Knowledge Gleaned

Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. (Doctrine and Covenants 84:85)
Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18)
Ray Bradbury probably isn't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yet I find several of the doctrines he holds to in his novel Fahrenheit 451 can be explained or referenced easily by latter-day revelation as given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. How can this be? Because knowledge comes from truth. Truth is unchanging and eternal.
In this world of Fahrenheit 451, there is only one way to keep the knowledge of the past. You can't keep it in material sources. It MUST become a part of you. Memory is the most important aspect of knowledge. Being able to reference something on a page may work while that page is accessible, yet, as in this terrible world of book burning, that page may not be accessible in the time it is needful.
Bradbury has an easy, conversational style of writing, which enabled the book to be read quickly. This may be the quickest read I have come across, as I checked the book out yesterday afternoon and it is already finished and written about this morning. There are good discussions within these pages. Again, I feel this is one of my preferred books and is now on the list of favorites.

Thoughts and Government

The entire concept of government revolves around the ruling and protecting of it's citizens. However, government does not always necessarily fulfill this role. In fact, there is a constant effort for balance of "poor" government to that of "good" government. Without this, there would no longer be civil revolts, wars, and the changing of political parties and governing bodies. George Orwell's 1984 is a discourse in what can go wrong when government is allowed too much control.
There are so many ideas worthy of discussion presented in this novel. The restriction of so many things we take for "freedoms" are completely restricted and destroyed in Oceania. The arts, sciences, and ultimately, thought are destroyed through systematic purging within this culture. There isn't an improvement gained for society as "Big Brother" and the Inner Party selfishly keep those to themselves and restrict and destroy things that would make every day living more comfortable for the masses.
This is yet another title going to my list of favorites...again, not THE favorite, but one that belongs on the list from which to choose.

1984

After forcing myself to complete the reading of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, I was excited to pick up something different. George Orwell's 1984 has been on my list to read since high school, believe it or not. I have finally checked it out and am amazed at how quickly it reads.
I definitely feel the color "drab"...gray, muted, colors...as I read this book. However, there is an exposure to color from the mind of Winston. I'm very curious to where this book will take me as it evokes similar feelings as the color-black and white contrast used in Gary Ross' Pleasantville. I'm already fascinated by the phrase "orthodoxy is unconsciousness." As a writer, it also completely grabbed my attention by the "destruction of words" to "narrow the range of thought." OH MY! Gripping, not for action, but due to the concepts and mental situations being set up in the first 75 pages.
I'm looking forward to this read, Orwell. I enjoyed Animal Farm back in high school, so I do not expect to be disappointed in this, my friend.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I must admit the absolute ONLY reason I even picked up this book is because I am such a fan of Audrey Hepburn. Sadly, the book is no better than the film.
Truman Capote is probably the good writer he is touted to be. However, I lacked drawing any real value from reading his novel. Yes, I'm a bit prudish and perhaps prejudiced against a woman who lives the way Holly Golightly has chosen to do. Yes, I was taken aback by some of the conversations and terms she used. I also understand that these are part of her character and gives that "fashion" of a woman who feels confident yet fits in a bit awkwardly into society.
There's another novel by Capote that is on my reading list, but I sincerely hope for more redeeming reading than Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Dry, Realistic Tolstoy

Before I left on my mission, I had begun reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I never finished it. During college, I read his short story/novella called The Death of Ivan Ilych. I couldn't really remember either of these works, so I just finished reading Ivan. I get the point, Tolstoy, but it was so dry and pathetic. I want to have some emotion concerning the characters I read about. I was completely apathetic towards anyone in this story. I don't think I'm apathetic towards real people in real events, so I think there is just a bit missing from this "realist" portrayal of an ordinary man dying in a rather unremarkable way.
I haven't written you off, Tolstoy...I just need to try out your greater known works. I need to become friends with Anna or War and Peace. We'll see which one grabs my attention (probably Anna, since my sister is currently reading that selection).
In the meantime, I'm trying out an author I've never read or heard anything about. His plays are on the Honor's Book List, but not his short stories. Anton Chekhov is another Russian writer and I find in his story a lot more interest and excitement as I read. Currently I am midway through Chekhov's The Story of an Unknown Man and would rather like to put it on the Book Club list. However, like I said, he's a bit more unknown and I am afraid the availability is lacking. Ah, but I will enjoy him anyway!

Literature I've Read and Forgotten

Let's add another title to this category. I read "Man and Superman", a play by Bernard Shaw, during my college years. I have the copy on my shelf and the sticker marking the H420R that it was required for. I don't remember reading it, yet throughout the play are my highlighter marks. Obviously it wasn't very impressionable for me, or else it was during a time of speed reading several pieces simultaneously. I'm very curious to finish reading it and to gain a true opinion of the piece, but right now I need to finish Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych (another book I've read and forgotten). I think, though, that I am more interested in reading "The Revolutionist's Handbook" that is attached as an appendage to the play.

My Fair Lady vs Pygmalion

So, I grew up loving the musical My Fair Lady. However, after reading Pygmalion (the play written that My Fair Lady was produced from), I realize that the love story I enjoyed is, in fact, not the same.
Audrey Hepburn is so beautiful as Liza Doolittle and I was CERTAIN that she and Professor Higgins (played by Rex Harrison) got married in the future/post musical. Alas, the musical and the play diverge in an important aspect...and I believe there is more to the story through the play than displayed through the musical.
I truly enjoyed there being more to Liza than just falling after a man who doesn't treat her well. Sure, he's rich. Sure, she can probably pretty much exist without a thought of her interactions with Higgins, except the fact that she would SETTLE! There is no need (for man or woman) to settle. A marriage should only occur between two people who truly love each other and want to honor and respect each other and follow through. I think too often this is not the case and it ends in disappointing marriages (uh, see Madame Bovary!) and divorces.
Liza, as portrayed through the original author of George Bernard Shaw, truly has an awakening not only of her potential for financial and class distinction, but her own self worth as a woman. I much prefer Pygmalion's Liza to My Fair Lady's Liza, though I was quite infatuated with the story since I was a little girl.

An Ideal Husband

While in college, there was a film class that required several movie critiques on films that I couldn't quite make it to the International Theatre to view. So, that left me searching for these films at Blockbuster and the local library system (which had an AMAZING selection of foreign films).
I pulled into Blockbuster and searched around for a particular film, but was unable to find it. Seeing a worker sitting amongst a pile of videos, I approached her. She asked me if she could help me and I replied, "Yes, I'm looking for An Ideal Husband." "Aren't we all." she quipped back. Of course, I blushed furiously and then stammered through my explanation that it was a film of Oscar Wilde's play "An Ideal Husband."
I can't really remember a whole lot about the film, but I do remember it being witty. Reading the play gave me more opportunity to laugh and envision my own "production" of this play.
I really appreciated his descriptions for inspiration of certain individuals in the play. I am always looking for authors to promote other artists and writers in their works, and he satisfies this with his depictions (only known if you actually READ the play) of key players.
I'm glad I checked out his complete works from the library and look forward to reading much more of his works in the next coming weeks.

The Sins of the Father

If I had to summarize the drive of the story, it would be by saying something similar to what is found in Exodus 34:7 "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." Although I don't believe that sin is passed down generation to generation, I do believe that children tend to repeat things they see their parents' do and the repercusions of those decisions do affect the children, possibly for generations.
For instance, poverty, in many instances, continues through family lines because there is no education in how to change this. When an individual is "saved" from following the same spending patterns as the parents and gains more education and skills to move away from that situation, that child breaks the poverty pattern in their own family and moves forward improving the future of generations.
In like manner, there is a larger propensity for children born out of wedlock and to a single mother to make the same choices and give birth to their own children without a father in the home.
For Flaubert, his novel preaches the same idea: once a sin invades, the perpetuation of that sin tends to have a huge impact on the family and progeny. The choices the senior Mr. Bovary makes unknowingly ends up influencing his son as well as the son's second wife. The decisions the second wife makes influences her husband. All of these decisions affect the future of the innocent Berthe.
I understand all of these and the honesty of a novel of Realism. However, I wanted something more, some individual to look to as a true hero/heroine and there was none...they all have such devastating faults that there is no one to romanticize...which is probably Flaubert's point.
This definitely does not fall under a "pleasure" read, although it is largely about pleasure. However, it definitely brings up interesting things to ponder and makes for good discussion material. I can't say that it was a favorite book for me to read, but the more I think about it and ponder it, the better it becomes in my own eyes.

En Francais Flaubert!

At least I wish my skills were still good enough to make it possible. I'm reading Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary. I can't say it is one of my favorites, but maybe I will like it better after I finish. Right now Madame Bovary, herself, is really bugging me. I detest selfish, self-absorbed main characters! I think I would also enjoy it more in French as I feel there is something lacking in the English translation (though, I am reading a copy using the claimed "best" translation). I think, also, there are some things going on in my personal world that contribute to an annoyance with such a character. Real life, right? There ARE some people out there that are like this...but sometimes, I think we can all show some similar characteristics and that's probably what bugs me: mine.