Curse the Narnian Chronicles
Dec. 31st, 2005 05:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maribouThe Farewell Chronicles by Anneli Rufus
Sort of a philosophical ramble, sort of a collection of anecdotes. Discusses the parts of death people don't generally talk about, very successfully. I really like this book and would recommend it, though not necessarily to anyone whose grief is fresh, unless I know them well and they're into gallows humour.
(247/200)
The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs
I was a little dubious about reading this book so soon after Wilson's biography of Lewis, but I think the two books were complementary rather than repetitive (or I'm just a bit obsessed). Wilson seemed most concerned with a sparkling, absorbing narrative, and was more into melodrama - it was like Wilson was telling a story, and caught up in telling the best story he could, whereas Jacobs is explaining all the cool/interesting stuff he knows about Lewis, and is most invested in making good explications. Wilson's making authorial judgments where Jacobs is just trying to accurately perceive? Something like that. Anyway, I enjoyed both of them. This one seems more reliable. Also, I would love to read some of the author's books. Anything title A Theology of Reading might as well've been written specifically for me.
(248/200)
Curse the Dark, by Laura Anne Gilman
I liked this one even better than the last one; for one thing, it was much harder to put down. Fantasy/romance/mystery, well-blended, sympathetic characters.
(249/200)
And that wraps it up for 2005. Next year, I am going to try to hit 250, since I came so close to that this year without any real push to read more. I have a 3 week vacation coming up - that should get me off to a good start!
Sort of a philosophical ramble, sort of a collection of anecdotes. Discusses the parts of death people don't generally talk about, very successfully. I really like this book and would recommend it, though not necessarily to anyone whose grief is fresh, unless I know them well and they're into gallows humour.
(247/200)
The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs
I was a little dubious about reading this book so soon after Wilson's biography of Lewis, but I think the two books were complementary rather than repetitive (or I'm just a bit obsessed). Wilson seemed most concerned with a sparkling, absorbing narrative, and was more into melodrama - it was like Wilson was telling a story, and caught up in telling the best story he could, whereas Jacobs is explaining all the cool/interesting stuff he knows about Lewis, and is most invested in making good explications. Wilson's making authorial judgments where Jacobs is just trying to accurately perceive? Something like that. Anyway, I enjoyed both of them. This one seems more reliable. Also, I would love to read some of the author's books. Anything title A Theology of Reading might as well've been written specifically for me.
(248/200)
Curse the Dark, by Laura Anne Gilman
I liked this one even better than the last one; for one thing, it was much harder to put down. Fantasy/romance/mystery, well-blended, sympathetic characters.
(249/200)
And that wraps it up for 2005. Next year, I am going to try to hit 250, since I came so close to that this year without any real push to read more. I have a 3 week vacation coming up - that should get me off to a good start!
