BooksOnTrial: Musings of a Mute Reader (2010)

Why Mute?

If you've seen the movie "Amadeus" (if you haven't, I highly recommend it), you might remember a scene where Salieri, who was jealous of Mozart's genius, questioned a priest why God gave him the desire to make music but denied him the talent and made him mute.

I know what it is like to be "mute", because although I enjoy reading, I'm terrible with words, having no talent for writing whatsoever. It's frustrating not being able to express oneself adequately and share with others what one has read and enjoyed.

Needless to say, I'm quite jealous of people who are fluent with words. That's the majority of you in this group. :) I'm hoping that by joining and reading your posts, I might learn something and improve my own writing skills. Hopefully, with time and effort, I'll be able to produce some good reviews too.

If you have any tips or suggestions on writing, I'd be much appreciated. :)

Welcome back!

Do not look to me for writing tips. Unfortunately, I do not write well either.

Welcome

Your opening post seems to be perfectly well written.

What books have you read recently?

Welcome!

Welcome!
Yes I have seen "Amadeus" and hummed parts of the Requiem for months ;-)
Looking at your intro and your weblog you are writing well!
Anita

Thank you all for the welcome!

I've read only one book so far this year, so there is some catching up to do. But I'd be very happy and grateful if I could find 74 other books that I would enjoy as much as this one.

1. Confessions by Saint Augustine

A combination of autobiography, Christian philosophical and theological treatise, and confession of love for God. One of the, if not the, best I’ve ever read. A book that stimulates the mind, warms the heart and uplifts the spirit.

I've been struggling for a week and still cannot finish a review that's not akin to childish scrawlings over a masterpiece. It's better for a mute to simply point you to the masterpiece itself.

(See my unsuccessful attempt at a review here: http://booksontrial.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/confessions-by-saint-augustine/)

#6: I thought it was a great review. I wish you would post it on the book page so that I could give it a thumbs up.

#6 Welcome to the group! I have a copy of Confessions on its way to me and your review has made me look forward to reading it!

#7 Seconded! Add it to the book page!

>8 souloftherose:: souloftherose,

Which edition of Confessions will you be reading?

It's the Oxford World Classics edition (amazon link). I don't know much about it but assumed that would be an ok translation.

I've wanted to read that for a long time, and it seems I have a copy. I may have to bump it up!

...and I think you write very well and coherently. No improvement needed!

Hi. I think you'll find lots of us wish we could write better, but in fact a simple review just saying what you thought about a book is a really good way to do it, and easy for the rest of us to read, too. So I think you should stop worrying about it - I found what you said about Confessions really helpful in giving me an idea of what it would be like to read. Please keep your thoughts coming!

>10 souloftherose:: souloftherose,

I listened to the Oxford edition and read another from Image Book (amazon link) to compare translations. The are both good, though I prefer the occasional choice of words in the latter, e.g. "humanity" vs "incarnation", "unique" vs "only-begotten", "red hot" vs "enkindled". Enjoy! :)

>12 JanetinLondon:: JanetinLondon,

Thanks for your kind words. They remind me of a quote from Emerson, "To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in our private heart is for all men - that is genius".

***warning: The following post contains religious content, reader discretion is strongly advised***

2. City of God by St. Augustine

For some reason, part I of this book reminded me of a TV play that I watched two years ago, "God on Trial", a tale of a group of Jewish prisoners in Auschwitz during World War II, who put God on trial for breaking his covenant with the Jewish people and allowing the genocide of the Jews by the Nazis. It was a well-written and superbly acted play, both thought-provoking and emotionally charging. All the different views on religion were represented in court, the humanist, the atheist, the rationalist, the opportunist and the religious. The question was not so much whether God exists but whether He is good and just in His dealings with men. Why would a just God allow the Holocaust? Even the Nazis claimed, "Gott mit uns" (God with us). Which side was He on, the Jews or the Germans? If the Jews were His chosen people, where was He when they were herded into the gas chambers?

It's one thing to suffer for a cause, quite another to suffer without reason and without hope.

In a way, City of God is the "sequel" to that movie, though it was written more than 1500 years earlier.

(To be continued...)

P.S. I highly recommend the movie:

"God On Trial" from YouTube: part 1|part 2|part 3|part 4|part 5|part 6|part 7|part 8|part 9

#14: I will check out the movie. Thanks for the links.

I cannot wait for the end of the review.

Keep the tissues handy! :)

Thanks for the warning!

#14 Another one I haven't read yet - looking forward to part 2 of your review!

I'd like to pick up a copy of City of God. I just finished a book called Night last night, a very short volume, written by a Holocaust survivor (he was 16) who managed to make it through Auschwitz and then another camp, and received the Nobel Peace Prize recently. It was a difficult read, because my husband's grandfather was in the same final camp as Wiesel, so to read what he went through really tore at me... but, what I wanted to say was, Wiesel mentions over and over how the Jews in the camps cried out to God, declared he was dead, lost their faith... I think I'll have to watch the God on Trial film and read Augustine's work to complement that. If you're interested in a first-hand account of it all, I'd highly recommend Night.

>19 dk_phoenix:: dk_phoenix,

Thanks for the recommendation. I picked up Night (the new translation by his wife) from the library and finished it last night. Have you read any of Wiesel's later works? He wrote in the introduction that his later books with Talmudic and Hasidic themes all bear the mark of the first. I'd like do know whether and how he re-gained the faith he lost in that night.

(Thanks to dk_phoenix for recommending this book, though it's beyond my depth again I'm afraid.)

3. Night by Elie Wiesel

A Chinese writer, Lu Xun, once defined tragedy as the witness of the destruction of good. This book is the ultimate tragedy, a witness of the utter destruction of many innocent lives. The destruction not only of the body but also of the soul, as human beings are reduced to mere beasts surviving on instincts and brute force, without reason, without faith, without any kind of human affections, without love and without hope. If evil is the departure from and absence of good, as I tend to believe, this is the ultimate evil.

Before he and his family were "transported" to the concentration camp, Elie Wiesel was a 16-year-old Orthodox Jewish boy who had faith in God. In Auschwitz, he witnessed the burning of infants, countless acts of atrocities, and finally the excruciating death of his own father (from a distance due to fear of punishment). He didn't weep for he was out of tears. He lost his faith in God, but survived, "a corpse".

To know and understand fully what Wiesel went through is almost impossible for people like me, who have lived a rather sheltered life in comparison. However, none of us are immune to suffering and evil, even death itself (the ultimate evil, if one considers life as the ultimate good), therefore we can understand and empathize with Wiesel according to our capacity as a human being. Where does good come from? Is the good in us strong enough to overcome the kind of evil that has manifested itself in Auschwitz?

2. City of God by St. Augustine

A masterpiece of Christian Apologetics. St. Augustine started the book to address a pressing crisis and the practical problem of suffering, and then gradually rose to the height of Christian philosophy and theology that has rarely, if ever, been surpassed since. See full review here.

4. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

One-third of the way through the unabridged audio book.

I was intrigued by the very first sentence in the preface. "... So long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.", and hooked by the time I got to this gem, "M. Myriel had to submit to the fate of every new-comer in a small town, where there are many tongues to talk, and but few heads to think."

What a sharp and persuasive tongue Hugo had! Within the space of two hours, I experienced the whole gamut of sentiments, admiration, adoration, pity, contempt, disgust, even hatred toward the characters, all because of the way he described them. He almost convinced me that being 70 years old and blind could be paradise.

(To be continued...)

I am looking forward to the continuation of that review!

I only just hit on your thread, booksontrial, but couldn't resist dropping by to say I'm finding your post among the more literate and readable here on LT. So many times I've started reading what I thought was going to be an interesting thread then had to give up because it turned out to be so annoyingly full of text-speak, bad spelling, terrible grammar and sloppy thought. So if you want advice on writing, I'd say carry on doing what you're doing - looks fine to me.

>24 Booksloth:: Booksloth,

Thank you for your kind words. :) I'm afraid that my posts are often times full of test-speak, bad grammar and sloppy thoughts too. I would appreciate it if you could point them out so I could improve.

5. Timaeus and Critias by Plato

In “Republic”, Plato constructed an ideal State; in “Timaeus”, he designed an ideal Universe. In “City of God”, St. Augustine compared Plato’s conception with the Christian belief.

Plato’s universe is built with proportion, order, beauty, symmetry and cycles according to the pattern of the Eternal Being. Both universe and man are governed by the same principles, such as “like to like”, which are inductive to harmony and stability; Both are composed of mortal body and immortal soul; Both are made of four elements, fire, air, water and earth, all of which are constituted by “triangles” (possible equivalents of “elementary particles”).

Living in large part is discerning between being and becoming, sameness and difference. For instance, our five senses discern between sameness and difference in the objects we perceive, and our immune systems have to distinguish foreign objects from own body cells. Things that are drastically different from us can cause disorders and diseases, which is the reason why Plato advised against using drugs, for fear that it might disrupt the natural course of recovery.

“Critias” tells a tale of a lost civilization, Atlantis. Like the ideal state in “Republic”, Atlantis was the pinnacle of civilization, but degenerated over time as men forsook the divine and pursued the material. History is like memory, and like lost memory, many ancient civilizations are forgotten by succeeding generations.

#25 Wouldn't dream of it. Many people choose to communicate that way and that's up to them - it's just that I choose not to read them. Plenty of my own are far from perfect too.

>27 Booksloth:: Booksloth,

I'm curious about your name. Why "sloth"?

#28 The full explanation is in post#1 here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/29859 - but it's probably nearer the truth to say I can't think of many things I'd rather do than hang around upside down all day and read!

>29 Booksloth:: Booksloth,

Thanks for the link. It's a most interesting read. I'm sure I'll go back to it again anytime I come across an interesting name. Maybe we should make it into an ongoing group topic.

Back problems can be really painful. You have my sympathies. Apart from hanging upside down (those three words make me dizzy), what can you do to relieve the pain?

#30 Thank you for the sympathy. Not much, is really the answer. I did have surgery last September and had several metal rods inserted which have improved things quite a bit but there is no real cure - a case of having to learn to live with it really. Lots of good books help!

>31 Booksloth:: Booksloth,

I'd like to know more about your condition, if you don't mind. Is there a name to it? How did it come about? Is it a weak or twisted spine?

Maybe we should take this private if you'd like to send a message to my profile explaining your interest.

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein

The Beauty of Logic
I first came across an exposition of the theory of relativity in The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, and A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Without those two books, I don’t know whether I would be able to understand and appreciate this book as much as I do now. With that said, however, the exposition in this book is far better than the other two, in terms of beauty of logic and clarity. Einstein leads the readers step by step, in a most logical and concise manner, through a fascinating and liberating thought process, to the theory of special and general relativity.
(See full review here)

Einstein and Feynman

The only other popular physics book I've read that is comparable to this is, IMO, QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard Feynman. Both authors explained the complex concepts so clearly that I was twice reminded of a line from Sherlock Holmes, “Every problem is absurdly simple when it is explained to you”. Of course, without the two geniuses pointing the way, we would still be lost in the dense fog.

As a side note, I couldn't resist comparing the lives of these two scientists. Both believed that there should be a comprehensive, unifying theory in physics underneath all the complex phenomena; Both were Jewish and yet they took a completely opposite stance with regard to their ethnicity. Einstein was persecuted as a Jew, Feynman was not (judging by his autobiography); Einstein identified strongly with the Jewish cause and Israel, whereas Feynman chose to view his own race as no different from any other races.

While I've studied both special and general relativity, I've never read Einstein's book. I'll have to remedy that deficiency! QED is definitely awesome. Feynman is just fantastic. His Lectures on Physics got me through PhD qualifier exams.

>20 booksontrial:: I haven't read any of his later works, though I do plan to seek them out! I also am very interested in finding out whether he ever regained his faith. We'll have to compare notes if we both get around to reading them someday.

Thanks for the visit :)

I loved your intro -- you looked pretty eloquent there!

>35 drneutron:: Dr. Neutron,

Glad you dropped by. :) Do you know if there is a book on quantum mechanics that is as awesome as QED? I'm hoping to get a better understanding of the subject without advanced math, if that is possible.

>36 dk_phoenix:: dk_phoenix,

It would be a miracle if he could regain his faith, since he looked upon himself as a "corpse" at the end.

>39 booksontrial:: Oh, I know... that was so sad... but at the very least, even if he never found it again, it would be interesting to learn about his journey up to present day, both psychologically and spiritually.

ETA: Hmm... "sad" isn't the right word, it's conjures up too trite a sentiment in this case... but I'm afraid I don't know what word I'm searching for. I hope you know what I mean, as a fellow reader of the book...

#38 - Depends on the level of math you're up for. The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone is pretty good. I've heard good things about Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed . Three Roads to Quantum Gravity is a pretty good popular intro to all sorts of nifty theoretical ideas.

Wikipedia has a decent non-math intro at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_quantum_mechanics

If all else fails, try Quantum Physics for Dummies. I hear it's not bad!

>41 drneutron:: Dr. Neutron,

Thank you for the suggestions. Which one of those authors best explains the Schrödinger equation?

I'd say Feynman's lectures, third volume is a good place to start for that discussion. Three Roads to Quantum Gravity deals with more "out there" stuff - extending QM to include gravity, etc. I wasn't kidding about the Dummies book - it'll have a reasonable nontechnical discussion on the SE.

Plus, there are all sorts of online resources. Many university physics departments have websites for amateurs to explain various physics concepts. I'll hunt around, see what I can come up with.

>43 drneutron:: Dr. Neutron,

Alright, I'll start with Feynman's Lectures. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm interested in not so much the individual concepts as the methodology. How is quantum mechanics different from general relativity in the approach? What are the differences in their assumptions? etc.

BTW, what or who got you interested in physics and pursing it as a life-long career?

I've always been interested in science-y things. I think I first got interested in physics in high school. Once I got to college, there was no doubt, been in the field ever since. Well, in reality, I've been more an engineer and manager over the last few years, but I still keep my hand in the game when I can.

7. Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein

The more I read Einstein, the more I’m convinced that he was a Platonist. One might say that the Principle of General Relativity, that all laws of nature should behave the same to all observers regardless of their state of motion, is a philosophical principle rather than a physics theory. He believed that one can grasp the unifying, comprehensive law of physics by logic and intuition alone (Symposium), and that the world should be governed by a world government, a body consisting of intelligent and moral men (Republic).
(See full review here)

#46: I enjoyed the Isaacson book when I read it a couple years back, although it is lengthy and detailed. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

Still lurking and enjoying the conversations

I also enjoyed the Isaacson book last year. Although there was a lot of detail, I found most of it at least marginally clear to a non-scientist such as I am.

>47 alcottacre:: alcottacre,
>49 tloeffler:: tloeffler,

I too enjoyed it, and because I listened to the unabridged audiobook, it seemed a lot shorter than 700 pages. To me, the most surprising and hilarious quote:

“Never yet have I experienced from the fair sex such energetic rejection of all advances; or, if I have, never from so many at once.”

(In response to an American Women’s League who protested against Einstein’s visit to their country)

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

A well-balanced, comprehensive account of Einstein’s personal life, scientific visions and achievements, as well as his political beliefs and activism.

The most thought-provoking aspects, to me, are the problem of continuity and causality, the practicality of pacifism, and the various interpretations and ramifications of quantum mechanics.

Looks like a winner... wonder if my dad would like it? hmmm...

Whoa! I can't get beyond the fact that you read The City of God (and I haven't read your review yet). Really!!????? ALL of it???!!! I am impressed and humbled. I'm not about to go and do likewise any time soon. *sigh*

>52 suslyn:: suslyn,

What type of books does your dad like?

>53 LizzieD:: LizzieD,

What's keeping you from reading/finishing the book?

#51 That sounds good! How much physics do you think one would need to know to read that one?

>55 souloftherose:: souloftherose,

As tloeffler mentioned above, you don't need to be a scientist to enjoy the book. In fact, Isaacson wrote more about philosophy of science than physics. His aim is to present Einstein not as a genius with a superior brain, but as someone whose awe at the beauty and intelligence of nature and whose indomitable tenacity to pursue his vision should inspire us all.

#56 Thank you! Somehow I missed Terri's post.

Well my dad is a recently retired biochemist, pharmaceuticals. He's also a godly man. He enjoys some Chricton and Cook from time to time. The most recent book he gave me is out of print, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes by Glenn Cook. He said it revolutionized his prayer life, so he scoured the used book markets to find a copy each for my sis and myself.

I imagine if I could find some good clean comedic stuff he'd love it too -- he's an eternal punster!

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

In What is Art, Tolstoy gives few "examples of the highest art". Les Miserables is one of them.

"Les Miserables" is not so much a novel as an immense commentary of the world, of society, human nature, religion, history, revolution and progress, the Infinite and the minute, the beautiful and the ugly, the wise and the stupid, the noble and the base, sufferings and triumphs, love and sacrifice.

In a book full of the names, words and deeds of the great men in history, Caesar, Cicero, Dante, Danton, Napoleon, the hero is a condemned convict named Jean Valjean; In a book intended to be a manifesto of social progress, of the enlightenment of the people by art, science and literature, the real progress is the journey of the convict, through many internal battles, trials, dangers and snares, from darkness to light, from death to life.

This book gave me so much joy and hope, that I want to shout over and over: "Vive le Peuple!"

(See full review here)

#59: I need to re-read that one. It has been too long!

>58 suslyn:: suslyn,

Has your Dad read the books by Francis S. Collins: The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief and The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine? They aren't science fiction or thrillers, but I think they might interest a biochemist, though I haven't read them myself.

Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo

If you've read Les Miserables, you would notice a year mentioned throughout the book (although in the background), "93". It was the year of Terror during the French Revolution, when "many times freshly severed heads, borne aloft on the tops of pikes, sprinkled their blood-drops" over the table of the Assembly. It's also the central point of the debate between the bishop and a "conventionist": Is bloodshed inevitable in social progress?

(See full review here)

Great review! I will have to find a copy of that one.

The Nature of the Gods by Cicero (reviewed here)

This is the first book by Cicero I've ever read, and I'm continuing on to read his On the Ideal Orator and The Republic and The Laws He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I really need to pick up the pace though, at this rate, I'll have difficulty finishing 25 books (not to mention 75) by year end.

Yesterday, while I was crossing the street, someone behind me called out: "Brutus!" I looked around, and a black retriever ran past me, carrying a red shopping bag in his jaw. I stared at him with wonder and amusement, wondering what has become of the Roman hero/assassin.

It does make you wonder sometimes what people think of their dogs when they name them. I would not care to be known by a assassin's name myself.

> 66: alcottacre,

If I had a pet now, I'd call him "Cicero", which is derived from "chickpea". From Wikipedia, "Cicero was urged to change this deprecatory name when he entered politics, but refused, saying that he would make Cicero more glorious than Scaurus ("Swollen-ankled") and Catulus ("Puppy").

On a more serious note, I realize that this is not the place for long-winded discussions, but what do you think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who participated in the assassination attempt against Hitler?

Although I know of Bonhoeffer, I admit I have never read any of his religious works. I did read Love Letters from Cell 92 which I really liked.

On a personal note, I wish that any of the various assassination attempts on Hitler had succeeded. Probably wrong of me to say so, but that is the way I feel.

Cicero: Letters to Atticus Volume IV by Cicero

"vivit tyrannis, tyrannus occidit! eius interfecti morte laetamur cuius facta defendimus!"

"The tyranny lives on, the tyrant is dead! We rejoice at his slaughter and defend his acts!"

While I was reading those lines, the word "Iraq" crossed my mind in large letters. Those words uttered by Cicero more than two thousand years ago, resounding through history, still ring true today. What more is there to say?

(Words fail me again to review this book...)

The Toilers of The Sea by Victor Hugo

I don't know whether Hugo and Nietzsche were familiar with each other's works or they had something in common in their personality. For some reason, reading this book gave me the desire to read Nietzsche. As if by coincidence, Thus Spoke Zarathustra just became available from our library.

Unfortunately, I have no inspirations nor words these days to write a review that would do this book justice.

#70: I read that one a number of years back and enjoyed it. I need to re-read it, but I remember wondering at the time why it is not better known. I know Hugo wrote two classics, Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I think Toilers of the Sea could fit into the classics category as well.

Finally managed to write a review of Toilers.

It's not easy being a mute.

*******CLOSING NOTICE*******

Due to lack of feedback, this solipsistic monologue is closed.

#73: Due to lack of feedback, this solipsistic monologue is closed.

I am sorry to hear that. I very much enjoyed your reviews.

>74 alcottacre:: alcottacre,

Thanks for your support. This thread wouldn't have lasted this long without you.

How do you manage to read so many books and follow up on so many threads at the same time? Wish I could do that. :)

If you like, you can follow my Club Read thread.

*******CLOSED*******

I'll be following on Club Read.

I will be following there as well :)

I'm sorry you're driven away by lack of feedback. I'm as guilty as most others and apologize. The group has simply gotten out of control and, in the process, lost the coziness that made it so great a couple of years ago. There are a couple of active threads but most languish in obscurity due to volume. I'll try to stop by your Club Read thread occasionally.

I will add my apologies for my lack of comments too. I will follow your Club Read thread and try and delurk more...

Another lurker, another apology!

message #65...made me laugh out loud! What a great image!

Apologies from me as well. My suggestions would have included posting on some of the group's What We Are Reading threads, such as those for Classics (as in books published more than 50 years ago) and Non-Fiction. Or even starting one for Classics of the Ancient kind (Greek and Roman Classics, or Ancient Literature).

Perhaps we should post on the Club Read thread and ask Books on Trial to come back and see that we have finally responded....

Thanks to all for your kind words. elkiedee, thanks for the kind suggestion. I do like the Classics.

My apologies if I sounded bitter in my closing remark. It was simply a "business" decision to close this thread. No point keeping the supply when there is no demand, and double posting (i.e. repeating oneself) is not a good practice either. :)

You are all wonderful people. I enjoyed my stay in this group and welcome you all to drop by my Club Read thread

FIN