New book findings in Innsbruck

In the park on the other side of the Inn from where we are, there is a free library. Mostly books in German or course, but from time to time there are some interesting books in English. I usually leave my English and Swedish books, that I don't want to keep, here. To my surprise, even the Swedish ones disappears rather quickly.

The other day I was passing by to leave Geraldine Brook's book Nine Parts of Desire that I finished last week. To my surprise I found three excellent books in English, and one rather fun book in German.

This is a book for creatives. In translation it is called Fun With Trash, Design from Waste. It is all about being creative and recycle things in stead of throwing them away. There are quite a few very nice way of creating something useful from various kinds of trash.

There is a page of the final product, followed by a couple of pages with instructions. It is something that anyone can do, even if you are not very handy with tools.

A great book which I gave to my husband. Just waiting to see what comes out of it. If any.

Three classics

The other three books were classics in English. Maybe Ian McEwan's Black Dogs would not be called a classic, but definitely he is an author I wanted to read for a long time. I have high hopes on this book.

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Graham Greene is a favourite author and this book, The Power and the Glory is supposed to be his masterpiece. I have already read it, and it is truly a great, but very sad story, of faith, poverty, weakness, and survival.

There is a historical background to the story, of which I did not know anything. In 1917 a change to the Mexican Constitution restricted the Church's public role. Priests had to register, church property was confiscated and religious services shut down. It led to the Cristero War (1926-1929)

Greene's story is set in the 1930s and it follows a nameless priest - known only as the "whisky priest". He is not allowed to work as a priest anymore and is roaming around the country. He drinks too much, makes mistakes, and carries guilt for fathering a child. In spite of the situation he continues to serve the people when asked, and are thus wanted by the authorities.

Greene's writing takes us directly to this poverty stricken region where people hardly have food to survive the day. The dust, the poor houses, the desperate lives are so well portrayed that you are right there, suffering alongside the people. It is a depressing story about ordinary, brave people who fight to survive in a hostile environment. The priest fight with his own demons of not being able to help people, his own shortcomings, and his doubts about his priesthood. Nevertheless, he keeps going until he comes to a point where he makes a final decision.

Greene's hero is not a saint. His imperfections shine through his daily life, but he somehow manages to show grace and courage along the way. Doing what we all do: trying to be a good person in spite of our imperfections. Not surprisingly, the novel met debate and especially the Catholics were scandalised by the portrayal of the priest. Time has been kind, and it is considered one of Greene's greatest works. The poverty background that shows what people have to do to survive puts an emphasis on the ever big questions of morality, redemption and the never ending clash between religion and politics.

Although I found the book terribly sad, I was deeply drawn to it. From time to time I had to put it down, yet it always lured me back. The characters the priest encounters feel like friends, even though you don’t spend much time with them. As he travels, constantly meeting new people, facing new situations, and entering new environments, you can’t help but feel close to him. The story and the people stay with you, long after you have finished the book.

Dubliners by James Joyce

I have given up on certain classics, because I think they will be too difficult for me. Or, not being able to attract me to reading them. However, lately, I have been rethinking, and decided that I want to read the great classics. Even if they are long, difficult, and might not have a topic that I am very interested in. I can always read a chapter a day.

So, when I found Dubliners by Joyce, and saw that it is not one of his thicker novels, I grabbed it. I hope to read it before I leave Innsbruck, so I can give it back to the free library.

That was a few of my new, rather interesting findings, for no money at all. Is it not great? I hope you are enjoying the summer challenges. I have managed to read more than 20 books so far, so I am really happy.