Bloody Times

This Hallowed Ground by Bruce Catton
New York : Vintage Books, 2012, c1956.
1st Vintage Civil War library ed.
ix, 437 p. : maps ; 21 cm.

In the 1950s and 60s Bruce Catton was recognized as the essential and most popular historian of the Civil War.  He has written many volumes on those terrible years of 1861 to 1865 - such as A Stillness at Appomattox which our library also owns.  Though not read as much of late, I was pleased to see this one-volume history of the Civil War reissued in 2012.

I can understand why Catton was so popular.  This history is very readable and engaging and offers a great overview of the important events and battles of the Civil War.  It lacks some of the more interesting social and personal perspectives that a more recent history of the war might have, but it is nonetheless a compelling read.  Catton is able to present the long and complex campaigns of the Civil War in a way that is fairly easy to follow.

I would definitely recommend this book to a student looking for a good introductory narrative of the Civil War.

Out There with Kafka

(image from Steppenwolf Theater production, fall 2008)

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
New York : Vintage International, 2006, c2005.
1st Vintage International ed.
467 p. ; 21 cm.

This one has a bit of everything: a sophisticated but sensitive 15 year old main character, Colonel Sanders, a downpour of leeches, some sex, an old man who talks to cats, time travel, a road trip with a 29 year old trucker and even a library (yes, a library!) as one of the main settings.

I first read a Murakami novel about 10 years ago - The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and it was a tour de force, so I was looking forward to this one which is on the AP Lit recommended list.

I was not disappointed in this novel. It is extremely creative and interesting with wonderfully memorable characters - from Ms. Saeki, the librarian stuck in her lost love from decades ago, to the endearing Mr. Nakata who is illiterate but wise and able to converse with cats. The novel can definitely be described as magical realism, but it is much more than than that. It is a fable, a murder mystery, a coming of age story, a meditation on love, time, loyalty, goodness and evil.

This is not an "easy" novel, but it should really appeal to students who love to read literature and are looking for something truly unusual, creative and yet with a lot of substance - a book that will stay with you long after you've put it down.