A Death in the Family by James Agee

Imagine this: you're a young child (around six or seven), you've just gotten a really cool new hat and toy that you can't wait to show your dad who's coming home late that night because he has to go visit his father who might be dying. The next morning you wake up to find out that Daddy isn't coming home again... ever... because he died in a car accident the night before.

That's the premise of this story, and it was set in the early 1900's. Written in absolutely beautiful prose, James Agee has skillfully crafted a story that truly will last through the ages. He focuses so much on the emotions and human interactions during this awful trying time, that you notice very few discrepencies between this time period and the one the novel is set in. Sure there are a few people who still are using horses as transportation and the clothes are a little different, but in the big picture, this story is about any family who loses their father at a young age.

Reading the story I didn't know what was more heartrending, the portions told from the child's point of view or the mom's point of view. I can't imagine losing my father and never really knowing him as I grew up, but I also can't imagine losing my husband at the age of 36. Agee tells such a convincing story that your heart breaks for either person.

One of the most beautiful parts of the book is the mother's faith. Maybe it's just because I believe so strongly in a God and an afterlife, I could relate to her. She was absolutely trusting in God and even when everyone around her was losing their faith, she kept on believing and praying. And I have to say, it takes a lot of courage to tell your children that their Daddy is gone up to Heaven because God needed him. How do you tell that to them and expect them to continue to believe in God?

It's a quick read, so if you're looking for a good book definitely pick this up.

The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Note to self [and all others out there]: Do not EVER read more than one book by Kipling at a time. Unless you find yourself so immersed so immersed in the first book that you just have to read another, just stop, read a book by a different author, and THEN go back to Kipling.

I tend to have this thing where I like to read a bunch of books by one author at a time so that I can get a better sense of their writing style. I did it with Margaret Atwood and loved it, but apparently Kipling is not one of those authors I can do that with.

The Second Jungle Book is a lot like the first. Stories of human/animal interactions. Maybe it's just that I'm already out of the English class "let's analyze everything" mode, but I had a hard time making any connections between the stories. However, there are more stories about Mowgli. None of them are in the movie though.

So now, after learning that me and Kipling do not get along, I'm off to bigger and better things! My summer reading goal is to finish off the College Board Suggested Reading List (which you can find right here). I've read some of these books already, so now I just have to finish off the 80 or so that are left. There's zero chance of me actually finishing the list this summer, but I'm going to try. I'll have lots of time for reading on our cruise and on the drive to and from Kansas, so we'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll convince Andy that we should get a couple of them on CD (if the library has them) and listen to them on the drive out.

But anyways, join me on my reading quest if you'd like or start one of your own. I promise... it will be worth your while.

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Dear Mr. Kipling,

I would just like to apologize on behalf of present humanity for what Disney did for your book. Like most people I grew up watching the Disney version of The Jungle Book. I loved it. I loved the animals that could talk, and their crazy antics throughout the jungle. All this belongs to your book. I finally read your book after 21 years of watching the movie. They are NOT the same. I'm not saying that one is better or worse than the other, they're just different.

I expected the book to be a longer version of the movie. More stories about Mowgli and his friends. More adventures throughout the jungle. Instead, I got three chapters about Mowgli, and then a collection of short stories about various animal/human interactions. I felt lost and confused. Disney has once again let me down. I don't know why I keep trusting them to tell the story as the author(s) intended. Most of the time, when I read a book that Disney based their movie on, I just get disappointed. Like with Alice and Wonderland (see my post from last summer about that one).

I wish you were still alive to sue Disney for what they've done to your book. They've raised several generations believing that The Jungle Book follows one story, when really... it's so much more.