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GYOZA'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2017
JANUARY
1.
by
Honoré de Balzac
Finish date: January 2, 2017
Genre: French literature, Novels, 19th century literature
Rating: A
Review: This is a tragic story about a young lady living in a French town in the Loire region with her miserly father, patient long suffering mother and faithful servant. Being of a rich family, she is courted by the sons of other well to do families in her town, when one day her handsome young cousin from Paris comes to live with them for a while. Which suitor succeeds in winning her heart, and will he win her hand as well?
Balzac clearly meant the story to criticize the too avid pursuit of wealth, to the point where more precious things are sacrificed for its sake and where even the enjoyment of the wealth (presumably the main reason one wants it) is forgotten in the desire to possess it.
1.
by
Honoré de BalzacFinish date: January 2, 2017
Genre: French literature, Novels, 19th century literature
Rating: A
Review: This is a tragic story about a young lady living in a French town in the Loire region with her miserly father, patient long suffering mother and faithful servant. Being of a rich family, she is courted by the sons of other well to do families in her town, when one day her handsome young cousin from Paris comes to live with them for a while. Which suitor succeeds in winning her heart, and will he win her hand as well?
Balzac clearly meant the story to criticize the too avid pursuit of wealth, to the point where more precious things are sacrificed for its sake and where even the enjoyment of the wealth (presumably the main reason one wants it) is forgotten in the desire to possess it.
2.
by
Anton Chekhov
Finish date: January 2, 2017
Genre: Russian literature, Short Stories, 19th century literature
Rating: A
Review: This is the first Chekhov story I've ever read. He has a spare style--not too much description, dialogue or psychological analysis. The details he does give about the characters and their interactions are suggestive enough so that you can get a really vivid sense of the personalities and what they're thinking out of what he does tell you. This story had an unresolved ending, so it came across as a "slice of life" type sketch rather than a complete story where you know exactly what happened to everyone.
by
Anton ChekhovFinish date: January 2, 2017
Genre: Russian literature, Short Stories, 19th century literature
Rating: A
Review: This is the first Chekhov story I've ever read. He has a spare style--not too much description, dialogue or psychological analysis. The details he does give about the characters and their interactions are suggestive enough so that you can get a really vivid sense of the personalities and what they're thinking out of what he does tell you. This story had an unresolved ending, so it came across as a "slice of life" type sketch rather than a complete story where you know exactly what happened to everyone.
3.
by
Jason Fung and (no image) Jimmy Moore
Finish date: January 16, 2017
Genre: Diet, Health
Rating: A
Review: Excellent book that clearly explains the science behind why fasting works more efficiently and with fewer negative effects than calorie reduction and why it's particularly good for type 2 diabetic s and insulin resistant people. The book also gives practical guidelines on how to implement a fasting regimen in your life and what to expect while you're on it. I bought this because I want 2017 to be the year when I finally lose the weight and improve my health.
by
Jason Fung and (no image) Jimmy MooreFinish date: January 16, 2017
Genre: Diet, Health
Rating: A
Review: Excellent book that clearly explains the science behind why fasting works more efficiently and with fewer negative effects than calorie reduction and why it's particularly good for type 2 diabetic s and insulin resistant people. The book also gives practical guidelines on how to implement a fasting regimen in your life and what to expect while you're on it. I bought this because I want 2017 to be the year when I finally lose the weight and improve my health.
Mod
4.
by
Christopher Henry Dawson
Finish date: January 10, 2017
Genre: European History, Historical Analysis, War, Politics, Religion, Culture
Rating: A+
Review: This book is my introduction to British historian Christopher Dawson, and I think it's brilliant. Definitely going to be reading more of his work. He finished this in 1942, so he was working on it when WW2 broke out and in those tense and depressing years leading up to it. His purpose in writing it was to offer some reasons why the countries of the West, whose culture and values were formed by Christianity and the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome ended up fighting two horribly self-destructive world wars.
He discusses the tensions that began to develop between nations as their styles of government diverged (constitutional vs. autocratic monarchies, nation-states vs. multilingual multiethnic empires, fundamentally civilian vs. military states), and as Christianity splintered into multiple denominations. Differences in belief do cause differences in worldview, which have practical ramifications. He also expounds on the Enlightenment, the scientific materialist world view that came with it, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, and of the Socialist movements of all stripes that aspired to bring the rapidly growing economies under state control.
by
Christopher Henry DawsonFinish date: January 10, 2017
Genre: European History, Historical Analysis, War, Politics, Religion, Culture
Rating: A+
Review: This book is my introduction to British historian Christopher Dawson, and I think it's brilliant. Definitely going to be reading more of his work. He finished this in 1942, so he was working on it when WW2 broke out and in those tense and depressing years leading up to it. His purpose in writing it was to offer some reasons why the countries of the West, whose culture and values were formed by Christianity and the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome ended up fighting two horribly self-destructive world wars.
He discusses the tensions that began to develop between nations as their styles of government diverged (constitutional vs. autocratic monarchies, nation-states vs. multilingual multiethnic empires, fundamentally civilian vs. military states), and as Christianity splintered into multiple denominations. Differences in belief do cause differences in worldview, which have practical ramifications. He also expounds on the Enlightenment, the scientific materialist world view that came with it, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, and of the Socialist movements of all stripes that aspired to bring the rapidly growing economies under state control.
Gyoza wrote: "4. by Christopher Henry DawsonFinish date: January 10, 2017
Genre: European History, ..."
Another book for my TBR list
5.
by
Sigrid Undset
Finish date: January 26, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
Rating: B
Review: This is Sigrid Undset's first novel, published when she was 24. The novel is written as a series of entries in a diary, which outline the thoughts and feelings of Marta Oulie, a woman in her thirties, the wife of Otto, a successful businessman and mother of four children, who allows herself to fall into an affair with Henrik, who is her cousin, her husband's best friend and business partner.
For such a young writer with no similar life experiences, Undset does a very convincing job outlining Marta's thoughts and feelings--her reminiscence of how she and her husband met, the happy early days of their marriage, her dissatisfaction with her role as wife and mother, the creeping (though undeserved) condescension in her attitude towards her husband, and her attraction towards the more sophisticated and educated Henrik. After she has her fourth child, (Henrik's), she comes to her senses and realizes how spoiled and selfish she has been, but her newfound appreciation for her family, husband, and comfortable middle class life comes too late. Otto's TB has been discovered to be terminal, and, like it or not, she's about to lose it all.
This early short novel is not as impressive as the historical series she is most famous for, like Kristin Lavransdatter, but it's very realistic and believable. Undset has already started to explore themes that appear in her later work: family relationships, sin, repentance, and redemption.
by
Sigrid Undset
by
Sigrid UndsetFinish date: January 26, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
Rating: B
Review: This is Sigrid Undset's first novel, published when she was 24. The novel is written as a series of entries in a diary, which outline the thoughts and feelings of Marta Oulie, a woman in her thirties, the wife of Otto, a successful businessman and mother of four children, who allows herself to fall into an affair with Henrik, who is her cousin, her husband's best friend and business partner.
For such a young writer with no similar life experiences, Undset does a very convincing job outlining Marta's thoughts and feelings--her reminiscence of how she and her husband met, the happy early days of their marriage, her dissatisfaction with her role as wife and mother, the creeping (though undeserved) condescension in her attitude towards her husband, and her attraction towards the more sophisticated and educated Henrik. After she has her fourth child, (Henrik's), she comes to her senses and realizes how spoiled and selfish she has been, but her newfound appreciation for her family, husband, and comfortable middle class life comes too late. Otto's TB has been discovered to be terminal, and, like it or not, she's about to lose it all.
This early short novel is not as impressive as the historical series she is most famous for, like Kristin Lavransdatter, but it's very realistic and believable. Undset has already started to explore themes that appear in her later work: family relationships, sin, repentance, and redemption.
by
Sigrid Undset
6.
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Finish date: January 31, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, History, Russian History
Rating: A
Review: This book consists of a long essay Solzhenitsyn wrote in 1980 for Foreign Affairs magazine, some reaction letters from readers (mostly university professors) and Solzhenitsyn's rebuttal to the letters. I liked the format because it shows both sides of the issue and you get the back-and-forth of a debate.
The essay addresses an important question, especially for those who think real Communism hasn't been tried yet because it's always been adulterated by the local history and traditions of the countries where it was implemented. Did the mass murders, oppressive policies, and other negative features of the Soviet government have their roots in some evil tendency from Russia's tsarist past which re-emerged under Stalin, or does the evil reside in Communism itself? Solzhenitsyn argues the latter position, pointing out the intellectual roots of Bolshevism and misconceptions about both 19th century Russia, often presented as worse than it really was, and Lenin's government, often presented as the antithesis to Stalin, when Stalin was just continuing the same policies.
The letter-writers cite, among other things, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and some of the features of Nicholas II's reign as providing precedent for oppression, and Solzhenitsyn shows why their arguments are implausible or based on a mistaken interpretation of historical facts.
Very interesting reading for those interested in the Cold War and for those who are puzzled about how an economic system with an awful track record every place it's been tried still attracts supporters.
by
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFinish date: January 31, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, History, Russian History
Rating: A
Review: This book consists of a long essay Solzhenitsyn wrote in 1980 for Foreign Affairs magazine, some reaction letters from readers (mostly university professors) and Solzhenitsyn's rebuttal to the letters. I liked the format because it shows both sides of the issue and you get the back-and-forth of a debate.
The essay addresses an important question, especially for those who think real Communism hasn't been tried yet because it's always been adulterated by the local history and traditions of the countries where it was implemented. Did the mass murders, oppressive policies, and other negative features of the Soviet government have their roots in some evil tendency from Russia's tsarist past which re-emerged under Stalin, or does the evil reside in Communism itself? Solzhenitsyn argues the latter position, pointing out the intellectual roots of Bolshevism and misconceptions about both 19th century Russia, often presented as worse than it really was, and Lenin's government, often presented as the antithesis to Stalin, when Stalin was just continuing the same policies.
The letter-writers cite, among other things, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and some of the features of Nicholas II's reign as providing precedent for oppression, and Solzhenitsyn shows why their arguments are implausible or based on a mistaken interpretation of historical facts.
Very interesting reading for those interested in the Cold War and for those who are puzzled about how an economic system with an awful track record every place it's been tried still attracts supporters.
FEBRUARY
7.
by
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Finish date: February 1, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: A
Review: This poem is impressive in how the wording and the meter are so evocative that the scenes described by the Mariner seem real. It's the story of gratuitous evil: the Mariner kills, for no good reason, a beautiful Albatross who seems to be a benevolent presence around his ship. The horrific events that follow are like a supernatural retribution for his idle deed.
The poem is even better listened to than read. Check out Richard Burton's rendition available on YouTube. It's great!
7.
by
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeFinish date: February 1, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: A
Review: This poem is impressive in how the wording and the meter are so evocative that the scenes described by the Mariner seem real. It's the story of gratuitous evil: the Mariner kills, for no good reason, a beautiful Albatross who seems to be a benevolent presence around his ship. The horrific events that follow are like a supernatural retribution for his idle deed.
The poem is even better listened to than read. Check out Richard Burton's rendition available on YouTube. It's great!
8.
by
Plato
Finish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Philosophy, Classics
Rating: A
Review: Any freedom loving person will hate this book if he reads it as a straightforward exposition of how to achieve the ideal state, because the ideal state Socrates describes in the book (the "Republic" of the title) is a terribly tyrannical place. But it doesn't seem to me that Plato intended it to be read that way. It is more like a thought exercise, where Socrates poses questions, and depending on the answers of the person he is speaking with, takes ideas further, step by step. Some of his dialogue partners have real input; others seem more like yes-men--sometimes reluctant yes-men--and Socrates's exchanges with them read like cautionary tales showing the crazy places where lazy thinking or gullibility can take you. And of course, nowhere is lazy thinking more dangerous than in politics, where a lot of harm can result. There is a part where Socrates describes the three different kinds of acceptable government, the three evil kinds (which are the three acceptable ones taken to extremes), and the three different personalities that tend to be produced by each type of government. Also this is the book where Plato describes his famous "Cave" analogy.
All in all, a very rich book--one that deserves to be read multiple times, because you won't get everything it has to offer in one reading. It's definitely a book that is best read at leisure, because there are a lot times when you will have to stop and think about whether you agree with what you just read or how you would have answered Socrates differently from his dialogue partner.
by
PlatoFinish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Philosophy, Classics
Rating: A
Review: Any freedom loving person will hate this book if he reads it as a straightforward exposition of how to achieve the ideal state, because the ideal state Socrates describes in the book (the "Republic" of the title) is a terribly tyrannical place. But it doesn't seem to me that Plato intended it to be read that way. It is more like a thought exercise, where Socrates poses questions, and depending on the answers of the person he is speaking with, takes ideas further, step by step. Some of his dialogue partners have real input; others seem more like yes-men--sometimes reluctant yes-men--and Socrates's exchanges with them read like cautionary tales showing the crazy places where lazy thinking or gullibility can take you. And of course, nowhere is lazy thinking more dangerous than in politics, where a lot of harm can result. There is a part where Socrates describes the three different kinds of acceptable government, the three evil kinds (which are the three acceptable ones taken to extremes), and the three different personalities that tend to be produced by each type of government. Also this is the book where Plato describes his famous "Cave" analogy.
All in all, a very rich book--one that deserves to be read multiple times, because you won't get everything it has to offer in one reading. It's definitely a book that is best read at leisure, because there are a lot times when you will have to stop and think about whether you agree with what you just read or how you would have answered Socrates differently from his dialogue partner.
9.
by
Leo Tolstoy
Finish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Short Novels, Russian Literature
Rating: A
Review: This is a short story or novella about a man's last days. It realistically portrays how easy it is to get completely preoccupied in the details of day to day life as if they were all-important...and the shock when something reminds you that one day it will end. Ivan Illich is a moderately well-to-do, very ordinary middle aged lawyer employed somewhere in the government bureaucracy. He has a wife, a grown up daughter, and young son, and until he contracts a serious illness, he was concerned with such things as upward mobility, promotions, office politics, his daughter's engagement, and the details of renovating and moving into a bigger, better apartment. Despite reassurances from the doctors, none of whose treatments help, Illich goes into a slow physical decline and experiences the isolation of the end of life, which he is not in the least prepared for, whose approach he can do nothing about, and which none of his worldly family and friends can understand.
by
Leo TolstoyFinish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Short Novels, Russian Literature
Rating: A
Review: This is a short story or novella about a man's last days. It realistically portrays how easy it is to get completely preoccupied in the details of day to day life as if they were all-important...and the shock when something reminds you that one day it will end. Ivan Illich is a moderately well-to-do, very ordinary middle aged lawyer employed somewhere in the government bureaucracy. He has a wife, a grown up daughter, and young son, and until he contracts a serious illness, he was concerned with such things as upward mobility, promotions, office politics, his daughter's engagement, and the details of renovating and moving into a bigger, better apartment. Despite reassurances from the doctors, none of whose treatments help, Illich goes into a slow physical decline and experiences the isolation of the end of life, which he is not in the least prepared for, whose approach he can do nothing about, and which none of his worldly family and friends can understand.
message 13:
by
Vicki, Assisting Moderator - Ancient Roman History
(last edited May 02, 2017 02:11PM)
(new)
Mod
by PlatoFinish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: A
Review: Any freedom loving person will ha..."
You might be interested in a fiction series about Athene setting up the Just City far in the past on the island of Thera. It's sort of fantasy/sci-fi but really fun.
by
Jo Walton
That does sound interesting--thanks, Vicki!
Vicki wrote: "Gyoza wrote: "8. by Plato
Finish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: A
Review: Any freedom loving ..."
Vicki wrote: "Gyoza wrote: "8.
by PlatoFinish date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: A
Review: Any freedom loving ..."
MARCH
10.
by
Richard Wurmbrand
Finish date: March 5, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, Marxism, Religion, History
Rating: A-
Review: Since this is the centenary year of the Russian Revolution, I've decided to make a point of reading those books in my TBR list that are relevant to history of that era and about the individuals that contributed to it, such as Karl Marx, whose ideas were fundamental to the Bolshevik movement.
This is a very convincing book, written by a Romanian victim of Marxism, that brings forward the hypothesis that Karl Marx and some of his most infamous followers may have been strongly influenced by Satanism.
Wurmbrand cites excerpts from Marx's books, poetry, and correspondence that point in that direction, such that further research into the possibility is warranted. I also did not realize that a very large portion of Marx's writings have been sitting in Russian vaults and kept from being disseminated, translated, and discussed. Very surprising for a thinker whose work has made such a huge, albeit negative, impact upon the world.
10.
by
Richard WurmbrandFinish date: March 5, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, Marxism, Religion, History
Rating: A-
Review: Since this is the centenary year of the Russian Revolution, I've decided to make a point of reading those books in my TBR list that are relevant to history of that era and about the individuals that contributed to it, such as Karl Marx, whose ideas were fundamental to the Bolshevik movement.
This is a very convincing book, written by a Romanian victim of Marxism, that brings forward the hypothesis that Karl Marx and some of his most infamous followers may have been strongly influenced by Satanism.
Wurmbrand cites excerpts from Marx's books, poetry, and correspondence that point in that direction, such that further research into the possibility is warranted. I also did not realize that a very large portion of Marx's writings have been sitting in Russian vaults and kept from being disseminated, translated, and discussed. Very surprising for a thinker whose work has made such a huge, albeit negative, impact upon the world.
11.
by
Sigrid Undset
Finish date: March 18, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
Rating: A
Review: I'm liking this series as much as Kristin Lavransdatter. Like Kristin, it is the life story of a person in medieval Norway, a man this time, named Olav Audunsson. The book is separated into two parts, the first primarily concerning Olav and his experiences; the second primarily about his fiancee Ingunn. Olav's parents having died early in his childhood, he becomes the foster son of Ingunn's parents and the children grow up with the knowledge that they are betrothed to each other. Their betrothal was not carried out with all the formalities as it ought to have been, leading to problems for the couple and their families. It's set in an earlier time than Kristin, so Norway has become a Christian country, but in the people have still not fully transitioned from their old ways.
by
Sigrid Undset
by
Sigrid UndsetFinish date: March 18, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
Rating: A
Review: I'm liking this series as much as Kristin Lavransdatter. Like Kristin, it is the life story of a person in medieval Norway, a man this time, named Olav Audunsson. The book is separated into two parts, the first primarily concerning Olav and his experiences; the second primarily about his fiancee Ingunn. Olav's parents having died early in his childhood, he becomes the foster son of Ingunn's parents and the children grow up with the knowledge that they are betrothed to each other. Their betrothal was not carried out with all the formalities as it ought to have been, leading to problems for the couple and their families. It's set in an earlier time than Kristin, so Norway has become a Christian country, but in the people have still not fully transitioned from their old ways.
by
Sigrid Undset
APRIL
12.
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Finish date: April 7, 2017
Genre: Russian Revolution, Politics, Russian History
Rating: A
Review: In this book, Solzhenitsyn analyzes the toxic mix of conditions that brought about the events and consequences of three fateful days in St. Petersburg, from February 28-March 2, 1917 by the Julian calendar, or March 13-15, 2017 by the Gregorian. Because of an insurrection in St. Petersburg, Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Grand Duke Michael, who was equally disinclined to fulfill the obligations emperor. Solzhenitsyn discusses how conditions, which only affected a small number of people, combined to destroy an enormous country, the majority of whose population were still attached to their traditions, their religion, and their way of life. These include a lack of responsibility and sense of duty on the part of the royal family and government officials, the intelligentsia’s embrace of radical politics and revolutionary ideas, bad management of the military (which led to large numbers of inexperienced new recruits sitting idle in St. Petersburg), and the incompetence of the Kerensky government that replaced the monarchy. Thus the Russian empire fell, not because of tyranny or high-handedness on the part of the Czar, but from weakness and lack of leadership.
12.
by
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFinish date: April 7, 2017
Genre: Russian Revolution, Politics, Russian History
Rating: A
Review: In this book, Solzhenitsyn analyzes the toxic mix of conditions that brought about the events and consequences of three fateful days in St. Petersburg, from February 28-March 2, 1917 by the Julian calendar, or March 13-15, 2017 by the Gregorian. Because of an insurrection in St. Petersburg, Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Grand Duke Michael, who was equally disinclined to fulfill the obligations emperor. Solzhenitsyn discusses how conditions, which only affected a small number of people, combined to destroy an enormous country, the majority of whose population were still attached to their traditions, their religion, and their way of life. These include a lack of responsibility and sense of duty on the part of the royal family and government officials, the intelligentsia’s embrace of radical politics and revolutionary ideas, bad management of the military (which led to large numbers of inexperienced new recruits sitting idle in St. Petersburg), and the incompetence of the Kerensky government that replaced the monarchy. Thus the Russian empire fell, not because of tyranny or high-handedness on the part of the Czar, but from weakness and lack of leadership.
13.
by
L.M. Montgomery
Finish date: April 10, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels
Rating: B
Review: This is a sweet little story that reminded me of the Bette Davis movie Now, Voyager. It's about a timid, quiet woman who is endlessly twitted about her plain looks and unmarried state by her insensitive relatives, all of whom take her for granted and generally see her as a nonentity. When a doctor diagnoses her with a serious illness and tells her she only has a year to live, she decides to go out and make the most of the time she has left, learning to be independent from her family, mastering her fears, and finding love.
If you are looking for great literature with deep characters and psychological insight, this is not for you. It's a fun quick read with a heartwarming message
by
L.M. MontgomeryFinish date: April 10, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels
Rating: B
Review: This is a sweet little story that reminded me of the Bette Davis movie Now, Voyager. It's about a timid, quiet woman who is endlessly twitted about her plain looks and unmarried state by her insensitive relatives, all of whom take her for granted and generally see her as a nonentity. When a doctor diagnoses her with a serious illness and tells her she only has a year to live, she decides to go out and make the most of the time she has left, learning to be independent from her family, mastering her fears, and finding love.
If you are looking for great literature with deep characters and psychological insight, this is not for you. It's a fun quick read with a heartwarming message
14.
by
L.M. Montgomery
Finish date: April 20, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels
Rating: B
Review: I enjoyed this novel, which consists of the various stories about the members of a large extended clan, all of whom are anxious to see who will inherit a prized family heirloom jug from the matriarch of the family. As with her Anne of Green Gables series, L. M. Montgomery shows her knack for storytelling, finding humor in everyday situations, some common, others not so common, and the joys and sorrows of life in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Good entertaining read.
by
L.M. Montgomery
by
L.M. MontgomeryFinish date: April 20, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels
Rating: B
Review: I enjoyed this novel, which consists of the various stories about the members of a large extended clan, all of whom are anxious to see who will inherit a prized family heirloom jug from the matriarch of the family. As with her Anne of Green Gables series, L. M. Montgomery shows her knack for storytelling, finding humor in everyday situations, some common, others not so common, and the joys and sorrows of life in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Good entertaining read.
by
L.M. Montgomery
15.
by
Sergei Bulgakov
Finish date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, Marxism, Communism
Rating: A
Review: In this short book, Russian Orthodox priest and philosopher Sergei Bulgakov analyzes the personality and background of Karl Marx based on his writings and the writings of Marx's contemporaries, and Marx's impact on the socialist movement. Sergei Bulgakov was a contemporary of Lenin rather than Marx; he was himself a Marxist in his youth and later returned to and was ordained in his faith.
Bulgakov points out how important atheism, the materialist worldview, and the elimination of religion were to Marx (i.e. it was the main feature, not a side show). Marx saw socialism as a means to eliminate religion, rather than elimination of religion being a side effect of socialism eliminating poverty. Among other topics, Bulgakov also cites evidence of Marx's dictatorial and vindictive personality as observed by writings of his contemporaries and his treatment of them, his greater affinity for the ideas of Feuerbach rather than Hegel, and his (negative) attitude towards his own ancestral people, the Jews.
by
Sergei Bulgakov Finish date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Politics, Marxism, Communism
Rating: A
Review: In this short book, Russian Orthodox priest and philosopher Sergei Bulgakov analyzes the personality and background of Karl Marx based on his writings and the writings of Marx's contemporaries, and Marx's impact on the socialist movement. Sergei Bulgakov was a contemporary of Lenin rather than Marx; he was himself a Marxist in his youth and later returned to and was ordained in his faith.
Bulgakov points out how important atheism, the materialist worldview, and the elimination of religion were to Marx (i.e. it was the main feature, not a side show). Marx saw socialism as a means to eliminate religion, rather than elimination of religion being a side effect of socialism eliminating poverty. Among other topics, Bulgakov also cites evidence of Marx's dictatorial and vindictive personality as observed by writings of his contemporaries and his treatment of them, his greater affinity for the ideas of Feuerbach rather than Hegel, and his (negative) attitude towards his own ancestral people, the Jews.
Mod
All fixed; sorry about that.
Bentley wrote: "Gyoza - you have made good progress but you have been making an error with the format.
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
There is no blank link under the citation.
All of the ones you d..."
Bentley wrote: "Gyoza - you have made good progress but you have been making an error with the format.
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
There is no blank link under the citation.
All of the ones you d..."
Mod
16.
by
Sándor Márai
Finish date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Hungarian Literature, Novels
Rating: A
Review: Love triangles have got to be among the oldest storylines out there, but this one is very beautifully told. An elderly aristocratic General living in a remote Hungarian forest receives a visit from a long lost friend, and they reminisce about their childhood, their days at military school and military service... and about the General's long dead wife. The setting and time of the story (interwar Europe) give it a dramatic, almost otherworldly atmosphere, and the story is told obliquely. Situations and emotions are revealed through small details, observations, and remarks in conversation rather than straightforward narrative, which makes it very realistic.
by
Sándor MáraiFinish date: April 25, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Hungarian Literature, Novels
Rating: A
Review: Love triangles have got to be among the oldest storylines out there, but this one is very beautifully told. An elderly aristocratic General living in a remote Hungarian forest receives a visit from a long lost friend, and they reminisce about their childhood, their days at military school and military service... and about the General's long dead wife. The setting and time of the story (interwar Europe) give it a dramatic, almost otherworldly atmosphere, and the story is told obliquely. Situations and emotions are revealed through small details, observations, and remarks in conversation rather than straightforward narrative, which makes it very realistic.
Mod
17.
by (no image) Taylor Marshall
Finish date: April 26, 2017
Genre: Philosophy, Religion, Biography
Rating: A
Review: If you are looking for a clear, concise introduction to the life and work of St. Thomas Aquinas, and you have little to no background in philosophy or theology, this book does the job well. Dr. Marshall sketches out St. Thomas's life story, and explains the fundamental ideas of Thomist philosophy and the intellectual climate of St. Thomas's time in a simple, straightforward way.
by (no image) Taylor MarshallFinish date: April 26, 2017
Genre: Philosophy, Religion, Biography
Rating: A
Review: If you are looking for a clear, concise introduction to the life and work of St. Thomas Aquinas, and you have little to no background in philosophy or theology, this book does the job well. Dr. Marshall sketches out St. Thomas's life story, and explains the fundamental ideas of Thomist philosophy and the intellectual climate of St. Thomas's time in a simple, straightforward way.
MAY
18.
by
Stefan Zweig
Finish date: May 8, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Short Novels, Austrian Literature
Rating: A
Review: This is now one of my favorite of Stefan Zweig's stories. It's set on a transatlantic ocean liner. A couple of passengers, the narrator and a competitive Scottish businessman (who is also a chess aficionado), while away the time with a game of chess. After the narrator loses, he good naturedly tells the businessman that Czentovic, the top chess grand master is on board ship. Unable to resist a good game, the businessman organizes a match between Czentovic and all the other passengers. A mysterious stranger shows up who seems to be a chess genius, giving the passengers' side a realistic chance of winning. We learn Czentovic's life story, as well as that of the mysterious stranger, who are just about as opposite to one another as it is possible to be, and the chess game becomes something of a duel between the two men and all each stands for.
This was one of Zweig's last stories, and it was published posthumously, after he and his wife committed suicide in Brazil. One can't help but regret how deep his despair must have been, and how much additional good work he might have done if he hadn't succumbed to it.
18.
by
Stefan ZweigFinish date: May 8, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Short Novels, Austrian Literature
Rating: A
Review: This is now one of my favorite of Stefan Zweig's stories. It's set on a transatlantic ocean liner. A couple of passengers, the narrator and a competitive Scottish businessman (who is also a chess aficionado), while away the time with a game of chess. After the narrator loses, he good naturedly tells the businessman that Czentovic, the top chess grand master is on board ship. Unable to resist a good game, the businessman organizes a match between Czentovic and all the other passengers. A mysterious stranger shows up who seems to be a chess genius, giving the passengers' side a realistic chance of winning. We learn Czentovic's life story, as well as that of the mysterious stranger, who are just about as opposite to one another as it is possible to be, and the chess game becomes something of a duel between the two men and all each stands for.
This was one of Zweig's last stories, and it was published posthumously, after he and his wife committed suicide in Brazil. One can't help but regret how deep his despair must have been, and how much additional good work he might have done if he hadn't succumbed to it.
19.
by
Gertrude Himmelfarb
Finish date: May 17, 2017
Genre: History, Philosophy, Politics
Rating: A
Review: This book does a great job comparing and contrasting the differences of the Enlightenment as experienced in Britain, the U.S., and France. It's like an introductory, comparative survey course of the various Enlightenment thinkers in the three countries, so do not expect in-depth or detailed analysis on any particular person. This book is more to give you a general picture of the intellectual climate of those times. The treatment of the American Enlightenment is the briefest of the three, which was fine with me because I am more familiar with the American founding fathers and the thinkers that influenced them than I am with French or British Enlightenment figures.
Caution: Your to-read list will grow as a result of reading this book.
by
Gertrude HimmelfarbFinish date: May 17, 2017
Genre: History, Philosophy, Politics
Rating: A
Review: This book does a great job comparing and contrasting the differences of the Enlightenment as experienced in Britain, the U.S., and France. It's like an introductory, comparative survey course of the various Enlightenment thinkers in the three countries, so do not expect in-depth or detailed analysis on any particular person. This book is more to give you a general picture of the intellectual climate of those times. The treatment of the American Enlightenment is the briefest of the three, which was fine with me because I am more familiar with the American founding fathers and the thinkers that influenced them than I am with French or British Enlightenment figures.
Caution: Your to-read list will grow as a result of reading this book.
20.
by
Sándor Márai
Finish date: May 21, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels, Hungarian Literature
Rating: B
Review: This was an interesting story, albeit not as good as Embers, as far as characters and storyline go. Like Embers, it is a story told through the memories of people who lived through the events long ago. In this case, the protagonist is Esther, a woman in her forties, who was betrayed twenty years ago by Lajos, the man she loved, and her sister Vilma. Lajos is basically a charlatan who is used to getting his way by telling people what they want to hear and talking them out of their money and property while pretending to care nothing about material things at all. And after twenty years, two children, Vilma’s death, and having to skip town because he talked his father in law into losing most of his assets in fraudulent investments, Lajos is coming back—to take from Esther what little property she has left (the family house and land), which is all she has to live on.
by
Sándor Márai
by
Sándor MáraiFinish date: May 21, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels, Hungarian Literature
Rating: B
Review: This was an interesting story, albeit not as good as Embers, as far as characters and storyline go. Like Embers, it is a story told through the memories of people who lived through the events long ago. In this case, the protagonist is Esther, a woman in her forties, who was betrayed twenty years ago by Lajos, the man she loved, and her sister Vilma. Lajos is basically a charlatan who is used to getting his way by telling people what they want to hear and talking them out of their money and property while pretending to care nothing about material things at all. And after twenty years, two children, Vilma’s death, and having to skip town because he talked his father in law into losing most of his assets in fraudulent investments, Lajos is coming back—to take from Esther what little property she has left (the family house and land), which is all she has to live on.
by
Sándor Márai
21.
by
Émile Zola
Finish date: May 29, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels, French Literature
Rating: C
Review: This book reminds me of why I decided to avoid Zola years ago, after reading Germinal. Basically, his characters are born…and their lives go downhill from there. There are some similarities to Thomas Hardy, but at least Hardy’s characters have a more hopeful outlook in the early part of the story and strong redeeming qualities even if fate does get them in the end.
**spoiler alert!**
Therese Raquin is the story of a sordid love triangle in a depressing working class neighborhood. Therese was adopted permanently by her aunt after her parents died, and she married her cousin Camille, a sickly boy with whom she was raised, and whom she married only because she was expected to and for lack of other prospects. After they move to Paris, Therese starts an affair with Camille’s best friend Laurent (big healthy meathead type), and together they plot to kill Camille so that they can marry and inherit her elderly aunt’s property after her death. Their consciences, however, prove impossible to appease after the murder, and they become subject to Macbeth-like psychotic delusions, seeing their victim around or sensing his presence, especially when they are alone together. Everything comes to a tragic end.
There was only one character in this book that I liked, and that was the Raquins’ tabby cat Francois. Even he was very cruelly murdered.
Don’t pick up this book unless you are in the mood for a major downer.
by
Émile Zola
by
Émile Zola Finish date: May 29, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Novels, French Literature
Rating: C
Review: This book reminds me of why I decided to avoid Zola years ago, after reading Germinal. Basically, his characters are born…and their lives go downhill from there. There are some similarities to Thomas Hardy, but at least Hardy’s characters have a more hopeful outlook in the early part of the story and strong redeeming qualities even if fate does get them in the end.
**spoiler alert!**
Therese Raquin is the story of a sordid love triangle in a depressing working class neighborhood. Therese was adopted permanently by her aunt after her parents died, and she married her cousin Camille, a sickly boy with whom she was raised, and whom she married only because she was expected to and for lack of other prospects. After they move to Paris, Therese starts an affair with Camille’s best friend Laurent (big healthy meathead type), and together they plot to kill Camille so that they can marry and inherit her elderly aunt’s property after her death. Their consciences, however, prove impossible to appease after the murder, and they become subject to Macbeth-like psychotic delusions, seeing their victim around or sensing his presence, especially when they are alone together. Everything comes to a tragic end.
There was only one character in this book that I liked, and that was the Raquins’ tabby cat Francois. Even he was very cruelly murdered.
Don’t pick up this book unless you are in the mood for a major downer.
by
Émile Zola
JUNE
22.
by (no image) Joseph Douillet
Finish date: June 3, 2017
Genre: Russian History, Cold War, Russian Revolution
Rating: A
Review: The author, Joseph Douillet, is a Belgian citizen who spent thirty five years living in Russia—first as Belgian consul when the tsar was still in power, then with humanitarian organizations that set up in the USSR to help alleviate the effects of the economic problems and famine caused by increasing nationalization of the factories and farms after the October Revolution. The timing of his career, the positions he held, his fluency and familiarity with the Russian language and culture put him in a perfect position to observe the transition from tsarist to Soviet Russia and to draw comparisons between the two. If there was any historical event that proved that not all change is for the better (to put it mildly), this is it.
It is a very well organized book that details the effects Communism had on different aspects of life. He starts off with how the USSR presents itself to foreigners, which is like a type of theater. Then he moves on to discussing Communism’s effects on the working and living conditions of peasants and factory workers: the level of their earnings, prices and availability of necessities, use of taxes to disadvantage disfavored groups, the educational system, the disintegration of marriage and family, illegitimacy, crime rates, treatment of people at the beginning and at the end of life, treatment of religious people, confiscation of church property, and the omnipresent surveillance of the secret police, whose power surpassed even that of the Politburo. He even spent 9 months in KGB custody at the Loubianka prison in Moscow prior to being deported to Latvia in 1925, so the later chapters are about his experiences in that jail, the effects of torture and interrogations on fellow inmates, their various fates--often deportation to gulags in Siberia or Solovetzky Island, or execution in the prison compound itself. The last chapter is about the Comintern, the Party’s foreign outreach and propaganda arm, whose aim was to spread the movement in Europe.
My edition is dated 1928, so this was written soon after being expelled from the USSR. There does not seem to be an English translation, so this book is only accessible to French speakers. Great read for those interested in Russian and Cold War history. I’m surprised at how early this book appeared (just 11 years after the October Revolution), as I had the impression that information about the real conditions inside the USSR took longer to become known in the West.
22.
by (no image) Joseph DouilletFinish date: June 3, 2017
Genre: Russian History, Cold War, Russian Revolution
Rating: A
Review: The author, Joseph Douillet, is a Belgian citizen who spent thirty five years living in Russia—first as Belgian consul when the tsar was still in power, then with humanitarian organizations that set up in the USSR to help alleviate the effects of the economic problems and famine caused by increasing nationalization of the factories and farms after the October Revolution. The timing of his career, the positions he held, his fluency and familiarity with the Russian language and culture put him in a perfect position to observe the transition from tsarist to Soviet Russia and to draw comparisons between the two. If there was any historical event that proved that not all change is for the better (to put it mildly), this is it.
It is a very well organized book that details the effects Communism had on different aspects of life. He starts off with how the USSR presents itself to foreigners, which is like a type of theater. Then he moves on to discussing Communism’s effects on the working and living conditions of peasants and factory workers: the level of their earnings, prices and availability of necessities, use of taxes to disadvantage disfavored groups, the educational system, the disintegration of marriage and family, illegitimacy, crime rates, treatment of people at the beginning and at the end of life, treatment of religious people, confiscation of church property, and the omnipresent surveillance of the secret police, whose power surpassed even that of the Politburo. He even spent 9 months in KGB custody at the Loubianka prison in Moscow prior to being deported to Latvia in 1925, so the later chapters are about his experiences in that jail, the effects of torture and interrogations on fellow inmates, their various fates--often deportation to gulags in Siberia or Solovetzky Island, or execution in the prison compound itself. The last chapter is about the Comintern, the Party’s foreign outreach and propaganda arm, whose aim was to spread the movement in Europe.
My edition is dated 1928, so this was written soon after being expelled from the USSR. There does not seem to be an English translation, so this book is only accessible to French speakers. Great read for those interested in Russian and Cold War history. I’m surprised at how early this book appeared (just 11 years after the October Revolution), as I had the impression that information about the real conditions inside the USSR took longer to become known in the West.
Mod
23.
by
Willa Cather
Finish date: June 9, 2017
Genre: American Literature, Novels, Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Willa Cather displays her talent for storytelling, and creating believable characters and situations in this novel. It is set up a bit differently from other books of hers I have read, as we have the main story line about the professor, his family, and his impending retirement, and a second one told in flashback about Tom Outland, his most celebrated student (and his daughter's fiance)--an inventor and adventurer whose promising life was cut short in World War I.
The two storylines invite comparison, as the first one features the professor's quiet, comfortable everyday life, preoccupied with moving into a new house, and the second one is prompted by the professor's coming across Tom's diary among the things in his study while preparing for the move, and reading through it.
Tom's life before coming to the university was everything the professor's isn't--chaotic, impoverished, adventurous, with lots of time spent exploring the ruins of the pueblo Indians' cave dwellings in New Mexico. The professor, having completed and been recognized for his masterwork on Spanish history, feels that there is nothing left in life to look forward to. His daughters are both married and on their own; they don't seem to need him as much as they used to. The elder especially, who has inherited Tom's estate, is developing some personality traits he doesn't care for. The new house is more his wife's project than his. There is no place in it comparable to his old attic study, where so much of his work was done and which holds many memories. He stays in it long after the rest of the house has been vacated, to the point of renting the old house for some extra months.
It's the perfect picture of a man who is reluctant to move on to a new phase of life (which looks drab and uninteresting from his present point of view), and tries to hang on to the old life for as long as possible.
by
Willa CatherFinish date: June 9, 2017
Genre: American Literature, Novels, Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Willa Cather displays her talent for storytelling, and creating believable characters and situations in this novel. It is set up a bit differently from other books of hers I have read, as we have the main story line about the professor, his family, and his impending retirement, and a second one told in flashback about Tom Outland, his most celebrated student (and his daughter's fiance)--an inventor and adventurer whose promising life was cut short in World War I.
The two storylines invite comparison, as the first one features the professor's quiet, comfortable everyday life, preoccupied with moving into a new house, and the second one is prompted by the professor's coming across Tom's diary among the things in his study while preparing for the move, and reading through it.
Tom's life before coming to the university was everything the professor's isn't--chaotic, impoverished, adventurous, with lots of time spent exploring the ruins of the pueblo Indians' cave dwellings in New Mexico. The professor, having completed and been recognized for his masterwork on Spanish history, feels that there is nothing left in life to look forward to. His daughters are both married and on their own; they don't seem to need him as much as they used to. The elder especially, who has inherited Tom's estate, is developing some personality traits he doesn't care for. The new house is more his wife's project than his. There is no place in it comparable to his old attic study, where so much of his work was done and which holds many memories. He stays in it long after the rest of the house has been vacated, to the point of renting the old house for some extra months.
It's the perfect picture of a man who is reluctant to move on to a new phase of life (which looks drab and uninteresting from his present point of view), and tries to hang on to the old life for as long as possible.
24.
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Finish Date: June 5, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Literary Criticism, Russian History
Rating: B+
Review: Alexander Solzhenitsyn criticizes the moral emptiness of pluralism and its impotence when faced with the evils of socialism. He also criticizes the work of some of his fellow Soviet exiles, who blame the failures of socialism on the defects of the Russian people and their culture, rather than on the nature of socialism itself.
This book is an excerpt from a longer work, and I did find parts of it difficult to follow because I am not familiar with the work of the people Solzhenitsyn cites, but it was a worthwhile read nonetheless.
by
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFinish Date: June 5, 2017
Genre: Cold War, Literary Criticism, Russian History
Rating: B+
Review: Alexander Solzhenitsyn criticizes the moral emptiness of pluralism and its impotence when faced with the evils of socialism. He also criticizes the work of some of his fellow Soviet exiles, who blame the failures of socialism on the defects of the Russian people and their culture, rather than on the nature of socialism itself.
This book is an excerpt from a longer work, and I did find parts of it difficult to follow because I am not familiar with the work of the people Solzhenitsyn cites, but it was a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Interesting to see your light shone on some Alexander beyond the Archipelago.
Mod
Check the guidelines in the introduction threads for this folder.
Dimitri wrote: "Interesting to see your light shone on some Alexander beyond the Archipelago."
One of these days I'll read the Archipelago. It's on my bookshelf and its size intimidates me.
One of these days I'll read the Archipelago. It's on my bookshelf and its size intimidates me.
JULY
25.
by
Stefan Zweig
Finish date: July 1, 2017
Genre: Novels, Fiction, Austrian Literature, 20th Century Literature
Rating: B+
Review: This was a very detailed psychological novel about Lieutenant Hofmiller, a soldier who upsets Edith, a young lame girl by asking her to dance at a ball, as he was unaware of her disability. Unwilling to hurt anyone and wishing to do good, he befriends the family, becomes a regular visitor at their house, and allows them to depend more and more on him until he feels obligated to fulfill their expectations. On the other hand, Edith, used to being the center of attention as the only child of wealthy parents, is unable to accept reality full-time. She swings between elation from living in a fantasy world where her condition is curable and where she can look forward to living life as an able bodied woman, and severe depression when she faces reality and can't accept it. The whole household (and soon, Hofmiller too) has made it their primary concern to keep her as much as possible in her fantasy world.
There are two other similar couples in the story with which we can contrast the main couple, both of whom married at least in part due to pity on the part of the husband toward the wife: Edith's parents (her father is a self-made millionaire who made his fortune by taking financial advantage of her mother, whom he then felt obligated to marry) and her doctor and his blind wife. Both made successes of their marriages, as compared to Edith and Hofmiller, whose engagement ends in tragedy on the eve of World War I.
25.
by
Stefan ZweigFinish date: July 1, 2017
Genre: Novels, Fiction, Austrian Literature, 20th Century Literature
Rating: B+
Review: This was a very detailed psychological novel about Lieutenant Hofmiller, a soldier who upsets Edith, a young lame girl by asking her to dance at a ball, as he was unaware of her disability. Unwilling to hurt anyone and wishing to do good, he befriends the family, becomes a regular visitor at their house, and allows them to depend more and more on him until he feels obligated to fulfill their expectations. On the other hand, Edith, used to being the center of attention as the only child of wealthy parents, is unable to accept reality full-time. She swings between elation from living in a fantasy world where her condition is curable and where she can look forward to living life as an able bodied woman, and severe depression when she faces reality and can't accept it. The whole household (and soon, Hofmiller too) has made it their primary concern to keep her as much as possible in her fantasy world.
There are two other similar couples in the story with which we can contrast the main couple, both of whom married at least in part due to pity on the part of the husband toward the wife: Edith's parents (her father is a self-made millionaire who made his fortune by taking financial advantage of her mother, whom he then felt obligated to marry) and her doctor and his blind wife. Both made successes of their marriages, as compared to Edith and Hofmiller, whose engagement ends in tragedy on the eve of World War I.
AUGUST
26.
by
Barbara W. Tuchman
Finish date: August 7, 2017
Genre: World War I, European History, Politics
Rating: A+
Review: Back in 2014, the first of the World War I centenary years, I decided to get informed about World War I since I knew so little about it and it is frequently cited as the cause of various negative developments in the modern world (not the least of which was World War II). But I'm a procrastinator so it took three years to get my rear in gear.
This book served as a great start. It's a military history covering the first month of the war on the Western front, including the frantic diplomacy and negotiation on the few days before the outbreak of the war, particularly in Belgium. It ends on the eve of the battle of the Marne. Tuchman only dedicates two chapters on Eastern front battles (Gumbinnen and Tannenberg), and one on the pursuit of the German light cruiser Goeben in the Mediterranean which resulted in the Turkish alliance with Germany, so if you're looking for a history with good coverage of the Eastern front this is not it.
Tuchman is a skilled storyteller and includes just enough maps and technical information about military strategy and the technology of that time so a layman can understand the ramifications of the decisions made by the many generals, diplomats, monarchs, and politicians to whom he will be introduced. I had no problem following the progress of the war and learned a lot about the military thinking of the time. She also includes enough detail about the situations and people to draw the reader into the world of 1914. No mean feat.
26.
by
Barbara W. TuchmanFinish date: August 7, 2017
Genre: World War I, European History, Politics
Rating: A+
Review: Back in 2014, the first of the World War I centenary years, I decided to get informed about World War I since I knew so little about it and it is frequently cited as the cause of various negative developments in the modern world (not the least of which was World War II). But I'm a procrastinator so it took three years to get my rear in gear.
This book served as a great start. It's a military history covering the first month of the war on the Western front, including the frantic diplomacy and negotiation on the few days before the outbreak of the war, particularly in Belgium. It ends on the eve of the battle of the Marne. Tuchman only dedicates two chapters on Eastern front battles (Gumbinnen and Tannenberg), and one on the pursuit of the German light cruiser Goeben in the Mediterranean which resulted in the Turkish alliance with Germany, so if you're looking for a history with good coverage of the Eastern front this is not it.
Tuchman is a skilled storyteller and includes just enough maps and technical information about military strategy and the technology of that time so a layman can understand the ramifications of the decisions made by the many generals, diplomats, monarchs, and politicians to whom he will be introduced. I had no problem following the progress of the war and learned a lot about the military thinking of the time. She also includes enough detail about the situations and people to draw the reader into the world of 1914. No mean feat.
27.
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Finish date: August 10, 2017
Genre: Speech, Culture, Politics, History, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: I think this is one of the best speeches ever written. On anything. Alexander Solzhenitsyn turns his keen powers of observation and understanding, sharpened by long years of oppression under a totalitarian regime, on the West and diagnoses the cause of its ills: a decline in moral courage. Despite having been written 40 years ago, it's even more relevant now than it was then.
Even better than reading this is hearing the man himself deliver it at Harvard in 1978-- the video of the complete speech, with a simultaneous translator translating it into English is available on Youtube. Awesome stuff.
And if you can, listen also to Dr. Peter Kreeft's excellent commentary on it and the impression it made on him as a member of that audience in 1978--also available on Youtube.
by
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFinish date: August 10, 2017
Genre: Speech, Culture, Politics, History, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: I think this is one of the best speeches ever written. On anything. Alexander Solzhenitsyn turns his keen powers of observation and understanding, sharpened by long years of oppression under a totalitarian regime, on the West and diagnoses the cause of its ills: a decline in moral courage. Despite having been written 40 years ago, it's even more relevant now than it was then.
Even better than reading this is hearing the man himself deliver it at Harvard in 1978-- the video of the complete speech, with a simultaneous translator translating it into English is available on Youtube. Awesome stuff.
And if you can, listen also to Dr. Peter Kreeft's excellent commentary on it and the impression it made on him as a member of that audience in 1978--also available on Youtube.
28.
by Sebastian Castellio (no photo)
Finish date: August 11, 2017
Genre: Religion, Politics, War, French History
Rating: A
Review: An early argument for religious freedom and mutual tolerance written during the 1500's, during the religious wars in France and Switzerland. Sebastian Castellio, who is a Swiss Protestant, takes an objective view of the conflict and roundly criticizes both sides, pointing out that oppression and violence are counterproductive as far as religious conversion goes, because they tend to cause people to hold even more tightly to their beliefs and make them even less likely to be convinced by their oppressors. Those conversions that are accomplished through violence tend to be only for appearance's sake, and are not prompted by genuine belief. He promotes conversion through the same means Christ used, through argument, persuasion, and example.
Of course the religious wars were probably more about power politics and control of territory than they were about religion, so pointing out the inefficacy of violence as a means of conversion would probably have changed little about the conflict. However, Castellio's pamphlet shows the Scriptural origin of religious tolerance and how the modern understanding of it began to be spread.
by Sebastian Castellio (no photo)Finish date: August 11, 2017
Genre: Religion, Politics, War, French History
Rating: A
Review: An early argument for religious freedom and mutual tolerance written during the 1500's, during the religious wars in France and Switzerland. Sebastian Castellio, who is a Swiss Protestant, takes an objective view of the conflict and roundly criticizes both sides, pointing out that oppression and violence are counterproductive as far as religious conversion goes, because they tend to cause people to hold even more tightly to their beliefs and make them even less likely to be convinced by their oppressors. Those conversions that are accomplished through violence tend to be only for appearance's sake, and are not prompted by genuine belief. He promotes conversion through the same means Christ used, through argument, persuasion, and example.
Of course the religious wars were probably more about power politics and control of territory than they were about religion, so pointing out the inefficacy of violence as a means of conversion would probably have changed little about the conflict. However, Castellio's pamphlet shows the Scriptural origin of religious tolerance and how the modern understanding of it began to be spread.
Mod
29.
by
Sándor Márai
Finish date: August 22, 2017
Genre: Hungarian literature, Novels, Fiction
Rating: B
Review: This book has many similarities to Embers in that it's also the story of a love triangle with two men in love with the same woman, and the story is told in the form of a conversation between the two men, old friends, after the woman has died. While it lacks the theatrical setting and characters of Embers its storyline has an otherworldly side to it in the idea of a divine pattern thwarted by chance and the long term effects of decisions that seemed inconsequential at the time they were made.
I think Embers is better, but this was pretty good too.
by
Sándor Márai
by
Sándor MáraiFinish date: August 22, 2017
Genre: Hungarian literature, Novels, Fiction
Rating: B
Review: This book has many similarities to Embers in that it's also the story of a love triangle with two men in love with the same woman, and the story is told in the form of a conversation between the two men, old friends, after the woman has died. While it lacks the theatrical setting and characters of Embers its storyline has an otherworldly side to it in the idea of a divine pattern thwarted by chance and the long term effects of decisions that seemed inconsequential at the time they were made.
I think Embers is better, but this was pretty good too.
by
Sándor Márai
SEPTEMBER
30.
by
Christopher Henry Dawson
Finish date: September 4, 2017
Genre: History, Politics, Religion, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: This is an outstanding analysis of Europe and Western civilization. The book is divided in two parts.
In the first part, Dawson describes what Europe is: a society of peoples whose culture was shaped both by Christianity and the Greco-Roman heritage. Through comparisons, he explains what differentiates it from Asia, describes the special case of Russia, and discusses the regional differences among the different peoples. These were produced by the splintering of Christianity during the Reformation and the different styles of government in the different regions, contrasting the parliamentary governments that sprung up in Western Europe with the large military empires that developed in Central and Eastern Europe. He also devotes two chapters to Europe's overseas colonies: the dual nature of European colonialism and how each nation's colonial effort differed in character from one another.
The second part of the book is about the decline of Western culture and the revolt, starting in the eighteenth century, against the ideas and norms that used to unify Europe. He describes the rise of the large totalitarian and authoritarian states, how the ideas behind totalitarian government were promoted in Germany in the mid-1800's with Hegelian philosophy, and how the two world wars came about.
For a relatively short (230 page) book, he covers a lot of ground, and it's definitely a book that you have to read more than once in order to properly digest the material. It's best to have a reasonably good general knowledge of the history of the various European countries in order to appreciate this book properly.
30.
by
Christopher Henry DawsonFinish date: September 4, 2017
Genre: History, Politics, Religion, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: This is an outstanding analysis of Europe and Western civilization. The book is divided in two parts.
In the first part, Dawson describes what Europe is: a society of peoples whose culture was shaped both by Christianity and the Greco-Roman heritage. Through comparisons, he explains what differentiates it from Asia, describes the special case of Russia, and discusses the regional differences among the different peoples. These were produced by the splintering of Christianity during the Reformation and the different styles of government in the different regions, contrasting the parliamentary governments that sprung up in Western Europe with the large military empires that developed in Central and Eastern Europe. He also devotes two chapters to Europe's overseas colonies: the dual nature of European colonialism and how each nation's colonial effort differed in character from one another.
The second part of the book is about the decline of Western culture and the revolt, starting in the eighteenth century, against the ideas and norms that used to unify Europe. He describes the rise of the large totalitarian and authoritarian states, how the ideas behind totalitarian government were promoted in Germany in the mid-1800's with Hegelian philosophy, and how the two world wars came about.
For a relatively short (230 page) book, he covers a lot of ground, and it's definitely a book that you have to read more than once in order to properly digest the material. It's best to have a reasonably good general knowledge of the history of the various European countries in order to appreciate this book properly.
31.
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Finish date: September 9, 2017
Genre: Speech, Politics, Culture, History, Art, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: This speech is just as good as A World Split Apart, and that's really saying something. He describes the existential gulf between people living under oppressive governments and those in free countries. There is a disconnect between the two, and the latter group very often cannot understand where the former is coming from. As a representative of the former group transplanted into the world of the latter, Solzhenitsyn cites art as the means by which the gap can be bridged.
It is the means by which one can enter into another person's experience.
He also talks about the "spirit of Munich" (i.e. inclination of the free world to appease and tolerate unjust violence elsewhere provided it left the West alone), how it has dominated the 20th century, and how violence inevitably requires lies to maintain its position of power-- to deceive people about its true nature and give itself legitimacy.
The task of the artist above all is to remain honest in the face of violence and lies.
"Let the lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me."
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
by
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynFinish date: September 9, 2017
Genre: Speech, Politics, Culture, History, Art, Western Civilization
Rating: A+
Review: This speech is just as good as A World Split Apart, and that's really saying something. He describes the existential gulf between people living under oppressive governments and those in free countries. There is a disconnect between the two, and the latter group very often cannot understand where the former is coming from. As a representative of the former group transplanted into the world of the latter, Solzhenitsyn cites art as the means by which the gap can be bridged.
It is the means by which one can enter into another person's experience.
He also talks about the "spirit of Munich" (i.e. inclination of the free world to appease and tolerate unjust violence elsewhere provided it left the West alone), how it has dominated the 20th century, and how violence inevitably requires lies to maintain its position of power-- to deceive people about its true nature and give itself legitimacy.
The task of the artist above all is to remain honest in the face of violence and lies.
"Let the lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me."
by
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
32.
by Eucharista Ward (no photo)
Finish date: September 15, 2017 (quit, didn't finish)
Genre: Novels, Sequels, Fiction
Rating: C-
Review: The premise is interesting but I found the book much too slowly paced and without the nuanced, sometimes wry observations of Austen on her characters and their society. It seemed like the author spent too much time trying to develop detailed plot lines and not enough on making the characters seem real or bringing out insightful commentary about their thoughts and situations. I lost interest and bailed out about halfway through. Not surprised, though. Jane Austen is a hard act to follow.
by Eucharista Ward (no photo)Finish date: September 15, 2017 (quit, didn't finish)
Genre: Novels, Sequels, Fiction
Rating: C-
Review: The premise is interesting but I found the book much too slowly paced and without the nuanced, sometimes wry observations of Austen on her characters and their society. It seemed like the author spent too much time trying to develop detailed plot lines and not enough on making the characters seem real or bringing out insightful commentary about their thoughts and situations. I lost interest and bailed out about halfway through. Not surprised, though. Jane Austen is a hard act to follow.
OCTOBER
33.
by
A.E. Housman
Finish date: October 21, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: B
Review: Evocative collection of poems on various themes such as youth, love, early death, the beauty of nature, looking back on one's life, and the passage of time. Some are joyful and even comic, but most have a melancholy atmosphere. The rhythm and rhyme of the words are so natural, nothing forced.
I found it a very enjoyable read. The quote from poem #35, On the idle hill of summer at the beginning of Winston Churchill's account of World War I, introduced me to this book.
33.
by
A.E. HousmanFinish date: October 21, 2017
Genre: Poetry, British Literature
Rating: B
Review: Evocative collection of poems on various themes such as youth, love, early death, the beauty of nature, looking back on one's life, and the passage of time. Some are joyful and even comic, but most have a melancholy atmosphere. The rhythm and rhyme of the words are so natural, nothing forced.
I found it a very enjoyable read. The quote from poem #35, On the idle hill of summer at the beginning of Winston Churchill's account of World War I, introduced me to this book.
34.
by
Katherine Mansfield
Finish date: October 12, 2017
Genre: Short Stories, British Literature
Rating: B
Review: Amusing story about a typical day in the life of a man (a singing teacher) who has a quite high opinion of himself. He condescends to tolerate the foibles and shortcomings of those around him, of course not recognizing that he has any of his own.
by
Katherine MansfieldFinish date: October 12, 2017
Genre: Short Stories, British Literature
Rating: B
Review: Amusing story about a typical day in the life of a man (a singing teacher) who has a quite high opinion of himself. He condescends to tolerate the foibles and shortcomings of those around him, of course not recognizing that he has any of his own.
35.
by
Nikolai A. Berdyaev
Finish date: October 5, 2017
Genre: Russian History, Communism, Cold War
Rating: A
Review: Excellent book on the various influences in Russian history, culture, and religion that helped shape how Communism was implemented in the Soviet Union.
Berdyaev cites the Muscovite period and the reign of Peter the Great as particularly influential, because that was when the governments were most absolutist and repressive, using methods to control the population and the church that prefigured those used by the Bolsheviks.
He cites the messianic cast of mind of the Russian Orthodox Church, which thought of Moscow as the Third Rome (after the fall of the Roman and Byzantine Empires) and believed that it had a great mission to fulfill in the world. Similarly, Soviet Russia took upon itself a special mission: it was the means by which communism was to be spread throughout the world.
Berdyaev also discusses how the Russian Orthodox peasantry, unlike their Western Christian counterparts, never developed a strong concept of private property. They saw the land and its resources as belonging to God, and anyone who works them ought to be able to make a living off them. They had a feeling that the gentry were wrong to have such large estates, so that when the Bolsheviks began confiscating the estates and turning them into collective farms, the peasants were easily sold on the idea.
Berdyaev himself was a disenchanted Marxist who converted back to the Russian Orthodox Church. He was among the exiles in the “philosophers’ ships” of the 1920’s, when Lenin threw out much of Russia’s dissident intelligentsia. Unfortunately, despite his disappointment with Marxism, Berdyaev did retain (at least at the time he wrote this book—I don’t know about later in life) the same mistake to which some Christians are prone: the view that socialism is a more moral economic system than the free market, and that there must be some way to make it work without resorting to evil means or evil results.
by
Nikolai A. BerdyaevFinish date: October 5, 2017
Genre: Russian History, Communism, Cold War
Rating: A
Review: Excellent book on the various influences in Russian history, culture, and religion that helped shape how Communism was implemented in the Soviet Union.
Berdyaev cites the Muscovite period and the reign of Peter the Great as particularly influential, because that was when the governments were most absolutist and repressive, using methods to control the population and the church that prefigured those used by the Bolsheviks.
He cites the messianic cast of mind of the Russian Orthodox Church, which thought of Moscow as the Third Rome (after the fall of the Roman and Byzantine Empires) and believed that it had a great mission to fulfill in the world. Similarly, Soviet Russia took upon itself a special mission: it was the means by which communism was to be spread throughout the world.
Berdyaev also discusses how the Russian Orthodox peasantry, unlike their Western Christian counterparts, never developed a strong concept of private property. They saw the land and its resources as belonging to God, and anyone who works them ought to be able to make a living off them. They had a feeling that the gentry were wrong to have such large estates, so that when the Bolsheviks began confiscating the estates and turning them into collective farms, the peasants were easily sold on the idea.
Berdyaev himself was a disenchanted Marxist who converted back to the Russian Orthodox Church. He was among the exiles in the “philosophers’ ships” of the 1920’s, when Lenin threw out much of Russia’s dissident intelligentsia. Unfortunately, despite his disappointment with Marxism, Berdyaev did retain (at least at the time he wrote this book—I don’t know about later in life) the same mistake to which some Christians are prone: the view that socialism is a more moral economic system than the free market, and that there must be some way to make it work without resorting to evil means or evil results.
Mod
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
A World Split Apart: Commencement Address Delivered at Harvard University, June 8, 1978 (other topics)Fatima for Today (other topics)
Tortured for Christ (other topics)
Effi Briest (other topics)
Origin of Russian Communism (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (other topics)Andrew Apostoli (other topics)
Richard Wurmbrand (other topics)
Theodor Fontane (other topics)
Nikolai Berdyaev (other topics)
More...
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