The Betrothed (Alessandro Manzoni, 1827 with revisions through 1842) (translated by Michael Moore)

Read on Kindle; print version is maybe 800 pages.

Story is written in first half of 19th century but the action is set in the 17th century. I read that it is considered a masterpiece and the first modern Italian novel.

I liked it a lot.  

Renzo and Lucia (local peasants, poor though Renzo is a valued silkworker) are engaged to be married, but the local priest (Don Abbondio) puts them off after a warning from some local toughs (known as bravi - a sort of henchmen for those who do activities requiring henchmen). In this case, a squirrelly noble named Don Rodrigo wanted to have Lucia in some way, and headed off the marriage.  The story goes on from there as Renzo and Lucia - seldom in the same location - try to evade Don Rodrigo and work through various other challenges.

The plague scenes are pretty compelling and certainly correlate to some Covid events. The Capuchins are presented as incredibly helpful. Fra Cristoforo helping Renzo and Lucia; they forgive Don Rodrigo.

Cardinal Federigo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, is helpful. The local priest is too scared to do his job.

Here's Gemini's summary -

Set in 17th-century Lombardy under Spanish rule, Alessandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) is a cornerstone of Italian literature. The story follows two silk-weavers, Renzo and Lucia, whose plans to marry are thwarted by the local tyrant, Don Rodrigo, who desires Lucia for himself. Rodrigo intimidates the cowardly priest, Don Abbondio, into refusing the ceremony, forcing the couple to flee their village.

The narrative splits as the lovers endure a series of historical calamities. Renzo travels to Milan, where he becomes caught up in bread riots and is nearly arrested, while Lucia seeks refuge in a convent, only to be betrayed by the tragic Nun of Monza and kidnapped by the powerful "Unnamed." However, Lucia’s piety sparks a miraculous moral conversion in her captor, who eventually releases her.

Their trials culminate during the devastating Great Plague of Milan (1630). After surviving the disease, Renzo finds Lucia in a plague hospital (lazzaretto). With the help of the saintly Fra Cristoforo, who releases Lucia from a vow of celibacy she made in captivity, the couple is finally reunited. The novel concludes with their marriage, symbolizing the triumph of "Divine Providence" and the resilience of the humble against the corruption of the powerful.

The Taste of Empire - How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World (Lizzie Collingham, 2017)

(276 pages)

I had much enjoyed another one of the author's books - that earlier one focused moreso on Indian food and its evolution via British influence - so gave this one a shot.  I liked it quite a bit, though not quite sure of the takeaway. I think the main perspective was that globally-shipped, high-efficiency (in growing) food items were gaining sway a lot earlier than I would have realized.

A cool device was providing a recipe at the beginning of each chapter to anchor the development of key ingredients.

Gemini's summary:

In The Taste of Empire, Lizzie Collingham provides a comprehensive historical analysis of how the British Empire was shaped by the fundamental human need for food. Moving away from traditional political or military narratives, Collingham argues that the empire was essentially a vast global food system, driven by the necessity of feeding a growing domestic population and the commercial desire for new commodities.

The book explores the intricate "web of trade" that connected distant corners of the globe:

Commercial Expansion: It details how the pursuit of stable food sources, such as North Atlantic cod and Caribbean sugar, laid the groundwork for early colonial infrastructure.

Logistical Innovation: Collingham highlights the incredible organizational feats required to transport perishable goods across oceans, which spurred advancements in shipping, preservation, and global finance.

Cultural Exchange: The narrative shows how the British palate became "internationalized," adopting products like tea from China and spices from India, while simultaneously introducing European farming techniques and crops to the Americas and Australia.

While the book acknowledges the disruptions caused by these shifts—such as the transition from local subsistence to export-based economies—its primary focus is on the interconnectivity of the imperial era. Collingham illustrates how the modern globalized food market, characterized by the year-round availability of diverse ingredients, is the direct descendant of this historical British mercantile network.

Macbeth (William Shakespeare, 1606)

A classic I'd not read in many years - there it was on Kindle, so I read it.  Much enjoyed.

Story line is familiar - witches prophecy, Macbeth gets ambitious (with assist from his wife), Macbeth kills the kind of Scotland and takes over; further murders to try to cement his position.  Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth overcome with guilt (I had forgotten the scenes where she sleepwalks trying to wash the blood off her hands).

Banquo's ghost! Birnam Wood moves! Beware Macduff - born via C-section! 

Tons of familiar quotes. Shakespeare talent unreal.

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day... / Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Parts I-II)

Another famous book included in the "Harvard Classics" so I gave it a try.

Franklin's early years - a unique look at life in the colonies in the decades prior to the Revolutionary War.

All of this was fascinating but for whatever reason I just didn't get into the writing. I don't plan to finish this.

Early days.  Franklin learns the printing business and makes a success of it.  Poor Richard's Almanac. The Franklin stove.  Lending libraries.  He was an effective businessman and entrepreneur even in the early portions that I was reading.  Perhaps I would have enjoyed the Revolutionary War days and his time as an ambassador in Paris more?

Winter's Tale (Mark Helprin, 1983)

(748 pages)

My third Helprin book. I was caught up in it and looked forward to picking it up, but didn't love it.

Here is a Google Gemini 100-word summary:

"Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale is a sprawling work of magical realism primarily set in a mythical, snowbound New York City spanning the turn of the 20th century into the millennium.

The narrative centers on Peter Lake, an Irish orphan and master-mechanic turned thief, who is pursued by the sinister gang leader Pearly Soames. Peter is aided by a mysterious, flying white horse named Athansor. Breaking into a mansion, he encounters and falls instantly in love with Beverly Penn, a wealthy, visionary young woman dying of consumption.

After Beverly's tragic death, Peter escapes his pursuers by vanishing into a timeless cloud wall. He re-emerges decades later with amnesia, his ultimate quest to shatter time, bring back the dead, and achieve a perfectly just city, guided by the enduring power of his impossible love."

It's pretty accurate for just 100 words. The limit doesn't allow mentioning other key characters, such as Virginia Gamely - resident in Lake of the Coheeries. This small upstate town, often snowbound, is where the Penn family (Isaac, father of Beverly and also of Harry - he ran a newspaper that was central to the story (The Sun) summered. There was a bridge builder named Jackson Mead, who isn't bound by time.

A problem is that the themes (mentioned above as "quests") just don't really go anywhere. But it's interesting to think about.

The Siege of Berlin and other stories (Alphonse Daudet, 1873)

Poking through the "Harvard Classics," I gave a try to this set of five or six stories. Rather patriotic in tone by this French author; stories are set in the Franco-Prussian was of 1870 (a disaster for France). Characters without much depth. Super easy read but not particularly recommended. 

Two Years Before the Mast (Richard Henry Dana Jr., 1840)

I enjoyed this book a ton, a favorite. I had heard of the movie (which doesn't seem to track the book all that closely) but was unfamiliar with the book.  Found it in a $0.99 edition of the Harvard Classics - thousands of pages mostly comprised of classics in the way we thought of them 50 years ago (meaning high quality, enduring content - unashamedly Western Civ focused).

Google's summary is below, it's good enough.

Absolutely unique in mostly being told from the perspective of the ordinary sailor - the unusual circumstance of a college boy taking on this role for health reasons.

All the detail one could want about shipboard life, the terminology, the tasks; the excitement going around Cape Horn; dealing with storms; adjusting rigging in ice (the expertise required to make the decisions that led to the commands that were so difficult to execute).

They are engaged in the "hide" trade in California. This is a rare description of California in those days - starting all the way down in San Diego and moving all the way up to San Francisco - interesting to read about places with which we are so familiar. Santa Barbara, Monterey.  The "hides" were acquired from the few ranchers established in this part of the world - difficult work collecting them and then getting them through the rocks and surf onto the landing vessels, then rowing to the main vessel anchored offshore.  I hadn't thought about this part before - life prior to docks and cranes and the like was so difficult for the sailors - they handled these duties on top of their usual sailing tasks. Picked up Sandwich Islanders (Hawaiians) for assistance with labor.

I really liked the postscript that was added about 20 years after publication - the author goes back to California and finds out that most everyone had read his book.  He learns that not a few of the persons named in the book were still there in California.

Great read, just what I like. 

_______________________

"Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana Jr.'s famous 1840 memoir about his two-year voyage as a common sailor from Boston to California in the mid-1830s, detailing the harsh life at sea, the brutality of captains, and the culture of pre-Gold Rush California, making it a classic of American maritime literature. The book, based on his diary, offers a realistic and vivid account of the hardships, adventures, and the hide trade, and it served as a powerful commentary on the poor conditions for sailors. 

Key aspects of the book:

Author's motivation: Dana, a Harvard student, left for the sea due to eye problems, seeking adventure and a remedy for his ailment. 

Content: It vividly describes the treacherous journey around Cape Horn, the daily life of a sailor, the cruelty of officers, and the beauty of the natural world, including whales and icebergs. 

Historical significance: It provides an invaluable, firsthand look at the California coast before the Gold Rush, documenting the hide trade and the people of Mexican California. 

Impact: The book was an instant classic, influencing writers like Herman Melville, and remains a significant work for its realism and social commentary on the plight of sailors."

How the Spanish Empire was Built - a 400-Year History (Fernandez-Armesto and Lucena Giraldo, 2024)

(309 pages)

Pretty quick read; not as interesting as I expected.  Something it helped me think about - the incredible distances spanned by the "empire" - also the lack of local skilled workers or many components essential to building anything - just didn't exist in the New World. A real challenge to get anything done. 

Also interesting - we have spent a fair amount of time in areas of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico that were part of the build-out effort - helps appreciate what was attempted, some of the challenges, etc.

I was reading "Two Years Before the Mast" on Kindle at the same time as reading this book, and it was quite interesting hearing the historians describe California areas and travel by ship while reading an account from early/mid 18th century. 

Here's Google Gemini's 150-word summary:

"The Spanish Empire, despite Spain's initial status as a relatively poor and disunited kingdom, grew into the largest realm the world had ever seen, spanning four continents for centuries. Beginning with Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage, Spain's drive for wealth and Catholicism led to the conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires and vast expansion across the Americas, financed by American gold and silver.

This history highlights the crucial role of "engineers"—including soldiers, priests, and master craftsmen—who built the infrastructure of roads, ports, fortifications, and missions that managed communications and sustained the overstretched global monarchy. The empire was characterized by a complex mix of oppression and collaboration, with investments in infrastructure benefiting both the Spanish crown and local elites, ultimately shaping the cultural, social, and economic realities of the modern world."

A House of Gentlefolk (Ivan Turgenev, 1859)

I hadn't heard of this work but there it was in the "free" section on Kindle. Having a lot of time around the house what with radiation treatments etc., I gave it a run - and much enjoyed. Turgenev of course a great writer and I'm happy I ran across this.

Google Gemini's 200-word summary - 

"Published in 1859, Ivan Turgenev’s A House of Gentlefolk (also known as Home of the Gentry) is a bittersweet exploration of duty, lost opportunities, and the clash between Russian tradition and Western influence.

The Story

The novel follows Fyodor Lavretsky, a nobleman who returns to his Russian estate after discovering his wife Varvara’s infidelity in Paris. Seeking a quiet, meaningful life close to the soil, Lavretsky visits his cousin, Marya Kalitina, and becomes captivated by her daughter, Liza.

Liza is a deeply religious, morally steadfast young woman who represents a "pure" Russian spirit. Despite their age difference and Lavretsky’s marital status, they fall in love. When Lavretsky reads a report in a foreign journal claiming Varvara has died, he confesses his love to Liza, and they envision a future together.

The Turning Point

Their hope is shattered when Varvara suddenly arrives in Russia, very much alive and seeking money. Bound by religious and social duty, Liza refuses to build happiness on the ruin of a marriage. She enters a convent to seek redemption through suffering. Lavretsky, resigned to his fate, returns to his estate to age in solitude."

Those Days: An American Album (Richard Critchfield, 1986)

(419 pages)

I think I learned more about the day-to-day lives of my great grandparents and grandparents in this book than anywhere else. The author is a novelist who had the idea of writing up something of a family history - only he had the idea early enough to capture wonderful source materials from his grandparents and parents while they were still around, and his professional skill allowed him to put it together in book format that stayed interesting (one exception, below).

His parents' families were centered in Iowa and North Dakota, and most of the book's action ends up in North Dakota. But it mirrors (and greatly expands upon) so much of what I've heard about those generations in NW Iowa - details of farming; details of the way the households operated; activities in towns as those towns matured; all set against some pretty empty land that was filling up pretty quickly. Town baseball team. First car; first tractor. Threshing crews. Blizzards. Horses.

The author's father farmed for some years and the descriptions are great; then he was able to go to med school and he became the country doc.  Lots of descriptions here of making house calls, etc. The family moved into town so descriptions of that type of life.

The author's father developed a drinking problem and also was unfaithful to his marriage; for my taste, the author took too much time explaining all this, I didn't really care.  But it was an important factor in the family history, I suppose. 

This was a lucky find, much enjoyed.   

Revolutionary Spring - Europe Aflame and The Fight for a New World 1848-1849 (Christopher Clark, 2023)

(754 pages)

This took a while to read but was thoroughly worth it. The events of these two years are amazing. 

Google Gemini's 150-word blurb:

"Christopher Clark's Revolutionary Spring provides a panoramic history of the 1848 revolutions that swept across Europe, arguing against the traditional view of them as a failure. Instead, he casts the simultaneous continental upheavals as "the particle collision chamber" of the nineteenth century, a critical turning point that profoundly shaped the future.

Clark traces the origins of the revolts to a mix of economic precarity, social inequality, and a collision of emergent political ideologies, including liberalism, radicalism, and nationalism. The book vividly recounts the rapid spread of uprisings, constitutional changes, and the subsequent, often ruthless, counter-revolution. He highlights how the movements forced open debates on social rights, democracy, and capitalism. Though short-lived, the 1848 revolutions left a profound and lasting legacy on European political thought and public life."

Part of my interest was the rather strange times we're going through here in the 2020s. Donald Trump's emergence (going back to mid 2010s) has been and remains, for reasons I don't really grasp, a perceived threat to the way political business has been done in the US for decades. A dire threat. There exists a continuing resistance that certainly reminds of mid-19th century elements described in this book.

Though vast differences. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic era had stirred the pot of sentiments that hadn't really developed previously - national identity, the desire for a constitution, political viewpoints arranged left to right (or vice versa) - all this getting more and more refined.

Similar problems as today - the leadership of the left somehow refused "to have any enemies on the left" - leaving them stuck with positions that just didn't have much support. Mazzini’s idea for Italy - that the revolution needed the blood of martyrs to feed success - sounds familiar. The familiar trope of students locking themselves into university buildings - always way too sure of themselves. A bunch of folks who take advantage of unrest to just plain loot.

When the excitement and glamour of change and revolution flips to mundane matters of governance - much harder. Most governments conceded some form of constitution, though some retook control through different methods than prior to the revolutions. 

Different types of revolutionaries. Poor people who wanted better wages, or even just food, some poor harvests were involved here (timing of potato famine?) Then the more theoretical types who were looking for social change, a constitution, etc.  Often minimal understanding of the poor or rural folk.  Elements of the “haves” v. “have-mores” a driver as much as the “have-nots” as drivers.

Widespread across Europe - astonishing scope and speed.

Little preparation - groups assemble to fill a governance void.  Existing regimes often in a position to regain.  Parliaments that might end up supporting monarchy - for a while.

Louis Kossuth incredibly popular - led to naming places after him (such as Kossuth County, Iowa). His popularity did wane however.

This just scratches the surface, a lot to learn here.  I think. 

Animal Farm (George Orwell, 1946)

It's such a good book. Orwell "gets" it. Worth an occasional re-read.

I feel pretty much the same about the book as when I wrote this summary on this blog back in 2011:

"The story is familiar.

The inevitable end-point of centralized political/ideological control:  "All animals are equal.  But some are more equal than others."  Boxer's death - compelling. 

I haven't read this since high school.  I'm sure it was quite interesting in high school - but (as often when I think of books read back then) - I wonder what I then thought of it.  I pretty much read it in an information vacuum.  Now - nigh 40 years later - have had the benefit of much more reading about Russia, Communism, the Spanish Civil War, political environment when this was written in the 1940s.  Maybe I get half of Orwell's allusions now?  What percentage did I get in high school (when I wouldn't have even known about Leon Trotsky)?  What percentage if I read this again in 20 years?

Another thing I hadn't realized was the extent of Orwell's commitment to socialism - given the nature of the book, I would have assumed he opposed.  But the foreword to this edition indicates that he was then a true believer - had fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Soviet-supported government against the Nazi (fascist)-supported rebels - but left after seeing the murderous nature of the Russian "support."  Animal Farm was supposed to debunk the myth of the Russian version of socialism, to help prospects in other socialist systems. 

Good.  Short.  Effective."

The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese (2023)

Rose picked this for book club. Kind of long but it was OK. The second time we've been asked to read a Verghese book.

Thought it would be duplicative of the other book, but no so much. 

Kerala as a place of interest, I just know it’s different but not so much why.  Water! Much more criss-cross with the west than many other places in India - catholics, islam, etc. Roman coin hoards, Hard for the Mughuls to make headway. 

100 years of solitude feel - overlapping names in the generations.

The idea that Elsie didn't much love Phillipose, even told him that she believed he would not interfere with her work. 

A little weird that young Elsie guiding Digby's hand was too much like a lover.

Big Ammachi is a fine character - kind of central to the book. She is married into a family that experiences death through water or drowning, sometimes in odd ways, repeating over generations.

Her husband also an incredibly fine human

The way Digby’s hand was repaired (somewhat) - I just ran into that in an X post. Had no idea. 

A version of Matron from the prior book was a key character here.

The Communist stuff always strikes me as absurd - meaning the author probably described it accurately! Lenin Evermore, of course. 

Even tossed in a reference to liberation theology - same.

The idea of the Western Ghats as a protective barrier.

The elephant - huh? 

So much leprosy.  Digby immunity impressive.  

Death of the Dream - Farmhouses in the Heartland (William G. Gabler, 1999)

(128 pages)

Gift from my parents a couple decades back - I had seen it at their home and requested a copy. The book is based on a PBS series documenting (mostly through photos, though I've not seen the documentary) the types of homes built on prairie farms in late 19th century and on into the 20th century. This book is focused on south-southwest Minnesota and the homes look just like those common on the farms I grew up around in the 1960s.

Beautiful photography; evocative; sad - as happened with the home I grew up in and my grandparents' "house on the hill" - after no one lived there any more, the homes fell apart in a pretty consistent pattern. The photos in this book were taken when the homes were in this falling-apart condition.  We have similar photos of the two homes I mention ("house on the hill" being more similar in design to the SW Minnesota homes in this book). There are a few photos included of select homes in their "prime", with family members included.

Much enjoyed, including the 38-page text beginning chapter that provides good background on the arrival of the settlers and the construction of these homes.

I'm glad to own this.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain - In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (George Saunders, 2021)

(408 pages)

In The Cart

The Singers

The Darling

Master and Man

The Nose

Gooseberries

Alyosha the Pot

Re-read for me, I picked it for book club.  Things I talked about -

A book celebrating these peerless Russian authors and learning to write - or more pertinently to me, to READ.  Seven short stories plus discussion around each.

That made this book well worth some contradictions.  I don’t really love the short story format; you just get used to a few characters and then - it’s over. I was kind of disappointed in some of the stories Saunders selected. I got tired of his preaching.  

The contrast to Lonesome Dove. Big canvas; led me to War & Peace.

Two good rules: Be entertaining.  Advance the story in a non-trivial way.

The Cart - was Marya changed by remembering childhood happily?

The Singers - I really liked this, especially his efforts to describe music (the indescribable, I’ve tried). Keyed to the reactions of the audience, especially the wife (sharp-nosed and quick-eyed tradeswoman). (Kind of rich – in The Singers, he is criticizing Turgenev for running on and on, apparently not understanding that he is doing a far worse job of it himself. Plus, I like Turgenev’s running on!)

Too much analysis = yuck. 

This collection is worth it for Master and Man alone. 

Grappling with spirituality - the moment when the master decides to devote himself. Difficult to write about that something “larger than ourselves” - but it works, quite a moment.

In the first few pages after Master and Man, Saunders talks about opinion and fact, that Tolstoy here is pure fact. Compare War and Peace - all sorts of opinions about Napoleon, war, etc. Here:  “It’s mostly just descriptions of people doing things.”  Perfect. Saunders is helping me read better.

The “facts” of being out in that snow for anyone who’s lived there.  Billy Devine’s corncrib. 

        Page 219. Reminds me of my reaction to the snow drift sections.

        How Tolstoy goes into the master’s mind as he tries to sleep. Everyone familiar with this from night experiences of difficult situations - tell yourself not to think about it; select something happier to think about; keep trying; maybe drift off but there it is again! Saunders discusses section 6 of the story at page 232 (the part where master and man are in the cart overnight).

The Nose - can anyone find something of value either in the story, or in the author’s notes? I liked Dead Souls, but this?

At 331, Chekhov uses the same technique to describe beauty as Turgenev does to describe music in the singers. Here: “The moment when Pelageya stops Ivan and Burkin in their tracks with her good looks.” 

At 336-7 is a key for my readings of Chekhov.  Saunders best work appears here (or is it just because I agree with it?!) The idea of Checkov having clear views, weakly held. Start at “interested in everything but not wedded to any fixed system of belief” and read the highlights.

Refer to page 381 re Russian history. Saunders cites the 70-year explosion (mostly literature but some music)! How does it fit in with Russian Revolution, Stalin, etc. I’ve wondered about this.