Book Review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is declared a Former Person by the Soviet government in 1920s Moscow. Normally this would mean summary execution for an aristocrat but Rostov wrote a revolutionary poem in 1906 that is well respected by the communists. Rostov would not even have been caught if he hadn't returned to Russia from Paris when the Czar was killed in 1917. As things turn out, he is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol, a fine hotel in the heart of Moscow. The book chronicles his life trapped inside those four walls. He is slowly stripped of his comforts as the years go by. He slowly finds new comforts--new friends and activities and even parts of the hotel that he has left undiscovered until now.

This fictional biography has the feel of an autobiography. The reader sees inside of Rostov's head quite often, and the style of writing is very erudite and literary. His search for a good life while having very few means to access that life is interesting. He retains his sense of wonder and builds close and deep relationships with others. His conflicts with the small-minded people he encounters create tension and show his cleverness and his fortitude. He truly is a gentleman and a fascinating character.

Recommended.

This book is discussed on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast #260.

Portrait Gallery in the Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia

The Second Bank of the United States was built in the 1820s and provided credit to federal agencies and private businesses. Now, it's a portrait gallery featuring many colonial and government leaders, including many of the Founding Fathers. The majority of the paintings are by the Peale family. Charles Willson Peale and his brother James were artists, as were their respective children. 

First up is George Washington, leader of the Continental Army and first President of the United States.

George Washington

The picture above Washington (the label is blurry in the picture!)

The Philadelphia City Coat of Arms is depicted, though I think the disembodied arm of justice is a little disturbing. The plow and the boat represent agriculture and commerce. The two women represent education and plenty.

Philadelphia City Coat of Arms, with an extra arm

The Marquis de Lafayette has two pictures, one showing his younger self during the war, the other showing him when he visited Philadelphia again in 1824.

Young Lafayette

Not-so-young Lafayette

James Madison was the father of the Constitution and an advocate for the Bill of Rights. He was the fourth president of the United States.

James Madison

Ben Franklin is a popular local hero for all the work he had done improving life in Pennsylvania.

Ben Franklin

Alexander Hamilton was another influential Founding Father who advocated things like a federal bank, so it's only natural for him to be depicted here.

Alexander Hamilton

Henry Knox was a general during the American War for Independence and was the first Secretary of War during Washington's presidency.

Henry Knox

John Witherspoon was a representative from New Jersey and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was a minister and taught at the college that eventually became Princeton. Since I am originally from New Jersey, I have some affinity for him.

John Witherspoon

John Adams is another famous Founding Father. He represented Massachusetts at the Second Continental Congress and was the second President of the United States.

John Adams

The gallery has over 150 portraits, including some walls packed full of images.

Too many to name

Even with the large number of paintings, the gallery is not very big and is easy to browse through quickly or to spend time pondering the men and their ideas.

TV Review: Lupin Part II (2021)

Lupin Part II (2021) created by George Kay

See my review of Part I here.

The show picks up right where Part I left off, so if you haven't seen the first part and don't want to be spoiled for the cliffhanger ending, definitely stop reading here.

A henchman of Pellegrini (he's the bad guy) has captured Assane Diop's son from a seaside town's celebration of fictional gentleman burglar Arsene Lupin. Assane (Omar Sy) steals a car and takes a helpful bystander (who is actually one of the cops from Paris) and chases after the kidnapper. The mom is unconvinced the cops shouldn't be involved so she calls the local police who are perfectly willing to follow procedure--after 24 hours they will send out information to all the authorities. Not really helpful. The chase winds up at an isolated house in the Normandy countryside. The kidnapper has already been instructed to get Assane, not his son, so the kidnapper lays a trap. By this point Assane has figured out the helpful bystander is really a cop and leaves him tied to the car while he goes to save his son. The cat-and-mouse game goes on as Assane hatches plots and counterplots to trap Pellegrini and his henchmen and to clear his own name.

The story moves briskly along, with plenty long and short cons and capers. The finale is nicely dramatic and satisfying. All the loose ends are tied up. They promise a Part III in the future though what the storyline will be is unclear. I guess that gives fans time to catch up on reading the Arsane Lupin stories (or you can hear some of them here).

Recommended, though definitely watch Part I first. You can watch the whole thing through as one season (which maybe they should have done since each part is five episodes of 40-50 minute length).

Currently (Summer 2021) available only streaming on Netflix. 

Book Review: Marvel-verse: Wanda and Vision by K. Higgins et al.

Marvel-verse: Wanda and Vision written by Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, Steve Englehart, J.M. Dematteis, and art by Stephane Perger, Don Heck, John Tataglione, Kerry Gammill, Sal Buscema, and Mike Esposito

This volume collects three stories about the famous Marvel couple:

1. Avengers Origins: Vision (2011) written by Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel, art by Stephane Perger--Ultron-5 builds an unnamed android to kill his enemies, the Avengers. By carefully controlling what information the android receives, Ultron assumes that he has built the perfect weapon to destroy the main obstacle in his way. Things don't turn out according to his plan when the android sees how the Avengers fight for each other and care for others more than for themselves. Curiously, Wanda is absent from this story!

2. Giant-Size Avengers 4 (1974) written by Steve Englehart, penciled by Don Heck, and inked by John Tataglione--The "Giant-Size" refers to the page count--a double issue--not the actual size of the Avengers. Two story lines are intermingled. The Vision goes to Dormammu's infernal dimension to rescue Scarlet Witch from his clutches. Meanwhile, the other Avengers try to stop Kang the Conqueror from stealing the woman who will be chosen as the perfect woman (either Mantis or Moondragon). I think the two stories would be hard to follow without a lot of previous knowledge of Marvel characters, more than someone can get from the MCU. The story ends with two weddings, one being the Vision and Wanda union. The stories are exciting enough but out of context they are a little more challenging to follow.

3. Marvel Team-Up 129 and 130 (1972) written by J. M. Dematteis, penciled by Kerry Gammill and Sal Buscema, and inked by Mike Esposito--Spider-man teams up with The Vision and then with the Scarlet Witch in these paired stories. First, Peter Parker goes with a soon-to-retire journalist for one last big story about a killer in a small New England town. Vision is also drawn to the town by a team of androids who are copies of the greatest humans of the past (including Mark Twain and Fyodor Dostoyevski). The two stories come together quickly. The second issue draws the Scarlet Witch in when villain Necrodamus (you could have guessed he was the villain just by his name) kidnaps her in an attempt to get revenge. The overall story is entertaining and does focus on the relationship between Vision and Wanda.

Mildly recommended--it might be a little tricky to appreciate the storylines without some previous knowledge.

Movie Review: Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca (1942) directed by Michael Curtiz

Refugees from all over Europe flee the Nazi advance, coming to Casablanca with the hope to continue on to Lisbon and then on to the Americas. Casablanca is hard to get to and even harder to get out of. Officially it's still Free French but the Germans have a strong influence on the local French government, especially Captain Renault (Claude Rains). The situation becomes more intense when two German bureaucrats, who had open letters of transit (which are basically "get out of Casablanca free" cards), are killed. The letters are worth a lot, maybe even more than money can buy. Ugarte (Peter Lorre) has the letters and plans to sell them to Victor Laslo (Paul Henried) and his traveling companion Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). Ugarte is arrested in Rick's Cafe Americain, a local nightclub and gambling joint run by Rick Blane (Humphrey Bogart). Ugarte was wily enough to have Rick hide the letters. Rick is tough as nails and quite callous, not helping Ugarte who begs for help. When Victor and Ilsa show up after the arrest, Rick recognizes her as his former lover in Paris. Their breakup is part of why Rick is so hard-hearted and cynical. Laslo is a famous Nazi resistance leader who has led many groups and left a trail of escapes across Europe. The couple starts negotiating for the letters so they can escape while the French and the Germans put pressure on to get the letters or, better yet, get Laslo.

The movie is a classic in many ways. Most of the script is highly-quoted ("Here's looking at you, kid", "We'll always have Paris", "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", and on and on). The song As Time Goes By was an old jazz standard when the movie came out but is now always linked to the movie, much like Thus Spake Zarathustra is forever linked to the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie deftly blends comedic moments, romance, and drama, while depicted the chaos at the beginning of World War II. Most nationalities are represented as are all sorts of people, from idealists to opportunists, from the good to the evil, though most everyone is a mixture of both. The cast is uniformly great in their roles, from the main stars to all the bit players. 

The heart of the movie is Rick trying to sort out his situation. He runs his bar with intelligence and smoothness. He's not above bribing officials to get what he needs. He also takes care of his own people, though he is very particular about who fits into that category. He has sentimental moments but often downplays them or hides them. Ilsa's return sends him into an angry and self-centered spiral. He rises to the occasion at the end, remembering the bigger issues involved and, more importantly, the welfare of the other people. 

Highly recommended.

The movie is discussed in A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast #259., the inspiration for rewatching this beloved classic.

Book Review: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven

U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven gave the commencement speech at the University of Texas in 2014. The YouTube video became a viral sensation (over 13.5 million views as I write). He has expanded the message into a short book.

The motto of the University if Texas is "What starts here changes the world." McRaven used this motto as a jumping off point for giving ten pieces of advice on how to change the world. Some are external acts, like making your bed. Some are internal acts, like judging someone by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers (I'll explain in a few sentences). Some are attitudes about life, like how life is not always fair and that should not stop you from continuing on.

Each chapter details one of the recommendations, with a couple of anecdotes from his training as a Navy SEAL and from his career serving in the military. Even with the martial focus, the advice is easy to identify with. For judging people by the size of their hearts, he writes about a crew of shorter cadets who were nicknamed "the munchkins." Those trainees were really tough and often performed much better than their taller comrades. The SEAL trainees often had to swim at night in choppy water, using flippers on their feet. Naturally, the munchkins' flippers were smaller than those of others. Often, they swam better and faster. So you should not judge them by the size of their flippers. If you do a good job making your bed (something he had to do as a cadet), you have accomplished the first task of the day. More accomplishments can follow. Even if you have a terrible day, at the end of the day you will come to a well-made bed that will be a comfort. 

The book is a very fast read. It's 125 pages and includes the text from the commencement address. Nonetheless, it is inspiring and provides reinforcement of some basic advice that we all need to hear.

Recommended.

Rodin Museum, Philadelphia

The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia was created by Jules Mustbaum (1872-1926), a local philanthropist who collected works by Rodin. He commissioned a neoclassical building to house his collection. The building was completed in 1929, a few years after his death.

Entrance to the Rodin Museum

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) did not train at the School of Fine Arts in Paris but did follow many of their guiding principles and techniques. He also broke out on his own, often creating partial figures or focusing on formal qualities rather than narrative ones. His work was revolutionary and made him an exemplar for future sculptors.

His most famous work is The Thinker, a copy of which is by the entrance. The work was originally modeled in clay and later cast in bronze in three different sizes. Out front is the original medium size.

The Thinker

The back of The Thinker

The gateway at the entrance leads into a formal garden.

Inside the gate

The Gates of Hell are the doors that seem to be the main entrance to the building (!). Rodin had a commission to create doors for a new museum. He drew inspiration from Dante's The Divine Comedy. He made a chaotic melange of characters who suffer in the Inferno. The museum was never built but Rodin worked on the project on and off for over thirty years. 

The Gates of Hell, maybe not the entrance you want to go through

Interestingly, his depiction of Dante contemplating the souls in Hell was the origin of The Thinker, which became an independent sculpture first exhibited in 1889 as The Thinker: The Poet, Fragment of a Door.

Hey, I know that guy!

During the 1346 siege of Calais, King Edward III demanded six of the town's leaders as prisoners in exchange for not harming the rest of the citizens. These prisoners were later spared thanks to the English queen's influence but the event was quite famous and Rodin sculpted The Burghers of Calais for the town. The men are depicted walking dejectedly toward their fate, wearing sackcloth and rope halters.

The Burghers of Calais

Inside the museum are many smaller works. I enjoyed the whimsy of The Hand from the Tomb.

Sculptures don't get more partial than this

Danaid (The Source) is another castoff from The Gates of Hell. The mythological character carried a leaking jug of water. Rodin sculpted it in clay and Jean Escoula carved a marble copy around 1902.

Danaid

The Benedictions was to be part of a monument to French Workers. The angels would be at the top, showering blessings on the laborers below.

The Benedictions

Emmanuel Fremiet's Joan of Arc is a triumphant French hero riding out from a victory.

Joan of Arc

Seated Figure from the early 1890s was modeled in clay. Rodin used the same shape in his Ecclesiastes crafted in 1898, though now the figure is on his back. Presumably the book is the Bible text.

Seated Figure and Ecclesiastes

At 22, Rodin joined a monastery after his older sister's death. He was only there for five months. While he was there, he made this bust of Father Pierre-Julien Eymard.

Father Pierre-Julien Eymard

This next bust is called Colossal Head of Saint John the Baptist. It's clearly not post-decapitation, but still expresses the somberness of Jesus Christ's cousin.

Colossal Head of Saint John the Baptist

Below is a copy of Rodin's The Kiss. The work started as another part of The Gates of Hell, with the two figures representing the adulterers Paolo and Francesca. Rodin exhibited it on its own in 1887, he decided not to use it for the doors and called it simply The Kiss. Henri Greber received permission to copy the sculpture in 1929 specifically for this museum. 

The Kiss

An alternate view

Rodin worked on a monument to honor write Honore de Balzac. The art community was a bit underwhelmed by the execution. Local merchants made small, whimsical imitations, like the work on the right below, portraying Balzac as a seal!

Balzac and his imitator

Rodin entered this sculpture in a competition to depict the heroism of the Parisians during the Franco-Prussian War. The contest was in 1879 and the judges were not ready for his style or his honest depiction of the suffering soldier supported by a winged spirit. After World War I, it was used in Verdun for a memorial to the battle fought there.

The Call to Arms

The Thinker is such a popular sculpture that the museum has a second, smaller version inside the museum for patrons to admire.

One side of the argument

The other side

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul opened first in 1864 and has served as the seat for the archbishop of Philadelphia. The architecture follows the Neo-Classical style popular during the Italian Renaissance. The church is specifically modeled after the Lombard Church of Saint Charles in Rome. 

Entrance to Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

Saint Peter

Saint Paul

Side view of the cathedral (and my daughter!)

The main altar has a baldachin over it, reminiscent of the tent over the Ark of Covenant. The dome has a Latin inscription of Matthew 16:18, "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." The dome rises over 156 feet above the floor of the cathedral.

Main altar

Dome

To the left is the cathedra, or the archbishop's chair, with his coat of arms above.

The cathedra in the cathedral

To the right is the ambo from which the readings are proclaimed and the homily is preached.

Ambo

On the south transept is a painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Arthur Thomas.

Adoration of the Magi

The southside altar is dedicated to the Sacred Heart and has an amazing glass mosaic of the revelation of the Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alocoque.

Southside altar

One side altar is dedicated to the sixth bishop of Philadelphia, Patrick John Ryan (1831-1911). As you might guess from his name, he is of Irish descent and so a Celtic theme is dominate.

Ryan Altar

The stations of the cross in the cathedral are finely-crafted tableaus.

Station 11, Jesus is nailed to the cross

At the back of the cathedral is a shrine to Saint Katharine Drexel. The altar was donated by Katharine and her sisters in the 1800s but the statue was crafted in the early 2000s after she was declared a saint. The shrine was dedicated in 2009.

Shrine to Katharine Drexel

Drexel's tomb is to the left of the altar.

Burial place of Saint Katharine Drexel

Above the tomb is a mosaic dedicated in 1975 for the 100th anniversary of Philadelphia being an archdiocese. It depicts, among other images, George Washington visiting Old Saint Mary's Church, Katharine Drexel with some children, and Commodore Barry, founder of the United States Navy.

Centennial mosaic

We were also impressed with the confessionals.

Confessional