Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series, weaves another allegory of faith in his short novel Till We Have Faces. Lewis sets the novel in an engaging first-person narrative through the character of Orual, the warrior Queen of the kingdom of Glome. Orual writes this her memoir as an accusation against the cruelty and silence of the gods.

She relates her childhood as the ugliest princess in Glome and, even, in the entire world. Despite her alienation from her father and the people of Glome, she forms a close friendship with her youngest step-sister, the beautiful Psyche, and her Greek tutor, the Fox. Seemingly endless days of learning and companionship are shared between the three. But after an unrelenting famine, the people of Glome demand that Psyche be given as a sacrifice to win the favor of their god, Ungit. The King readily agrees to the sacrifice. Orual is devastated. To add more pain to her loss, Orual finds that Psyche is glad to be given as a sacrifice to the gods. Interpreting the faith of her step-sister as hatred towards her, Orual curses the gods who have stolen her greatest love. The remainder of Orual’s account recalls the great trials she endured inheriting the throne of Glome and her greater inner sufferings of loneliness and resentment.

Three major themes of the book are worth mentioning here. The first is memory. Writing the novel as a memoir and accusation of an impassioned Queen, Lewis illuminates how our personal and cultural histories are framed within what we can and choose to remember. This theme – not only present in the overall narration – is especially highlighted in Orual’s interaction with a priest of the newly formed cult of Istra, or Psyche, Orual’s apotheosized sister. The priest recounts the story of Istra and her sisters to Orual, but the details have been changed. The oral tradition behind the cult includes divinations and historical facts that Orual claims are false. Regardless of its verity, the cultic tradition has been established and Istra has become the newest member of the pantheon. Personal and collective memory are selective; nonetheless, they shape our understanding of history.

The second theme is faith, which has many sub-themes in this work. Some questions posed by Lewis: What is the relationship between faith and reason? If the gods are so powerful, why do they hide from us and remain silent in our agony? Are the gods just? The theme of faith is intimately tied with the overarching theme of love. Lewis’s characters and relationships portray the spectrum of love. Jealous love in Redival, Orual’s younger sister; love of country in Bardia, the Queen’s advisor; a father’s love of his children in the Fox; and most prominently displayed and developed is Orual’s self-love, a love that eats the life out of those with whom she interacts, of those whom she considers close. In her resentment towards the gods, Orual misuses those around her. When she can find and accept herself – her ugliness, her station in life, her relationships – she can then speak face to face with the gods. Only then will her accusations be answered. Only then will she learn how to love.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Edward A. David, Teacher at Trinity School in Meadow View
Rating: Highly Recommended

It should be noted that this memoir may be triggering to those struggling with anorexia, bulimia and depression. Marya Hornbacher’s writing style is simply breathtaking, giving the reader an unflinching view of her struggles with eating disorders from early childhood into adulthood. While I was emotionally exhausted after finishing this book, I would say this is a must-read for anyone wanting insight into eating disorders, fans of memoirs, or simply fans of great writing.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Must Read

After hearing so much about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I decided to give it a try. The first half of the book disappointed me only because I’d heard rave reviews; the second half, however, sped up a bit and made up for it. The book has a lot going on at once: a mystery, complex characters, and a political/journalistic side story at the heart of the characters’ situations. My favorite aspect of the book was the subtle way in which Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander were characterized. Overall, I’d recommend the book if you’re looking for a good summer read, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. For movie lovers, a film version of the book starring Daniel Craig is coming to theaters this December 21!

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines
Rating: Highly Recommended

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams is the fifth book in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, and also possibly the weakest. Much darker than the previous four books, Mostly Harmless contains some of the cruelest jokes in the series and ends on a very depressing and slightly unsatisfying (though still hilarious) note. The humor remains consistently funny however, and if you’ve read the previous books in the series this one is still very worth checking out.

Availability: USMAI
Submitted by: Kevin Koeser
Rating: Recommended

O’Connor’s first book of short stories is hard to put down; it’s full of cultural insight into the post-bellum south and round, deeply flawed characters. “The River” is a germ about a child growing up in dysfunctional family. “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” “Good Country People,” and “The Temple of the Holy Ghost” are must reads. “A Late Encounter with the Enemy” is a scornful condemnation a number of old men who lied about serving in the Civil War, after all of the real veterans were dead. O’Connor’s settings are grotesque and memorable, very few of her stories end happily although her stories possess a degree of verisimilitude many authors lack. “The Displaced Person,” the last story in her collection, is a chilling tale of bigotry and pettiness; a thought provoking and memorable yarn. It is difficult to forget the lead up and ending of The Displaced Person; arguably it’s the best crafted piece in the collection.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Highly Recommended

Passing through the book aisles in WalMart or Barnes & Noble, I have scoffed at the self-help books wondering why their abundance of promises of a better you has not yet materialized into an abundance of happiness?

After spending an entire season watching American Idol or Jersey Shore, have you ever wondered – even for a moment – if it was worth investing that much of your time into the distant lives of others?

Have you, at home or at work, realized in dismay that you just spent an hour on Facebook? Worse yet, that half of that time was spent admiring your own profile?

In Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship (2nd Edition), psychologist Paul Vitz illuminates the problem of narcissism in our society and traces its roots in modern psychologies and philosophies – systems of thought, Vitz argues, that modern men and women have exalted as new secular religions, embedded in all facets of life including education, relationships and entertainment. Thinkers from Freud to Sartre are discussed, and their theories are critiqued against pre-modern (and post-post-modern) standards which make reference to the common good and the contributions of religious faith as opposed to the radical individualism and secularism of modern thought.

Lovers of psychology, philosophy and, even, education will find Vitz’s lucidly written critiques thought-provoking and, perhaps, life-changing.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Edward A. David, Teacher at Trinity School in Meadow View
Rating: Highly Recommended

As a Western culture, we seem to have undergone bouts of literary amnesia when it comes to Vampires. In present day, usually the hallmark thirst for blood is offset by a romance. While this familiar undercurrent of darkness and sexuality is the driving force behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it is enveloped in the repressive and religious fervor that characterizes the Victorian era.

Stoker’s use of description, along with the narration style of journal entries, makes this a great read for someone looking for a decent horror/suspense novel. While readers may be put off by the melodramatic entreaties to God (that punctuate every other page) it also aids the supernatural tone of the story. To conclude: Dracula comes highly recommended, and I hope future readers enjoy it as much as I have.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Highly Recommended

This poem, composed of 110 quatrains, was translated from Persian into English by Edward FitzGerald during the Victorian age and, according to the introduction in my edition, was one of the most famous poems of that era. While I am not one to usually read poetry on my own, the Rubaiyat (meaning quatrains) is so beautiful that it is hard not to fall in love with its musicality. As with most poems, it deserves a second reading to consider the ideas of the poem which focus around a question of Fate; but even with such a heavy theme, the light, easy lines make one forget that they are being asked to think about destiny and “the Potter” (or Maker). While I do not think this is for everyone, it is a very light, fast, easy read and it’s musicality makes it a great read for any lover of words.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Lauren Grey
Rating: Recommended

Number one: Do not read this book if you are expecting a tale of ghostly horrors and of things that go bump in the night. That is not what this book is about. Yes, there are “ghosts”, but you’re not going to be treated to a retelling of how a person was brutally murdered or how a main character was haunted by an unseen phantom. These stories are really just about social injustice, terror, or regret. And all of it is blanketed with a healthy dose of skepticism about the business of hauntings. No horror, nothing levitating by itself, nobody mysteriously vanishing. No ghost stories, even though it starts out with a man buying a seemingly haunted house (which is perhaps only the result of a trickster) and scared servants.

Number two: The book is not actually completely written by Charles Dickens. It was originally co-written with five collaborators in the weekly periodical, All the Year Round, in 1859. There were five different authors who each wrote their own tale (each one a different chapter) with Dickens writing the introduction, conclusion, and one of the chapters. The other writers were Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins, Adelaide Proctor, George Sala and Hesba Stretton. Three stories are really good, at least in my opinion, especially the one about the sailor haunted by a candle after a near-death experience. The others are alright.

What this book is about is a man is told to check out this house that has a reputation for being haunted by a friend of his. He decides to move in along with his sister, a deaf stableman, a dog, two servants, and a young girl that lives with them referred to as the Odd Girl. Soon unexplained noises and other strange occurrences scare the servants away, and every other servant they hired after. It leads to the man and his sister deciding to take care of the house themselves, though they enlist the help of their closest friends and family. Each person was assigned a specific room in the house that they would stay in. It was during Christmas, so they all decided to make a pact not to utter a word about any of the “ghosts” haunting their rooms until the 12th day of Christmas. It was that day over dinner that each person told their tale.

Despite the fact that it was not entirely written by Dickens, it was still a good read. As long as you are not expecting a scary story, that is.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Marissa Parlock
Rating: Recommended with Reservations

In anticipation of the final Harry Potter film coming out in just a few weeks, I decided to reread the final book, which I haven’t touched since it first came out. Wile I don’t really recommend reading this book if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I definitely recommend it. While it’s style is meant for a lower reading level, the brilliant characters and complex story line is enough to keep a reader of any age engaged in the story. Rowling’s story wonderfully twists past and present to weave important moments from Harry’s past with his present. The book was a fast read that kept me as hooked as the first time I read it. Any book in the Harry Potter series is a good, fun choice for summer.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Lauren Grey
Rating: Must Read