-
Book Review: De Quincey by David Masson
Title: De Quincey Author: David Masson Published: New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1887. Pages-198. (Part of the English Men of Letters series edited by John Morley) Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859) was an English writer widely known as the author of Confessions of an Opium Eater. The surname might suggest a French importation, but De Quincey was sensitive to this and stressed that his family had come in with the Conquest and even consisted of some Earls of Winchester in the thirteenth century. Today we might not think much of that, but in De Quincey’s day it was an important distinction. His father was Thomas Quincey (abt. 1752-1792), it seems De Quincey resurrected the “De” with his generation. His father was a literary man and wrote a book A Short Tour in the Midland Counties of England, performed in the Summer of 1772: together with an Account of a Similar Excursion undertaken September, 1774. Masson gives us his impression of the father’s book: “There is an eye also for the picturesque in scenery, and for architectural beauties or defects in towns, churches, and country-seats; and the style is that of a well-educated man, accustomed to write English. Once or twice…
-
Book Review: The Reluctant Disciple: Daring to Believe
Title: The Reluctant Disciple: Daring to Believe Author: David Wells, the Director of adult faith formation in the Diocese of Plymouth. Married with three kids. Guest-lectures at three universities.[1] Published: Toronto, Ontario: Novalis, 2015. Pages-181. At my church, for the last couple of years, I have attended a book/Bible study facilitated by our parish priest in between the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Mass. We have read and discussed several books from C.S. Lewis and many that were strictly Bible study. We just finished with The Reluctant Disciple. I will be honest, when it was first mentioned I had my doubts. I guess I can tend to be cynical. I was all for Augustine’s Confessions, but Father was probably correct in steering us away from that. Now that we have finished the book, I can truly say it was a good fit for our group. Wells presents thirty chapters that are each titled with a catchy phrase such as, “What the turkey taught us,” Stupid Me,” and “Are you keeping busy?” The chapters start with a few lines of scripture, then, an anecdotal story from Well’s personal life, followed by a part he calls “Making connections, which is really just seeking…
-
Book Review: “Christopher North” A Memoir of John Wilson
Title: “Christopher North” A Memoir of John Wilson, Late Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, compiled from family papers and other sources by his daughter, Mrs. Gordon Author: Mrs. Gordon, Mary Wilson Gordon Published: New York: W. J. Widdleton, 1863. 484-pages. This book is a biography about a Man of Letters, John Wilson. The term is not really used much anymore. My Encyclopedia Britannica only has a few lines dedicated to him. Wikipedia has just a few paragraphs. However, after reading this book, and thinking about the man, his career, his family, and friends, perhaps it is not Wilson that has lost something by being lost to obscurity, but rather, our loss, a sign of our own decadence and self-centeredness. We, being society in general, tend to think and act like we are the end in itself. I believe we have a lot to learn by studying history and people of importance. How were they able to find and acknowledge the truths they encountered? What were the reasons why they became who they were? Who did they influence? What does this tell us about the human condition in general? In particular? How can we learn from past…
-
Book Review: Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley
Huxley, like many other great people, uses many literary references and was very well read. In all his education reform he stresses the need for men of science to have a good background in literature. He states, “Science and literature are not two things, but two sides of one thing.”
-
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…
-
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.
-
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…
-
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. …
-
Creationism and Its Critics in Antiquity
By: David Sedley 2007 So how did this book end up on my reading list? In my journey to find other adults to discuss the classics and how they pertain to modern issues I discovered this book and other resources. I started my quest by asking friends and family, this then expanded to social groups, and business acquaintances. One of the librarians was wondering why anybody would want to read that old stuff for fun, it was bad enough she had to read it in college. One day I was talking to one of my customers, (I own a board game store), he is a professor at University of Cincinnati and he informed me that they have a really good classics department and often host classics presentations that are open to the public. After checking the schedule online I found when the next presentation was. I made it a point to be there. The guest speaker was Dr. Athena Kirk on “The Semantics of Showcase in Herodotus’ Histories”. In preparation to meet this presenter, I looked up the professor online to see if she had any books that I could read beforehand. I did not find any, but I found…
