Book reviews

In the past I haven't really used my posts to review the books I am reading. I've decided to change that and add a little something regarding my reads. I hope it doesn't come across as didactic or dull.

Franz Kafka - The Metamorphosis
This is a book I have had forever, and am still struggling to finish it. I know it's only a short story and should be no problem to read, but I am just not getting into it. I have about 15 pages left and continually place it on the bottom of the book pile. When it resurfaces, I read a few pages and then move on to something else. Ultimately, it is about a man, traveling salesman Gregor, who turns into an insect upon waking one morning. He flips out because he isn't going to be able to get work due to his new insect status. His parents are butt heads, his boss is a pig, and he is generally a miserable man. It seems like a bad dream filled with the stresses of life that Gregor just can't seem to break away from. The metaphorical insect transformation feels cage-like to me, frustrating, and "lower than life." Its antithesis would be the bird or butterfly. I hope to finish it and have a more interesting review.

A Wrinkle in Time - Madelieine L'Engle
Book Club selection. I have only started this book, so I don't have much to say yet. Since it is written for children (6th grade and up), I expect this one to be fun and exciting.

The Universe in a Single Atom - The Dalai Lama
I picked this one up just before Christmas because it sounded interesting to me. It is a challenging read, but most enjoyable. If you have any love of science and philosophy, then this may be one to consider. I have had to read this one slowly, and often have to go back and reread, even read out loud, just to try and understand the concepts he discusses. I am just finishing a rather lengthy discussion on the Theory of Emptiness which is one of the most important philosophical insights in Buddhism. To quote:
"any belief in an objective reality grounded in the assumption of intrinsic, independent existence is untenable. All things and events, whether material, mental, or even abstract concepts like time, are devoid of objective, independent existence. To possess such independent, intrinsic existence would imply that things and events are somehow complete unto themselves and are therefore entirely self-contained. This would mean that nothing has the capacity to interact with and exert influence on other phenomena. But we know that there is cause and effect......In a universe of self-contained, inherently existing things, these events would never occur. I would not be able to write on paper, and you would not be able to read the words on this page. So since we interact and change each other, we must assume that we are not independent - although we may feel or intuit that we are." Okay....so the view that we are existing independently contradicts with causation.
The chapter continues with discussions on Einsteinium physics (theory of relativity) and quantum physics, which basically contradicts Einstein's theories. This level of discussion results in me repeating paragraphs over and over in an attempt to conceptualize the information.
I am looking forward to the next chapter of the Big Bang Theory and the Buddhist Beginningless Universe.
Although I am not Buddhist, nor a scientist, I love challenging discourse in both philosophy and scientific theory. When they blend, I find it irresistible.