Slan - Uncle Tom...

I finally finished 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. This little book was surprising in many ways. First of all, it was a lot longer than I had originally thought. The 460 page book took a lot longer to finish than I would have ever guessed! It seemed to drag on and on and give so much detail that I felt like I was never making any progress. Secondly I was surprised by how well the book was written. I had always heard that the book was greatly exaggerated and was used as propaganda for the North. I, however, found it to be very believable. The characters had real substance and stories that I could believe, and I found myself genuinely interested in it. The other thing that surprised me was the faith of many of the characters. Uncle Tom was a gentle and kind man that was able to withstand much abuse because of his Christian faith. He continuously found hope in the midst of despair and kindness in the midst of extreme cruelty. I found myself convicted by his example and admiring a faith that was real and working in his life. Over all I really enjoyed this book that played such an important role in the abolition debate. I am very glad that I was able to investigate it on my own. Who would have thought that it would take me moving to Ireland to find a copy of it....


I finished 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' some time ago... I just have not had time to write about it. I am currently half-way through my next little book, 'Dubliners' by James Joyce. I had been warned that Joyce was notoriously hard to read, but I am finding it very easy and enjoyable. I think that it is his other work, "Ulysses", that has given him such a reputation. 'Dubliners' is a collection of several short stories that give momentary glimpses into the lives of ordinary people living in Dublin before the Revolution. I chose the book because one of my best friends here is reading it and studying it in a university class here. He kept talking about it so much that I decided to pick it up and have a go at it. We have since had countless discussions about the book in our local coffee shop, and I have enjoyed reading it with someone else who is more knowledgeable about the culture and history of the work. I am about half-way finished with the book, but I hope to finish soon and pick up something new before my upcoming business trip. Stay tuned....