"The Idiot" and a Study in Humanity: Book Review #6

I did something a little different with this book. Instead of reading it and reviewing it by myself, I read it with one of my very good friends, "H". With this review, I hope to integrate her observations with my own. 

“We must never forget that human motives are generally far more complicated than we are apt to suppose, and that we can very rarely accurately describe the motives of another.”

To date The Idiot is the third book I have read by Fyodor Dostoevsky. His writing style, imbibed with a devastatingly realistic portrayal of human depravity, is one I greatly appreciate. He delves into the complications of human relationships and familial dysfunction,  refusing to idealize any one character. In a society that labels or ignores these issues, it is refreshing to read an author who shows sin clearly without trying to explain it away or pretend it does not exist.
In The Idiot, Dostoevsky is no different. He uses his main character a foil for contrast:

(H): "Myshkin serves as an 'outsider', to the society and current events. Combined with his thoughtfulness and perception, this makes him an ideal main character to flush out the issues Dostoevsky wished to address."

As you read the book you are impressed with just how little the rest of society understands Myishkin. The way Dostoevsky sets up the book, you are overwhelmed with the foolish, catty, and downright harmful interactions the characters have with him. There is a stark contrast between Myishkin's innocent belief in the goodness of those around him and the foolishness and, at times, hostility they attribute to him.

(H): "Myishkin is surrounded by self-destructive people, and though he tries to help them, he cannot save them." 

There is Nastasya, Roghozin, Ippolit, and finally Aglaia. All of these Myishkin seeks to save, and in so doing he loses himself. Here we see the utter helplessness of humanity to change itself and others. Myishkin seeks to be a savior of sorts to these very depraved, selfish people but because of his human weakness he cannot. He who desires to see what is best in others cannot rightly confront them about their sins and failures; and Myishkin puts himself in such a position that he cannot confront. There are moments in the book where he clearly sees their depravity for what it is but immediately dismisses it, attributing it to his own weakness and failure to see the good in them. His disposition is ultimately his downfall. 

Suffering is an underlying theme to the whole book, drawing the story to its final conclusion. Myishkin is confronted with images of suffering throughout the story, first with Nastasya's picture, then Roghozin's emotional tormenting of himself, and in the bleak physical suffering of the proud Ippolit. A pivotal point in the story comes when he is confronted with the suffering of Christ portrayed in a painting. This image deeply moves Myishkin, and (I believe) inspires him in latter chapters to fruitlessly pursue saving those who are caught in their own suffering, trying to become their savior. 

The conclusion of the story leaves the reader in some torment. Unlike Crime and Punishment  or The Brothers Karamazov, the hope is harder to find. But,

(H): "Although many characters do not have a happy end, a few of them are given a hopeful end that would not have occurred had not terrible events transpired."

The Idiot is a hard read. It is hard to be so harshly confronted by our human depravity. It is hard to watch an "innocent" pummeled by the evils and selfishness of human relationships. It is difficult because we see ourselves so easily in the skepticism, criticism, and social censure leveled upon Myishkin. We see ourselves in his unwillingness to see sin, in himself and in others. We see ourselves in their weakness.
Yet there is still hope. Where Dostoevsky shows the hopelessness of a life given over to sin (Nastasya and Roghozin), he also shows the hope of future redemption. 

The wages of sin is death - this Fyodor Dostoevsky shows very clearly in The Idiot. The image of Christ shown in the story is that of the crucified Christ, not yet raised and glorified. But Christ's crucifixion was not the end. As He died for the sins of many, so was He raised so that in Him many would receive life. As you read The Idiot and are confronted with your own human selfishness and depravity, remember the Christ who was crucified and is now raised on your behalf. 

Falling In Love with History Again: 2017 Author Review

I want to share an author with you today who has grown, over the past two years, into one of my favorite authors of American history of all time.

David McCullough

To date I have read three of his books:

1776

The Johnstown Flood

A Path Between the Seas

He has a remarkable ability to tell stories, drawing his reader along through the arc of whatever historical event he writes about, bringing them right to the edge of their seats as they watch the tapestry of history unfold before their eyes.

He writes history, and so you would think that you know the ending to every story he tells. Yet, as you make your way through the pages of 1776, you wonder how the Continental Army could have won at all? You watch men starve, officers blunder, and the army suffer defeat and discouragement. Until finally, the end. And you are left breathless, realizing just how easily the end could have been defeat. But it wasn't.

The Johnstown Flood sets you up for remarkable disaster, as you read event after event that sealed the fate of that town in Pennsylvania. McCullough takes you through each minute of that terrible day; you feel the terror and the pain of those caught in the flood. You see the hope that rises when someone survives against all odds. You see a nation come together to help rebuild after the disaster. You see laws and safety regulations change because of such a disaster. You are left with hope even after staggering death tolls.

A Path Between the Seas really should have been titled "McCullough's Study of Tropical Diseases in 19th-Century South America".  A large percentage of the book is spent showing just how unprepared the US was in dealing with the tropical diseases and death that came with digging the Panama Canal. An alternative title could have been "French Intrigue and the Canal" because he spends the other percentage of the book uncovering all of the back-room deals President Roosevelt and his cabinet made with the French in order to buy and then dig the canal. Yet McCullough knows how to make even tropical diseases interesting. You find yourself caught up in the political intrigue of the book, and leave with a healthy appreciation for the engineering skill behind such a magnificent feat. You will also be not a little in awe of the energy and cleverness of Theodore Roosevelt in undertaking such a complicated, expensive work. 

You may feel daunted at the challenge of reading 500+ pages, but don't let the number discourage you; you will find it goes by very quickly as the story draws you in. 

David McCullough has definitely helped to shape my obsession (yes, I'll call it an obsession) with history. His clever wit and skill with a pen has made American history winsome. But don't take my word for it: go read him for yourself. I promise you, he won't disappoint. 

Contemplating Life: Book Review 5

"It is no great thing to live long, nor even to live forever; but it is indeed a great thing to live well Oh, let us love eternal life!" 

On Prayer and the Contemplative Life by St. Thomas Aquinas

As I've said in the last blog post, part of my goal in reading and reviewing the books I have is to stretch my mind. My intent is to grow in areas that I would not readily grow in, whether that means reading massive volumes of history, study naturopathic methods, or immerse myself in philosophy.
Thomas Aquinas accomplishes the latter.

"There are two kinds of lives in which Almighty God instructs us by His Sacred Word - namely, the active and the contemplative."

 I found his work both intellectually stimulating as well as spiritually challenging. As a Reformed Christian, I have spent the bulk of my teenage and adult life studying Reformed theology. And I have found that throughout the years there are certain points of Christian practice that become rote. Thomas Aquinas breathes warmth and fervor into the practice of prayer. My understanding was renewed with his (and Augustine's, who is quoted frequently throughout the book) fervor.

"In the one we toil that so the heart my be purified for the Vision of God, in the other we repose and we see God; the one is spent in the practice of the precepts of this temporal life, the other is occupied with the teachings of the life that is eternal." 

I highly recommend this book to any Christian wanting to deepen and challenge their understanding of prayer and of living the Christian life. Thomas Aquinas also makes some very well-thought-out arguments for Roman Catholic practices (praying to saints, the monastic orders, etc.) that I have often arbitrarily brushed off as wrong without really understanding them. While I still do not agree with these practices, it is good to be challenged by them. I came away with a deeper understanding of my own faith, as well as a renewed zeal and love for prayer and a life devoted to God.

Where Magic and Monsters Meet: Writing Realistic Fantasy

The words "realistic" and "fantasy" really don't seem to fit in the same sentence. Often as writers we are tempted to think that whatever goes when it comes to fantasy, because it isn't dealing with the real world... right?

But we are writers, and we want what we say to deal with the real world to a certain extent. Maybe we paint a vivid world where gravity is reversed, but the characters living in that world still have to deal with poverty or threats against their way of life. Those are realistic problems, problems we deal with in our world here and now. Thus fantasy, while dressed in fantastical and mythical clothes, speaks to some very real and very serious issues in our world.

Here are a few ways you can make your fantasy more realistic:

1. Create believable/relatable characters.

We all encounter those protagonists who are too perfectly the victim. Or the ones who are the perfect moral standard for the rest of the characters. Or the card-board cutouts who reflect the story back to the reader without actually engaging with their circumstances in a believable way.
How about that bad guy who is just too cliche for words? Who laughs maniacally and destroys things without you ever actually understanding why? The one who is just there to propel the storyline so that those two perfect protagonists are thrown together in a way that will inevitably end with the antagonist's demise and their blossoming love for one another?

I am sure we have all encountered these types of characters. Yes, fantasy is a way for us to create our own worlds the way we want them. But wouldn't it be so much more powerful if, in this world, the characters had to struggle with messy relationships? With knowing when to do the right thing? With failure and discouragement?
Fantasy is just like any other genre in that it is the vehicle authors use to communicate truths to their readers. How powerfully and relevant it is communicated is up to the author. The first step to effective communication is creating characters that are relatable and real, even in a world with dragons and elves.


2. Build an enticing storyline.

Some storylines just don't work. Either there isn't enough detail or there is too much. Either little to no description is given of the world and its history, or the writer spends whole chapters going into all the minutest details. Finding balance is key when you want to draw people into your story. Don't over-explain but don't leave gaping holes in your plot. Things can't just randomly burn down; evil people can't be chasing your main character for no reason. (Trust me, I've read stories where this has happened.)
Make sure you take the time to set up each situation so that when the time comes for the twist in the plot, the reader is not left scratching their heads wondering how the villain made it to the cliff so quickly.


3. Don't be afraid to write yourself into the story (but not with every character).

We all have that character who is really just ourselves inserted into our own storyline. If we're really good (and I really don't think I am yet), we'll keep our presence subtle and use those characters to reveal more of our own struggles. We'll be able to share those lessons we've learned throughout our lives, even in a fantastical setting.
This being said, we should not make every character encountered simply a different facet of our own personality. I struggle with this myself in my work. The voice never really changes from character to character, and I think it should. I think we should all be observing other people, learning how they think and act and speak, and incorporating what we have learned from them and from their actions into the characters we create. This means spending a lot of time and energy studying and learning from others, but it pays off in the end.


4. Write what you know... but not really. 

We are told this constantly as writers: "write what you know." But in fantasy this really can't apply to everything. After all, who of us has ever encountered a dragon? Or battled against goblins? Or crossed mountain ranges on an epic quest to save the universe?
Maybe you have crossed mountain ranges (my hat is off to you, then, that is really amazing), but saving the universe is a little out of your league. Fantasy means "fantastical"; it is something other than our own world. You have to write about things you can never experience in real life.

We all have dealt with disappointment, though. We have all been challenged in some way. We have all been alone, discouraged, beaten down. Some of us, targeted for what we believe or how we dress or how we talk. We all know what it is like to fight Evil in our lives, our hearts, and our world. These very real struggles can be "what we know" when we write fantasy. Sure, you've never had to overthrow an evil overlord. But you've had to overthrow evil desires in your heart. You've had to conquer that extremely difficult situation at work. You've had to be the diplomat to your friends and/or family. All of these experiences can be applied to a fantastical universe.
Instead of a difficult coworker, you have a grouchy wizard who, instead of preying on your self-esteem (like your coworker does), keeps turning you into and out of a toad whenever he feels like it.
Instead of acting as diplomat with your family, suddenly you have two kings who can't get along and need help before they destroy each  other in a war. (And don't some of those inter-friend or inter-family disagreements feel like an all-out war sometimes? But I digress.)
My point is: Your story is your world. You can communicate the trials and triumphs you have experienced. You can write what you know disguised in fantastical language.


These are a few things I have found to be very helpful in creating my own fantasy world. Of course, I am learning and growing on this writing journey, just like everyone else. What are some helpful tips that you have found when writing your own fantasy works? Please share, I would love to read them!