The Reading Room

I will try to keep up with what I am reading here.

Monday, December 19, 2016

#43, Living with a Dead Language: My Romance with Latin, by Ann Patty

This is an enjoyable memoir from a late-in-life Latinist. As one who studied (sort of) Latin for five years in high school and college, but has home-schooled several youngsters in Latin over the years, I can sympathize with coming to an appreciation for Latin later in life. The name-dropping, subtle preening, and gratuitous elitist shots taken at "creationists, climate-change-deniers, Fox News watchers, [and] much of the Republican party" marred an otherwise enjoyable read. (I find this from time to time in mystery novels and it always bugs me. It will have nothing to do with the plot or character development, but out of nowhere will come a jab at conservatives, Christians, etc. It's as if the author is trying to ingratiate himself with cultured class, who, of course, they believe are all secular leftists.) That's why I only give it two stars.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

#42, In Suspect Terrain, by John McPhee

I read several of John McPhee's books years ago. He makes the subjects of geology and natural history interesting and accessible to the layman. This book is no exception. Written in the early 80's, McPhee takes a ride through the northeastern U.S. with geologist Anita Harris, who isn't convinced that the theory of plate tectonics explains as much as its most ardent proponents think it does. I wonder if she feels the same way today?