J's Pages

Volume 2 of a three part commentary on Matthew. It has more of the same insights into the structure and teaching of the gospel. This section covers Jesus' ministry in Israel and the growing opposition to it. Bring on volume 3!

on my shelf

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Most of the high fantasy--tales set in detailed worlds that inspire wonder--that I've read have been contained in lengthy tomes, multi-volume series, or both. This book, however, is a collection of short stories. They are tales that carry a touch of wonder, but take much less time to read. The collection contains fairy tales, wizards, sword wielding warriors, quests, magical artifacts, and Death. While none of the stories are a must read, they are worth checking out.

The second novel of the A Song of Ice and Fire series sees the continent of Westeros plunged into warfare as various Lords declare themselves king and start fighting with the others. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen is on a trek in the lands across the water, seeking for allies that she can take back with her so she can join the fun. And the threat in the northern wilderness continues to mount.

Check it out. 

This one's an interesting tale, featuring the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. The setting is 1869 in St. Petersburg. Dostoevsky has arrived from his home in Germany to collect the things of his stepson, Pavel, an apparent suicide. He rents the room that Pavel occupied, wanting to spend some time to mourn and process Pavel's death. He does this, but, in his encounter with the police and the people Pavel knew in his final days, Dostoevsky hears of the possibility that Pavel might have actually been murdered. What follows isn't a mystery, but rather an emotional struggle with the topics of revolution, fatherhood, aging, and lust. The characters are complex and interesting--the type you can hate one minute and sympathize with the next. I appreciated how Mr. Coetzee depicted one's struggles with one's inner demons--how the desire to be good can be quickly followed by desires that are more self-serving. I'm not familiar enough with the real Dostoevsky's work to know how well the story captured his personality or the themes of his books, but the tale was able to stand in its own right.

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by Erle Stanley Gardner

Around 30 years ago, Alden Leeds made a fortune prospecting for gold in the Yukon. Now Alden is in his seventies, and some of his family members (and heirs) feel that he's getting senile and needs to be committed. Alden's assistant disagrees and asks Perry mason to protect him. Mason takes the case and, since this is an Erle Stanley Gardner novel, there is a murder and the plot goes in anything but a straight line.

The Case of the Rolling Bones was an interesting story. Like many of my generation, I picture Perry mason according to the television series of the late 50s, with the big cars, thin ties, and a straight-laced, sanitized, and orderly society. This novel, however, was written in 1939. The old men spoke about life on the frontier and lament the softness of the younger generation. Mason and the other characters aren't restrained by the Hayes Code, nor do they have to worry about offending their sponsors. It's not great literature, but it is certainly entertaining waiting room material.

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by Kim Stanley Robinson

Aurora is the story of the starship Aurora, launched from Earth to colonize the solar system of Tau Ceti. The colonists are descendants of the original ship's complement, the fifth or so generation born on the journey. The ship itself contains a number of artificial biomes, which replicate various regions of Earth, to carry a representation of other flora and fauna. There have been challenges along the way, but now the end of the journey is in sight.

Typically, a story like this would tell the straightforward tale of either the challenging journey, or the tale of the colonization of the planet. Mr. Robinson doesn't stick to so simple of a narrative. He recounts at least four "adventures" of the crew on the Aurora, along with personal stories of individual characters. His settings and characters are rich. While the book isn't a fast paced thriller, I still found myself eager to discover what would happen next.

Check it out.

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