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The Count of Monte CristoSuggestions for holiday readingTHE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO THE MESSAGE OF EZEKIEL I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT Here are a few books you might consider popping in the suitcase. The first is the 1996 Penguin translation of 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. Most people tend to think of this novel by Alexander Dumas as just a ripping yarn - perhaps even a children's story. This may have been due to the fact that until fairly recently the English market was only offered truncated and Bowdlerised versions of the French original. The work is actually based on the true life story of Francois Picaud found in the archives of the Paris police. Picaud was imprisoned in 1807, having been denounced as a spy by a group of 'friends', just as he had got engaged to be married. After some time he was eventually moved to a form of house arrest where he acted as servant to a wealthy Italian cleric. When this man died he left his fortune to Picaud who was now in a position to wreak revenge on those who had brought about his imprisonment. Dumas's novel embellishes this, adding a dimension of Byronic Eastern romance and including a number of controversial subjects. Faith in GodBut reading this translation of the full story I found that faith in God plays a central role. Writing in mid-19th-century, post-revolutionary France, I could not help wondering as to the author's motives for this. Indeed, it seems not beyond possibility that Dumas meant the whole tale, at one level, to be an allegory of Christ. Betrayed by the world he loved, and dismissed as past history, he will return in glory as Judge. Certainly as Christ will return to bring the resurrection of the dead, so Monte Cristo brings about a definite 'resurrection', as you will find if you read right through. The author seems to make the connection between Christ and Monte Cristo (note the name) explicit at a number of points. Not least there is reference to the Count's coat of arms. He writes, 'a mountain or on a field azure with a cross gules at the chief, which could have been an allusion to his name (evoking Calvary, which "Our Saviour's passion has made a mountain more precious than gold, and the infamous cross which his divine blood made holy")...' Understanding EzekielTo change the genre completely, if you want to read a meaty Bible commentary over the summer, then the BST commentary on Ezekiel by Chris Wright is both substantial and fascinating. I have to say that before I read this the prophecy of Ezekiel had always remained a bit of a mystery to me. But Wright steers a clear course through the text and the dates, and opens up a solid understanding of this lengthy OT book. He shows us the context of exile in Babylon and explains the pastoral needs of the exiles which inform Ezekiel's preaching. The shattering condemnation of Israel's sin in the early part of the book (no room for blame-shifting here!) is matched by a wonderful exposition of the promises of chapters 34-37 which Wright titles 'The Gospel According to Ezekiel.' Though he deals quite briefly with the closing chapters which concern Ezekiel's vision of a new temple with all its intricate measurements, nevertheless Wright gives us many exciting insights. The vision being given 25 years into the exile (40.1), the recurrence of the numbers 25 and 50 (the year of Jubilee and freedom) in the dimensions, means that the vision is full of the symbolism of the hope of redemption and escape. This is a commentary worth investing some time to read. For those of us who find it difficult to just forget about the continuing desperate spiritual situation of our land while we are on holiday it breathes an air of encouragement for Christians and churches going through dark days. JEBWorking motherKate Reddy is a 35 year-old fund manager and mother of two. Her life is one long juggling act. She is a working mother of the 21st century, with all her exhaustion, guilt and occasional elation. While being a light, entertaining read, the novel exposes a secular woman's view of her role in society. For her, motherhood presents her with a no-win situation. Either she works flat-out at work and then is filled with guilt that she never sees her children or she stays at home and is frustrated beyond belief. While the joy of having children was explored in the book, the role of wife and mother was somewhat belittled. Women who enjoy staying at home are labelled the 'Muffia' and even when Kate gives up work to spend time with her family, she complains she is 'bored to the point of manslaughter'. The novel also gives us a sad insight into the world's view on sex and relationships. In occasionally crude language, we see that for the single person casual sex is often the norm. Even married Kate looks back on someone she has got to know through work and regrets she didn't sleep with him. As such, the book is one to read with care. It gives a useful insight into how many of our friends at work or at home with children will think. However, as we read and enjoy the deft wit and comic irony, we'll want to keep clear that our view of relationships and the roles of men and women will be somewhat different. Elisa BeynonJohn Benton© Evangelicals Now - August 2003 |