Shakespeare The World As Stage by Bill Bryson

 

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. "

     -from As You Like It by William Shakespeare

This book was offered at a discount, and I was intrigued because we have season tickets to a theatre where we see a couple of Shakespeare plays each year. A part of The Eminent Lives series of biographies, it is a pretty short read mostly because of how little is actually known about the famous playwright and poet. I learned there are years and events of his life where next to nothing is known about his whereabouts or actions. Although many plays attributed to Shakespeare are confirmed by numerous scholars, no one really knows in what order they were created.

 I was surprised at how many speculations and theories there have been that Shakespeare could not have written all for which he is credited and even naming other writers thought to be responsible. I learned more about the Shakespearean era than I did about the bard himself, interesting facts about England, especially London, and particularly the theatre of that time, and about his contemporaries. The author has caustic things to say about some of these unfounded theories and ends by saying, "Only one man had the circumstances and gifts to give us such incomparable works, and William Shakespeare of Stratford was unquestionably that man---whoever he was."

I am rating this book a 3---definitely not a page-turner---it kept me reading to the end but was not terribly enjoyable.

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

Published on February 5, 2022

"Whatever emotions you carry in your heart, Martel, especially love. God listens loud and clear if you feel love. The Almighty also knows if you are feeling good. The Universal Intelligence responds when you are happy or courageous or even if you are just calm. It understands when you are grateful for the miracle of your existence and rushes to help you when you have a dream that helps other people. The Divine hears all the languages of the heart and beauty."      

     -Corporal Gheorghe, from the novel, in answer to Emil's question,

 "What are the primary languages of God?"

I read Beneath a Scarlet Sky, an historical fiction based on a true story by this author in 2017 and found it an inspiring and memorable read. In the Preface of The Last Green Valley, Sullivan says he thought he might never find another story as touching and transformative as ...Scarlet Sky. Well, he absolutely DID find one! You must read the Preface and the Afterword to know the fascinating background to this novel, based on the survival story of an actual family.

This story of Emil and Adeline Martel's evacuation by the Nazis from an imminent invasion by Stalin's forces in 1944 Ukraine is mind-boggling. This journey is known historically as the Long Trek. The Martels claimed they were "fleeing the bear (Russia) and running with the wolves (Nazis)." This crossing as a family (with 2 young sons) was grueling, to say the least, fraught with many dangers, but when Emil and Adeline are separated and must find each other again, the obstacles they face are all the more horrendous. Often events were so violent, so sad, I had to put the book aside for a while. 

Although there is almost no humor in this story, there is much wisdom expressed, especially by secondary characters: Mrs. Kantor, the elderly employer of the very young Adeline; Frau Schmidt, Adeline's land lady; and Corporal Gheorghe, who one might describe as a savior for Emil. See the quote for an example.

I have read many historical fictions set during WWII, many with accounts of Nazi atrocities and the Holocaust. I always find them emotionally intense, often heart-breaking and more often than not, inspiring. In this novel, I learned of Holodomor, or Terror-Famine, inflicted by Stalin's regime, another example of genocide in which millions of Ukrainians died. Important to know Stalin ranks right up there with Hitler on the cruelty scale! And how sadly ironic to hear of the current threat to Ukraine by Putin's Russia!

This fictionalized account of the Martels' amazing survival story gets a 5 rating from me, certainly a page-turner. One cannot help but be inspired by their faith, resilience, determination and strength. I recommend it highly.

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Updated on August 24, 2023

An unusually large group of Page Turners gathered today to discuss The Last Green Valley----19 people! It may have been a change of venue or maybe the fact that some of the summer travels are over. We met at the Orange County Public Library downtown where we had a room to conduct our meeting and then a tour of the library. This year is the 100th birthday of the library and the history surprised many of us. We were very impressed with features offered, particularly the technology available. 

The novel received a 4.1 average rating with no votes below 3. I believe we all learned some European history that we did not know before and were inspired by the struggles the Martel family overcame. Most of us found it difficult to read because of the horrific violence and inhumanity they experienced.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

 

"Mi'ija, in a world as wrong as this one, all we can do is to make things as right as we can."

    -Estevan to Taylor, from the novel

I have read novels by this author so when this one was offered on Kindle at a discount, I purchased it. I discovered later it is Kingsolver's debut novel. Perhaps, that is why it was not as compelling as others. I will rate it a 3.

In rural Kentucky young Marietta "Missy" Greer is dissatisfied with her life and decides to take off on her own heading west. After making a stop in Oklahoma on Cherokee land, a stranger forces her to take a 3-year-old Native American girl with no explanation. She and the child, whom she calls Turtle, then continue on until they reach Tucson, AZ. Somewhere early in this journey to a new life, she changes her name to Taylor.

In Tucson, Taylor takes her limping vehicle to Mattie, the owner of Jesus Is Lord Used Tires, who ends up giving her a job. She also meets Lou Ann Ruiz, who coincidentally is from Kentucky, and they become roommates and friends.

Mattie gives safe haven to refugees, including the Guatemalan couple Estevan (quoted above) and Esperanza. In getting to know these two, Taylor empathizes with their struggle to seek a better life. Late in the book she says to Estevan, "But how can you say a person is illegal?" (A question I ask myself.)

I was curious about the title since I had never heard of bean trees. I learned that the wisteria plant after flowering produces seed pods that look like beans. After a quick bit of research, it seems these are poisonous.

Kingsolver is a skilled writer so I am sure I will read more of her work.

Photo shows a "bean tree."

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

 

"You may not see it now, but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your food, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh gladness spreads like the ripples in a pond; and whenever you're sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer."

                -the Princess of Pure Reason, from the novel

In past years, I have not read a great deal of fantasy but when I was teaching later elementary grades, I had several favorites, including this one. Since I am a great believer in education and a logophile (lover of words), this novel is special. Juster uses SO much figurative language, adding great humor with personification, paradox, onomatopoeia, idioms and puns, as well as repetition and a liberal sprinkling of synonyms and homonyms. I haven't read it in years but enjoyed it still. I will rate it 5.

Main character Milo is a bored kid who sees almost everything as a waste of time. One day he returns home from school and finds a surprise---a tollbooth with a map and an instruction manual and a note that says "FOR MILO, WHO HAS PLENTY OF TIME." When he drives his toy car through the tollbooth, he goes "beyond Expectations" where he meets the Whether Man. Soon after he reaches the Doldrums and comes across the watchdog, Tock, who will become a loyal companion on his journey. The two of them enter Dictionopolis where there is a Word Market being held. When they get in the middle of a riot caused by the Spelling Bee and the Humbug, they are jailed by Officer Short Shrift. In prison they meet Faintly Macabre, the not-so-wicked Which (not Witch), who tells them the story of how the Kingdom of Wisdom became divided by the sibling rivalry of two brothers---Azaz who would become king of Dictionopolis and the Mathemagician who would rule Digitopolis. In their conflict they have banished the Princesses Rhyme and Reason and everyone in the land has been unhappy in their absence.

After the Which tells them how to get out of jail, Milo and Tock join up with the Humbug and set out to the Castle in the Air to rescue the princesses. A favorite part is when Milo climbs into a wagon and says "How are you going to make it move? It doesn't have a ....."  and the duke says, "Be very quiet...for it goes without saying."

In their quest to find Rhyme and Reason, the three companions meet many more very odd, sometimes scary characters like Chroma the Great, who conducts all the colors of the land; Kakofonous A. Discord, Doctor of Dissonance; the Dodecahedron with 12 faces; the Terrible Trivium and the Senses Taker. I will not spoil the ending although you may be able to predict it.

This novel has been compared to Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It also makes me think of the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Desolation Mountain by William Kent Krueger

 

"We give thanks to the Creator and we pray that in the battle between love and fear, which is always raging in the human heart, love will triumph.... Love will win. In the end, love always wins."

                 -Henry Meloux, from the novel

This was number 17 in the Cork O'Connor series. I've read them all and hate to think about the end! (There are only two more that I know of.) Another page-turner and another 5 rating. It might be obvious that Krueger is one of my favorite authors. 

This novel begins with a plane crash killing a United States senator, Olympia McCarthy, and there are numerous mysterious circumstances. Officially reported as pilot error, it soon becomes obvious there's something more nefarious going on. Cork's young adult son, Stephen, has seen a vision that even the Mide Meloux can't interpret and soon there are many authorities---NTSB, FBI, DoD---practically stepping on each other to investigate. Cork meets up with Bo Thorson, formerly of the Secret Service, with whom he had worked a case in the past. They try to do their own sleuthing as the situation begins to look like domestic terrorism. Some eyewitnesses, including Stephen O'Connor may be in serious danger, making the investigation even more intense. Many twists and turns keep the plot moving and the story gripping.

Mentions of The BFG by Roald Dahl (a favorite children's book and author) and To Kill a Mockingbird (an all-time favorite of mine) were interesting. I always love the profound thinking of Henry Meloux, an Obijwe healer, what some might call a medicine man. I have taken to starting each Cork O'Connor blog with a quote from him. Henry is over 100 years old in this installment and I can hardly stand to think of his death coming in a future one. I will be looking for #18 Lightening Strike soon! And I have received notice that a new novel, not of the series, will be released in September. I just hope Mr. Krueger keeps cranking them out!