Lonely Cottage

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  “Among the few features of agricultural England which retain an appearance but little modified by the lapse of centuries, may be reckoned the high, grassy and furzy downs, coombs, or ewe-leases, as they are indifferently called, that fill a large area of certain counties in the south and south-west. If any mark of human occupation is met with hereon, it usually takes the form of the solitary cottage of some shepherd. Fifty years ago such a lonely cottage stood on such a down, and may possibly be standing there now. In spite of its loneliness, however, the spot, by actual measurement, was not more than five miles from a county-town. Yet that affected it little. Five miles of irregular upland, during the long inimical seasons, with their sleets, snows, rains, and mists, afford withdrawing space enough to isolate a Timon or a Nebuchadnezzar; much less, in fair weather, to please that less repellent tribe, the poets, philosophers, artists, and others who “conceive and meditate of ple...

Favorite Book Of The Series

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Yesterday I posted a brief overview of my favorite series of books. Today, I would like to highlight one of those books, which is perhaps my favorite from the list: "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. This may be one of the greatest books ever written in all time, in any language.

I recall when first reading this book and how it kept me on the edge of my seat. As a father and home educator at the time, it seemed important that my children also experience this great work, for in it lies not only a good story but beautiful imagery, excellent writing style, humor, science, and of course, adventure. Reading the book to them out loud exposed passages and tones that I completely missed the first time and together we bit our nails, laughed and fell asleep in the boring parts.

I did not realize until much later that "Moby Dick" is far more than a story. It is a tale of a way of life, of a mindset, of a sub-culture that existed in but a spot of time in history. Certainly it was inspired by true events, but like a fantastic mural it portrays more than the eye at first glance can behold.

Melville tells the reader something of the whale in one paragraph that if the reader will pay attention, finds that the story is more than a tale of an albino mammal battling a scarred and obsessed sea captain. The symbol is rich and deep, describing the real-life struggle of any man. Of every man.

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