Rover masthead shares favorites from summer break
Michael Canady, Editor-in-Chief: Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
In this timeless masterpiece, Dostoevsky reveals his profound grasp of the human condition, leading the reader into the torturous world of sin, guilt, and ultimately, redemption. The title itself indicates the moral depth of the novel, but it certainly does not lack excitement and suspense. After Raskolnikov, a penniless student in St. Petersburg, commits an act of heinous murder, the rest of the novel seeks to answer the question: Why? Dostoevsky’s famous novel will not disappoint, and it will bring the reader to ask questions about crime and punishment in his own life as well.
Bridgette Rodgers, Executive Editor: Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant)
This movie classic poses a challenge to viewers: you have to decide the moral of the story. Each person will learn something different based on their own life’s journey, but as a whole, this film offers an authentic and raw account of the human condition. Whether floored by the intelligence of protagonist Will Hunter, a janitor at MIT with a genius-level IQ, or shocked by his traumatic past, audiences are sure to feel convicted and moved by this film. Through the character Sean Maguire, a psychiatrist played by Robin Williams, viewers are encouraged to reflect alongside Will as he wrestles to understand the reasoning for his current behavior, and consequently contemplate their own personal lives. A journey through Will’s deepest and darkest memories and emotions allows the audience to experience the vulnerability humans so often hide at the expense of being loved. As Will learns to trust, he not only falls in love, but finds a lifelong mentor and friend in Sean. Good Will Hunting shares a story that exposes the painful reality of suffering, while also inspiring hope in everyone’s ability to use their unique gifts to change the world simply by impacting the life of one singular person.
Lucy Spence, Managing Editor: Decline and Fall (Evelyn Waugh)
This uproarious story gives the reader a perfect pairing of Waugh’s darkly satirical humor and brilliant prose. Written at the modest age of twenty-five, this first novel of Waugh’s escapes any filters placed by prudential age and experience, exhibiting a hilarity not unsimilar to P. G. Wodehouse’s. The story follows the life of unassuming Paul Pennyfeather, who has the misfortune of being sent down from Oxford for indecent behavior (happily through no fault of his own). He finds himself taking a job at an obscure boys school in Wales, staffed with eccentric characters. As the plot unfolds, wealthy mothers, the League of Nations, and colorful prison characters crop up, and the book takes the reader on a maliciously funny (and politically incorrect) adventure. I would highly recommend the audio book recording narrated by Michael Maloney (free on Youtube!). My dad and I listened to it on our drive to Notre Dame, and we were both in tears of laughter for a majority of the trip.
Elizabeth Mitchell, Culture Editor: Sound of Hope (Joshua Weigel)
Sound of Hope is a powerful story about the difficult, but beautiful choice to adopt. Following the death of her mother, Donna Martin, the wife of a pastor in a small town in Texas named Possum Trot, is plagued with depression and doubts about her own vocation and motherhood. When praying near her family’s old house, however, she experiences healing and feels a call to welcome more children to their family through adoption. Although her husband, W. C., is initially skeptical of this choice, he eventually agrees and the Martin family adds three new members, sparking many other families from their community to do the same. And yet, due to the immense trauma these children had suffered as well as the natural strains of family life, the community becomes tired and discouraged. Instead of giving in, however, they choose to support one another—husbands and wives displaying radical self-gift in their active fatherhood and motherhood, children caring for their siblings, and neighbors doing small tasks for one another as the need arises. One of the most impactful scenes of the film occurs when a group of mothers sit on the floor crying with one another, hugging, praying, and encouraging each other in their moment of need. Because of Possum Trot’s generosity, a total of seventy-seven children are adopted, completely fulfilling their surrounding area’s need. Sound of Hope is an emotionally and spiritually enriching movie, especially in light of our identity as pro-life Catholics.
Haley Garecht, Campus Editor: Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
In Atlas Shrugged, Rand imagines what the world would look like if everyone who worked hard and believed in reason were to leave society behind. Through the eyes of Dagne Taggart, a railroad executive struggling to keep America’s trains running, Rand describes a dystopian world in which industry is no longer valued, but decried. As world governments slowly take control of the last vestiges of private business, Taggart is forced to make a choice. On the one hand, she can leave everything she has built behind and join like-minded people in a society akin to The Benedict Option. On the other, she can choose to fight for the ideals she grew up with and go to battle with the government and society at-large. Taggart’s decision is tough, one that pushes readers to consider the government’s relationship with morality, the importance (and downfalls) of the free market, and the meaning of the “common good.” In particular, Rand’s secular beliefs about relationships and charity as presented in Atlas Shrugged provide Catholic readers with food for thought. Overall, Atlas Shrugged is an engaging psychological and philosophical novel that presents a unique perspective on many issues undermining American (and global) affairs today.
Clare DiFranco, Campus Editor: Band of Brothers (HBO miniseries)
The Band of Brothers miniseries follows the journeys and lives of the U.S. paratroopers of the 2nd Infantry Platoon, “Easy Company,” during World War II. Based on true events, each episode opens with interviews of surviving Easy Company veterans, reflecting upon their battlefield experiences as they are portrayed by actors in each episode. The show highlights the platoon’s training, their initial descent behind enemy lines on D-Day, and post-war lives. The series is an excellent balance between the large-scale events in the European theater and a more narrow focus on the interactions between soldiers within the platoon as well as the emotional turmoil brought on by the horrors faced on the battlefield. Met with an intimate glimpse into the lives of individuals of the platoon, the viewer shares in the soldiers’ difficulty of growing attached to the fellow men of Easy Company only to watch many of them suffer and die. Band of Brothers reflects the evils of war in day-to-day battle which are easily underestimated in the shadow of an overall Allied victory.
Daniel Martin, Religion Editor: Franklin (Apple TV+ Miniseries)
Franklin is an Apple TV+ biographical miniseries, which stars Michael Dougles as Benjamin Franklin, and focuses on the Founding Father’s time in France as an ambassador for the American Continental Congress. The series depicts Franklin’s personality quirks and propensity for coquetry, as well as his disregard for diplomatic norms should they contradict the interest of the budding American nation. A central storyline of the show is Franklin’s relationship with his grandson Temple, the child of his son William, a loyalist persecuted for his allegiance to the British Crown. Although the series doesn’t quite match the magic of HBO’s Founding Father drama John Adams starring Paul Giamotti, it succeeds in inviting its viewers to consider the size of the personal and public sacrifice required for political revolution and the tenacity with which our national founders pursued it despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Shri Thakur, Politics Editor: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards)
One of the last relics of a time when America was still a truly great nation, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a stylish story of romance and individualism set in 1960s New York City. The impeccable Audrey Hepburn stars as Holly Golightly, an enigmatic socialite who appears to enjoy a lifestyle free of restraints or long-term commitments. She is, as JD Vance would say, quite literally a “childless cat lady.” Despite her epicurean character, she eventually meets and falls in love with Paul Varjak, played by George Peppard, who starts the story as a struggling writer living a floor above her. In some ways, Breakfast at Tiffany’s foreshadows the increasing hedonism of the 1960s. The story pits the true love between Holly and Paul—sacrificial, committed love—against the bohemianism embodied by Holly. In portraying the painful conflict between these two forces, Director Blake Edwards delivers a blistering indictment of the growing sexual iconoclasm of the era. I would strongly recommend this film.
James Whitaker, Humor Editor: The Space Trilogy (C. S. Lewis)
As usual, one of the most interesting things about Lewis’ fiction is the way that serious spiritual or philosophical topics are explored by means of endearing fiction. Out of the Silent Planet primarily sets up the fantastic setting and circumstances of Ransom’s adventures, while also proposing the hypothetical “good” world in which natural law suffices and man (or hnau) consents to be governed. Perelandra continues the exciting character development of Ransom while also exploring an unfallen Eden, and what might have happened if the flame-sworded seraphim had escorted Satan from the garden after his attempt to thwart humanity. That Hideous Strength, despite the slow start, turns its gaze back down from heaven to scrutinize modernity’s heresies regarding gender roles, ‘the academy,’ technology, and every other modern woe. The trilogy is tied up with both earth and the other planets, since the Christian life demands both the contemplation of heaven and the practice of virtue on earth.
Kateri Castillo, Layout Manager: Twisters (Lee Isaac Chung)
Twisters is a movie which, like Top Gun: Maverick, pays homage to the original Twister (1996) movie while still being its own story. Twisters tells the story of meteorologist Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) whose storm-chasing days are now in the past after experiencing a deadly Tornado accident. Kate is persuaded by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to chase storms one more time with him and his team, to help them test out a new tornado tracking system. Along the way she runs into Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his team, whose YouTube channel thrives on posting their epic storm-chasing adventures. As storm-season progresses, bringing with it new and terrifying storm phenomena, these two competing teams’ stories become closely intertwined, resulting in a breathtaking adventure that the whole family will enjoy.
Sofia Fair, Social Media Manager: Where the Crawdads Sing (Olivia Newman)
Based on Delia Owen’s New York Times bestselling novel, Where the Crawdad’s Sing is more than just a thriller. The story follows the ups and downs of young Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she raises herself alone in the marshlands of North Carolina. This striking film deals with the challenges of social prejudice, the complexities of romance, and the power of community. Kya has long been content with her life in solitude until two young men complicate her situation. When one of them is found dead, Kya is caught in the crosshairs, leaving viewers on the edge of their seat throughout the story. To mature audiences looking for a thrilling mystery (and even willing to shed a tear), I highly recommend this heart-touching film.
Photo Credit: Dan Totilca (IStock)
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