Guernsey Literary Society

This book was a true treat for a bibliophile's soul. It received a decent amount of quiet recommendation from the middle class spectrum of critics. There are spectrum's - the romance machine press, the tween scene, and the intellectual pearls. This met the quiet "beach" read group's needs.

It is not a driving page turner, you may choose to put it down and experience little plot suspense. But the book's characters are so alive that I wanted to revisit them as soon as possible after finishing my work and school (and sometimes before that as well).

The book is written in a form of letters surrounding Juilet, a young writer on tour for her book "Izzy Bickerstaff goes to War." Sydney Stark is her publisher and brother to her childhood school friend, Sophie. Juliet receives a letter from a Dawsey Adams from the English island of Guernsey. It happens that one of her old books found its way into his hands, Selected Essays of Elia, by Charles Lamb. He wondered that if the essays were "selected" where he might find more, as he considers Mr. Lamb to be a kindred spirit and friend. Juliet is intrigued at the thought that ones of her favorite books found another open soul and begins a correspondence with Mr. Adams. Guernsey had been occupied during WWII, and had just recently reawakened in their freedom, curious to learn about the world's progresses while they were cut off. It turns out that Guernsey citizens had a fortuitous serendipity in starting a literary society. The Germans were strict about curfew and gatherings, and the society started as a cover so that friends could visit with one another. The stories that the letters tell break your heart and inspire your soul that the human spirit may find hope, even in the midst of oppression and isolation. While the stories of the occupation are fictional, the spirit behind the them rings sound. The knowledge that atrocious means are carried out on ordinary people in times of war is sobering and sorrowful. I cried as I read certain portions of the book. Tears of joy, wonder, and bittersweet sorrow. The courage and resilience displayed throughout the theme of the work make for an indescribable work of literature. I didn't want it to end, but I closed the back cover with a resignation that the characters' lives continue on, and so shall mine as well.

Insufficient Words
Yet, pictures frame the scene well
Reader's minds see through

Chronicles of the Soujourner: Life through Inception

Inception, it paradoxically goes slower the second time you see it. I am still on an unplanned sabbatical through disinclination and schoolwork's demands. But the overarching theme of the movie has fit a general trend and question in the realm of theatre - "What is reality?" The film itself is the dream of the screenwriters, as seen through the vision of Christopher Nolan, and lived out by Leonardo DiCaprio. It is a metaphor in itself, but what is the answer to its deeper meaning? Nolan left the question unanswered, on purpose, for who holds the truth on this plane of reality? No man sees his entire life's impact - It's a Wonderful Life message. What proof do we have in the movie that the first plane, on which DiCaprio collects his team, is really real - as Moll asks him later on in the film. There are no guarantees; We take what we are given and work out the best manner of spending our existence from there. Philosophers question in their dreams, Inventors innovate with theirs, Artists long to shape reality in the shape of thought's beauty. But some concepts are vague and unclear. We trust so much, because we have not the time or inclination to understand for ourselves the actions of others. Who do you believe? Who holds the strings in your reality? News and Stories clamor for your attention, promising truth. To believe on your own experience is flawed and takes longer - starting ex nihilo is frustrating and frightening. I would use the english language whenever possible, but the thrust of the Latin is powerful and Godlike. Only God holds the ability to create out of barrenness, and negative infinity strains the mind as much as its reciprocal, upon which many humans focus in vain. To question your own existence and meaning in life is draining, seeing the big picture is like the fairy cake machine in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Zaphod Beeblebrox was fortunate to escape to that pocket dimension in which he was the most important person in the world. For who wants to know that their very existence is frail?

Question Reality by all means, but the answer exists at the edge of consciousness, just out of reach. On his own, man is hopeful in his helplessness - that is why we need a Savior to pick up our pieces and infuse us with his love. To be part of the heavenly realm is an honor and a privilege, one which I hold too lightly at times. What a light yoke, what a glorious task, to live, and know that I am serving My Maker and Sustainer. Oh for these rare moments when the veil is pierced and a fragment of the eternal finds its way into the finiteness of this world. It rests as a fragment in my soul, runs through my veins, makes me whole. This life is a walk, one in which obstacles present themselves to be overcome. It is our position to clear away the snares that we are equipped and designed to face, and call out to our heavenly Father to aid us when the night comes, and the burdens feel too heavy for our endurance.
This life has an infinite amount of layers, only, it takes a concentrated dosage in a controlled environment for us to see the tip of the iceberg of truth. That is what Inception was to me - a jolt of adrenaline to my lethargic spirit, causing me to wake up and see the stars shining above my life. There is more than what I perceive and that I am not alone in the Universe is a comforting thought. This is my reality, until its Maker rends its fabric and starts anew with heaven and earth.

Confusing? So is the film in question...

I watched a strange film
Twice, four and a half hours.
I might understand