Tsundoku (No, not the math puzzle) - NOVA this week.

Observations from my weekly wanderings, usually in Northern Virginia (NOVA).

Not much to say this week. I learned a new word and it struck me that many of you – fellow book bloggers – are afflicted with this.

Tsundoku – accumulating books without reading them.

I’m pretty good about actually reading what I acquire, so my physical TBR is not really that excessive. However, my virtual TBR – outta control.

Even when reading is impossible, the presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity ... we cherish books even if unread, their mere presence exudes comfort, their ready access reassurance. ~ A. Edward Newton

(Woulda loved to have been at his estate auction. Lots of gems and at a time when prices for rare books was low.)

Life Uncommon - Original Prose

Life Uncommon

In the autumn, I watched. I watched my trees, my beloved trees; maple, birch, cherry, pine and others. I watched as they began their slow familiar transformation from vibrant green, to yellow, red and gold. I always watch this drama with a mixture of dread and delight. Delight for the beauty of the scene; delight for the comical way the changeless spruce, the fragile fir, and the towering cedar mock the mightier trees that cannot suffer the fast approaching blight. And delight for the perfect simplicity of creation. But dread; dread for the coming chill, shortened days, dismal nights, and relentless cold. Too long will the barren white blanket my world. The bitter beauty of that scene holds little charm for me. But powerless to avert nature's design, I watched. Slowly the leaves will reach their zenith and die, slowly unless a hard rain or north wind speeds their demise.

I watched till the last leaf had fallen. The wood seemed sparse now without its summer canopy. I spotted a curious sight: a mature maple, with a low limb and a single brown leaf. I drew close to examine the stubborn leaf. It was unremarkable save only in its tenacity. So, I watched. I watched the lonely leaf. Every day, according to custom, I would rise and look for it, expecting it to be gone. But it lingered. The cold rains of October came and it lingered. The killing frost of November and the chilling snow of December came and it lingered. The deep freeze of January and the bitter breeze of February came and it lingered. The long awaited sun of March and the lengthened days of April came and still, it lingered. Finally, the showers of May came and turned to warmth and sunshine, and then, it was gone. Not only fallen, but gone. In its place, I discovered a small green bud…new life.

I had always smiled at the foolish leaf, knowing its battle was futile; the end would surely come. In vain it held to life only to relent in the end. It survived the elements of the harshest season, yet it could not survive nor prevent new life. I wondered; perhaps its quest was not life eternal, but life uncommon.

It is written in the old book that the creator has chosen the simple things of this world to confound the wise. For a season, he sent a simple leaf to confound me. In the end I took comfort, for herein is wisdom. I will not live as other men. I will not bow to convention. I will live, life uncommon.

© 2017 Joseph E. Fountain

Planet Narnia by Michael Ward

Were The Chronicles of Narnia 'composed in a hasty and slapdash manner' as Lewis’ friend J. R. R. Tolkien stated, or 'products of a mind in psychological shock' as Lewis critic Wilson described?

Or – is there meaning more profound hidden in plain sight?

Why would a childless academic, theologian, poet, and writer suddenly decide to write a children’s story? How could the result, if it be so simple as some decried, stand the test of time and have such widespread appeal?

Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis is Michael Ward’s scholarly examination of The Chronicles wherein he presents evidence that Lewis did indeed use mythological untruths to hint at theological truths, a practice he did not invent but may have learned from Milton, Dante, or Chaucer. Lewis may have been quietly laughing up his sleeve at his detractors.

Ward’s major premise appears to be that Lewis used characteristics of the seven medieval (pre-Copernican) planets – Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn, and their associated mythology, as themes, one for each of the seven books of The Chronicles. More importantly, Lewis used the qualities of each planetary deity, to portray via subtle imagery the attributes of the Christ figure Aslan.

…each planet, as a symbol of Christ, represents the ‘all-pervasive principle of concretion or cohesion whereby the universe holds together’

Lewis believed that the romantic or poetic is at least as compelling as many scholarly arguments. It seems appropriate then that The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis’ most beloved and widely read work, should supersede his scholarly, but poorly received apologetic Miracles. Ward’s minor premise may be that The Chronicles were Lewis poetic answer to his more academic Miracles.

I would do injustice to Ward and Lewis should I attempt to defend Ward’s position. I will just state that he convinced me. I was at first dubious at the use of pagan polytheistic symbols by a Christian author to portray Christ, but Ward points out that medieval cosmology was a lifelong passion of Lewis’ used frequently in his other works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Lewis believed that…

symbolism exists precisely for the purpose of conveying to the imagination what the intellect is not ready for.

I won’t attempt to explain Ward’s position in any detail; for that I recommend the book, but I will offer a few examples of the planetary symbology that Lewis portrayed as…

spiritual symbols of permanent value

Jupiter or Jove chases away winter, is the bringer of jollity, influences people so they turn into helms of nations, and is of course Sovereign – themes often repeated in The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and attributes of Aslan. Also, the children often use the phrase “by Jove”, which is seldom used in elsewhere in the Narniaed.

Mars is important to plant life, and symbolic of war, major themes in Prince Caspian

Sol (the Sun) is the source of gold and makes men wise – recurring themes in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And of course, even the title is evocative of the Sun.

Luna (the moon) is the source of silver, a theme of The Silver Chair, but the most convincing symbol is the central theme of madness or lunacy.

Mercury the deity of languages and speed. In astrology, Mercury rules Gemini or the twins and has a theme of “same but sundered” In The Horse and His Boy, twins Cor (Shasta) and Corin are separated at birth but reunited in the tale. There is even at one point in this book a Narnian lord who wears a silver helmet with wings on each side.

Venus the morning star (a Biblical name for Christ), is also known as a comical spirit explaining why The Magician’s Nephew contains more humor than any of the other Chronicles.

Saturn is symbolic of Father Time, and time marks the end of Narnia in The Last Battle. The concept of time, aging, and death are evident in this Chronicle which has more death than the other Chronicles combined.

These are only small peaks at Ward’s logic. For me, the evidence is overwhelming. I don’t often read books about books, or books about authors, but Lewis is an exception. If you have read The Chronicles of Narnia, I highly recommend Planet Narnia.

Thus, in the Lion they become monarchs under sovereign Jove; in Prince Caspian they harden under strong Mars,; in The Dawn Treader they drink light under searching Sol; in the Silver Chair they learn obedience under subordinate Luna; in The Horse and His Boy they come to love poetry under eloquent Mercury; in the Magician’s Nephew they gain life-giving fruit under fertile Venus; and in The Last Battle they suffer and die under chilling Saturn.

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Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Unique Book Titles

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish

 

Life has been kind of hectic lately and I haven’t done a Top Ten Tuesday in a while, but this one shouldn’t take too much thought or time…and I have definitely been drawn to a book by its title (though, that hasn’t always resulted in a fascinating read), so I thought I’d play along today.

 

October 24: Top Ten Unique Book Titles

 

The Catcher in the Rye – This first title is so well known that it doesn’t hardly seem to qualify, but if you think about the title – it’s a bit odd, and it’s still a bit odd if you know of the main characters comments that led to the title.

 

Catch-22 – Similarly, the title and resulting vernacular is well known, but again rather unusual.

 

A Clockwork Orange – The true meaning of the title is a subject of debate.

 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – taken from a nursery rhyme.

 

The Day of the Locust – I read it, and I don’t know how the title applies.

 

The Sheltering Sky – I’m not sure if it’s unique, but I think it’s a beautiful, enticing title.

 

The Crying of Lot 49 – Haven’t read it, the title intrigues me.

 

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler – I picked this up because the title really grabbed me, mysterious and romantic. I read it years ago and have to reread it before posting my thoughts.

 

Remembrance of Things Past aka In Search of Lost Time – My current read. I like both titles, the first is a very loose interpretation, but derived from Shakespeare. The second is a literal translation of the French title. So far, I like either title more than the book.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – a fantastic farce with a suitably silly title. Also due for a reread.