Friday, September 21, 2012

Reading Goals

My get together with friends on Wednesday proved to be a good thing to get me out again but I over exerted myself and I spent the next day taking it easy again and reading.  I also managed to get out for a bit of grocery shopping and to run an errand at the post office.

I finished the book, Medicine River by Thomas King.  The book had been on my "to read" list for many years and at last I can now say that I have finished it and it is no longer on my mind.  My mind does remind me from time to time of things that I have not done.  I found the book to be a satisfactory enough read but I wasn't overly impressed by it.  Perhaps my expectations were too high as I'd long been thinking about it.  The book is not so long and is written in an easy, conversational style which made me read it more slowly.  I read it as if I was hearing the characters in the book speaking.

What distinguishes this book from many other books I've read, is that it was written by a Native American author of Cherokee, Greek and German-American descent.  The setting of the story in the book is a reserve in western Canada, probably because the author lived and worked in Lethbridge, Alberta for many years. Those of you who live in Canada may have see the television movie based on this book.  I think that it is good to be exposed to more Native American writers but I don't think there are that many of them.

After finishing that book, I read, The Empress, written by Shan Sa. Shan Sa is the pen name of Yan Ni, who was born in Beijing, China, and later moved to France with her father in 1990.

Her novel is based on the life of  the Empress of China, Empress Wu, the only reigning female in the history of China (c.625-705). The book started and ended rather interestingly, with the Empress telling the story of her own birth and death. The rest of the book was a bit disappointing to me.  I was a bit taken aback by the amount of debauchery attributed to that time period. But if you are interested in the history of China, female leaders throughout history, and early history of China, then this book is loaded with detail.



In the notes at the back of the book the author says,

"Empress is the encounter of two Chinese women, myself and Empress Wu. I came to Paris in 1990 at the age of seventeen.  Coming from post-Cultural Revolution China to Paris, this city of luxury and lust, I felt the shock and suffering that my heroine experienced when she entered life in the Forbidden City.

The historical research took three years, and I made several trips to China to explore the regions where the Empress had lived."

I think the following quote from p. 317 of the book sums up the story quite well.

"Time passed. The wheel of fortune turned. Skills vanished in the flames of war, and men no longer knew how to build palaces tall enough to touch the clouds. The Tatars streamed in from the deserts and the steppes, one dynasty followed another. Women abandoned the arts and bound their feet. Emperors continued with the Mandarin competitions I had instigated and still used the urn of Truth I invented. But I had become a symbol of a corrupt woman. The Annals told how I had strangled my daughter so that I could ascribe the crime to Empress Wang. Misogynistic historians accused me of poisoning my son Splendor who contested my authority. Novelists invented a life of debauchery for me, attributing their own fantasies to me. With passing time, the truth became unclear, and the lies took root."

It is difficult for me to know how much of the personal details of the Empress were true and how much was the author's imagination.  The quote from the book leads me to think that much was the author's imagination. However the author's notes suggest that the tremendous detail about the cultural aspects and ceremony of the times are based on historical facts.

My next book is The Help, which has already been made into a movie. I am also going to finish People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

I've also been in touch with my blogging friend, Fred Alton, whom some of you know. He has encouraged his readers to read the Bible in one year. I've always read the Bible but I don't think I've ever read it from cover to cover, or in one year though it's been something I've wanted to do for some time. Fred has given me some good tips and this reading project fits in nicely with my goal of studying the Bible.

 I'm making good progress on my reading goals for this year.   

What about you dear reader. Have you set any reading goals? Have you read either of the books in my post or the Bible from cover to cover? I'm interested in your thoughts on these books or about your experiences with the Bible reading.

16 comments:

Denise said...

Take care, and be happy. You are loved sweet friend.

Beth Zimmerman said...

I "read" (listened to an audiobook version) the whole Bible over the summer. First time I had read cover to cover too. I've also read a variety of books on marriage and various Christian topics. I also read The Hunger Games trilogy. Right now I am about 45 days into a One Year Chronological reading of the Bible and listening to an audiobook version of What is God Really Like which is a compilation of chapters on this topic by a number of pastors and authors.

Joyful said...

Thank you, Denise. Love you too :-)

Joyful said...

Hi Beth, I've listened to some of the Bible on line (DAB) but not start to finish. I'm hoping to read along with an audio version over the coming year. You're doing well with the Bible reading.

Jan said...

I notice that you are well on the way to completing your Good Reads Challenge for this year Penny. The Empress sounds like one for me, so thank you for the recommendation. Reading goals? Hmm. I'm still determined to read Crime and Punnishment as I started it earlier in the year and then put it aside. I guess my goal is to keep discovering new treasures and taking detours in my reading. You are someone whose signposts I keep following to new discoveries. Mr Stayingawake has set himself the challenge before to read the bible daily.

Joyful said...

Hi Jan, I'm happy to send you my copy of The Empress if you like (I'd need your address which you could send to my email). It was a used book when I bought it and still in reasonable condition though it's exterior is a bit battered. I did learn or note several new words for my vocabulary so that as another bonus of my reading the book. I read Crime & Punishment I think the year before last. It wasn't my favourite but a good book to read as it is a classic. I did enjoy it. It is just that I thought it could have ended a bit sooner.

One tip for your husband, he could read along with Daily Audio Bible or Gateway Bible. I'm selecting the latter for myself but like to listen to the former when I am feeling like I want to listen more than read.

I'm glad you continue to discover new things through me. I love blogging so I can also discover new things through my blogging friends.

Connie Keller said...

I loved People of the Book. I think it's one of the best books I've read in a long time.

I've done a read through the Bible in one year. It was a great experience--even though I've read it all my life, reading it all the way through in an organized way was great. My daughter did a read through the Bible in three months. It was a lot of work, but she loved it.

Amy Jarecki said...

Empress sounds really interesting. I love reading historical books (write them too).

Fred Alton said...

Hi, Penny! Looks like you have several followers who love the Bible "read-through" challenge. Made me feel great that you were encouraged by my thoughts on the subject. I love reading it so much that for the last several years I've read it through 4 times a year. That only requires 12 chapters per day and 20 on Sunday. May the Lord bless you and reward you as you read his letter to you.

Joyful said...

Thanks for dropping by. How exciting that you write books!

Joyful said...

Hi Connie, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book. I'm about half way through People of the Book and am enjoying it so far. I'm glad to hear your thoughts too on reading through the Bible.

Joyful said...

Yes, Fred and it sounds like they enjoyed the process. I'm glad to hear of how often you read through the good book. God bless!

Amy Jarecki said...

Hi Joyful - Thanks for your comment on my blog and interest in Koicto. I got my inspiration from the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap, Utah inscribed by the ancient Fremont Indians. It takes place in 867 A.D. and is about a boy's journey from boy to man to chief. It might have a Clan of the Cave Bear feel, but I wrote it to demonstrate the intelligence and culture of the Native American people long before Europeans came to the continent.

Joyful said...

It sounds like a good read and I've put it on my "to read" list.

Unknown said...

Friend,
you are an inspiration!!!! may your goals for reading rub off on us. the books sounds very interesting, keep up the good work!! me

Joyful said...

Glad you think so my friend. Enjoy a good book ;-)

A Few Days in March ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers. I hope Spring is treating you well so far. It's been roller coaster weather where I live with mostly ...