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Book Review: John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and Other Eighteenth-Century Plays
Title: John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and Other Eighteenth-Century Plays (Everyman’s Library 818 Poetry & Drama) Editor: John Hampden Published: London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1962. Hardcover 408-pages. This book is a natural segue from the last book I read, Garrick and His Circle. Hampden has selected seven plays that he says were “chosen as representative of the most important forms of eighteenth- century drama.” In his introduction, he states there are better plays that were left out of this selection, but these were chosen to help the reader understand the transition and development of the stage during this period. The plays are presented in chronological order as they were released on the stage. The Prologue written by Dr. Samuel Johnson and spoken by David Garrick at the reopening of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1747, is an excellent choice to open the presentation of the seven plays. I particularly love the line: “Ah! Let not Censure term our fate our choice; The stage but echoes back the publick voice; The drama’s laws, the drama’s patrons give, For we that live to please, must please to live.” In other words, we should not blame the actors and…
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Book Review: Garrick and His Circle
I would recommend it to someone who was already familiar with the time period and some of the major characters. I do not recommend it as a starting point to learn about Garrick or his circle, however, it is an excellent addendum to someone who has already started to learn about this period.
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Book Review: Thirty More Famous Stories Retold
Title: Thirty More Famous Stories Retold Author: James Baldwin (1841-1925) American editor and author Published: New York: American Book Company, 1905; Hardcover 235-pages. “Nearly all the stories are true, and there are not more than three or four that might not have happened. In every one there is something worth learning and remembering.” Preface by James Baldwin I enjoyed reading this book. It was refreshing and nostalgic. Didactic stories written for young readers with a moralistic bent. Baldwin covers the breadth of history with memorable stories that will instill in the reader a sense of virtue and a passion for history. I wish I had instilled upon my children to read more books like this and less of Goosebumps and what not. It makes me wonder if “as long as they’re reading it’s a good thing” is not really a true statement. What are they reading and how is it shaping them into the future man or woman they will become. Don’t get me wrong, I think my children have turned out great, despite my lack of good judgement as a parent. Baldwin tells us stories of Columbus, Balboa, Ponce de Leon, and Sir Francis Drake. Little anecdotes that make you…
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Book Review: The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored
Title: The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored Author: George Weigel Published: New York: Harper Collins, 2001; Hardcover 196-pages. This book is about reaching out and attempting to start a discussion about Catholicism for those that want to learn more about their own journey or those just curious to know what we believe. There are a lot of good topics in here to discuss with family and friends over a meal or instead of turning on the television. John Paul II was pope when this book was written. Some of the views you can tell were influenced from this time in history. Parts seem almost prophetic about what is to come. The questions are very important, it has been said that a good question is worth more than a good answer. A good question makes us think and search inside ourselves for an answer, it makes us know more about who we are and we grow. One of the strongest messages that come through is the sanctity of truth. As Catholics, we believe that truth is not dependent on how many people believe something to be true, it just is. If all the world denied God, he is still God. …
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Book Review: Liturgy 101: Sacraments and Sacramentals
Title: Liturgy 101: Sacraments and Sacramentals Author: Daniel G. Van Slyke Published: Liguori Publications; Liguori, Missouri; 2010; Paperback 143-pages. The title explains this book quite well, it is an entry level look at liturgy in relation to the sacraments and sacramentals. With that being said, it is not a dry, point by point, presentation of the facts, instead, Van Slyke presents the information in a language and style that is modern and easily understood. His true desire is for the reader to learn and develop a love and understanding of the special gift the sacraments entail. Basic terminology, such as, liturgy, sacrament, rite, Rite, rights, ordinary and extraordinary, that we hear so often, and yet perhaps do not fully understand their meaning, he explains with a look into ancient languages, history, cultural influences, and biblical references. A vital part of the didactic process is provided at the end of each chapter: a number of thought provoking questions, a list of abbreviations and sources used, and a few suggestions of additional reading. Modern complaints about the sacraments are presented and defended. The importance of the seven sacraments as a gift from God and that they are the “Pillars of the Church”…
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Christopher Marlowe: The Man in His Time
Christopher or Kit Marlowe (1564-93), was an English Elizabethan writer who rose from a shoemaker’s son to become a Cambridge scholar, famous playwright, and secret agent of the queen’s court.[1] He was murdered and perhaps assassinated before the age of thirty. In just six short years of production, he influenced Shakespeare and many others and left an indelible mark on English literature. If you know who he was, congratulations on your education, if you were like me before I read this book, I could not have told you hardly anything about him except the name sounded familiar. This is a good book to read about Christopher Marlowe because he was a very interesting and important person in English literature, the author has excellent credentials, and the narrative style is pleasant to read and informative. Marlowe was a very interesting and influential person. One of his most famous quotes is from Doctor Faustus, “Was this the face that launcht a thousand shippes?”[2] This is from the scene where Faustus has Mephistopheles raise Helen of Troy from the dead to be his paramour and he falls helplessly in love. Marlowe rose rapidly in fame in London for his plays. Even after his…
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Selected Poems of Matthew Arnold
This is a selection of poems from the English poet Matthew Arnold (1822-88). This is my first time reading a collection of Arnold’s work. The book breaks up the poems into four sections: early poems, narrative poems, sonnets, and lyric and elegiac poems. I believe when you read a person’s literary works, you get an idea of who the writer is. This is especially true of poetry. I get the sense of longing for what might have been that was not: a traveler looking for answers. His Scholar-Gipsy epitomizes this feeling I get of who Arnold was. Reading the collection, I get the sense that he was a determined and strongly dedicated man. He believed in lofty ideals and hoped fervently for justice to prevail. However, his Idealism was tempered with the reality of how things usually turn out. Many of his writings deal with travelers and customs. The characters experience a crisis of choice that must be made and it does not end in a fairy tale ending, but rather a realistic view. Of his early poems, I particularly enjoyed Stagirius . The narrative poem Sohrab and Rustum tells a father and son story of how fate can be…
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Books I Read: January 2016
A list of books and short stories I read in January 2016.
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A Writer Who Does Not Write
I am a writer who does not write. Why? Oh, I have many excuses. I always say I will get around to it someday. I guess, the truth is, I doubt my own ability. One thing for sure, I read a lot. For the last three years, I have voraciously read hundreds of books. However, reading and writing are two different things. It is like eating and cooking, some people prepare the meals and others just enjoy it. Nevertheless, the problem is, I want to be a writer. I even tell myself that I should be a writer. Perhaps it is just discipline. Maybe what is needed is just taking the plunge and letting the words just pour out… I am sure I am not alone with these feelings. In this day and age anyone can be a writer. But, I don’t want to be just a writer, I want to be a good writer, there’s the rub as they say. This desire to be a good writer paralyzes me and keeps me from being a writer. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. So tonight, I decided to just sit down and write. Okay, I have posted a few…
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The Collapse of Superman by William Roscoe Thayer
Review of a political satire debunking the myth of the German Superman in 1918.