Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture by Anthony Esolen--The best book I read this year! Dr. Esolen's insights into diagnoses of what is ailing American culture are keen. He cuts through politics right into the heart of what's happening in American right now. This book is no Trump apologetic, either. Dr. Esolen isn't concerned politics; his concern is what is happening to us as a country spiritually, emotionally, relationally, sociologically, and psychologically. I had the great privilege to attend a conference last April in which Dr. Esolen was the plenary speaker. (Dave and I even sat with him at lunch one day! And he signed my books!) I had already read Out of the Ashes so knew what to expect. But I didn't expect him to recite long swathes of poetry by heart, often in the voice of a favorite actor. Dr. Esolen is my favorite cultural analyst and this is his best book yet.
Life Under Compulsion: Ten Ways to Destroy the Humanity of Your Child by Anthony Esolen--The companion volume to Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child, a brilliant treatment of childhood in contemporary America. The former picks the thread of the latter. Well worth reading and pondering!
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation by Rod Dreher--A lot has been written and said about the Benedict Option, much of it wrong. Before passing judgment, you must read what Dreher himself says about this idea of his. Clue: it's not about withdrawing from the world. Instead, it's about engaging the world from a close-knit Christian community. A lot of Dreher has say makes sense, but I didn't find this book as insightful as Out of the Ashes, nor as inspiring. For me, reading Dreher is like being bludgeoned about the head repeatedly while reading Esolen is more like listening to Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech. Still, Dreher has good things to say and I recommend his book.
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson--I really enjoy culinary and domestic history. This was a fun, interesting book that deals with cooking and eating and all the attendant paraphernalia that accompanies them. Wilson digs as far back as she can to take her readers from eating with fingers all the way up to food processors. I bet you didn't know it was possible to wax at length about potato peelers and spatulas!
Bleak House by Charles Dickens--Re-read. Possibly my favorite Dickens novel. (Contenders are A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.) Anthony Esolen (yes, him again :) ) calls Esther Dickens' finest heroine, and I agree. The 2005? series with Gillian Anderson is very well done and quite true to the book, but be sure to read the book if you haven't. For an audio version, you can't top Simon Vance as a narrator, in my opinion.
When Dave and I were in London this summer, we visited the Dickens Museum, which is housed in the only house still remaining in which Dickens lived. Here are a few highlights~
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| Dickens' writing desk. He wrote some of his novels at this desk, including Great Expectations. |
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| The elegant dining room in the Dickens house |
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| The reading desk Dickens had designed and built specifically for the dramatic public readings he gave of his works. He toured extensively, including in America. He is said to have been very good at portraying his characters. |
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