Introduction to an Epic

"There is a prospect greater than the sea, and it is the sky; there is a prospect greater than the sky, and it is the human soul. To make a poem of the human conscience, even in terms of a single man and the least of men, would be to merge all epics in a single epic transcending all."

Victor Hugo's (1802-1885) passionate and thought-provoking words are worth relishing and reflecting upon... Just consider, dear reader...  If it is impossible to understand the human soul, how much more difficult is it to comprehend the vastness and magnificence of the Creator of the soul?! 
Hugo endeavored to portray the reality of his own musings by writing a book about the "human conscience" and a "single man's" life. It is an introspective journey of pain, darkness, redemption, sorrow, and light. 
Since my first introduction to this daunting tome a few years ago, it has remained one of my favourite classics. Can you guess what it is? Les Misérables - a rather difficult title to pronounce - which can be translated as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, or The Underdogs.

Hugo's insight and ability to put many aspects of the human condition into words is remarkable. Norman Denny, a translator of Hugo's work writes, 

"Les Misérables with its depth of vision and underlying truth, its moments of lyrical quality and of moving compassion, is a novel of towering stature, one of the great works of western literature, a melodrama that is also a morality and a social document embracing a wider field than any other novel of its time." 

Cosette

Set against the backdrop of 19th Century France, Les Misérables tells the tale of Jean Valjean, a man cast from society, sentenced to nineteen years of hard labour after stealing a loaf of bread and sequential attempts to escape. He is released a calloused man - free from the chain and the lash, but not from the law or the hatred and darkness that grips his soul.
After a pivotal encounter with a bishop, Valjean "looks at the picture of his life...and of his own soul, hideous in its ugliness," and weeps (I imagine much as Peter wept after he had denounced Jesus three times). The ex-convict's tears turn to those of a freed man as the burden of his sin is lifted and he receives God's grace. Taking on a new identity, he becomes a successful and benevolent mayor. But then his past rears its ugly head and he must wrestle within the depths of his heart and conscience to decide how he will respond. The dilemma will have unprecedented affects on himself and a multitude of others.
Les Mis is not only concerned with the internal struggle (man against God, and man against himself) but also the social one (man against man). France is restless, the poor are voiceless, and the idealism's of the Revolution are ripe for revival. Valjean finds himself caught in the epicentre of the conflict. Now as the loving guardian of a beautiful young girl named Cosette - the "little lark" - he is consumed with his desire to care for her forever and protect her from his past, but blossoming love may serve to alter his newly found purpose. Not only do unsettling reappearances of the rogue Thenardier bring upheaval to Valjean's life, but he continues to be hunted by Javert, an Inspector of Police whose adherence to the law leaves no room for mercy to others - or himself. 
Though Valjean is the central figure of the novel, the characters surrounding him (some of which I've already mentioned) are equally profound and fascinating...
The beautiful and tragic Fantine who falls into degradation in order to keep her daughter alive...
Marius, a romantic, idealistic young man...
Enjolras, a principled, and daring Revolutionary, surrounded by young men whose desire for liberty and equality will send them to their early graves...
Eponine, a ragged girl whose unobserved, sacrificial love will save the lives of many...
Gavroche, a quick-witted, courageous young urchin who calls the streets of Paris his mother and fights alongside the Revolutionaries...

Statue of Gavroche and his two younger brothers. Valetta, Malta.

Despite the beauty and depth of Hugo's work, his writing style is far from perfect - Les Mis is accused by the same translator as being, "loaded down with digressions, interpolated discourses, passages of moralizing rhetoric" and many other "sins" of the novelist writer.
In fact, the first advice I received when beginning to read this book was to skip the first few chapters!
Hugo certainly "says everything, and more than everything." Not only do you get very detailed historical accounts - most notably, the Battle of Waterloo - but you tour the hidden world of a nunnery, climb into the cesspit of the Paris sewers, and hear many eloquent speeches on politics and the ideals prevalent of the time.
And yet, there is something beautiful and almost assuring about these wanderings that helped me surmount his rabbit-trails and kept me from skipping, despite the passages on politics and religion that I either disagreed with or found difficult to understand. They cement a vivid picture in the minds eye and contribute to the realism of the story. The apparent "coincidences" and incidences all connect and entwine, conferring one of the many themes evident throughout: There is something - Someone - at work in our lives, orchestrating both the grand historical events, and the seemingly insignificant meetings, happenings and decisions.

When Les Misérables was first published in 1862, it captured an enormous audience of diverse social backgrounds, particularly the poor. It acknowledged their plight in ways contrary to any other piece of literature. People were drawn to sympathize and relate with the characters. Fantine is an illustration of the suffering of women, as well as sacrifice made for one's child, Cosette and Gavroche are the faces of waifs and strays - innocence and lost innocence - Valjean not only exemplifies imprisoned, broken men, ostracized forever from society, but hope and redemption, and Marius stands as an illustration of a wandering soul. Hugo wished to impress the cry of the poor and homeless into people's hearts, so often lost in the clamour of life's events. In no way have these themes and characters lost their potency; they still impact an immense audience - maybe none more so than now.

Les Mis remains the longest running Broadway musical in history, and was recently made into an award winning movie in 2012. Though the musical is not wholly true to the novel, it is a masterpiece in its own way. Musical scores such as Bring Him Home, I Dreamed a Dream, Who Am I?, On My Own, Stars, and One Day More, capture and bring to light the overarching themes and sentiments of the story. I find it inspiriting and refreshing to consider that God could not be erased from such a world renowned drama. It would be a meaningless story without Him!

Within Les Misérables, Hugo gave a summary of his intentions and aspirations for his masterpiece...

"The book which the reader now holds in his hands, from one end to the other... treats the advance from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsity to truth, from darkness to daylight, from blind appetite to conscience, from bestiality to duty, from Hell to Heaven, from Limbo to God..."

There is so much more I could say, but I will leave it at that and allow you to discover it for yourself if you wish, and conclude with a trailer of the musical... 

Ballet, Then and Now

I love this photo. Not only is it unexpected and amusing, but it gets an important point across (no pun intended).

Ballerina's are athletes.

In fact ballerina's and football players are considered to tolerate the same amount of pain in their respective sports, as well as to maintain the same kind of discipline.

As I spent quite a few years in ballet myself, I have a great appreciation for the athleticism and artistry of this dance form; the gracefulness and precision of the movements, the poised and powerful strength of the body, and the romantic, classical elements of the music and performances.

I was first enraptured by the magic of ballet and inspired to be a ballerina when my mom took me at the age of seven to see, The Nutcracker, performed by the Alberta Ballet. I even had my picture taken with the Nutcracker Prince!

I dreamed of being a professional ballerina and dancing on pointe, and though I have never reached either of my childhood goals, my years in dance are far from being a waste. They were extremely meaningful; a foundation for so much more. Ballet taught me discipline and perseverance, gave me an ear for rhythm, instilled within me a love for classical music, and most importantly, revealed to me that I can use dance to worship God!

In light of my passion for dance, I thought it would be interesting, dear readers, to take a little trip into the world of ballet.

Here's a short introduction to begin - an interview with a leading American ballerina, Misty Copeland.

 

So where did ballet originate?

1300's - 1500's: Ballet (Balletto or ballo meaning "to dance") begins to take form as an elegant court dance during the Italian Renaissance.

1600's: King Louis XIV of France (also known as the Sun King) takes ballet as his own and transforms it into a grandiose art. He names the steps (plié, soussus, pirouette, arabesque, fondu, grande jete, etc.), uses it to enhance fencing, and dances in many performances himself along with his courtiers. 

1700's -1800's: Ballet continues to flourish. Begins to look like the ballet we see and dance today.

1900's: France's ballets becomes rather "stagnant and predictable." Russians take the art and breath life into it once again. This is what we call classical ballet (to this day, Russian ballerina's are often considered the best). Britain and America follow in Russia's footsteps and begin establishing their own ballet schools and companies.

Present Day: Classical ballet is still taught and performed worldwide, but choreographers and teachers are branching out to include modern, aesthetic movements and stories (neoclassical).

Note: I didn't want to overwhelm my readers with clips of dancers (there are so many!), but if you have time I would highly suggest watching this interesting video which gives a great visual of how ballet has changed over the centuries.

Okay, now that we've traveled briefly through the history of ballet, we're going to tour the studio where the ballerina's are practicing and then rendezvous over to the theatre for a night of music, art, and culture. 

 

In the Studio

Variation from Giselle: 

This clip demonstrates the drive, technique, and practice a dancer needs in order to perform.

Here follows some of the hardest moves of the profession...

On Stage

Odile's Coda from Swan Lake:

Notice in particular the height of the man's jumps, and the stamina and balance of the woman.

Isn't the set magnificent?

Dance of the Cygnets from Swan Lake:

By far one of my favourite variations. Their precision and grace as a team is beautiful!

Kitri Variation from Don Quixote: 

Such an elegant and flamboyant dance! 

I hope you enjoyed the show!

Resources
Timeline of Ballet: www.coreofculture.org/ballet.html

"Irrevocably a Reader"

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."  

                                                            Victor Hugo (author of Les Misérables)

Reading. 
There is something profoundly beautiful, almost sublime in the fact that God has made us capable of inventing symbols that when combined in diverse patterns can capture the perceptions, memories, and thoughts that swirl within our minds, and coherently relay them in physical form to others, so that they too may understand and share in the moment.*

 *God himself chose the written word (the Bible) as the vessel by which to speak personally to us!

Consider also that at one time or another we have all been ignorant of what those symbols meant and had to devote many of our early years to mastering this fundamental skill. The anthologist and essayist, Alberto Manguel, illustrates this wonderfully:

"At one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book–that string of confused, alien ciphers–shivered into meaning.Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes opened.You became, irrevocably, a reader."

This prompts me to ponder yet another fascinating aspect of learning to read...
The innocence of childhood. 
A child, though naturally sinful, has a naive beauty to their actions, words, and thoughts that have not yet been sullied by the deception and waywardness of the world. It is a common theme in literature, most predominately in William Blake's Songs (poems) of Innocence and Experience (maybe you're familiar with his poem The Tyger).
Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matthew 18 about the importance of childlike faith and innocence when he said,

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

And the Apostle Paul wrote about the beauty of childhood and growing up: 

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (I Corinthians 13:11). 

So how, you might ask, does this relate to reading?
As I endeavoured to express before, the written word is a beautiful thing, but there is also a beauty in the journey of reading - beginning as a child, guileless and unassuming, the world slowly opening and growing as they themselves grow and gain experience. 
The books I read as a child - even the simplest picture books - shaped and reflected the perceptions I had of the world. They were tiny stepping stones on the road to maturation and gave me an appreciation for literature that continues to grow and impact me every day.
With that said I would like to share with you ten books that capture and reflect my own early steps into the wide world of reading and literature (by no means an exhaustive list - it was difficult to narrow it down to so few!). 
My idea for this came about while I was sorting through some things in the basement and stumbled upon a collection of books that I read and treasured as a young girl. Poignant, delightful memories flooded over me. As I flipped through the books I was transported back in time and reconnected with a younger version of myself. I could remember how I felt, where I sat, what I thought, and the unique circumstances of my life at the time.
I was reminded of how small and simple my world was - even how my perception of time had not yet fully developed (the childhood bliss of not looking and planning beyond the moment. When life consisted of a day - or at most a week). 
I've placed them in an approximate order of when I read them, so as to loosely chart five years of my life (#1 being what I read when I was about five or six, and #10 being what I read when I was ten or eleven).

1. Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett

This book always brings a smile to my face as it reminds me of my first year in school and how it sparked my young imagination.
I never really believed in Santa Claus as a child, but for a time I did believe in these trolls. During kindergarten class I distinctly remember my classmates and I sitting on our little mats in anticipation of story time. That day our teacher read us this delightful Ukrainian folk tale. It tells of two trolls stealing small Christmas decorations and goodies from a family, until the girl discovers why everything is disappearing and teaches the trolls that Christmas is not found in getting and the items themselves, but in giving and loving. Our teacher decided to bring the story to life! Over the next week, things started to disappear in the classroom. "Could it be the trolls!?" we wondered excitedly. 
So we wrote the trolls a note, asking them to return the missing items to our classroom. The next day everything was back in its rightful place.

2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

More people are probably familiar with the movie than the book (the book's better!). Imagine a world where people never have to cook and all their food comes from the skies! 
Every time I flipped through the illustrations of hamburger clouds and orange juice rain, my mouth would water and I would picture myself climbing up a jello mountain, sailing on a sandwich boat, or playing in ice-cream snow. Now wouldn't that be fun!

3. The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Warner's story (set sometime in the 1930's or 40's) of four orphan children seeking refuge and making a home in an abandoned boxcar was based off of true events. I was fascinated by how the four siblings worked together and lived on their own - washing and fishing in the river, cooking over an open fire, and making the boxcar comfortable and clean. In the end, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are found and adopted by their rich Grandpa. The rest of the series recounts their adventures and the mysteries they solve along the way. It was always an adventure going to the library to take out another book from the series (there were over a hundred, but only the first ten were written by Warner). These books also served as my introduction to the genre of mystery and led me to read the Nancy Drew series and more recently, the excellent Sherlock Holmes mysteries. 

4. The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

Lofting dedicated this story to "All children. Children in years and children in heart." It recounts the life and travels of the singular Doctor Dolittle - an animal doctor who under the tutelage of his parrot learns to speak to animals. Along with his animal friends, Dolittle sails across the ocean to Africa where he has many adventures and meets a pushmi-pullyu, a "very shy" creature like a gazelle with two heads; one at each end of its body.
I remember wishing when I was younger that I could speak to animals (what kid doesn't?). And I could - at least when I was reading this book and had befriended, among others, Dab-dab the duck, Jip the dog, and Polynesia the parrot.

5. Midnight in the Dollhouse by Marjorie Filley Stover

This story follows tomboy Melissa, living in the wake of the American Civil War, who must stay in bed for four months to heal her broken hip (she fell out of a tree). Before her accident she showed very little interest in dolls, but with nothing else to do besides read, her family pitches in to buy her dolls and build her a dollhouse. What she doesn't know is that at night, her dolls come to life, and not only that, they secretly help Melissa and her family find the family fortune that her grandfather hid at the beginning of the civil war.
Melissa's dolls reflected my desire (and many children's) for toys and stuffed animals to come to life!

6. The Cricket in Time's Square by George Selden

A cricket, a mouse, and a cat - an unlikely trio. This is a story about their friendship, as well as a celebration of music, culture, and the diversity of the countryside and the city. Of course I didn't understand all of that when I first read this book; I was simply captivated by Chester, the cute talking cricket who gets carried in a picnic basket from the country to New York City, and whose ability to chirp classical music draws eager listeners, and ultimately assists a struggling Italian immigrant family at their newspaper stand.

7. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

I was first introduced to the fascinating world of Middle Earth by my dad who read this book aloud to me when I was about eight or nine.
Stolen treasure, dwarves, elves, goblins, giant spiders, a cunning dragon, a wise wizard, mysterious forests, a magic ring... and then amidst these Homeric characters and against this epic backdrop stands the unlikely hero: Bilbo Baggins, an ordinary Hobbit fond of his pipe and the comforts of home, who surprises everyone - including himself - with his courage. Bilbo's simple acts of bravery encouraged me in my own tentative steps out of my front door and into the wide world.
But that was only the beginning of the journey! A year later my dad would read me The Lord of the Rings!

8. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane cannot move or speak, but he can think and feel. He is in fact a china rabbit, a unique and expensive doll owned by a rich girl named Abilene. And then one day he is lost - taken from Abilene's arms and thrown over the side of a boat by some rowdy boys. Thus begins an incredible journey from the bottom of the ocean, to the coarse hands of a fisherman, to a garbage heap, to the tender arms of a dying child, and eventually to a fancy and lonely toy shop. The miracle of this unique and often sad tale takes place within Edward. As the blurb on the back of the books says, "even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again." 

9. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Anne Shirley will always be a "bosom friend"; a "kindred spirit." She sparked my imagination, introduced me to the timeless poetry, romance, and beauty through which she saw her every day life, and made me laugh (and sympathize) when she suffered from mishaps or let her wild imagination run away with her. The other characters that make up the story's cast are just as colourful: sharp and serious Marilla, quiet and shy Matthew, busybody Mrs. Lynde, handsome and smart Gilbert Blythe, and elegant Diana Barry. You might even consider the orchards, fields, and shores of L. M. Montgomery's beloved Prince Edward Island a character in and of itself, with the enchanting descriptions and names that Anne and the author bestow upon them throughout the book. A true Canadian classic! 

10. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Though I had read historical fiction before, this book was a great initiator in forming my love for this genre. The majority of Sutcliff's books take place in England and Scotland during the years of the Roman occupation, the Viking and Norman invasions, the English Civil War, and various conflicts in the Scottish Highlands. Sutcliff's ability to describe the landscape, and develop the characters not only made me feel as if I were there, they helped to define my appreciation and interest in the history of these countries. 
This story follows Marcus Aquila a young centurion stationed in Northern Britain to keep the Celtic tribes under control. Marcus embarks on a dangerous quest into the wilds of Caledonia (Scotland) to discover the fate of his father's legion which mysteriously disappeared years before. The themes of friendship, belonging, and perseverance that emerge throughout the story were very meaningful to my own life.

Now that I've shared with you a few of the books I read and treasured as a young girl; what books played an integral part in your childhood?