Passing the Time

With Earle and Shawn in Asia and Julia at her Calculus II class four days a week I have some down time to myself for a change. What better way to pass the time than by escaping into literature via books and movies.

Recently, my friend Gretchen loaned me two of her movies that she said I just must see. The first was Babette's Feast, a foreign film centered around the theme of the sacramental quality of food and the sacrificial quality of life decisions. It is an award winning film which Newsweek claims to be "an irresistible mixture of dry wit and robust humanity". Try it, you'll like it.

Yesterday, I watched the second film Gretchen loaned me, Onegin. She suggested it because of my love of Russian literature and I was not disappointed. It is an adaptation of Pushkin's romantic poem of tragic, unfulfilled love, typically Russian in its somber tone and unhappy ending. If you are looking for a "feel good" movie this is not for you! You will find no happily-ever-after here, but you will find character depth like only Russian writers have mastered.

I adore Russian literature because of the depth of character and the tone, but it is not for everyone, admittedly. I seem to be drawn to tragic heroes and down-trodden heroines. The misunderstood and unfortunate souls always seem to capture my attention best as in some of my favorite works: Jane Eyre, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Silas Marner, and Everyday Use.

On a lighter note, I am also reading three books, concurrently. The first A House for My Name Earle and I are reading aloud together, so that is on hold for now. We are enjoying the connections Peter Leithart makes for us between various parts of the Old Testament. I highly recommend anything by this insightful author. The second book I am reading is the classic Foxe's Book of Martyrs which I purchased for a song from Gretchen at our used curriculum sale. I already had an e-copy of the text, but prefer a hard copy for reading. I'm not sure if I will browse this book or read it cover to cover. Either way it is a good addition to my collection. The third book I am currently reading is Keeping a Nature Journal. If you have any inclination towards drawing and/or nature study you must get your hands on this book. It is both a visual delight and an inspiration. Now I need to devote some time to putting pen and pencil to sketchbook and apply what I have learned from the book.

As if this isn't enough to keep me busy, I have the movie Miss Potter sitting in front of me. I adore Beatrix Potter and her works and hope the movie lives up to my expectations. Also, I am two books behind in the Harry Potter series and there is a new book coming out soon which I'm sure Julia will run right out to purchase. I need to get caught up!