Category: Paper Chase

Posted in Paper Chase

L.M. Montgomery – Anne Of Green Gables

Posted on by Michael

Any trip to Prince Edward Island is sure to involve learning about the legend of the story – Anne Of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.  Originally published in 1908, the novel has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and turned the Cavendish area of PEI into a must-see part of the island with a museum, preserved house from the era, and a tourist area filled with restaurants and shops.

The book follows the trials and tribulations of 11-year-old orphan Anne Shirley who is mistakenly sent to live with siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert on their family homestead in Avonlea. Anne quickly wins over Matthew with her charming, nonstop chatter and she is then allowed to stay in their home rather than a boy they had originally requested from the orphanage.

The book is a charming slice of life from early in the last century. Each chapter focuses on a new adventure or life lesson that Anne ha to figure out. The countryside turns into a whimsical place of discovery for Anne and her best friend Diana. The feel-good story has captured hearts for over a hundred years. As another reader said, by the time you come to the end of the book, you are sad that you will not be spending more time in the world of Anne Of Green Gables.

10/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Larry McMurtry – Lonesome Dove

Posted on by Michael

Lonesome Dove is a masterpiece that keeps coming up as a must book to read on social media. The Western novel by Larry McMurtry was originally published in 1985. It focuses on two ex Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call. The two become business partners and run the Hat Creek Cattle Company and Livery Emporium in Lonesome Dove Texas, employing several men including Newt, Pea Eye, and Deets.  Old acquaintance Jake Spoon shows up and tells the men there is a fortune to be had by starting a cattle company in Montana. Led by Call, the men pack up the business and move the cattle up North.

The main story takes place across the plains of the Midwest, running into strangers along the way who become part of the story.  Two prominent women play roles – Lorena and old flame Clara. Simultaneously, the story of July Johnson features as he searches for the man who killed his brother. What’s remarkable, is the many stories that collide in the novel are all entertaining and fascinating. The Pulitzer Prize winning book keeps finding a new audience and is rightly regarded as one of the finest American novels of all time.

10/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Ryan Holiday – Right Thing, Right Now

Posted on by Michael

The third book in Ryan Holiday’s “Stoic Virtues Series” was published in 2024.  Right Thing, Right Now focuses on the Justice virtue which is illustrated through Holiday’s usual method of telling the stories of historical figures and events. In this book, Mahatma Ghandi and Harry Truman play prominent roles as does Frederick Douglass and Thomas Clarkson. The stories of their lives to show good values, character and deeds.

Like Holiday’s other work, this book can skim a bit on history and breaks things down into simple consumable snippets.  It should not be an end to learning, but rather a starting point in the direction of reading more about some of these people, their lives and events. Others may complain about a vanilla approach but with all the negative noise in the world, Holiday helping show people how to be good people is refreshing.

8/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Albert Camus – The Fall

Posted on by Michael

The Fall by French philosopher Albert Camus was originally published in 1956, a year before he won the Nobel Prize for literature. The novel takes place in Amsterdam where Parisian lawyer Jean-Baptiste Clamence has moved. He befriends a fellow patron at the Mexico City bar and opens up about his life with its many ups and downs.  Most notably, speaking about the parts of his life where he has not acted charitably. Or even when he does, is it to help fellow men and women or to only gain attention of others..?

It’s a fascinating story that takes place over several meetings, Clamence is charming with seemingly many lives lived. The whole story feels like it takes place in a Brassai photograph – in black and white, at night, and in the cold and damp.  Clamence’s fall from grace, his Garden of Eden, sees him turn inwards and analyze his life and its many events, his many decisions. At less than 150 pages, it’s a quick story but thoroughly thought provoking, a true work of art.  

10/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Ali Smith – Spring

Posted on by Michael

Spring, the third installment in writer Ali Smith’s 4-part series was published in 2019.  It’s post Brexit in the UK and this gives a glimpse into every day life. TV director Richard is saddened by the loss of his good friend and while travelling to Scotland meets Brit and Florence whose stories had been running parallel. Florence is a young girl who has a special aura about her, Brit works in an immigration detention centre, a bleak place to be for both workers and detainees.

Like the Autumn and Winter books, Smith’s stories are rooted in everyday life but take in a dreamlike quality to them like they are happening out of time. Politics is once again in the story but lurks in the shadows. The real story is the people living their lives, interacting with others, and the moments we share with one another.

8/10