The City of Ember ~ Jean DuPrau

This is the first in a series.  I give it two and a half out of five.  It's not complete junk, it is interesting, as far as I know it's a new idea, but it's still young adult, so really fluff.  The city of Ember exists in darkness.  The people live in periods of day and night, controlled by electric lighting throughout their city.  The problem is, the city is old.  Supplies are running out and the generator is breaking down constantly.  Two young adults (12-year-olds) find "Instructions" and with them they hope to rescue their city.

Again, it's a neat little book.  A short read, interesting, but it was easy to figure out what was going on.  Not bad if you have some time to kill.

People Who Made History, Oskar Schindler ~ Edited by Bruce Thompson

Four out of Five (-1 because this is a compilation of other people's writing, so you have to switch tones and styles as the authors change, as well as some pieces that are only vaguely connected)

A longer review than most I hope to ever post.  This book is so much more than a biography.  The entire book is excerts from many varied sources, thus an editor, rather than an author.  There is so much of history, psychology and even economy in here that it is, for me, impossible to cover in a simple synopsis.  I wish I would've read this with a group, there is so much here for conversation and even conversation points at the end, for every chapter.

The psychological explanations and descriptions of Schindler are both illuminating and irritating.  One says he was changing into an altruist, another that he had fragmented his personality to be both Nazi and a rescuer of Jews, an economist says his goal was saving lives and his financial and political dealings worked towards that goal.  There is an interesting chapter on "modern moral theory" that explains Schindler's actions as being in defiance of the modern moral theory.  There were no absolutes, there was no reason or rational.  He did what he could, when he could.  On the one hand, it was interesting to see how different beliefs would see Schindler in different ways.  On the other hand, I wonder that so many choose to eviscerate this man, who saved over a thousand people, and to question his motives.

The reviews of the movie, "Schindler's List," are almost distracting.  On the one hand you have a compilation of writings that attempt to give the historical, economic and psychological portraits of Schindler and on the other, a movie that, in my newly acquired opinion, hardly does the man justice.  Speilburg fragmented Schindler in his movie, he used Stern to show Schindler's good side and Goeth as his 'Nazi' side.  Those are three different people.  Stern was Stern, not some guardian angel, and the same can be said for Goeth.  Not only that, but Schindler becomes a sort of puppet, twisting and turning according to whom he is with.

All together, lest I go on much longer, I've learned much from this little book.  Beyond learning more about Oskar Schindler, I was reminded of what I already knew of humanity (we're much more than good or bad), much more about the Holocaust and quite a bit of compassion and morality.

The Turn of the Screw ~ Henry James

Three out of five

This book was much quicker than I expected.  It is definitely fast paced, but I did find my attention wandering at times.  James does love his commas and for much of this I had to reread sentences trying to hear the pauses to make sense of it.

The story itself is very good.  I was surprised to see so much of other books I've read in it.  Either this is a "typical" story, or James has been ripped off repeatedly by modern writers.  The premise is of two ghosts haunting children.  I can't say too much or I'll ruin the story.  The ending is very abrupt and does leave some to the imagination.

All in all, not a knock your socks off read, but something creepy to pass a day or two with.