Phaedo by Plato REVIEW

Phaedo by Plato
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I like about Plato’s dialogues is how accessible they are. Much of Western thought is based on Plato's writings, so you can’t get much more academic than that, but at the same time, Plato isn’t hard. You don’t have to have special skills or been formally trained in philosophy to enjoy and understand Plato. Pheado is one of Plato’s later dialogues so it, probably, represents Plato’s own viewpoints rather than Socrates’. As for the philosophy itself, I like the proofs for the pre-existence of the soul and even the existence the soul after death. Some ideas Plato seems to take for granted and just doesn’t offer any explanation, like re-incarnation. I enjoyed Pheado. I think that Plato's dialogues is a great place to start for someone who has an interest in the origins of western philosophy.

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The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

college 

WHY I Chose to Read It

I hadn't read any ancient Greek, for the challenge, yet.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

someone interested in Western philosophy

WILL It Stay A Classic

Clearly, the answer is yes, but I think that it is still relevant because it deals with the universal theme of the existence of the soul.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I’d recommend this to anyone who expressed interest in reading a mystery.

Murder on the Orient Express - REVIEW & The Ws

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Without a doubt, I saw the movie adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express as child, but it never occurred to me that I would remember anything about the book. Although I didn’t recall anything specific, I knew, without a doubt, “whodunit.” My knowledge of the ending, pretty much, ruined the experience of the book. I kept reading for two reasons: 1) to make sure that I wasn’t crazy and that I really did know the outcome, and 2) to get a feel for Agatha Christie’s writing.

I don’t know if this book is reflective of Christie’s overall style or not. I loved the main character, but I didn’t think that I got enough of his investigative process. There were many interviews and an elucidation at the end. I don’t read many mysteries, so I don’t know how common that style is, but personally, I think that I would enjoyed the book more if I were given more access to Poirot’s thought process before the big reveal.

Given the circumstances, it is difficult for me to give this book a fair rating. If I hadn’t known the ending, I might have rated it four stars. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to read another of Agatha Chrisite’s book.


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The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I can’t remember a time of not knowing that this book existed.  I, probably, saw a movie adaptation before the age of ten.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

Agatha Christie books have sold over 3 billion copies.  Christie took the lead from authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but she has been influential in her own right.  Murder on the Orient Express is her most famous dealing with the universal themes of justice and judgment.

WHY I Chose to Read It

It was chosen as group read in a group that I’m in on Goodreads.

WILL It Stay A Classic

It was written in 1934 and has never been out of print.  That is a pretty good start. 

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I’d recommend this to anyone who expressed interest in reading a mystery.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky REVIEW & the Ws

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read some amazing classics, this year, so I had no reason to think that Crime and Punishment wouldn’t be another winner. Unfortunately, I didn’t anticipate what a drag it would be. Hours and hours of my life dedicated to exploring the mind of an insane person. If only Dostoyevsky could have done it in 250 pages, it might have been tolerable. Sometimes it was oddly compelling, but, mostly, I just wanted the punishment to end. (view spoiler)[ As far as the plot goes, I never figured why Raskolnikov committed the murders. In the beginning, I assumed that it was about money, but, as the book went on, it was obviously that he didn’t care about the money. I suppose that he gave an explanation in his article, but the arguments, in the article, didn’t fit together with the circumstances of Raskolnikov life. His attempts to explain it to Sonya sounded ridiculous, except for the fact that he admitted that he was a little bad and a little crazy. In the end, the murders were senseless. I have to assume that that was the point, but it didn't sit well with me. (hide spoiler)]

Sometimes if I don’t like a book, it is really that I just don’t understand the book. For a while, I read a chapter analysis after each chapter. I hoped that thoroughly understanding the book would help me appreciate it more. I gave that up by part three (about ½ through). The chapter analyses weren’t adding much to comprehension of the book, and it was prolonging the experience.

I’m giving Crime and Punishment two stars instead of one, because Dostoyevsky, in some respects, is an excellent writer. I, truly, felt that I was inside the mind of a mad man.

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The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I must have been in high school.  I don’t quite remember.

WHY I Chose to Read It

It was chosen as a group read for a group that I am in on Goodreads.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

Crime and Punishment examines universal themes:  primarily societal alienation and the psychology of the criminal mind.  Crazy is crazy whether it’s the 19^th century of 2015.  Anyone interested in crazy will, probably, like this book.

WHAT I Thought of This Classic

I think that books like this are the reasons people hesitate to read classics.  In my opinion, it was long and boring.  I didn’t like the characters, so I didn’t care much what happened to them.

WILL It Stay A Classic

Since it was written in the early 19^th century and it is still going strong, I think that there is a good bet that it will continue its domination of any list of Russian classics.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

A psychology student

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe REVIEW

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My feelings about this book are mixed. On one hand, I found it interesting and challenging. I utilized many resources, while reading this book, to help me better understand the background information and literary allegories. One valuable resource was a study guide prepared by Heather DuBois Bourenane from the University Wisconsin‐Madison. I became engrossed in the plot, and I appreciated the literary devices used to examine various themes. On an academic level, I was very impressed with the book.

On the other hand, if I consider Things Fall Apart outside of any historical significance, political importance or literary appreciation, I was underwhelmed. The main character was, too, vilified in the first chapters. I didn’t care much what happened to him, nor did I feel empathy for any of the other characters. I didn’t feel anything while reading the book. Reading a novel shouldn’t be an academic pursuit but one of the heart.

That leaves me in a quandary as to what rating to give Things Fall Apart. I have settled on 4 stars. Although I didn't find the novel emotionally riveting, Achebe seamlessly incorporated African storytelling with a western style of writing, and he tackled difficult themes in a way that was stimulating and thought provoking.

Most of the answers to the Ws are found in my previous post about this book.

Things Fall Apart – 1987 Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation mini‐series.

Find scene 1 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7FS95IcRNU

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The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter Woodson

The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mis-Education of the Negro was originally published in 1933. In it, Woodson outlines what he sees as the repercussions of an ineffective Negro educational system. The book may have been shocking when it was written, but it represents mainstay thought about education, today. The book remains relevant, because even though most agree, as a community, we still have a way to go in putting many of his recommendations into practice. As a modern reader, I appreciated chapters XVII and the appendix the most. In chapter XVII, Woodson says that it doesn’t make sense for Blacks to simple give their vote to one political party.

Any people who will vote the same way for three generations without thereby obtaining results ought to be ignored and disfranchised. As a minority element, the Negro should not knock at the door of any particular political party.

In the appendix, Woodson examines the question of what the race should be called. I don’t think he ever answers the question, but I love the following quote:

It doesn’t matter so much what a thing is called as what a thing is.

Although the topics Woodson covers in chapters VII and the appendix aren’t new, I think he offers an opinion that isn’t often articulated as eloquently and is relevant to a modern discussion.



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The Pearl by John Steinbeck REVIEW

Review

People who love Steinbeck seem to think that this isn't a sampling of his best, but I was certainly impressed.  The writing is wonderful and the story is simple with universal themes.

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I recently discovered this book.  It was added to my library's ebook collection, so I put it on hold.  When it became available I borrowed it, and read it. I wasn't aware of it before I saw added as a new book to the library's collection

WHAT Makes It A Classic

This is a book commonly taught in middle school and highschool.  It is very accessible as a way to introduce how an author can use symbolism. There is a great deal of teaching material available for this book.

WHY I Chose to Read It

free

WILL It Stay A Classic

Yes.  The book is beautifully written and involves universal themes.  Teachers can dig in, because every character represents a sin or temptation, etc.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes good writing.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis REVIEW

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lewis was nothing if not clever. He demonstrated that again in this classic Christian apologetic.

The Screwtape Letters is a commentary on how we allow sin to creep into our life and the spiritual warfare that is really at work in the process. Lewis engaged a dry wit an an unusual composition to keep the reader interested. This book could easily be read straight through like a novel, but I approached it more like a study, reading it piecemeal. I was most struck by how timeless it is. Even though this book was written over fifty years ago, it is still amazingly accurate concerning the temptations of modern life. I would recommend this book to any Christian looking for a primer or even an advanced study on sin and temptation.

The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

About 15 years ago.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

C.S. Lewis is a legend as a Christian apologetic.  That doesn’t make every book he wrote a classic, but I have seen this one listed several times on different Christian classics lists, and I have seen this book referenced numerous times in other Christian literature.

WHY I Chose to Read It

I was interested in the premise.  Lewis is at his best when he is being creative.

WILL It Stay A Classic

Most certainly this will stay a classic.  The commentary is extremely relevant to modern society.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

Christians

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