A Daunting Read

I have been struggling for the past few weeks to read/finish this book. While I am no professional critic, I do have some opinions of this book. I got it for Christmas and was so excited to read it, as I wanted to learn about the expedition and the amazing people who were involved and their histories. It has been a bit of a disappointment. I know Gerald Lund's work and should have known what this would read like, since I've read other books he has written, i.e.,"The Work and The Glory", "Behold The Man", and "Fire and the Covenant". I never finished the books from The Work and the Glory (too long, boring and too much sappy love dialogue, although I did love the historical facts). I plugged through "Behold the Man" and the rest of the books in that series, hoping to get a better perspective on the life of Christ (didn't happen, I think I'll stick to the scriptures). I got bored with them and I am bored with this one. I have been reading it for a while hoping it would get better. By better I mean less predictable, and less romantic drivel between fictional characters (do people really talk and behave that way?) and more history of real people. So far, the footnotes at the end of the chapters are the best parts, and the beginning of the book where he describes the coal mine conditions. In my opinion, this book is a carbon copy of all the other books he has written - change a few circumstances, change a few names and you have a new book. Same sappy love stories (and painful dialogue) in a new cover. I appreciate that he did a ton of research on the people and events who were real, but the main characters in this book are (I'm shouting this part) FICTIONAL, while the real people are secondary.  I'm sure their lives were much more amazing than the fictional family he made up.

When I read the dialogue between the confused courtship of Molly (who cries so much I want to slap her and tell her to buck up) and David (I like his character, but total emotional wuss) and Abby (who, if this were a play the actress would have to over-act every line) I want to gag.

At one point I decided not to finish the book, time and life are to precious to waste on a book you don't like, but I had already committed to 600 pages (trying to get to the "good part"), so I decided I could work through the last 200. (It was a liberating feeling for the few days I had decided not to waste my time on it). Plus, I wanted to write this blog so I though I should at least finish the book, in all fairness. I could be the dumb one here.

I know there are people out there who read and loved this book. I am happy for them that they found a good read. There is nothing I love better than losing a few hours a day (yes, hours) in a good read. But this book didn't do it for me. 

Here are a couple of books that I have read and loved. "The Female Brain" by Louann Brizendine, it is a non-fiction, but an easy to read and understand book about how the female brain works from conception to old age. I love to read this kind of stuff, maybe you won't. I don't agree with the author's point of view on all things, but was fascinated by how the female brain differs from the male brain even in embryo and how our brains change in chemistry (hormones) as we age (teenage brain, mommy brain, yes it is real, menopause brain).

A somewhat historical fiction I read and loved was "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. It is set in mid-evil times. Story about a mason who wants to build a cathedral to God. Very good, but beware of a couple of rapes in the story and a few graphic scenes. I took this book to Mexico a few years ago to read in my down time and didn't put it down hardly at all - even while on the Mexican Riviera. Good book. 

"Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns. This is an older book, I read it about 15 years ago and can't remember much about it. However, I clearly remember that in some parts I cried and in other parts I laughed. I love books that take me on an emotional roller-coaster. 

"Running With Angels" by Pamela Hansen. This book is a raw -life experience about a woman who had unparalleled challenges in her life, but overcame them, lost a bunch of weight and ran a marathon. I know that is not a stellar description, but it is a good book, very inspiring, quick 200 page read. 

"Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Another quick read. This is the author's experience of the Rwandan Genocide, her family's murder, how she survived by hiding in a bathroom and how this entire experience turned her to God. It isn't a dark and depressing book, although the experience of the Rwandan genocide is atrocious. She doesn't dwell too much on that in a dark and negative way, although the entire book is about the murders and genocide. It is more about how that experience turned her to God and her struggle to find faith in such unhuman circumstances, and how she found forgiveness. It is hands down, the best book I have ever read. It left me with a feeling of hope, not utter despair. Everyone's probably already read these books, as none of them are hard to find. If any of you have suggestions on good books to read, let me know. I'm always looking. (Anita Stansfield and other LDS fictional authors need not apply, don't even think of suggesting any books about vampires, I can't take it).

P.S. For those who may be wondering - I am a card-carrying member of "the church" and do believe Gerald Lund to be called of God, but as a general authority, not a fictional author. I read and loved his non-fiction book "The Coming of the Lord" - excellent read. And no, apparently I don't know how to write a short blog!