What-ho, fellow travellers! As January comes to a close (time really does fly) I thought I’d share my top five books of the month. These are in no particular order, by the way, (because I can’t decide!)
I
Les Miserablés - Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged Inspector Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to poverty.
This was a reread, but delightful as always. Granted, Victor Hugo does take some rather extensive rabbit-holes (I think he took a few tips from Herodotus) but the story itself is a beautiful one, of redemption and coming of age.
II
The Father Christmas Letters - J.R.R. Tolkien
For more than twenty years, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien received letters from the North Pole - from Father Christmas himself! They told wonderful stories of mischief and disaster, adventures, and battles: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place, how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house, and many others.
This was the most amazing thing. I received this for my birthday in November, and re-read it in January simply because I could! It doesn’t need to be Christmastime to enjoy Tolkien’s irreproachable wit and lovely characterization of Father Christmas.
III
The Book of the City of Ladies - Christine de Pizan
Female writer Christine de Pizan's spirited defence of women against medieval misogyny and literary stereotypes is now recognized as one of the most important books in the history of feminism, and offers a telling insight into the role of women in a man's world.
I read this book in school, but nonetheless found it quite poignant and should definitely be more widely known. The author approaches the subject of female repression from a Christian point of view, calling on her extensive education and knowledge of God to guide her.
IV
The Dead - James Joyce
Often cited as the best work of short fiction ever written, Joyce's story details a New Year's Eve gathering in Dublin that is so evocative and beautiful that it prompts the protagonist's wife to make a shocking revelation to her husband—closing the story with an emotionally powerful epiphany that is considered one of the best in modern literature.
Technically, this is not a book, but I felt I had to include it because it struck me as… well, unusual, for lack of a better word. It offered a snippet in the life of an Irish professor who was neither very handsome nor very interesting (outwardly, that is). But the writing draws you in and makes you feel as though you were really there.
V
The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the unique vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the wordly-wise devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.
Like Les Mis, I had read this before, but when scrounging for a project at school I came across it once more. It just proves Lewis’ genius—what more can I say? Go read it for yourself; you’ll see what I mean. :)
And there you have it—my top five books of January! I hope the first month of 2024 went smoothly, and that the rest of the year be blessed and wonderful as well. God be with you!
Namarië
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All summaries from Goodreads
