march-april 2018 books…

The Fading Smile (Mike Burke): Author Mike Burke is an Anglican clergyman who came and spoke at one of the recent ‘Resonate’ events at Saint Stephen’s, Bristol. I suppose one would categorise the book as ‘Christian fiction’ – and, although I haven’t read many such books, this genre probably rates as one of my least favourite! The book is set in the 2020s (although, frankly, there are several references that are simply too far-fetched to fit into such a time-frame… maybe 2040s or 2050s would be more credible?) and draws us into a world where things are covert and shadowy and neither individuals nor governments are in control. Huge private security firms seem to call the shots with their ever present surveillance and multinationals wield immense power… and people’s lives have become severely controlled and monitored. Religion isn’t part of this world… although the re-emergence of a language of faith and prayer (albeit in ‘underground’ form) shapes a central core of what the book is about. It’s a political thriller (of sorts) which explores an alternative future centred around the fear of terrorism, rampant consumerism and the suppression of information. I certainly didn’t think it was a brilliant book, but I DID find it thought-provoking – especially given all the recent reports about #CambridgeAnalytica, the apparent violation of social media accounts and ‘smart’ messaging to influence behaviour.
Words From The Well Of Wisdom (Laurie Farnell): This is a rather beautiful book of aphorisms gathered over the past 20 years or so (in tiny bound notebooks) by a man who was homeless for a ‘considerable period’ of his life and who started to write aphorisms as a way of coping with severe depression. He was eventually introduced to an organisation called ‘Converge’ at York St John’s University and began to develop his writing skills and sing in a choir… and, importantly for him, ‘become part of a community where I’m not labelled or judged’. His words made me smile, think and wonder. Here are just a few examples: “All adventures start with a dream imagined”; “An adventure is only an adventure when things go wrong”; and “To progress is to remember what we’ve learnt from the mistakes that we’ve forgotten”… and I have no doubt I’ll continue to re-read the book several times over the coming years.
The Way Of The Carmelites: A Prayer Journey Through Lent (James McCaffrey): This was my ‘spiritual’ book through Lent. It’s a beautifully-written, gentle, wise book about Carmelite spirituality – essentially in the “company of the Carmelite saints” - and, in particular, about prayer.  As someone who constantly struggles with his prayer life (or lack of it!), I was especially struck by the chapter on ‘Teresian spirituality’ (focussing on St Teresa of Avilam 1515-82), which I found very helpful and enlightening. I think my one criticism of the book was that, at times, it didn’t seem to be focussing on our respective journeys through Lent itself (well, as much as I’d hoped anyway). Nevertheless, an insightful and very helpful book.
Goodbye To All That (Robert Graves): First published in 1929, Graves wrote this autobiography in his early 30s. He described it as his “bitter leave-taking of England” before departing to live in Spain. I can’t quite believe I’d not previously read it. It provides a brilliant, candid account of his life: from childhood and his unhappy days at Charterhouse to his harrowing time serving as a young officer in WW1 (and the depressing daily register of the lost lives of his colleagues)… together with his encounters with fellow writers and poets (including Sassoon, Hardy and TE Lawrence) and his increasingly unhappy marriage to Nancy Nicholson. Probably the best personal account of the Great War I’ve ever read – of experiences and scenes that were to haunt him throughout his life. A really wonderful book.
Tears Of The Giraffe (Alexander McCall Smith): Some welcome light relief after the gruelling horrors of conflict! Another of McCall Smith’s enchanting, pleasurable and refreshingly heart-warming books. I love the characters, the gentleness, the humour and his writing style.