Well Trained Mind Readers discussion

So, would we all like to postpone reading Malcolm X until May? I am in favor simply because I have enough reading already, and I can put it off a month.

That would be fine. The library still doesn't have it in for me. I just hope it gets here by May. :-Z

That would be great, since I'm not even close to starting it. I was planning to take April off here, and now won't have to miss. I'm going to be doing Camp NaNoWriMo in April to see if I can't finish a novel outline/draft (for fun since I have never managed to actually finish a novel).

Okay, I have good news and I have bad news! The library had a biography for me today (good news), but it's Born Again by Charles W. Colson (bad news). I only have it for 2 weeks and since it's the one I want to read, I think I'll start it rather than re-order and have it take another 2-3 months. I have a feeling I'm going to be winging it with these last few, so everyone else just continue without me and I'll fill in. If I can finish this in 2 weeks, hopefully Malcolm will show up next, but we'll see.

Karin, I've always wanted to try NaNoWriMo, but I never have the time. One day though ...... Happy writing!

OK, well I think I will hold off on Malcolm X until May anyway b/c I've overloaded myself.

A Great Book Study wrote: "OK, well I think I will hold off on Malcolm X until May anyway b/c I've overloaded myself."

Oh, I know what that's like! :-Z

Oh heavens! Okay, so Born Again came in on ILL by itself which gave me high hopes that some of the others might come in the same way. WRONG! All six of the rest of biographies are showing as coming in together! I'm not quite sure what to do. I only have a 2 week loan period and the librarian says I can leave some of them on the shelf for a week but then I'll have to take them. And I might be able to renew them for an extra 2 weeks if the lending library allows me. So that leaves me a total of 5 possible weeks to read 6 biographies. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this. I'll either try to read the newest first and perhaps send the last two back and re-order. Or I might scan all of them and if there are any that simply don't interest me, I'll send them back. Sigh! And with The Faerie Queene coming up it further complicates matters. I feel whoozy! ;-)

Your ILL's are only two weeks? Mine are usually at least three weeks, some have come in with as much as two months.

I have had that same thing happen, I can place them at completely separate times and nothing comes and all the sudden bam, they all start coming in at once.

Yikes! I don't know what to say. Which one do you feel like reading?

A Bookworm Reading (Plethora) wrote: "Your ILL's are only two weeks? Mine are usually at least three weeks, some have come in with as much as two months. ..."

It's really silly. In 26 libraries they have none of these books and they'll only give 2 weeks when they come from elsewhere. Argh! I'll try to grovel and see what I can come up with.

A Great Book Study wrote: "Yikes! I don't know what to say. Which one do you feel like reading?"

Well, the only two that I was certain I wanted to read were Born Again (which I just finished -- it was great!) and The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 which I own, so that covers the "wants". Otherwise, it isn't that I don't want to read any (yet), I'm just not familiar with them, other than Malcolm X. And, honestly, I don't really feel like reading his bio. I think with all the political hoopla (ours and now yours), I just don't feel like reading something with the same sort of ilk, KWIM? And because we don't have the black history of the U.S., I feel as though I've read enough for now. But I'm happy to be convinced of its benefit! Other than Elie Wiesel, I don't know the others, and I don't feel particularly interested in Elie, so there you go. I'll see when I get them. It will all depend on length.

I am bugged about this because it's so nice to read together and you and I have been pretty consistent. But I guess if it's a matter between reading separately or not reading, I may have to go with the former. In any case, I will be able to tell more when I have the books in hand! :-)

I would have easily picked Elie Wiesel as one to read of those coming up. I've been trying to get around to The Gulag Archipelago for a year now as well.

My ILL are 4 weeks if it's my own library's ILL or virtual catalogue. IF it's ILL, I can renew it once if there are no holds, but due to the length of time it takes to move around. Virtual Catalogue books cannot be renewed. BUT if the book is on a summer reading list, it's only 2 weeks.

But the state capitol library gives 3 weeks, BUT I just found out they automatically renew books and you get about 4 renewals if there are no holds.

I have the book from the ILL now but haven't started it yet.

I really am not sure whether I'm enjoying this book. So far in his early life, he's a criminal and a thug. He doesn't appear to have much use for women either, unless he can use them. From his comments, he's not proud of this aspect of his life, so we'll see what happens. I also sense an edge of hatred that I'm unsure will ever go away.

Cleo wrote: "I really am not sure whether I'm enjoying this book. So far in his early life, he's a criminal and a thug. He doesn't appear to have much use for women either, unless he can use them. From his comm..."

I KNOW!!!! I am trying to write my post for this review, but it is not easy because I was SOOOOOO MAD for 16 chapters of this book. This book is FULL OF HATRED for whites, Christianity, America, successful black Americans, and all women. (I suppose if we look at the beginning of his life, we may attribute his lack of trust for EVERYONE and everything to his experiences.)

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there.

Thanks for the encouragement, Ruth. I'm at the end of his prison sentence and seriously, he is sounding exactly like Hitler in Mein Kampf. His mother was put in an asylum, his brother had mental health issues, so I was wondering if he had some of those issues too.

I'm surprised that you made it through. I don't think I've experienced such vitriolic hatred from anyone before, even Hitler. It's almost nauseating. And how the Muslim element worked on his thought-process was appalling, but I'm assuming that his brand of Islam was completely different from the conventional. He mentions somewhere that the Black Muslims were rejected by the core Islamists. The part about King James actually being Shakespeare and writing the King James Bible to oppress blacks was unbelievable. Right now his whole agenda is hate.

Okay, I haven't started this yet. Last time I was finished first and thought I'd read too much, too soon. I guess I'd better get started soon.

Karin wrote: "Okay, I haven't started this yet. Last time I was finished first and thought I'd read too much, too soon. I guess I'd better get started soon."

Oh yes, please join the insanity. I need some moral support. ;-)

Cleo wrote: "Karin wrote: "Okay, I haven't started this yet. Last time I was finished first and thought I'd read too much, too soon. I guess I'd better get started soon."

Oh yes, please join the insanity. I ne..."

From what I've read here about the start, I'm wondering if I might hate the book. In my distant past someone gave me a very negative impression of Malcolm X, but I am trying to set that aside. No one is perfect; even Martin Luther King, who did so many wonderful things and who I grew up with great respect for, had a side to him I wish I didn't know.

Sandy, I definitely think that this is one that you'd want to skip. If you're sensitive, there is just too much hatred and violence. Perhaps I'm more sensitive than I suspected, but it's really bothering me.

Karin, I really hate it so far, but I'm going to take Ruth's advice and persevere, hoping that there's something useful at the end. Certainly no one is perfect, but there is just such a theme of hate in the book that is almost palpable. He does not only display hatred in his earlier life, that hatred still comes through in the narrative which means it's still there. However, I'm going to suspend my judgement and see where it goes.

Cleo wrote: "Thanks for the encouragement, Ruth. I'm at the end of his prison sentence and seriously, he is sounding exactly like Hitler in Mein Kampf. His mother was put in an asylum, his brother ..."

Oh, wait!!! Oh, wait!!! I agree. I said in my post that this is more hate-filled and racist than even Mein Kampf!!!

However, about poor mom...I think (it was implied) that the State moved his poor mother into the asylum b/c they needed a reason to remove the children. (I can see that happening anytime the State is involved. They may not have had the kids' best interest at heart.)

I cracked up about the entire retelling of history, especially about the King James Bible and Shakespeare. Definitely a stretch.

And to this day, Arab Muslims DO NOT recognize The Nation of Islam as true Islam. It is a total scam and farce. It is a racist organization. Period.

Karin wrote: "Cleo wrote: "Karin wrote: "Okay, I haven't started this yet. Last time I was finished first and thought I'd read too much, too soon. I guess I'd better get started soon."

Oh yes, please join the i..."

Karin,
The whole time I was wondering why I was still reading it and why Bauer included this one in the biographies b/c it made me so angry, but the last few chapters are quite revealing and transforming; I was grateful to have stuck with it. I realize that even if ideas make us angry, it is also helpful to try to understand why someone is the way they are and why they think the way they do. So if nothing else, that is what I gain from this. Also, it is an opportunity for the reader to sort through what they believe about the issues at hand.

If you do get to read it, at least you can talk about why you agree or disagree with the author.

Sandy wrote: "Following your conversation, I am glad that I didn't try to read this one. I can't say that I'm surprised, though. My childhood memories of him in the news are associated with violent social demons..."

Sandy, I agree with Cleo. If at this time you need a pick me up or encouragement, this is the last book to dive into. I can tell you, it provoked angry personal emotions for me throughout, until the very end.

P.S. If you are looking for an encouraging biography, Unbroken is excellent!

Thanks for those excellent observations, Ruth. I'll try to put it more in perspective. And being Canadian, we just don't have the black history so sometimes I feel like I'm lacking a scope to understand people's reactions. When I read books like this, I find myself "swimming" a little.

I do know that by Malcolm X's response so far, it's not about someone seeing a problem and wanting to correct it for the betterment of both races, it's a simple case of intense revenge, to the point that you'll believe anything as long as it aligns with your fabricated philosophy. I'm so glad I've read his autobiography --- if I'd started reading a biography from another author, I wouldn't have believed a word of it!

Sandy wrote: "A Great Book Study wrote: "If you are looking for an encouraging biography, Unbroken is excellent!"

Thanks for the suggestion. I assume you mean the book by Laura Hillenbrand?"

Yes. : )

I'm going to pass on this one since I have a slew of library books to read before the due date and am so swamped am trying to read mostly books a bit lighter for the next few weeks.

It's probably for the best then. You could read it later. It's definitely a pretty heavy book and rather disturbing.

Cleo wrote: "It's probably for the best then. You could read it later. It's definitely a pretty heavy book and rather disturbing."

Then I'll probably skip it altogether.