Dear Misfits,
The consensus at our book
discussion last Wednesday was that Charles Williams All Hallows' Eve
is a very scary book! We also agreed that it is also one of the strangest
novels we've ever read. The story is
oddly compelling; just as you are about to give up on it, Williams hooks you
with some unexpected revelation, a weird twist in the plot, or some unspeakable
evil presents itself. At the same time,
it is a strangely spiritual and deeply religious novel. Charles Williams was one of the Inklings and
friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It has been widely noted that
Williams' had a profound influence on his Oxford friend in Lewis' That
Hideous Strength (the last book in Lewis's space trilogy...see our upcoming
books for December-February) and in The Great Divorce. Williams was also
a friend of T.S Eliot who wrote the preface to this book.
One Misfit mentioned at the meeting
that the novel could be scripted for a modern special effects horror movie in
the Stephen King genre. It was also
noted that Williams' Descent into Hell is regarded as his best
novel. We will read that in the near
future. For those interested in learning
more about Charles Williams, we recommend you visit the web site of the Charles
Williams Society at http://www.charleswilliamssociety.org.uk/ It is very good.
Next
Month: We will again read a work by William Shakespeare
who the Misfits unanimously agree is one of the greatest Catholic authors in
literature. (We have consensus in that regard!)
We will read King Lear, one of Shakespeare's darkest
tragedies. The play tells the story of
the foolish and Job-like Lear, who divides his kingdom among his daughters, as
he does his affections, according to vanity and whim. Lear’s failure as a
father engulfs himself and his world in turmoil and tragedy. There are at least 11 film versions of this
play with critics widely divided on which is best. That said, many agree that the 2009 film with
Ian McKellen as Lear is perhaps at the top of the list.
The play is available from Amazon in
many editions, some for as little as $6.26 in paperback.
In
December, the Misfits
will begin reading C. S. Lewis’ classic Space Trilogy. We will start with Out of the Silent
Planet which begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Dr. Ransom
is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via
spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra.
The physicist is in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom was
selected to fill that role. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his
captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a
stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and
instructive in its similarity. Even though it was first published in 1943, Out
of the Silent Planet remains a topically current, very modern read.
The Space Trilogy, continues with Perelandra
(our January, 2014 book) and concludes with That Hideous Strength (our
February, 2014 book).
And for those interested, I have
attached two lists: A list of Books Read and A List of Authors we have
read since our beginning in September, 2002.
Finally, I will make another plug for
Chris Hagen’s excellent blog Ex Libris
Theologicis. This time, I recommend
you go there to read Misfit Tom Loomes wonderfuly written essay, “Bare
ruin’d choirs where late the sweet birds sang”:The dissolution of Catholic
libraries during the period 1967 to 1996 -a personal and anecdotal account. I guarantee that you will be moved by Tom’s
account of the unwarranted destruction of the priceless libraries that occurred
at Catholic Universities, Seminaries, and Convents over the past 40 years. It is a very compelling read. You will not be able to put it down once you
start reading it! To read Tom’s essay,
go to: http://loomebooks.blogspot.com/search/label/Loome%20Lore
I conclude with a reminder: we always meet at 7:00 pm on the second
Wednesday of every month in the St. Thomas More Library Room, the Church of St.
Michael, Stillwater, MN. Therefore, our
next meeting will be at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 . (Our meetings
and discussion always end at 8:30 pm.)
Warmest regards,
Misfit Buzz
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