This sleepy Thursday morning…a few more books vanquished:

26. The Daring Mission of William Tyndale by Steven Lawson. This was a very little book, but massively encouraging. I got this from Mom & Dad last Christmas…and I do so love biographies, so even very little ones are always worth it! This was a great reminder of Tyndale and the great works of God that were done through him. He lived in 16th century England for a time…but eventually fled to Europe to complete his Great Work – the translation of much of the Bible into English. A truly staggering accomplishment, especially as he was not translating from the Latin, as had been done before. No – he translated from the original Greek & Hebrew…and in doing so, he created a marvelous translation that still is the foundation and backbone of the majority of English translations today. He translated all of the New Testament and much of the Old, coordinating the printing and smuggling of these English Bibles into England so that the common man and woman could read. Before he could finish the Old Testament translation, he was captured by English agents, held in prison in Belgium and eventually executed for the grave crime of translating God’s Word into English so that all could read. Tyndale’s passion for the glory of God and desire that all might know Him through His Word…oh so gloriously inspiring. May the desire for God’s glory to increase fill our hearts this day.

27. They Were Counted by Miklós Bánffy. I don’t even know how to describe this one. Originally published in Budapest in the 1930s, this Hungarian novel(first of a trilogy!!) is magnificent, luscious & depressing…all at the same time. Maybe when I read the next two books in the trilogy, I will talk about them more. But briefly – these books are set in early 20th century Transylvania, when Hungary controlled much more territory than they do now. It is written by a Hungarian politician who lived through the tumultuous early 20th century and actually signed the peace treaty with the US that granted Hungary access to the League of Nations after end of the Great War. What’s fascinating is this book is very obviously a depiction of Hungarian high society in the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire…and a vivid look into the short-sighted and decadent behaviour that was part and parcel of that life. The characters are vividly painted, although so many of their decisions and actions are so terrible. One of the characters that started out as my favourite slowly descended into a bottomless pit of his own making (I have been reinforced in my opinion that gambling is not altogether a Wise Thing) and another character, while honourable for the most part, seems to consider it acceptable to chase after a married woman (who yes, may be married to an evil psychopath, which makes me feel slightly better about it. But still). I have heard this trilogy/novel compared favourably to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, one of my very favourites. I wouldn’t go quite that far, as I don’t think Bánffy is quite the equal of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but I do greatly appreciate this author’s style, as overwrought as some of the prose may be! (Or…maybe that’s why I like it…hm) There are some truly lovely scenes early on (before things get too terrible)…and the descriptions of the great Hungarian estates are a treat for the (imaginary) senses. And one of the things I love about this novel as well, as painful as the reading sometime is…is that the characters are all so very flawed. There are no perfect characters here. People feel deeply…and people err greatly. And the author doesn’t let the characters get away with acting rashly on their emotions. Now, I may be slightly biased in liking this novel, because it has Hungarian characters and written by a Hungarian author…and I do so have a soft spot in my heart for Hungary – having visited there and having dear friends from there. But despite this bias, I think this book has some worthwhile qualities. One of my favourite things is the absurd depiction of Hungarian politics…and it would almost be hilarious if you don’t stop and think that these same political dramas are what set the stage for the soon-coming world war. I love reading about historical events and this book, while fiction, very much educated me on the mindset and political currents that were present at the time. Especially since the book was written by someone who was very much a part of the political scene back then! This mini-review has gotten a bit long. We shall see what I think of the other two books of the trilogy, although I do not have much confidence things will get better. We shall see. Very intrigued to see what happens to Balint, Laszlo, Adrienne, Klara and the rest of the characters I’ve gotten to know so well…as the Austro-Hungarian Empire – and the world – further descends into madness…