Friday, February 5, 2016

Books that Shaped Me // Round Three


Well, my little coffee beans, today’s post will be the final installment in my “Books that Shaped Me” mini-series. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared with you eighteen of the books that helped form the person I am today (the links are here and here), and it’s been a lot of fun to reminisce and compile a list of the books I specifically need to reread this year. While there are so many I could include, enough to fill a bunch of other posts, I want to share only a few more with you. Perhaps as I near the end of my nostalgia tour, I will add a couple posts to this series, but I make no promises. 




I’ve mentioned this several times before, and I’ll probably mention it a bunch more over the years, but THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is one of the few books that kept me up past my self-imposed bedtime during high school. The story gripped me with its music and beauty. It hurt to watch Erik long for affection, and it hurt to see him sabotage his chances of receiving actual love. More than that, I was moved by the contrast between the beauty of his voice and his music and the ugliness of his face and his heart.




Of all the books I was exposed to as a young person, Winnie-the-Pooh is my earliest, strongest memory. Right from the get-go, I was struck by Winnie-the-Pooh’s innocence and curiosity, Tigger’s energy, Piglet’s spunk, Owl’s wisdom, Rabbit’s crankiness, Christopher Robin’s imagination, Kanga’s motherliness, Roo’s adventurous spirit, and Eeyore’s struggle with clinical depression. Their adventures captured my mind in a way that many stories haven’t, and I think it’s high time I revisited this chapter of my life. 



It strikes me as rather funny that I wasn’t intensely interested in reading PETER PAN, and the major reason I ended up buying it was because it’s a classic and I was on a classic reading kick. I’m even a little more confused with myself because I had already fallen in love with PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, which is a Peter Pan retelling. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the thought of reading PETER PAN, I just hadn’t spent any time seeking it out. Regardless of my initial hesitation, I adore this book to Alpha Centauri and beyond. Somehow J.M. Barrie manages to capture the spirit and wonder of childhood while also including the cruelty and thoughtlessness of youth. His characters are simultaneously wise and naive, guilty and innocent, clever and foolish. But I think what struck me most was the idea that the fairies in PETER PAN represent childhood dreams and that the ticking crocodile represents the passage of time and the eventuality of growing up. 




1984 scared me more than THE HUNGER GAMES and more than THE SHADOW CHILDREN. In George Orwell’s famous dystopia, we have a government that has long been under the grip of Socialism. People are helpless and mindless. No one outside of the inner governmental circles is afforded even a shred of privacy. With his all-seeing eye, Big Brother watches everyone, and he has such control that a revolution would be purely impossible. Worse, few would even think to rebel because the government controls all forms of thought—books, music, news articles, historical records, language, and expression. That’s what really got me—nothing frightens me quite so much as the suppression of free ideas and free speech. 


At the time when I read this, I had already been sucked into the Si-Fi universe, but OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET and it’s two sequels were something else entirely. I think the aspects that struck me most were the peaceful introspection and the way C.S. Lewis made thinking out of the box comfortable and enjoyable. Many Christians tiptoe around the concept of aliens because that tends to be seen as at war with the Christian worldview, so I really appreciate how Lewis makes it evident that, if they do indeed exist, it doesn’t mean Christians have to throw out the Bible. 


Through a rich and beautiful retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, TILL WE HAVE FACES makes it evident that sometimes our issues with God aren’t what we think they are, and if we want to bring our accusations and our grievances to God, we first have to make sure we know what we’re talking about. 


As with A WRINKLE IN TIME, I fell in love with the movie before I read the book. At that time, I had already been going through a prolonged phase where I felt as if I didn’t belong in this century, and LORNA DOONE tapped into my desire for life in the 1600s. I wanted to travel to Exmoor and experience everything for myself—the peaceful lifestyle, the misty moors, the threat of the Doones always looming over the land. Granted, the story was a little slow, but it was a beautiful slowness, and for a few years, I wasn’t willing to travel anywhere without a copy of LORNA DOONE on hand (which is why I have two copies). While I have since learned to be content with all the benefits this century affords (for the most part), I still get incredibly nostalgic about LORNA DOONE, and I will always love it for the needed escape it gave me. (I am also still waiting for the Doctor to come in his big blue box so I can at least visit the 1600s.) 


DRACULA showed me horror/paranormal at its classiest. But I find it oddly telling that I remember the mental patient and his strange habits more vividly than I do the vampires and the threat they present. Ever since I read it years ago, I have been fascinated with the old insane asylums of that period, as well as the antiquated understanding of mental illness during that time. I don’t know if DRACULA instilled that interest in me or if it just awoke a sleeping dragon, but either way, suffering minds fascinate me. 



Before reading THE KILLER ANGELS as part of my history course, I had never considered the Civil War in such a deep light. But this book opened my eyes to the poetry of war—the beauty in the midst of horror. More than that, it illustrates perfectly that war is not a matter of black and white morals—that the people on both sides are equally human and equally sympathetic, regardless of whether their views are entirely correct or not. 


Several years ago, my mom owned an ARC of this, and I convinced her that I needed it more than her because, yeah, I seriously love that book. While I had already been exposed to heavy doses of Fantasy before I sunk my teeth into this one, CHILD OF THE DARK PROPHECY opened my eyes to a whole new sort of Fantasy. I’m not sure how else to explain it, since I haven’t read it in forever, but compared with other Fantasy novels, CHILD OF THE DARK PROPHECY just has a different feel to it. Maybe it’s that it retells the Arthurian legend, and I was a big fan of King Arthur growing up. Or maybe it just feels safe, and I like books that make me feel safe. Either way, I think about it a lot (especially the mood of the story), and I need to reread it and its sequels. 



There are a ton more books I would love to share, but I also have other posts I want to get to, so I’ll just content myself with listing the honorable mentions: 










Well, that’s it for today, my little coffee beans. What about you? Have you read any of these books? What are some of the books that helped shape you? 

30 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you on your thoughts about Peter Pan. My first exposure to Peter Pan was with Peter and the Starcatchers (I must reread that series) and I loved it, and only recently have I read the original. I was quite surprised how the movies and other books spun Peter in a much more postive light than the original; he was quite cruel sometimes, which surprised me. Neverland was safer and more beautiful in retellings, too, I think. I loved the book, but the beginning was my favourite.

    Anyways. I'm a bit of a fan. Thanks for sharing, I've really enjoyed this series.

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    1. WE'RE LIKE PETER PAN TWINS VICTORIA. I've reread the first book recently, but I need to reread the rest of the series as well. The movies really do make him look like a happier figure. I think sometimes people don't understand why he is so cruel, maybe. But I think it really fits with the essence of childhood, because kids can be great, but they can also be really cruel. The beginning is great. :D

      I'm a fan too. We should start a club and practice flying. *nods* Aww, thank you! :) I'm glad you liked it. :D

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  2. I'm glad to hear you liked "Killer Angels"--I'm taking an American Civil War course this year and it's one of my assigned readings.

    I also enjoyed "Out of the Silent Planet" and I REALLY need to read the rest of the series.

    Thanks for the post! I'll have to keep my eye out for these.

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    1. I really, really, really liked it. I've been wanting to rereading it forever. :D I hope you enjoy it! :)

      Out of the Silent Planet is so good! :) I'm glad you liked it. *nods* I hope you like the rest of the series as well. The last book is different in tone, so it was a little surprising, but it was super good.

      Aww, thank you! And thanks for commenting! :)

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  3. *whispers* I have not read any one of the books you mention.

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    1. *gasp* Probably if you did a series of posts like this, there would be a bunch I haven't read. *nods* It's cool to see what books I've read and loved that others haven't.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  4. This is a super cool feature! I'm with you on Phantom of the Opera and 1984 -- just love both of those SO MUCH. And wow, you've read quite a few books by CS Lewis! I've read Narnia but nothing else. Ooh, War and Peace! I'm thinking of reading that but it looks so menacingly thick XD

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    1. Aww, thank you! The Phantom of the Opera and 1984 are SO GOOD. I get sad when people don't like them. I have read a bunch of books by CS Lewis--and I've read a bunch more that I haven't mentioned. *nods* I pretty much grew up on him. War and Peace is really thick, but it's so good. :) My copy is split into two volumes, so it's a little easier to attack. :P I hope you like it! :D

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  5. *Immediately scurries to read the other parts of the mini-series*

    This is such a decent collection of books: I'm ravishing through 1984 at the moment, and I hold such happy childhood memories from Winnie-the-Pooh. The Killer Angels really strikes my attention, I will definitely check that out!! Studying the American Civil War for A level, as well as literature so it might come in handy and help to broaden my views on the matter - you spoke of it so highly, you've really inspired me to go and grab a copy.

    Thanks for sharing these personal books to you; will definitely be checking out more of your content, and might try and make my own version of this blog (with full credit, of course!)

    ~TT

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    1. Aww, thank you!

      I love 1984 and Winnie-the-Pooh. *nods* The Killer Angels is such a good book--I highly recommend it. It will definitely broaden your views on the matter, especially relating to the individual people. I hope you like it! :)

      You're welcome, and thanks for reading! And go ahead--I would love to read your own version of this post! :)

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  6. Oooh, that Merlin cover is absolutely GORGEOUS. I may need to read that, now. xD

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    1. It is. And you should totally read it. :P *nods* I had never seen it before because my copy is an ARC with a boring non-design, place-filler thing. But I need to buy the whole trilogy, plus all the other books connected with it, just so I can get that beautiful cover. XD

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  7. ALL OF THESE BOOKS! They all sound so good!

    Phantom of the Opera. I could go on and on about that book. I really want to go to Paris and visit the opera house it was based on.

    Peter Pan is good too! It's just so curious. The whole thing.

    I've really wanted to read 1984. As well as Dracula. And now I want to read those C. S. Lewis books too (especially since I just read Cupid and the Psyche today).

    I've never heard of The Killer Angels. But everything you said about it, I always find myself dealing with those themes in my books. Especially since they're fantasy books and there always seems to be war in fantasy books.

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    1. THEY ARE. Trust me. :D

      I could go on and on about that book as well! *high fives you* Oh my goodness, that would be so wonderful. I need to go there too. *books flight only not because that would require money*

      It really is. Curious is such a great word to describe it.

      You should, both of them. And also the C.S. Lewis books. Just all of them. *shoves them at your face*

      Yeah, it's not one that I hear about a lot. I think it did well in it's day, and it's super good, but it doesn't seem to be huge in the blogging circles where I spend most of my time. But you should read it. I will shove it at everyone in this blogosphere until they all read. Haha, I joke. But not really. It's definitely a good book to read if you want a different, more personal perspective on war. *nods sagely*

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  8. I absolutely adore Peter and the Starcatchers! They were the start of my book collection. As for Peter Pan, I still need to read that ...

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    1. I'M SO GLAD YOU LOVE THEM TOO. :D And aww, that's so cool! I know the it took me a while before I got my hands on my own copies, but I was always itching to own them. :) You should read Peter Pan (you know, if you want). It's really good, and I hope you like it if you ever do get around to it.

      Thanks for commenting, and welcome to the blogosphere! :)

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  9. So many good books on this list! Peter Pan was a surprise for me too actually. At the point I read it, I was on a huge reading binge. And when I say huge, I was regularly reading three books a day back then. I ran out of things to read, gave it a go, and was really surprised at home much I enjoyed it. And then I read Peter and the Starcatchers, and realised that Peter Pan retellings could be pretty amazing too. But you do have rather excellent tastes in books. I think I will have to remember some of the books on your list that I haven't read, because I like so many of your other favourite books.

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    1. I know, right? Oh my goodness, that really is a huge reading binge. *takes notes* IT'S SO GOOD THOUGH. And it's surprisingly good. Like, I wasn't expecting it to be that good. I haven't read many Peter Pan retellings, but if they're all as good as Peter and the Starcatchers, then my life will be complete. :P And aww, thank you! I hope you enjoy all the books I mention that you haven't read! I'm think it's cool we have similar tastes! :D

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  10. A lot of these books are on my long term TBR. (As in, I'd like to read them before I die.) I've started (but not finished) a few of these, and hearing your thoughts on them increases my motivation to continue reading them.
    I was very close to the end of The Phantom of the Opera when I left it, but I know the story. I think for me too what drew me in was the struggle. Books have always been a way to study the human mind-fiction is typically about humans, or things that have been humanized. Even if the book is a complete misrepresentation of reality, it has still been written by a human. The imprint of a person or people is everywhere.
    I have loved reading your posts on this topic!!! (I may even steal your idea and do some of my own.) If you do more, that would be awesome! I hope you get to all your rereads this year, and that they're even better than you remember.

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    1. Aww, that's a cool coincidence. (And I have a long term TBR too, so I totally understand that. :P) I hope you enjoy reading them. I mean, not everyone is going to have the same tastes, and that's okay, but I do hope you at least like them. :D
      The struggle is definitely a great drawing point, and I hope you get the chance to finish it someday. The ending is so beautiful, and it's well worth it, at least in my opinion. :P But yes, I love your point about the imprint of a person. I love analyzing books to see if I can get a better understanding of the author's through processes. :)
      Aww, thank you! I so appreciate that! (Go ahead--I would love to see you own special lists. A couple other bloggers have already done the same thing, and I know at least one more that's going to at some point, and I think it's fabulous that people really liked this idea because I was worried it wouldn't take off that much. :P) I'm glad you'd love to read more! I've actually thought of a few titles I missed, so maybe in a month or so I'll do a post or two more in the series. :P I hope so too, and aww, thank you! You're so sweet. *gives you chocolate-covered coffee beans*

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  11. 1984, tho. I've read it at least three times now, and it never fails to horrify me. *shudders*

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    1. GAH IT'S SO TERRIFYING AND HORRIFYING AND I NEED TO REREAD IT SO BADLY. It's such a great book, and I wish more people liked it. *sad face*

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  12. Winnie Pooh and Peter Pan are also classic favorites for me! I actually used to be called Pooh as a pet name by my mom. XD I hadn't thought of that about the fairies and the crocodile. That's a really interesting observation. I haven't read Phantom of the Opera, but I've seen the movie. It's a really cool story. I really want to read Till We have Faces, 1984, and Out of the Silent Planet. They're on my list. It's cool to read your perspective on these. ^ ^

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. *happy dance* I'm so glad you like them too! That's such a cool pet name. Now I'm a little bit jealous. :P And thank you--it does lend a different perspective to the story. I haven't seen the new movie, but I have seen one of the shows on DVD and that was pretty cool. I would definitely recommend listening to the soundtrack done by the original London cast, because I feel it captures the essence of the story the best, and it's what got me into The Phantom of the Opera in the first place. :P I would definitely recommend reading the book. I hope you enjoy Till We Have Faces, 1984, and Out of the Silent Planet--they're all well worth it. *nods* Aww, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed reading my list. :)

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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    2. Haha. Thanks. XD

      The new movie is pretty darn good. Gerard Butler. What's not to like?

      I will let you know when I read them so we may fangirl. You're welcome!

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    3. You're welcome. :D

      I will definitely have to look it up. I'm a big fan of Gerard Butler.

      *waits excitedly* XD

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  13. I actually haven't read most of these, but after reading your post, I think I'm gonna have to try and find 'em. :)

    I LOVE WINNIE THE POOH TOO!!! My mom was actually reading the books to my younger siblings recently, and it was just so much fun to laugh out loud with them at the stories that I remembered from my own younger childhood.
    I've read Journey to the Center of the Earth too! That's a great one. :D


    Alexa
    thessalexa.blogspot.com
    verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com

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    1. I hope you enjoy reading them! :)

      *happy dance* Winnie the Pooh is great for childhood memories. :P But it's something that even adults can enjoy. I love that about kids books like that. You don't have to outgrow them.
      It is. I'm not even sure how many times I've read it, but I love it so much. :D

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  14. I didn't think of Out of the Silent Planet the way you did... I mean, C.S. Lewis definitely addressed aliens in spite of the generic Christian worldview, and I appreciate that. But also I was like kind of bored reading it... *awkward* And also C.S. Lewis and I have problems.

    Still. I'm glad it was important to you. Don't listen to me.

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    1. *sad face* I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it too much. It was definitely a different style, and I can see where it's not the easiest to get through. But hey, we all have our opinions, and it doesn't injure me that you don't love C.S. Lewis the way I do. :P

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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