reviews
Pick Chris's Reading List: Velvet Elvis
Finally I complete another entry on my reader-suggested reading list: Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. Thanks Heather for the recommendation!
I’m having a harder time writing a review for this book than I have for any of the previous ones I’ve read. I’m not too sure what my conclusion is yet. Some general observations are in order, though.
First, I’m not too keen on the general writing style. The book is full of single sentences masquerading as paragraphs. Now, these aren’t long, Pauline run-on sentences; these are short, one line sentences with lots of white space between them. As a consequence, to me the book sounds less like a well-reasoned argument for something and more like a collection of little thoughts that don’t necessarily connect so well. Maybe I’m just too old to get it.
Second, I haven’t seen Rob Bell’s NOOMA videos. I’ve heard they’re pretty good, and they might clue me in on a little more of what he’s thinking. I haven’t heard any other of Bell’s stuff, either, so all I have to base my understanding of him on is this book.
There were a couple things that I disagreed with in there. First of all, towards the beginning of the book he goes through this extended illustration about how doctrines are like the springs on a trampoline - how they serve to propel us and our faith and our actions. Fine, I guess, OK. But then he goes on to argue that, hey, even if you’re missing a spring, that doesn’t mean that the trampoline won’t work. I’m starting to get a little queasy with the illustration at that point. Then he says, hey, so if the virgin birth doesn’t happen to be true, that spring pops off the trampoline, that doesn’t mean it won’t work. And at that point he has gone too far. To my reading, Bell is not denying the virgin birth of Christ; however, he’s clearly leaving the door open. This is a problem, a big problem. I think the virgin birth is one of the essentials of the faith that we simply must hold to. (Side note: Mark Driscoll addressed this pretty directly back in September at the Desiring God 2006 conference.) So Bell loses bigtime points with me on that issue.
Secondly, I have some queasiness with Bell’s discussion about interpreting the Scripture. His basic argument is that Scripture has to be interpreted; that much I agree with. He ridicules people who will say “let me tell you what the Bible says”, saying that they’re just trying to sell you their interpretation. I guess I’m OK with all that. Where I start to get uneasy is when he encourages his readers to continue reinterpreting everything. He seemed to come dangerously close to saying that there isn’t necessarily a “right” interpretation of any Scripture, that we should just use the interpretation that makes sense to us. I don’t think he actually said that, but he seems to be oriented that direction. That bothers me a bit. As Christians we can’t be so postmodern that we refuse to say there’s a “correct” way to view the truth… that just won’t work.
Other than that, I didn’t have any huge problems with Velvet Elvis, but at the same time I didn’t find it that compelling. Sorry, Heather, wish I could give it a better rating, but I just didn’t come away from it very excited. Maybe I’ll have to try it again another time.
Pick Chris's Reading List: The Russian Debutante's Handbook
It’s taken me far too long, but I have finally completed the second book on my user-suggested reading list: The Russian Debutante’s Handbook by Gary Shteyngart. Thanks to Geof for the recommendation.
Geof described Handbook as “Great absurdist immigrant fiction.” He was right. The Russian Debutante’s Handbook is a hilariously absurd story of a Russian immigrant living in New York. It follows the (mis)adventures in his personal and public lives as he deals with family and romantic relationships, jobs, and schemes. If it sounds like I’m grasping for the right words to describe the story, it’s because I am. This book was unlike pretty much anything else I’ve ever read. It was amusing and charmingly absurd. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to all of my readers, if you’re looking for something different, this may just be the thing. Thanks again, Geof!
I’ll have to hit the library again this week to stock up for the trip to North Carolina. I’ll definitely grab a couple more from the list.
Pick Chris's Reading List: And Then There Were None
I’ve completed the first book off of my user-suggested reading list: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Thanks to Heather for the recommendation!
This was my first time reading anything by Agatha Christie. My only previous exposure to her work was when I watched the movie adaption of Murder on the Orient Express. That seems to have been a good preparation; much of the style in the plot development seems similar between the two. The formula: introduce the characters, put them in a tightly-defined scenario. Provide a character to narrate and work the reader through the logical options in the whodunit. Get to the end of the story with no good answer. Then provide an epilogue that reveals the twist that makes it all clear. Formulaic or not, it works - it kept me up a ways past my bedtime to finish it last night.
And Then There Were None (originally titled Ten Little Indians) sets ten diverse characters on an isolated island. Their supposed “host” is nowhere to be found. One by one, the ten guests are killed… but who is killing them? This is the mystery, and it’s a good one.
A quick IMDB search shows that And Then There Were None has also been adapted into a movie at least three times; once in 1945, starring, most notably, Walter Huston. It was updated in 1965 and moved out of its original time period. Then it was remade once again in 1974, with a cast that included Sir Richard Attenborough. I haven’t seen any of these versions, but I will take a look next time I go to the video store. Might be interesting.
My next stop on the reading list: Gary Shteyngart’s The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, as recommended by Geof Morris.
not all that amusing: a review of Chris Rice's new CD
I pre-ordered Chris Rice’s new album, amusing, back a couple of months ago when it was advertised by eb+flo. This is Chris’s first album with his new record label, INO, so I was looking forward to hearing what the effort would sound like. The album doesn’t hit the stores until tomorrow (Tuesday August 23rd), but I received my copy in the mail last Friday. Having now had the chance to listen to it a couple times, I’ll hazard an opinion or two.
The Music Musically, Chris makes the most of being on a new record label that has, apparently, given him much more musical freedom. The styles are varied; from the Steven Curtis Chapman-esque bluesy-country-rock of Love Like Crazy, to the made-for-adult-contemporary-radio sound of When Did You Fall, to the quiet piano-driven tones of Sleepyhead Sun, he explores many sounds that will a suprise to those familiar with his discography. I could complain that it isn’t very cohesive in sound, but that’s the case with most of Chris’s albums, so I won’t suddenly hold it against him now.
The Content The subject matter of the songs is perhaps also typically varied; he includes a couple songs that deal with romantic love which lead me to wonder if he (the long-time bachelor) has a new relationship that is driving these thoughts. But the interviews I’ve read don’t mention a thing about it, nor do the liner notes. Bummer.
The Lyrics Here’s where I am more disappointed with amusing. It seems to be missing a song or two with the depth that his previous albums have included. Think back on Deep Enough to Dream (from the album Deep Enough to Dream), The Power of a Moment (from Past the Edges), Home Tonight (from Smell the Color 9), Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus), or Wonder (both from Run the Earth, Watch the Sky). They are songs full of picturesque, thoughtful lyrics, laden with symbolism and imagery. They are the depth that keeps me coming back to those albums again and again. Sadly, amusing doesn’t seem to include much of anything in that vein.
What it does contain in great measure is the more overt, and, to my mind, less-insightful lyrics that eventually drove me away from the music of Steven Curtis Chapman. For instance, the chorus of Love Like Crazy:
Love like crazy We gotta love like crazy We gotta love like crazy The way he loves you and me ‘Cause if the world’s ever gonna change We gotta love like crazy
This may be insightful and motivating for the high-school camp crowd, but it leaves me wanting more. Or this one:
Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky I live life without pretending I’m a sucker for happy endings Thanks for the lemonade Thanks for the lemonade!
Sure, it’s OK…. but color me a bit disappointed.
This album will not really change my overall opinion of Chris Rice; he’s still one of my favorite songwriters, he’s still provided some of the most thoughtful and worshipful stuff that I’ve ever heard. I’m hoping that amusing is just one slightly low spot in the road that will quickly be forgotten when the next album comes around. It may, though, prompt me to skip the pre-ordering next time and wait to get a listen before making my purchase.