Read 100 books -- RE-READ 10 Books I've read before

A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of the seven basic plots from which all stories are supposedly drawn (as I once heard said), I would say this one most closely follows the Sleeping Beauty epic. Although our hero, Prince Roger, is not given a fairy gift he IS born with a tragic flaw in a world where it seems all have a handicap to bear. His flaw? He was absolutely good-natured -- to the point that all in his presence were subject to fits of laughter. This simply would not do, so his father, King Whatchamacallit, consults J. Wellington Wizard for help. He prescribes a quest in which Roger must traverse the Forever Forest, the Dastardly Divide, the Valley of Vengeance, and assorted other hazardous places to do who knows what for who knows who.

Absolutely NOTHING goes according to plan.

There is plenty here to entertain -- humor, adventure, asides-to-the-reader, cartoonish illustrations, bad guys, good guys, and surprises aplenty. In fact, you may want to own a copy of your own (as I do).

For the mature reader there is ample food for thought. I found myself thinking about the many opposites that life deals and how they can all mesh together for good or for ill, depending on our choices and actions.

I could have put this either in the BOOKS I OWN post or this one.  I have owned this one for years and my children all love it.  I read it aloud to them years ago.  One of my children memorized a few pages to fulfill  a "monologue" school drama class assignment.

The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine by John Fox Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This Cinderalla / Romeo & Juliet epic, set in Appalachia at the turn of the last century, is more than a winter/summer love story but is a love story of place as well. It is an exploration of human nature, the impact of environment on conduct, the power of education over ignorance, and even the dawn of the 'rule of law'.

I read this edition while summering at my grandfather's place so many years ago that there was really not much else to do than read and this was at hand. As a teenager I could wander about his little two acres which included two orchards, plenty of garden, raspberries, hollyhocks, lots of lawn, a chicken house, a barn, cows, pigs, rabbits in hutches, a clothesline, an outdoor privy, a wood-burning stove for cooking, no running water in the house, a little store within walking distance, trees to climb and hide in, irrigation ditches. It was a simple matter to throw myself into reading in the cool of the house when the fascination of board games with cousins wore off and my only company was younger sisters who held no interest for me. I loved this book.

And now, after all these years I've read it again. I don't love stories now as I did then. But I can appreciate the panoramic proportions more. My own grandmother was 14 years younger than my grandfather and reading this gives me a glimpse of how their romance may have unfolded over the years. Our society has ridden the rail of industrialization (industrial EVERYTHING -- education, medicine, farming, etc) and is hearkening back to the roots of simpler times. Full circle.

I could have put this one in the BOOKS I OWN category as I actually own two copies.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So glad to have had a reason to re-visit this by reading it aloud to my teen to fulfill an English assignment. Having said that, I can see why there is some controversy about it in today's politically correct conversation mode. I think people don't comprehend how the author was pricking the conscience of his contemporaries -- asking the hard but obvious questions and doing so in such a way that the whole English-speaking world came on board that little raft-world with Huck and Jim. It is refreshing to me to read a book where the characters speak and behave just as they would have in their particular time and place.

Twain certainly loved poking fun at the classics of his time, as evidenced by the exasperating way in which Jim was liberated by two well-meaning boys. I finally fell into the spirit of the story and found myself laughing so hard I could barely get through a paragraph, there towards the end.

Huck's journey can be mapped into the "Storymind" hero's journey, as presented by Tracy and Laura Hickman at an event I once attended. However, I leave that exercise for another day.

On a side note, I found Jim's observations on Solomon and the baby claimed by two mothers to be foot stomping funny.  I could hardly get through it, I was laughing so hard.

The Adventures of Perrine by Hector Malot
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the treasures I found on my grandfather's bookshelves during one of the many idle summer days I spent there as a teenager. I absolutely LOVED this book and even wrote to Disney that it needed to be made into a movie.

I finally subscribed to my library's inter-library loan service for a copy to read to my teenage daughter. Reading it together we felt it was a mash-up of Hugo's "Les Miserables", Dicken's "Oliver Twist", Burnett's "Little Lord Fauntleroy", and even Twain's "Huckleberry Finn".

Juxtaposed over the many well-written novels I have read in the ensuing years and am now a more sophisticated reader it did not earn the five stars I would have given it when I first read it. However, a quick look at Amazon revealed that this 1932 novel by French author Malot is collectible, anywhere from $33 for a paperback reprint up to $2400 for a first edition!

As the story opens Perrine and her mother approach the city of Paris in their little dilapidated "van" pulled by a beloved pet donkey. They are very low on funds and their traveling photography business can no longer earn them revenue as they have no paper or chemicals. The mother is very ill. The reader distrusts all who advise them, suspecting them easy prey for predatory people. The worst happens--the mother dies, leaving young 10,11,or 12-year old Perrine only her parent's marriage certificate, a map, and the little money left over from the sale of the van and the donkey. Her last wish is that Perrine proceed north to the village of her dead father's family.

This Perrine does at great peril, experiencing abuse and hardship along the way but ever staying true to her character and her objective. Perrine also receives kindness and friendship. Perrine's ingenuity and independent spirit are indefatigable. Through her eyes the reader learns of social injustices of the time and tangles with unscrupulous business practices.

Happy tears were shed as we completed the story.

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Frank's sobering "alternate history" exploring the possible aftermath of a nuclear holocaust has become a classic of its genre. It predates the film "Fail-safe" and its satire "Dr. Strangelove". It predates the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Randy Bragg, thirty-something, unmarried and unemployed is idling away his life in Fort Repose, the Florida back-water community where he grew up. His brother, a high ranking Air Force officer, informs Randy that he is sending his wife and children "home" in hopes that there they might survive an impending Soviet nuclear attack.

The story, lyrically written and presented without sentimentality, explores how an individual, a neighborhood, a community, and the nation might respond to such an adverse reality.

I gave this four stars because it changed my life. I read it as a teenager and selected my career based on this story. I can recommend the audio edition which is superbly performed.

After perusing a few of the reader reviews I feel compelled to add that the character Randy Bragg was politically forward-looking. At the time this book was written the Civil Rights Movement (as it came to be known) was in its infancy. Randy lost a local election because he was in favor of integration. Their "negro" (the term in use at the time this book was written) neighbors were actually MORE prepared to face the challenges imposed upon them because they had not yet become dependent upon all the modern innovations. They became key players in the survival of the neighborhood and community. The author recognized the wide schism of education and political acumen among various members of any community.

Randy was a flawed character and that is part of what makes his journey pertinent to any reader. Through Randy the author exposes and challenges the stereotypes and deeply held prejudices of that time and place. The re-shaping of Fort Repose's society received a jump-start as a result of the nuclear devastation. So, in a way, Frank was asking, "Why wait for disaster to make positive changes?" As in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Pat Frank was holding a looking glass up to each reader for some crucial self-examination. People of all races, creeds, and genders deserve our respect. Through his characters he invited the reader to ask, at the end of the day where do I put my faith? In what do I trust? When there are no rules how do I behave? How resilient, creative, charitable am I.

Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success: An Owner's Manual to the New York Times Bestseller, the Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After listening to Andrews' book Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success I am hooked on this author. In fact, this became a "MUST OWN THIS"! for me and I gave them as gifts at Christmas to everyone in my family. Very inspiring!

Just listened to this a second time in twice as many years. I'm thinking a once-a-month, or perhaps once a quarter and certainly at least once a year would be a good prescription for me. He includes affirmations with each category.
The Responsible Decision
The Guided (informed) Decision
The Active Decision
and so forth...

post script -- I posted this review Nov. 2009 and just re-listened to in June 2015. My how time does fly. And yes, I need to now get my hands on the book and do the suggested writing exercises.

Angel Unaware: A Touching Story of Love and Loss by Dale Evans Rogers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a first-person narrative from the child's point of view but as told by the mother as she imagines it what it was like as her almost two-year old daughter reported to a Heavenly Father the impact her short time on earth had on the lives of others.

Her life actually did impact many lives -- first of all her parents, the famous Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, who chose to take their downs syndrome baby home and love her rather than institutionalize her right away as they were advised.

Due to their fame, they were able by their example to help other parents not be ashamed of their special needs children. The proceeds from this book went to helping the cause of handicapped children. Who can say how much this couple and this child did to change the way these children were thought of and treated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX2j_...