Fiction!

So after my comments about reading more non-fiction recently, I finished two novels.

The first was the new Jan Karon (the novel I got for Christmas). I really love her books. In this book Father Tim goes home for the first time in years and works through family history trauma and especially his relationship with his father. Many joys and sorrows in the book. It is well written, as always, and themes of family, redemption, and forgiveness are startlingly explored in the book. If you haven’t read an Karon, you could step into this book and not be too confused, but it would be best, IMO, if one started with the beginning of the series.

The other book I read was Persuasion by Jane Austen. PBS is doing a series on Jane Austen adaptations for Masterpiece Theater. The first Sunday was Persuasion. I’ve attempted to read Persuasion several times over the years and just haven’t been able to get past the first couple of chapters. I’d get distracted by something else I thought I ought to read or some foolishness. The PBS 90 minute adaptation was enjoyable to me. Qualified … I enjoyed it, but was certain it was a pale shadow of the book, so I finally forced myself to get going. I’m so glad I did! The book clears up plot points and corrects them so they make sense (Anne was much to forward in the movie, of course). The story is so much more touching and lovely than the movie could have attempted to be in 90 minutes. So I would say only watch the movie if you think it will induce you to read the book! (I hope they get Mansfield Park right. MP remains my favorite of the novels)