Patricia Gaffrey in "The Saving Graces") 2004

 "Men! They are the enemies of our innocence and our peace- they drag us away from our parents' love and our sisters' friendship- they take us body and soul to themselves, and fasten our helpless lives to theirs as they chain up a dog to his kennel.  And what does the best of them give us in return?"
(Wilkie Collins in "The Woman in White")  1859

Don't authors say the darndest things???

Canada Reads- and the winner is...

If you click on Canada Reads, you will see that my initial favourite was "Annabel"- the only book that I would recommend to anyone.

But...the panel was fascinating and the discussions were spell-binding!  
Sarah Gadon, at 26, did an amazing job of supporting "Annabel" by Kathleen Winter.  Sarah was bold and confident.  She helped to vote off "The Year of the Flood" by Margaret Atwood right at the beginning, and admitted that she was afraid that Stephen Lewis would sway the panel for his book if given a chance.  She was successful in getting that book eliminated first.  Next to go was "Half-Blood Blues" by Esi Edugyan.  Donovan Bailey, who was supporting it, was obviously out of his element.
Samantha Bee, who was supporting "Cockroach" by Rawi Hage, was a great disappointment to me, personally, because she admitted that she loved "Annabel" and it had changed her life - both of the requirements of the winning book, but she was swayed by Wab on a minor detail of the book- so minor that she had forgotten about it, but she then made the deciding vote to eliminate "Annabel".

Who would believe that "Cockroach" made it to the final round?  A dark book of mental illness more than the immigrant experience.   Samantha Bee, the defender, was even shocked that it made it through the first cut. 

Wab Kinew was the star of the show and did an great job of defending "The Orenda" by Joseph Boyden and showing his amazing intelligence.  As Stephen Lewis said, "Wab's defence of the book was better than the book itself".  And I was surprised to hear that Stephen was just as disturbed by the violence and torture as I was.  He called it "continuous torturous pornography".  But he voted for it at the end, because he hated "Cockroach".  Stephen voiced my thoughts and was very endearing and light-hearted.

And the winner was........

The Orenda

Wab Kinew and Joseph Boyden

Why I Love to Read, part 3

Why I Love to Read- Monday special

Reason Number Three:

Some of my friends tell me that they like to learn from books.  I never thought of reading as a learning tool, but when I think about it,       I have learned lots from books.
The one author that you can't help but learn from is James Michener, because he puts tons of research into his fiction books. I really have a love/hate relationship with Michener.  He makes history come alive but there is SO much detail.
I read Hawaii to John one summer.  It took 75 days to read the whole book. I wish I could remember all the details, because it was an exquisite book.

 Here is the introduction: "Millions upon millions of years ago..." Wow! He had a lot to cover!
 I enjoyed the section on the missionaries from Boston.  Eleven couples (all under the age of 28), most of them recently married to qualify for the trip, took six months to get to Hawaii by ship.  What a challenge that was!  It was interesting to follow these missionaries- some of whom were helpful to the Hawaiians, some of whom felt superior to 'the heathens'.
  Abner Hale was one of the arrogant ones.  He determined to deliver Urania's baby, refusing the help of experienced midwives, and Urania died.  But Abner and Urania's husband, Abraham,  congratulated themselves on their righteousness because they did not give in to using 'heathen'midwives. An interesting twist is that Abraham, the widower, ended up marrying a Hawaiian and was denounced by the mission.
   Another one of the missionaries, Dr. John Whipple, supported Abraham and he left the mission as well. John Whipple respected the Hawaiians and learned from them. I admired the work that he did.
   But Abner Hale continued in his arrogance into old age.  His wife died young and Abner wandered the island ranting.  Even his children didn't know what to do with him.
   Japanese and Chinese also moved onto the island and it took many years for the Hawaiians,  Americans, Japanese and Chinese to learn to work together on an equal footing.

Lots to learn here!

Fascinating description of the Aztec

Wonderful history of slavery

Powerful description of war

Fiction is a great way to learn about history!

Same book..different reaction

This is the story of Dale and Betty.  They attend book club together and usually enjoy the same books.
One day, because of their book club requirements, they both were reading the same book: "The Orenda".
Dale thought, "This book is interesting".

Betty thought, "This book is too violent".
Then they both had to switch to reading "Emma" by Jane Austen. 
Dale thought, "Boy, is this boring!"
Betty thought, "Ahh, how enjoyable".

The story of Dale and Betty.  How interesting!


                                               

In-Laws from Hell

 "The Orchard" by Theresa Weir
   I really enjoyed reading this memoir, written by Theresa Weir, who also writes under the pen name Anne Frasier.  Although Theresa had been writing for 20 years, her publisher would not publish her memoir and so, she put the manuscript away.  Eventually she found another publisher and it is a lovely story.  I especially like this cover.  It emphasizes the love story, but the orchard is so important.  You may not be able to see the swirl of design around the title and central picture. Perhaps it represents the chemicals, which are most important to the plot.  The chemicals represented the dream of a perfect orchard with the perfect apple.  But the cost...

The Orchard

  Adrian’s parents, particularly his mother Ruth, vehemently opposed the marriage, and constantly tried to sabotage it by trying to maintain control over Adrian and by disparaging Theresa. Adrian was always caught in the middle.  He had always known his responsibility to continue the family farm, but he loved Theresa and wanted to please her.  He could not do both.  The ending is very poignant.





"The Little House" by Philippa Gregory
  When I told my friend Christina that I was writing a blog on 'the in-laws from hell', she suggested that I read "The Little House" by Philippa Gregory.  So I did.
  As I'm reading along, I'm thinking, "What is Christina thinking? These in-laws are so helpful and wonderful". After finishing the book, I'm still not sure if the in-laws were evil or not. Were Ruth's in-laws just trying to do the best thing for Ruth and her husband?  Or was there a sinister aspect?  

The Little House

  Well, I have just read that this book is considered a psychological thriller.  I didn't know that while I was reading and I am not familiar with this style of writing.  I just took it at face value.
  But the in-laws were controlling in a very covert manner.  I was more upset with the husband who lived and breathed the opinions of his parents.  In questioning the sanity of Ruth, after she had a baby, they pushed her to the limit.  There is a feeling of suspense all through the novel and it has a most surprising, even shocking, ending.  
  I was aware that the author was using adjectives to set your nerves on edge.  And there was an unreal aspect to the story.
  So I guess this is a psychological thriller- the first that I have read.  And the lovely, helpful, thoughtful, considerate in-laws were pushing Ruth over the edge.  But were they evil? 

Well, here is a factual memoir and a psychological thriller about in-laws.

Why I Love To Read, part 2

Why I Love to Read- Monday special

Reason Number Two:

   I love to read because I love to explore and sometimes an author allows you to explore without leaving home.
   A journey book has always fascinated me and I just finished reading "Wild", where I had the chance to travel along with Cheryl Strayed as she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mojave, California to the Bridge of the Gods in Oregon.
   Her writing is extremely eloquent as she describes not only the physical journey, but also the emotional journey.  She was 22, her mother had died and her marriage had dissolved. She was very confused and conflicted.
"Alone had always felt like an actual place to me, as if it weren't a state of being, but rather a room where I could retreat to be who I really was.  Alone wasn't a room anymore, but the whole wide world, and now I was alone in that world, occupying it in a way I never had before."
   So beautifully written!  Even Oprah thinks so.  She chose this book for her first reading club 2.0 selection.


                                 

                                          Another author that I like to travel with is Bill Bryson.
I enjoyed "A Walk in the Woods" which is about hiking the Appalachian Trail.
   It is less an emotional journey but very humorous.

   "In a Sunburned Country" was even more enjoyable for me because I have been to Australia.
    He had interesting facts about many of the places that I have visited and I greatly enjoyed travelling along with Bill throughout Australia.


     I love to read because I love to explore.

Why I Love to Read, part 1

Why I Love to Read- Monday special
Reason Number One:
I love meeting interesting characters!  They delight me while reading, they keep me company, they stay with me over time, they remind me of the joy of the novel they populate, they never change, they never disappoint, they never move away or die!
Here are some of my favourites:

Bathsheba Everdene

Gabriel Oak

Bathsheba Everdene- saucy, flighty, proud beauty.  Don't want her for my friend- just want to read about her antics.
― Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd

Gabriel Oak -steady, reliable, ooh-la-la!

“And at home by the fire, whenever you look up there I shall be— and whenever I look up, there will be you.
-Gabriel Oak” 

Moll flanders

                                 Moll Flanders

"The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums." (Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe)

What could be more entertaining? 

                      Hagar Shipley
"Cantankerous, cranky and often befuddled at 90, Hagar isn't ready to give up her independence and go into an old-age home. But she is trapped in a body that is betraying her bit by bit and a mind that overwhelms her with passionate, painful memories."
Her feisty resilience makes her one of the most remarkable and appealing characters in Canadian literature.

"Stone Angel" by Margaret Lawrence
Don't want to be related to her, or even meet her, just like to read about her.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now 3 women that I would like for friends.  Fascinating stories of struggles and resilience.

                                                                         


In 'The Poinsonwood Bible", Orleanna Price attempted to support her husband as well as teach and protect her children.  She wasn't able to do both and lived with regret.
Heart-breaking and poignant.  I would love to chat with Orleanna.

Morgan Hazzard (in "The Wife Tree") was 75 when her husband died and she was left to find her way in a world that had been controlled by her husband.  With limited vision, she forged ahead to begin a new life.  Love her!

Sal Thornhill (in "The Secret River") went to Australia with her convict husband.  She also tried to support her husband as well as raise children in an unsettled country.  When her husband got caught up in a combative relationship with the Aboriginies, she stood firm.  I loved her kind, loving, but determined manner.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The father that I wish everyone had:
Atticus Finch ("To Kill a Mockinbird").










I started with a male character and will finish with one. Atticus Finch- the epitome of manhood!  A kind and loving father and a strong advocate for the rights of all.  I realize that these pictures show Gregory Peck but he stands for the lawyer who stood up for a black man because he thought it was the morally right thing to do.  He showed tremendous courage.
He is my literary hero!  I wish there were more like him!

These are a few of the characters that entertain and delight me.

  They sit on my bookshelf waiting for me to visit them whenever I desire.

Why I Love to Read- the beginning

My daughter challenged me to write a blog on this topic.
I will begin with a quote:

"Language is fundamental to being human. 

 Language is stored in usable and reusable models called stories, poems and essays."

This quote came from a book called "Read For Your Life" by Joseph Gold.

And so, I have taken on the project of trying to describe why I read.  And I do read a lot, so perhaps I should be able to verbalize why I read.
But first let's hear it from the professional:

"The act of reading, and especially of reading narrative fiction, does two things for the reader which are crucial to personal development. The first is the activation of the pre-frontal cortex of the brain and the temporal lobes where some of the major language control centers are located. These sites are connected to many others to form a web activity that creates thought. The second important function of reading literature is to assist in building personal identity in narrative form."

  Once again, these are Professor Gold's words.  I don't really think about developing my pre-frontal cortex, or building a personal identity.  But I do have other reasons and I will post a blog each Monday, giving the reasons why I love to read.  Let me know if I miss a good reason.

My retirement quilt made by my daughter

Another man Who Loves Jane Austen

Yesterday we celebrated Alan's birthday.  When I looked at the celebration pictures, I thought of my last blog -"The Man who Loved Jane Austen" and I realized that I needed to add Alan to my blog.
Alan is another man who loves Jane Austen.  And during dinner, he initiated a conversation about the reasons that Jane Austen is still so popular.  What a great way to spend time with friends! Discussing literature - Jane Austen in particular.

Alan's 88th birthday

Alan's favourite Jane Austen book is "Mansfield Park".

I'm sure there are lots of 'men who love Jane Austen'.

The birthday bash

What's John reading?

"The Man who Loved Jane Austen" by Sally Smith O'Rourke

A story of time travel, mystery and love.