Author: Herman Hesse

Details: (c) Herman Hesse 1922; translated Hilda Rosner 1954; Pub 1998 Picador; ISBN 0-330-35485

Verdict: Siddhartha is a very polished account of spirituality.

Reasons for reading it: Although I have read Siddhartha before, it was at a time in my life when I was running away from serious thinking, so I read it very superficially. I wanted to read it properly and actually think about the theological stuff.

How it came into my hands: MK gave it to me for my birthday more years ago than I care to count. (It was also MK who got me out of that state where I was failing to cope. He helped me find the courage to face reality properly, and the strength not to be broken by it. He is a really wonderful friend.)

( detailed review )

Those of you who know Gerv but don't follow his blog might want to read his latest post. It's called Thank God For Cancer. And with a title like that, people who don't know Gerv might want to read it too.

Gerv follows the kind of Christianity that most 21^st century liberals, which would be most of my flist, to a greater or lesser degree, despise or even hate. His theology is about everybody going to Hell except him and a handful of people who very precisely share his beliefs (which are not exactly liberal fluffy doctrine, as you might guess). Gerv is also a wonderful person, kind, thoughtful, generous... intelligent too, but lots of my friends are bright; it's in moral qualities that he's exceptional. And he's very sick; he may be completely serene about it, but I'm not!

I'm not saying that post is a fantastic piece of theology; it's really not. But it's a fairly impressive statement of personal faith.

Comments on this are restricted, but not completely disabled. I hope I don't need to mention that I do not expect anyone to insult my friend.

Author: Walter M Miller Jr

Details: (c) 1959 Walter M Miller Jr; Pub Orbit 1997; ISBN 1-85723-014-0

Verdict: A brilliant book, moving, complex and intelligent. Wow.

Reasons for reading it: It's vaguely famous, and M's talking about it jumped up the priority of a vague intention to read it at some point.

How it came into my hands: lethargic_man lent it to me.

( detailed review )

Author: Olaf Stapledon

Details: (c) Olaf Stapledon 1930; the rest of the details I don't have, since I have given M's copy back to him. Random edition here.

Verdict: Some interesting ideas, and a strong style, but flawed.

Reasons for reading it: M recommended it to me.

How it came into my hands: M

( detailed review )

On the whole, I'd say that Last and First Men is worth reading despite its problems.

I was just remarking to neonchameleon that one of the good things about lj is that people respect threading a lot more than in many other web forums. So in keeping with this, I feel I should repost this discussion of a vaguely theological bent as a new entry. It's too interesting to be left languishing in a thread that's supposed to be about a book about town planning.

( theological rumblings )

I think this is interesting enough to be worthy of its own thread.