BOOK: The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Title: The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster
Author: Bobby Henderson
Genre: Essay on religion; Fable; Parody
Publisher: Harper Collins 2006
Pages: Hardcover, 215
Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: Many people around the world believe that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. This book explains all. You are encouraged to read the gospel and compare it to other theories, like Intelligent Design or the theory of Evolution and decide for yourself what makes the most sense.

Review
Ever since I found the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I've been intrigued by the enthousiasm of the congregation, so of course I had to study its origins. The gospel was written as a very elaborate spoof on Intelligent Design, but from where I'm sitting this 'theory' is a clever analogy to any belief system. If you are willing to accept a less serious point of view, you will enjoy this. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to think outside the box.

BOOKs: His Dark Materials etc - Philip Pullman

Title: His Dark Materials
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf books
Pages: trilogy, 3 paperbacks:

Northern Lights (The Golden Compass in USA!), pages: 351

The Subtle Knife, pages: 288

The Amber Spyglass, pages: 465

Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels and follows the coming-of-age of two children from different worlds, Lyra and Will, as they wander through a series of parallel universes against a backdrop of epic events.

Extended summaries of each book + spoilerfree reviews
It's impossible to give a comprehensive summary without spoiling any of the surprising events and inventions in the books, so this might seem incoherent and incomplete, but I don't want to give anything essential away.

The first book -called The Golden Compass in the US, but originally titled Northern Lights- is about Lyra, a young girl who lives in an alternative world not unlike our own, but different mostly because people have compagnions in the shape of an animal, known as daemons. Lyra's animal spirit is not settled yet, his name is Pantalaimon and they have a strong bond. When Lyra learns about a scheme to seperate children from their daemons, she decides to find out more about the grown-ups who are so very obsessed with the innocent spirits of children.

The second book -The Subtle Knife- starts in our own known world with Will, a young boy who needs a place to hide and stumbles upon an entry into a parallel universe. Eventually he meets Lyra and they join forces to fight the people that hurt the children from Lyra's world.

In the final book -The Amber Spyglass- revelations are made about the why and how of the operation. It seems like whatever solution Lyra and Will come up with to stop the wrongdoings, it will change the future of all the universes for ever.

I'm not a fan of the fantasy-genre; it takes a lot of persuasion to make me try a book in this category. I was lured into trying His Dark Materials after reading about the religious perspective or rather the promise of an atheist point of view towards fantasy. At the time this was an issue that was very important to me and I was just finding out how many people actually share my non religious outlook on life.

Although I was a bit worried about people talking to animals -and more importantly those animals talking back- I was intruiged to find out what the fuss about these books was all about.
And despite my discomfort with the relationship between the characters and their daemons, I soon found myself lost in the complicated (alternative) world of Oxford and Lyra's mysterious family and friends.

I must admit I only got really into the story once violence was introduced. The way Philip Pullman describes a fight was pleasantly intense for what is intentionally a children's book. There is blood and disaster and death all around. Even in more heavily doses than the well known Harry Potter books. I loved it.

Now don't get me wrong: that violence has nothing to do with the atheist part of the books. Truth be told to me the only obvious link to (non) religion are the run ins Lyla has with the church in her world. It is clear that organisation is very much in control and in charge of the government. But to me that didn't seem very different from our own world. I think you can easily read the story without even giving that issue a second thought.
Obviously there are a lot of people who have different opinions about that. It was not until after I read the books and did some research for this review that I found out what deeper meaning might be hidden in the books. Supposedly there is an atheist agenda that is supported by this story. If you are curious to know more about this, just google 'Pullman'/'atheist'/'dark materials' and your eyes will be opened. (Notice my sarcasm. Oh please, notice the sarcasm)
Here I'll just copy part of a review that summs up why I eventually fell for these books.

"In a visual world it is all too easy to let others take over your imagination. You accept other peoples' visions as your own. It is convenient, easy, saves your effort but in effect makes your creative abilities go first numb and then dead. This is a book which may help re-awaken what you might have forgotten ever having. Or what you never had, brought up in front of a TV screen.
It would be a spoiler to give out any hints about the content - anyway, it is too complex to be summed up in a review in any but a ridiculous way. The important part is that Pullman creates a whole new world in his book, a world at an angle to ours and he gives you a chance to join him in the trip this book is, imagining the world he describes. If the book had nothing more to offer (and it is hardly the case) this alone would make it a perfect choice."

There you have it: if you are into fantasy, you should definitely get these books. If you are like me and are apprehensive of the genre, this might be the perfect introduction. You should give it a try. The only reason the 7/10 is not an 8 is because of my personal issue with the talking animals *g*.


Title: Once Upon A Time In The North
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 100
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Another glimpse into the world of His Dark Materials; it's 35 years before the trilogy, and young aeronaut Lee Scoresby arrives in the North, looking for work and adventure. When he learns about a corrupt corporation and a sleazy politician who are obstructing a schooner's Captain from claiming his own cargo, Lee throws himself recklessly onto the side of good, operating on instinct and fearlessness. He finds an ally in armored bear Iorek Byrnison.

Short spoilerfree review
This booklet is awesome for those who've read His Dark Materials and want to know more about how much loved characters Lee and Iorek met. It's a short story, but it comes with some great extras for fans of the original novels, such as newspaperclippings and letters between characters, that give extra background information.


Title: Lyra's Oxford
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 50
Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: A short story set a couple of years after trilogy His Dark Materials, accompanied by all sorts of goodies from that fascinating universe, like a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford.
Lyra and Pantalaimon rescue a witch's daemon being pursued by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon tells them he is seeking an alchemist. Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of this man, but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated.

Short spoilerfree review
This is not really a follow up to His Dark Materials, but more a stand alone story that happens afterwards. Not as informative as I had hoped; fun for those people who loved Lyra the most and want to know how she dealed after the events of the original novels. I liked the extras that came with this booklet and the story was exciting, but not particularly satisfying to me.

BOOK: Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho

Title: Veronika Decides To Die (Veronika decide morrer)
Author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Thorsons
Paperback: 208 pages
Language: English
Rating: 5/10

Summary: Young and -apparently- pretty Veronika is not satisfied with the monotony of her life and decides to kill herself. The end... (Now wouldn't that have been a great short story...) Unfortunately Veronika is 'saved' just in time and she wakes up to find herself alive and admitted to a mental hospital. When she is told she damaged her body and still only has a few days left to live, surrounded by supposedly mad people, she starts to evaluate her life.

Review
I didn't like this book at all. First I thought it was because of the crooked translation from Portuguese to English, but seeing as it is an "international bestseller", it must be me. I struggled with the simple language and the run-away sentences. I also had a problem with the continuous switching point of view, especially when it changes in the middle of scenes.
I assume the addition of stories of other patients was to show the extensive range of madness, but the inclusion of a chapter about the writer himself was completely redundant. His own experience with psychiatry and his relationship with Veronika's doctor does not authenticate the story for me. If anything it made the characters look like caricatures and the doctor came across as a mad scientist.

As for the subject and the main character; I could not identify with Veronika at all. I understand some (most?) people are afraid to live their life to the fullest for whatever reason, but to need a near death experience to appreciate your life is just too pathetic to me. Even in my darkest days of depression I do not need that obvious conclusion shoved in my face. What a load of duh.

BOOK: Sneeuw - J. Bernlef

Title: Sneeuw (Snow)
Author: J. Bernlef
Genre: Family saga
Publisher: Salamander 1973
Pages: Paperback, 126
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10

Summary: Jan Razelius is lying in the hospital after barely surviving a car-crash in which his wife died. He doesn't remember what happened, although every time he comes near the place of the accident memories come floating back. But he still can't make sense of it even after he is discharged and gets back home in care of his daughter An and nurse Margaretha. Jan tries to go on living as best as he can, he even starts a physical -but not emotional- relationship with Margaretha. She stays with him after he is healthy again. But Jan never really gets over his wife. Daughter An is the spitting image of her mom and he gets more and more confused about his feelings for her.

Spoilerfree and therefore slightly cryptic review
This was the third book of Bernlef on my bookpile of 2008, after I succesfully ignored his work ever since his bestseller Out Of Mind was read by everyone in highschool. But when I read the Dutch bookweek-present The Pianoman which he wrote last year, I got addicted to his comfortable way of telling a story. So after reading that I finally put the aforementioned Out Of Mind on my readinglist. I borrowed it from my mom together with this older book 'Snow'.
This story is rather awkward in comparison with the other two books I read. Jan Razelius is clearly very unhappy and can't get a grip on his life anymore. He feels guilty about the accident and is aware he's neither a good lover nor a good father to the women who take care of him. What happens when his thoughts finally spin out of control doesnt' really come as a surprise. Although his actions may be understandable, they certainly aren't acceptable to both the protagonist as well as the reader. This book left me feeling sad and a little disgusted. I imagine that is what Jan felt too. Read at your own risk.

BOOK: Hersenschimmen - J. Bernlef

Title: Hersenschimmen (Out Of Mind*)
Author: J. Bernlef
Genre: Stream of consciousness
Publisher: Querido 1984
Pages: 160
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10

Summary: This story is told from the perspective of Maarten Klein, 72 year old pensioner, who moved from the Netherlands to the U.S.A. after WorldWar II. He lives with his wife Vera in small seatown Gloucester, Massachusetts. Maarten doesn't realize he is suffering from Alzheimer. He does initially manage to cover up his forgetfullnes and messy mind. It takes his wife and his doctor some time to figure out what the problem is. Eventually they hire a nurse to keep an eye on Maarten, but changes from his daily routine make him even more confused and scared. He doesn't understand what's going on and is afraid his wife will leave him.

Spoilerfree Review: When I was in highschool this book was on everyone else's reading list, so of course I didn't want to read it. I'm glad I didn't give it a try back then, because I'm convinced the story wouldn't have had the impact on me it had now. Not to dismiss the brain of every 17 year old girl, but I certainly am more capable of dealing with this subject after a couple of extra years of life experience.

Bernlef manages to pull you into the brain of Maarten while it is falling apart. Because the point of view is coming from within Maarten, it's not immediately obvious what is going on with him. As a reader you share his initial irritation about this silly forgetfullness. When Maarten's condition gets worse and his memories mix with unrecognizable present times, it feels like you can follow him. You can almost understand what it must be like and you feel Maarten's fear of the unknown.
Both Maarten and Vera are trying very hard to keep on caring for each other. But you know they will eventually reach the point where they can't continue together. Despite the tragic subject, this story is written with a lot of comfort and it's a beautiful read; but it did leave me feeling very hopeless.

*The title translates literally to 'Brain shadows', but is available in English as 'Out Of Mind', which somehow feels a little disrespectful to me.

BOOK: The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer

Title: The Female Eunuch
Author: Germaine Greer
Genre: Essay (on feminism)
Publisher: Harper Perennial 1970
Pages: Paperback, 371
Language: English
Rating: 8/10

Summary: When Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch was first published it created a shock wave of recognition in women, one that could be felt around the world. It went on to become an international bestseller, and a landmark in the history of the women's movement. Positing that sexual liberation is the key to women's liberation, Greer looks at the inherent and unalterable biological differences between men and women as well as at the profound psychological differences that result from social conditioning.

Review
I stole the summary, because I couldn't find the words myself. I had wanted to read this book ever since I read the follow up The Whole Woman. That book analyses the invasive ways in which the health industry persuades women into having their bodies and reproductive systems "managed" and it infuriated me. So I had high expectations for the book that made Germaine Greer famous; the one that inspired women to make themselves be heard.

The language was sometimes a little too scientific for me and the amount of data and subjects is overwhelming, but even if some parts went over my head, I did recognize most of the situations Greer uses as examples. I found it to be an intriguing document of its time. It didn't so much make me angry as sad, because I realized it's not even dated yet on a lot of subjects.
To recommend this book and show how relevant it still is, I copied part of the foreword Germaine Greer wrote for the 21st Anniversary Edition. She talks about how much we seem to have achieved in the past twenty-odd years: it's now possible for women to compete in sports, run businesses and talk openly about sex and more. So...
"What more could women want?
Freedom, that's what.
Freedom from being the thing looked at rather than the person looking back. Freedom from self-consciousness. Freedom from the duty of sexual stimulation of jaded male appetite, for which no breast ever bulges hard enough and no leg is ever long enough. Freedom from the uncomfortable clothes that must be worn to titillate.[...]
The freedom I pleaded for twenty years ago was freedom to be a person, with the dignity, integrity, nobility, passion, pride that constitute personhood. Freedom to run, shout, to talk loudly and sit with your knees apart. [...] Freedom to learn and freedom to teach. Freedom from fear, freedom from hunger, freedom of speech and freedom of belief. Most of the women in the world are still afraid, still hungry, still mute and loaded by religion with all kinds of fetters, masked, muzzled, mutilated and beaten. The Female Eunuch does not deal with poor women (for when I wrote it I did not know them) but with the women of the rich world, whose oppression is seen by poor women as freedom.
[...]
You can now see the female Eunuch the world over; all the time we thought we were driving her out of our minds and hearts she was spreading herself wherever blue jeans and Coca-Cola may go. Wherever you see nail varnish, lipstick, brassieres and high heels, the Eunuch has set up her camp. You can find her triumphant even under the veil."

BOOK: Vlammen - Hans Hagen

Title: Vlammen (Flames)
Author: Hans Hagen
Genre: Children's tragedy
Publisher: Querido 2008
Pages: Paperback, 95
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10
Notes: This book was written for 'Kinderboekenweek 2008'; (children's bookweek 2008) and was a gift with a purchase of a children's book.

Summary: An exciting week in the life of young Bo; he watches his grandfather's houseboat go up in flames, his big brother makes him hide an envelope with hundreds of euros and on top of it all he falls in love with Rachèlle.

Spoilerfree Review:
It's a rather harsh story, especially for younger kids, but despite the painfully true to life events, it mostly reads as a big adventure. Bo has a lot of issues to solve, both good and bad. It's not a fairytale, so not all ends well, but it's more inspiring than a happily ever after.