This continues the Substack from last week, in which I talk about my reading life and the search for great books that speak to the soul and about human life.
Loved this a lot. “Novelists are not prophets.” Try these: I submit to you George Orwell’s 1984. Also, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and Margaret Atwood. Bam.
OK, I know whereof you speak. But I define prophet from the Bible, and it has to be someone who has heard from God, and is willing to say their message is from God, and they speak to the people of God.
During my BA studying philosophy I preferred the ancients because I felt most at home there as a Christian. Moreover, my favorite prof was a rather sarcastic Catholic who, as he put it, was hired by mistake by in a department otherwise occupied by ancient atheists.
In the philosophy of religion class he had us read amongst other things Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy.” One comment he made, which is like your comparison of fiction vs hardier literature, was, that any 6 year old can gyrate to Rock music, but classical music is truly an acquired taste. This comment changed my artistic life. An “acquired taste” takes time and intention, and isn’t instantly gratifying. So with all good things in life, including good books.
I enjoy history and biography, I am working my way through Crime and Punishment, David Brooks’s The Second Mountain, Tom Holland’s Dominion, along with other books of theology currently. And I still have that book of essays you assigned at the start of the MANT and have read in it.
Thank you for inspiring good writing. Northern and your books have been an inspiration of a good writing. Your commentaries are lively and spicy and spare. You have changed my academic voice. Thank you.
Loved these two posts. Agree with Susy re Margaret Atwood and with Laura re Harry Potter for story, character and imagination (we raised our girls on HP).
So something I've thought for years is surely a character flaw of mine actually has a name, desultory reading. What a ya know?!
Also, I was happy to see you mention Thurber. I read "University Days" around a campfire with counseling colleagues at a retreat years ago and thought our guest speaker was going to fall into the fire because he was shaking so hard with laughter.
Loved this a lot. “Novelists are not prophets.” Try these: I submit to you George Orwell’s 1984. Also, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and Margaret Atwood. Bam.
OK, I know whereof you speak. But I define prophet from the Bible, and it has to be someone who has heard from God, and is willing to say their message is from God, and they speak to the people of God.
I stand corrected! Really loved this journey through literature today.
Thank you
Give JK Rowling a chance! She’s a brilliant word-artist.
Ha. Did she write those long books about Harry Potter? (If so, she's on my list.)
Nice, Scot.
During my BA studying philosophy I preferred the ancients because I felt most at home there as a Christian. Moreover, my favorite prof was a rather sarcastic Catholic who, as he put it, was hired by mistake by in a department otherwise occupied by ancient atheists.
In the philosophy of religion class he had us read amongst other things Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy.” One comment he made, which is like your comparison of fiction vs hardier literature, was, that any 6 year old can gyrate to Rock music, but classical music is truly an acquired taste. This comment changed my artistic life. An “acquired taste” takes time and intention, and isn’t instantly gratifying. So with all good things in life, including good books.
I enjoy history and biography, I am working my way through Crime and Punishment, David Brooks’s The Second Mountain, Tom Holland’s Dominion, along with other books of theology currently. And I still have that book of essays you assigned at the start of the MANT and have read in it.
Thank you for inspiring good writing. Northern and your books have been an inspiration of a good writing. Your commentaries are lively and spicy and spare. You have changed my academic voice. Thank you.
Loved these two posts. Agree with Susy re Margaret Atwood and with Laura re Harry Potter for story, character and imagination (we raised our girls on HP).
So something I've thought for years is surely a character flaw of mine actually has a name, desultory reading. What a ya know?!
Also, I was happy to see you mention Thurber. I read "University Days" around a campfire with counseling colleagues at a retreat years ago and thought our guest speaker was going to fall into the fire because he was shaking so hard with laughter.