What book should I read next?

[olde_fashioned]

I am almost finished with Hard Times, and I'm not sure what I should start next. What do you all think I should read?

I've never read Lady Susan, since I'd be sad to have no JA left to read, and I would like to read Cranford before the movie comes out and spoils the plot for me. I own a used copy of Villette, but then I've always wanted to read 1776! I really liked the movie of Lorna Doone, so I thought I'd read that, too! So you see my dilemma. ;-P

ETA: Thanks for your votes! I've finished Hard Times and I'll post a review soon, and I've already started reading Lorna Doone. :-D

[Poll #1026861]

Comments

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the suggestion! However I am opposed to C.S. Lewis as well as Tolkien for the same reasons as Harry Potter. I've never read any of them at all.

Are there any other books that you really like?

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

So, you won't read any of Lewis's apologetic books, like Mere Christianity? I'm right now reading Reflections on The Psalms.

I don't really like it when people place their(Lewis and Tolkien) books in the same category as Harry Potter. They aren't the same in content. Yes, they may be both fantasy, but the content isn't the same. LoTR and Narnia are also called Christian Allegory, where Harry Potter can't claim that.

And I did see something that someone commented about Gandalf. If they really knew what he was, they wouldn't say that. In the mythology of LoTR, he is not really called a wizard. He's more along the lines of an angel, created by God--who's called Eru. His "powers" were given to him by God. Now, God or even Jesus isn't mentioned in the books, but you can see God's hand in the underlying tones of the book. Anyway, nothing in any of the men's books are what they seem. Lewis was about symbolism and it's apparent. Tolkien, as much as he didn't like symbolism, has it in his books as well. I could go on about the different examples of how you can see Biblical symbols and even Biblical characters in these books. Besides, the books are more along the lines of mythology and every knows mythology isn't real. Witchcraft is.

Have you even read any thing about Lewis and Tolkien's books? Or are you just going on the fact that they are called fantasy?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Nope. Like I said, I don't trust either Lewis or Tolkien. And I don't judge books by what category they're lumped in, I judge them by their content. And I believe both Lewis's and Tolkein's content to differ from what the Bible teaches.

May I ask you, Lori, without your getting angry with me because I know how fond you are of Tolkien, what is the difference between the witches in LotR and Narnia, and between the witches in HP? Both could claim to be "battles between good and evil" and there are good witches/wizards and bad witches/wizards. I don't know of any verses in the Bible that permit sorcery so long as it's used for "good" or presented in an allegorical manner.

People have tried to draw paralels between Star Wars characters and Biblical figures. Do you think Star Wars is Christian??

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

Well, first of all, in LoTR and Narnia things are represented differently. In LotR, nothing is what it seems. Like I said that Gandalf isn't wizard, he's an angelic being that's in human form. He's only called a wizard because Tolkien lacked a better word both in English and in his own created language. Gandalf's job wasn't to perform magic or sorcery, his job was to encourage the race of Men to fight against the evil that they were facing. You see this more so in the books than in the movies. In Narnia, witches and witchcraft are portrayed as being bad, as being what they truely are....evil and oppressing.

See, I don't think you're taking in consideration into the way things are portrayed. These stories are so complicated in it's weaving that you can just look at it superifically. You've got look down into it's depths it see the true meaning. Also, just because something such as a witch is in there doesn't mean that the author is promoting something evil, because it could be that the author meant for it to be seen for what it really is or for what it isn't. Lewis or Tolkien weren't trying portray or promote the dark forces or dark arts for something as being a good thing. Or a way to solve problems.

Also, it's coming across the you don't really know anything about the authors. I could be wrong in what I'm seeing. Tolkien and Lewis were close friends. In fact, it was Tolkien that led Lewis to Christ. After Lewis became a Christian, he was often called "he Knight for Christiandom." Tolkien never really intended to publish LoTR. The stories were written to have a world for which his created language exsisted. Tolkien was a "master of languages," he understood the formings of real langauges and was able to create a few of his own.

I seriously think that if you read any of Tolkien's essays and letters concerning LoTR you will understand the differences between LoTR and Harry Potter. As for Narnia, The good people in those books used the strength for which Aslan(the representation of Christ/God) gave them. None of them used magic. In fact, that's what they are fighting against in The Lion, The Witch, and Wardrobe.

But what I was talking about with the Biblical Themes is that you have representations of characters from the Bible and you have situations that are similiar to the stories from the Bible. For example, the companionship of Frodo and Sam is very much like that of David and Jonathan. Then you have the relationship between Faramir, Boromir, and their father. In this way, it's like Jacob, Isau and their father. Their father favored one son over the other. I heard some people say that Frodo's burden of carrying the ring is like that of Christ carrying the cross. But I don't really see the similarities.

I don't mean to sound rude or anything by what I'm about to say, because I've had someone say something similar to me when having a political debate. But in her case, she really was being mean and rude, saying that I'm ignorant. I'm not trying to be that way, so don't mistake my intentions. I would suggest researching into the authors and what they have to say about their own writings. I think this really the only way you'll be able to see the differences. I think that after you've read from their own words what they intended by having such things in there stories then you can decide if you want to label it as bad or good. This all I ask of you, that you research it and come to conclusions without having a pre-conceived idea about LotR and Narnia. I don't care if you come to the conclusion and still think that they are bad or not. I just want you to be able see that there is a difference between the books. Because until you can understand the differences, there's no use in me trying to convince you that they aren't on the same level as Harry Potter.

Star Wars has a lot of New Age themes in it that overshadows any Christian themes. So much so that one would have to look closely to find those Christian themes through all the New Age stuff. So, I wouldn't consider it Christian. And while there may be parallels to Biblical characters in Star Wars, I completely doubt that was George Lucas's intent.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Lori, I'm not ignoring you and I promise to answer this, but if it's okay with you I'm going to think on my answer. I want to address everything you brought up and I just can't do that off the top of my head. Okay?

BTW -- you're not being rude. :-)

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

Oh that's fine. I wasn't expecting answer right off. I understand how that can be. In fact, I there were things that I could have added to my last comment, but only thought of them last night, after I had posted the comment. After thoughts, I guess?

But the things I have to say can wait until later.

I was thinking....if I created a filter for posts specifically for the "commentary" and discussion of what we've been talking about would you be interested in a being a part of that filter? The only reason why it would a filter is because I don't think everyone on my friends list would be interested in reading my commentaries (I use this word for the lack of a better one). I like for to be a choice if they want to read it or not. Also, not to clutter up their friends page with something unimportant to them.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I feel rather guilty about waiting to answer but I really want to do it "right" and not run off half-cocked.

You could comment to your comment if you want...I don't mind.

Do you mean religious matters, or HP? Sure, I'd like to be included in that. I almost put mine under a filter but I wanted everyone to know where I stood. ;-) And I don't consider updates from my friends as clutter!!!!!!

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

Not so much about HP, but about religion in literature such as LoTR and Narnia. Perhaps even Jane Eyre.

BTW, did you know Charlotte Bronte wrote fantasy? I was surprised to learn this. I never would have thought she wrote something of that genre. I don't know what any of those stories are called though, but I think I would like to read them just to see how they compare to her other writings. I just wonder if they'd be any good as I have no idea what they are about.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

That sounds good to me, so long as you wouldn't mind having someone who will probably respectfully disagree with you on some things. But I think you already know that. ;-)

She did? I never knew that! Did she write a novel about it or just short stories? Titles, please! Now you've got me curious.

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

Ok. Just don't get me to worked up. ; ) I can get passionate about things to the point the that it effects my ability to function properly. It be all that I think about for days.

I don't know if they are novels or short stories. My mom was the one who informed me of her fantasy writings. Mom's a bit more knowledgible(sp?) about C.B. than I am. Perhaps I ask her if she knows what the titles are. If she doesn't know, I'll try researching into it.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'll try not to, Lori!!! I'm not a troll. I don't like making people upset and angry.

I've been thinking about all this Lewis and HP stuff for days, too.

Well, no rush, but please let me know if you wouldn't mind when you find out. :-)

[anodiel.livejournal.com]

*Smiles* I know you're not a troll. But people do get worked up over things on and off in the internet. I get worked up over things I see on the news sometimes. If that's the case, I don't watch it for a while just to cool down.

I will let you know!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Okay Lori, here's my reply...sorry it took so long! I shall try to be as polite as I can without being my usual blunt self...;-)

If Tolkien calls one of his characters a wizard, then how can we say "he's not really a wizard" if Tolkien wrote him that way? And even if his job was to knit socks for the hobbits (a grueling task, I'm sure) he still uses magic. ;-P

I *am* trying to take into consideration how things are portrayed. My problem is that the "good" are defeating the "evil" on their own level with their own weapons -- supernatural magical powers without evoking the name of Christ or God. In order to win these battles I don't see anyone praying or reading from the Bible. Rather spellcast rings and wizards of light are sources of power.

If it helps any, I do think, that HP is worse than LotR and Narnia, especially. I am not lumping them as "equal" but I am saying I object to witchcraft, sorcery, or whatever you want to call it, and it happens to be present in all three series.

I did a little reading on Tolkien and Lewis, Lori, like you asked me, and here's some of what I found: (quoting Lewis)

I had some ado to prevent Joy and myself from relapsing into Paganism in Attica! At Daphni it was hard not to pray to Appolo the Healer. But somehow one didn’t feel it would have been very wrong — would have only been addressing Christ sub specie Apollinius. (Roger Lancelyn Green quoting C.S. Lewis in the biography C.S. Lewis: A Biography)

Also, the Narnian character of Bacchus,

Lewis presents him [Bacchus] as a cute, rollicking Narnian. Lewis draws from the specifics of Greek myth when describing the entourage of Bacchus (maenads, Silenus, etc.). The point I would make seems painfully obvious — Bacchus is a pagan deity who (like Baal) represents all that Christianity despises and seeks to overthrow. There is nothing even remotely Christian about favorably including such a figure in a book or series of books which hopes to present an analogy for Christianity.
The following scholarly overview of the worship ritual of the god of wine can be found here:
The core ritual associated with the worship of Dionysus [Bacchus] was orgiastic, meaning that it involved states of trance-like ecstasy, “outside-of-oneselfness,” merging with and possession by the god. It was celebrated every two years, at mid-winter near the time of the solstice, on barren mountain tops, especially Mt. Parnassus overlooking Delphi. There were three parts to this ritual:
Oreibasia (mountain dancing): To the accompaniment of flutes, drums, and cymbals, the worshippers, particularly women, danced themselves into ecstatic trances.
Sparagmos (tearing to pieces): In these trances they caught snakes and small animals and dismembered them with their bare hands.
Omophagia (eating raw flesh): By eating the bloody flesh of these animals, the worshippers became one with the god and with the wild natural forces that he represented.
These facets of Dionysian ritual are woven into many myths. For example, the poet Orpheus angered some maenads by rejecting all women, so these women dismembered him.

To be brutally honest things like this make me even more concerned about the content and spirituality of these books. It seems any Christian themes are being "overshadowed" by pagan ones.

One thing I want to make crystal clear is that I am *not* condemning you or anyone else who reads these. There are probably things I like/read/watch that you would disaprove of, and that I myself know to be wrong (like Alias, for example). I am not, however, trying to justify my interest and say it's a good Christian allegory and has good moral values, therefore it's okay to like it and it shouldn't be condemned by Biblical standards. If people want to read/like/approve of LotR and Narnia -- and even HP -- that's all fine and it's their decision, just please don't try to tell me it's "good" and Christian and harmless.

Don't even get me started on Star Wars...one debate thread is enough, frankly! And I hope you don't think *I'm* being rude with you, Lori, because that isn't my intent at all. :-)