Books of the Last Two Months - May and June

Jack by George Sayer
A biography of C.S. Lewis by a friend and former pupil. It's very good, and detailed enough to be used for reference. It was obviously written by someone who knew and loved Lewis, but it doesn't try to gloss over the less flattering parts of his life--and it usually tells the whole story, which Surprised by Joy (not surprisingly) doesn't. My only criticism might be that it gets a little too psychoanalytical at times.


Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
A very good mystery (why hadn't I heard of this author before a couple months ago?). The mystery is actually about a historical figure [I have a great temptation to write "an historical"], and it's worked out (or should I say "detected"?) by a police detective and a historian. The conclusion they come to is controversial among historians, but the book is very good.


The Princess and the Goblins by George MacDonald
I love this book. I've read it many times and found it an excellent story, but as I get older I'm seeing greater depth in it.


The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald
The sequel to The Princess and the Goblins. It's not quite as good, but it's still very good. Some parts remind me of parts in Lewis's and Tolkien's works.


The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Disappointing. Milne may be a good writer, but his mystery doesn't compare to Miss Tey or Miss Sayers (or Sir Arthur C. Doyle or Chesterton).


A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
An excellent mystery. Good characters, a good engaging plot, and a satisfying conclusion. I'm afraid to say too much and give away part of the story--perhaps you should just read it?


Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager
A reread; this is the sequel to Half Magic (which I talked about in my March list). Light, fun reading about four children that wish for magic and get a whole lakeful of it (not to mention the turtle).


The Wise Woman by George MacDonald
Princess Rosamond is completely spoiled by her royal parents. One day the Wise Woman comes and takes away the Princess to her home, and teaches her and makes her work and helps her work, until she becomes a true princess in character as she already was Princess by birth. (It's actually a good book, far better than my summary makes it sound. It shows well how God takes us, spoiled and selfish as we are, and makes us true children of the King.)


The Day Boy and the Night by George MacDonald
A good story with some interesting ideas. Upon a time there were two ladies in the house of Watho the witch who both gave birth to children. Watho took the children from their mothers at birth, and said they had died; but she brought them up in secret. The boy she named Photogen and the girl she named Nycteris, and neither knew that the other existed. Photogen she kept in daylight as much as possible, and did not allow him to see the night. He was taught all the manly arts, swordfighting and and hunting and the like. As long as it was light he knew no fear, and darkness he did not know.

Nycteris was kept in a cave that was completely dark save for one very dim lamp. Watho taught her nothing but music; but by her own devices Nycteris learned to read--for her eyes could see quite well in the dim light--and from the books she read she had a vague idea of a world outside. She sometimes wished for something else; she could not say what, except that she wanted more space. But somehow her lamp, and the light of her lamp, seemed connected with the idea of space, and of outside.

Eventually Nycteris does get out, and Photogen sees the night and learns what fear is, and--but I think that is enough to get you started. You wouldn't want me to tell you the whole story anyway--would you?--when MacDonald has already told it so much better.


The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles
Good, but gorier than I remembered from the audiobook we listened to (years ago, admittedly). I've not read any other translations which I can compare to, but this one was generally recommended and it seemed pretty good. It's in free verse, or loose alliterative verse. The language is modern, easy to understand, and it moves along well. It also has helpful notes and pronunciation guides for all the names in the back.

I noticed, however, that a lot of the stories Rosemary Sutcliff has in Black Ships Before Troy, such as the coming of the Amazons and the death of Ajax, are not in the Iliad itself. The fall of Troy isn't even in the Iliad. Does anyone know where those stories are from?


Emma by Jane Austen
Very good. I was afraid that the middle might get dull, but it never did. Miss Austen's characters are excellent.