American literary figure J. D. Salinger died several days ago.
I read his most famous book Catcher in the Rye when I turned 40.
I looked back in my blog archives for the impressions ...
October 24, 2003 excerpts:
A few months ago, I decided to revisit my "teenage" life by reading a book that is often on middle school reading lists, Catcher in the Rye. It wasn't on mine then. I wondered what my reaction would have been if it were. Reading it as a baby-boom/gen X young adult gave me a different perspective I'm sure. At one level, I could relate to Holden because I know from experience something about alienation because all my life I've resembled the "stereotypical shy scientist" nerd type. It took a long time to become at peace with who I am and even to celebrate who I am.
But Holden was stuck. The death of his brother and his isolation were like rip tides that pulled him out to sea. Reading the book's raw descriptions and dialog was heart breaking. I felt like I was watching a auto accident unfold in slow motion. I felt the pang of guilt like I was on the highway stopping to look at the traffic accident: you say, don't look, don't look, but you look.
But it was a picture of humanity and the downward spiral of a lost soul. We need to look at it in real life and in fiction so our hearts do not grow cold. Hopefully, we will be moved to compassion. There were two characters who seem to see through the fog and try to help him. Those in my mind were the "whispers of grace." Maybe they made a difference in what could have been a worse situation? I don't know. The story is told as is and that would be speculative. But I'd like to believe that mattered and that we can matter.
I referred to Catcher in the Rye again in the context of making some observations about Prayer for Owen Meany back in May 31, 2004 excerpt:
The book is a coming of age tale set in the North East and touches on the turmoil of the Vietnam war, friendship, family and matters of faith. I would imagine the book would invoke a mix of feelings from those who take Christian faith seriously as there is enough material here to encourage and enrage.
For me, I read the book amidst an interesting context as I read late last year Catcher in the Rye. The two books follow the life of unusual young men. In Catcher, it follows a very small slice of the young teens life while Owen Meany's story arc is longer. What was striking to me was the contrast in the two lives. In Rye, the character is detached from any anchor and the inevitable consequences ensue. In Meany, we have a character with such a sense of destiny it is on one hand frightening and also assuring. Most of us live within that vast middle ground of these two extremes and so for me to read these two tales back-to-back was jarring and made me ponder those issues of certainty in life.
In terms of religious faith, Owen Meany describes the practice of religion and discusses some theological issues in an matter-of-fact way. So often in pop culture, I'm thinking of movies and television in particular, faith is a non-entity. Given that so many Americans claim some measure of belief in god, it has always struck me as strange that god is usually only referred to as an expletive.
Irving's willingness to weave concerns about faith is refreshing. His treatment is at times irreverent and raises questions about having "faith in faith."
All in all an interesting read. It was a bit long; thus, my interest in the story would flag but as I neared the end, the various details that seemed so randomly tossed in began to come into play as the characters hurtled toward the stunning conclusion.
Showing posts with label bookshelf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bookshelf. Show all posts
Bookshelf: Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower
About 1/2 way through Looming Tower which recounts the history of Al-Qaeda.
One school of thought says that economics is the root of human behavior. This kind of analysis says poor people will be desperate and commit crimes. That view is too simplistic. Bin Laden was a wealthy Saudi. So why did he become a terrorist?
Thus, ideology is a part of human behavior.
The book covers some of the conceptual factors (and some of the circumstantial ones) that have yielded Al-Qaeda.
For instance, I had no idea how corrupt the Saudi royal family has been through its history. Thus, various Jihad groups hate the Saudis and the Americans who have supported them over the decades.
Also, it was rather incredible how porous the Afghanistan-Pakistani border was. It seemed like anyone could find their way there to join in the war against the Soviets. Ironically, many of these Jihad fighters were happily let go by countries because they would have been trouble back in their home countries.
One big concept that loosens the restrictions within Islam is takfir. The book describes the idea that a Muslim can kill another Muslim if they believe that that Muslim has fallen away from the faith. Such thoughts were used to justify the murder of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. It is also this kind of thinking that leads the terrorists to want to see the Saudi royal family overthrown.
It is clear that initially the USA underestimated the threat. Past terrorist activities in the US was very limited and wanton killing of people was not part of the game plan of terrorist organizations.
It is very frightening to read how much chaos can be sowed by a modest number of fanatical people.
Must reading to grasp what the world is facing in the extremist Islamic threat.
One school of thought says that economics is the root of human behavior. This kind of analysis says poor people will be desperate and commit crimes. That view is too simplistic. Bin Laden was a wealthy Saudi. So why did he become a terrorist?
Thus, ideology is a part of human behavior.
The book covers some of the conceptual factors (and some of the circumstantial ones) that have yielded Al-Qaeda.
For instance, I had no idea how corrupt the Saudi royal family has been through its history. Thus, various Jihad groups hate the Saudis and the Americans who have supported them over the decades.
Also, it was rather incredible how porous the Afghanistan-Pakistani border was. It seemed like anyone could find their way there to join in the war against the Soviets. Ironically, many of these Jihad fighters were happily let go by countries because they would have been trouble back in their home countries.
One big concept that loosens the restrictions within Islam is takfir. The book describes the idea that a Muslim can kill another Muslim if they believe that that Muslim has fallen away from the faith. Such thoughts were used to justify the murder of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. It is also this kind of thinking that leads the terrorists to want to see the Saudi royal family overthrown.
It is clear that initially the USA underestimated the threat. Past terrorist activities in the US was very limited and wanton killing of people was not part of the game plan of terrorist organizations.
It is very frightening to read how much chaos can be sowed by a modest number of fanatical people.
Must reading to grasp what the world is facing in the extremist Islamic threat.
Bookshelf: First In by Gary C. Schroen
I went to the Los Angeles Public Library branch near where I lived and browsed the current events section and found First In - An insider's account of how the CIA spearheaded the war on terror in Afghanistan.
Reads like a page turning novel!
Hats off to the courage of the first team to go into Afghanistan and all who fought against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
9/11. A little over 7 years ago. Hard to imagine it happened.
It seems like ancient history in our 24/7 fast paced life and times.
What happened in Afghanistan happened very quickly and mostly out of the public eye.
This book sheds light on those momentous events.
A quick recap of the major events ...
September 9, 2001 - Masood, commander of the Northern Alliance was assassinated by Al-Qaeda
September 11 - Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes resulting in thousands of deaths in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.
September 14, Gary Schroen asked to lead first CIA team into Afghanistan.
September 19, Schroen and team members fly from the USA.
September 26, with over-flight permissions from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the first American boots hit the ground in the Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan to begin working with the Northern Alliance.
November 14, the Northern Alliance liberated Kabul.
The book recounts how Schroen and his CIA team (7 members) assembled the personnel, equipment (with trips to REI no less!), $3 million in cash (they would get an additional shipment of $10 million) and made plans for engaging the Northern Alliance.
In fascinating detail with page turning urgency, the book followed how all that unfolded including dealing with prickly personalities within the Northern Alliance as well as warring decision makers back in Washington DC. Also included was how the best made plans often get botched and the confusion that happens whenever nations go to war.
The team did its job and helped the Northern Alliance take down the Taliban.
A great read. Highly recommended. Hollywood should make a movie based on this book.
Reads like a page turning novel!
Hats off to the courage of the first team to go into Afghanistan and all who fought against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
9/11. A little over 7 years ago. Hard to imagine it happened.
It seems like ancient history in our 24/7 fast paced life and times.
What happened in Afghanistan happened very quickly and mostly out of the public eye.
This book sheds light on those momentous events.
A quick recap of the major events ...
September 9, 2001 - Masood, commander of the Northern Alliance was assassinated by Al-Qaeda
September 11 - Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes resulting in thousands of deaths in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.
September 14, Gary Schroen asked to lead first CIA team into Afghanistan.
September 19, Schroen and team members fly from the USA.
September 26, with over-flight permissions from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the first American boots hit the ground in the Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan to begin working with the Northern Alliance.
November 14, the Northern Alliance liberated Kabul.
The book recounts how Schroen and his CIA team (7 members) assembled the personnel, equipment (with trips to REI no less!), $3 million in cash (they would get an additional shipment of $10 million) and made plans for engaging the Northern Alliance.
In fascinating detail with page turning urgency, the book followed how all that unfolded including dealing with prickly personalities within the Northern Alliance as well as warring decision makers back in Washington DC. Also included was how the best made plans often get botched and the confusion that happens whenever nations go to war.
The team did its job and helped the Northern Alliance take down the Taliban.
A great read. Highly recommended. Hollywood should make a movie based on this book.
Bookshelf: A Prayer for Owen Meany & Harry Potter - The Chamber of Secrets
On the night stand
I try to have a mix of books on my reading list. I confess I don't read nearly as much as I should or would like.
Earlier this year I finished A Prayer for Owen Meany.
The book is a coming of age tale set in the North East and touches on the turmoil of the Vietnam war, friendship, family and matters of faith. I would imagine the book would invoke a mix of feelings from those who take Christian faith seriously as there is enough material here to encourage and enrage.
For me, I read the book amidst an interesting context as I read late last year Catcher in the Rye. The two books follow the life of unusual young men. In Catcher, it follows a very small slice of the young teens life while Owen Meany's story arc is longer. What was striking to me was the contrast in the two lives. In Rye, the character is detached from any anchor and the inevitable consequences ensue. In Meany, we have a character with such a sense of destiny it is on one hand frightening and also assuring. Most of us live within that vast middle ground of these two extremes and so for me to read these two tales back-to-back was jarring and made me ponder those issues of certainty in life.
In terms of religious faith, Owen Meany describes the practice of religion and discusses some theological issues in an matter-of-fact way. So often in pop culture, I'm thinking of movies and television in particular, faith is a non-entity. Given that so many Americans claim some measure of belief in god, it has always struck me as strange that god is usually only referred to as an expletive.
Irving's willingness to weave concerns about faith is refreshing. His treatment is at times irreverent and raises questions about having "faith in faith."
All in all an interesting read. It was a bit long; thus, my interest in the story would flag but as I neared the end, the various details that seemed so randomly tossed in began to come into play as the characters hurtled toward the stunning conclusion.
The other book I recently finished is the second book of the Harry Potter series, The Chamber of Secrets. I have seen both films and look forward to the third, The Prisoner of Azkaban.
The books are quick reads with a page turning quality. Even though the characters are early teens, the issues are universal: doing what is right versus wrong, loyalty to friends, understanding that people are complex, learning to find one's place in the world and being at peace with who you are.
Some Christians complain about the books because they are about magic, wizardry and dark arts. Indeed, one shouldn't be blind to those elements; however, I think the issues of self-identity and exploration of growth and personal virtue far outweigh those concerns. The way I see it, those mystical elements are part of story telling and are understood by most readers as fictional. I am no more worried about those features than I am about the violence of the Roadrunner and the Coyote cartoons.
Bookshelf: Catcher in the Rye
Catcher in the Rye
Recently started to volunteer with the junior high group at my church. I confess, I don't remember being that antsy when I was a kid. Of course, we remember what we want to remember! Its been a great celebration of life and faith to be with them. They interact with religious ideas in short blocks of time (attention span is still finite -- do we ever totally grow out of that?) and can do so with intellectual honesty and begin to see that there are consequences of belief. They are taking the first tentative steps in a journey that could last a lifetime with eternal consequences.
My hope for us as volunteers and staff is that we can be their guides and cheerleaders. But in today's world with so many dangers, I suspect there will be occasions we will be asked to be more than that. Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison.
A few months ago, I decided to revisit my "teenage" life by reading a book that is often on middle school reading lists, Catcher in the Rye. It wasn't on mine then. I wondered what my reaction would have been if it were. Reading it as a baby-boom/gen X young adult gave me a different perspective I'm sure. At one level, I could relate to Holden because I know from experience something about alienation because all my life I've resembled the "stereotypical shy scientist" nerd type. It took a long time to become at peace with who I am and even to celebrate who I am.
But Holden was stuck. The death of his brother and his isolation were like rip tides that pulled him out to sea. Reading the book's raw descriptions and dialog was heart breaking. I felt like I was watching a auto accident unfold in slow motion. I felt the pang of guilt like I was on the highway stopping to look at the traffic accident: you say, don't look, don't look, but you look.
But it was a picture of humanity and the downward spiral of a lost soul. We need to look at it in real life and in fiction so our hearts do not grow cold. Hopefully, we will be moved to compassion. There were two characters who seem to see through the fog and try to help him. Those in my mind were the "whispers of grace." Maybe they made a difference in what could have been a worse situation? I don't know. The story is told as is and that would be speculative. But I'd like to believe that mattered and that we can matter.
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