Reading, but Not Really Listening

Reading . . .

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I loved this book! It took a long time to read--I started it while I was in London in August, but it was well worth it. A suspenseful tale of revenge and transformation, as Edmond Dantes, wronged early in the book, learns that no matter how much wealth or intelligence, man is ill-equipped to mete out justice the way only God can. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. As a human, there was a sense of satisfaction as the different characters saw their worlds collapse around them. But for me, there was also a sense of profound sadness as the cost Edmond's plan's inflicted on him became abudantly clear and the cost he inflicted on the bratty Edward starkly made the point of man's imperfection. The action story was good, but the moral lessons blew me away.

The book A Prisoner of Birth inspired me to read this book. I wasn't too terribly impressed with Prisoner, and as it turns out, it truly was a very pale imitation of TCOMC. The best thing I can now say about Prisoner is that I might never have read TCOMC, but for Prisoner.

How to Read the Bible and Enjoy It, by Skip Heitzig. This book is my evidence of my role as a narrator. I read this book to help someone who needed an audio copy of the book. Reading a "book on tape" is hard work! I didn't have characters to create or voices to do, but to read clearly and try to convey my understanding of what the author meant was a bit of a challenge. I learned a little along the way as well, such as that it would take less than 100 hours to read the whole Bible, actually about 70 according to the author. He also suggested an alternative to reading it straight through: using a weekly schedule where one would read the first 5 books each Monday; the Gospels each Tuesday, the prophets each Wed., etc. This would provide some variety to reading it straight through. Heitzig also suggested how to read a passage, including observing the text, interpreting the text, and applying the text. He suggested a series of questions that one should ask in engaging in these three aspects of reading the Bible.

This is not a book that I would have picked up on my own, but it was a relatively quick read and it inspired me to spend more time reading the Bible.

. . . But Not Really Listening

I've been listening to The Brothers K forever! I started this book when I was in London, and still have listened to only about 17 hours of the book. I just can't get into it; I'm missing the story line, such that it is. There are lots of philosophical points made in this rather dysfunctional family, but I have yet to find a character that I really care about. I'm determined to finish slogging through this book. It may be awhile.