Book #3 - "A Tale of Two Cities"

Phew. Completing this book was a personal victory! A few times, I have picked it up, attempted to read it, I got to maybe the third chapter and gave up. I am so glad I persevered this time as it is such a fantastic book. I really wish that one of my professors had taken it up in one of my classes where we could have spent up to two weeks, peeling back the many layers that exist and exploring the multiple themes and ideals that run throughout the book. When I finished reading the last sentence and closed the book, the first feeling I got was of being overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed with the deplorable things that occurred during the French Revolution. I was overwhelmed with the many accounts of intense sacrifice that Charles Dickens takes up. I was overwhelmed with the fact that a seemingly "stuffy" and somewhat difficult book, moved me the way it did. I was overwhelmed with the talent and skill that Dickens demonstrates in his style. I was overwhelmed that this book is both intimate and epic in its nature.
Prior to discussing the book itself, there are just a few negatives (if one can call them that), perhaps they are more warnings to potential readers. First, be prepared for extremely long sentences and excessive description. Though both of these characterize much of Dickens writings, it can be difficult to plow through! Second, it was first published in 1859, so it's only natural that the language matches the time period.
This is the first fictional book that I have done a review on, and due to the complexities of the plot (and so I don't spoil it for those of you who have yet to read it!), I will steer clear of laying out what occurs - you'll just have to read it for yourself :) With well over 200 million copies sold, and with a high ranking in the literature world, it is safe to say that you have to read this book! But in case you are still not convinced, let me lay out some of the themes and motifs that I noticed, in the hopes that it will pique your interest.
First of all, it's important to note that the narrator is anonymous and could very well be Dickens himself. I would say that the narrator is always sympathetic with the positive and morally good characters and with those who aren't so good, the narrator both criticizes them and yet understands that their circumstances have shaped them as such. The narrator is also third person omniscient, meaning that the focus switches often between cities and characters and also that the narrator sees all emotions, thoughts and motives.
Let's begin with the general themes of the book. (A theme is a fundamental, and often universal, idea that runs through a literary work.) As previously alluded to, A Tale of Two Cities deals with the vitality and mandatory matter of sacrifice. Obviously, as it is set in the French Revolution, sacrifice was something that literally occurred multiple times a day. But not only is sacrifice seen nationally, it is also experienced personally. Dickens seems to hone in on the belief that sacrifice is necessary in order to obtain true contentment and happiness. I'm not 100% sure in my own mind, that that is true in life. I do believe that selfishness gets a person nowhere, but I'm not fully convinced that the other extreme (that sacrifice must occur to be happy) is true. Something to ponder!
Another general theme that runs throughout is the glorious idea of resurrection, rebirth and renewal. In a book filled with darkness, evil and death, the times when this theme is visible, it reminds me of a flower growing in the midst of thorns and weeds. The book is divided (by Dickens), into three books: Book the First - Recalled to Life, Book the Second - The Golden Thread, and Book the Third - The Track of a Storm. The following is a passage from Book the First which provides an example of one of the many ways Dickens explores how resurrection/renewal is displayed. (To provide a bit of context, one of the main characters keeps having a reoccurring dream in which the conversation is always the same.)
A hundred times the dozing passenger inquired of this spectre:
"Buried how long?"
The answer was always the same. "Almost eighteen years."
"You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?"
"Long ago."
"You know that you are recalled to life?"
"They tell me so."
"I hope you care to live?"
"I can't say."...Though the earth was cold and wet, the sky was clear, and the sun rose bright, placid and beautiful. "Eighteen years!" said the passenger, looking at the sun. "Gracious creator of day! To be buried alive for eighteen years!"
Dickens also analyzes the theme of revolution and transformation in a somewhat ambivalent manner. While he seems to support the general cause, he does not support the methods behind achieving it. He also does not choose which class of society to support, for he condemns both the nobility and the peasants and the strategies both groups use. It is only in the final chapter, that Dickens concisely states his opinion on this extremely significant event in history: "Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind.”
(I want to interject here just to aid in helping to differentiate between a theme and a motif. A theme is an overall idea and a motif is something that has symbolic significance and contributes to the development of the present themes.) Perhaps the greatest motif Dickens uses in conveying these themes is his use of doubles throughout the entire book. As the title suggests, Dickens seeks to tell his story both in London and Paris. Even his famous opening quote ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." ) gives way to the fact that doubles will be central in the narrative. Doubles are also seen in all central characters, for example, the two most important females in the text are perfectly opposed to each other. The use of doubles strengthens and asserts the thematic elements and not only shows the stark contrasts that exist (both in settings and in characters) but it also illuminates the hidden parallels that are subtly present.
Another motif that Dickens makes use of to further develop the themes, is imprisonment. Every character is imprisoned in some way, whether it be literally or symbolically. For some, it is mere memories that keep them confined. For others, it is a struggle against what they cannot change that binds them.
Dickens is a master at elaborately weaving together a tale which has all the components to make it well-rounded. Suspense, reunions, joy, disaster, romance, grief, life, death, war, family, enemies, the past, present and future, and social issues are just some of those to name a few! His descriptions, although at times excessively long, paint such a vivid and elaborate picture that the reader can smell the smells, see the sights and hear the sounds that are being experienced by the characters. The edition I read, was published by the Modern Library, and on the inside book jacket they state this, which I thought I must pass on: "The most famous and perhaps the most popular of (Dickens) works, it compresses an event of immense complexity to the scale of a family history, with a cast of characters...as believably flawed as any in modern fiction."
This edition also included Dickens' preface to the first edition from which I quote, "Throughout its (the book) execution, it had complete possession of me; I have so far verified what is done and suffered in these pages, as that I have done and suffered it all myself...it has been one of my hopes to add something to the popular and picturesque means of understanding that terrible time..."
I feel I am grossly inadequate to provide an acceptable review for this book! Indeed, I have only scratched the surface of what I personally noticed and enjoyed and there is so much more. I leave you with the very last sentence of the book. The sentence which, even though I read it three days ago, still runs in my mind and is a grand way to end such a book. May it whet your appetite to discover who said it, why they were saying it and its meaning - for when you discover the answers, you will enjoy it only more!
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

As always, comments are welcome :)

Book #2 - "Let Me Be A Woman"

I finished this book this afternoon and was determined to write about it right away, so that I'm caught up! This book is a classic, in that I'm sure many people (especially women, of course) have already read it.
The author, Elisabeth Elliot, is the wife of the famous missionary/martyr Jim Elliot. At the time this book was published in 1976, she had been single, married three times and widowed twice. One might call her an 'expert' on the issues of relationships, contentment with being single and a woman's role in life and relationships. In 1999, she wrote a short introductory note to this book explaining the background and what was happening in society as it was being written: "This book was written at the height of the strong feminist movement that swept through our country in the seventies and eighties. Women were told that they ought to get out of the house and do something 'fulfilling'."
This book is very unique in style. It is comprised of 49 chapters and yet the book's length is only 175 pages. So each chapter is, at most, three pages long - yet so much information is packed into those pages! If you had the time, it would probably be best to read one chapter a day. It is also unique in that it is extremely personal, for it is a mother writing to her daughter. The full title is: "Let Me Be A Woman - Notes to My Daughter on the Meaning of Womanhood." In the same introductory note mentioned previously, she states to her daughter (who has now been married 23 years as of 1999), "So I wrote a book as my wedding present to you, putting down in black and white the great eternal principles that distinguish men from women." I love it when authors plainly state the purpose of their book! It makes my job a lot easier :) Elliot is gifted in that she writes both extremely simply and yet extremely intellectually at the same time - which is why all of her books are a pleasure to read.
It's difficult to create an outline for the book as you get the very intimate sense that Elliot would write something as it came to mind, then maybe she went out for the day or out for a walk, thought of something she wanted to say and would write it down when she returned. I personally think that is why the chapters are so short - each chapter is a thought that has come to her that she wishes to pass along to her daughter. Be assured that this in no way makes the book disjointed, rather it emphasizes each point in a concise manner. However some of the broader issues (to name just a few) that she deals with are:
- The Order of Creation: Women for Man
- Submission and Authority in Marriage
- Masculinity and Femininity
- What Makes a Marriage Work
- What Marriage is: A Union, A Mirror, A Vocation
- Humility and Equality
- As a Woman, who do you marry?
     - You marry a sinner
     - You marry a man
     - You marry a husband
     - You marry a person

Once again, there are far too many interesting and excellent quotes and arguments to list but here are a few that I both enjoyed and yet challenged me:

- "Christian love is action. It is the warp and woof of marriage, and because marriage itself is a life work, this love is worked out through all the days and years of marriage, growing as it is practiced, deepening as cares and responsibilities deepen, and turning, at the same time, those cares and responsibilities (and even the drudgeries) into deeper joy." (pg. 172)
- (Quoting Isak Dinesen from Out of Africa): "(The right kind of) pride is faith in the idea that God had when He made us. A proud man is conscious of the idea and aspires to realize it. He does not strive towards a happiness, or comfort, which may be irrelevant to God's idea of him. His success is the idea of God, successfully carried through, and he is in love with his destiny." (pg. 17)
- "We are given (gifts) by a divine Giver who knows the end from the beginning, and wants above all else to give us the gift of Himself. It is within the sphere of the circumstances He chooses for us - single, married, widowed - that we receive Him. It is there and nowhere else that He makes Himself known to us. It is there we are allowed to serve Him." (pg. 26)

I hope I've whetted your appetite for more - there are so many more gems contained in this book! As a single person, who has now read this book twice, may I be so bold to say that IF and WHEN I am to be married, I will definitely read this book again - consider it a "marriage manual". It defines marriage, prepares one for marriage, and for those who are married, it holds many good reminders. It is, I would say, more geared towards women (hence the title!) but for any men wishing to have help in knowing the Biblical guidelines and principles for womanhood, then by all means read this book. When you finish it, you may feel overwhelmed (as I did!) at the wealth of knowledge that you have just read, but it is a very readable book in itself and one I would definitely recommend.
Leanne, if you are reading this...one confession. This is, in fact, your book (evidence of this is your maiden name written inside!) and so I will return it the next time I see you. :)
Anybody who lives locally and is wanting this book, PBS does sell it for around $7! :)
As always, comments are welcome below.

Book #1 - "Calm My Anxious Heart"

My sister helped me to solve the dilemma of which book I should start with! This is actually her book and I think I've had it in my possession for almost a year? Oops... I actually finished this about a week ago and immediately started on my second book, but this is actually the first opportunity I've had to sit down and write a review on it.
The title instantly appealed to me. I am, by nature and by unfortunate habits, an extremely anxious person. I love being in control - some call it bossy! - and I have to know what my plans are well in advance. Certain people in my life are helping me to realize that certain spontaneity is good and fun, and I am gradually beginning to allow some spontaneity to creep into my life. :)
I need to give a bit of background info on the author as that makes a big difference when you read the book! Her name is Linda Dillow. For 17 years, her and her husband were missionaries in various places in Europe and Asia, they now reside in the USA. At the beginning of each of the 12 chapters, there is a page-long story from her time overseas that helps to emphasize her point in that chapter - the stories are all very interesting and most are quite sobering. In fact, her dedication states, "To the women in Eastern Europe who lived contentment before me."
At first glance (and due to the title), I thought this book was just about conquering anxiety. But Dillow makes a very interesting connection between contentment and anxiety; we can have wonderful peace when we are content with what has been given us. The first part of the book deals with contentment and her first chapter is aptly titled "My Journey to Contentment". Contentment is something that needs constant work. It is a conscious desire and choice - we must CHOOSE to be content. She then deals with the following aspects:
- Content with Circumstances
- Content to be Me
- Content with My Role
- Content in Relationships.
Dillow then address the enemy of contentment - greed. This chapter is suitably called "Never Enough", which is followed by the topic of our focus and purpose in life and how vital it is that our focus is correct, otherwise our entire life is thrown off. May my focus in life be truly Christ - He is all I need!
She continues on with the anxiety part of the book - addressing worry and how our faith needs to be secure and well-grounded to ease our worries, fears and anxieties. The final three chapters deal with the same topic but she has split them into a triplet:
- Trusting God with the "What Ifs"
- Trusting God with the "If Onlys"
- Trusting God with the "Whys"

This book is very personal for several reasons. One, the author uses many personal situations and experiences, very often baring her soul and heart. Two, the style that she has written it feels that she is sitting across the table from you, sincerely talking to you. Three, once you have read this book, your ideas about contentment and anxiety will radically change and it makes you more determined to be content with everything you have and to worry less! Four, it became a very personal book for me (so much so that I now have to buy my own copy soon!) as each and every point she raised directly challenged me.
The timing when I read this book was perfect. I read it in 1 week and at the end of this week, lay an obstacle that I had to face and overcome. It consisted of one of my worst fears. At the beginning of the week, I came very VERY close to accepting defeat and letting the obstacle/challenge win. It was affecting my eating and sleeping habits even! I was so thankful I read this book when I did! By the end of the week, I knew I could rely on power and strength far greater than my own, that God is already in my tomorrows, that I must not let this beat me and that indeed "worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere." There were SO many quotes, points and stories from this book that I enjoyed so much and I ended up writing them down - I took that paper with me when it was time to do battle with my fears and that paper is now kept in my purse for whenever anxiety overcomes me. I'll let you read the book and enjoy it yourself :) I'll leave you with the 'formula' that Dillow makes:
Problem: Living by Feelings - we live by our feeling and what we can see.
RESULT: An anxious heart.
Solution: Living by Faith - we must live by trusting God for what we can't see.
RESULT: A calm heart.

I strongly, strongly recommend this book! Very challenging, very readable (it also includes a 12-week Bible study) and for anyone who has struggled with contentment, worry or anxiety (no matter the degree) this book is, in essence, a balm to your anxious heart. Comments are welcome below :)

Books, Books, Books!

I know, I know...it's been a very long time since I've blogged! But in this new year, it will be different. I have compiled a list of 20 books which are in my possession and which I wish to read - some for the first time, others I have read before. With each book that I read on this list, I am going to aim to do a short review about it. The review will not be geared to persuade others to read that book (although if that happens, that's fantastic!) but I'm hoping that if I know I have to do a review, I'll pay more attention to what I'm reading.
Here are some reasons why I'm setting out to do this:
- Since leaving school, I have mostly done easy, pleasure reading - nothing too challenging or deep. I've missed reading some of the great literary works or books with strong arguments and themes and so I'm excited to read "deep" stuff again.
- Doing these reviews will encourage me to blog on a more regular basis. I am not going to set out a specific time (like every second Tuesday or something) because I don't want there to be that kind of pressure - otherwise I'll be reading faster than I want to be! But it will be more regular than last year!
- I have some books in my possession which I have borrowed from people for quite some time now (sorry, Mike!) and I'm hoping that this will "force" me to make time to read them, so I can give them back.
- It will force me out of my comfort zone, when it comes to reading. Let's face it. Most of the time, it's far easier to pick up a book that you can read, just to have something to read than to read something which may change your way of thinking or cause you to peel back the layers which the author has created.
- By stating all of this and my goals, it will keep me accountable to follow through with it!

On my list for the year are 20 books. Some are literary masterpieces, others are about historical events, others are more topical and some are meant to challenge. Here is the list, and the order they are listed is not necessarily the order in which I will read them.

1. Passion and Purity - Elisabeth Elliot
2. Calm My Anxious Heart - Linda Dillow
3. Short Stories - Charles Dickens
4. War & Peace - Leo Tolstoy
5. 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die - John Piper
6. The Truth War - John MacArthur
7. Last of the Few  - Max Arthur
8. Becoming a Woman of Extraordinary Faith - Julie Clinton
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
10. Let Me Be A Woman - Elisabeth Elliot
11. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
12. Hitler: A Short Biography - A.N. Wilson
13. Desiring God - John Piper
14. Joyfully at Home - Jasmine Baucham
15. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
16. Where is God when it hurts? - Philip Yancey
17. The Hidden Life of Prayer - David McIntyre
18. Don't Waste Your Life - John Piper
19. A Man Called Intrepid - William Stevenson
20. The Caravanserai: Collection of Poems - I.Y. Ewan

I'm excited to start this and I'm hoping that you will keep me accountable and maybe read some of them yourself! Stay tuned for the first review. Happy Reading :)

Prison Rodeo

Anyone know what a prison rodeo is? I certainly didn't! I am now working in the Justice department and when I read this article...it blew me away. I won't say anymore as it speaks for itself but please read and let me know your thoughts!

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/prison-rodeo-133417071.html

Meeting Justin Trudeau!

He was stopping off at Portage and so I thought, "Why not?" So my brother-in-law and I went to hear and meet him!

Also met Jon Gerrard (Leader of the MB Liberal Party)

 A very interesting time and exciting atmosphere! Wonder what April 14th will bring?

Easy-Pleasing Meatloaf & Rice :)

As my other recipe post mentioned...the kitchen scares me. It really does. So when my Mom asked me to cook supper tonight, I somewhat panicked. But then she gave me this recipe and it is a new favorite of mine as it is SO easy! So so so easy. Plus I hate the fiddly necessity of cooking the meat....yeah, this one you don't have to!

Meatloaf:

2 large eggs, beaten
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 package of Stove Top stuffing (chicken)
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce

-Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, beat eggs lightly with a fork.
-Place ground beef, stuffing mix, water eggs and BBQ sauce in bowl.
-Mix all ingredients with spoon until just blended
-Put mixture into greased 9x13 pan, shaping it to fit the pan, smoothing it out.
-Top meatloaf with more BBQ sauce
-Bake 1 hour, or until cooked.

THAT'S IT!!! SO EASY! Wait till you see how easy the rice recipe is below!

Rice:
1 cup of regular rice
1 3/4 cups of water
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. margarine

Place in cooking dish. Cover with lid. Cook at 350 F for 50 minutes....DONE!

The smells are heavenly, the taste is scrumptious and as I say...SO easy!