Terry Teachout has undertaken an unusual posting theme for Tuesdays: 5 X 5, or five recommended books. When he launched the concept, I thought the task he'd set for himself was a tad lofty, even for a guy who writes and reads as much as he does. But yesterday, his second Tuesday, he listed five titles from Mark Sarvas' James Wood reading list. Yes, well ... I have a friend on the south side of the hill who reads more voraciously than I and could provide five new recommended titles for my blog every week, too.
Still, it's quite the list and my eye finally settled on the last of the five — God: A Biography, by Jack Miles. Curiously, this is a book my father recommended to me. Wood is someone I admire for his intelligent criticism, but he's also someone with whom I feel some affinity because he's a pastor's kid who seems to read and write in the hope of discovering something holy. Here Wood uses God: A Biography as a standard with which to judge some of Harold Bloom's religious musings. And here Wood gives Miles' follow-up, Christ: A Crisis In The Life Of God, his full attention.
As for my own thoughts re: Miles, I'm rather embarrassed to admit I haven't read him — yet. And on that issue, I'm sure Reverend Wood and my father could easily relate.
Re. your entry, Bon Voyage! I'm still on the dock wondering which bookish boat to board. I know (at some hopefully not-too-distant time) I'll be booking passage on Mr. Perrotta's book which you recommended just one post away.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I'm happily slogging away on 4 rotating books,
BTW, Off on to a completely different topic....
Listen to this when you get a chance, especially when the reviewer speaks of blogging and the movies in question. I forwarded the link to Michael B., as 2 Blowhards was where I first read of these two movies. I had seen both movies just last week and can only concur with Michael that the films are both wonderfully disturbing (and not ones you'd want to view with your daughters).
Those do indeed sound like interesting movies. I might not get to them until school starts, though.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd probably enjoy Perrotta. He and Hornby are writing in the same league, I'd say. I'm curious about the movie, but also disinclined to see it lest it disappoint. Still, it's hard to say no to Kate Winslet.