Wednesday, January 14, 2015

My Classic Book Journey continues!!


#2

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

"Wise Blood: An idea that one has innate, worldly knowledge of what direction to take in life, and requires no spiritual or emotional guidance.



Hazel Motes is a simpleton from Tennessee who leaves home and travels by train to Taulkinham where he spreads his gospel of anti-religion and the church of No Jesus.   Motes meets several interesting characters along the way, all of them over the top.  But this is OK, because this exaggerated treatment of these characters makes for an interesting and compelling story.



Flannery O’Connor loves mixing religion with her beloved American South. And because it is Flannery, don’t expect rainbows and unicorns.



Two favorite quotes:

“Rat Colored Car”

“Eyes the color of clear fresh ice”

 5 / 5 Stars





#3

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad




Inspired by Conrad’s journey to the Congo in 1890.



I don’t know what to say. I didn’t enjoy this book.  I can’t say I cared that the main character Marlow was on a ship traveling to Africa for Ivory trading. 



This is the problem with some classics, they are not relatable. I’m not in for high adventure. Perhaps when this was written (before TV) it served its purpose, but today’s reader can’t connect to this.



I did enjoy some of the language, especially the quotes below.



“The germs of empires”

“Like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker.”

“Free as air and nearly as thin.”

“We live as we dream, alone.”

“I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.”

3 / 5  Stars

No comments: