We are a few days into the New Year and, for whatever reasons that most of us may have, this is the time of year we are most introspective. It is now, at the close of the old year and the opening of a new one, that we take a step back to consider our lives and take stock of where we are in relation to where it is we had hoped to be when the old year was still new. It is common practice for many of us to make New Year's resolutions and, for some of us, and for a time at least, it turns out that we actually succeed in keeping some of these resolutions. Then the inevitable tends to happen as we slowly slip back into old habits and familiar ways of doing things.
There are many types of resolutions out there for us to choose from. We might resolve to lose weight, save more money, grow spiritually, make new friends, be a better friend to our old friends, etc. For me, as a reader, this year I am resolved to read more books. Now anyone who knows me knows that this is not a difficult resolution for me to make, other than the fact that it might be something of a chore for someone who is already a compulsive reader to read more than I already do. But then, I am not resolving to read more. Just differently. You see, I read a lot. And I read a lot of different types of literature. But one difficulty I have that I would like to remedy is that I read quite a bit of news. Most of this sort of reading is done online and, I think I can say, based on my own experience, it is fairly addictive. So one resolution I made for 2017 is for me to read more serious literature (books) and focus less on the news. I guess you could say that my main goal is to improve the quality of my reading instead of the quantity.
To this end, here are some of the books I am either reading at present or hope to read in the coming months:
The Republic, by Plato. This is actually a rereading of this book since it has long been a favorite of mine. I love Socrates and enjoy seeing him in action as he exposes the shallow thinking of his contemporaries. As Plato lays out his vision of what truth, virtue, justice and such ideals are made of he shows what a government that is led by such ideals would look like. The funny thing is how much pride we tend to bring to the reading of the older philosophers as though we might have something to teach them. I assure you we don't. So we need humility as we approach these great minds. If interested, you would be well served to read Professor Allan Bloom's literal translation of The Republic. There is not a better translation available.
The Gospel According to Luke. This is arguably the best-written account of that ancient, pivotal time in mankind's history when our Saviour was born and how He ministered to mankind in the flesh. No one does it any better than Dr. Luke. His short history is continued in the book called the Acts of the Apostles. Read them as history and as light from heaven. They are certainly both.
The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom. Professor Bloom was a great teacher at the University of Chicago. He passed away in 1992. This book helps explain why we now have such things as Black Lives Matter and safe spaces at many of our universities. It helps us to understand the intolerance of the Left which they hide under the cloak of tolerance -- how the American mind is shaping up to be only open to closedness. This is a book about the human soul and carries a weighty message. For me, this is another rereading of a great and wise book.
Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset. I am currently reading this book. So far, it is everything I could hope for and more. This book is more than 11 hundred pages long, so is not for the faint of heart. It is the story of a young girl who lived in medieval Norway. The story follows Kristen's life from age seven to her death. It is considered to be one of the greatest historical novels ever written. Ms. Undset won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature for this book. It was written in the 1920s.
The Nine Tailors, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Linda and I are currently reading this novel out loud, which means I am reading the book to her. It is considered to be one of the best murder mysteries of all time. Ms. Sayers was a contemporary of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. They were all good friends. They were also Christian in their outlook. These wise folks tended to think that Christians should be engaged in the real world where their influence could be felt. That, rather than hiding from the world, Christians should be writers and artists, etc., or maybe pursue a career in the professions -- that only in that way could Christians truly affect the people around them. It is apparent as you read the book that, although Ms. Sayers' religious beliefs are not present in an overt manner, she is a believer. For the most part, these mid-20th century Christian writers were much better fiction writers than we see today. Sayers wrote fiction in order to finance the writing of theological books which, while important to her, tended not to be financial successes. We are fortunate to have access to her works of fiction, for they are some of the best from any Christian anywhere.
These are some of the books I hope to read in 2017. I will keep my readers posted on how the resolution holds up. Happy Reading!
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 01/11/2017