Whether I will
re-read a book depends on the middle. Having a good beginning and a good end
are just half the battle if the journey between is mediocre. I read and re-read
my favorite trilogy: The Lord of the Rings
because it is about a quest, a battle against evil, and every bit of it is
essential to the ending.
Upon finishing Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, something unique
happened. I mean, other than the fact that I bawled my eyes out, which rare
enough in itself. But as I turned the last pages, I wanted to sit down and read
the whole thing again. Right there. Right then. Several times. I’ve actually had to force myself not to do so, in the month since,
because I have other things to do.
What about it
appealed so deeply to me? That’s not exactly the best question. The best question is: what about it appeals to hundreds of millions of people worldwide? According to Wikipedia, it’s the number one bestselling fiction book of all time, with
approximately 200 million sales. (Fun fact: Lord
of the Rings takes second places with 150 million – The Hobbit fourth with 100 million.) This book obviously appeals to
more than just one blogger in Appalachia. It caters to more than just Americans.
There is something about this book, and Rings,
that speak to the depths of human desire. It touches on themes that transcend
culture and time.
I'm a big fan of A Christmas Carol (we did a podcast on it last week), and my favorite version is easily George C. Scott's. Partly, it's because of this song:
The past of man is cold as ice:
He would not mend his ways.
He strove for silver in his heart
And gold in all his days.
His reason weak, his anger sharp,
And sorrow all his pay,
He went to church but once a year,
And that was Christmas Day.
So grant us all a change of heart,
Rejoice for Mary’s son;
Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind,
God bless us everyone!
The present man is full of flame:
He rushes here and there.
He turns away the orphan child,
The widow in her chair.
He takes from them he merely meets,
Forgets how brief his stay,
And stands a-jingling of his coins
In church on Christmas Day.
So grant us all a change of heart,
Rejoice for Mary’s son;
Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind,
God bless us everyone!
The man to come we do not know:
May he make peace on earth,
And live the glory of the Word,
The message of the birth,
And gather all the children in
To banish their dismay,
Lift up his heart among the bells
In church on Christmas Day.
So grant us all a change of heart,
Rejoice for Mary’s son;
Pray, Peace on earth to all mankind,
God bless us everyone!
Merry Christmas - and may you keep it in your heart all the year,
Longish
I'm a bit late for Hallowe'en, but I finally got around to reading Pete Peterson's ghost story he posted a few months ago. It's wonderfully creepy, and I (who am normally pretty good at this) didn't spot the plot twist till the plot had already...er...twisted. Very reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe in tone, and Arthur Conan Doyle in narration, with an extra dose of original Peterson folksiness and an unexpectedly redemptive storyline.
