Let's Bust a Recap : Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Well, we've kicked off our 2023 reading strong...by finishing up the two books in progress I started last year. Ha! The first one was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by French author Jules Verne. Cody and I started this one together back in September, and although we started well, our reading aloud time took a backseat when the holidays hit, and we were only reading a chapter or two (of the 47 chapter book) per week. 

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was originally published in French in 1871. Like many novels being written around that time period, it was first serialized between 1869 and 1870. It was translated into English a couple of years later by Reverend Lewis Page Mercier. Even though it's pretty widely recognized that Mercier's translation isn't very good, it is somehow still the standard English translation with later translations recycling a lot of Mercier's mistakes. Since the 1960s, there have been several new and complete translations published, but the basic English copy you'd find in most bookstores is going to be some form of Mercier's translation which is what we have. (You gotta love those gorgeous Barnes & Noble special editions though, right?)

In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the year is 1866 and ships from many different countries are sighting what they believe to be some incredible sea monster all over the oceans. The United States government puts together an expedition to find and destroy this monster, and Professor Pierre Aronnax, a French marine biologist, is invited to go along. He is the narrator of our story which is written in the style of his personal journal and account of their ensuing adventures. His faithful assistant Conseil, and a Canadian harpooner named Ned Land are our other two principal characters. When the expedition finds the monster and attacks it, these three find themselves hurled off the ship and save themselves by climbing onto the monster itself which they are surprised to discover is no monster, but a futuristic submarine. They are eventually taken aboard and meet the inventor and commander of the vessel, the mysterious Captain Nemo who informs them that to maintain the all-important secrecy of his watercraft, they will remain as permanent inmates on the Nautilus. 

What follows is a detailed account of their time on board and the many adventures they encounter. While Verne has a dry sense of humor that had me laughing out loud at times, and the actual adventures are thrilling, the in-between bits were just boring. There were chapters where all Aronnax was doing was describing the various sea life, explaining the mechanics of the Nautilus, or chronicling their travel from place to place. There was a lot of math and a lot of scientific names that I twisted my tongue trying to pronounce as I read this aloud to Cody, and frankly, I'm more of a lit/history lover than a maths and sciences nerd. But overall, I'd say the exciting parts outweighed the boring parts making this classic one worth reading. However, my enthusiasm for our other Jules Verne books has been tempered accordingly. (We also have Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth.) Being that I don't speak French, I'm not sure what all was lost in translation, but Cody and I both enjoyed the humor in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and every so often, I'd come across a simple line that stopped me in my tracks and I'd look up at Cody and say, "What a great line!"

So do Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land ever escape the Nautilus? For that, you'll have to read this one for yourself. 

Let's Bust a Recap : The Little Prince

It seems fitting to post my recap of The Little Prince today, the day that lives in infamy, the day the United States was drawn into WWII. The famous author and pilot, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was grounded and living in the United States at the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. During his two years in the United States (between stints of flying reconnaissance missions in the French Air Force despite being far past the maximum age for such pilots and in declining health), he wrote this little novella that can't properly be classified as a children's book, nor a book for adults. 

That's because this book is for everyone. And up until a couple months ago, I had never read it. 

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was first published in the United States in 1943 in both English and French. Since that time, it has sold an estimated 140 million copies and has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects making it one of the best selling and most translated books of all time. My particular edition of this classic was translated from the original French by Richard Howard in 2000. It's been adapted into numerous art forms—not just movies and television but opera and ballet—and it continually draws new readers and reviewers selling about two million copies annually. How in the world it's taken me this long to finally read it is a true mystery, but I'm so glad it came to me in 2020.

From the back cover of my edition: 

A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. "Please," asks the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And the pilot realizes that when life's events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper...And thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed forever the world for its readers.

I fell in love with this book on page one when the narrator shows us his drawing of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant and describes how tiresome it is to be always explaining things to grown-ups. Actually, this book broke my heart even before it began with one of the most poignant dedications I've ever read, and quite frankly, the entire book is worth it just for Saint-Exupéry's dedication to his friend Leon Werth, in my opinion. But the story itself is chock-full of keen observations of the nature of man and piercing insights into the human condition. All of that along with Saint-Exupéry's simple illustrations make this a book you don't want to miss. The Little Prince fully embodies the quote by Henry David Thoreau that inspired this blog: "Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all." 

My little copy of this novella is particularly dear to me because my niece (who is not quite nine years old) gave it to me for my birthday this year. She remembered me mentioning months ago (maybe even more than a year ago) that I've been wanting this book for a long time and she found it herself at the bookstore and was so excited to give it to me that she couldn't even wait until my birthday. She loves to read, too, and it is the joy of my heart to be able to discuss books with her. This book will always have a special place in my heart because it was a gift of love from her. 

And if you haven't read it, get thee to a bookstore or library immediately and join the millions who have fallen in love with The Little Prince. This is definitely a book everyone should read and I can't think of a better time or place to read it than a quiet evening at the end of 2020 in front of your Christmas tree. 

Have you read The Little Prince? What's one of your most treasured books and why?

Let's Bust a Recap : The Count of Monte Cristo

Well, the day has finally come. I'm going to try to put my thoughts together into a coherent post recapping The Count of Monte Cristo. I read this hunk of a novel last year, and it took me four solid months to do it. I started it at the beginning of June and made it to the end on the last day of September. When I finally finished it, I felt a bit lost. I had been reading it nearly every day for four months and was so fully wrapped up in the story that when it ended, I didn't quite know what to do with myself. 

I loved this story. Unlike The Three Musketeers by Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo hooked me from page one and nearly every single detail was vital to the plot. Most translated editions of The Count of Monte Cristo are abridged and after reading the unabridged version, I'm really not sure how. The only part of the book that I thought could have done with a bit of editing was Luigi Vampa's complicated backstory. But I digress.

The film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo starring Jim Caviezel is one of my all time favorite movies and has been for several years. Up until last year, it was one of my secret bookish shames that I had never read the novel that inspired the movie. But have you seen the novel? It's huge. It definitely intimidated me. Because I've seen the movie approximately 534 times, and because I really invested a lot of time in reading the novel, I'm going to be comparing them and in doing so, I'll be discussing some major plot points that are definitely spoilers so if you don't want to know, this is your cue to exit. 

So for a quick overview: The Count of Monte Cristo is the story of Edmond Dantes' wrongful imprisonment (literally hours before his wedding to the beautiful Mercedes) and subsequent escape from the Chateau d'If. He then amasses an insane fortune that his prison mate the Abbe Faria told him the location of before his death, and then uses it to exact revenge on the three men (Fernand, Danglars, & Villefort) responsible for his incarceration.

The first major departure from the novel as depicted in the film is that the adaptation sets Edmond and Fernand up as best friends from the time they were young. In the film's version, Fernand is rich and privileged and jealous of Edmond's happiness despite his relative poverty. He's really eaten up over the fact that Mercedes is in love with Edmond, and ends up getting kind of roped into Danglars' plan to frame Edmond during a drunken fit.

In the novel, Edmond and Fernand do not give one flying rip about each other and Fernand is just as poor as Edmond but infatuated with Mercedes. He basically is just a tool of Danglars to frame Edmond, and, in my opinion, the least culpable of the three because he's just not very bright. 

Danglars is motivated to ruin Edmond because of his jealousy over Edmond's rapid success in their mutual career as merchant sailors. Danglars is the greediest, most ridiculous character of the novel and Dumas' portrayal of him is hilariously scathing. In the movie, Danglars really doesn't get much development past his initial involvement in the plot to sabotage Edmond, and that is truly a shame.

Villefort doesn't even know who Edmond is but when he recovers a letter Edmond was given by Napoleon Bonaparte addressed to Villefort's own father, he quickly destroys the letter and sentences Edmond to life in the Chateau d'If to protect his own political interests. This was actually portrayed perfectly in the film.

The thing that the film does not and could not possibly do is develop the multitude of characters and Edmond's meticulous and complicated plot of revenge. Or as he sees it, justice. Throughout the course of the novel, Edmond has several aliases and his revenge is a years long con on these men, much more than a matter of a few weeks or months as the movie might lead you to believe. He learns every intimate detail of their lives and their families' lives and employs all this information and his considerable fortune to bring each of these men to complete ruin. He drives Fernand to suicide after decimating his reputation, he bankrupts Danglars and has him begging for food which is the ultimate punishment for that sleazeball, and he literally drives Villefort insane in the most chilling and masterful plot of revenge I have ever heard of. 

four months : this book made it into a lot of photos

The novel obviously does a better job at developing the complexities of Edmond as well. As vicious and exacting as he is with the men who destroyed his life, he's as loving and solicitous of the people he deems worthy or feels indebted to. When his revenge is coming to the ultimate climax, he has to confront the fact that innocent people have been hurt as a result of his all-consuming crusade, and he wrestles with the morality of his actions. 

One thing I'll say: the movie and the novel both end somewhat abruptly each in their own ways, and to be honest, I don't necessarily prefer one over the other. Both endings play with their corresponding forms, but ultimately, they both leave me wanting more. 

Overall, I would highly recommend the book and the film. The novel is a masterpiece in its own right, and the movie is just plain good. Having been so intimately familiar with the movie gave me a good foundation with the major characters, and I really didn't have much trouble keeping everyone straight which seems to be the commonly held problem people have when reading the novel. The Count of Monte Cristo will certainly take an investment of your time to read, but in the end, I really think it's worth it.

Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo or seen the film starring Jim Caviezel? What book has taken you the biggest investment of time to read and was it worth it?

Let's Bust a Recap : I Believed in 'Issa, I Met Jesus

After slogging my way through A Wrinkle in Time, The Pearl, and The Great Gatsby (thank goodness I started the year with Anne of Avonlea!), I decided it was time for some non-fiction and wrapped up my January reading with I Believed in 'Issa (the prophet), I Met Jesus (the Son of God) by Dr. Jamel Attar. ('Issa is the Arabic name for Jesus.) This book was such a beautiful picture of God's grace and love, and I read it in one day. At just over 100 pages, it's a quick read, but it's hugely impactful.

This book was first published in French and Arabic in 2013, and the English translation just came out a few months ago in 2017. I have personally had the honor of meeting Dr. Jamel Attar on two different occasions when he has visited my church, and my husband had the privilege of visiting him in France this past summer and seeing where he ministers. 

Attar was born into the Muslim country of Morocco, and by the time he was 18, he was a fervent and devout Muslim, wholly committed to the teachings and rituals of Islam. In his book, he explains what he believed as a Muslim and why he was so devoted to the religion. He was given the opportunity to study in France and there he first met Christians and began a relationship with them thinking he would easily convert them to Islam. However, during the three years that followed, Attar was confronted with the person of Jesus Christ, and his life was radically changed forever. He recounts his conversion to Christianity and how his life changed after he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

I really appreciated the insight this book gave me into Dr. Attar's life as a Muslim. Much the same as I was born and raised in a Christian home, Attar was born into a Muslim one. And on top of that, in the country of Morocco he was not exposed to differing religions and Islam was never cast in a negative light. The religion of Islam was truly his whole life and Muhammad was his hero. While I was knowledgeable about Islam and the five pillars, one thing that really struck me was the way Attar viewed the Bible. In Islam, the Torah, Psalms and Gospel are considered holy and sacred, but Muslims are taught that these sacred writings have been falsified and corrupted by Jews and Christians. The Koran is truly their only real and ultimate authority. On arriving in France, Attar was actually amazed to find printed Bibles because a Bible was an abstract concept to him. This helped me understand why it's so difficult for a Muslim to accept anything a Christian might say to him. 

The miracle of God's grace to reach anyone in even the darkest of places is so beautiful to behold, and it's exactly what you see in this book. I would highly recommend it and encourage you to read it. The translation is clear and easy to read and understand. If you'd like to purchase a copy for yourself, you can find it on Amazon. Or if we're friends, I'd be happy to let you borrow it. 

Have you met Jesus? 

Let's Bust a Recap : The Three Musketeers

I did it. I made it to the end of this never-ending book. And in all fairness, the second half went much faster than the first, and the last 20 chapters or so were downright spellbinding. But for all that, I'm still not sure I can forgive Dumas for that tedious build. I mean, technically, I started this monster in March, and hey-o, it's August. Oy. 

Let's start by talking a bit about the author, Alexandre Dumas. He lived from 1802 to 1870, and he is one of the most widely read French authors. His works have been translated into nearly 100 languages, and his novels have been adapted since the early 20th century into something like 200 films. Although Dumas was wildly successful during his lifetime and came from an aristocratic background, he did deal with discrimination due to his ancestry although that didn't slow him down with the ladies. Despite being married, he had at least 40 mistresses and 7 illegitimate children. 

Which brings me to one of my biggest hangups with The Three Musketeers. Even though it's historically the tradition of upperclass Frenchmen to go around having as many affairs as they want (as the author himself clearly had plenty of experience with), it certainly doesn't make it morally acceptable and, for me, it was downright repugnant. I could not get into any of the "romance" of The Three Musketeers because it was all extramarital. Ugh. It was very hard to have any sympathy for Madame Bonacieux's predicament, and I absolutely couldn't care less about any of D'Artagnan's heartbreaks throughout the novel. Same goes for the poor little Queen and her unfortunate lover Buckingham. About the only characters I could get into were Athos (what a rockstar despite his propensity for alcohol) and Monsieur de Tréville (not exactly a major character, but maybe that's why I liked him--I didn't know enough to give me a reason not to like him). 

But getting back to some more facts about the novel itself, The Three Musketeers was first published serially between March and July of 1844, and, from what I understand, Dumas got paid by the line (hence that tedious build I mentioned earlier). The Three Musketeers was actually a collaboration between Dumas and Auguste Maquet who worked with Dumas on many of his novels. Although Maquet took Dumas to court in order to get authorial credit and more money, he never received a by-line (but he did succeed in getting more money). 

The Three Musketeers follows our young Gascon gentleman D'Artagnan in his quest to become a Musketeer in the King's Guards. He secures the friendship of the three most famous and popular Musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and (although we have to endure a lot of buildup to figure it out) they ultimately work together against the diabolical Milady which is the main conflict and storyline of the novel.

Like I've said (several times now), the first half is long, wearisome, and (in my opinion) boring. It was very hard to stay awake anytime I sat down with it. The second half was much more entertaining, and at the end I couldn't put it down and even stayed up till midnight one night last week reading page after page until I just couldn't keep my eyes open another second. All in all, I could take it or leave it. As far as recommendations go, meh. If you are going to read it, stick it out because the end is very good. If you aren't going to read it, I really don't think you're missing much and you could spend your time on much better literary pursuits. If I had to rate this one, I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars. Not phenomenal, not terrible. 

Have you ever read The Three Musketeers or anything else by Dumas? What did you think? The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo are both on my shelf and my Life List, but now I'm not looking forward to them quite as much. I'll probably take a break from Dumas next year and maybe try him again in 2019. Has anyone read both The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo and, if so, is The Count of Monte Cristo better, worse, or about the same?