Booknotes 5.6

The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, published 1596, play, 82 pages. I first read this twenty-five years ago but apparently retained almost none of it. Aside from the antisemitism, I generally liked it.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard, published 2011, history, 368 pages. Loved it! The history — the assassination, the undiagnosed mental illness, the medical malpractice — is tragic and awful, of course, but the book itself is so good. Highly recommended. I also enjoyed the parts about Alexander Graham Bell and now want to read Reluctant Genius. And Garfield’s diary.

Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis, published 1952, nonfiction, 239 pages. A reread after twenty years away. Overall, it held up. Lots of good stuff.

Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery, published 1908, fiction, 377 pages. I grew up on the Canadian miniseries but had never read the original book till now, which I’m glad I finally did because it’s delightful and wholesome and human and I loved it. And the ending! Poignant. (From what I can remember, by the way, the miniseries — which is on my list of “things to show to my kids as I irrationally try to recreate my childhood for them” — seems to be a fairly faithful adaptation.)