Book Review: Life of Pi

Grade: B -

Why: It's a fun tale with a good twist, but it used a gimmick to gain popularity.

The Life of Pi did make me think - which is the ultimate test of a book.  It made me consider, ponder, evaluate.  I liked it for those reasons.

It was also long, boring, and I fell asleep multiple times while reading it.  Like the author says at one point: "The hours last forever.  You are so bored sink into a state of apathy close to a coma."
Yep - that describes the story, and how it feels to read it. But the ending was unique and intriguing - so it was worth it.

The author has great knowledge of animals, the sea, zoos, survival needs, etc... These made his tale realistic and insightful to read.

Sadly - his idea for a book was only a good idea - he had to throw in a gimmick to make it "go viral" and be selected for schools and book clubs etc.

(SPOILER ALERT) I'm going to pretty much give away everything but the twist at the end.
It's a castaway story, but it's told better than most.  First of all - there is a Bengal tiger on the boat.  That's a pretty cool way to keep the story interesting.  I think the Tiger's name is dumb and a bit forced, but, oh well, it works.

The beginning of the book is great.  The tale of Pi's name, growing up in a zoo, learning from his father about animals, how zoo's work, and what respect to give to animals.

It's exhilarating, fun, and draws you in.

The next part I felt was out of place and was the "gimmick" to draw press, media, and book clubs.

Pi is a young man who starts living faithfully as a Muslim, Hindu, and Christian.  He goes to all their religious services, prays to all their gods, and believes all of them.

It's like the author thought "Tolerance is popular now. This boy ought to show that all religions have good parts, but no ONE religion is correct, and to subscribe to one alone is absurd."
He chooses to make it seem like there is no real right or wrong when it comes to religion - there is what makes you feel good. You don't have to choose one because no "one" could ever be right.

I agree there are good things in all religions. Everyone should become educated, learn about religions, seek out truth and understanding from all sources. But this reminds me of a college freshman who never picks a major and takes years of 100 level courses.  He never REALLY learns a subject, never takes tough courses, and never thinks deeply about a subject.  He also never graduates.

The author makes it sound like religions are really just buffet tables. "I like this part of Christ, and this part of Vishnu, oh, and Muhammad said something inspiring - but the rest is wrong so I'll just take what I like.  Religion is a "pick and choose" buffet.

That was my main problem with the book.  It's like the author couldn't write a great castaway story that could stand on it's own.  So he picked something that would grab media attention (like a main character who follows 3 major religions).
It was a cheap trick and it detracted from the book.
(I'll now step off my soapbox)

 - The ending is what makes it all worth it.  There is a genius twist that makes you think, and think, and think.  I loved it.

I can give this recommendation: Read it if you have time and can borrow it from someone.  Don't go out and buy it.
Here are my favorite Quotes:

"It is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside."
"The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
"A castaway’s worst mistake is to hope too much and do too little."

Book Review: The Witch in the Wood

This is a very strange book. (Book 2 of T.H. White's The Once and Future King)

It seems like five random and unconnected plots which all begin but never finish or join together. Granted - I have not yet read the sequels so I don't know if these plots will make sense later, but for now it was just weird.  (It was also later retitled "The Queen of Air and Darkness)

It's a collection of short stories. Some are silly: like the tale of the questing beast. Some are gruesomely disturbing: like the take of Gawaine and his brothers killing the Unicorn.

The only parts I really enjoyed we're the conversations with Arthur, Kay, and Merlyn.

Arthur learns much about the nature of war in this book.  Merlyn is constantly teaching him, helping him, and giving him examples.  He teaches Arthur that his problem is that he doens't care about the serfs, the foot soldiers.  Arthur and his knights have fun in war, and earn huge ransoms, while the people are murdered, raped, pillaged, etc...

Here are my two favorite lessons from Merlyn:

1. Merlyn tells Arthur there is never a reason to go to war, unless the other man starts it.
Arthur points out "If one side was starving the other by some means or other - some peaceful, economic means which were not actually warlike - then the starving side might have to fight it's way out."
Merlyn answers: “There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever the wrong which your nation might be doing to mine–short of war–my nation would be in the wrong if it started a war so as to redress it. A murderer, for instance, is not allowed to plead that his victim was rich and oppressing him–so why should a nation be allowed to? Wrongs have to be redressed by reason, not by force.”

2. Later Kay tells Merlyn he has thought of a good reason to go to war.
"There might be a king who had discovered a new way of life for human beings — you know, something which would be good for them. It might even be the only way from saving them from destruction. Well, if the human beings were too wicked or too stupid to accept his way, he might have to force it on them, in their own interests by the sword."
The magician clenched his fists, twisted his gown into screws, and began to shake all over.
"Very interesting," he said in a trembling voice. "Very interesting. There was just such a man when I was young — an Austrian who invented a new way of life and convinced himself that he was the chap to make it work. He tried to impose his reformation by the sword, and plunged the civilized world into misery and chaos. But the thing which this fellow had overlooked, my friend, was that he had had a predecessor in the reformation business, called Jesus Christ. Perhaps we may assume that Jesus knew as much as the Austrian did about saving people. But the odd thing is that Jesus did not turn the disciples into storm troopers, burn down the Temple at Jerusalem, and fix the blame on Pontius Pilate. On the contrary, he made it clear that the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people."

This is part of the joy of having a character like Merlyn in the book.  He can draw examples from any era, and use any example he wants. He mentions both Jesus and Hitler in this example (which is impressive since the book was published in 1939, before the majority of Hitler's horrors had occured)

Book Review: The Book of Mormon

Preface: It feels very odd to "review" the Book of Mormon. I wrote this post so that those not of my religion might understand what the book is, and see a few of my favorite quotes.  Of course I am biased, I believe this book to be scripture, the word of God.  So writing a "secular" review is unlikely to happen, but this is my attempt. Here is the official description by the LDS church.  This post is my personal view.

Here are my thoughts.

This is not a short, easy book.  It's 531 pages with over 500 words per page.  It refers to 210 different people by name, 167 different locations, and covers 1000 years of history.

It is not the Bible.  It is not a retelling of the Bible nor an interpretation of the Bible.  It is a completely separate book, also written by ancient prophets, also teaching about Jesus.

It starts in Jerusalem for the first 36 pages, then the rest is all on the American Continent from 600 B.C. to 420 A.D.  It's a lot like the Old Testament in that way - It's written by many different prophets who are all telling the stories of what happened to them and their people over many generations.  Since the people in the Book of Mormon came from Jerusalem, they brought with them a copy of the sacred writings up to that point (the books of Moses, Isaiah, etc.)  So there are 21 complete chapters of the book of Isaiah (from the Bible) as well as other citations and quotes.

The story of the Book of Mormon is too big to tell, but I'll give a little synopsis.  I don't think I need to worry about "SPOILERS" so here goes:

It starts with one family.  The dad has a vision that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, so he takes his family and leaves.  They build a boat and sail to ancient America (600 BC)  They populate, separate, get into wars, troubles etc.  There are good times and bad times.  There are great sermons by some prophets, there are also sad accounts of prophets being burned at the stake, etc.  The people are righteous and prosper, then they become get prideful and sin and fight and start killing each other.  There are accounts of wars, spies, and explanations of battle tactics and armor.  Throughout the book, the prophets are trying to prepare their people for the birth of Christ.  Some believe Christ will be born and the promised signs will happen, others don't believe and decide to persecute and kill everyone that believes.  If the signs of Christ's birth don't appear by a certain date, all the believers will be killed.  Then the night comes - Christ is born and they know because they see the star in the sky and many other signs.  They know he's been born on the other side of the world.  33 years later they see the signs of his death.  The darkness, earthquakes, etc... They are told that he will be resurrected, and come to visit them.

 

This is the whole point and crux of the book.  It details the story of what happened after Christ was resurrected in Jerusalem.  We know he visited his apostles and instructed them to go and teach all creatures, and then he ascended into heaven... The Book of Mormon tells about what happened after his death and resurrection - when Christ descended in the America's where all these people had been waiting and hoping it was all true.  Among the ancient people on this continent Christ calls 12 disciples, ordains them and gives them the right to preach and work in his name.  He teaches the people, and reiterates many things he said during his life. (so many chapters are similar the New Testament).  Christ blesses the children, heals the sick, makes the lame walk, makes the blind see, teaches about baptism, and introduces the sacrament.  He shows them the scars in his hand, feet, and side.  They know it's him and they are happy beyond belief.  Then he ascends to heaven, telling them that he still has more people to visit in other lands besides the Americas and the Middle East.  

Then for about 200 years after Christ's visit the people lived in perfect peace and harmony.  They were honest and good, and everyone shared everything with everyone else.  Everyone worked hard, everyone shared, and everyone was blessed and enjoyed the good life.  Then they started to get prideful, and evils started to creep back in - class distinction, envy, persecution, and secret groups who would scheme, steal, and murder.  The people fall back into war and destruction until the very last prophet (named Mormon) and his son are in hiding.  They are the only followers of Christ left.  They have all the records of the prophets for the last 1000 years since that first family left Jerusalem.  Mormon combines all those records and abridges them to write one book, engraved on metal plates, which he calls "The Book of Mormon."  He gives it to his son, who buries it in a hillside.

That's where the book sat for 1400 years until Joseph Smith was told by an angel where to find it, and how to translate it into English.

So the whole book is a religious history of the ancient inhabitants of North and South America.  It's all about Christ: prophecies that he'll come, his teachings, his resurrection and visit to those people.

The book is excellent. I've read it, and it has made me a better person.

Here are some of my favorite quotes  - and explanations why.

Moroni 8:8,11,15 -  Little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin... and their little children need no repentance, neither baptism...for awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

God doesn't judge little kids based on whether or not their parents had them baptized as a baby.  Little children are incapable of sin and therefore can't go to hell, they are saved.

2 Nephi 25:26 - And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

They are Christians, He is the entire basis of the book and the religion.

Moroni 10:3,4 - When ye shall read these things...ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

If you want to know if these are really God's words - if the Book of Mormon really is scripture - pray and ask God.

2 Nephi 4:17,18,31 - O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities… because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me…O Lord…Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

Even prophets still have temptations and sins.  Temptation is a part of life, as is sin and repentance.

2 Ne 9:14 - Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.

Resurrection doesn't mean everything is erased.  You still lived your life, you still have happiness or guilt depending on your actions.

Jacob 2:18 - Before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

It's not a sin to be rich, but riches shouldn't be our first priority.  If we become rich we should use our riches to help others.

Alma 60:13 - For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked

God let's bad things happen to good people.  Men have agency, and sometimes God doesn't stop them from doing bad things knowing that it will be evidence against them at the judgment day.

 

Helaman 12:15 - surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.

1500 years before Copernicus,  a prophet knew the earth revolved around the sun.

3 Nephi 11:10,14 - I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world...

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

Christ wanted them to have no doubt of who he was; that he had been crucified in Jerusalem, resurrected, and was now appearing to them in this resurrected form.

Ether 12:27 - I give unto men weakness that they may be humble... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

There is a reason we all have weaknesses - so we'll stay humble, look to God, and let him make our weaknesses into our strengths.

Moroni 7:29 - Have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

There are still Miracles and people are still visited by angels.