Books Read - 2006
Submitted by lbangs on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 12:02
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- Henry VI Part I - William Shakespeare (Classic) - If you know your English literature, you might already be snorting. Apparently the evidence hints that Shakespeare only wrote parts of this play. It is an historical play, covering the early reign of Henry VI, and although the material is not the most riveting the English chronicles have to offer, the strong, moving language carries the day. They tell me that WS’s scenes are most likely the rose garden incident (dramatically and visually strong, but not containing the best dialogue) and the final episodes of Talbot’s life (much, much better). In fact, several scenes here probably make for better visual spectacle than reading, especially when Joan calls up demons from under the earth for a little chitchat and the various skirmishes and battles. Talbot, York, and the king’s uncles certainly stand out here, striking strong profiles even as their characters miss the finer nuances of Shakespeare’s more vivid creations. The play is good but, compared to Shakespeare’s later works, nothing to spend too much time mulling over. ** 1/2
- Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu (translated by Arthur Waley ) (Classic) - This is the cornerstone of Taoism. In it, the Way (Tao) of emptying oneself of ego, thought and ambition to recapture a natural, pre-civilized, pre-educated state of being is encouraged as the entrance into the Way of the world that brings peace and happiness. It is a beautiful book that affects me deeply as poetry and unfortunately strikes me as highly naive and optimistic as philosophy. Tradition tells that Lao Tzu was for a while the head of a royal library in China; history tells us (as it loves to of so many ancient writers) he may never have existed. Tradition is certainly plausible, since this view of the world bereft of civilization is the view of a tired city dweller. He betrays this simple-mindedness in chapter 55 when he speaks of the safety of babies. "Poisonous insects do not sting it, / Nor fierce beasts seize it, / Nor clawing birds maul it." Uh, no. This is the tragic ignorance of Timothy Treadwell shown in Grizzly Man. It is very sadly not the Way of the world or nature. Civilization, for all its faults, made humanity's existence in nature hundredfolds more secure, lasting, and even happier than without it. Oh, but don't we all long to retreat to a nice sunny village away from the city where birds sing and butterflies flitter? It is a myth that speaks to our hearts rather than our minds, and in that sense, in the sense this book is poetry as well as failed philosophy, it succeeds. ***
- Killing Yourself to Live - Chuck Klosterman - Chuck is a moron. He has no taste, but knows lots of band names, he has little knowledge of anything, and he only mines a truly funny line every fifty pages or so. If you ever wondered what a person with slightly-lower-than-average intelligence and entirely too much education is like stuck in too-cool New York, Chuckie boy is your answer. Of course, I should have been able to guess this by noting the back cover mentions he writes for Spin magazine, a lame publication that, unlike Rolling Stone, had no golden age. It has always sucked. His 'observations' are dubious at best and laughably wrong at worst (his long section on Led Zeppelin is one of the most misguided, idiotic excuses for commentary I have ever read). I rarely dislike an author as much as I despise Mr. Klosterman for wasting my time and trying to make me feel cool and clever for doing so. Trust me, this book reeks to high heaven. Save your money, your time, and your brain cells. * 1/2
Author Comments:
Books with the designation (Classic) are rated on a different, tougher four-star scale than the other books.
Woo-hoo, the book version of the famous film lists! It is a given that I'll be watching this space.
Thanks!
I'm a little scared to find out exactly how few books I do manage to plow through in a year, but this list still should be fun...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ditto.
Thank you. I hope not to disappoint too much!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs