Rooms: A Novel
by James L. Rubart
B&H Books, (2010)
I received this free ebook from NetGalley.
Micah Taylor runs a software company and unexpectedly inherites a house (with a lot of strange rooms) on the Oregon coast. A new way of life starts, all happens with no reasonable grounds. A spiritual book.
Rubart writes: 'Micah, you have to decide once and for all which kingdom you want to live in. Because eventually one of the kingdoms has to -and will- disappear.' p. 186
This is a book of decision-making and like in every christian path Micah has to know the hell before the heaven.
Well written, but apart from this statement I didn't like Rooms.
I started reading this book thinking about a mystery-detective ones, but when Micah's ordinary life swings towards an extraordinary-faith-no faith life, all falls apart: both for the main character and myself.
A cybernetic God appears (Micah plans to project a 'Software that would change the Kingdom of God' p. 161). Micah starts a search of the lost truth in these rooms and small clues-madeleines (several letters, strange appeareances, new friends) help him in this hunting.
Micah as Mr. K. from The Castle by Kafka struggles to understand the misteries of these rooms, and he is alienated from the truth until the end of the book.
I recommend this book to those who love christian fiction and not just mystery books.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Review: The Brooklyn Follies
The Brooklyn Follies
by Paul Auster
Henry Holt and Company, New York (2005)
and
HarperAudio (2006), Audio CD
From Austen to Auster.
The characters: Nathan Glass, tha main character and the mirror of the others; Tom Wood, his nephew, from whom tree born a little brunch: Lucy (Tom's niece, 9-year-old); Harry Brightman, who (without knowing) lights new paths to follow.
Nathan has come to Brooklyn to die, in this city of follies he met Tom, who's working in a library owned by Harry. Others threads (people) run in this book crossing each other. From a background without hope and lives at the end of their days, give birth to a new order (a natural order).
Almost at the beginning Auster writes: 'All men contain several men inside them, and most of us bounce from one self to another without ever knowing who we are.' p.125
From old Europe Auster takes the idea that there must be something beyond all the symbolic order we live in. The problem is we cannot translate this order like a project in our life. 'Aeschylus, Homer, Sophocles, Plato, the whole lot of them. Invented by some clever Italian poets during the Renaissance.' p. 128
Auster specially quotes just Casey Stengel, a baseball player.
So the new America helps Auster: a full back to the natural order. This natural order appears with the child Lucy: she prefers no to talk, we have already said all the words. Lucy is the cause of the not planned stop in Vermont's woods. Auster writes: 'I want to talk about happiness and well-being, about those rare, unexpected moments when the voice in your head goes silent and you feel at one with the world.' p. 167
Eventually Harry said: 'one of my dreams was to publish an encyclopedia in which all the information was false.' p. 127
by Paul Auster
Henry Holt and Company, New York (2005)
and
HarperAudio (2006), Audio CD
From Austen to Auster.
The characters: Nathan Glass, tha main character and the mirror of the others; Tom Wood, his nephew, from whom tree born a little brunch: Lucy (Tom's niece, 9-year-old); Harry Brightman, who (without knowing) lights new paths to follow.
Nathan has come to Brooklyn to die, in this city of follies he met Tom, who's working in a library owned by Harry. Others threads (people) run in this book crossing each other. From a background without hope and lives at the end of their days, give birth to a new order (a natural order).
Almost at the beginning Auster writes: 'All men contain several men inside them, and most of us bounce from one self to another without ever knowing who we are.' p.125
From old Europe Auster takes the idea that there must be something beyond all the symbolic order we live in. The problem is we cannot translate this order like a project in our life. 'Aeschylus, Homer, Sophocles, Plato, the whole lot of them. Invented by some clever Italian poets during the Renaissance.' p. 128
Auster specially quotes just Casey Stengel, a baseball player.
So the new America helps Auster: a full back to the natural order. This natural order appears with the child Lucy: she prefers no to talk, we have already said all the words. Lucy is the cause of the not planned stop in Vermont's woods. Auster writes: 'I want to talk about happiness and well-being, about those rare, unexpected moments when the voice in your head goes silent and you feel at one with the world.' p. 167
Eventually Harry said: 'one of my dreams was to publish an encyclopedia in which all the information was false.' p. 127
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Review: In the Shadow of Dragons
In the Shadow of Dragons
by Kathleen Cunningham Guler
Bardsong Press, Steamboat Springs, Colorado (2001)
The second book of the Macsen's Treasure Series follows the path of Marcus ap Iorwerth and his wife Claerwen in the quest of Britons' kings.
Myrddin Emrys (also and better known as Merlin the Enchanter) is the other main character in this book, because he is the son of the king Ambrosius.
The druid Myrddin feels the danger looming on his father and asks Marcus for help; this time the couple (Marcus and Claerwen) works together.
The title referrs to Marcus' underground job as a spy, working in the shadow of the kings, and the Red Dragon (or Y Ddraig Goch) is the symbol of the people of Britain opposite to the White Dragon, symbol of the Saxons.
Marcus manages every dangerous actions, apart from the last one (maybe the most important one?).
Claerwen, in this second book, is almost in the background, more woman and mother than warrior.
Myrddin acts as Virgil with Dante: carrying a candlelight (or the fire in the head), and showing to Marcus the Hell's path toward the peaceful future with King Arthur.
A question: Where did Padrig's wisdom ended up in this book? (He's my favorite character).
by Kathleen Cunningham Guler
Bardsong Press, Steamboat Springs, Colorado (2001)
The second book of the Macsen's Treasure Series follows the path of Marcus ap Iorwerth and his wife Claerwen in the quest of Britons' kings.
Myrddin Emrys (also and better known as Merlin the Enchanter) is the other main character in this book, because he is the son of the king Ambrosius.
The druid Myrddin feels the danger looming on his father and asks Marcus for help; this time the couple (Marcus and Claerwen) works together.
The title referrs to Marcus' underground job as a spy, working in the shadow of the kings, and the Red Dragon (or Y Ddraig Goch) is the symbol of the people of Britain opposite to the White Dragon, symbol of the Saxons.
Marcus manages every dangerous actions, apart from the last one (maybe the most important one?).
Claerwen, in this second book, is almost in the background, more woman and mother than warrior.
Myrddin acts as Virgil with Dante: carrying a candlelight (or the fire in the head), and showing to Marcus the Hell's path toward the peaceful future with King Arthur.
A question: Where did Padrig's wisdom ended up in this book? (He's my favorite character).
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