Book Review: Ender's Game

This is widely considered Orson Scott Card's best work. The book takes place in Earth's future and is about a brilliant young boy's training to be a military commander. Andrew Wiggin or "Ender," is an extremely gifted boy who the military begins training to make their commander in an upcoming war against an unseen alien race. Ender succeeds at every challenge given to him, even in situations where he is set up for failure. There is also a video game he plays quite often that takes him through strange worlds and where he must do very gruesome things in order to proceed.

During his training in the school, he has a few encounters that pit him against other children. One such encounter leads to the death of a boy by Ender's hand. After this event he is taken out of the school and put into a new "training" situation. In these "training" exercises he is commanding several ships in what he thinks are simulations, but are actually reality. He is unknowingly commanding the human forces in their war against the alien race called the "Buggers." He eventually succeeds in destroying the bugger home world and destroys the entire race.

Overall I enjoyed the book. There were several interesting battle scenes that most people have who have referred the book to me have mentioned, but that's not what I liked most about this book. Card also makes some interesting political commentary about human beings that I found interesting. Specifically how everyone is filled with hate for an alien race that none of them has ever encountered. Two previous generations had fought wars against this race and videos detailing those exploits were available, but no one alive had ever seen them. They were an unseen fear. This fear seemed to motivate the whole race to join together. The whole of Earth's population was too busy hating the Buggers that they lived quite peacefully. Once this "threat" is neutralized, however, the world falls into waring with one another again. I'll come back to this in a moment.

The main thing I took away from this book was Ender's struggle with his inner demons. Ender was a good person who did bad things. His intentions were usually not evil, but the results were. Because of Ender's extraordinary talent, he would garner favor with the adults in his life. This would cause the other children in his life to envy Ender and then hate him. So they would corner Ender and try to hurt him. As Ender defended himself he would make rational decisions that would lead to disparaging consequences that would haunt him. He did kill two other children in these situations. His goal of self-preservation forced it at the time, but he did shape the events that led up to these deaths. For all his brilliance, he couldn't see things that far ahead, and he chose paths that eventually put him in what he thought was a kill or be killed situation. Ender was a killer. A remorseful killer, but a killer. This struggle climaxed when he destroyed the bugger race. Unknowingly, but he still did it. The epilogue shows him attempting to make up for his past sins.

The struggle of good and evil within Ender was personified in his sister and brother. His brother was a disturbing child, and often thought of death and sought power. His sister was kind and loving and nurturing. Most of the time, Ender would liken himself more to his brother than his sister, but I think he was wrong. Ender was a good person who did bad things, which is very different from a bad a person. The most telling sign of Ender's goodness was his name. His real name was Andrew but he called himself Ender, because his sister called him Ender. He found his identity in something good, and this is why the character is likable.

I liked this part of the book on a spiritual level. I have a Catholic world view that can be summed up like this: people are inherently good but prone to evil. Jesus is a reminder of the good within us and helps us back to that original innocence, separating us from the evil and returning us to the good. Another view that I've encountered in Protestant theology is that people are inherently evil. Jesus covers our sinfulness and this allows us to be loved by the Father. But that evilness is still there. When Ender chooses to be called Ender, he embraces the good in him. It is his core, his identity. I liked this because I thought it was a decent illustration of a fundamental Catholic belief.

Now, Card is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so I doubt he was trying to further a Catholic belief over a Protestant one. He does bring up questions of good and evil, human nature, and sin. This is just what I took away from the book and probably what I will remember most about it. The author could be making the other argument, as illustrated in the war that breaks out after the destruction of the bugger home world. Even though peace was seen on earth, that evilness and hatred was still there, just suppressed by fear.

My final comment is about this fear. Fear is a powerful motivator and has been used to control or persuade many individuals throughout history and even today. The Nazis used fear of Jews to gain power. Both the Russians and Americans used fear to motivate their countries during the Cold War. Today it is used by all kinds of politicians to push agendas. I'm not interested in giving examples. Those on the right will claim it is being done by those on the left. Those on the left will claim it is being done by those on the right. Both are correct. It can be useful, but it doesn't promote the truth. Only the truth will set you free, fear leads to sin and death. There is no redemption through fear because fear is not of God.

For an entertaining plot, likable characters, and thought provoking theme, I give Ender's Game four and a half stars out of five. For another review of this book, please see
P. B. and Jorgy's

1315 Elapsed Time: 48 hours 15 minutes

I'm still alive, and more importantly, so are the kids. I kind of expected that at least one wouldn't have lasted this long (I'm only kidding).

Some highlights so far:

Sean: Lucy, are you alright?
Lucy: I had a accident.
Sean: Did you get any pee on your dress?
Lucy: No, it's ok.
Sean: Did you take your underwear off and clean yourself up?
Lucy: No.
Sean: Well, did you pee in your underwear?
Lucy: No.
Sean: You didn't pee in your underwear?
Lucy: (Smiling) No I pooped in my underwear.



Abby: One time my cousin's dog ate a toy snake. Dogs eat weird things.
Sean: Max likes to chew on Alicia shoes... Alicia doesn't like it when Max chews on her shoes.
Abby: Yeah, I don't like it when people chew on my shoes... except for Seth and for Lucy.
Sean: Who chews on your shoes?
Abby: Seth and Lucy.

2259 Elapsed Time 9 hours 59 minutes

Tired. Going to Sleep.

1905 Elapsed Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Made it through dinner. Hot dogs and string cheese. How does a 1 year old eat two hotdogs. Amazing! Lucy ate her hotdog in half a minute and then spent ten on her bun. She ended up shoving the whole thing in her mouth and chewing on it for a minute or two. Abby spent most of the meal with mustard on her face, like the size of a dime. Wasn't until the end that I thought about getting napkins. Oh well, I'm learning.

1456 Elapsed Time: 1 hour 56 minutes

The kids are Bailey (age 7), Abby (age 6), Lucy (age 3), and Seth (age 1). * Abby wanted to type a star. That was what that was. Things are going well. Everyone is still alive. There was a close call when Bailey decided he wanted to fly and jumped off the dining room chair and knocked his head against the chandelier (right as I was saying no). But everyone is fine. Seth found Lucy's new book and removed a page for her, she hasn't noticed yet.

Changed a poopy diaper and put the youngest two down for naps like a seasoned pro.

1336 Elapsed Time: 0 hours 36 minutes

I am babysitting four kids for the next couple of days. Ages 7, 6, 3, and 1. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little apprehensive. People have been taking care of kids since forever. How hard could it be?

So far, no diaper changes, no big fights. They're getting out a game to play. The oldest was sad for about fifteen minutes until we started to play. Already read two stories. Things are going well so far. Oh, someone's banging on the piano, gotta run.

Overwhelmed

Wrote a long blog about this that I didn't post. I'm feeling better now.

Book Review: Pontoon

Can be summed up as follows, "Big Disappointment." The book's author is Garrison Keillor, most well known for a radio show on National Public Radio called "A Prairie Home Companion." I've always enjoyed the radio show. It was always very interesting and insightful. I particularly liked the observational comedy he'd do about Lutherans and Catholics. He would usually gently poke fun at faith, pointing out little absurdities among the faithful, but in a very respectful manner. His radio show never gave me the impression he was attacking faith in anyway, just finding humor in little old ladies who are particular about random things. So I thought, "I remember him, he was fun, I'll read his book."

The book was about an older lady, Evelyn, who dies in Lake Wobegon, the made-up Minnesota town where most of his stories are based. Before she dies, she leaves a note to her daughter asking her to have her cremated, her ashes placed inside a hollowed out bowling ball and then dropped to the bottom of the local lake. She also reveals that she had long ago renounced her faith and was simply going through the motions simply because it was easier that way. She also had a boyfriend in another town and the two would travel the country together quite often.

The daughter, Barbara, to whom the letter was written is an alcoholic and a struggling Lutheran. While dealing with this secret life her mother led, the most pivotal point for her in the book is the moment when she curses God, rejects her faith, and decides she is the only person who is going to help herself and gives up drinking. There are some side stories about a "commitment ceremony" that's not a wedding, and Barbara's son who is trying to figure out what to do with his life.

Apparently, his radio shows are edited quite a bit. I found Barbara's "growth" quite offensive. He portrayed the (Lutheran) church as full of people I would call lukewarm. Not one character was actually attempting to live their faith, they were all just going through the motions. Barbara's rejection of her faith is portrayed as a coming of age, a shedding of archaic ways, and a birth into a new and better life. The whole book seemed to be an attack on the small town country faithful, and I found his arguments shallow and poorly constructed.

On top of that, it seemed as though he was trying to give offense, to shock his reader with stories of old ladies talking frankly about sex and giving graphic descriptions. That may be how some old ladies talk, but its not fair to portray them all that way. His "musings" about the faithful and their practice were much harsher. The only Catholic priest in the story was (of course) having sex with a married woman at his church. There was a group of Lutheran priests who were touring the nation, they were portrayed as drunken materialists. The only character in the book who seemed "decent" was the Lutheran priest in the town who was trying to push his views on everyone, he was an antagonist.

I found the book sad. Just a sad story from an old guy who was trying to shock his reader but just ended up sounding perverted and crude. The only fun part of this book was the end, when of course nothing goes as planned. The son is going to drop the bowling bowl from a hang glider tied behind a boat, trips during taking off and gets dragged through the water, losing his trunks, and just ends up flying through the air flailing and completely naked. Maybe I'm being childish, but I thought it was kind of funny. Just kept thinking, "Ow, poor kid."

All in all, a big disappointment. Probably won't ever listen to the guys radio show again either. For a couple of genuinely funny moments and an interesting story telling style, I give the book 1 star out of 5. A big disappointment.

Book Review: Into the Wild

This is a book about guys being guys, in some good ways and some not so good ways.

The book tells the story of Christopher McCandless and how he ended up starving to death in the Alaskan wilderness. McCandless graduated college, gave all his money to a charity that helps feed the hungry ($20,000) and drove away from his DC suburb life, never to be heard from again. He wandered the country for a while and ended up spending a couple of months in Alaska, where he eventually died of starvation.

What I liked about the book: McCandless seems to have tapped into the fact that materialism is nonsense. Material things don't bring happiness, and he was willing to give away most of his earthly possessions and seek something greater. He also believed in providing for himself and found great value in manual labor. He had a hard time accepting handouts and preferred to work for what he received. He also chased his dreams.

What I didn't like about the book: McCandless seemed to hate anything organized, such as the government and religion. He believed more in a spiritual communion with nature than in anything else. He also seemed to think that one could only provide for themselves in the moment and not for the future. He didn't believe in planning ahead, preferring to let "life" lead him where it may. He therefore ended up relying on the kindness of strangers for food and housing. But when it came to money or other material things, he had to work for it. There seemed a disconnect here to me because he was willing to accept one form of charity but rejected another. Furthermore, that charity was provided for by the very system and way of life he rejected. If everyone lived as he did there would be nobody to be charitable.

I also didn't like the way he treated his family. He seemed a little late in maturing. He could forgive others their faults, but when it came to his family he held grudges. He dropped off the face of the earth and never spoke to them again, his heart was filled with a lot of hatred of his father. I had a hard time being sympathetic to a guy who treated his family like garbage, regardless of whatever sin they committed against him.

Finally, the book has a lot of anti religious sentiment, preferring that people "seek their own path" or "find their own way" or some other new-age crap like that. How is it someone can be so arrogant as to reject a philosophy based solely on the fact that other people have believed it, and think that they are the first in all of human history to stumble on the path of true enlightenment? There is nothing new under the sun. People believe all kinds of nonsense and feel as though they are the first of our race to actually "get it." This is pride, plain and simple. To reject something simply because someone else thought of it first is foolish and could not be more self centered.

The poor spiritual aspect of the book was disappointing, but the story and a few of the questions raised were interesting. I give the book two and a half stars out of five. I'd recommend it on a conditional basis, its definitely not something everybody should read, but some may find it interesting.