While on vacation, TR's computer began to be very unfriendly to me, so I've put off a couple of blog entries until now. This section of WITCHES began the slowdown of trials and accusations. I had thought they ended abruptly, but no, they rather petered out and at least one person was executed after "spectral evidence" began to be disregarded. This was largely because of the beliefs of Increase Mather and other prominent clergy outside of Salem. It was Cotton Mather's condoning of this evidence that allowed it to be accepted as long as it was.
I then began A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Set in Sweden, an everyday sort of man, Ove, is a curmudgeon. For instance the only car that makes sense to him is Saab. If you don't have a Saab, you obviously don't have much sense. Ove is very good with everything mechanical and does not think a grown man is worth much if he is not. Gradually we learn about this man's past and he learns about his neighbors. Ove's opinions do not change much, but his actions gradually show us that he (and other everyday plain people like him) might well be worth a great deal.
After finishing that, I have started Kingdom of the Hill Country, by Henry Melton. I adore this author of science fiction with young protagonists which (I believe unfairly) classifies his work as Young Adult. It is obviously much more than that. I wish I were still teaching, because I would definitely enjoy introducing my students to Melton's books.
This story starts after the supernova of Beatlegeauss has destroyed all machinery that used solonoids in the world and then killed with radiation a huge percentage of the creatures of earth (including people.) Eleven years after, the Hill Country around Austin and Austin itself are threatened by huge marauding bands of bandits who steal, rape, kill, and burn everything in their path.
No comments:
Post a Comment