The Devil's Elixirs (E.T.A. Hoffmann)

 

The monk Medardus was brought up in a monastery, but that doesn't stop him from succumbing to a life of sin. Tempted by a local relic- a bottle of wine supposedly holding the devil's elixir- he drinks and enjoys fame but falls deeply to pride and lust, commits horrible crimes, and is psychologically tortured as he tries to escape. But there's more to the situation than meets the eye- a mysterious past, doppelganger, generational curse, and surprising connections to people he encounters confuse matters. Is hope lost, or is redemption still possible, even for the vilest of sinners?

I like gothic fiction (see a list of works here), so I enjoyed this. It featured typical elements of the genre, and was a nice 'spooky read' around Halloween. Some themes were good to reflect on- the reality of pride and its damage, the frailty of man, the horror of sin, and so on. It was confusing in places- the plot was complex and the connections difficult to follow- but good overall.

Rating: A-

Imperium (Christian Kracht)

 

In the early twentieth century, nudist and coconut-worshipper August Engelhardt departs Germany for the German colonies in the South Pacific. He buys an island (Kabakon) and spends his days in the sun, subsisting entirely off coconuts. His pamplet, penned years prior and distributed in Germany, attracts the occasional disciple, though they often leave mystified and repulsed after a short while. Engelhardt more frequently interacts with the natives who tend his coconut 'plantation.' He grows increasingly obsessive, paranoid, bizarre, solitary, and unhealthy, developing leprosy and other conditions. His journeys to nearby Herbertshöhe- the colonial 'capital' on a nearby island- are increasingly scarce and prove an annoyance to all. (The lives of some inhabitants there are covered, though in far less detail.) Eventually, he'd be discovered living in a cave by American soldiers after WWII and his fascinating story made into film.

This book- which has won multiple awards- was certainly captivating. It's absurd, entertaining (with wit and expert wordplay mildly reminiscent of Dave Barry) and in places profound. The translation was fantastic (and has itself won awards). It appears to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of extremism at its heart- and foreshadows the German horrors in the coming decades- though it also highlights (through many characters) the sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness experienced by so many in this life. I came across this in my "German Reading List" research, and I'm glad I read it, though I'm not sure I found it quite as astonishing or insightful as the reviews would suggest. One review called this a "delightful historical farce" (Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal). I agree- in fact, August Engelhardt did exist and live a similar life (though he died well before WWII), and other historical figures appear in here, too, though the details are often changed a good deal. 

Rating: A-

Celtic Tales (Kate Forrester, illustrator)

 

Celtic Tales is a collection of sixteen fairy tales, broadly categorized under the headings 'tricksters,' 'the sea,' 'quests,' and 'romance.' They were all adapted from one of four sources: The Scottish Fairy Book (Elizabeth Grierson, 1910), Wonder Tales of Ancient Wales (Bernard Henderson et. al., 1922), Folk Tales of Brittany (Elsie Masson, 1929), and Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (W.B. Yeats, 1888). 

The stories are straightforward and enjoyable enough- familiar in moral and similar in story to your typical tale in the genre. People get tricked and have to be saved, undertake great feats for love or fortune, live happily ever after, learn a lesson, etc. I enjoyed the tales of fantastic beasts especially- a stoorworm, selkies, brownie, wyvern, etc. That said, I'm consistently taken in by books like this, and consistently disappointed. I think what I really seek are short stories similar in fantastic/supernatural content but written for adults and featuring marginally more suspense, character, or plot development. Something in the vein of M.R. James (ghost story writer) but with a Celtic theme and not necessarily spooky. Or maybe spooky is what I desire . . . perhaps I'm thinking back to those thrillingly scary tales in the Time-Life "Mysteries of the Unknown" book series I skimmed portions of as a child. (I wonder where those books went?) Banshees- I wanted to read more about Celtic banshee tales! I digress and apologize: the book doesn't have a problem, but it didn't quite scratch the itch.

Rating: A-

A German Reading List (3rd edition)

The German Flag; image from here

The list is always changing. Eighteen months ago, I posted my first take of a German Reading List, but promised it would change. To that end, I produced a second version, and today is the third.

My goal is to:
- Understand German history, to include key events that shaped Germany's identity as a nation
- Be familiar with key works of German literature and fiction, from classics to modern bestsellers

I dropped a few off the list, not due to perceived lack of quality, but a combination of time and access (I'm having a hard time finding some of these titles for reasonable prices). Though I won't read them soon, I still hope to get to the following some day:

- Joachim Whaley, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire

- William Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

- Markus Heitz, The Dwarves

- A variety of WWII literature by various authors

If I've already read a title, I link to my review of it below.  A few are in German and will be obvious based on title. Twelve works remain.

Author	Title	Category
Tacitus	Germania	History
Norman Davies	Europe: A History	History
Neil MacGregor	Germany: Memories of a Nation	History
Wolfram von Eschenbach	Parzival	Arthurian
Stephen Nichols	The Reformation	History
Roland Bainton	The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century	History
David Macaulay	Cathedral	History
C.V. Wedgwood	The Thirty Years War	History
Oliver Pötzsch	The Hangman's Daughter	Fiction
Johann Goethe	The Sorrows of Young Werther	Literature
Johann Goethe	Faust	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Devil's Elixirs	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Nutcracker	Literature
E.T.A. Hoffmann	The Sandman	Literature
Christopher Clark	Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia	History
Carl von Clausewitz	On War	War
Franz Kafka	The Castle	Literature
Franz Kafka	The Metamorphosis	Literature
Thomas Mann	Death in Venice (and Other Stories)	Fiction
Thomas Mann	Buddenbrooks	Fiction
Barbara Tuchman	The Guns of August	History
DK Publishing	World War I- The Complete Visual History	History
Ernst Jünger	Storm of Steel	Memoir
Erich Maria Remarque	All Quiet on the Western Front	Literature
Heinrich Mann	The Loyal Subject	Fiction
Kurt Tucholsky	Germany? Germany!	Satire
Judith Kerr	When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit	Memoir
Klaus Mann	Mephisto	Novel
DK Publishing	World War II- The Complete Visual History	History
Elie Wiesel	Night	Memoir
Dietrich Boenhoffer	The Cost of Discipleship	Religion
Bernhard Schlink	The Reader	Novel
Wolfgang Koeppen	Death in Rome	Novel
Robert Harris	Fatherland	Alternate History
Hermann Hesse	Siddhartha	Literature
Peter Schneider	The Wall Jumper	Fiction
Christian Kracht	Imperium	Humor
Cornelia Funke	Inkheart	YA Fantasy
Walter Moers	The City of Dreaming Books	Fantasy
Michael Ende	The Never Ending Story	Fantasy
Michael Ende	Momo	Fantasy
Various	Die Schönsten Kinderklassiker	Children's
Otfried Preussler	Der Rauber Hotzenplatz	Children's
Otfried Preussler	The Little Ghost	Children's
Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm	Grimm's Fairy Tales	Mythology
P. Craig Russell	The Ring of the Nibelung	Mythology
Eugen Hollerbach	Rhine Legends	Folklore
Elke Leger	Hessische Sagen fur Kinder	Folklore
Arnold Leitner	German Made Simple	Language
Collins	Complete German	Language
Stephen O'Shea	The Alps	Travelogue
Fritsche et al	Technik in den Alpen	Engineering

I think this is the last version. Probably.

On Voting

image from here

It's election time in America! Facebook is abuzz with links, arguments, pleas, insults, and all sorts of opinions on how to vote. Below is a draft set of statements I'm thinking through as I ponder my choices, for this and every election, approaching them from a Christian perspective. The wording below is borrowed liberally from several pastors, to include Tim Keller (this article) and Duke Kwon (this article). Three statements to start:

1. Jesus is Lord over everything.
• As a result, everything matters. In societies where citizens are given a voice in how government conducts business, it is the Christian's privilege and responsibility to participate. Vote. From Tim Keller: "Christians should be involved politically as a way of loving our neighbors, whether they believe as we do or not."
2. No party fully displays the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Both parties want to see America prosper, but have very different visions for what that means and how to make that happen. Each party has policy elements that echo of gospel teachings, but both are off in areas.  
• Scott Sauls says: "Neither Right nor Left has a corner on truth, justice, or neighbor love. Both (a) have some blood on their hands, and (b) imperfectly align with *some* aspect/s of Christ’s own agenda. Follow the Whole Christ and you will find it impossible to align wholesale with any party."
• From Duke Kwon: "Jesus didn’t (and doesn’t) fit neatly into any political party. His kingdom is “not of this world.” Therefore, we should expect the values and priorities of that “alien kingdom” both to transect and to transcend the political categories of the world." 
3. Christians will differ in their political affiliations.
• Because no party fully displays the gospel, Christians will differ in how they vote. Every vote is a compromise. Christians will choose different compromises. 
• And we should be aware of those compromises. Pastor Kwon: "Christians should regularly experience discomfort within their own parties: how the issues are defined and what issues are (and aren’t) tackled. You should never feel perfectly “at home.”"
• And so we should not side with one party at all costs. Duke Kwon: "Christians should be more critical of their own party than their own political tribespeople, and more charitable of the opposing party (annoyingly so) than their own political tribespeople" . . . to the point that "Christians should occasionally make members of their own party mad. If you’ve never irked someone from your own political tribe for disagreeing with the party line, you’re probably following party more than you are Jesus." 
• And as a result, we should be bridge builders. Again, Kwon: "Christians should be motivated to build bridges across the aisle, whether vocationally or socially -- not simply for reasons of civility or productivity, but based upon the conviction that the opposition party is the depository of “leftover pieces” of Jesus' “platform” that evidently didn’t fit into your own party’s policy puzzle."
• Remember, too, the purpose of government. The Bible tells us what to believe and how to behave, but it does not offer, in most cases, policy directives. 
• Example: The Bible's focus is not earthly government, but it's clear from the text that government matters and we should pray for peace and justice. The Bible does not say how much we should pay in taxes (though it does say we should pay them), whether taxes should(n't) fund social programs, and a great deal else. 
• As Christians, it's clear our mandate is to love God and others- to be an active participant in in providing justice and care. It does not say the government must (or cannot) participate in these matters. 
• Thus, it's expected and acceptable for Christians to fall on either side of several issues. From Kwon: "Public policy can be an expression of kingdom values, but the two are not equivalent."  Tim Keller adds: "most political positions are not matters of biblical command but of practical wisdom."
• Tim Keller gives more detail: "This does not mean that the church can never speak on social, economic and political realities, because the Bible often does. Racism is a sin, violating the second of the two great commandments of Jesus, to “love your neighbor.” The biblical commands to lift up the poor and to defend the rights of the oppressed are moral imperatives for believers. For individual Christians to speak out against egregious violations of these moral requirements is not optional.
  However, there are many possible ways to help the poor. Should we shrink government and let private capital markets allocate resources, or should we expand the government and give the state more of the power to redistribute wealth? Or is the right path one of the many possibilities in between? The Bible does not give exact answers to these questions for every time, place and culture."

With that in mind, here's how I am trying to approach elections:

1. Consider policy.
• If candidate [x] wins the election, what will he say he will do? What policies will he champion; what causes will he espouse? 
• What are the underlying worldviews behind these policies? Are they true? I don't expect candidates to be Christians. But I look for those candidates who champion policies that reflect basic principles in the Bible: to respect the dignity of all human beings [because we're made in God's image], care for creation [because we're stewards of the Earth], account for human nature [because nobody is righteous], defend the good and bring wrath on those who practice evil, be just [show no partiality], show concern for the weak and poor, seek restoration of the fallen, and so on.
• From the prior section, note that Christians may come to different conclusions on which policies are most effectively just, protective, loving, etc. Either way, be aware of the underlying belief systems. 
• Also be cognizant of addressing 'root vs. fruit'- should policies focus on the root problem behind a given issue, the fruit of the issue, or both? I suspect some of the disagreements between parties (and Christians) come down to this emphasis. There are different ways to approach reducing crime, for example.
• Some people are "one-issue voters"- meaning that the other policy positions of a candidate are irrelevant to them. While people needn't care about every last issue, I'd argue that limiting it to just one is short-sighted. It's clear in scripture that more than one issue matters. If a candidate enacts good laws in one sphere but brings ruin in many others, is that a net gain? There isn't always an easy answer.
2. Consider character.
• Character shows what a leader truly believes. In that respect, character is policy. 
• Nobody is perfect, but let's say it more bluntly: everybody sins. So character isn't about being sinless, but the "overall moral or ethical quality" of the person. Do you trust this candidate when they speak? Is their conduct worthy of admiration? Do they acknowledge their faults and failures? Do they obey the law? How do they treat others- especially those with whom they disagree? 
• People follow the leader. If the candidate's character is suspect, people will start to defend and display suspect character. 
• This does not mean the person has to be 'nice' or 'likable.' But they do need to show character.
3. Consider qualifications.
• Does the person running for office have experience in relevant areas? 
• This doesn't mean they have to be career politicians, but that they have experience in something reasonably expected to have given them wisdom to execute their responsibilities well in the position they seek.
• Does this person have the demeanor necessary for the position? 
• This is related to character, but slightly different. You can be a good person and not be a good President, because you may not have the demeanor the position requires.
4. When evaluating, be consistent in judgments of both policy, character, and qualifications.
• It's in our nature to give a pass to candidate [x] for poor conduct, then rebuke candidate [y] for the same- all based on party affiliation. If you give one a pass on a given matter, you must do the same for the other. Conversely, if a given criterion matters for one candidate, it must matter for all. 
5. Have minimum acceptable thresholds.
• Every vote will be a compromise in some way(s), but there are thresholds. Have them. Know them. Stick to them. If it was Hitler vs. Stalin, could you in good conscience vote for either? We're not in that extreme situation today, but I use that example to illustrate that there may be times where choosing either candidate is a bad idea. There are other options.
• If you can't, in good conscience, vote for either of the main candidates, then don't. Vote for another candidate who exceeds your minimum acceptable threshold.
• Every vote sends a message. The two main parties retain their dominance in the political landscape today because of the mindset that insists on choosing one- it perpetuates the problem. Some elections may feature two candidates where neither is acceptable. If that's the case, vote for someone else.
• Most European democracies operate on a coalition system- many parties earn a decent (but small) share of the vote, so they must work together and form coalitions to govern. I don't suggest that this is inherently superior to America's two-party model, but I have noticed an intra-party accountability in Europe [because voters have other viable party choices, some of which don't differ remarkably from each other] that America lacks. It solves this particular problem.
6. Support whoever wins.
• As we are to seek the welfare of the cities in which we live, the Bible is clear that we are to pray for our leaders and submit to them, regardless of their policies, character, or disposition towards the Church. Only when they mandate something opposed to God's Word should we disobey.  
• We can rest in a sovereign and loving God, who makes kingdoms rise and fall, and holds the hearts of kings in His hand, to turn them as He wills. That doesn't mean that it will always be easy for His church, but we can rest- and even rejoice- in the reality that the Lord can use all things to accomplish His will- even those overtly opposed to Him. But we hope for more- we pray for wise and just rulers, "that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." 

The decision will not always be easy; the way forward not always clear. Lord Jesus, grant us wisdom.

Bridges (Ian Penberthy)

Bridges, fittingly, looks at "75 most spectacular bridges" of all styles from all over the world. Many types of bridge are covered, but the most common are arch, suspension, and cable-stayed. Each bridge is given two pages, with a full-color photograph on one and a short description with smaller pictures on the other.

This is a quick and fun read. It was fun to learn about bridges we've come across in our travels, see unique bridge designs, and marvel at the engineering and scale of some of the world's biggest. I ding the work only because it could have spent a few pages giving the reader more background in bridge terminology and commonly-faced design challenges. That said, it's a nice book.

Rating: A-

Manderscheider Burgen

 

Today we visited the two castles of Manderscheid. About 100 miles from Wiesbaden (but highway the entire way), these sets of ruins are nestled in a quiet valley on the way to Luxembourg. We saw the lower castle first.

The upper castle is an easy 1km hike from the lower, across a stream and up a narrow (but easily navigated) path. It was wonderful.

We drove a short way the other direction to capture the structures from above.

All in all, a lovely day out.

Technik in den Alpen (Various)

 

Technik in den Alpen (Technology in the Alps) surveys the impressive engineering efforts in this mountainous region. It looks at cable cars, tunnels, roads, trains, bridges, fortresses, snow cannons, dams and more. Nothing is easy in the Alps; the unique and daunting terrain continues to spur engineering innovation and ingenuity. This introductory text, full of pictures and illustrations, helps the reader appreciate the complexities and challenges involved in solving engineering problems and opening up this region for travel and enjoyment.

I've been looking for a good book on Alpine engineering for years. This text, though in German, has enough illustrations and pictures to compensate for my dearth of technical terminology in the language. I got the gist of most of it, and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's fun to learn about such impressive engineering feats. I wish they'd produce a version in English.

Rating: A

Collins Complete German

 

Collins Complete German is three books in one: grammar, verbs, and vocabulary. The grammar explains the mechanics of the language, the verb tables show declensions for 127 of the most common German verbs, and the vocabulary section is a German-English dictionary presented topically.

This is a great reference. I read the grammar section and spot-read the others. Where other books may be preferred for learning (say) conversational German, this will be my go-to resource for studying a specific element of the language. The sections are clearly presented (with definitions in English of grammatical terms- handy for those who have been out of school a while) and nicely arranged. Recommended.

Rating: A

Futurama: Season 2

 

Season 2 of the animated comedy Futurama was even better than the first (I review that here).  Much was the same- same zany (but often intelligent) humor, same amusing characters, and same pointed critiques of society. But this time, there were more episodes (19) and the humor was consistently better. There were a few 'dud' episodes (or at least, less brilliant episodes), but not many.

Rating: A