The Eternity Code

Once again, I would like to apologize for not posting last week. End-of-summer laziness caught up to me. I can't wait to go back to school!

Book: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

Description: Artemis Fowl is going straight. As soon as he pulls off the most brilliant criminal feat of his career.

At least, that’s the plan when he attempts to sell his C Cube, a supercomputer built from stolen fairy technology. When his efforts to broker a deal for the Cube with a powerful businessman go terribly wrong, his loyal bodyguard and friend Butler is mortally injured. The only thing that will save him is fairy magic, so once again he must contact his old rival, Holly Short. (from Amazon.com)

My Thoughts: I've loved the Artemis Fowl series for a long time (although less so the last three books--the first four or five books are the best), and The Eternity Code is my favorite of the series.

The Eternity Code is the best of Artemis Fowl. There's lots of witty dialogue and narration, plus a healthy dose of satire aimed at anyone who takes him- or herself too seriously. I love... well, all the characters, actually. Holly and Butler are both kick-butt awesome, Artemis is intelligent and sarcastic, Foaly is just such a smart-aleck... ah, I love them all!

I think I also enjoy The Eternity Code because it is the first book where we see Artemis begin to become less of a robot. In the first two books he mainly wants things for himself, normally ridiculously greedy things (like a ton of gold bars), and only occasionally do we see a nicer side of him. In The Eternity Code, however, he is working entirely for the good of others throughout the book.

Also, I have such a weakness for clever thief stories, and this is a great one. The plot is intelligent and well put-together, and the villain is entertainingly evil and smart.

A fun, entertaining read with a smart plot, and fast-paced enough to keep anyone glued to the pages.

A Wind in the Door

Book: A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

Published: 1973

Description: It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden.  That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes.  It turns out that C.W. is ill and that  Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros.  

Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles’ life as well as the balance of the universe. (from amazon.com)

My Thoughts: I read A Wind in the Door at a point in my life when I was feeling very depressed and alone, and it was such a perfect balm for my mood that I read it through the night. It's a beautiful novel of fighting against the darkness no matter what--even when you don't understand. Obedience to what you know is right and what those above you (arguably God in this novel, although He's never explicitly mentioned) say needs to be done was a huge theme running through this book, a theme that I needed to hear.

I loved L'Engle's portrayal of science in A Wind in the Door. Science was something worth pursuing, something that could be used to further our understanding of the world (something that was portrayed as a worthy goal in and of itself). The existence of cherubim and all manner of other "supernatural" beings was never portrayed as contradictory to science, but actually complemented it and made it a more complete picture of the world. If only science was always viewed that way!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Description: Harry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming-of-age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the Quidditch World Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But, unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal--even by Wizarding standards.

And in his case, different can be deadly. (book flap)

My Thoughts: Goblet of Fire is another solid Harry Potter book! I'll admit that it's never been one of my favorites, but I thoroughly enjoyed it on this last reread. Harry and his friends develop during the book, the adventures they have are gripping and well-written, and the mystery of the book (what is behind all the strange, ominous happenings both at Hogwarts and in the outside world) is nicely tangled and confusing until the final reveals.

Goblet of Fire continues the trend of Prisoner of Azkaban of bringing Harry and Hogwarts more into contact with the outside wizarding world. Harry goes to the Quidditch World Cup, where he sees wizards from all over the world, and because of the Triwizard Tournament (that would be "the mysterious event" from the book flap) there are many Ministry and foreign wizards at Hogwarts. Harry also begins to find out more about the past of the wizarding world in general and what it was like when Voldemort was still in power.

The conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament was what truly gripped me during this read. It was so suspenseful and well-written--the evil of the whole situation was just dripping off the page--, and fast-paced in a way that felt truly realistic. Harry's reaction after everything had been resolved felt so perfect to me--he seemed shocked, exhausted, horrified, and so much else all at the same time.

The conclusion to the whole book also highlighted a lot of the Christian messages for me. It was very poignant (I almost cried) and very much about doing the right thing despite the costs (which were much worse this book). Dumbledore is fighting for the truth whatever the cost, and trying to encourage his students to do the same. Again, Rowling is not sugar-coating the costs of doing the right thing in the face of unspeakable evil.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Description: For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts ... he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst. (from the book flap)

My thoughts: I absolutely loved this book!! Prisoner of Azkaban has always been my favorite Harry Potter book, and it was great to reread it.

Harry and his friends are older now, and they begin to deal with more difficult situations. Friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and love are all important themes of the book, and all are dealt with in a more adult way than before. In Prisoner of Azkaban Harry and his friends have their first sustained contact with the adult world of wizardry, especially the Ministry of Magic. This is also the first book in the series where adult wizards and their problems are a huge aspect of the plot. Finally, this is the first book to not have a completely perfect ending. Harry, his friends, and his readers are all growing up and discovering that the world can be a complicated place.

Prisoner of Azkaban also introduces some of my favorite characters, Professor Lupin and Sirius Black himself (if you haven't read it yet, you'll see why. I promise). Professor Snape also has a great role; almost every time he speaks, I laughed.

Finally, this is the first book where Rowling's impressive world-building really comes up. One of the reasons many people say that the Harry Potter novels are so popular is because Rowling did an exquisite job at building the wizarding world around the reader: she references many normal aspects of wizarding life in passing, such as the crazy magical candy like Ice Mice (which jumps in your stomach--eek!), and in ways that make it seem like just another part of life. The detail she provides, without  overwhelming the reader at any one time with massive amounts of description, makes it almost laughably easy to imagine the wizarding world. Anyway, the reason that I mentioned this here is because this is the first book where passing remarks made in earlier books have been relevant; Hagrid mentioned Sirius Black in the very first chapter of Philosopher's Stone. It is not the last time that important characters are mentioned books before they ever become important.

As to the Christian aspect/suitability of these books: the flawed nature of the outside world especially, but also of some people at Hogwarts, is highlighted in these books. Harry and his friends fight to do what is right, even at great cost to themselves. Rowling shows the difficulty of these choices and the costs that they have to pay for these choices while still leaving no doubt in the reader's mind that their choices were noble and good. The dementors (dark figures who drain the happiness out of anyone who gets too close to them) are similar to the nature of the world in many ways, which attempts to drain us of our joy and swallow us in fear.

By far my favorite Harry Potter book, and the first to truly grapple with problems of the world and doing right.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Description: The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself? (book flap)

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed The Chamber of Secrets. As with the first book, it is still a children's book through and through, and contains nothing too heart-rending or emotionally challenging. Again, the mystery of the year (this time who is opening the Chamber of Secrets and how) was engaging and well-plotted.

A huge part of my enjoyment of Chamber of Secrets was the characters. Dobby and Professor Lockhart especially were loads of fun to read, and I laughed out loud every time either of them showed up.

I was struck after reading the final confrontation how symbolic of spiritual warfare it was in many ways. *spoiler alert* Fawkes, Dumbledore's representative while he is absent (the Holy Spirit?), completely saves Harry from the clutches and powers of evil (Tom Riddle/Voldemort and the basilisk), but only after Harry has shown his loyalty to Dumbledore; although Harry deals the death blow to both, he could not have done it without the encouragement and actions of Fawkes. *end spoilers* Also, the worldly perceptions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione was shown to be flawed, as they were unable to see who the true perpetrator was until he revealed himself.

A solid second book of the Harry Potter series. I saw Christian influences more clearly in this book than the first; it is also better written than the first.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling*

Description: Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter. (from the back of the book)

My Thoughts: Philosopher's Stone was a fun read. Rowling uses satire a great deal in all of the Harry Potter books, including this one. Her descriptions of the Dursley family are hilarious and almost seem like a family that you or I could meet walking down the street. She pokes a great deal of fun at human nature in wizards and non-wizards (Muggles) alike. The wizarding world if full of quirky characters, and I love the idea of a world where being quirky is almost an advantage.

I will admit that this has never been one of my favorite Harry Potter books. Rereading it now, after a good long time away, I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that this is Rowling's first book. Her style develops for the better over the series, but in this first book it is more telling and less showing than I tend to prefer.

Philosopher's Stone is a children's book; it was odd to come back to a children's book after reading the whole series, which matures in content and style as Harry does. Harry and the other children definitely do seem like children of 11 and 12, which are their ages in this book.

*A note to the curious: Although I will be using pictures of the American covers because I think Mary Grandpré's cover designs are absolutely beautiful, I have kept Rowling's original title despite it being changed by her American publishers because they thought no child would read a book with the word 'philosopher' in the title)

The Dove in the Eagle's Nest

Book: The Dove in the Eagle's Nest by Charlotte Yonge

Published: 1866

Description: Christina was raised by her God-fearing and respectable aunt and uncle until her father returns and forces her to return with him to the den of thieves he calls home--for her father is a bandit, and now Christina must live among them. (My own quick summary)

My Thoughts: I ran across a mention of The Dove in the Eagle's Nest in a reading for class and thought it sounded just so interesting that I downloaded it from Project Gutenberg almost right away.

I was not disappointed. The Dove in the Eagle's Nest was a great read. It was written in the 1860s, and definitely was rather Victorian in its emphases, especially on the gentling, kindly effect of a virtuous woman. Christina is fantastically good at civilizing everyone around her. Christianity was a huge part of her influence, however, and I loved the Christian atmosphere of the book. There was an emphasis on doing what is right simply because it is right. Perhaps my one objection to the book was the fact that Christianity came across as useful and good only in that it helps to civilize and gentle those who would otherwise be cruel and violent. Of course God does that, but Christianity is so much more! It is never good to see Christianity as only a means to an end--God is so much bigger than that, and He will not be used. We must come to Him on His terms or not at all.

I also really enjoyed the setting of The Dove in the Eagle's Nest: late 15th and early 16th century Germany (although of course at the time it was just hundreds of independent principalities), just before the Reformation. Yonge obviously viewed the historical setting as important for the novel (the book has a preface and epilogue, both dealing with the historical context), and many political events did end up becoming important. It was a very pleasant way to learn about a specific period of German history.

The Dove in the Eagle's Nest was a very pleasant, enjoyable read. Definitely recommended!

The Secret Garden

Book: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Description: When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all -- a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life? (from Amazon.com)

My Thoughts: The Secret Garden is a cute story. It contained absolutely beautiful descriptions of the moor and the garden. (reading this really made me want to go outside!!) The other aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the characters: all of them seemed real and flawed. I enjoyed watching all of them change for the better. 

Unfortunately, The Secret Garden also contained a lot about "Magic." Until almost the end of the book, Magic seemed like it could just represent God and His presence all around us and in everyone, and it was a beautiful concept. It reminds me of the Quaker idea of the inner light, or the presence of God in every person. By the end, however, it was clear that Magic was the life force in everyone and the power of positive thinking, which I find more troubling and more idolatrous (not helped by the implicit message that Nature is pure, perfect, and unsullied by human brokenness).

Yes, being outside can really change someone's life, maybe make them a better person--but only through God and as His creation. Nature by itself can cure no ills.