I often see new books at the library that catch my attention. Sometimes, I’ll pick up a book that looks interesting and leave it sitting around my house for three weeks, when I should return it. Or, I could renew it, even if I’ve not ever opened it, but think that I might.
If no other library patron asks for that book, I could even renew it for a second time, and keep it for NINE weeks. At which point I really do have to return it, whether or not anyone wants it. But then, I could go back in a few days, check it out again, and, really, could renew it twice more, but by that time, I’ve come to understand that I’m not truly going to read that book.
A couple of weeks ago, I was headed to the computers (to see if I’d remembered to turn in a book), when I passed a display of books. One of them caught my eye:
I thought this looked interesting.
THE CALLIGRAPHER’S SECRET
Rafik Schami
And the title page says: Translated from German by Anthea Bell
It seemed a little odd that a book that’s set in the Middle East (Damascus) would be written in German. Maybe it was written in a Middle Eastern language, then translated into German, and now is available in English.
To begin with, books that aren’t originally written in English and then translated into English, sometimes have a different rhythm to them. And for the first few pages, I needed to adapt, I guess, to the different cadence. And the whole different culture and descriptions and, rhythm, of the sentences slowed down the reading. I’m getting better at it.
And it is a very thick book.
I feel like I’ve been reading and reading and reading, and I’m not close to being halfway through it.
From almost the very beginning, I’ve known that a woman was going to run away. The reasons haven’t been explained, but I know it’s going to happen. And whenever I think It’s going to be soon. She’ll be gone before long. I’m wrong. She went to work with as a seamstress. She’s gotten married. She seems to like her husband. I don’t know what’s going to make her leave. I just know that she’s going to leave.
I was several chapters in before the Calligrapher showed up. And, based on the title of the book, he seems like an important element to the story. But, so far, there’s no connection between him and the woman who is the female protagonist. I’ve seen her name from almost the first page of the book. I’ve seen her as a child, as a young adult who worked for the most important seamstress in town, and now as a wife.
Obviously, I’ve got lots of pages to go.
I’m intrigued. Maybe she’ll leave and never return. But it seems like she’ll be back on the pages of the story, even if it won’t be with her husband or other family members.
And, really! what IS the Calligraphers Secret!?!
I will have to let you know.
There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”
“Yes, Master?” he answered.
“Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
I guess all sorts of interesting things have happened in Damascus.