Summer Books

Yay for random summer reading! As Jane Austen once said, "Is there any felicity superior to this?" (Although she wasn't talking about reading...) Some I've read already since exams ended...others I have to get around to.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen-Austen makes fun of novels and the effects they have on people. Wickedly, wickedly funny. 

Rock Stars on God by Doug Van Pelt-Because it would be amazing to ask bands like Green Day, Kiss, Metallica, Bad Religion, and Nickelback  "So, what do you think about Jesus Christ?" Van Pelt did just that...and the results are quite amazing.

Sanctuary by William Faulkner-Because it's William Faulkner

 

Mere Christianity, Till We Have Faces, and The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis-Because C. S. Lewis' intelligence and relevancy never cease to amaze and inspire me. 

Dear Brutus by J. M. Barrie-Because I found a copy of it from the 1800's in a used bookstore, and it had such a pretty cover. 

The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. (Maybe my top favorite.) This book is incredible. It is about two demons, Screwtape and Wormwood, who correspond in letters about the tempting of humans. The book isn't meant so much to be a fantasy novel as a book on theology, a way of looking at our faith in a different way and questioning what we truly believe. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate this book, nor do you have to be a whiz kid or a minister. It's simple, yet complex, and completely beautiful (as C.S. Lewis' work generally is.) I'm the kind of person who always sees how far I can go before I technically "sin. This book really convicted me. How would your behaviour change if you knew that Satan was luring you over with the little things?

Theatre: The Magician's Nephew

This theatrical production of the magnificent C. S. Lewis classic gave me goosebumps. Director Alan Poindexter deftly handled the story, creating a piece that didn't shy away from the deep symbolism and haunting elemental and spiritual threads evident in the book. The costumes, set, and music tied together beautifully. This Narnia, like Aslan the Lion (who was dumbed-down in the recent movie) isn't safe, and the stylized, ethereal look of the show reminded me both of Tim Burton and the film Finding Neverland. The show is running at Children's Theatre of Charlotte until the end of October. (Buy tickets at www.ctcharlotte.org.) Whether you're an avid Narnia fan or not, you have to see this show!

(One of my favorite images from the show: Near the end, when the witch is alone in the garden, she turns around with her back to the audience, raises her arms to the sky, and laughs. The stage is completely black except for her standing there. It starts to snow. I had goosebumps!

Favorite Book

Till We Have Faces is my favorite book of all time. Ever since I first read it in seventh grade, I have read it at least once every year, and every time I read it I fall more and more in love with everything about it.

Till We Have Faces is the Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid retold in a semi-historical context and narrated by Psyche's sister, Orual. For those of you who don't know the myth, I'll supply a brief summary.

Orual, a princess of Phars, is looked down upon by her abusive father (and the rest of the world in general) because of her supposed ugliness. Her main joy in life is caring for her stepsister, Psyche, and spending time learning from the Fox, a Greek slave. As Psyche grows older, she becomes so beautiful that people start to worship her as a goddess. The priest says that the gods are angered by this and that Psyche must be sacrificed to the Shadowbrute, the god of the mountain, and become his bride (and his meal.) Orual goes to the mountain to find Psyche and secretly bring her home, but Psyche, alone in the wilderness, is convinced that she lives in a grand palace and will not leave her "husband." The events that follow challenge every idea of love you might have had, from the bond between sisters to marriage to the power we love to feel over our own lives.

C. S. Lewis will forever remain my literary role model. Chances are, you'll hear me talking about more of his work later (such as The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, and The Magician's Nephew. Those are some of my absolute favorites!)