Saturday, February 24, 2007

Reading......


Due to my fatigue the past few days, I've been able to read two great books!

The first was "The Measure of a Man" by Sidney Poitier. This isn't a celebrity book or ego book. It isn't a chronicle of achievement. It is truly like listening to an elder, someone who speaks wisely and cautiously, using an economy of words to allow them to sink in on a deeper level.

He writes of his childhood in Bahamas. He tells of the lessons he learned from his parents and his childhood. He then takes us on a winding road to the present, documenting many things, experiences and people, most notably how he maintained his dignity during the 60s and 70s as a Black man in America. In many ways, he reminds me of Nelson Mandela who warned his prison guards that "I will call you sir. You will call me sir. We will respect each other." It's an honest glimpse into someone else's life, someone who has had to assert his personhood, his manhood and his dignity in the constant face of those who would take it from him. Yet he does it without aggression or defensiveness. He does it by behavior.

Last night and this morning, I read "Eat, Pray and Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. One of the reviews states, "If a more likable writer than Gilbert is currently in print, I haven't found him or her...."

I agree. Reading the book is like listening to a good friend over pizza and beer, telling of her travels and her insights. She is painfully honest about her own shortcomings, her own failings. In that, she becomes a very real and delightful person. Even with my failing eyesight, I couldn't wait to get a little bit more of her, to read just one more tale. I sat here, magnifying glass in hand, savoring each word. Even though I have been writing for many, many years, I often whispered to myself, "Ghod, I wish I could have said that!"

I recommend both of them.

What are you reading? Do you recommend anything in particular?

** I know this post is dull and boring. Hope you'll stay with me. I'll try to come up with more interesting topics next week. Hopefully, Social Justice post Monday. It's one of those topics I have to think about....


Peace,


~Chani

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! I wanted to thank you for dropping by my web page. I've always wanted to move to Cambodia, so maybe someday we'll be neighbors overseas!

I blogged a while back about places on the web where you can get free public-domain books. Here's the LINK.

Kahlil Gibran wrote a book called "Jesus, Son of Man" that you might like to download. It's how other biblical figures might have looked at Jesus. It's all conjecture, of course, and I'm not Christian, but I did enjoy the poetry and the imagery.

LittlePea said...

I'm looking for something to read so I'll have to check those out!

Bob said...

I have been remarkably slack lately in my reading. But most recently I've been reading "Stiff - The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach. It is rally interesting. Before this, I read "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. I know it is a kids book (especially after reading it) but I heard a review of it a while back and wondered. I enjoyed it.

I hope you are on the mend and feeling better.

KC said...

ugh- do you really want to know?

I'm reading Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among 5 Traditions.

I haven't read a book for leisure in..well, I can't remember. Do baby books count?

dmmgmfm said...

Your posts are never boring Chani.

kris said...

Flashes of brilliance, indeed. Welcome to IndieBloggers, TG! :) We're so glad you're with us!

Hel said...

Boring no. Inspiring yes.

I enjoy getting a glimpse of your life and the books went onto my to read list.

If you can get a hold of it try The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami. It is disturbing but brilliant and unlike anything I have read before or since.

Julie Pippert said...

Book talk never bores me.

Hey head over to my place. I tagged you with a meme award.

:)

Anvilcloud said...

I was reading an Elizabeth George mystery. She writes well, and I have read all of her series so far, but this one doesn't at all advance the narrative about the main characters. It doesn't really deal with them at all, in fact. So, despite the fact that she writes well, I chucked it. I am doing that more and more lately.

Girlplustwo said...

this is the third time i've had eat pray love recommended to me. it might be time to listen.

i am back and fresh out of books...and am going to find a new one today.

missed you.

Lucia said...

I haven't had time to read lately, so can't leave any great suggestions...

I can say, though, that I really do love EPL (or is it ELP?) and will put the Poitier on my to-read list!

Pam said...

No post about good books is dull or boring, ever. I just finished a very good novel by Howard Frank Mosher, "Northern Borders." Fact and fiction blended in a coming of age story set in northern Vermont in the 1940's to 60's. Excellent read, and not because I live in VT. =)

Ginnie said...

Elizabeth Gilbert's book has been recommended by two other friends so I will have to try it. I've just re-read "The Painted Veil", a short story by Somerset Maugham. My son and I are going to see the movie this week and I had read it years ago and wanted to up-date. It should make a good movie.

Anonymous said...

I am currently re-reading Small ceremonies by Carol Shields. She and Margaret Atwood are my favourite female canadian authors. Morley Callaghan is my favorite among the canadian gentlemen. What would we do without books?

dmmgmfm said...

I'm reading the Bureau of Land Management's "Powder River Basin Oil & Gas Project
Final EIS & Proposed Plan Amendment" and "Step By Step Tai Chi". Quite a combination, eh?

By the way Chani, I linked to your blog. I hope you don't mind.