books

Mike Swann, one of the pastors of NLCF here in Blacksburg, talked this morning about inspiration, both from people and Christ. Brandon, one of the people I live with, inspires me to read more. He has blazed through some books recently, which he mentions in his own blog, in quite an impressive way. Here's some thoughts I have on books I have recently finished:

Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is an interesting read and worth being considered classic, if for no reason of it's inherent quality just the quantity of impact that it has had on the genre of vampires and stuff. I really didn't like the kind of "love" it exemplifies among the characters, though. I think it was part of the 19th century general opinion of love that influenced Stoker. The love that the characters have for each other, especially that which the men have for their lovers, is very flacid, selfish, and un-Christ-like. Even God is, in the characters' minds, only a means to an extent of a life like we have on earth or to be with a beloved longer. That does not honor Him, which I don't think Stoker understood. There is so much better to be had, both of a passionate love that mirrors God's and of just the real God himself, than 'Dracula' would have you believe.


After wrapping up the wampyr saga, I picked up C.S. Lewis' interplanatery trilogy, which begins with 'Out of the Silent Planet', which was given to me over Christmas. I was very impressed. You can kind of feel in the prose the characteristics of the planet which is it's center. The first feels like being on top of a mountain; the chilling wildness of Malacandra (the fourth planet from the sun). The second book, named for the planet on which it takes place, is more the valley; still wild, but so full of life. This is Perelandra (the second from the sun), on which the fall is prevented and remains in its glory of paradise. The third book is called 'That Hideous Strength', a line from an old poem about the tower of Babel, takes place on earth. The prose of this book feels like confusion, futility, and dirtyness; kind of like the place we are used to.

'Future Grace', by John Piper, is on its way to my apartment and is the next book I intend to enjoy.