The High Mountains of Portugal
Yann Martel once again uses the tools of religious allegory and zoological lore to explore the meaning of life and the human experience of suffering.
The High Mountains of Portugal
HOMELESS
In Homeless, the first novella is set in Portugal 1904. The protagonist, Tomas has lost his son, lover and Father within a week. Tomas’ response to the overwhelming grief is to walk backwards.
“Some people never laugh again. Others take to drink,” Martel writes. “Walking backwards, his back to the world, his back to God, he is not grieving. He is objecting. Because when everything cherished by you in life has been taken away, what else is there to do but to object?”
Tomas journey through the High Mountains of Portugal, in one of the first motor cars, in search of a crucifix as mentioned in the diary of a 17th century priest. The journey becomes an allegory for Tomas’ grief.
HOMEWARD
In the second novella, Homeward, the tale unravels over one surreal night in the office of Dr Lozora, a pathologist in Braganca, Portugal in the late 1930’s.
Dr Lozora’s wife visits to explain her theory about the connection of the Gospels and Agatha Christie. Here Martel explores one of his personal re-occurring themes of faith and reason.
The second guest that night takes Dr Lozora into a bizarre allegory of sorrow, including the entombing of a baby chimp in a corpse.
Here we see Martel’s skill as a master story teller who uses the writers tool of allegory with stunning effect.
HOME
In the third and final novella we meet Peter Tovy, a Canadian Politician at the end of his career and following the loss of his adored wife. On a political trip to a chimp refuge in Oklahoma Peter Tovy befriends and adopts an ape. The ensuring story is a beautiful tale tinged with sadness and moments of joy.
Peter Tovy’s story is woven into the fabric of the previous two novellas and we are once again spell bound by Yann Martel’s story telling magic that we loved so much in Life of Pi.
RECOMMENDATION
This book is recommended to anyone who enjoyed Life of Pi. Lovers of religious allegory and zoological lore will also throughly appreciate The High Mountains of Portugal. Take your time to read this novel as the themes are worth digesting and so poignantly capture the human experience.
The High Mountains of Portugal
Do you want to escape for a while into a really good story? Look no further than the Outlander series. Cross Stitch (Outlander)
Word of warning: stock up the fridge, turn off the phone, you are not going to be able to put the Cross Stitch (Outlander), and possibly the following 7 books down!
The story focuses on 20th Century nurse Claire Randall who time travels to 18th Century Scotland to find romance and adventure with the charismatic Jamie Fraser.
The author creates interesting and quirky characters. Intricate layers to the characters explore different themes including, but not limited too; practice of medicine, family bonds, witch craft, sexual sadism, the unique relationship that exists in every marriage, what it means to be a woman or a man today (refer also to A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman) and in the 18th century.
The Outlander books have a tantalising depth because of the historical detail and character development. In essence I have not felt that this is a pure fantasy story as the author handles this so masterfully. Unfortunately this depth to both the story and characters is not reflected in the TV Series.
In 2014 The Outlander series was adapted to TV. I initially saw the TV series before reading the books. I found the TV adaptation focused on the fantasy time travelling aspect of the story. Generally I am not interested in the whole Fantasy genre, so I didn’t bother watching after the first episode. Many others have enjoyed the TV series, so I expect that it depends on your personal preference. Fortunately a friend mentioned how much she enjoyed the books, otherwise I would of missed out on experiencing the rich tapestry of this historical tale.
I am in awe of first time fiction author Diana Gabaldon. ‘In 1988, Gabaldon decided to write a novel for “practice, just to learn how” and with no intention to show it to anyone'(1). Diana Gabaldon had been working as a university lecturer with degrees in science, zoology and marine biology and a speciality in computational science. Fortunately Diana Gabaldon decided to share her ‘practice’ novel. This is a great story told by a very intelligent woman.
It has been interesting to see the Diana Gabaldon’s writing style develop as she experiments with various dramatic devices in Cross Stitch (Outlander)
I have found the Outlander series to be highly addictive. Seriously! My house, etc has been badly neglected while I have been immersed in this series. The books are all lengthy tomes that are a true time commitment.
Cross Stitch (Outlander)
I give Cross Stitch (Outlander) 5 out of 5 stars. You will not be able to put it down.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg is COO of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org (all proceeds from the sale of Lean In
In 2012 Sandberg was named in the Time 100, an annual list of 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.
Part autobiography and part manifesto to empower women to take more leadership positions in government and business. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg believes that the main barriers for women include:
- Society’s barriers: sexism, discrimination and sexual harassment
- Women’s own barriers: internalising systematic discrimination and societal gender roles.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
There has been criticism that Sheryl Sandberg is elitist and couldn’t possible understand the everyday struggles of most women. Yes, there are parts of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg has said that the advice contained in Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
I recommend Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Sheryl Sandberg’s story is not necessarily unique, in a lot of ways her journey has been similar to fellow success story Ariana Huffington. However, Sheryl Sandberg is passionate in her call to action for women to step up and take their rightful position in government or private enterprise to help create more equitable opportunities for everyone.
I enjoyed reading Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Ideas Worth Exploring: Equality in the Workplace, Feminism, Equality, Women’s Leadership, Smart Girls
The Night Ocean
The reviewer is not familiar with the work of H. P Lovecraft and after reading this book I am not sure I want to explore this author? Horror pulp fiction is not my interest. I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the story line as told by a psychiatrist.
The Night Ocean
Each character was well developed, the reader is given exquisite insight into every secret through both the character and the recollections of friends, enemies and lovers. The keeping of so many secrets and the resulting bad behaviour to keep the secrets hidden meant that the reviewer found most of the characters not likeable.
The Night Ocean
Interestingly, the horror fiction writer Stephen King has said that H. P Lovecraft is “the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.”** Stephen King names H P Lovecraft as the writer who inspired him to create his own horror fiction.
I recommend this book to anyone with a love of H. P. Lovecraft and the history of horror pulp fiction.
**Wohleber, Curt (December 1995). “The Man Who Can Scare Stephen King”. American Heritage. 46 (8). Retrieved September 10, 2013.
This book has a 3 out of 5 star rating.
Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
As someone who has a general interest in health, I found this book to be an interesting read, although I did ‘dip’ in and out of the book and at times went ahead to see what the secret was to a happy mind gut. The content, while explained simply, was still a little over whelming.
The author presents the latest research on the effect of the mind gut on our overall well-being. The insights into microbiota (gut flora) offer hope to suffers of gut disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In essence, medical doctors had thought that our brain controlled our digestive system, when in fact the science now proves that the gut impacts our mood, choices and health. The mind communicates with the gut, but your gut also talks to your brain.
In The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
- The importance of intuition and gut feelings
- How we can optimize our gut health to live a long disease free life.
- The relationship between our digestive health and the emotions that make us who we are. Some may even call it our soul!
A big ‘take away’ for me was learning about the effect of unhealthy childhood memories on the mind gut and the resulting long term health outcomes. As a parent it is a natural to want to give your child a happy childhood filled with healthy memories. Sometimes it isn’t always possible and I now see the importance of the link between your child’s mental well-being and the mind gut. It is so important to seek support if you or your child is not processing their life experiences in a healthy way.
Intuition affects most of our everyday decisions. Learn why an upset gut could be responsible for poor decisions and how you can make better intuition decisions in the future.
The good news is that according to The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
- Essentially lots of probiotic rich foods like kim chi, sauerkraut and yoghurt.
- Consider a good quality probiotic supplement if taking antibiotics.
- And of course eat lots of fruit & veggies
- No processed food
- Red meat once or twice a week
- Follow a Mediterranean style diet
- Include social connection at meal times
- Daily exercise like walking most days and cardio workouts 3 x per week
For anyone that has family or friends living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) there is hope that with some awareness around the research presented in The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
I recommend The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health
IDEAS WORTH EXPLORING: Mediterranean Diet, Probiotics, Microbiota
This book has a 4 out of 5 star rating.
To care for an ageing parent is any child’s privilege. Firstly we can return some of the love and nurturing that we received and secondly we can still enjoy this person in our lives and help our loved one in ageing gracefully. Certainly a privilege when you consider anyone who has lost a parent and grieve’s that loss.
As I creep closer to 50 years of age I find that social gatherings inevitably leads to discussions about the options for an ageing parent. I am the primary carer for my 73 year old mother, who also has traumatic brain injuries from a car accident over 52 years ago. As part of caring for my Mum I have had to consider a lot of the issues now facing my friends a long time ago. So what are the issues?
Essentially:
- Downsizing or moving from a larger, quite often the Family Home to a smaller home that is easy to maintain.
- Self Care, especially following a fall or sickness. How will my loved one manage rehabilitation, managing money, preparing meals, showers, mobility and house cleaning?
- Safety around the home and in the event of a fall or sickness.
In the next stage of life, following the initial down sizing, many people express regret that they hadn’t made the move sooner. Regardless the process of downsizing for many people is extremely stressful, because it can be the first time that person has had to acknowledge they are getting older and recognition that they are not able to cope with everything like they once did. The new home will be easier to look after and there is a lot less stress because they are not worried about gardens, lawns, fences, painting or any number of items that must be maintained.
When making the decision about where to live many things have to be considered:
- Proximity to family, friends or support networks.
- Have they considered their current health issues and what the long term quality of life is likely to be?
In my mothers situation I had to consider her traumatic brain injuries and the real likely hood that in old age Mum will require a high level of care. To this end we decided that a self care apartment in a Retirement Village with a high care nursing home, as part of the facilities was the best option.
Mum will age gracefully in the knowledge that while she is mobile and able to live independently now. Then down the track, if required, there are options like the nursing home, that are in an environment that Mum is familiar with.
Most importantly we are anticipating Mum’s needs now and planning, instead of being in a stressful situation where we may not have options for accommodation or the best care.
Too often I see friends parents denying the reality of their situation and choosing to stay in the home that they can no longer care for and most damaging of all, trying to ignore the fact that they are ageing and their needs have changed. Inevitably they end up having a serious fall with a extended hospital stay and cannot return to their home and are in the unpleasant situation of having to move into care that is not to their liking or located away from family friends. Needless to say this involves stress and heart break to not only your ailing parent but you and your family as well. With a little planning and a few difficult conversations this can be avoided.
In The Telomere Effect we learn the importance of support networks, stress reduction, together with eating a Mediterranean style diet and aerobic exercise. By following the recommendations in The Telomere Effect, together with the guidelines above we can expect, not only ourselves, but our loved ones, to age gracefully and live a healthier longer life free of disease.