A Canticle for Leibowitz

A Canticle for Leibowitz: Walter M. Miller, Jr.: This is another one of those books I've started a million times but never got past, "Brother Francis Gerard of Utah might never have discovered the blessed documents, had it not been for the pilgrim . . . ." I heard Mary Doria Russell, author of the excellent The Sparrow, speak about her love for this book and thought I might try it again. It's a novel that fits within the same apocalyptic tradition as Alas, Babylon and The Road. Only it covers centuries. It begins with the discovery of the "blessed documents"; items from the time before an unexplained but likely nuclear event plunged the world into a new dark age. We follow the brothers of the Order of Leibowitz through the centuries as they struggle to get their patron canonized and also maintain what little knowledge is left until the world is ready for it again. The novel is divided into three parts that take place in different eras; Fiat Homo (when the documents are discovered), Fiat Lux (when man is beginning to show an interest in knowledge again -- especially science), and Fiat Voluntas Tua (what man does with that knowledge.) A Canticle for Leibowitz also addresses issues of faith, human nature and the rise and fall of civilizations; it is steeped in Catholicism and Latin. The Latin was annoying to me because I don't know it, but I could always get the gist of the conversation from surrounding textual clues. The Catholicism, however, was like coming back to the place where you born -- I know it and understand it. It's been several weeks since I finished this book, but I still miss the brothers of St. Leibowitz, and I will re-read this novel -- I can't think of a higher compliment. If I were rating this novel as Les does, I'd give it a 4.9 out of 5.

Friday Shuffle -- one actually done on Friday!

1. The Sporting Life: The Decemberists from Picaresque
   
2. Casino Nation: Jackson Browne from Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2
3. Myriad Harbour: The New Pornographers from Challengers
4. 15 Step: Radiohead from In Rainbows
5. I Can't Quit Her: Blood, Sweat and Tears from Greatest Hits
6. The Wreck of the Barbie Ferrari (I love the title of this song): John Hiatt from Perfectly Good Guitar
   
7. Heaven Help Us All: Madeleine Peyroux and Willie Galison from Got You On My Mind
8. Conquest: The White Stripes from Icky Thump
9. In the Ghetto: Elvis Presley from Elv1s 30 #1 Hits
10. American Woman: Lenny Kravitz from Greatest Hits

Dark of a Thousand Nights

Alas, Babylon: Pat Frank: When I was a kid, I went through this apocalyptic fiction phase -- I read every novel like that I could get my hands on. Shockingly, I never read a classic of the genre, Alas, Babylon. I remember trying to read it, but I never got past the first page. Les's positive review of it encouraged me to try reading it once again. It's an amazing read. Despite the fact that America is destroyed by nuclear bombs, Frank's novel is a hopeful one. His characters come together to take care of each other and to rebuild their world. The main character, Randy Bragg, who before The Day, seemed pretty much aimless, steps up to the plate and shows that he is strong and becomes a leader in his small town of Fort Repose, FL. Some of the stereotypes of women and blacks bothered me, but only for a minute -- the novel was written in 1959 after all. Helen, for instance, although a completely capable woman in all other respects, is one of those women who needs a man. Randy's wife, Lib, hesitates to suggest something because she feels that what she's thinking about should be first brought up by a man. Helen's daughter, Peyton, longs to be a hero like her brother but is told that the things she wants to help with are better left to boys and men. Despite the stereotypes, you can feel all the women beginning to chafe against these arbitrary rules. In some ways too, in its treatment of African Americans, Frank's novel and his character are just a little ahead of the times. Randy feels that race shouldn't matter -- this is vividly pointed out when after The Day, Randy is in a park staring at two water fountains trying to remember why there are two separate ones like that. The characters eventually realize that they are all interdependent on one another and race becomes unimportant. Randy's niece and nephew, who've come to Florida from Omaha, have grown up expecting that their schools will be integrated. In spite of that, Randy's friend, Malachi, whom he's known his entire life, calls him, "Mr. Randy." All that said, Alas, Babylon, is a wonderful read with characters you can relate to and care about.

Friday Shuffle on Saturday

1. Come Pick Me Up: Ryan Adams from Heartbreaker
2. I Must Be High: Wilco from A.M.
3. What a Wonderful Man: My Morning Jacket from Z
4. Off Broadway: Ryan Adams from Easy Tiger
5. Pot Kettle Black: Wilco from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
6. Another Rainy Day: Corinne Bailey Rae from Corinne Bailey Rae
7. Somebody's Baby: Jackson Browne from Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2
8. Old Times Sake: Shelby Lynne from Suit Yourself
9. All We Can Really Do: Melissa Etheridge from The Awakening
10. White Rabbit: Patti Smith from Twelve