Sofa Spotlight - John Wesley's Forty Four Sermons

The language of this book is a bit of a challenge but I took a bit longer and got through it. There was a noticeable theme with these sermons and I can't help but wonder if that indicates something of the culture that was prevalent when John Wesley was preaching. I have done no research yet on this, but it will be something that I will be looking into in the future - I've already acquired a copy of his diary and some other journal type books courtesy of a very nice person.

Anyway back to the noticeable theme. In most if not all of these sermons there is some kind of application about not relying on good works for salvation but faith in Jesus. Which makes me wonder about the culture and hence the future research that I intend to do.

I have to say that despite the language there were some sermons that were very challenging and I did find it a worthwhile venture. What I'm not so sure about is whether or not I would recommend it. Just because it is a lot of work to understand Wesley's point and you could spend that time reading a book from one of our many current Christian writers and benefit just as much, but with less effort. But I suppose that is a matter of opinion.

Paradise on the Shelf

One book to begin this week:

Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained - John Milton

I'm not sure how I feel about starting this book, which is in fact two poems, because I don't get on too well with poetry. But I feel that it is one of those books you should read before you die so I'm going to give it a go! I may regret this decision.

Sofa Spotlight - Omoo, Herman Melville

What I didn't realise about Omoo is that it is actually the sequal to another book called Typee. Thankfully it didn't matter that I hadn't read Typee but on reflection if Typee is anything like Omoo I'm not sure I could cope reading both back to back. 

Nothing much happens in Omoo. It begins by picking up the narrator from an island where he has been held by prisoner by the inhabitants. To secure his rescue he agrees to work on a whaling ship, which isn't very successful and he soon ends up with the rest of the ship's crew on an island in the South Seas. Which is where he stays for the rest of the book. 

Although I think that this book is a bit wet it does sort of grow on you. Well some of the characters do anyway. But not enough to make me desperate to read it again or to pick up Typee.

I had thought that maybe after Moby Dick this would combine Melville's style with more concentration on storytelling and less on information giving. Which it sort of does. I just think that there really isn't much story to it. 

Sofa Shelf - Hollow

One book to start this week:

The Hollow (Poirot) - Agatha Christie

 Another Poirot case but I've just read the first couple of chapters and I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy this one. Already I've met a character that I don't like and I don't think it is because you are meant to not like them. Anyway we will see how I get on.

Sofa Spotlight - Appointment with Death, Agatha Christie

It all begins when Poirot overhears someone saying that it was necessary that someone else should be killed. And later on someone does end up dead and Poirot knows whose voice it was that he heard.

I picked it up to start reading it one morning and by lunch time I had nearly finished it. It was one of those moments when you look up from a book and wonder what happened to the day. What makes this book is the characters and the victim of the murder is someone whose death comes as a blessing to those that knew her. But that also means there are a large number of suspects.

Mrs Boynton, who finds herself murdered is not loved by her family because of the tight reign of control and manipulation she has over them. Just before her death each member of the family is contemplating breaking free from her power. And they all seem to not only have motive but also opportunity.

What makes it even more interesting is that Poirot has a time limit of 24 hours. As is normal for me I had no idea who did it until the very end. One day I will guess right!

Sofa Shelf - Wesley, the South Seas and Murder

Three books on the shelf this week.

Omoo - Herman Melville

I may not have enjoyed Moby Dick but I thought I would try a shorter book by Melville. Early on in Moby Dick I found that I enjoyed Melville's style of writing, it was just the endless whale descriptions that spoilt it for me. So maybe a shorter book will mean that Melville will focus on narrative. Although as Omoo has a similar theme (whale fishing) I could be taking a risk.

Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie

I am enjoying working through Agatha Christie's works and this is one that I know nothing about. After the success of my read of Cards on the Table I am looking forward to this one. Poirot on the case again - this time the death happens abroad in Petra. 

John Wesley's Forty Four Sermons - John Wesley

Not an easy read as I've battled with it twice before. But it is one that I keep going back to because there is something about the style of sermons that I like. I don't think it will be any easier this time though but we will see how it goes. 

Sofa Spotlight - Moby Dick, Herman Melville

If you like whales and by that I mean really like whales, and want to know all about them in detail, then this is the book for you.

Reading this book was a challenge and not just because of it's length. What I found disappointing was that I found early on that I enjoyed Melville's style of writing but he used a lot of ink describing whales and not telling the story. In fairness understanding whales and what happened on whaling ships is important for the plot. But I felt it was too much. To get through the book I found that it was necessary to read it in one hundred page chunks. That way I felt I had achieved enough not to get discouraged by slow progress.

So the plot. The narrator of the story is a sailor called Ishmael who joins a ship called the Pequod, captained by Captain Ahab. Ahab has only one leg, having lost one whilst trying to catch a famous white whale. The white whale is known as Moby Dick and seems to have torn Ahab's leg off, which didn't make Ahab very happy. Once they set sail it becomes clear that Ahab isn't interested in whale fishing as he is supposed to be - he is out to hunt Moby Dick and take revenge. Which is what the book is about, as well as an extensive history of whale fishing and whale biology.