Next book

I'm so sorry everyone, I have been completely distracted of late. In case any of you didn't hear I cut my thumb open Sunday a week ago (badly) and had to have stitches, a splint, the whole shebang and have had a heck of a time just surviving lately...can barely change and feed my kids etc. I can barely type so I've spent almost no time on the computer and even thought I got the stitches out today they still have me in a splint and it's still quite sore with some residual numbness...I was told it may take a total of 6 weeks to heal completely. Anyhow, the book I'd like us all to do next is called Blessed are the cheesemakers by Sarah-Kate Lynch. I think everyone will like it...how can we not when the author is names Sarah-Kate?! That's a good sign! I also promise I will do a final post on Caspian as soon as my thumb is up to it or I have more time to slowly type a post.

French Teacher's Mother

Okay, I'm admittedly horrible with my memory of names (and even plots) of books I have read. (Emily can vouch for the fact that I'm constantly asking her what has happened in books and movies that I've seen even within a week or so....

Anyway, so this is random, but I was reading Lij's blog today, and couldn't help but reminded of the French teacher and her mother in The Jane Austen Book Club. (I don't mean this in a bad way, as pretending with kids is part of life), but it made me smile to think of that when I read her post....

http://elijabet.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-found-it-merry-go-round.html

Kings, Queens and a Prince

Before I talk about Prince Caspian, I guess I should say a little about the first book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I don't know how anyone can not love this book, this story. It is such a beautiful picture of imagination, redemption, courage, adventure and childhood joy. I love Aslan in such a way that even as an adult I can almost imagine he is real, and in a sense he is. Lewis's depiction of the Great Lion as a messianic figure may be nothing new, but it is especially poignant. As a child it was easier for me to understand the love and sacrifice of Christ as seen by the literary character of Aslan. In short, I think even to this day I understand Christ best when I see or read about Aslan....the longing his character describes in me in well, indescribable. Certainly if I ever wished a fictional character to be real, it is Aslan.

On to Prince Caspian. Architypically this is the story of a boy coming of age, but of course it really is so much more. For some reason no matter how many times i read this book (or listen to it) I have no trouble easily remembering the first half to two-thirds of the story as well as the very end, but somewhere in there near the middle to end things get a little fuzzy. I have no idea why. I find the beginning of Prince Caspian very sad in a way. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy suddenly find themselves drawn back into Narnia, something they must have been longing for since they left. When they arrive, however, they aren't even sure if they are in Narnia any more. The woods have grown up, the peninsula has turned into an island, the orchard gone wild and their beloved Cair Paravel has turned into ruins. Their friends are gone and they didn't even return as the mighty kings and Queens 9at at least the age) that they had left Narnia. As a child I was certainly disturbed by all this, as an adult I find it very poignant.

Prince Caspian himself as a boy I find a bit uninteresting, but I think he improves upon age. I think the Hollywood producers must have found him a bit dull myself seeing as how he is going to be depicted in the upcoming movie. I do like the other characters that surround him, Trumpkin, Truffle Hunter ( great name!) and Dr. Cornelius. I think though, that I'm looking forward to getting past all of the introductory information and moving on to the heart of story. I'm so familiar with the story that the intro stuff gets repetitive.

Prince Caspian: Part 1

That was an enjoyable read. A lot of setting the table though, so not too much to comment upon. I find it interesting the couple of comments that in my mind said, go buy the first book. i.e. such and such happened in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I'm probably too cynical, probably more meant if people were confused and needed background info. right? I wonder how often people end up accidentally in the middle of a series anyway? Is it often that someone grabs what turns out to be the third book in a series by accident (or intentionally?)...

Anyway, back to Prince Caspian, can I just say I love Lewis' intro. to the dwarf telling the story of Prince Caspian. His lines about the fact that this wasn't exactly how the story was told, the children obviously interrupted and asked questions along the way and some pieces were filled in later.

I have to say, I don't see anything racial at all about red and black dwarfs. Who would the red dwarfs be anyway? Seeing as Lewis is British, I'm guessing not Native Americans. I think the use of colors to differentiate bad guys and good guys is merely an easy way for us to tell them apart. Call me naive, but even is genres like Westerns with the black hat/white hat differentiation I don't see that as being racial. If anything I think it points further back to biblical/religious models of the battle between the light/good and darkness/evil. Just my two cents.

To begin at the beginning

I guess I'll be first. I didn't reread The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe or see it (don't actually have the film), but I'm pretty sure I know it well enough for any discussion.

But the first five chapters of Prince Caspian were great. I'd forgotten just how much I do like these books. In fact I read all the way through chapter eight because I was enjoying myself so much. But I will stick to 1-5.

I like the grab into Narnia at the train station. That scene is so very vivid in my mind from when I first read it. I've watched the trailer of the film and it looks just right. :)

I like the whole story within a story. I wonder if they'll do that for the movie. You almost forget that Trumpkin is telling the story of Prince Caspian once you're into it.

Something I noticed (the effects of this program no doubt) is that older children's books don't focus as much on internal struggle and character development as modern books do. There is no confusing the characters or anything, but there very little in depth character study. It's not a complaint, because these books are great, just an observation.

Does anyone think black dwarves vs. red dwarves is a little stereotypical? Maybe it wasn't then, but I find my racial awareness being offended by that.

I'm enjoying myself, Chris, thanks!