I don't normally read history books, but Greenblatt writes a very readable story about the re-discovery of Lucretius's poem, On the Nature of Things by Poggio Bracciolini, a former Vatican bureaucrat in the 15th century. I was so immersed in the anecdotes about the rise and fall of Epicurean philosophy and the intrigues of the Vatican court, that Bracciolini's death almost slips unnoticed. I also enjoyed reading the chapter that describes Lucretius's work in more detail (the modernity of the work!), and look forward to reading the poem itself.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Dates: 22-28 June 2012
*****
Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Otsuka's story starts with early 20th-century Japanese mail-order brides for Japanese migrant workers, and ends with the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. The book is very short, and the language is almost poetic. I was unfulfilled, however, by Otsuka's strategy of using multiple voices (literally: each paragraph contains many viewpoints) to drive the narrative. I would have preferred following a cast of characters in more depth.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dates: 29 June - 3 July 2012
*****
Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
I am grateful that someone suggested this book for bookclub. This is a wonderful book - engrossing story, fleshed-out characters. There's even an exotic setting: Sudan on the eve of independence in the 1950's. The themes of family/individual, traditional/modern are masterfully treated by Aboulela, particularly in the character Nabilah, the second wife from Egypt. I was also struck by Mahmoud Bey's use of money as a democratizing agent:
I consider commerce to be a noble profession, whatever anyone else might say. While other men fight and hate, we give and take. We negotiate with everyone, Christian, Jew and pagan. Money and goods are what makes men equal. That is my creed...I am not a religious man by any means, but there is one saying of the prophet Muhammad that I cling to. He said: "The truthful and honest merchant will be with the prophets, affirmers of truth and martyrs." I am not a perfect Muslim, but when I die and meet my Maker I will say to Him, this is what I have done: I have never cheated and I have never defaulted. I have helped those who came to me asking for help, and I have spent my charity on widows and orphans. And I will say to God Almighty, yes, I disobeyed you at times, and I was lazy when it came to acts of worship, but I am that honest merchant which your Messenger talked about.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dates: 3-11 July 2012
