July Books Bought

You know it's been a busy month when you buy only three books! Man, what a dry spell! (Of course, Cindy's probably throwing a party with all the money I saved from not buying more books.) Anyway, here we go with the July edition of Books Bought:



Lectures on Literature (NF 1980) - Vladimir Nabokov


I checked this out through Marina (a system that allows library patrons to request books from other counties in Maryland) and decided I needed a longer amount of time to study it. The book is a collection of Nabokov's lectures at Cornell and Wellesley covering the following works:


Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
The Walk by Swann's Place - Marcel Proust
"The Metamorphosis" - Franz Kafka
Ulysses - James Joyce

I sampled all the chapters but only read the Stevenson chapter in its entirety (as well as two other lectures called "Good Readers and Good Writers" and "The Art of Literature and Common Sense.") Most of what Nabokov seems to discuss is the form and structure of each work.

My plan is to read each work, then study what Nabokov has to say. I'm really weak in form and structure in my own writing, so I'm very eager to start a little self-directed study led by Mr. N.

Trade Paperback; Price = $12.24




The Trinity (NF This edition 1991) - Saint Augustine


Several guys from my church and other churches get together every Monday night to discuss philosophy (as well as eat pizza and drink beer - what's not to like?). They've been meeting for years and have worked through several books, but just started this one a few weeks ago. Josh, a friend of mine who hosts the group, invited me to check it out, so I bought the book. Philosophy is something I always wanted to investigate, but didn't think (1) I had the time and (2) wasn't smart enough to understand it. I'm still convinced (2) is true, but maybe not (1). But it is fascinating. All these guys are waaaaaay smarter than me, so each meeting is both a humbling and a learning experience.

In the book, Augustine seeks to try to understand the divine Trinity from an examination of Old and New Testaments, then argues using the language of philosophy and logic to defend the orthodox thinking of the doctrine of the Trinity against the Arians of his day. Again, deep, difficult stuff, but fascinating.

Trade Paperback; Price = $19.77




Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories (2001) - Alice Munro


I've only read a few stories by Alice Munro, but I've read enough to know that finding a first edition hardcover copy in pristine condition at the Goodwill for two bucks was a no-brainer. This collection includes the story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," which was adapted into the film Away From Her.

Hardcover; Price = $2.00

Total = $34.01

Next Time: July Books Read