Becca & Bella: Mostly Books

The Island

If you have not seen the Russian film "The Island" by Pavel Lungin, I highly recommend it. It was recommended to me by two very dear friends, a Greek Orthodox Archbishop and his assisting Bishop, who happens to be my brother-in-law. For me, it was a movie about human weakness, Orthodox faith, repentance and suffering but all against the backdrop of the beauty of a soul sincerely seeking God. Contrary to what you might think, the movie is not depressing but uplifting.

Byzantine Sacred Art by C. Cavarnos

Constantine Cavarnos has written many books covering a wide variety of Orthodox topics but his earlier focus was most often on Byzantine art. I have just finished reading Byzantine Sacred Art - a book actually translated and edited by Cavarnos but featuring a wonderful selection of Photios Kontoglous' essays on Byzantine iconography, architecture and chant. Kontoglous was an impressive iconographer in early 20th c. Greece and his understanding of iconography is thoroughly, passionately and engagingly shared in this exceptional book. "Byzantine icons are painted quietly, devoutly, and with love, and hence he who prays and looks at them relaxes and becomes serene." "The divinely inspired art of iconography is simple and profound, as are all things in Orthodoxy, because they spring from the Gospels." 

"This pious and most honorable art does not speak to the senses, but to the spirit, and it elevates us to lofty heights, giving us nourishment from the heavenly bread. This art does not delight materialistic man (as neither do the Gospels), because it does not represent the external aspect of men and other creatures, but through piety it has succeeded in finding spiritual colors and forms, leading one upward to the blessedness of God."

Goats & The New York Times

Only rarely do I import an article from the daily newspaper on the blog but Henry Alford's story "How I Learned to Love Goat Meat" is one of the most entertaining I have ever read. I will quote the entire thing below or read it online here. 

 

YOU never know where goat will take you. When I asked the smiley butcher at Jefferson Market, the grocery store near my apartment in the West Village, whether he had any goat meat, he told me: “No. I got a leg of lamb, though — I could trim it nice and thin to make it look like goat.” I politely declined. We fell into conversation.

Possession by A. S. Byatt

When you have read too many books in too little time, audio books and "literary films" can be excellent alternatives. It can be helpful to take a break and listen or watch a story rather than obsessively reading. Literary films offer a very different perspective to a book. So, a few evenings ago (after too much reading), I watched Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, and Jennifer Ehle. The story is A.S. Byatt's  and was the1990 Booker Prize winner. What a remarkably brilliant author - if perhaps somewhat eccentric and overbearing! I'd love to know what she thought of her movie - certain that she would be entirely forthright.

Mysteries by Peters, Leon & Ross

In recent weeks, I have enjoyed several new mysteries. I would never have heard of these authors except through a small mystery book club which I have just joined. Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody mystery called He Shall Thunder in the Sky was enjoyable but a little too cute, though Peters herself is a Ph.D in Egyptology from the University of Chicago and writes knowledgeably about that fascinating part of the world. Amelia Peabody is a thoroughly engaging character.

A Month in the Country: JL Carr

Tom Birkin, a veteran of WWI, returns from the front a wounded and broken man. He is home for only a short time before his wife leaves him. This begins the short novel A Month in the Country a beautifully paced story of hope and restoration. Birkin's craft, prior to war, was to restore paintings. He seems to be quite good at it and, in fact, has a reputation for excellence. This leads to a job in the country restoring a medieval church mural. It's summer - quiet and warm. Tom has nothing left to his name and so he lives in the church bell tower - setting up a small cot, looking out over the green meadows, listening to Sunday Eucharist services below while lying in his bed. He works each day on the quite remarkable mural which slowly and steadily appears out of the years of soot, dirt and neglect. As the mural is restored, and village people become friends, Birkin's own healing and restoration begins. 

To the Lighthouse

I had no intention to post again this week since we leave in the morning for Boston to visit our son, Peter, for a few days. However, I finally viewed To the Lighthouse which had been sitting in a Netflix pile, and am delighted to recommend the film to you. Virginia Woolf has always been a favorite author and this film is a powerful interpretation of her work. There may be some bias since Michael Gough and Rosemary Harris seem to me to be particularly excellent, professional actors and I tend to like them whenever and wherever. However, they are extraordinary as Michael and Caroline Ramsay, the two main characters. The Ramsays have a complex marriage and an even more complicated family. The dysfunction and complexities compound as the war and other sadnesses tear the already tenuous fabric of family life. As in every family, there are sweet, tense and sad moments. The scenery is charming, the acting engaging and, though the pace tends to be slow, it fits the times and the tale. Any review I could possibly give, however, would not hold a candle to the one in the NYT which I will attach here:

John Buchan & sister Anna Buchan

At the recommendation of Letters from a Hill Farm, I searched ebay for an old copy of Pink Sugar by O. Douglas (pen-name for Anna Buchan, sister of the famous Scot, John Buchan). I read Pink Sugar over several enjoyable late evenings. Written in 1924, the gentle village tale takes place in the borders of Scotland but is almost unrecognizable by the reader of fiction today. It is simply astonishing how very different today's worldview is from just 85 years ago.

The Winemaker's Soup

My friend Susie has asked for a soup recipe (it was delightful to hear from her). And so, I thought I'd share my new favorite soup recipe from The French Market by Joanne Harris (Chocolat) & Fran Warde. It's fabulous and perfect for Lent if you are trying, as I am, to eat vegetarian until an Easter lamb feast!

4 T unsalted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 lbs onions, thinly sliced

1/2 lb wild or crimini mushrooms, sliced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups dry red or white wine

3 sprigs of fresh thyme (I used more)

2 bay leaves

sea salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

6 slices of day old crusty bread (I cubed and roasted the bread - like croutons)

Heat butter and oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 10 more minutes. Sir in stock, wine, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaves. Place cubed crusty bread in six bowls and ladle in the soup. Serve hot.

Serves 6 ... Use white wine for a lighter, sweeter taste and a red for a richer, darker flavor. (The photo above is from a new blog I've just found and is now listed under the food & wine section in the sidebar: Wine Terroir, Wine Tasting in France. If interesting stories of vineyards and evocative photos delight you as they do me, visit this site. It's an excellent blog).

The Guernsey Literary Society

Several close friends highly recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It seemed an exceptionally charming title and literary societies are an interest of mine, so I had intended to read it for some time. However, for an unknown reason, I could never bring myself to buy the book. Was it just a little too twee, too contrived, even too cute? And, I wondered, did that not offend the men and women of Guernsey who actually lived the nightmare of Nazi occupation? I had at least a few qualms about the book. And then I had to drive to and from Washington, DC in a day and needed an audio book for the 9 hour trip. This was the perfect length book ... so I chose to listen to the audio book. I wanted to make that clear because it may have influenced my opinion.

It's Time for Olivia!

January to March is a dreary time in Pittsburgh, PA. Today is perhaps one of the greyest days I have ever lived through (pathetically melodramatic but if you could just see this drizzle and walk in this cloud that has not lifted off the ground all day - believe me, mist is too nice a word for it). So, I am cheering up by reading some of the most delightful literature I know ... the Olivia series by Ian Falconer. I found these books a few evenings ago (while searching for a new children's book for my grandson). Over a skim green tea latte, I read every Olivia book published to date (not enough) and felt ever so much better about life. I have not been this enamored with children's books since the Eloise and Madeleine series and this is better than either!

Amos Oz: insight on the Middle East

When I visited Israel two summers ago, I wanted to try and understand some things - really too many things to list. It seemed to me that so many pieces of the middle east puzzle did not fit ... confusion between Palestinian and Israeli, ancient and modern, war and peace. Amos Oz was an author I learned could answer a few of my questions ... a remarkable man.

Joanne Harris

Over the past few weeks, I have read several books by Joanne Harris: Holy Fools; Five Quarters of the Orange; Gentlemen and Players; and both Harris cookbooks. Waiting to be read on my bedside table is Blackberry Wine. Chocolat was a favorite of mine last year. 

Harris is an unusual writer. She spins a lovely addictive tale in beautiful, memorable settings without ever becoming "sappy". Her characters are often strong, likable, frequently complex and always full of character. Sights, sounds, tastes, place are all important and add to the probability of getting lost in her French, Italian, and English country-sides. 

Picasso & Sylvette

I have always been fascinated by the life of Picasso ... I and millions of other people. How did a man with such a creative, artistic gift attract such bright, loyal friends and lovers only to destroy their lives? How complex a personality. At times gentle, more often cruel - completely self-absorbed. I always wonder why I am interested in such a misogynist creature and yet I continue to read about him.

There is an interesting, very well written article in Sunday's Guardian UK on the man, his biographer (John Richardson & his excellent books), and a brief story of Picasso's later years. Included is mention of Picasso's fascination with a young woman Sylvette David (later Lydia Corbett), who became Girl with a Ponytail (below). Corbett is now an artist in Devon, England. Her work reminds me not of Picasso but of Chagall and is quite good, I think. You can find Corbett's website here.

Finally Finished

My mother gave me a lovely Elizabeth Bradleyneedlepoint kit over 15 years ago ... really, 15 years ago. It must be the longest period of time between beginning and end that anyone, anywhere has ever taken to finish a project. Mom will faint when she sees these darling Gloucester Old Spot Piglets completed. Elizabeth Bradley has several excellent books out, one being Decorative Victorian Needlework which is well worth purchasing. It's off to the needlepoint shop tomorrow to have it made into a pillow. 

Hotel du Lac: Anita Brookner

 

Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac (1984 Booker Prize winner) is an elegant little gem - one that can be enjoyably consumed whole inside 24 hours. I highly recommend this marvelous story. Brookner is a remarkable writer - concise, erudite, sophisticated and completely absorbing. Every character is carefully and believably crafted. Surprises lurk behind every chapter heading. The setting is attractive, the pace beautifully measured. I could not put the book down - and have only done so with a promise to self to pick up another Brookner as soon as possible.

Maisie Dobbs

Our little mystery book club just finished reading Maisie Dobbs, J. Winspear's first crime novel in a series featuring the young, intelligent, attractive detective Maisie Dobbs. I found the story slow off the mark but it gathered speed and ended well. If you can get to chapter three, you'll enjoy the rest ... well, almost. There is a strange anachronistic addition of eastern meditative process that Maisie uses to deduce the truth about people's hearts which is unconvincingly modern for a 1920's heroine. This small part of the narrative was enough to make the book feel a bit forced with a little too much of the contemporary author inflicting her own late 20th C thoughts. It just didn't match up for me and while I did enjoy the book, I will probably not continue the series because of this - just too many fabulous books out there to read. Having said all this, I have to admit that Maisie Dobbs hasn't left me easily which is always a sign of an essentially good book. For an excellent short review, keep reading below:

Father Gregory Kroug: Iconographer

The icon above is by Father Gregory Kroug - a well known early to mid 20th C. Russian iconographer/hermit. He was a godly monk whose work was exquisite. Painting icons is something I am just beginning to learn and reading about and studying the icons of people such as Kroug and Ouspensky is very helpful. Painting icons is so different from any art I have previously done and, therefore, much more difficult. At the moment, my feeble attempts are as far off the mark as possible. However, though I find the process intense and will need years to discover how to paint icons well, I have also discovered the process to be a refuge. Painting icons is a silent, solitary business ... a time to pray and "be" in the presence of God ... an extraordinary and spiritually calming phenomenon. Andrew Tregubov writes in the introduction to The Light of Christ: Iconography of Gregory Kroug, "icons themselves speak directly to the hearts of those who look at them in prayer, and I have always felt that nothing can be added to that experience."

Slowly Buried by Snowfall

It just isn't going to stop ... day after day of snowfall ... light, powdery, lovely, lovely stuff. We live in a blinding white snow globe engulfed, sometimes suffocated, by flakes. It's very like an embrace and so, in my best moments, I imagine I am Jackie Morris' girl with polar bear - except the bear is a snowdrift. I have a few favorite illustrators and Jackie Morris is at the top of the list. Her imagination, expression, color and composition ... all are breathtaking. And this also seemed to be an extraordinary work (below) ... a gentleman named RJ Clark drew the landscape art - not a photo and yet identical to the crabapple in my back garden.

 

George Eliot's Village Scenes

 

It seems that George Eliot's Scenes of Clerical Life is very closely linked to the stories and people of her girlhood villages in Warwickshire. Having just read D.E. Stevenson's Miss Buncle's Book, I wonder if Eliot's village acquaintances were as outraged by their published profiles - only thinly masked in the three novellas of Clerical Life - as Miss Buncle's characters were enraged by their unflattering portraits. Perhaps it was it's own genre in the Victorian era ... stories straight from life. The Milby Church in Janet's Repentance is apparently drawn exactly from St. Nicholas Church, Nuneaton (below). Coventry City Council Archival Photos has an amazing collection of photos in connection with George Eliot's life, homes, schools and portraits - all of which may be purchased.

Eliot's work continues to amaze me. She was an exacting, deep, powerful writer. She seems to miss not a single nuance, not a solitary minute detail - yet her writing is neither stodgy nor heavy. Her tales consume us and leave us better for having read her work. (one of Eliot's writing rooms below - again from the Coventry Archives - a remarkable resource for George Eliot scholars).