Apostrophe S

So I’ve been on a “nonreligious studies” kick here lately. I actually read this brief book a few weeks ago, but as you can see my posting as of late has been a little spotty. Lots going on, and I hope to elaborate in future posts, soon.But anyway, back to “Letter to a Christian Nation” by Sam Harris. This is a perfect little anti-manifesto about why it’s unwise to base one’s political actions on one’s religious beliefs. Furthermore, Harris points out how unwise it is to do so as a fundamentalist Christian.

His fight is not with those who quietly practice their religion and keep the rest of their lives separate from it, although he does call them enablers. His fight is with those who would impose their narrow-minded views on morality onto the rest of the world. I couldn’t agree more.

If you’ve ever considered exploring the idea of atheism, or feel that a religious worldview has just never been your style, I would recommend picking up this book. It’s well-intentioned, eloquent and won’t cost you but a few hours reading if you happen to completely disagree with Harris perspective.

This book is part of the Open Books project I’m working on.

So I needed something light after “The Children of Hurin.” I guess I shouldn’t have picked up “The Damned.” Actually, it is pulp fiction in the strictest sense. So there weren’t a lot of tough themes to dig through and process. It’s heavy only in its subject matter. It’s something good little Christian parents probably wouldn’t want their children reading. The only reason I’ve even heard of it is because my local comics shop ordered too many copies and was selling them at half price.

Basically it’s a story about a man who was cursed/sold his soul, so he keeps coming back from the dead. He can be killed for sure, and is several times through the book, but the next person to touch his dead body dies instantly and Eddie comes back. And of course Eddie works for one of the local mob families that inhabit his ’30s era world. Except these aren’t your every-day, run-of-the mill mobs. These “families” are made up mostly of demons who wear snappy suits.

I won’t give away too much of the story. It’s a case of sabotage and finding out who’s behind it. It unfolds fairly predictably, but that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable.

The black and white art jumps off a few pages, but often it just as often falls flat, looking like an amateur interpretation of a Dick Tracy strip. And the demon characters are too often unintentionally funny.

There’s some excellent banter between characters, and they read quite comfortably. The language is dated enough to set the tone, but not so forced that it causes one’s brow to furrow.

It’s fun book to spend a Saturday afternoon on. I’d probably even read another volume in the series if the price were right.

This entry is part of the Open Books project I’m doing.