that Belong on Your Bookshelf
In a life time of reading, we make friends with a variety of authors, usually total strangers to us in real life, but nonetheless, known and beloved, because we have come to know them intimately through their books.
In Writers to Read, Douglas Wilson invites his readers into the circle of friends he has formed with nine favorite writers whose dates straddle the twentieth century, whose nomenclature leans toward the use of initials, whose faith commitments are all over the ecclesiological map, but whose writing and thinking are sure to be as iron sharpening iron the best sort of friendship.
What sets these writers apart and makes them worthy of space on our crowded bookshelves In Douglas Wilsons delightful enneadic biography and book review, five resounding reasons surfaced:
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Their gift of seeing G, K. Chesterton was a master of paradox who had a “way of turning everything upside down so that we might be able to see it rightsideup, ” Robert Farrar R. . F. Capon was able to portray grace in his writing to display the inexhaustible gift of God that cannot be overdone although he tried, but his real gift was in writing about food, observing what “went on the table and what went into getting it there.
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. Their artistic imagination N. D. Wilson happens to be Douglass son, a fiction and fantasy writer and a creator of villains and plots involving great danger, He and Chesterton agree that stories with intense plots do not teach children to be afraid, “They have dragons under the bed already, They had the fear already, The stories actually teach children that dragons can be killed, ” I still need to be reminded of that and applaud a writer who can bring them into being on the page,
One of my favorite authors, Marilynne Robinson, is also on Douglas Wilsons list rendered M, S. Robinson for his purposes, and her ability to create a world and to populate it with believable characters is unrivaled, When I read Gilead for the first time, I found myself checking and rechecking the back cover author bio to assure myself that the book truly had not been penned by an elderly parson writing his sons “begats” in the twilight of his life.
. Their use of metaphor P, G. Wodehouse is first on my list of untried authors from Douglass recommendations, and I can hardly wait to dive in, because, apparently, “the metaphors and similes found in the work of Wodehouse cause the reader, even if alone, to laugh like a hyena with a bone caught in his throat” and since were on the topic, that quote is evidence that Douglas Wilson is also no slouch in the creation of similes.
It will surprise no one to find that T, S. Eliot is also on this list of nine with his “streets that follow like a tedious argument,” and his description of fever singing “in metal wires, ” Wilsons most encouraging and heartening contribution regarding Eliot came from Thomas Howard who explained Eliots “habit of treating us as though we know as much as he did, ” This is a great relief to me,
. Their distinctive voice The only atheist on Douglass list, H, L. Mencken came across as the skeptical cynic in his writing, but with a deep vein of kindness and an ability to convey fascination, Too, having read out loud four and a half we bailed out on The Silmarillion of J, R. R. Tolkiens books, his love for language and his lyrical depiction of camaraderie and adventure are magical, All who have been drawn into the warmth of The Fellowship will enjoy Douglas Wilsons analysis of the uniqueness of Tolkiens fictional world,
. Their ability to be both fun and good for you In all feigned humility, I must call attention to the remarkable restraint that I have exercised to this point in not including C.
S. Lewis in any or all of the previous categories, but perhaps this final quality summarizes him best and touches all the others as well, Douglas Wilson helps us to see that the “mainspring” of this ability in Lewis is “the idea of aching after joy, ” As a romantic rationalist he fused logical reasoning with glorious imagination that turned every description and dialogue in his work into a feast for the heart and for the mind.
Who doesnt love a talking beaver with great theology
Although the biographical information provided in Writers to Read is informative and includes a thorough probing of influences and motivations which set the stage for digging deeper into the authors works, it is the final section of each chapter that presents the nottobemissed material.
“If You Read Nothing Else” points out a short selection of titles from each author, narrowing down the dizzying list of great books to manageable proportions, Douglas Wilson goes one step further in his Afterword with his “youcandoit” encouragement to become acquainted with his nine friends, As a bookblogger, I love reading about books and authors, and I make an effort to read as much and as broadly as Im able, but few have made it into such an entertaining journey!
This book was provided by Crossway in exchange for my review.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade CommissionsCFR, Part: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, ”
Great recommendations all, with the leg work done of pulling out the best parts for us gleaners, If it were my baseball team, I'd try really hard to trade one or two for Bunyan, though I doubt his allegory would amount to many runs, I just really like him, Enjoyed this and I'm using it to build a reading list, A quote that's been attributed to a few different sources goes something like this: "The Gospel is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread, "
Something similar could be said for readers in search of a good book, A story whether fiction or nonfiction that rings true, In search of an author whose words, whose presence in the forms of stories on a bookshelf, grow into a transforming friendship,
Douglas Wilson is that kind of beggar in this book, Just telling us where to find bread, Some of the very best bread,
The author shares easilyreadable biographical information aboutauthors who
have impacted his life through their writings, A few personal favorites of mine: N, D. Wilson, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis. A few that some friends have been trying to get me to read for a while: M, S. Robinson and P. G. Wodehouse next year, I promise, A couple that I have not yet read at length but hope to do sooner than later: T, S. Eliot and G. K. Chesterton. And then two writers that I had not heard of but will likely add to my Goodreads toread list at Wilson's recommendation: R, F. Capon and H. L. Mencken.
I especially appreciate the lists he provides, "If you read nothing else" from each author, providing a great reading list that could keep an avid reader occupied for many a happy hour.
I don't understand the love for this book, it's not even worth the pages it is printed on, The writer is a sarcastic and biting human that doesn't bring much appealing to Christianity, He's a shill for his school and son in a gross manner,
If you want to read the authors he promotes, great! Don't waste your time with his poor writing and his ascerbic style, He states near the end of the book that it's time for you to get to reading the other authors, Save the effort and time and skip this book, Follow his advice from the start, Livro útil para quem desconhece ou quer conhecer mais sobre G, K. Chesterton, H. L. Mencken, P. G. Wodehouse, T. S. Eliot, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, R. F. Capon, Marilyn Robinson e N, D. Wilson. Cada capítulo, dedicado a cada um dosescritores, termina com excelentes sugestões para o leitor se aventurar nos livros produzidos pelo escritor em questão, Fiquei aliviado ao saber que preciso ler apenas uma vez “Silmarillion”, e aprendi que devo ler “Hobbit” e o “Senhor dos Anéis” continuamente, em diferentes períodos da minha vida.
Read this if you want to write well, Fun read. Especially enjoyed the chapters on Chesterton, Lewis, Tolkien, and N, D. Wilson, because Ive bonded with their books for years, and now Im also looking forward to getting to know Wodehouse and Marylin Robinson better, .