Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles takes place chronologically between his Oedipus the King and Antigone. The play opens with an old and weary Oedipus led by his faithful daughter Antigone seeking a place to rest from his weary exile. He finds himself at a sacred grove near Colonus and the city of Athens. Knowing the reverence of the Athenian people for the ways of the gods, Oedipus pleads to them for compassion. A message is promptly sent to King Theseus that the infamous Oedipus is nearby. Theseus grants Oedipus' request and promises his protection to both Oedipus and his two daughters. In return Oedipus offers the king the only gift that the gods have given him to bestow. A promise that the place of his death will be a protection for Athens, the city who showed him compassion, when at a future time they are under attack from Thebes. At the same time Oedipus finds himself wanted by multiple parties. His sons are warring over the throne of Thebes and have learned that the side supported by Oedipus will be the winner. Oedipus scorns the entreaties of Creon, who then tries to kidnap Oedipus' daughters to force him back to Thebes, but Theseus intervenes and returns the girls safely to their father. Then his older son appears also pleading for his aid; but again Oedipus reminds him of his lack of mercy and compassion and his abandonment of his father in time of need. He warns him that attacking Thebes will result not only in his death but also the death of his brother. The play ends with Oedipus and Theseus going off to the place of his death alone, the grief of his daughters, and their fateful decision to return to Thebes to try to stop the coming bloodshed.
This was actually my first time reading this particular play, and I found it interesting. It is in some ways an ancient Greek version of "Do to others as you would have them do to you". Misfortune can come to anyone at any time, so it is best to show mercy to the less fortunate. Those who have compassion on Oedipus in his misfortune, his daughters and the city of Athens, receive the blessing of his love and his protection respectively. Those who heaped more troubles on him received his scorn and a promise of coming vengeance from the gods for their lack of mercy. I would recommend it for ages 14 and up.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Book 11 - Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the classic Greek tragedy of a decent man doomed to a horrible, inescapable fate by the gods. When told by the oracle of Delphi that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he tried to do the right thing. He left his home and those who he believed were his parents to save them and try to escape his fate. Instead while traveling toward Thebes, he is nearly run over by a group of men and kills four of them in self-defense. He travels on, saves Thebes from the Sphinx, and in return is made king and given the widow of the previous king as his wife. All is well until the gods strike Thebes with plagues, and the oracle proclaims that they must find the murderer of King Laius. The city's prophet tries to warn him, but Oedipus is a good king and is willing to do whatever he must to save his city. A shepherd, the lone survivor of the attack on the Laius, is brought from the country. Meanwhile another messenger comes to ask Oedipus to return home to become king of the city he left. Finally, the truth comes out. Oedipus, in fleeing the city where he was raised to avoid fulfilling the prophecy, ended up in the city of his birth and inadvertently doing the very thing from which he was fleeing. The queen hangs herself, and Oedipus blinds himself with the brooches from her clothing. The queen's brother becomes king and leads a broken Oedipus out of sight of his people.
Of the three plays in the trilogy, this one has always been my least favorite simply because of its theme. It's depressing to think that despite Oedipus' best efforts and all of his good deeds that a good man finds himself in such an inescapable mess. At the same time, it is real life. Bad things happen to good people every day through no fault of their own. The realization rightly should evoke a sense of thankfulness in those currently experiencing good fortune as well as a sense of mercy and compassion toward those fallen into misfortune. It's funny how despite all of the differences in religion and culture the message remains just as true today. An excellent read and a true classic, I recommend it for ages 14 and up.
Of the three plays in the trilogy, this one has always been my least favorite simply because of its theme. It's depressing to think that despite Oedipus' best efforts and all of his good deeds that a good man finds himself in such an inescapable mess. At the same time, it is real life. Bad things happen to good people every day through no fault of their own. The realization rightly should evoke a sense of thankfulness in those currently experiencing good fortune as well as a sense of mercy and compassion toward those fallen into misfortune. It's funny how despite all of the differences in religion and culture the message remains just as true today. An excellent read and a true classic, I recommend it for ages 14 and up.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Book 10 - The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
by Alan Bradley is the second book in his Flavia de Luce mystery series. Flavia is daydreaming in the church cemetery when she hears someone crying. Upon investigating, she meets Nialla the assistant of the famous puppeteer Rupert Porson whose van has broken down nearby. In order to make money to pay for the van's repairs, the puppeteer agrees to perform two shows in the church parish hall that Saturday. Flavia helps with the unloading of gear and returns the following day to see how she can be useful. The first sign of trouble appears at the Saturday matinee when the audience is shocked to see that the puppet Jack looks remarkably similar to a young local boy named Robin who was found hanging dead in the woods a few years previous. At the evening show, the audience is shocked when the play ends not with the crash of the giant but instead with the dead body of Porson falling onto the stage. Flavia, immediately focusing on the scene in front of her, quickly concludes that the puppeteer has been electrocuted, and launches her own investigation into his death.
While I still find some of the dynamics of Flavia's family disturbing (especially those between her and her sisters), Bradley has nevertheless creating another excellent, entertaining mystery that I found engrossing and enjoyable. I would recommend it for ages 14 and up.
by Alan Bradley is the second book in his Flavia de Luce mystery series. Flavia is daydreaming in the church cemetery when she hears someone crying. Upon investigating, she meets Nialla the assistant of the famous puppeteer Rupert Porson whose van has broken down nearby. In order to make money to pay for the van's repairs, the puppeteer agrees to perform two shows in the church parish hall that Saturday. Flavia helps with the unloading of gear and returns the following day to see how she can be useful. The first sign of trouble appears at the Saturday matinee when the audience is shocked to see that the puppet Jack looks remarkably similar to a young local boy named Robin who was found hanging dead in the woods a few years previous. At the evening show, the audience is shocked when the play ends not with the crash of the giant but instead with the dead body of Porson falling onto the stage. Flavia, immediately focusing on the scene in front of her, quickly concludes that the puppeteer has been electrocuted, and launches her own investigation into his death.While I still find some of the dynamics of Flavia's family disturbing (especially those between her and her sisters), Bradley has nevertheless creating another excellent, entertaining mystery that I found engrossing and enjoyable. I would recommend it for ages 14 and up.
Book 9 - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain does an excellent job of exploring the differences between extroverts and introverts, the strengths and weakness of each, and the way that they are viewed in modern society. The book commences with a brief summary of how America changed from a culture of character where those who were serious and disciplined were considered most highly to a culture of personality where how one appears in public is more important. She looks at both the psychological and neurological characteristics of both introverts and extroverts and also offers some advice to introverts for working in an extroverted world as well as for parents of introverts to respect their need for down time and quiet.
Overall, I thought the book was interesting and would recommend it for those interested in the topic of introversion.
by Susan Cain does an excellent job of exploring the differences between extroverts and introverts, the strengths and weakness of each, and the way that they are viewed in modern society. The book commences with a brief summary of how America changed from a culture of character where those who were serious and disciplined were considered most highly to a culture of personality where how one appears in public is more important. She looks at both the psychological and neurological characteristics of both introverts and extroverts and also offers some advice to introverts for working in an extroverted world as well as for parents of introverts to respect their need for down time and quiet.Overall, I thought the book was interesting and would recommend it for those interested in the topic of introversion.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Book 8 - Sandstorm
Sandstorm (Sigma Force Novels) by James Rollins
is fantastic read packed with suspense and action. Painter Crowe, former Special Forces, is part of an elite DOD group protecting cutting edge technology. Minutes after discovering that his partner is a traitor, he is picked up and dispatched to the British Museum in London to investigate a recent explosion in the north wing of an ancient artifact believed to contain antimatter. He and his new partner save Safia al-Maaz, the curator, from a ruthless group of attackers seeking to steal an iron heart discovered after the explosion in a broken sand sculpture from the lost city of Ubar. The Americans, hoping to find and secure a source of antimatter, then join Lady Kensington and Safia on an expedition to Oman with the added expertise of Omaha Dunn, and Indiana Jones type archaeologist, and an elite group of Omani special forces for protection; but they are up against a well-funded group of ruthless mercenaries with inside information and an approaching mega sandstorm. They must find the secret of the city of Ubar before time runs out.
The first book in Rollin's Sigma Force series, Sandstorm was excellently written. Some reviewers have complained that the plot is unrealistic because of the antimatter and the rather unique guardians of the city, but I though Rollins did an excellent job of making all the pieces sound plausible and consider it an excellent piece of fiction. I will definitely be reading the remaining books in the series over the course of the year as I get a chance. I would recommend it for ages 16 and up.
is fantastic read packed with suspense and action. Painter Crowe, former Special Forces, is part of an elite DOD group protecting cutting edge technology. Minutes after discovering that his partner is a traitor, he is picked up and dispatched to the British Museum in London to investigate a recent explosion in the north wing of an ancient artifact believed to contain antimatter. He and his new partner save Safia al-Maaz, the curator, from a ruthless group of attackers seeking to steal an iron heart discovered after the explosion in a broken sand sculpture from the lost city of Ubar. The Americans, hoping to find and secure a source of antimatter, then join Lady Kensington and Safia on an expedition to Oman with the added expertise of Omaha Dunn, and Indiana Jones type archaeologist, and an elite group of Omani special forces for protection; but they are up against a well-funded group of ruthless mercenaries with inside information and an approaching mega sandstorm. They must find the secret of the city of Ubar before time runs out.The first book in Rollin's Sigma Force series, Sandstorm was excellently written. Some reviewers have complained that the plot is unrealistic because of the antimatter and the rather unique guardians of the city, but I though Rollins did an excellent job of making all the pieces sound plausible and consider it an excellent piece of fiction. I will definitely be reading the remaining books in the series over the course of the year as I get a chance. I would recommend it for ages 16 and up.
Book 7 -- The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
by H. G. Wells is a interesting classic of science fiction. Oblivious to even the notion of life beyond the Earth, the unnamed protagonist living in the English countryside is busy with the routines of daily life: working on his book, reading the paper, having tea with his wife, and enjoying walks around town and the discussions that go along with them. Although astronomers notice 12 separate puffs of smoke on 12 consecutive nights on the planet of Mars, the smoke is attributed to volcanic activity and quickly dismissed from the public mind. Then the first cylinder falls just outside of town. At first, it is examined by local scientists expecting it to be a meteorite. Eventually it is noted that the end of the cylinder is slowly unscrewing. Crowds gather to see the first Martians, and military units are dispatched to keep them back. No one considers the visitors a threat until the first heat ray is fired lighting up plants, houses, people, and anything else within their path. More cylinders appear to be matched by more military troops with greater weapons capacity. Then the Martians make their second move, climbing out of the pits in huge 100 foot tripod machines equipped with heat rays and able to grab and destroy those in their path. When one of their tripods is destroyed by a lucky artillery shell, they retreat back to their original pits only to reemerge firing canisters of a dense black poisonous gas that quickly wipes out all of the soldiers protecting London. Most of London evacuates, and the narrator relates his brother's story of escape to a ship and the destruction of a few more tripods by a brave military captain, who brings them down by using his ship as a battering ram. The narrator shifts back to his own story and describes a harrowing fortnight where he lies trapped in a house partially buried by another falling cylinder. Here he watches the Martians at work and learns that they feed on human blood. He finally escapes and makes his way back to London believing mankind is doomed only to find that as suddenly as it all began it has also ended not due to the bravery or ingenuity of mankind, but to the millions of bacteria that cause so much havoc among the human race as well.
Well established as a classic, I found the descriptions crisp and detailed and the action well-paced for the most part. If I have one gripe with the book it would be the ending. I would have preferred something more along the lines of the movie Independence Day with mankind winning in a triumphant battle, but I can respect the plausibility of the aliens succumbing to bacteria that they have no natural defenses against and the humility that comes with recognizing that mankind was unable to rescue itself. The fragility of modern civilization with our dependence on electricity and food that is transported over long distances is in some ways not so different from the 19th century world portrayed in the book that quickly fell into chaos. It should at least make an interesting discussion topic once DD has finished reading as well. I would recommend this book as a classic piece of literature for ages 13 and up.
by H. G. Wells is a interesting classic of science fiction. Oblivious to even the notion of life beyond the Earth, the unnamed protagonist living in the English countryside is busy with the routines of daily life: working on his book, reading the paper, having tea with his wife, and enjoying walks around town and the discussions that go along with them. Although astronomers notice 12 separate puffs of smoke on 12 consecutive nights on the planet of Mars, the smoke is attributed to volcanic activity and quickly dismissed from the public mind. Then the first cylinder falls just outside of town. At first, it is examined by local scientists expecting it to be a meteorite. Eventually it is noted that the end of the cylinder is slowly unscrewing. Crowds gather to see the first Martians, and military units are dispatched to keep them back. No one considers the visitors a threat until the first heat ray is fired lighting up plants, houses, people, and anything else within their path. More cylinders appear to be matched by more military troops with greater weapons capacity. Then the Martians make their second move, climbing out of the pits in huge 100 foot tripod machines equipped with heat rays and able to grab and destroy those in their path. When one of their tripods is destroyed by a lucky artillery shell, they retreat back to their original pits only to reemerge firing canisters of a dense black poisonous gas that quickly wipes out all of the soldiers protecting London. Most of London evacuates, and the narrator relates his brother's story of escape to a ship and the destruction of a few more tripods by a brave military captain, who brings them down by using his ship as a battering ram. The narrator shifts back to his own story and describes a harrowing fortnight where he lies trapped in a house partially buried by another falling cylinder. Here he watches the Martians at work and learns that they feed on human blood. He finally escapes and makes his way back to London believing mankind is doomed only to find that as suddenly as it all began it has also ended not due to the bravery or ingenuity of mankind, but to the millions of bacteria that cause so much havoc among the human race as well.Well established as a classic, I found the descriptions crisp and detailed and the action well-paced for the most part. If I have one gripe with the book it would be the ending. I would have preferred something more along the lines of the movie Independence Day with mankind winning in a triumphant battle, but I can respect the plausibility of the aliens succumbing to bacteria that they have no natural defenses against and the humility that comes with recognizing that mankind was unable to rescue itself. The fragility of modern civilization with our dependence on electricity and food that is transported over long distances is in some ways not so different from the 19th century world portrayed in the book that quickly fell into chaos. It should at least make an interesting discussion topic once DD has finished reading as well. I would recommend this book as a classic piece of literature for ages 13 and up.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Book 6 - A Morbid Taste for Bones
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters is the first mystery in the Brother Cadfael Chronicles series. Brother Cadfael is a man of wide experience who became a Benedictine monk late in life. When his superiors become determined to acquire the bones of a Welsh saint in a tiny village, Brother Cadfael immediately offers his services as translator in order to join the expedition despite his reservations about the justice of the quest. While the ruling bishop and prince are both give their permission to the Benedictine delegation to move the bones of Siant Winifred, the people of the local village are not at all pleased with the idea. The landholder Rhisiart takes the lead in arguing with the prior that the bones should be allowed to stay in their current location and is outraged at the bribe offered to him to change his mind. He agrees to return the following day to discuss the situation again but does not appear despite leaving the house at the appropriate time to arrive at the meeting. A brief search turns up his body lying dead in the woods apparently shot with the arrow of a outlander. Then it is up to Brother Cadfael to assist Rhisiart's daughter in determining who the true murderer is in order to clear the name of the outlander whom she loves.
The first Brother Cadfael mystery is beautifully set in 12th century England and Wales with vivid characters both good and bad within the cloister and without. Brother Cadfael is definitely not a typical 12th century monk, but a man with a deep sense of justice and fairness and enough experience with men to understand the potential legal, cultural, and political pitfalls that might interfere with the pursuit of true justice. In the end, he successfully works out a surprising solution that not only unmasks the offender but attempts to do the right thing for all parties involved. I'd highly recommend this book for ages 13 and up and have already put the second and third books in the series on hold to read later this month.
The first Brother Cadfael mystery is beautifully set in 12th century England and Wales with vivid characters both good and bad within the cloister and without. Brother Cadfael is definitely not a typical 12th century monk, but a man with a deep sense of justice and fairness and enough experience with men to understand the potential legal, cultural, and political pitfalls that might interfere with the pursuit of true justice. In the end, he successfully works out a surprising solution that not only unmasks the offender but attempts to do the right thing for all parties involved. I'd highly recommend this book for ages 13 and up and have already put the second and third books in the series on hold to read later this month.
Book 5 - Antigone
Antigone by Sophocles depicts the aftermath of the war between the sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices, to control Thebes. The new king Creon decrees that the former, who died defending Thebes, will be given a hero's burial but the latter, now branded a traitor to Thebes, shall not be buried but left in the open to be destroyed by wild animals and birds. Antigone, one of the two daughters of Oedipus who is to marry Creon's son, as much as she may have disagreed with her brother's action is grief stricken at the thought of him not receiving proper burial and determines that Creon's edict is a violation of the god's will and cannot be obeyed. After being caught in the act of covering her brother's body, Antigone is sentenced to be entombed alive over the protest of her betrothed and the seer of the city. Then the events unfold to punish Creon for his pride and foolhardy defiance of the gods by stubbornly refusing to admit his error until it is too late.
This classic Greek tragedy well deserves its place among the great books of Western Civilization. While short in length it is packed with lessons and points for discussion: obeying man v. obeying the gods, pride and its consequences, and the courage to stand for one's beliefs among others. Of Sophocles's tragedies this one is my favorite and I would highly recommend it for ages 14 and up.
This classic Greek tragedy well deserves its place among the great books of Western Civilization. While short in length it is packed with lessons and points for discussion: obeying man v. obeying the gods, pride and its consequences, and the courage to stand for one's beliefs among others. Of Sophocles's tragedies this one is my favorite and I would highly recommend it for ages 14 and up.
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