J. Michael Jones

Last week, I read my first book by Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping. I profoundly enjoyed the book as it read like some of the best poetry I’ve read. The novel did not, however, excel in the way of plot or character development, but that didn’t matter because the words were so beautiful. I was so moved that Denise and I watched the movie adaptation of Housekeeping later in the week. It was a flop and I was afraid it would be because you cannot capture the beautiful narrative in a film. They did try with a couple of long quotes from the book, but the movie could not stand on the plot or characters.

Debi had recommended I read other books by her. The only book I found in my literary well  (the Washington State Library Association Online Loans) was When I was a Child I Read Books. It was the only audio book available to download of the more than 20 books recommended by my blog readers.

Yesterday was not a good day for my symptoms and last night was worst so there was very little sleep. But during the night I did start listening to When I was a Child I Read Books. I was further blessed by the fact that Marilynne was the reader-performer, herself, on this particular recording. Often it is a professional reader who performs in these audio recordings.

Listening to the book did nothing less than blow my mind. Not only did the book continue in almost poetic prose as her previous book had, but this book is nonfiction and covers so many topics of history, anthropology, physics, theology, and I could on and on.

I have always considered women has being more emotionally mature than men. After having read Anne Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and now When I was a Child I Read Books, I have now concluded that women are also smarter than men, but have been denied the opportunity to show that brilliance throughout our history.

I will still claim that men, like the neanderthal, have more brute strength than women . . .  most of the time, unless they are rendered weak by cancer, then they have no advantage.