Secular Reading
Posted by: Blc914 <Blc914@...>
As I have mentioned before many times on this list, I am a voracious reader
-- when I can be! I love to read and read and read. I imagine that many of
you can relate!
I use to read lots and lots of secular works and then God lead me to Francine
Rivers and I have been reading Christian fiction and nonfiction every since.
At first I read secular and Christian works, but slowly God pulled me from
the secular works. Just as He is pulling me towards more nonfiction these
days.
I still read secular works occasionally. I use to read everything John
Grisham wrote, but I have missed his last 1 or 2 books.
Well, I recently read a secular book called The Quiet Game by Greg Iles. Not
sure if anyone here is familiar with his writings or with this book. Greg and
I grew up together in Natchez, MS (the oldest town on the MS River and a
monument to confederate life). Natchez is like no other place on earth --
that is a good and bad thing all in one! When you live in Natchez, you live
in another world. Anyway -- Greg is 3 years older than I. We attended a very
small private school there, where everyone knew everyone -- in fact, Natchez
is an everyone knows everyone kind of town. I had read Greg's first book --
even have a personalize autographed first edition -- I did not like it a bit.
I am so thankful he never asked me what I thought of it. He has written a
number of books since then, including one that is currently being made into a
movie (24 hours is the title).
I have never felt compelled to read any more of his works after the first
one, but The Quiet Game tempted me. It is set in Natchez. I knew I would
enjoy it. So I decided to read it. I loved the descriptions of my home town
and the characters there -- so many I recognized! I was sorely disappointed
in the language and sexual overtones used in the book. I recently read an
interview where Greg stated that he was writing more commercially these days
-- I guess that means adding language and smut to your works. That saddens me.
Why is it that society demands smut? You know that is why it is included in
books, movies, TV etc. Because it sells ... people want it. That is such a
sad statement of our world.
All this to say that I ventured off into the world's "literature" recently
and found it sorely lacking.
Barb C.