The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

A fellow teacher, who knows of my love of reading, loaned me The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede. It's a great story of hope and generosity focused on those left stranded by 9/11.

Once the US closed its airspace, thousands of planes had to land at the closest airports or return home. Because of its past as a military airport during WW2, the tiny town of Gander Newfoundland hosted 38 planes from all over the world.

The town mustered every citizen who poured out to help the stranded passengers in whatever way they could. Churches and Lions Clubs packed meeting rooms and pews with sleeping bags, towels, toiletries, and volunteers to offer succor to the travelers.

Meanwhile, town and tourists alike had to process the horror of the Twin Towers going down and new world created by the terrorist attacks.

During the 4-5 days the passengers spent in the small town, the generosity and heightened emotions led to quick and lasting bonds.

Jim DeFede does an excellent job of honing in on individuals and their stories. He highlights military officials, cops, CEOs, philanthropists, adoptive parents, and most touching, the parents of a missing NY firefighter. All feel helpless and hopeless, but the town rallies to do all they can to comfort and provide for the stranded sojourners.

He wraps the book up with an epilogue telling the rest of the story. The body of the missing firefighter is found. A romance continues. Families return to some semblance of normalcy.

It's a good and easy read, definitely worth the time.

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Our book chose to read My Antonia by Willa Cather. I love that this club asks me to step a bit outside my comfort zone and read great fiction as opposed to the scholarly non-fiction I'm usually drawn to.

The book has been characterized as a love story to the prairie. I suppose that could be true. It's the adult recollections of Jim Burden of his childhood friend Antonia. While it is clear that he loves her, they are not destined for each other and life takes them in different directions. 

The book is meandering and lovely. No real "plot" so to speak, just a story of life. I'd love to re-read it. 

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I am trying to read all the books I figure an educated person should have read, so I picked up Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, which was already on my shelf for some reason.

It was a long, tough slog. Quite a feat for a book that is only 72 pages long. It tells the story in retrospect of the journey of the ship's captain, Charles Marlow, into the Belgium Congo as a young man. His meandering and slow journey eventually ends with meeting the reclusive and exceptional station manager, Mr. Kurtz. The man dies almost as soon as Marlow arrives and entrusts all his papers to the young man. Along the way, Marlow has seen enough horror to embitter him against what the "civilized" are doing in the "heart of darkness," Africa.

I know it's supposed to be good, and it might be to my shame that I didn't enjoy it. It's very slow and it's almost as if nothing happens. Much of the book is just waiting around and remarking on the inefficiencies that characterize the Belgium colonizers. Maybe I missed something, but it's not one I'd recommend. 

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Although I think I read A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen in high school, I don't remember it. It showed up as a potential book on my Modern Literature syllabus, so I thought I'd refresh myself. It's very short and only took a few hours to read.

It is the story of a late 19-century housewife, constrained by the mores of the day, who finally breaks free. I can't say I enjoyed. It felt very modern in its sensibilities of the desperate and oppressed housewife who is only free once she leaves her husband and children.

Basically, Nora, forged her father's signature for a loan she took out to help her sick husband. As women were not allowed to make financial decisions without their husbands, she felt forced in the deception. Later, when her husband is recovered and manager of the bank from which she took the loan, a fired employee blackmails Nora in order to get his job back. When she is unable to do so, he threatens to go public and writes a letter to Torvald, Nora's husband. Once she sees it is too late, she considers suicide to save her husband's reputation, but after reading the letter, Torvald expresses disgust and shame at her actions the danger she placed his reputation in. Immediately after renouncing her, another letter arrives from the blackmailer. He has reconsidered and is returning the incriminating evidence. Elated that the storm has passed, Torvald wants to go back to normal and forget the whole thing happened. But Nora has now seen her husband for who he is. He cared about his reputation more than her while she was willing to die for him. She sees herself as having no option but to leave him and figure out how to live as something other than his "plaything."

Sigh. I simply cannot get behind Ibsen's conclusions. Both Nora and Torvald are fallen and flawed humans doing the best they can in the circumstances in which they find themselves. That both deeply disappoint the other is the stuff of humanity. I want to scream at Nora to get over yourself. You cannot take your own pain and disappointment and spew that out on your husband and children. That way goes death and destruction. Nora will not be liberated, she will be worse.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard was originally on my Modern Literature syllabus, but time constraints relegated it to the dustbin. When I saw it was written by Tom Stoppard, who also wrote my favorite movie, Shakespeare in Love, I felt duty-bound to read it.

The point of the book is to follow the story of Hamlet by focusing on two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are Hamlet's boyhood chums and tasked by the king and queen with finding out what is wrong with Hamlet and ultimately to carry order to the king of England to execute Hamlet. Their journey goes awry and it is they who are executed. In the wrap-up of the original play, the audience is informed, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead." Tom Stoppard picks up this line and develops a whole play around how that come to be.

It was nothing like the movie except the Shakespearean references. It was ok. Very goofy. Certainly a quick read, but not something I'd highly recommend.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Our book club chose Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and what a fascinating pick.

To begin, the main character is not named "Rebecca." In fact, we never learn her name. But Rebecca literally haunts the book and becomes the central figure.

The writing is simply gorgeous. In fact, the inner monologue of "the second Mrs. DeWinter" is far more fascinating than the woman herself. As she describes events and people around her, it is clear that she is highly insightful, yet that doesn't really show up in her exterior life.

As the young, unsure, new wife of widower Mr. DeWinter, she finds herself in the constant shadow of his former wife. It seems clear by the end of the book that she has manufactured the specter to her own unhappiness.

It reads in a thrilling manner as the truth slowly reveals itself. The end is abrupt and unsatisfying. Yet it is a beautiful and haunting tale and I highly recommend it.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse,

Originally the curriculum for my Modern Literature class included Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse. Unfortunately, the class did not end up using the book. But I still had it on my shelf and, although he came highly recommended, I'd never read a Wodehouse book. So I decided to give it a try. I must say it was a very fun read, but of course outside my normal reading habit. (See: every other book in this blog) I really enjoyed it and I can see why he is acclaimed.

Apparently the book is an early entry into the relationship of Bertie, and his butler, Jeeves. Bertie is still convinced that he is the more brilliant of the two and attempts to reconcile several romances gone awry. Disregarding Jeeves advice, Bertie proceeds to make a mess of each couple, even accidentally becoming engaged himself to one of the women involved. Finally it is up to Jeeves to put right the whole mess. The convoluted denouement is clever and clearly shows the humble Jeeves as the brains in the bunch. Definitely worth a read. I'll have to read the others in the series.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

One of the myriad books that was supposed to be on my Modern Literature syllabus was The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. But alas, we did not get to it. Since I already owned it, I decided I might as well read it anyways. Am I glad I did! This short book is well worth the few hours it takes to read it.

Of course, the story is very familiar, so we are not surprised or particularly horrified to discover that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one and the same. But no matter, the point of the story remains: be careful of the choices you make or they may come to permanently define you.

Dr. Jekyll has been experimenting on himself with a serum that transforms him into an alter ego, Mr. Hyde. As Hyde, Jekyll engages in horrifying behavior. As family and friends become bewildered at the relationship between the two, Jekyll finally loses control over his ability to go back and forth between them. Finally, he realizes he will be forever Hyde as a result of his inability to stop using the other personality for his own personal gratification.

I love the last paragraph which clearly spells out Stevenson's intended theme,

About a week has passed, and I am now finishing this statement under the influence of the last of the old powders. This, then, is the last time, short of a miracle that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts or see his own face (now sadly altered!) in the glass. Nor must I delay too long to bring my writing to an end; for if my narrative has hitherto escaped destruction it has been by a combination of great prudence and great good luck. Should the throes of change take me in the act of writing it, Hyde will tear it in pieces; but if some time shall have elapsed after I have laid it by, his wonderful selfishness and circumscription to the moment will probably save it once again from the action of his apelike spite. And indeed the doom that is closing on us both has already changed and crushed him. Half an hour from now, when I shall again and forever reinduce that hated personality, I know how I shall sit shuddering and weeping in my chair, or continue, with the most strained and fearstruck ecstasy of listening, to pace up and down this room (my last earthly refuge) and give ear to every sound of menace. Will Hyde die upon the scaffold? or will he find the courage to release himself at the last moment? God knows; I am careless; this is my true hour of death, and what is to follow concerns another than myself. Here, then, as I lay down the pen, and proceed to seal up my confession I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end. 

Purgatory by Dante

As part of my never-ending desire to give myself a classical education, I knew I had to dive into The Divine Comedy by Dante. Having already read Inferno as part of Hillsdale's Great Book course, in my OCD I felt like I had to keep on going and read Purgatory by Dante. I'm glad I did, although I have to say I don't believe it was as interesting. Once again, I suffer from lack of inside knowledge. Although Esolen does a good job of telling us what we need to know about each character we meet, being so far removed in time makes it difficult to fully relate to the point Dante is making.

Esolen begins with an introductory essay in which he makes the case that Dante is primarily concerned with restoration, liberation, and friendship in Purgatory. "Purgatory is the mountain, or the widing ascent up that mountain, that straightens sould whom the world has made crooked." (p. xv) In Purgatory, Dante will have a chance to revisit his youth and see where he got off track. Although he loved Beatrice, his fear that she would call him to a higher place scared him drove him from her. In Purgatory he, along with those he meets, will get a chance to make past mistakes right. When it comes to liberation, Dante makes it clear that we much come to terms with our own helplessness, becoming, in effect, like little children. This kind of humility is the central virtue of Purgatory. "Thus in a real sense, the souls suffering their way up the Mountain o fPurgatory are uniting their sufferings with those of Christ, who climbed that mountain of Calvary...In learning humility, they learn to become likeChrist, and in becoming like Christ, they unite themselves with the power of God and gain the freedom of him who 'descended first into the lower parts of the earth' and, ascending, 'led captivity captive' (Eph. 4:809)." (p. xxi) Purgatory is the place to be set free from the damage caused by sin. Finally, Purgatory shows a world in which the inhabitants genuinely rejoice in each through the bonds of friendship. Unlike Inferno where the souls bitterly lash out at each other, in Purgatory the people love and support each other on their upward journey.

Here are Esolen's summaries that begin each canto occasionally followed by a quote from the poem and/or commentary from Esolen:

CANTO ONE
The poets emerge from Hell and find themselves at the base of a tall mountain, just before dawn on Easter Sunday. There they meet Cato of Utica, the guardian of Purgatory. Following Cato's instructions, Virgil washes Dante's face and girds him with the reed of humility. 

Right away, Dante gives us the purpose of Purgatory:

And I will sing about that second realm

      given the human soul to purge its sin

     and grow worthy to climb to Paradise. (p. 3)

CANTO TWO
The poets meet a group of spirits ferried across the sea by an angel pilot. Among them is Dante's friend Casella, who explains how the souls are brought to Purgatory. When Casella agrees to sing one of Dante's youthful poems of love, Cato appears and rebukes the souls for dallying.

Dante describes the joy with which the souls approach Purgatory, so unlike in the Inferno:

The heavenly pilot stood before the bow;

     beatitude seemed written on his face.

     more than a hundred souls sat toward the prow:

“When from the land of Egypt Israel came,”

     they sang together in a single voice,

     with all the verses written in that psalm. (p. 15)

CANTO THREE 
Dante and Virgil meet the first souls dwelling in Ante-Purgatory: those who died while excommunicated from the Church. Among these is Manfred, noble son of Frederick II. 

CANTO FOUR 
After Virgil describes the geographical position of Purgatory, the poets meet the second group of late repenters: the Negligent, among whom is a friend of Dante's, the sardonic Belacqua. 

CANTO FIVE 
Dante now encounters the third group of late repenters, those who died by violence. These include Jacopo del Cassero, assassinated; Bonconte da Montefeltro, a casualty in war; and Pia, murdered by her husband. 

CANTO SIX 
Dante leaves the souls who died by violence, and he and Virgil meet a lone spirit from Mantua. The spirit's patriotism inspires Dante to reproaches against the corruption of his native land. 

CANTO SEVEN 
The Mantuan Sordello shows to Dante, in the Valley of the Princes, a fourth group of late repenters: those who were preoccupied with cares of state. 

CANTO EIGHT 
After the guardian angels fend off a night attack by the serpent, Dante meets his friend and patron Nino Visconti, and pays tribute to the courtliness of the house of Conrad Malaspina. 

CANTO NINE 
Dante is swept up, while dreaming, to the gates of Purgatory. There he and Virgil meet the Porter, the angel commissioned by Saint Peter to guard the gate. The angel inscribes the marks of the seven deadly sins upon Dante's forehead. 

CANTO TEN 
Now at the beginning of the ring of pride, the poets behold portrayals of humility. Passing by these, they encounter the proud, who bear heavy stones upon their backs. . 

CANTO ELEVEN 
Dante meets three spirits in the ring of pride: Omberto Aldobrandesco, proud of his family and birth; Oderisi da Gubbio, proud of his artistic talent; and Provenzan Salvani, proud of his glory in war and politics. Oderisi reveals the vanity of human glory. 

CANTO TWELVE 
The poets see thirteen engravings of pride punished. As they leave the ring, Dante discovers that one of the marks of sin has been expunged. 

CANTO THIRTEEN 
The poets enter the ring of envy, whose sinners weep through eyes sewn shut. There Dante converses with the Sienese woman Sapia.

CANTO FOURTEEN 
Still in the ring of envy, Dante is addressed by Rinier da Calboli and Guido del Duca, who delivers a devastating judgment against the mercenary and savage mores of Tuscany and Romagna. 

CANTO FIFTEEN 
Virgil explains the difference between goods that can be shared and goods that cannot. The poets then enter the ring of wrath, where they see images of meekness. 

Virgil explains to Dante that although the light of Heaven is currently too bright for him and makes him uncomfortable, he is here to become accustomed to it through changes in his character.

“Don’t be amazed if you are dazzled still

     by Heaven’s family, for he is sent

     a herald summoning men to climb the hill.

Soon it shall not oppress you anymore,

     but you will look upon these things with joy—

     all the delight your nature formed you for.” (p. 161)

CANTO SIXTEEN 
In the ring of wrath, the poets meet Mark the Lombard, who discourses on free will and on the evil that proceeds from the confusion of papal and imperial authority. 

CANTO SEVENTEEN 
Dante sees visions of the punishment of wrath; then, as evening comes on, just before they enter the next ring, Virgil explains to Dante how the structure of Purgatory derives from three classes of sins against love.

In his commentary, Esolen explains, "Virgil develops the theme that every human deed is motivated by some form of love. That vision of love—love misdirected in Hell, made whole in Purgatory, and ravishingly fulfilled in Heaven—is essentially the vision of the entire Comedy." (p. 453) 

CANTO EIGHTEEN 
Virgil shows Dante how all of our actions, both the good and the evil, are motivated by love. The poets are in the ring of sloth, and meet the sinners hurrying past, among whom is the Abbot of San Zeno. 

CANTO NINETEEN 
Before the dawn, Dante dreams of the Siren, an allegory of attachment to worldly goods. The poets enter the ring of avarice, whose sinners, including Pope Adrian V, must lie prone, bemoaning their former love of dust. 

CANTO TWENTY 
Dante and Virgil encounter Hugh Capet, who delivers an invective against the French monarchy and a litany of examples of the punishment of avarice. As the poets make their way toward the next ring, they feel a tremor of the earth. 

CANTO TWENTY-ONE 
After the earthquake, a spirit greets the poets, catching up with them from behind. He explains the incorruptibility of Purgatory, and the role of the free will in accomplishing the liberation of the repentant souls. Finally he identifies himself as the ancient epic poet Statius. Upon learning who Dante's guide is, he is overcome with emotion.

CANTO TWENTY-TWO 
Statius explains how it was on account of Virgil that he became a virtuous man, and then converted to Christianity. The three poets approach the ring of gluttony. 

CANTO TWENTY-THREE 
Among the emaciated sinners in the ring of gluttony, Dante meets his old friend Forese. 

CANTO TWENTY-FOUR 
Forese points out to Dante various of the gluttonous, one of whom, Bonagiunta of Lucca, speaks with Dante on the nature of the sweet new style of love poetry. Forese prophesies disaster for Florence and for his brother, Corso Donati. 

CANTO TWENTY-FIVE 
Statius teaches Dante about the generation of the human body and soul, and describes the state of the disembodied soul after death. The poets approach the ring of lust. 

CANTO TWENTY-SIX 
In the flames of the ring of lust, Dante encounters his poetic predecessor Guido Guinizelli and the Provençal troubadour Arnaut Daniel.

CANTO TWENTY-SEVEN 
The poets pass through the flames and, after a night in which Dante dreams of the beautiful Leah, ascend to the top of the mountain, where they see Earthly Paradise. Virgil's last words to Dante declare him truly free. 

CANTO TWENTY-EIGHT 
Walking through Earthly Paradise, Dante meets a lovely lady, Matelda, who describes for the poets the nature of Paradise, the virtues of the rivers Lethe and Eunoe, and the truth about the Golden Age. 

CANTO TWENTY-NINE 
The poets behold the pageant of the Griffin, wherein are figures representing the virtues, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the entire history of divine revelation. 

CANTO THIRTY 
At last, Beatrice appears, and Dante turns around to speak to his guide—but Virgil is gone. Beatrice reproaches Dante for his straying.

CANTO THIRTY-ONE 
Dante acknowledges his sin and weeps in repentance. Having fainted for grief and shame, he is led by Matelda through the waters of Lethe, wherein he is cleansed of the painful memory of his sin. 

CANTO THIRTY-TWO 
The Griffin and the angelic beings depart, leaving the chariot. Beatrice directs Dante's attention to the destruction of the chariot, an allegory of corruption in the Church, brought on by the confounding of the powers of Church and empire. 

CANTO THIRTY-THREE 

Beatrice prophesies the restoration of Church and empire. Finally, Matelda immerses Dante in the waters of Eunoe, restoring his memory of good deeds done. He emerges from the river, cleansed and ready to ascend to the stars. 

As Inferno has different levels, so Purgatory does as well. 

Ante-Purgatory
  Shore of the Island (Cantos I – II)
  The Excommunicate
  The Late-Repentant
Seven terraces of Purgatory
  First terrace (Pride)
  Second terrace (Envy)
  Third terrace (Wrath)
  Fourth terrace (Sloth)
  Fifth terrace (Avarice)
  Sixth terrace (Gluttony)
  Seventh terrace (Lust)
The Earthly Paradise