LETTERS FROM THE EARTH (1919) - Review

Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thought-provoking and witty, Mark Twain's "Letters From the Earth" is a collection of satirical essays, posthumously published in 1919. The book is a departure from Twain's more well-known works such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

The book is a series of letters supposedly written by Satan who has come to earth and is sending reports back to heaven about the ways of humans. Through these letters, Twain critiques various aspects of society, including religion, politics, and human behavior. The angel's perspective is a fresh and often humorous one, and Twain uses it to shed light on some of the absurdities of human life.

One of the most striking things about "Letters From the Earth" is how relevant it is today. Many of the issues that Twain addresses, such as the excesses of organized religion and the foibles of politics, are still very much with us. Twain's writing is so timeless that it is easy to forget that the book was written over 100 years ago.

In terms of style, "Letters From the Earth" is a departure from Twain's more conventional works. The writing is more stream-of-consciousness and less structured than his other books, which gives the book a loose and informal feel. This style is well-suited to the content of the book, which is meant to be a series of informal letters rather than a formal treatise.

Twain's commentary on society and human nature is insightful and often brutal. He pulls no punches in his critiques, and is not afraid to point out the flaws and foibles of humanity. This is what makes the book so compelling, as it forces readers to confront their own beliefs and assumptions.

BOTTOM LINE: Whether you are a fan of Twain's other works or or not, this book is sure to captivate and challenge you. The wit and humor that are so characteristic of Twain's writing are in full evidence in this book, and the satire is both biting and insightful. If you are looking for a thought-provoking and entertaining read, "Letters From the Earth" is an excellent choice.

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COLORFUL (2021)

Colorful by Eto Mori
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Considered a YA book, "Colorful" is instead a story that will touch all ages.

FIRST LINE: "Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul."

THE STORY: Prapura informs a random soul that he has been chosen for a 'homestay'. Even though guilty of a grave error in his life, he has won the opportunity to return to the world by borrowing another's body. The trick is as soon as the soul is able to recall his own enormous mistake, the homestay ends and he moves on. And that's how the soul came to be Makoto Kobayashi, a ninth grader, who committed suicide. With Prapura as his guide, Makoto slips into his new life and begins to discover its complexities.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This simply written story is a gem. Although there are many references to things Japanese, the story itself has already shown, by having been translated and loved in a number of other languages, that it will resonate with readers everywhere. There's an anime movie with the same name on YouTube if you should care to watch.

Makoto makes assumptions about his parents, his brother, the other students at his school and gets them mostly wrong. His journey leads him to a new understanding of those around him and ultimately, a new beginning. The reader can't help but relate those lessons to their own lives.

Jocelyne Allen did a lovely job of translating "Colorful" for an English speaking audience, but I wondered what it would be like reading it in Japanese.

The story is funny, sad, angry, painful, touching, and colorful. I was moved to tears several times.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is a book you share with people you love.

A copy of was provided to me by Counterpoint Press /Net Galley for an honest review.

Publisher: Counterpoint Press (July 20, 2021) (first published July 1998)
Paperback: 224 pages
ISBN-13: 9781640094420 

THE AUTHOR: Ito Mori is a Japanese novelist focusing on children's and young adult literature. She has been described as "one of the most celebrated female writers of fiction in Japan today".

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE BY TIM CURRY

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Tim Curry

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Everyone, including me, knows CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, or we think we do, from all the adapted films, theater productions, and cartoons, etc. that abound at the holidays. As it turns out, I had never really READ the book. It's an amazing work and as relevant to mankind today as it was in 1843. As a ghost story, read by the inimitable Tim Curry, it's a mesmerizing tale even though the reader knows what's going to happen. I found it quite moving.

Besides some eerie music leading into the story, Curry reads without sound effects creating the environment and characters with his own voice. Since it's a relatively short listen at 3 hours and 31 minutes, it will now be on my Christmas reading/listening list every year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Published: November 15, 2016 by Simon & Schuster Audio

Unabridged Audiobook: 3 hrs. 31 min.

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry

ASIN: B006B9Y3ES

 

THE RED PONY (1937)

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Many young people were forced to read this book in school. This is one of those stories that you may not like much on first reading. But today our book group at John Ganton's Countryside had a lively discussion of  The Red Pony. The precise use of words describing people and places creates a world the reader can picture.
 
We also watched the 1949 technicolor film with Robert Mitchum and Myrna Loyd. Music was by Aaron Copland. It deviated from the book in ways that we found disturbing even though Steinbeck himself adapted the story for the screen. The book is actually four short stories about Jody, a young boy living with his parents on a hard-scrabble farm in California, coming of age.

I discovered there is also a 1973 remake with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Sullivan. In this made for television movie, Clint Howard (Ron Howard's brother) played the part of Jody.

Next month the tentative plan is to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The Jackson District Library has a wide selection of book kits that can be checked out for book groups.

MY ANTONIA (1918)

My Antonia by Willa Cather
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What is amazing is that it took me so long to discover Willa Cather's My Antonia, a complex and elegant remembrance that appears as a deceptively simple story.

I read this for my book group, In Good Company. We talk over dinner and can often veer off subject. There was more discussion about My Antonia than any of the other titles we have read over the year we have been meeting. And it was universally loved no matter how individual perceptions varied. We gossiped about the characters just as if they were friends and neighbors we cared about.

Discover this book for yourself. Forget the description that it's the tale of an immigrant girl named Antonia growing up in Nebraska. It's so much more.

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The Great Gatsby (Movie)

Currently Showing in Theatres

I like movies. I just don't often take the time to sit quietly and watch them. So on a recent trip to visit family in Minneapolis, we chose to see Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby one evening.

Chris Nashawaty's review in Entertainment Weekly only assigned a B- to the film. There was controversy over the manic feel and 21st century hip-hop tracks. None of that bothered me. I enjoyed the spectacle.

What the movie did was encourage me to read the book. I borrowed a copy from my niece and plan to read it this summer. Can you believe I have never been required to read F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age classic? It's true.