Benedict’s Comments (group member since Jan 18, 2018)

Benedict’s comments from the SAVING THE WORLD - ONE BOOK AT A TIME group.

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
Edited (translated) by J.R.R. TOLKEIN

I don't think enough can ever be said about this book.

Sir Gawain is the epitome of what it means to be a man - especially a Catholic man. In a day and age when men of the Faith are considered to be weak and foppish, it's good to have a reminder than Christian men were the most feared warriors in the world for several hundred years for a reason.

Read this to your sons. If they're older, let them read it for themselves. The poetry will grab your attention and the action will keep it there.

Yes, there are a few scenes that some parents might want to omit - or change - for younger audiences, and the language can take a bit of getting used to. Trust me though, it's worth it.

I've been reading the beginning of this story -the part where the Green Knight gets his head chopped off - on and off since my boys were four. And they love it.

Read it. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

A father's options are becoming increasingly limited. Sure, if you want to raise your little boy up to be a girl - or your little girl up to be a, 'online personality' - the field is wide open.

What if you want to raise up your sons to be MEN?

Gentlemen, our mission is to find the books that will help turn your boy into a man. Books of heroism, patience, courage, valor, strength, and fortitude.

We are raising a new generation. Let's make sure we give them the right tools for the job.

I was reading through my copy of the Big Sleep the other day with a glass of scotch in my hand, and it got me thinking -
Something about this just felt... wrong.
Then it hit me.
I should be drinking bourbon.
Marlowe doesn't drink SCOTCH. Hell, he's probably never even heard of it.
Suddenly, this opened up the door to a whole new way of thinking about books.
Everybody always talks about pairing wine with food. Why not pair your book to your whiskey?
Gentlemen, I challenge you to seek out the best pairings of story to booze that you can come up with.
I will also entertain tobacco choices. We must hear all sides, after all.
Whether it be based on individual stories, or merely on genres (most american detective fiction would benefit from a good glass of bourbon, in my opinion), I want to hear what you have to think.
Maybe we'll learn something. At the very least, we should be entertained.