May 2022 Recommended Reading and Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Happy May, everyone! Warmer weather is coming, which is always welcome, and while COVID still lingers in places, it would appear that things are truly mending. It took me a bit to think of it, but I have some historical recommendations for you this time - some somber pieces set in 1600's Puritan New England. I apologize in advance if these are too depressing for you, but I believe they're still worth checking out.


Reading: The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Often considered one of America's greatest works of fiction, this classic novel is often assigned in high school but may actually be deeply lost on students, as it's a significantly intelligent piece of prose with Gothic overtones and veins of social criticism. The story focuses on three central figures: Hester Prynne, condemned and ostracized by the village for the crime of adultery but resilient and introspective in her suffering; Arthur Dimmsdale, the minister torn inside by his secret guilt but too fearful of the crowd to confess his sins; and Roger Chillingworth, the old misshapen man with a secret history and a vendetta of vengeance. The interweaving of their lives together is a source of tragedy, revelations, and, quite possibly, forgiveness and absolution. What may escape high schoolers could resonate deeper with older audiences, so if you've put this book out of your mind, give it another read - you might be surprised what you find.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451531353?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Trade 1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143107666?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Trade 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679783385?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X593C26?tag=randohouseinc16940-20



Viewing: The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)

This stylish debut film is a dark meditation on Puritan religious devotion and superstition, centered around a family which has been exiled from a village due to religious differences. Life in the harsh land is only increased by the local belief of a witch living in the neighboring woods; the mysterious abduction of the family's infant child is the first of a series of events that sends them spiraling into paranoia, hysteria, and death, as the rumors of witchcraft may be frighteningly true. Besides great cinematography and acting, what sets this movie apart is its significant attention to historical detail, with the script having been written by consulting documents of the time period to capture the cadences of Puritan language. It's definitely disturbing, but the care put into it sets it above what could have been a cheap ahistorical piece of schlock. It's a wonderful opening to what promises to be a magnificent career.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-DVD-Digital-Anya-Taylor-Joy/dp/B01D2KFSS8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blu-ray-Digital-HD/dp/B01D2KEVZO/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
4K: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blu-ray-Ralph-Ineson/dp/6317699771/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Anya-Taylor-Joy/dp/B01BT3SDQO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-1



So that's all for May. Again, I apologize if you found this too dark. Either way, I hope to have something much brighter next month. Enjoy the spring!