Book Review # 1

I'm reading three books at once, and they're starting to blur together. Perhaps simultaneous reading isn't such a bright idea after all.

My next review will probably be of How I Became Stupid, a satire about a genius who decides his misery is caused by his intelligence. I'll talk more about it when I finish it, but one part that stands out is a character named Aas (meant to sound similar to "the part you sit on"). Due to tesing products containing phosphorus when he was a child, Aas glows in the dark and can only communicate through poetry. Envy of his simplicity and beauty seems to be an influence in the protagonist's decision to become, well, read the title if you don't know.

I did finish reading Searching for God knows What, and some similarities between the two books are noteworthy.

Donald Miller laments how something as beautiful and creative as the Bible has been reduced to a formulaic series of steps. He recalls how God seems to favor varied creative ways to express His will, such as storytelling and poetry. He especially contrasts poetry to lists and formulas. The point being that the way God expresses Himself is more relational than a series of steps.

The protagonist in the novel felt isolated because he knew too many facts. Both books seem to express a dissatisfaction with knowledge alone.

Am I reaching? Most likely. I'll let you know when I finish the other book.