Why I don't like poetry but enjoyed the Rime of the Ancient Mariner

If you have been following my progress through A Book of Narrative Verse you will know that I have been finding it hard work. You will also know that I am not a fan of poetry.

Why? I have no idea. It may be because I am unwilling, or too lazy to work out and fully appreciate what the poem means. I persist with it because I don't want to miss out on something beautiful.

This morning that persistence paid off. I read the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. My Dad likes this poem and when I was growing up he would quote lines from it. When he quoted them it sounded like those words reverberated through time. I think at some point he studied the poem.

I also know a little bit about Coleridge. I think he used to turn up at Wordsworth's house to indulge his opium habit. Something his wife didn't appreciate, hence why he didn't do it at home.

Anyway when I came to read it this morning I found that I could understand it and that I enjoyed it. In my mind I was all at sea with the Ancient Mariner and the Albatross! Maybe I need to know something about the poem and the poet before I try reading poetry.

An extension...

EG and I were supposed to bring our book challenge to an end at the end of September. However, neither of us are going to achieve our targets. So, our new plan is to give ourselves until the end of the year. EG has read 37 of 64 and is probably more likely to reach her target than I am! I have only read 27 of 66. In the new year we will try some new challenges. Will let you know what they are soon...

The Top Ten

I got nominated on Facebook to do this:

“Pick 10 books that have impacted your life. Don't take more than a few minutes and do not think too hard. They do not have to be the 'right' books or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way. Tag 10 friends and include me so I can see your list." 

So I thought that I would put what I wrote on here as well as on facebook:

1. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy - because when I read it I had no idea about Russian literature and I loved it, although I failed to read it in under two weeks as I had planned.

2. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote - because in a weird way it is compelling and has stuck with me ever since I first read it in 2009. 

3. North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell - because both the book and the film make me homesick.

4. The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis - because I think it is pure genius. Well done Mr Lewis. 

5. Thinking for a Change - John C. Maxwell - because it was given to me when I was 15 and I still remember much of it. It is probably responsible for my lists, sorry Em! 

6. The Black Tulip - Alexandre Dumas - because what happens in this book is ridiculous and could never happen in real life but Dumas makes me believe that it is real.

7. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins - because I thought that I would hate this book and I ended up not being able to put it down.

8. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - because my mum made me read it when I was twelve and it opened up a new world of reading for me. I'm sorry now that I was so reluctant to try it.

9. Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks - because it was different to what I normally read and I enjoyed it more than I thought. 

10. Beau Geste - P. C. Wren - because this is the book that I read after A Tale of Two Cities and it was easier to read! 

Comment below and let me know what would be on your list, even if it is just your number one.

Sofa Spotlight - Sweet Poison, David Gillespie

What's it about?

This is one about sugar, and why it might not be good for us. The theory in this book is that it is a diet high in sugar that is responsible for making people fat, rather than a diet that is high in fat. Although I'm not convinced by everything in this book, Gillespie has done his research and his theory is worth taking into consideration. He splits the book into two parts. The first is about why sugar is so bad for you, and the second is what you can do about it. As well as discussing the research into sugar, Gillespie also looks into how sugar substitutes came into being.

What was good?

Gillespie provides another viewpoint on weight loss diets that focus on low fat intake. Not only is there evidence for sugar being responsible for obesity on the rise, but he also looks at the research that was used to promote low fat diets. Although I'm not sure about a couple of his ideas, it was worth reading because I had no idea how much sugar is in food and how much I eat without knowing it. It has put me off sugar, and also sugar substitutes. Just not worth the problems that they cause.

What was bad?

Even though Gillespie did a good job in making the science/biology parts of this book easy to understand, there were some parts that were technical information heavy. Having said that, I think those parts were needed, and it was worth working through them.

Who is for?

I read this because I discovered, thanks to EG, that I was consuming over a pound of a sugar a week by what I was drinking. This is the book that I chose to try and work out what I had done to myself, and why there was so much sugar in the stuff I was buying. If you have a similar interest then this book is for you, but I think it would be good to read even if you don't have that interest. It can't hurt to think about what you're eating, or in my case, drinking.

Sofa Spotlight - Basic Christianity, John Stott

What's it about?

This is a well titled book. It has four parts and eleven chapters in all. The four parts cover Who Christ Is, What We Need, What Christ Has Done and How to Respond. Stott looks at what the Bible has to say about what it means to be a follower of Christ. He explains why Jesus had to die on the cross, and why the evidence for the resurrection stands up to scrutiny. This isn't a book that you can just read, absorb and move on. It is not possible to leave without making some sort of decision about Jesus, even if it isn't an obvious choice.

What was good?

It isn't a hard book to read. I've been reading on the train and I've had no problem breaking off and picking up again. With only 182 pages it won't take long to read (eleven days if you take a chapter a day). If you do read it quick I would try and make some time for processing what you're reading, it isn't a light subject.

What was bad? 

Not much... I wasn't that keen on the cover...

Who is for?

For anyone who is curious about what Christianity is about, or Christians who want a reminder.

Diner Time

Last weekend not much reading happened because I was eating this:

It's a hard life. This is where we went:

I recommend a visit.

Sofa Shelf

Basic Christianity - John Stott

This is the 50th anniversary edition of this book, which was first published in 1958. Like the title says this is a book about the basics of Christianity, the key subjects that help us to understand what Christianity is about. It is less than 200 pages long so I don't think that it will take me long to read it, but I hope to get a lot out of it.

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Reading this because, well it's there. I haven't read a beast of a book for a long time so I shall relish the challenge. I've seen part of the film, I fell asleep half way through, lets hope the book is able to keep me awake! Heard mixed opinions on this book, will have to read it to see. Maybe I will have finished by Christmas!