Wednesday, January 30, 2008

On... the Bhagavad-Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell

This book intrigued me. I've never read any holy book of other religions of the world which is why I put this book on my list. I intend to read others if for no other reason than to learn what the people of these religions believe so that I am better able to minister to them.

This book is in the form of an epic poem which actually finds a home in the much larger Mahabharata, India's national epic and an epic poem larger than the more well-known Iliad or Odyssey.

I won't go through all of the details of the tenants of belief presented in this book... that is a job for a much more in-depth study... but I kept thinking about the contrasts between Christianity and Hinduism. I saw aspects of the truth in the very well-written poem but I also saw the folly of man and how man tries to create his own religion.

When I read the section about Krishna revealing himself I couldn't help thinking about when God revealed just a portion of His glory to Moses. While Arjuna begged for a gentler less horrific form of Krishna, Moses felt himself humbled by God showing just a portion of his glory. The primary difference comes in how these worshipers fear their god.

I found the book very interesting and recommend it to those who wish to learn more about other religions.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

On... God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis

Previous to making this huge reading list (which goes beyond what I have posted her and in the other reading challenge list) the only C. S. Lewis books I had read were the Chronicles of Narnia and 'Til we have Faces... none of his nonfiction.

God in the dock is the second of the his nonfiction books that I have read.

To be honest, it took me a while to get into the book and I never really stayed captivated by it. I don't mean to say anything against Lewis' writing because as usual Lewis uses spectacular and striking images. The structure of the book worked against itself. God in the dock is a compilation of various essays and transcripts of interviews.

The various essays were organized roughly by subject but at the same time every couple of pages the subject on which Lewis is speaking changes. For those who wish to study Lewis' writing or to simply learn more about the man I recommend this book. For those who simply admire Lewis writing in fiction and in his more famous nonfiction I would not recommend the book... too distracting.

Monday, January 28, 2008

On... Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

After reading an introduction to Booker T. Washington at the beginning of the book I found myself intrigued by the man. I've read W. E. B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folks in which he does not think all that highly of Washington's writing.

I always found myself intrigued by the lives of black people both under slavery and just after. I don't think I agree with Washington's approach for helping them. His advice for bringing them up out of the devices that have oppressed them throughout the years of slavery.

His writing style is very captivating. I have no fault with him there. Unfortunately with nonfiction, the idea that the author is presenting often plays a significant role in how his writing is received.

For a student of history I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book written by a very famous man in American history. I consider it another piece of the puzzle that is human history.

On... Hear My Sorry by Deborah Hopkinson

One thing I find amazing about the Dear America books is that at the end in the epilogue I always wonder if this is a fictional book based on a real person or simply a fictional character living through real events. The epilogue always seems so real.

This book focused on the life of Angela Denato, a fourteen/fifteen year old girl forced to drop out of school in order to work to support her family. Angela struggles with the desire to strike and earn better working conditions for all of the girls around her, including her older sister who never had the benefit of going to school and having to help provide for her family because her father was often out of work and her younger sister struggled with sickness that eventually claimed her life.

I've often thought about what I would do if I were in that situation. I believe that a person needs to submit to authority and thus I do not really support modern day strikes such as the current writer's strike. I do see how that unless these people made the effort to strike working conditions would never have changed or at least would have taken many more years and the lives of many more innocent poor.

It's an interesting conundrum and very thought provoking.

Friday, January 25, 2008

On... Lord Brocktree by Brian Jacques

This book did not fail to contain all of the typical conventions usually present in a Redwall book.

I love these books. I fell in love with them as a child and I still love them. I have realized as I have read more and more of the books that the plot doesn't usually vary all that much. Of course, there are different characters (names at least) and different tasks that the characters must complete but usually Jacques has at least two different plots going. One group defends either Salamandastron or Redwall Abbey. The other group tries to solve a riddle of some sort which leads them on a journey to find something or rescue someone.

Most of the DIbbuns (young animals) act the same. In every book there is a little rascal of some sort. I could go on and on about the characters and how many of the character types repeat themselves in the books but that would take too much time.

As much as I love the books I do wish that Jacques could mix it up a little bit. :D

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

On... Of Men and Angels by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I read the first book in this series... The Galway Chronicles... over a year ago. My mom had the book from many years past and I lamented the fact that the rest of the series was out of print.

Thankfully many of those out of print books can be found at the library. Thus I picked up the second book in the series and fell in love all over again with the characters of Ballybacknor... Kate, Joseph, Mary Elisabeth, Mad Molly and etc.

Like most of the books I prefer of the Thoene's this book shifts between very few different points of view. The story moved along at such a pace that i couldn't have read slower even if I had wanted to.

I love almost anything Irish or Scottish so I heartily recommend this book as well.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

On... The Twilight of Courage by Bodie and Brock Thone

This book was not what I expected. I thought that this book bridged the gap between the Zion Chronicles and the Zion Legacies... during the years of the war but instead it covered some of the same territory as the books at the end of the first series.

As I read through the book I noticed portions that seemed familiar. I thought that maybe I was just imagining it but as I got to the end of the book, even the last few pages I read word for word pages from the other books. I couldn't help but be disappointed.

That's not to say anything about the Thoene's writing. I did find issue with how many characters this story revolves around but the compelling drama is still there in spades.

The only reason that I would not recommend this book is because of the overlap with books of other series.

Monday, January 21, 2008

On... Jerusalem's Hope by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book ends the Zion Legacy series but wets my appetite for more of the AD Chronicles. I currently own the first four and I can't wait to dive into the remaining three.

While I absolutely love the Thoene's writing style and the periods of history that they choose I happen to prefer the stories that they write that take place during the time of Christ.

The Thoene's weave together all kinds of symbols, symbols in the Bible and symbols of the Hebrew language to tie together reality/truth and fiction.

I have an analytical mind so seeing how different pieces of the puzzle fit together gives me immense joy. Perhaps that's why I love these books so much!

Again, I give a very strong recommendation for the Thones.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

On... The Jerusalem Scrolls by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book takes place primarily during the time of Jesus. Moshe Sachar is underground hiding during a very dark time for the new Jewish state and has been directed to read these ancient scrolls that have been preserved for hundreds or thousands of years by his wife's grandfather.

One minor note on that front. For the most part I have not been able to discern major mistakes by the Thoene's but in the prologue both Moshe and Alfie refer to Rebbe Lebowitz (Moshe's grandfather-in-law) as Rebbe Lubetkin which was Rachel's name before she married Moshe. Now, this was probably just an editorial mistake but one that I couldn't get around for the most part. I mean, obviously if Rachel's mother was Rebbe Lebowitz's daughter, the last name is not going to be the same. I realize as I type this that all of this information may go over most everyone else's head so I will leave off there.

I have to say that after having read Magdalene by Angela Hunt I was faced with the difficult task of seeing this Miyram of Magdala as a different kind of character. obviously the two characters are completely different. I happen to prefer Angela Hunt's interpretation of the character which slightly soured my own perspective on the majority of the text.

In an interesting way though I was intrigued to see how two different authors can approach the same Biblical character and come up with such different interpretations. I admire that actually. For the sake of the understanding of the reader though it is a little difficult. :D

The characters in these books are connected and further developed in the most recent series by the Thoene's "The First Light Chronicles", the series that really turned me onto the Thoene's to begin with. I love seeing how the characters connect and even how Moshe connects to the modern character in the beginning of the First Light Chronicles books.

Even though there were minor things that distracted me I did enjoy the book. I enjoy anything from that time period and that area of the world. When the book is written by a good author such as one can find in the Thoene's, I can't really ask for more.

Friday, January 18, 2008

On... Thunder from Jerusalem by Bodie and Brock Thoene

David and Ellie returned in this book. I found myself quite happy with that. :D

Only a few more days passed during the narration of this book. I had no idea that the establishment of the Jewish state was so hotly contested, and on such thin ice.

ONce again, I absolutely loved the book and can't wait to pick up the next one!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

On... Jerusalem Vigil by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book begins the Zion Legacy Series, a follow-up to the series I just finished.

In fact, this book picks up the very day after the fifth book of the Zion Chronicles Series (A Key to Zion) ends.

The entire scope of the story takes place in three days, three days of intense fighting for the survival of the Jewish state. I could not put the book down. I flipped through the pages at such a rapid pace not really because I wanted to finish the book quickly but because I wanted to find out what would happen to all of the characters.

This series introduces several new characters whose stories will probably develop over the remaining books in the series. Moshe and Rachel return from the Zion Chronicles but David and Ellie weren't mentioned at all in Jerusalem Vigil. (I hope that David and Ellie's fate is at least alluded to in the books to come. :D I want to know what happened to them).

While most of the other books I have read recently by the Thoene's had little if any recap this book had quite a bit in the first few pages but I believe that's to be expected when a new series is started. The readers of this book may not have read the Zion Chronicles or even realized that the Zion Chronicles is a connected series to this one and that they come first chronologically. (I just realized that I reserved the books at the library in a very providential order. I don't think I would have enjoyed it very much if I had read the Zion Legacy Series before the Zion Chronicles. :D)

As alluded to before, I could not put this book down. The captivating storytelling held my attention as did details of history that I never knew before. Reading these books has awakened such a desire in me to go to the Holy Land and if that is not feasible in the near future to learn as much as I can about the land God chose for His people.

Once again I give a very strong recommendation of these books. I probably will be asking for them to be added to my collection. :D

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

On... The Return to Zion by Brodie and Brock Thoene

I cannot get enough of this series. When I left off reading this book this morning I almost made myself late for work when I had to find out if one of the characters had actually died in such a tragic manner. She was okay.

The fact that the the Thoenes were able to draw me in so easily like that speaks to their amazing writing ability. I usually skim just a bit when I read books and especially when I try to finish a book in a single day. :D With this books one simply cannot do that. One would find oneself like me, a little lost at one point because I missed a very important detail.

The little details taste like choice morsels. I feel full when I finish one of their books and this one did not fail to meet that standard. I wish there were more hours in the day or that I didn't want to do so many other things. I would love to sit down or walk around (:D) and read the rest of the Thoene books I have sitting by my chair right now.

Once again I still strongly recommend the Thoene's to any lover of Christian historical fiction. (Granted, there have been some issues raised with their historicity but even I, a history major, am willing to forgive them their shortcomings. :D)

Monday, January 14, 2008

On... One Eye Laughing the other weeping by Barry Denenberg

Once again I picked up a Dear America book. This book peeked my interest more so than usual because I have been reading books by Bodie and Brock Theone which center on the effects of World War II on Jews... and other things of course.

Something I appreciate about the Dear America books is that the authors realize that even though these characters write their stories during momentous occasions these children will write entries about inconsequential things that mean nothing to the course of history.

Even though I wish this Julie Weiss' (the main character) life had ended up differently I really enjoyed the book. I can never get enough of books written about eras such as World War II and learning the stories of all those affected by such a tragic period.

On... A Daughter of Zion by Bodie and Brock Theone

I am so glad that I didn't have to put this book down and come back to it. I don't know if I would have been able to.

I felt completely drawn into the story of Rachel Lubetkin and Moshe Sachar. Unlike other books in these interconnected series, for the most part the narration centers with Rachel or Moshe, telling basically one story.

Of course it wouldn't be a Theone book unless other information was included. Other story lines continued along with a little information here or a little information there.

When I actually love a book as i do this one I really try to look back and figure out why I like the book so much. I know that I like the book because I love the characters but it must be more than that because there have been other compelling characters in books written by such pedestrian authors such as Gilbert Morris.

I honestly don't know why I like the book so much. I have a feeling though that I enjoyed the book because I wasn't distracted by pesky pet peeves (things I don't like in books) and because the story absolutely drew me into the book.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

On ... The Gates of Zion by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I have loved every book I have read by the Thoenes. They weave together the lives of so many different characters in such a way that it creates a tightly knit fabric that draws me along to find out what happens to all of these characters during the time in Europe just before World War II or in Jerusalem leading up to the establishment of a Jewish state.

These are areas of history that I have not studied in detail. Of course I've studied World War II before and know many of the signs that people of that time did not know would lead to such a war but that people looking on from behind see perfectly. I have not studied what happened in Europe at the time so being able to delve into that time through the eyes of the characters Bodie and Brock create is such a thrill.

This series picks up with the stories of many of the characters I met in another of their series in 1947 mere months before the establishment of the Jewish state.

When I finished the book I put it down reluctantly. As much as I wanted to simply dive into the rest of the books in the series I pulled myself away and started to work on the other things I have to get done for the day.

I strongly recommend these authors to anyone who loves compelling Christian historical fiction.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

On... The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

My interest in this book started around the time that publicity for the recent movie began. I have heard of Pullman before and the "His Dark Materials" series before but never got around to reading them.

Originally I put this book on my Fall Reading list because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. I don't know if I will go see the movie in theatres or wait until it comes out on video but that's beside the point.

Just this past week was I able to obtain the book from the library so the book became part of my Winter Reading Challenge list.

I found myself very intrigued by the book. I have always held a soft spot in my imagination for fantasy, for the idea of another world. Pullman does a very good job bringing the reader into this world of his... part real world, every day life kind of things and part fantasy, things that stretch the imagination. Thankfully Pullman does not bother to explain every part of this world to the reader. Only at the end of the book does the reader have a grasp on the ins and outs of this world but that grasp is very tenuous at best.

I kept bracing myself throughout the book to see all of the anti-Christian elements I've heard so much about but it wasn't until the very end of the book... literally the last ten pages or so... that Pullman literally throws all of these ideas at the reader, including a very twisted translation/version of Genesis 2.

Overall I am very intrigued by the book, by the author and his writing style. I wish there were some clearly good character besides Lyra, that this little girl could rely on because to be honest her parents seem very weird. :D I believe that I will read the rest of the series but these books are not for those who do not read with discernment.

On... Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I first heard of the book when the movie based on it came out a couple of years ago. A friend read the book and said that she liked the book but it wasn't as good as the movie.

I've never seen the movie so that recommendation didn't mean much to me.

Once again I've come across a very talented author with a knack for creating a sadly beautiful story. Part of me as a writer wants to know the story of every person yet at the same time when so many stories are like Chiyo's one realizes how much sadness there is on this earth.

So many Americans really did not and still don't know what it meant to be a geisha in Japan. To be honest, I didn't either. It amazes me the length that some people go to in order to justify their sin, to paint a pretty picture of dung.

This story drew me in and kept me reading until the very last page of the book. Just like the geisha narrator, Golden holds back crucial information and only hints at some points of the story, a good way to heighten the intrigue.

I can't say that I enjoyed the book because it really is hard to find joy in such a depressing story but I did enjoy the book in the sense that one enjoys a well-written piece of literature.

Friday, January 11, 2008

On... Sons of an Ancient Glory by B.J. Hoff

This fourth book of the Emerald Ballad series introduces new characters to the ever evolving story and promotes others to the forefront of the story.

Unfortunately the quality of storytelling does not improve. I noticed during my reading of this book that the plots seem to cycle around near death experiences. Several of the characters have nearly died more times than a cat who has used up all nine lives. Sometimes these near death experiences came absolutely out of nowhere. For instance... within mere moments, seconds really, one of the characters is deathly ill with cholera.

Yeah. I like stretching my imagination to encompass the unexpected or unusual but still, I appreciate gradual stretches more than quantum, yet predictable leaps.

Thankfully only one book remains in the series.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

On ... The Election Process, a comparative look

On the cover of the magazine in front of me I find the following headlines at the top of the page: "Obama Takes Iowa, but Don't Count Hillary Out" and "Can Huckabee Keep the Faith in New Hampshire?"

One can hardly turn to major magazines or the national or even local media without hearing something about the ongoing election process. For some this can be a good thing, a sign that America is paying attention to a race that could have dramatic effects on their life or their children's life. Others find themselves so sick of the constant barrage of information and the spinning of pundits that they almost want to become physically sick.

Recently I have started to pay much closer attention to this race. I fully believe in the electoral process and try to take a look at the election in light of the big picture. Having studied history and received a degree in history the political process is immensely fascinating. Some of my biggest pet peeves come from how people view their vote. ... Don't get me started on the whole "I'm voting for someone who I think could win but not this other person because I don't want to lose my vote." :D

Something new about this election for me is that I've discovered other people just as pumped up and fired up as I am about the political process. I've even gotten into some rather heated political debates and enjoyed it to some extent.

Then sometimes I wonder about how Christians can practically tear each other apart on the benefits or detractions of a particular candidate. I could get into how I feel about that and how I think a Christian should choose a candidate but that is not the point of this entry.

I started this entry after I opened the above mentioned magazine to the second page where the headline on the article is "when the balloting leads to bloodshed" a brief article about the tremendous violence in Kenya. The picture on the page just about breaks my heart. A father carries one of his sons while running beside the other two. The reason they are running: backlash against the candidate chosen in the election.

This violence is going on now. This election occurred within days of the Iowa caucuses. As Christians this reality should change my actions in my own electoral process. I am grateful for the history of my country. I am grateful for the teaching instilled in me by my parents, school and church.

Instead of tearing apart a fellow Christian in any fashion I will step back from my own opinions no matter how important I think they are and perhaps say a prayer for the poor souls in Nairobi.

On Mirror, Mirror on the Wall by Barry Denenberg

The Dear America series is probably one of the best historical fiction series for children. I enjoy reading these books even as an adult. Part of that is because I always wonder what life might have been like for a person living in different ages of history and how their life would have unfolded.

From the prospective of a future middle school English (possibly) teacher I definitely would assign at least one or two books from this series to my students.

This particular book is the story of Bess, a girl born with sight who loses her sight in a tragic snow sledding accident. She chronicles, through a sighted person (her twin sister for a large part) her time at the Perkins school for the blind and how she had to learn how to do all of these normal activities she once knew. Even though I wanted her to end up finding love in the epilogue she did not. I definitely enjoyed the book.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

On... Heart of the Lonely Exile and Land of a Thousand Dreams by B. J. Hoff

I have to say that I was disappointed when I picked up these two sequels in the An Emerald Ballad series. The compelling story line that drew me into the story and helped me forgive some of Mrs. Hoff's flaws sputtered out about halfway through Heart of the Lonely Exile.

What remained in the book were the tried and true plots of people coupling up with a few sticky triangles to sort out. When the main question of the plot revolves around "will they or won't they get married" a single girl with no prospects in mind and a somewhat discerning taste in books is left with a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

I'll finish out this series but probably not read any more books by Mrs. Hoff. I may even sell the books that I have. I don't want my library burdened down with pedestrian writing. :D

I may or may not write a review of the other two books.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

On... Song of the Silent Harp by B. J. Hoff

I approached this book hesitantly because my most recent experience with a couple of her newest books. I absolutely detested those two books, not that the plots themselves were all that bad but the writing seemed very pedestrian.

I remember while I read those books that I was surprised at the level of writing because I didn't remember that from her other books.

This book reminded me of those previous ones. I absolutely fell in love with the characters even though Hoff bounces back and forth between characters and countries even. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

Monday, January 07, 2008

On... The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

I added this book to my list because I wanted to learn more about this presidential candidate who in what little information I received looked very interesting. While I would prefer Mike Huckabee as president I think that I could support Obama.

Obama writes with a very fluid, almost popular style. I discovered about fifty pages into the book that it was taking me much longer than normal to read this book because I wanted to read everything on the page... every word.

When I first noticed that Obama was not narrating in a strictly chronological direction I had a little bit of hesitation. Books or other forms of narratives that skip around and/or venture off into unconnected subjects are a big turn off for me. I kept reading the book and realized that this sort of narrative is exactly what a potential voter could ask for in order to learn about a candidate.

Each of the chapters deals with different aspects of life from Democrats vs. Republicans to Family. I learned just about everything that I could wish to know about Obama as a presidential candidate and nearly everything that I would wish to know about him as a person.

For anyone interested in becoming a well-informed voter this political season should pick up this book if for nothing else than to get a little information about this relatively unknown frontrunner. The fact that Obama writes with ease and appeal is just an added bonus.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

On... My War by Andy Rooney

Rooney's acerbic style, evident in his regular segment on 60 minutes, shows up in spades in this book.

He describes his experience as a army newspaperman during WWII and does not hold back his opinion. He comes right out and says that he holds no respect for General George Patton.

While I still prefer the rather more idealistic tone/view of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation I appreciate learning about the experience of another person who experienced this momentous series of events in world history.

The book is well written and interesting even though Rooney uses more--but appropraite--coarse language than I usually am comfortable with.

Friday, January 04, 2008

On... The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I really don't have much to say about this book having already reviewed several of Ms. Christie's books this week. The book did not utterly disappoint but it wasn't much of a thriller or the least bit captivating either. I actually started to fall asleep at one point but perhaps that was because I was trying to read the book while lying down. :D

Thursday, January 03, 2008

On... The Parting by Beverly Lewis

This book originally was on my list for the Fall Reading challenge but I didn't realize how popular the book was at the library. When I first submitted my hold I was 20th on the wait list!

After finally picking up the book last Saturday I put it on my list for the Winter Reading Challenge.

I've always been intrigued by Lewis' books and her exploration of what it means to be Amish and an Amish person's relationship with Christ.

This book (and likely the books to come in the series) deals with a schism in the Old Order Amish that occurred back in the sixties. (Lewis did actually find evidence of two such splits and based the series off of those). The hair that broke the camel's back (for lack of a better metaphor) was a real and true revival... many Old Order Amishmen searching out the Scripture for themselves and their families.

The main character... Nellie Fisher... has to deal with many things in order to marry her sweetheart Caleb Yoder. Among them are her younger sister's death a hundred days before the beginning of the story, rumors of Suzy's wild Rumpsprighe, Suzy's revelation (through her diary), Nellie's father's conversion, the beginning of the schism and the pressures of Caleb's father... stay Old Order and away from the Fisher family or be denied the family land (something promised almost as a birthright).

The main issues Lewis deals with in this book (and likely further in the forthcoming books of the series) are things that I have always wanted to get my head around when dealing with the Amish. I almost could not put this book down. (I had to at one point in order to go to work :D) I eagerly anticipate the publishing of the subsequent books in the series.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

On... Magdalene by Angela Hunt

This is the last of the new books that I received for Christmas and it was definitely worth the wait.

I am always intrigued when an author takes on a character that lived during the time of Christ. These people named in the Bible aren't just names. They are frail human beings just like us.

This book was written and published during at least some of the furor surrounding the Da Vinci Code book and movie while many theories abounded about the supposed relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

Hunt absolutely captivated me with this story and her portrayal of the reality of demon possession. Many Christians shy away from such things but possession is real and terrible. After losing her entire family because of the brash actions of her elder son Miryam seeks justice, revenge against the Roman soldiers that in her eyes stole every part of her life... her husband, her elder son, wife and unborn child and younger son. After coming up short Miryam's desire for revenge leaves her open for possession by demons... those that she calls foreign gods.

Though Miryam is not possessed for most of the book, the few chapters where she was absolutely broke my heart. I could see Miryam's heartache and the rejection of those left to her.

Even after Yeshua (Jesus) cast out the demons and after she spend so much time with him and believed in his message Miryam still fell prey to her selfish human pride in a way where even though she ultimately received forgiveness from those closest to her she still had to face a rather definite consequence.

On... Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

I thought this book would fall along the lines of other books of hers that I've read and in many ways it did. In one significant way it did not. I don't know if this makes me enjoy the book more or not.

This book is narrated by Nurse Leatherann in the first person rather than in the third person of the detective. Obviously, much of the detective work still came through the person of Nurse Leaterann but I did appreciate the story being told from another point of view.

Unfortunately that one beneficial aspect did little to increase Agatha Christie's standing in my mind. While her books are not pedestrian in the least they do seem a little unbelievable. I noticed in this book that once again all of the suspects are confined within a certain area... in this case the archeological expedition... and the detective never has to stretch his deduction skills to include normal suspects that in real life would probably not stick around in order to be questioned. ;)

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

On... Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie

I'll never forget when I finally learned that Agatha Christie was a real person and not just a pen name. I don't know why I figured that Agatha Christie was a pen name... perhaps because her books are held in such high repute that she's become legend. ;)

Something that continually drives me nuts with her books... though not so much with this one... is that she crafts her mysteries in such a way that it is impossible for the reader to discern clues and figure out the answer to the mystery or simply be stumped at the end. The term "deus ex machina" comes to mind.

In this book though Christie drops many hard to discern clues in the first few chapters in which she also throws so much information at the reader that one is left picking up the pieces and trying to determine which bit of information is important. In any other genre besides a mystery this would annoy me but the beginning of this novel awakened my inner detective.

The actual murder... well, the first out of three... doesn't happen until about a hundred pages into the book. Actually, I was wondering when the murder was going to happen and thankfully Christie spared the readers an entire book of detective work and instead gave only half a book. :D