⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars out of 5.
This is my friend Mark's favourite novel Although I admit it took me awhile to get into, once I finished reading it, I felt... almost satiated in my imagination and understanding of the afterlife. In this book, you will find beautiful imagery, a glimpse into the heavenly and hellish realms, creatively imagined situations and richly described characters.
C.S. Lewis writes in the preface that he wishes with this book to "arouse factual curiosity about the details of the after-world". Even though this is a fictional story and set in the context of the afterworld, many ideas presented in it can be reflected upon, and applied to life. For example, one of my favourite thoughts to contemplate was the idea of Hell/Purgatory/Heaven being almost inextricably linked together, where choices we make now and after death affect the course of our direction within its realms (see Love Wins by Rob Bell for another explanation on this subject). On page 35 of The Great Divorce, the Fat Cultured Ghost asks of where he was, "What do you call it?" said he, to which the Dick Spirit replies, "We call it Hell". The spirit goes on to say that, "though if you don't go back you may call it Purgatory". Thus, Lewis plays with the idea that we may still choose Christ (and thus Heaven) or not (and thus Hell) even after death.
There are many barriers to reaching Heaven, even in the afterlife. The Fat Cultured Ghost has a hard time following the Dick Spirit to heaven because he is a very intellectual man, and although "[t]hirst was made for water; inquiry for truth"(41), he prefers to stay in the constant stay of inquiring in lieu of actually wanting to be satisfied with Truth. Later on we read about the woman Ghost who was too busy fixing her mind on herself to be able to enter heaven. To shake her up and to get her thinking of something other than herself, for even a brief moment, Spirits sent a herd of unicorns her way to scare her. Despite this distraction, the moment did not seem to last long enough for her to engage in the possibility of Christ and the road to Heaven. Some Ghosts seem to be too caught up in their own self-pitying sorrows that they reject joy. And yet, a Spirit in the story explains that many mortals feel that no future bliss can make up for temporal suffering "not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory" (69). I really like this idea :)
I love this book, and the thoughts it provoked while reading it. Leave a comment and let me know what you think if you read it yourself!
Friday, July 18, 2014
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Silence de Mort - par Chrystine Brouillet
4 étoiles.
J'aime bien les romans policers de temps à temps, en particulier ceux de Chrystine Brouillet. Voici un récit rempli de personnages ayant des vies qui se tissent l'une à l'autre au fur et à mesure que l'histoire se développe. Maude Graham, la détective et protagoniste du livre, mène une enquête sur le pauvre Fabien Marchand, adolescent, mort avant son temps. Histoire de drogue et de jalousie. D'autre part, Vivien Joly (mon personnage préféré du roman) vient de déménager dans un nouveau quartier, un quartier qui était censé être tranquil. Malheureusement, Jesse Dubuc et Tony Nantel (un jeune couple) décident de déménager dans ce même quartier, juste à côté de chez Joly et apportent avec eux beaucoup de drame. Nantel que l'on croit être comptable riche est aussi impliqué dans la vente de drogues. Sa blonde ne le sait pas, elle est plus préoccupée à essayer de boucher sa solitude (Tony n'est souvent pas chez eux) en écoutant de la musique trop forte pour Vivien. Il ne faut pas que j'oublie de mentionner les autres voisins du quartier. En particulier, il y a le jeune Élian (qui aide Vivien avec son jardin), et Nicole (qui est beaucoup trop curieuse et indiscrète - et qui aime Vivien en vain puisqu'il est gay). Quelques autres morts suivent celle de Fabien, et après beaucoup d'interrogations, et beaucoup de suspects, Maude finit par découvrir les meurtriers et les raisons pour les crimes.
J'aime bien les romans policers de temps à temps, en particulier ceux de Chrystine Brouillet. Voici un récit rempli de personnages ayant des vies qui se tissent l'une à l'autre au fur et à mesure que l'histoire se développe. Maude Graham, la détective et protagoniste du livre, mène une enquête sur le pauvre Fabien Marchand, adolescent, mort avant son temps. Histoire de drogue et de jalousie. D'autre part, Vivien Joly (mon personnage préféré du roman) vient de déménager dans un nouveau quartier, un quartier qui était censé être tranquil. Malheureusement, Jesse Dubuc et Tony Nantel (un jeune couple) décident de déménager dans ce même quartier, juste à côté de chez Joly et apportent avec eux beaucoup de drame. Nantel que l'on croit être comptable riche est aussi impliqué dans la vente de drogues. Sa blonde ne le sait pas, elle est plus préoccupée à essayer de boucher sa solitude (Tony n'est souvent pas chez eux) en écoutant de la musique trop forte pour Vivien. Il ne faut pas que j'oublie de mentionner les autres voisins du quartier. En particulier, il y a le jeune Élian (qui aide Vivien avec son jardin), et Nicole (qui est beaucoup trop curieuse et indiscrète - et qui aime Vivien en vain puisqu'il est gay). Quelques autres morts suivent celle de Fabien, et après beaucoup d'interrogations, et beaucoup de suspects, Maude finit par découvrir les meurtriers et les raisons pour les crimes.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
5 stars.
I couldn't put this book down, to the point where I would fall asleep reading it into the wee hours of the night. While asleep, I even dreamt I myself experienced Alzheimer's, so much was I engrossed in this book and in Alice, the protagonist of the story, who develops early onset Alzheimer's. Genova does an excellent job of relaying what it would feel like to lose one's mind to this degenerative disease. Rich in writing, Genova draws us into the life of Alice, her husband John, and their 3 grown children Anna, Lydia & Tom. Written from Alice's perspective, we see how she and her family cope with this disease that erases the person Alice once was. One of the lines that broke my heart in the book was when Alice admits to her husband how she misses herself, to which he replies, "me too". Alice, a Havard professor, diagnosed with Alzheimer's, chooses to continue to teach until the end of her semester, aware that there would be some repercussions, but unaware of the extent of them. Indeed toward the end of her career, her once close colleagues have a hard time continuing their friendship with her and become distant. Sadly, society does not deal well with diseases affecting the intellect, we are much better at dealing with physical degenerative diseases such as cancer it seems. Alice finally resigns from her position. She understandably contemplates suicide as she continues to lose herself to this incurable disease robbing her of everything in which she once prided herself.
Genova underwent many interviews and much research in order to relay such an accurate portrait of an Alzheimer's victim.
I couldn't put this book down, to the point where I would fall asleep reading it into the wee hours of the night. While asleep, I even dreamt I myself experienced Alzheimer's, so much was I engrossed in this book and in Alice, the protagonist of the story, who develops early onset Alzheimer's. Genova does an excellent job of relaying what it would feel like to lose one's mind to this degenerative disease. Rich in writing, Genova draws us into the life of Alice, her husband John, and their 3 grown children Anna, Lydia & Tom. Written from Alice's perspective, we see how she and her family cope with this disease that erases the person Alice once was. One of the lines that broke my heart in the book was when Alice admits to her husband how she misses herself, to which he replies, "me too". Alice, a Havard professor, diagnosed with Alzheimer's, chooses to continue to teach until the end of her semester, aware that there would be some repercussions, but unaware of the extent of them. Indeed toward the end of her career, her once close colleagues have a hard time continuing their friendship with her and become distant. Sadly, society does not deal well with diseases affecting the intellect, we are much better at dealing with physical degenerative diseases such as cancer it seems. Alice finally resigns from her position. She understandably contemplates suicide as she continues to lose herself to this incurable disease robbing her of everything in which she once prided herself.
Genova underwent many interviews and much research in order to relay such an accurate portrait of an Alzheimer's victim.
The Time Traveler's Wife
5 stars.
I adored this fiction novel written by Audrey Niffenegger, and read it over the course of a few short days last summer. Anything to do with time and displacement and the merging of the past/present/future has piqued my interest since I was a child, so it was no surprise that I fell in love with this book.
A love that can transcend even time is beautiful... and for Clare, it was worth all the sorrow that came with waiting for Henry as he transitioned between different times of her life. She holds on to hope and love, "Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?” says she. I personally am still debating whether it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved, but Clare seems to be content in loving and losing, at least during some parts of the story as she alleges, “We laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, and nothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment.” For you see, Henry is diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement, and cannot control where he is within the sphere of time... he might be displaced at any moment and it could take minutes... or years... for him to find his way back to the "present", and ultimately back to Clare.
On one hand, this is a beautifully written heartbreaking love story, on the other hand, it is a commentary on determinism, and the idea that we cannot control our destiny. We have so little control in life, and Niffenegger seems to portray it poignantly in this narrative as nothing Clare nor Henry can do can prevent him from leaving the present moment. Clare acknowledges to Henry, "But sometimes you tell me something and I feel like the future is already there, you know? Like my future has happened in the past and I can't do anything about it." And Henry admits that though he goes back in time, and though all of his will wants to, he still cannot undo anything that's been done. For example, it torments Henry that no matter how many times time has sucked him back to the moment when he was still young and his mother passed away in a car accident, he cannot prevent the accident from happening. Conceding control of life's regrettable moment is no small task.
I adored this fiction novel written by Audrey Niffenegger, and read it over the course of a few short days last summer. Anything to do with time and displacement and the merging of the past/present/future has piqued my interest since I was a child, so it was no surprise that I fell in love with this book.
A love that can transcend even time is beautiful... and for Clare, it was worth all the sorrow that came with waiting for Henry as he transitioned between different times of her life. She holds on to hope and love, "Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?” says she. I personally am still debating whether it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved, but Clare seems to be content in loving and losing, at least during some parts of the story as she alleges, “We laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, and nothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment.” For you see, Henry is diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement, and cannot control where he is within the sphere of time... he might be displaced at any moment and it could take minutes... or years... for him to find his way back to the "present", and ultimately back to Clare.
On one hand, this is a beautifully written heartbreaking love story, on the other hand, it is a commentary on determinism, and the idea that we cannot control our destiny. We have so little control in life, and Niffenegger seems to portray it poignantly in this narrative as nothing Clare nor Henry can do can prevent him from leaving the present moment. Clare acknowledges to Henry, "But sometimes you tell me something and I feel like the future is already there, you know? Like my future has happened in the past and I can't do anything about it." And Henry admits that though he goes back in time, and though all of his will wants to, he still cannot undo anything that's been done. For example, it torments Henry that no matter how many times time has sucked him back to the moment when he was still young and his mother passed away in a car accident, he cannot prevent the accident from happening. Conceding control of life's regrettable moment is no small task.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Temps des Lilas - Marcel Dubé
C’est une excellente pièce, très bien écrite, avec de personnages vraisemblables. Cependant, il faut dire que j’ai trouvé le début de la pièce un peu lent et que ça prend quelques tableaux pour y rentrer. On dit dans la pièce “Tout ce qui est beau est éphémère” (118), ce qui me rappelle du Petit Prince quand ce dernier se rend compte au point culminant de l'histoire que sa rose est éphémère.
Donc, mon résumé…
Mes personnages préférés étaient Blanche et Virgile. C’est un bon couple, avec de bons coeurs. Ils ont un fils qui a été tué en guerre, et un petit appartement qu’ils louent pour avoir du pain sur la planche. Malheureusement, cet appartement est rempli de personnes avec des problèmes.
Le problème de Marguerite c’est qu’elle est vieille, et que son chum Horace ne l’aime pas assez pour l’épousée. À la fin, il la laisse parce qu’il ne peut pas s'engager à elle complètement, et elle se suicide.
Le problème de Johanne est que son chum Roméo n’est pas un bon gars. Après qu’il la laisse, elle tombe amoureuse de Vincent, un ex patriot qui est finalement attrapé par la police après le suicide de Marguerite. Même s’il semble être un bon gars, son problème est que son passé ne lui permet pas sa liberté. Mais il a ses bons moments. Par exemple, après la rupture entre Johanne et Roméo, Vincent lui dit: “Dans tous les jardins du monde, quand il y a une fleur qui meurt, les jardiniers s’arrangent pour qu’il en pousse une autre à sa place. C’est comme dans le Coeur des petites filles. Quand un oeillet se fane, un autre se prepare à éclore. Et la vie s’emplit de son parfum” (79).
Finalement, Blanche et Virgile se trouvent seules. Johanne était comme leur fille adoptée, mais elle devait enfin retourner chez ses parents dans une différente ville puisque sa mère est malade. Ils ne savent pas trop quoi faire avec leur appartement que la ville veut (et doit) acheter d’eux. C’est dommage car à ce point, ils sont “trop vieux … pour [se] déraciner” (126).
Le Temps des lilas est une pièce qui éteint notre espoir dans l’amour et de pouvoir avoir une fin heureuse dans la vie. La vie peut être dure, et les moments précieux sont rares, de la même façon que les lilas ne s’ouvrent que pendant quelques jours de l’année. De plus, c’est evident que vieillir n’est pas une tâche facile dans une vie déjà difficile. À la page 75, Virgile exclame: “Le linge qu’on porte vieillit aussi vite que nous”. Blanche est d’accord: “C’est vite passé une vie” (129).
Thèmes à explorer : La vieillesse. La monotonie de la vie. Les fleurs. L’amour (inégale ou “one-sided”). La fidélité. La mort. La vie est éphémère.
Donc, mon résumé…
Mes personnages préférés étaient Blanche et Virgile. C’est un bon couple, avec de bons coeurs. Ils ont un fils qui a été tué en guerre, et un petit appartement qu’ils louent pour avoir du pain sur la planche. Malheureusement, cet appartement est rempli de personnes avec des problèmes.
Le problème de Marguerite c’est qu’elle est vieille, et que son chum Horace ne l’aime pas assez pour l’épousée. À la fin, il la laisse parce qu’il ne peut pas s'engager à elle complètement, et elle se suicide.
Le problème de Johanne est que son chum Roméo n’est pas un bon gars. Après qu’il la laisse, elle tombe amoureuse de Vincent, un ex patriot qui est finalement attrapé par la police après le suicide de Marguerite. Même s’il semble être un bon gars, son problème est que son passé ne lui permet pas sa liberté. Mais il a ses bons moments. Par exemple, après la rupture entre Johanne et Roméo, Vincent lui dit: “Dans tous les jardins du monde, quand il y a une fleur qui meurt, les jardiniers s’arrangent pour qu’il en pousse une autre à sa place. C’est comme dans le Coeur des petites filles. Quand un oeillet se fane, un autre se prepare à éclore. Et la vie s’emplit de son parfum” (79).
Finalement, Blanche et Virgile se trouvent seules. Johanne était comme leur fille adoptée, mais elle devait enfin retourner chez ses parents dans une différente ville puisque sa mère est malade. Ils ne savent pas trop quoi faire avec leur appartement que la ville veut (et doit) acheter d’eux. C’est dommage car à ce point, ils sont “trop vieux … pour [se] déraciner” (126).
Le Temps des lilas est une pièce qui éteint notre espoir dans l’amour et de pouvoir avoir une fin heureuse dans la vie. La vie peut être dure, et les moments précieux sont rares, de la même façon que les lilas ne s’ouvrent que pendant quelques jours de l’année. De plus, c’est evident que vieillir n’est pas une tâche facile dans une vie déjà difficile. À la page 75, Virgile exclame: “Le linge qu’on porte vieillit aussi vite que nous”. Blanche est d’accord: “C’est vite passé une vie” (129).
Thèmes à explorer : La vieillesse. La monotonie de la vie. Les fleurs. L’amour (inégale ou “one-sided”). La fidélité. La mort. La vie est éphémère.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Watchmen, a graphic novel.
I absolutely enjoyed this book!!! It took me a lot longer to read than I had first anticipated, but it was well worth the invested hours. The book, in comic format, talks about the lives of several superheroes, all human (or, at the very least, they all start off human), with human flaws.
My favourite character is Dr. Manhattan due to his philosophical insights, particularly on time. He describes time the EXACT same way I have always thought God to exist through time. As the book goes on, Dr. Manhattan's humanly thoughts dissipate as he inhibites his new indestructible body, in turn negatively affecting his relationships with those around him because he can no longer relate. It made me pity him! The emotions I had while reading this book where at its highest when reading Dr. Manhattan's part.
The two people, with whom I have spoken and who have also read the book in its entirety, chose Rorsharch as their favourite character. Rorsharch is honest and unwilling to compromise even until the bitter end. He chooses truth every time. Although somewhat unstable, he fights for the good guy, and kills off the enemy.
If you've read the book, you probably dislike Ozymandias for his self-righteousness. Granted he is the world's smartest man, and his goal of achieving global unity is admirable. Unfortunately, he has a perverted way of achieving that goal, killing many people along the way.
Other notable characters are: The Comedian (the only one to understand what a joke is this world we live in); the Night Owl (using all his nerdy expensive inventions to fight for good); & the Silk Spectre (hot female superhero represent!). Granted, there are other memorable characters (such as Bernard, the psychoanalyst), but I will spare you the details.
Within the Watchmen, a secondary character reads another comic. At first I didn't appreciate this comic-inside-a-comic story of the black freighter. However, in the end, I enjoyed making the parallel connections between the two stories. I think the pirate story resembles the Watchmen story in that the castaway wants to save his village from the pirates just like Adrian Veidt [Ozymandias] wants to save the people in the world from each other. But in the end, it's the villagers who need protection from the castaway in the same way that the people (particularly in New York) need protection from Adrian Veidt. "Who watches the Watchmen?". Furthermore, just as the castaway kills his own, Adrian kills his own too. Ooohhh the irony!
In conclusion, if there is at all conclusion from these random thoughts I've presented, is that you should read this graphic novel!
My favourite character is Dr. Manhattan due to his philosophical insights, particularly on time. He describes time the EXACT same way I have always thought God to exist through time. As the book goes on, Dr. Manhattan's humanly thoughts dissipate as he inhibites his new indestructible body, in turn negatively affecting his relationships with those around him because he can no longer relate. It made me pity him! The emotions I had while reading this book where at its highest when reading Dr. Manhattan's part.
The two people, with whom I have spoken and who have also read the book in its entirety, chose Rorsharch as their favourite character. Rorsharch is honest and unwilling to compromise even until the bitter end. He chooses truth every time. Although somewhat unstable, he fights for the good guy, and kills off the enemy.
If you've read the book, you probably dislike Ozymandias for his self-righteousness. Granted he is the world's smartest man, and his goal of achieving global unity is admirable. Unfortunately, he has a perverted way of achieving that goal, killing many people along the way.
Other notable characters are: The Comedian (the only one to understand what a joke is this world we live in); the Night Owl (using all his nerdy expensive inventions to fight for good); & the Silk Spectre (hot female superhero represent!). Granted, there are other memorable characters (such as Bernard, the psychoanalyst), but I will spare you the details.
Within the Watchmen, a secondary character reads another comic. At first I didn't appreciate this comic-inside-a-comic story of the black freighter. However, in the end, I enjoyed making the parallel connections between the two stories. I think the pirate story resembles the Watchmen story in that the castaway wants to save his village from the pirates just like Adrian Veidt [Ozymandias] wants to save the people in the world from each other. But in the end, it's the villagers who need protection from the castaway in the same way that the people (particularly in New York) need protection from Adrian Veidt. "Who watches the Watchmen?". Furthermore, just as the castaway kills his own, Adrian kills his own too. Ooohhh the irony!
In conclusion, if there is at all conclusion from these random thoughts I've presented, is that you should read this graphic novel!
Friday, April 24, 2009
For Women Only - by Shaunti Feldhahn
I recommend this book to most girls in a relationship. Although this book is mainly aimed at married couples, I personally think non-married girls can get alot of great insight from it as well. The major point of the book is that women need to respect their men. We should respect his decisions and opinions. Even if he is lost while driving somewhere, not wanting to ask for directions, a woman should respect that decision and trust him to find the right way there. She should NEVER bad talk him in public, whether he is around her or not. She should praise him for the good things he does [in public & in private] & only tell him the things that bother her in private. RESPECTING THE MAN IS EQUAL TO A WOMAN FEELING LOVED IN A RELATIONSHIP. She needs to feel loved, he needs to feel respected. Shaunti Feldhahn writes, "crying is often a woman's response to feeling unloved, and anger is often a man's response to feeling disrespected".
Other topics covered in the book: Men feel the need to be the providers; Men need to feel desired & wanted in bed, so don't use sex against him; Men feel insecure & need the wife's support; Men are visual compared to women; Men enjoy romance but don't always know how to go about it; Men care about their woman's appearance, not that they want her to be perfect, but are satisfied in knowing that she cares about her own health & appearance too and presents herself well.
There is an equivalent of this book for men entitled for men only.
For more information, go to www.4-womenonly.com
Other topics covered in the book: Men feel the need to be the providers; Men need to feel desired & wanted in bed, so don't use sex against him; Men feel insecure & need the wife's support; Men are visual compared to women; Men enjoy romance but don't always know how to go about it; Men care about their woman's appearance, not that they want her to be perfect, but are satisfied in knowing that she cares about her own health & appearance too and presents herself well.
There is an equivalent of this book for men entitled for men only.
For more information, go to www.4-womenonly.com
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