Month-long Hiatus

"Going to the mountains is going home."

-John Muir

Tomorrow I leave for a month in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I am beyond excited to spend my fourth summer summiting mountains and riding horses at what I call my second home. I won't have any wifi throughout the whole experience, so blogging isn't going to be possible. Nevertheless, I will still be reading! The books I am bringing are: 

-The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

-Paradise of the Blind by Duong Hu Huang

-Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 

-The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

-Lord of the Flies by William Golding

-Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

I think I have a good variety of books to look forward to, and if I run out I also have my kindle loaded with more options. Don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts on any of my choices in the comment box below! I'll be posting about each novel when I get back. Have an excellent month! 

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Being an avid reader, I often come across books that are both inspiring and thought-provoking. If I'm lucky, I'll even find something that changes my perspective towards life. Mountains Beyond Mountains is fascinating, and each page filled me with wonder and hope for what people can become. The book woke me up through the uncomfortable points that it raises. I was both enthralled and exhausted by Dr. Paul Farmer's energy and motivation.

Mountains Beyond Mountains is one of the first non-fiction books I have ever read and enjoyed. It has proved to me that reality can be just as amazing as fiction. Although it is a true story, Tracy Kidder writes a personalised account of Farmer's life. Although I had never even heard of Paul Farmer, I now feel as though I know him better than I know myself. Kidder also opened my eyes to the fact that we are all implicated in the problems that Farmer is working to solve. The book left me wondering why I wasn't more like him in terms of my virtues.

The real beauty of this book is the context in which it was written. Described through Kidder's eyes, both Paul Farmer's talents and his flaws come alive. Farmer believes that every life is equally important, yet does not see people as numbers. To him, "the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong in the world." Farmer goes about saving lives, only to find that beyond mountains they are more mountains, or as the Haitians say, dèyè mòn gen mòn. To me, this proverb refers to the fact that solving one problem only reveals another. Paul Farmer is full of quirks and weaknesses, but the most amazing thing about him is his singular commitment to curing the diseases of the poor.

While reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, I couldn't help but feel that it was much more than simply a narration of a story. I felt connected to Paul Farmer, and his mindset to never let good be good enough. Tracy Kidder transported me from the beach I was sitting on to Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia, and I happily accepted to accompany Farmer's visionary spirit. It's hard to imagine one man accomplishing all that Paul Farmer has done. There are so many things one could take away from the book. Rather than feeling helpless, I was inspired by Farmer's belief that one individual has the power to help others. Tracy Kidder has provided me with not only an unforgettable book, but also an unignorable life lesson. Mountains Beyond Mountains left me guilty, exhausted and astonished, but it also inspired me, kept me reading all day and unexpectedly revised my values.

Pride and Prejudice

After a long and tiring weekend at the French crew championships I was more than ready to settle down with a book. Pride and Prejudice was my novel of choice, and just like my weekend, it didn't disappoint  It had been a while since I read a book that was written hundreds of years ago, so of course the language was very different. For me that was part of the appeal! the musicality of the novel must owe to the baroque style of the time, as well as Jane Austen's skills as a writer. Her words are precise and well-chosen; it is no wonder Pride and Prejudice has lasted over 200 years. 

Pride and Prejudice is so much more than a romance novel. It is a comedy of manners, overflowing with witty phrases, hilarious characters, and two unforgettable protagonists, all woven together by Austen's dexterous pen. Some of the clearest dialogue can be found among the pages, and it lays claim to a collection of characters that one can't help but love from page one. Like all good literature, Pride and Prejudice doesn't reveal its secrets quickly, and it seems like the kind of novel that grows only richer each time you read it. Much of this can be credited to its heroine, Elizabeth, who brings wit to each scene through her humor and quick tongue. 

It's difficult to find something about Pride and Prejudice that hasn't already been said. One of the things that stood out most to me was the novel's commentary on the English society of the time. 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' This statement sums up the novel's key focuses on marriage and class, two aspects that drew me into Austen's work as I fell under her spell. The novel ends happily, which pleases readers with regards to the plot, yet I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied in Austen's portrayal of reality itself. I think it is this imperfection of the conclusion that gives the classic novel a level of sublime art.