Collected Miscellany

I struggled with what I thought about David Gregory’s first book, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, so when I saw he had a sort of companion book, focused on a female character’s interaction with Jesus, I thought I would check it out. Unfortunately, A Day with a Perfect Stranger didn’t clarify my thoughts much.

Here is a basic synopsis:

What if a fascinating stranger knew you better than you know yourself?

When her husband comes home with a farfetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through.

On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment.

As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?

The story here is basically the flip side of the previous book. Dinner covered the husband and Day follows the wife. Dinner dealt with a workaholic who had drifted away from faith as his adult life got to busy. Day deals with his wife’s reaction to having a religious nut as a husband and her reluctance to accept his faith.

One thing that got under my skin about this book is the whole “I hate religion” refrain. This is very popular with certain types of evangelicals. They decry religion and talk only about a “personal relationship” with God. This is all well and good on some level. After all religion, like everything else, faces the temptation of becoming route and rule bound and ceasing to function as it was intended. One can mistake the practice of faith with faith itself.

But on the other hand this is really quite silly. Because no one practices their faith in some sort of free flowing non-religious manner. Religion develops from belief because man is a creature of habit and structure. We gather together and begin to worship and serve; develop and defend theology, etc. This is natural and inevitable. After all God imbued the Israelites with a religion and the structure of Christianity came from people living out their faith and building on what they had experienced.

In other words, it is easy to say “I hate religion” far harder to practically live out your faith without it.

More below.

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Too big time lit bloggers made news this week. In case you missed it, Mark Sarvas’s novel Harry Revised hit the books stores this week. And even as I type it is winging its way to me via the magic of online bookstores (I had hoped for a Kindle version, but alas will have to read it in dead tree version).

Mark also appeared on the Bat Segundo show for its 200 episode.

Congrats to both for their success. I look forward to reading Mark’s novel and listening to their conversation. You would do well to do the same if you haven’t already.

Much like Quiver, Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner is a retelling of various Greek Myths in the form of a young adult novel. This time the central character is Hermes.

Quicksilver starts out rather lightheartedly as Hermes runs various errands for his father Zeus and cracks jokes along the way. It takes a darker turn when discussing the Trojan war, but soon returns to happier times as it tells of his falling in love with Calypso.

As I noted with Quiver, these books are interesting and entertaining as sort of fictional tour guides through the world of Greek mythology. Spinner has crafted a very accessible way to become familiar with the characters and stories of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece.

But for me, the stories never quite take on a life of their own. Quiver at least had a strong heroine and the plot surrounding her marriage suitors, but Quicksilver’s plot is less focused because Hermes is not a central character in the myths. The result is story line that jumps from one episode to another without a central plot.

But these books are not likely to be read for their action or suspenseful plot. Rather, what Spinner does well is imagine the gods and goddess as people with all the emotions and challenges that involves. For example, Hermes desperately wants to please his father and misses his brother Apollo when they are separated for extended periods. He feels guilt and jealousy, love and desire, despite having supernatural powers. Spinner does a good job of brining the pantheon to life.

I don’t mean to be to harsh here. Not every book you read can be in the “wow” category. All in all, these books are well done re-tellings of classic myths in an accessible – if unsophisticated – format.

–> Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies by Ginger Strand

Publishers Weekly
With wit and passion, Strand (Flight: A Novel ) explores the history of Niagara Falls and shows that the famous natural wonder is in reality a prime example of man’s manipulation of nature, constantly exploited to attract tourists. In the 19th century, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, appalled by the crass commercialism of souvenir shops, ugly signs and cheap attractions, pledged to restore Niagara to its natural beauty; instead, he created a fake wilderness. In the 20th century, humans learned to control the falls by harnessing them for electric power, and this led to what is for Strand the most shocking fakery: the water going over the falls is manipulated for greater output in the daytime-to impress visitors-and turned down at night to generate more power. In addition, the capacity to generate large amounts of hydroelectricity has made Niagara Falls a prime spot for industries that manufacture electrochemical products and for nuclear weapons facilities; the author paints a vivid picture of a region awash today in toxic waste and radioactive contaminants. Strand’s provocative and iconoclastic book says much about how America has dominated nature, despoiled it and shrouded the offense in myth.

–> Fool’s Paradise by John Gierach

Publishers Weekly

This addition to Gierach’s long list of fishing books is perhaps not of trophy quality, but it’s definitely a keeper. Gierach gets back to the basics of fishing in a collection of personal essays in which he contends that fishing is as much about being outdoors with a few friends who share the same passion as it is about catching fish. Of course, he still thrills at the fish’s strike and he lands his fair share of them, but he spends as much time describing other aspects of the sport: getting there, what to do in foul weather, camping etiquette and predicting hatches. He even spends some time ruminating on hunting and the business of rod making. With the simple grace and native wisdom he is known for, Gierach always gets back around to fishing and pays special tribute to the fish themselves, sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of North American fish, their feeding habits and their exquisite colorings. Occasionally, he comments on environmental issues such as the effects of logging and housing developments on local streams, but he seems resigned to such encroachments, claiming that he can live with change as long as the fish are biting; such, he confesses, is his “fool’s paradise.”

–> The Breakthrough Imperative: How the Best Managers Get Outstanding Results by Mark Gottfredson

Synopsis:

Two long-time partners in a top consulting firm put more than 20 years of research and experience into this essential guide developed for team leaders.

Continuing my fascination with Greek Mythology we move from an adult modern retelling to a young adult more traditional retelling in Quiver by Stephanie Spinner. Quiver weaves the various myths and stories of Atalanta in this short but competent novel.

Here is the overview from School Library Journal:

Atalanta, a skilled archer and a runner, has dedicated her life to Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt. She has grown up among hunters, and is as good or better than many of her male counterparts. When strangers appear and command that she return with them to her father, the king, she is shocked and dismayed. King Iasus, who abandoned her at birth, now demands that she marry and produce a son, since he does not have an heir. She balks at this idea, since she has vowed to remain chaste, and poses a challenge: she will only marry a man who can outrun her in a race; all others must die. To her dismay, many accept the challenge and fail. However, when Hippomenes enlists the help of Eros and the Golden Apples of Aphrodite, Atalanta cannot force herself to outrun this man and have him die. Staying very close to the known story, Spinner gives this Greek myth a fresh face and makes Atalanta a strong heroine. The gods are ever present, advancing the plot and commenting on the lives of the characters. The setting is well done, putting readers easily into the ancient world, and the language is refreshingly unmodern.

This book is very much in the vein of The Great God Pan, a well done fictionalization of classic mythology that somehow lacks enough depth or creativity to rise above its limits. These works seem like effective ways to introduce young readers to Greek myths but their simplicity limits the power they have as literature.

Spinner paints a picture of a heroine with unique talents but who is still trapped in a world dominated by men and where those who run afoul of the gods can pay a heavy price. She captures the precarious and often brutal interaction between gods and mortals – and between fellow mortals – in the ancient world as described in mythology. As the above review notes, Atalanta is an interesting and well drawn heroine and Spinner captures the ancient setting well. But overall the story just didn’t grab me.

It was interesting, and educational in the sense of fleshing out the myth, but as a story on its own it seemed a little flat or shallow. Almost a vignette rather than a complete story. But again, this may simply be the limits of reading YA fiction as an adult.

For those looking for a quick and easy to read retelling of the myths surrounding this character, Quiver will fit the bill. Those looking for deeper insight and a more powerful story might be disappointed.

Here are some interesting book links that have come my way of late:

- A Christian America? A secular America? Steven Waldman argues the founders had in mind something else entirely.

- How to Save the Christian Bookstore (Hint: Stop making it so religious.)

- Channeling Norman Mailer by Liz Smith

- Join Robert Alexander’s Live Book Club.

- Open Letters Monthly April Issue.

I have long been fascinated by myths and legends. It has always seemed that part of being an educated person meant a basic knowledge of Greek mythology. So when I stumbled upon Gods Behaving Badly at a local library sale for a couple of bucks I picked it up. Sure, Marie Phillips debut novel isn’t exactly a primer on Greek myths but who doesn’t like a little light humor with their mythology?

The hook for this particular take on the ancient Greek gods and goddesses has them living in a flat in London down on their luck with the world having forgotten about them. This lack of worship has weakened the gods and severely limited their powers. Aphrodite is a making ends meet as a sex phone operator. Dionysus operates a sleazy bar. Artemis is a dog walker. Apollo is trying to get his acting career off the ground by staring in a psychic TV show.

Despite their modern – and reduced – lifestyle the gods are still bickering and backstabbing each other like they have for centuries. In this way Aphrodite gets Eros to shoot Apollo with an arrow and cause him to fall in love with a rather shy cleaning lady named Alice. Alice is really in love with the equally shy Neil. When Artemis hires this same Alice to clean the god’s house it set off a chain reaction that threatens the mortal world. Neil is forced to play the role of hero. But first he has to believe the gods really exist.

Gods Behaving Badly is a romantic comedy with a Greek twist. And as such it is entertaining. The premise is creative and Phillips has fun with the concept. She has a light touch and quick wit. But despite its charms it left me disappointed.

I think perhaps I expected too much. As Ron Charles noted in his Washington Post review:

“The tension doesn’t ratchet too high; it’s a romantic comedy, after all. The key is to fly through a book like this very fast — on Hermes’ wings.”

But after awhile the initial premise isn’t enough to carry the novel and it feels flat. Phillips does attempt to bring the story to an eventful conclusion but the ending spoils it by being too pat and easy. Sure it is a comedy, but the ending is neither funny, nor imaginative, but predicable and with syrupy sweet postscript.

This strikes me as an example of “beach reading” light and fluffy and doesn’t require too much thought. If you approach with this in mind, and it matches your sense of humor, then you might enjoy it. For me, it was just a little too much fluff.