The Railway Man: A Review

Today, I finished the book The Railway Man by Eric Lomax. It is a true story based on the life of a Scottish POW captured by the Japanese during WWII.  Lomax carried with him 50 years of hate for the pain and torture that he endured at the hands of his captors, especially by one man in particular. I am not much of a war buff.  Nor do I really read a lot about the subject. However, I am into reading about people's lives.  This is a very moving story of a man, a good one, whose life could have ended in bitterness and hate. He chose to forgive instead.  One of my favorite actors, Colin Firth, is Eric Lomax in the soon to be relased film, The Railway Man in January 2014.  I am very excited that this story is coming to the big screen. When I saw the trailer, I immediately went to the library to borrow the book so that I would be acquainted with Lomax's story.  The books ends with this: "Sometime the hating has to stop."

Getting lost in the World of Jane Austen

The realness of life can drag one's spirit down and trust me, mine has been dragging. We can get into a rut and spin our wheels trying to get back out again. Have you ever wondered what it is all for? I mean our lives. The repetitiveness of our existence, it is like living the same day over and over again.  We get up, we go to work, we come home, and then to bed, only to repeat it all for the next 70 years or so, that is if we are lucky enough to reach 70. 

Sometimes it is good just to get away from it all.  I usually do it by reading a good book if I don't have the time or resources to go somewhere.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been spending time in the land of Austen, Jane Austen to be exact. I watched Persuasion a couple of times and NorthAnger Abbey as well. These stories speak to the romantic in me. Having a bit more romance is the one that I wish was more true to life than any other fantasy.  Oh, he must be handsome and sincere, and don't forget that he must be tall and have a fine figure. She is young, beautiful, and have the grace of a dancer plus be very charming.  But what if that story went wrong?  What if in Pride and Prejudice that Mr. Collins married Jane instead of Charlotte?  Then Mr. Bingley became a drunkard. And Mr. Darcy never married Elizabeth Bennett. Oh My! I watched a video on Youtube that was a spin off of sorts to Pride and Prejudice.  It is called Lost in Austen.  Have you seen it?  I am a Jane Austen fan from way back and never tire of watching these stories unfold over and over again.  If you are an Austen fan, you will enjoy this movie.