Just about a year ago, I got Blue Like Jazz for my birthday. I am ashamed to say that tonight I finally finished it. I am feeling kind of behind the cutting edge on this one. I mean seriously how long has this book been out, and I am just finishing it now? That’s like just discovering that they sell loaves of bread pre sliced and neatly bagged in that thing we call the super market. Seriously, where have I been. Anyhow, I finished the book tonight.
A lot can be said about a book to me in the way that I read it. Some books I can’t put down. Some, need to be put down. Here’s the progression of Blue Like Jazz for me.
I started reading with great enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm wore off…
Book was grabbed to read during toilet time.
Book remained next to bedside table for many months.
Book was grabbed to read during toilet time.
Book remained within arms reach of the porcelain.
Book was redeemed from the clutches of the bathroom and moved back to the illustrious bedside table where it was picked up and read with great enthusiasm again.
So, if that didn’t make sense to you, let me help you out with how I felt about Blue Like Jazz. I began reading this book with great anticipation. I was expecting to have my mind be really opened up to new ways of thinking. I was expecting a second great enlightenment. I was disappointed. My friend Tim loved this book. I highly respect Tim and his literary knowledge. I was ready for this to be an awesome book. The beginning and the end where indeed that for me. Donald Miller is an excellent story teller. However all in all, I give the book maybe a B. (Sorry Tim…)
Here is the number one thing that I drew out of the book. Miller did an excellent job of helping me understand what Hell could be like. He has this whole cartoon imagery helping describe what Hell could be like. He describes hell as floating around the earth in a self contained space suit. Watching the earth and seeing life, and seeing connection, seeing relationships, yet also watching as your hair slowly creeps in and clouds out your vision. Your beard growing all over making it so that you can’t even see earth anymore. All the while still floating through space orbiting this planet earth. I thought this really put flesh on what hell could be like. What I mean by that is I now have a better feeling of what hell could feel like. I can imagine what hair clouding out my vision would be like. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what fire and brimstone would be like. Job well done Miller.
All in all, I am glad I read it. I wish it didn’t take me 11 months, 29 bathroom visits, and 1 long car trip.
What books are you reading right now?
~Peter
6 Comments
Hi ~ reading a book on solitude and silence… trying to learn how to do that. i heard about a book called the North Side of God and i would like to get a hold of it. It seems that it is pretty good concerning when the things in our life don’t make sense.
I am currenlty reading a Biography on John Adams. It was written by the same author who wrote 1776, David McCullough. Both of the books are written in a way that makes history not just a boring list of facts. Although, strangly enough I would be happy with a list of facts, but in the light of a story, you definitally feel the emotions of characters. John and his wife Abigal wrote to each other as often as they could. More of their letters were perserved than any other couple’s coorespondance during the period. John Adams who in many ways was the second, to George, most important founding father, said that He thought that he would be soon forgotten.” Something to the effect that he would be remembered as behind the scenes kind of guy. I often feel that my gifts are like that, although maybe not to the same degree. It is amazing to see God’s hand in the founding of our nation. Wether or not they were truly “Christians”, they did believe in God and it is evident that God played a key part in putting the country together.
Yo guy, I’ve been reading three books recently. One is Donald Miller’s other book which is Searching for God knows What. A good read, like you said Pete, the Don is a good story teller and can help place some Scripture stories into real perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter on Adam and Eve. A second is Josh McDowell’s book, Beyond Belief to Conviction. It’s a book that Josh put out to help youth workers move their kids into a deeper conviction on their faith. I really have to say that I am disappointed in it. Doesn’t really give me anything new, not a fan of his writing. I really feel like he’s buttering up the Gospel, or more or less trying to hard to sell it. And finally my third book is The Barbarian Way written by Erwin Raphael McManus. Haven’t gotten to far into this one, by I am reading with much anticipation as it has come highly recommended from a friend of mine. The basic gist is trying to have you see how Christianity has become too civilized, losing the basic commands of Christ, “Follow me” and “Go.” He’s not necessarily bashing Biblical Institutes or Seminaries, it’s more like how we as Christians have forgotten that a follower of Christ is not a safe faith. How we have become complacent in our understanding or walk with Christ. The first chapter really got me excited and it’s a simple read, I’d suggest anyone to pick it up.
Always reading all kinds of books at once…but just finished StrengthsFinder 2.0 and would recommend it to anyone as a different way to think about tapping our natural talents. We have a tendency to focus on our weaknesses and then try to overcome them. What if we take a look at the maxim “you can be anything you want to be if you just try hard enough” (so very popular in today’s society) and stop taking the path of most resistance, fixating on our deficits and how to “get over” them? The reality is that a person who always struggles with numbers isn’t likely to be a great accountant, no matter how hard they try. Maybe the key to human development is building on who you already are, your strengths. “You cannot be anything you want to be – but you can be a lot more of who you already are.” Let’s put our energy into defining our strengths, developing our natural talents and realize extraordinary room for growth exists. This book goes on to help us to just that! Pretty cool paradigm shift.
P.S…The Barbarian Way is indeed awesome. Read that last summer. Definite keeper that can shed perspective and insight that provokes thought.
word.
searching for God knows what is rad.