The Reformation

Long long ago I posted about reading Diarmaid MacCulloch's The Reformation. Two weeks ago I decided to read only this book until I was done, and I finally finished three days ago, all 687 jam-packed pages. You can read about the beginning of my adventure here, and an update in this post. I read several other books while I was reading this one, started school for the kids, Mom's Taxi Service was pressed into service after the summer break, and I lost the book three times. The longest it was missing was three weeks: After an evening of reading the gents to sleep, I accidentally left the book on the night table. One of the fine young gents (I'm not sure which) realized in his moment of need that the book was about the same number of inches thick as he needed to be taller in order to reach his shirt hanging in the closet. Pretty creative thinking, but I didn't think to look in the boys' closet for my book. I found it while I was looking for a missing cowboy boot. I found the boot three days later while I was looking for a missing sock. Still haven't found the sock. I hate losing things. No, I hate looking for lost things. But I digress....

The verdict? I really enjoyed the challenge. The Reformation was well worth the time and extra concentration it took to plow through five pages or so at bedtime, often the only time I've got to read. I wouldn't say it's ideal bedtime reading, as it was difficult to muster the concentration after a long long day of teaching and parenting: You know it's time to turn off the light when you've read the same three sentences three times and still have no idea what you've read. The book was readable and mostly interesting, even (or especially?) for a complete Reformation novice like me. I certainly feel prepared to discuss the Reformation with my daughter as we rapidly approach this historical period in our studies. And, perhaps most telling of all, when I've got a little more free time there are a few topics I'd like to study in a bit more depth.

I ended up with five bookmarks filled with unfamiliar words, most related to religion or the church in some way. I counted yesterday, there were around 60 words, but I don't feel like re-counting so my estimate will have to be enough. Some favorites: syncretism, nominalism, bibulous, casuistry.

I love that book-free moment when I've completed a book and get to choose another. You'd think that I'd be looking for something that's not quite so bulky, but my hand was drawn to Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Eight hundred pages. I kept trying to find something shorter, but in the end this was the book I opened. I fell in book-love as soon as I began reading. From the first chapter, during a discussion of the question of why magic was no longer practiced in England:

Mr. Honeyfoot was a tall, cheerful, smiling gentleman with a great deal of energy, who always liked to be doing or planning something, rarely thinking to inquire whether that something were to the purpose. The present task put him very much in mind of the great mediaeval magicians, who, whenever they had some seemingly impossible problem to solve, would ride away for a year and a day with only a fairy-servant or two to guide them and at the end of this time never failed to find an answer. Mr. Honeyfoot told Mr. Segundus that in his opinion they could not do better than to emulate these great men....Mr. Honeyfoot did not propose going quite so far-- indeed he did not wish to go so far at all because it was winter and the roads were very shocking.

It promises to be another great adventure. But I'll bet it doesn't take as long for me to read.