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lory_enterenchanted's Reviews (582)
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
For an immersive journey into the ancient Roman empire, look no further -- but beware, it's a harrowing experience. Harper lifts off the obscuring veils through which we look back at Rome, as the source of our systems of government and justice, of pompous prose and marble statues, and shows how degrading and brutal it really was for the female slaves at the bottom of the hierarchy, the town prostitutes of Pompeii.
The lives of five of these "she-wolves" are traced through the course of several months, centering on Amara, an intelligent doctor's daughter from Attica fallen on hard times. Each one is richly characterized and human, showing the strength of the human core that survives in such difficult circumstances, looking for love and connection, even when sometimes it is cruelly betrayed or cannot be expressed.
It's inevitable that some will fall into despair and be lost, some will be victims of the unjust who reign supreme, but some will rise through their refusal to be defined by the bullies who exploit them. For those who wonder how it is to read a book based on institutionalized sexual violence, I found that Harper struck a fine balance between exposing the realities of the women's lives, and leaving much of the detail respectfully off-stage. She also made marvelous use of the visual evidence left from Pompeii in her descriptions, adding authentic atmosphere that did not scream "historical research" (though it whispered it at times). A brief but crucial appearance by Pliny the Elder is similarly a touch that adds historical weight, without feeling gratuitous.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy, and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next book, and to the ultimate fate of the she-wolves of Pompeii.
For an immersive journey into the ancient Roman empire, look no further -- but beware, it's a harrowing experience. Harper lifts off the obscuring veils through which we look back at Rome, as the source of our systems of government and justice, of pompous prose and marble statues, and shows how degrading and brutal it really was for the female slaves at the bottom of the hierarchy, the town prostitutes of Pompeii.
The lives of five of these "she-wolves" are traced through the course of several months, centering on Amara, an intelligent doctor's daughter from Attica fallen on hard times. Each one is richly characterized and human, showing the strength of the human core that survives in such difficult circumstances, looking for love and connection, even when sometimes it is cruelly betrayed or cannot be expressed.
It's inevitable that some will fall into despair and be lost, some will be victims of the unjust who reign supreme, but some will rise through their refusal to be defined by the bullies who exploit them. For those who wonder how it is to read a book based on institutionalized sexual violence, I found that Harper struck a fine balance between exposing the realities of the women's lives, and leaving much of the detail respectfully off-stage. She also made marvelous use of the visual evidence left from Pompeii in her descriptions, adding authentic atmosphere that did not scream "historical research" (though it whispered it at times). A brief but crucial appearance by Pliny the Elder is similarly a touch that adds historical weight, without feeling gratuitous.
This is apparently the first in a trilogy, and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next book, and to the ultimate fate of the she-wolves of Pompeii.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence
Sexual violence is present throughout, due to the nature of the story, but is generally not explicitly described.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
A classic work on Centering Prayer and an excellent introduction that covers the method in detail as well as many questions that may come up, background information, and an overview of the holistic Christian viewpoint out of which this practice grew. I am sure I will return to it many times for reference and inspiration.
A classic work on Centering Prayer and an excellent introduction that covers the method in detail as well as many questions that may come up, background information, and an overview of the holistic Christian viewpoint out of which this practice grew. I am sure I will return to it many times for reference and inspiration.
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us
Christopher Chabris, Daniel J. Simons
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
The authors puncture several everyday illusions in a way that can make us both laugh and think. It can be a little unsettling to realize how unfounded many of our assumptions about our minds, and thus the world we perceive with them, really are — but if you are strong enough to take it, the reality check is exhilarating. This is a work of popular science, so the explanations of cognitive processes and experimental methods are simplified for the layperson, while the presentation is engaging and personal - with examples from the authors’ own experience as well as their studies. Fun to read as well as enlightening. (I only wish the word "assumptions" had been used instead of "intuitions" -- I think it would be more accurate.)
The authors puncture several everyday illusions in a way that can make us both laugh and think. It can be a little unsettling to realize how unfounded many of our assumptions about our minds, and thus the world we perceive with them, really are — but if you are strong enough to take it, the reality check is exhilarating. This is a work of popular science, so the explanations of cognitive processes and experimental methods are simplified for the layperson, while the presentation is engaging and personal - with examples from the authors’ own experience as well as their studies. Fun to read as well as enlightening. (I only wish the word "assumptions" had been used instead of "intuitions" -- I think it would be more accurate.)
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
Later Wodehouse starts to feel like a parody of himself. The familiar tropes are here again, recombined and served up for a mild dose of amusement - not as funny as when they were fresher, but still entertaining.
Later Wodehouse starts to feel like a parody of himself. The familiar tropes are here again, recombined and served up for a mild dose of amusement - not as funny as when they were fresher, but still entertaining.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
More shenanigans with Uncle Fred, this time with a mild satire of the publishing industry.
More shenanigans with Uncle Fred, this time with a mild satire of the publishing industry.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
I appreciate Rohr's emphasis on universal love and seeing God in all things, but this book had too much fuzzy logic, ungrounded assumptions and muddled references that undermined the argument, such as it was. Other reviews have pointed out some of the issues, like a misunderstanding of the nature of neutrinos and misquoting Richard Dawkins; others that I noticed were Rohr making much of a Greek word spoken by Jesus (who presumably spoke Aramaic, not Greek) and saying that the New Testament was mostly written by Jesus and Paul (Jesus did not leave any writings whatsoever). A good editor should have caught these howlers before publication!
Aside from that, I could not be so startled as Rohr seems to expect by the revolutionary new way of seeing Christ that he is proclaiming, perhaps because it is not new to me. Indeed it has always seemed obvious to me that the nature of Christ cannot be sectarian, or even limited to one religion, and a Christian path cannot be solely about individual salvation. Is it because I was not raised in any ironclad religious mindset that I don't find this a huge revelation? It seems to me that there are other writers and thinkers who have talked about the universal Christ in a much more lucid and cogent way, Rudolf Steiner being the one who has brought me the most coherent insights.
I'm sorry the message is marred by lack of intellectual rigor, because it is important, and Rohr is clearly very passionate about it and a person who wants to bring light and healing to many. There are some pointers here in the right direction, but also some that may lead off to false paths, I fear. Embracing a Christ who loves and is present for all humanity does not mean losing all sense of distinction and borders between ideas and phenomena, as Rohr does when he makes sweeping statements like "The whole world is Christ." Some sifting and discernment needs to be done to discover what's what. No spiritual text should ever be swallowed whole and unthinkingly, but this one could have done with a bit more digestion before going out into the world.
I appreciate Rohr's emphasis on universal love and seeing God in all things, but this book had too much fuzzy logic, ungrounded assumptions and muddled references that undermined the argument, such as it was. Other reviews have pointed out some of the issues, like a misunderstanding of the nature of neutrinos and misquoting Richard Dawkins; others that I noticed were Rohr making much of a Greek word spoken by Jesus (who presumably spoke Aramaic, not Greek) and saying that the New Testament was mostly written by Jesus and Paul (Jesus did not leave any writings whatsoever). A good editor should have caught these howlers before publication!
Aside from that, I could not be so startled as Rohr seems to expect by the revolutionary new way of seeing Christ that he is proclaiming, perhaps because it is not new to me. Indeed it has always seemed obvious to me that the nature of Christ cannot be sectarian, or even limited to one religion, and a Christian path cannot be solely about individual salvation. Is it because I was not raised in any ironclad religious mindset that I don't find this a huge revelation? It seems to me that there are other writers and thinkers who have talked about the universal Christ in a much more lucid and cogent way, Rudolf Steiner being the one who has brought me the most coherent insights.
I'm sorry the message is marred by lack of intellectual rigor, because it is important, and Rohr is clearly very passionate about it and a person who wants to bring light and healing to many. There are some pointers here in the right direction, but also some that may lead off to false paths, I fear. Embracing a Christ who loves and is present for all humanity does not mean losing all sense of distinction and borders between ideas and phenomena, as Rohr does when he makes sweeping statements like "The whole world is Christ." Some sifting and discernment needs to be done to discover what's what. No spiritual text should ever be swallowed whole and unthinkingly, but this one could have done with a bit more digestion before going out into the world.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
More capers with Uncle Fred. In this case, the impostures multiply and ramify and are combined with the continuing pig-stealing gag at Blandings (which is actually more of a subplot here) for sustained comic mayhem. Though this comes chronologically before Uncle Dynamite I read it second, and I found it less enjoyable for some reason -- maybe too much of the same too soon, or maybe UD really was better, I'm not sure.
More capers with Uncle Fred. In this case, the impostures multiply and ramify and are combined with the continuing pig-stealing gag at Blandings (which is actually more of a subplot here) for sustained comic mayhem. Though this comes chronologically before Uncle Dynamite I read it second, and I found it less enjoyable for some reason -- maybe too much of the same too soon, or maybe UD really was better, I'm not sure.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
In need of some comic relief, I wanted to read through the Uncle Fred stories starting with this, the book in which he first appears. He's only in one of the short stories -- "Uncle Fred Flits By" -- but that one is a prize of the collection. It's a hilarious episode in which said Uncle Fred (aka the Earl of Ickenham) torments his nephew Pongo (one of the "young men in spats") by dragging him along as he descends on unsuspecting citizens in a variety of false identities. Further analysis would be useless and only detract from the comic pleasure; read the story and have your funny bone tickled.
The other stories were also entertaining, if you enjoy reading highly verbal comedy mixed with slapstick about feckless young men in England between the wars. Wodehouse is the indisputable master of the genre and this collection is a good sampling of his best stuff.
In need of some comic relief, I wanted to read through the Uncle Fred stories starting with this, the book in which he first appears. He's only in one of the short stories -- "Uncle Fred Flits By" -- but that one is a prize of the collection. It's a hilarious episode in which said Uncle Fred (aka the Earl of Ickenham) torments his nephew Pongo (one of the "young men in spats") by dragging him along as he descends on unsuspecting citizens in a variety of false identities. Further analysis would be useless and only detract from the comic pleasure; read the story and have your funny bone tickled.
The other stories were also entertaining, if you enjoy reading highly verbal comedy mixed with slapstick about feckless young men in England between the wars. Wodehouse is the indisputable master of the genre and this collection is a good sampling of his best stuff.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
I had to skip the next Uncle Fred book because it was still on hold at the library. So I went straight to book 2, which is not a problem as the situation with Uncle Fred never really changes. He simply causes trouble, whatever venue he may find himself in. The usual mess of mistaken identities and impostures, absurd plots and romantic mix-ups was gloriously silly and cheered me up no end.
I had to skip the next Uncle Fred book because it was still on hold at the library. So I went straight to book 2, which is not a problem as the situation with Uncle Fred never really changes. He simply causes trouble, whatever venue he may find himself in. The usual mess of mistaken identities and impostures, absurd plots and romantic mix-ups was gloriously silly and cheered me up no end.
Reviews and more on my blog: Entering the Enchanted Castle
I do not think I will ever be a Christie fan. I'd read a couple of the early ones and was not impressed. So I wanted to try this, some say her masterpiece, and found it similarly ho-hum. I don't think it's just that the premise is so well known that the element of surprise is lost; I simply don't care about any of the characters, they are so clearly mere shadows made to hang the puzzle on. I enjoy mystery stories where, however preposterous the plot, the people ring true to me and I can feel some kind of connection to them. With this one, they were as anonymous as the china figures that got lost or smashed each time one died.
I'm going to try Murder on the Orient Express since I picked up a free copy of that, and maybe a Miss Marple story, and if those don't turn out to be better, I'm done.
I do not think I will ever be a Christie fan. I'd read a couple of the early ones and was not impressed. So I wanted to try this, some say her masterpiece, and found it similarly ho-hum. I don't think it's just that the premise is so well known that the element of surprise is lost; I simply don't care about any of the characters, they are so clearly mere shadows made to hang the puzzle on. I enjoy mystery stories where, however preposterous the plot, the people ring true to me and I can feel some kind of connection to them. With this one, they were as anonymous as the china figures that got lost or smashed each time one died.
I'm going to try Murder on the Orient Express since I picked up a free copy of that, and maybe a Miss Marple story, and if those don't turn out to be better, I'm done.