Oh, Harry.

This year has been a mixed bag of books for me. I will discuss that in a later post.

But I did do something over Thanksgiving Break that sent me on a whirlwind three weeks of happy nostalgia.

While one of my friends and I adventured in the Land of Enchantment, we took an audiobook for the long drives through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. That audiobook was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Beyond the trip being amazing, that was one of the best things that ever happened in my travel experience.

First, I don't do audiobooks very often (or really, at all). Second, I rarely re-read (or re-listen?) to stories I've already read. But when she put in the first CD, I was giddy with joy. This series truly gives me light.

We listened to the whole book. While stopped in Amarillo, TX for a snack, we passed a Barnes and Noble, and knowing our proximity to the end of the story, we contemplated buying the second book. But we didn't. Oh, how wrong we were! A half hour outside of Amarillo, we regretted this decision when the book ended. When Dumbledore awarded Neville points for his courage in standing up to friends, I teared up. How could one not?

And then we were left with 3-4 hours of road left, many cows, and no Harry Potter. So we filled the emptiness with theories about what happens after book 7 and whether J.K. Rowling should write an 8th book. We also just rode quietly in awe of her masterpiece and the uncertainty that anything quite like it will come again.

Upon arriving at home, I did get the second book in audio form and commenced my new exploration into the Chamber of Secrets. It blew my mind that literally, I had not engaged with that text since seventh grade, and yet the story - and so many details were fresh. It was like seeing an old friend for the first time in years and picking up right where we left off.

Then, I was at Target (like B&N, a dangerous and expensive habit), preparing for Tulsa's "snow days." I happened to pass through the DVD section (it was right there!) and found the HP Movie series, in its entirety, for $20. Now, I have never been quiet about my opinion that the movies are not that good - but, the audiobooks had made me thirsty for all the Harry Potter I could get.

And so I watched 7 of the 8 movies in four days (thank you "snow days") - and it was so good for my soul.

The whole experience reminded me of just how powerful this series is, and what a profound impact stories can make. As I embark on Christmas break, I hear a play is coming along from J.K. Rowling about Harry. What I realized is that no matter the next installment, the first seven stories are ones for the ages. And the reason I crave more is that they are just so good. Even 14 years after my first reading, I still find them to be engaging and beautiful. Whether an additional installment, in the form of a play, will satisfy  - I don't know. But I'm happy these stories happened, and that they continue to live very brightly in my life.

Thanks again, Harry.

~MJ

Where have all the heroes gone?

I'm back into a mode of reading that includes devouring books and having the chance to reflect upon what I've been reading. Thank goodness. I love times like these.

The second book I finished this week was "Zeitoun" (Zay-Toon) by Dave Eggers. Following "What is the What," I had high hopes for this story - and Eggers followed through. 

The book's namesake, Zeitoun, is a patriarch in the story - an immigrant from Syria who has built a successful life in New Orleans. A common strand in the book discusses the difficulties Zeitoun and his family occasionally faced is a post-9/11 America as a Muslim family, and what confusion non-Muslim friends and family members had about the Zeitoun's faith. Despite this, Zeitoun and his wife were able to build a successful business and ensure their four kids could go to good schools, all the meanwhile having a strong, affectionate relationship themselves. 

Then Hurricane Katrina happened. While his wife and children fled New Orleans in advance of the storm, Zeitoun stayed to make sure their house, and the number of properties they owned throughout the city, survived the storm. In the aftermath of Katrina, Zeitoun found himself rescuing trapped elderly people, feeding abandoned animals, and generally being a good samaritan. 

Then he got arrested, seemingly arbitrarily. And although, up to this point, it's clear that the government response to the disaster was lackluster (understatement), the story that follows Zeitoun's arrest is appalling. From a make-shift prison camp at a bus station to an overcrowded prison north of the city, Zeitoun's ordeal is nothing short of horrific.

And yet somehow, after 23 days if imprisonment, he makes it out alive, and fully embarks, with his family, on recovering their pre-Katrina lives. I read one of the closing paragraphs...

"It was a test, Zeitoun thinks. Who among us could deny that we were tested? But now look at us, he says. Every person is stronger now. Every person who was forgotten by God or country is now louder, more defiant, and more determined. They existed before, and they exist again, in the city of New Orleans and the United States of America. And Abdulrahman Zeitoun existed before, and exists again, in the city of New Orleans and the United States of America. he can only have faith that will never again be forgotten, denied, called by a name other than his own. He must trust, and he must have faith. And so he builds..." - p.324

And felt incredibly inspired. The story was a lesson in overcoming adversity, even in the most dire of circumstances. It was a lesson on the meaning of true citizenship, not just of a country, but of humanity, and still what is possible in the wake of both tragedy and inhumanity. 

So inspired, I took to Google to learn more about the topics discussed in the book, including the law enforcement and prison issues during Katrina. When I typed "Zeitoun" into Google, I found some of that info, but another top hit included a story that Zeitoun was *again* facing prison time. My first reaction was "What? Are we serious?!" But when I actually followed the link and read the story, I was shocked. Zeitoun was facing another round of charges detailing violence against his wife - yes, that means he had previously been charged.

In the last three years, not only has Zeitoun been charged for violent acts, his wife has left him and that portrait of a strong, successful family in Eggers' book has been completely shattered. What happened?

This raises so many questions, conflicts, and unsettlement in my mind. Eggers' book is billed as "non-fiction" - if it had been billed as "fiction" would the sting of this apparent aftermath truth feel less obvious? Is this evidence of PTSD? Were there elements of their pre-Katrina lives that the Zeitoun family left out in order to get the story more airtime?

This Times-Picayune story includes details, but I think the debate going on in my head is echoed in the comment strand. It's interesting that the first comment appears to be from a person prominently featured in the story.

I don't have the intellectual energy to expound more of my thoughts here except that my biggest question is: where have all the heroes gone? Zeitoun is clearly flawed in a manner that makes me question the validity of the story as portrayed in the book. But that character, and his story, are so incredibly powerful that shouldn't we still take heed of those lessons? And what's going on with this story about Eggers' foundation? 

This also leads me to think about the role of stories in our culture - their role to shape hope and set the tone for how we react to the world around us and the events within. Regardless of who Zeitoun really is, isn't there something profound to be said about who we want him (and us) to be in situations like those presented in the story - whether it be as a family man, hurricane survivor, or wrongly incarcerated prisoner? 

Good books are meant to be thought-provoking and I am certainly still impacted by "Zeitoun." And although the aftermath of "happily ever after" has tarnished my view of the man and made me question his story, I am still left with the lessons it taught me. And that reminds me that even fairy tales have elements of truths that we disguise in mythology and folklore - but there still is some truth somewhere, and that truth is important.

Our Little Infinity

"...it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again." - from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.


Recommended reading.


I heard about it, and also heard it was sad. I vaguely knew it had a storyline focused on cancer, which also is a topic I struggle reading about. But, the Collector's Edition at Barnes and Noble caught my eye and I surrendered my hesitation. Besides reiterating how dangerous (and expensive) my visits to bookstores can be, it sure enough turned out to be a good buy.
For the better part of the first half of the story, I seriously questioned the popularity of this book. The writing was interesting (mostly), yes, but there was a tinge of superficiality. And then at some point, I think when the story's turning point in the plot really occurred, I was hooked. I wasn't hooked in the "Twilight" form of just wanting to know what happens, but rather in the "wow, this is a really good book, can't-put-it-down" kind of way. 

I knew what was going to happen at the end when I reached the turning point. Normally, this was turn me off of a book. But John Green, I think, did this on purpose, investing me not only in the book's key relationship  by telling me it would be short-lived, and then using every part of the story to reflect on how fleeting, yet meaningful, certain aspects of life can be. Not to mention conjuring up connections to my own personal romances and tragedies. 

What surprised me most is that I actually teared up at the end. Not because what happened in the plot surprised me, but because of the writing - the words caught me by surprise and tears actually crawled down my cheeks.

And it was over, just like that. Despite knowing what would happen, I was surprised it actually ended. So abruptly and beautifully at the same time. And that's when I knew what the buzz was all about - why the bestseller, why the "Collector's Edition" as a marketing ploy, why it was recommended to me by so many different people.

So trust me, it's worth reading. The story reads like a Hollywood movie with more poetry. It's a love story that I can see being as culturally profound as Romeo and Juliet, and Green, although writing for teenagers, doesn't hesitate at all to make references to great works of literature through the ages. The characters are smart and witty while also being wise and dynamic. Philosophically, the book includes themes around life, love, time, and human relationships - nothing novel or new, but uniquely told through the lens of the type of tragedy anyone who has ever heard the word "cancer" can relate to.

Bear with the first half. You'll find that turning point and never look back.

Per Hazel Grace's eloquence, I say this about her story (as told by John Green): "Some infinities are bigger than other infinities...I can't tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity."


~MJ

PS Also really enjoyed The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. Another must read, explained via another blog. It's funny, poignant and high-quality. The movie is different in many ways, but also good. I recommend both, because very truly, "I believe in happy endings."