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leswag97's reviews
233 reviews
Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy
4.0
Walker Percy has expertly taken us along a 4-day long journey close to the end of the world. Our protagonist is a bad Catholic—but he’s the best protagonist we could have asked for. Although he is troubled, depressed, a sex-addict, and a drunkard, he is also real and honest, and he’s the only character who keeps his head while the world falls apart.
The religious, Christian, and biblical references throughout the book make it an incredibly enjoyable read for religious people, especially those with some knowledge of Christianity and Catholicism.
The religious, Christian, and biblical references throughout the book make it an incredibly enjoyable read for religious people, especially those with some knowledge of Christianity and Catholicism.
1984 by George Orwell
3.0
Orwell tells a gripping and interesting story of a world that i hope I never see and wonder if I am now living within. As the book trudges along—always with a glimmer of hope—one is amazed by the horror and corruption of this dystopian future of the world. I would recommend it to others, if only because of its helpful commentary on the importance of individuality, freedom of speech, freedom of belief, and one’s intrinsic worth. When these values that we take for granted are stripped from a society, one is better able to see how important and crucial they are to making the world a better, more peaceful, and healthier home.
Radiohead's OK Computer by Dai Griffiths
2.0
This book was a fun, quick read. A little less than 120 pages devoted to Radiohead’s third studio album “OK Computer.” Griffiths did a wonderful job at giving helpful background concerning the history of terms such as “album” and “record,” and the effects that history’s transition from “vinyl”—33 1/3’s and 45’s—to “CD” had on the creation of music in popular culture music.
Personally, I would have preferred more of an emphasis placed on the lyrical content, thematic elements, and cultural world surrounding the album “OK Computer,” for I think much can be said about these topics, and I simply find it more interesting than the history of music and music theory.
Griffiths is a clever, funny, and quick-witted writer. It is evident from this work that he is knowledgeable not only about depressing 90’s progressive rock music, but music throughout the centuries, as well as the vast array of voices speaking about these things.
My rating of only 2 stars out of a 5-star ranking system does not reflect the quality of the book in and of itself, but rather my assessment of it based on how much I enjoyed reading through Griffith’s work. He has done a good service to Yorke and Radiohead!
Personally, I would have preferred more of an emphasis placed on the lyrical content, thematic elements, and cultural world surrounding the album “OK Computer,” for I think much can be said about these topics, and I simply find it more interesting than the history of music and music theory.
Griffiths is a clever, funny, and quick-witted writer. It is evident from this work that he is knowledgeable not only about depressing 90’s progressive rock music, but music throughout the centuries, as well as the vast array of voices speaking about these things.
My rating of only 2 stars out of a 5-star ranking system does not reflect the quality of the book in and of itself, but rather my assessment of it based on how much I enjoyed reading through Griffith’s work. He has done a good service to Yorke and Radiohead!
Faith for This Moment: Navigating a Polarized World as the People of God by Rick McKinley
3.0
In this book, Rick McKinley does a good job at using a frequently found metaphor in Scripture—the metaphor of Exile—as a way in which to approach the Church’s place in the U.S.A. at this point in history. Rather than agreeing with much Christian mass media that the U.S.A. is a Christian nation, McKinley proposes that we live in a post-Christian nation, and as a result, God’s people are called to live differently than we have in prior seasons and times. For McKinley, living in the U.S.A. is not living in Jerusalem, but in Babylon.
With this framework in mind, McKinley takes his readers on a journey through Scripture and through culture, helping Christians in the 21st century in the U.S.A. to live in the way that the Exilic people of God have been called to live. Rather than baptizing Babylon or burning Babylon, McKinley offers the biblical alternative of finding ways in our lives as Christians to both bless and resist Babylon!
The latter section of the book deals specifically with practices that Christians have been practicing throughout Church history and should be practicing today in light of our place in culture and in the world at large.
This work was somewhat elementary at times, and McKinley sometimes fell into the habit of writing in a roundabout way; in other words, he could have shortened the length of the book by being more concise (but perhaps he did not feel as though he had enough content to create a full-length book if he did not write in this way—and I can relate to that). All in all, this book was helpful in reminding me that culture at large is not something that we approach the same way in every circumstance. Sometimes. we bless Babylon. At other points, we resist Babylon. All the while, we seek the peace of Babylon, while pledging our allegiance to Christ, the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings!
With this framework in mind, McKinley takes his readers on a journey through Scripture and through culture, helping Christians in the 21st century in the U.S.A. to live in the way that the Exilic people of God have been called to live. Rather than baptizing Babylon or burning Babylon, McKinley offers the biblical alternative of finding ways in our lives as Christians to both bless and resist Babylon!
The latter section of the book deals specifically with practices that Christians have been practicing throughout Church history and should be practicing today in light of our place in culture and in the world at large.
This work was somewhat elementary at times, and McKinley sometimes fell into the habit of writing in a roundabout way; in other words, he could have shortened the length of the book by being more concise (but perhaps he did not feel as though he had enough content to create a full-length book if he did not write in this way—and I can relate to that). All in all, this book was helpful in reminding me that culture at large is not something that we approach the same way in every circumstance. Sometimes. we bless Babylon. At other points, we resist Babylon. All the while, we seek the peace of Babylon, while pledging our allegiance to Christ, the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings!
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4.0
This book, although rather short, is powerful and poignant! Ray Bradbury, fueled by the time and context surrounding his writing, has created a society that is scary, dark, and all too believable. Reading it in a day and age of instant gratification, of virtual reality, of the diminishing of freedom of thought and speech, and of Air Pods, will leave any reader cautious of where society as a whole could go and fueled by a desire to preserve freedom, a right to learn, to speak, and to grow.
The story in and of itself is not as breathtaking, awing, or fascinating as other speculative fiction works set in a dystopian future society—such as Orwell’s “1984”—but where at times the narrative is lacking, Bradbury makes up for it with his fantastic writing style. His imagery, his metaphor, his simile—all of it is tasteful and remarkable. I have read few writers from the 20th century that have helped me to feel, taste, smell, see, and hear truly what the world of “Fahrenheit 451” and what the experiences of the characters therein are like.
The story in and of itself is not as breathtaking, awing, or fascinating as other speculative fiction works set in a dystopian future society—such as Orwell’s “1984”—but where at times the narrative is lacking, Bradbury makes up for it with his fantastic writing style. His imagery, his metaphor, his simile—all of it is tasteful and remarkable. I have read few writers from the 20th century that have helped me to feel, taste, smell, see, and hear truly what the world of “Fahrenheit 451” and what the experiences of the characters therein are like.