Whether today is February 29 or March 1, stories involving time travel, bending the time/space continuum or re-imagining a historical event in present day, resonate for me and were the basis for my belief, until age 9 or 10, that I could grow up to be anything, even a lion, the king of the forest. And, no, I still don't know what actually turned my belief around on that issue, but I recall being heartily disappointed.
Ironically, that childhood lesson lead me to my current long-standing mantra that if you could read, and comprehend what you were reading, you could learn to do anything you wanted and transport yourself to the world in type before you.
I'm currently reading the second novel of Diana Gabaldon's outstanding Outlander series involving Claire Randall, a nurse in 1940s Britain and Jamie Fraser, a Scottish landholder in the 1740s. Yes, a novel spanning two centuries wherein Claire travels back and forth to her husband, Jamie, and the reader is treated to a multi-layered tale in both history and myth, not to mention you-are-there descriptions of 1740s Scottish, British and French townscapes, landscapes and ocean crossings.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel captured my attention for several weeks traveling through King Henry VIII's court with consummate politician Thomas Cromwell negotiating the deadlock with the Pope and others allowing Henry to marry Anne Boleyn.
Reading both these stories, I can't help but regain a bit of my childhood belief that time travel does exist. Where are you traveling these days?
You are timeless with your wealth of reading, Tricia, and have piqued my interest about numerous books. I have many titles to check out; thanks for that! Never knew about the lion!
ReplyDelete~jm
Among other things, as a result of reading your blog I'm finding out things about you I never knew, things very interesting and revealing in a good sort of way, even also provoking in a good sort of way. So ditto jm's comment about the lion--wow!!!!
ReplyDeleteTry as I might, I haven't been able to get into reading many books over the years. There just doesn't seem to be a fit for me there, but if that changes, I will certainly consider you the most excellent source for recommendations!
The subject of "time travel," tho, is an interesting one for me, also--probably not in the way that most people think of, though!
I have put my faith in God Who, of course, created time and therefore stands outside of it! He lives in a timeless zone! So a person's union with Him invites entrance into this zone that even during this earthly dispensation of time (there's that word) allows one all the benefits of the supernatural God who lives there. Enough said for now, but in short the beauty of this is its PRACTICAL, TANGIBLE application to every area of one's life, if he so wills, that affects him in the here and now. You asked!!!
Traveled to Mexico City briefly through Carlos Fuentes' most recent novel, Destiny and Desire. Had the pleasure of meeting this uber-intelligent man last week...here's a mini clip of my interview with him on the future of libraries. He said, "If libraries disappear, so will we. We'll become ghosts. And not everyone realizes this, or wants to believe it." http://www.lfla.org/event-detail/542/Carlos-Fuentes
ReplyDeleteTheir interpretation starts with the sniff through the nose... Inside of a Dog, What Dogs See, Smell and Know by Alexanda Horowitz.
ReplyDelete...then maybe I'll really understand my pack's relationships with each other and me!
Happy Travels!