Journaling My Favourite Novel

Happy World Book Day. :) 

Everyone knows Enemy Brothers is my favourite novel. I talk of it in season and out of season, at every opportunity and sometimes without any opportunity. I love that book so much. I've read it so many times and each time I find new depths in it.

So today I'll be giving you a glimpse at my EB journal and my thoughts on the book. 

Honestly I have no idea if anyone will even like this post, buttt... some people were really excited for it, so I'm just going to post it as it is and if you don't like it, no hard feelings. ;)

This is the journal. It's a simple but distinguished book and I love it so much. It's just perfect for EB, I think.

On the first page I have two quotes that make me think of the book.

"Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again" (Louisa May Alcott)

and 

"Books have a way of making you homesick for a place you never saw" (Unknown).

    On the first inside page I have my favourite quote from the book--a quote that sums it all up.

“‘But why doesn’t He stop the war?[’”]“‘Perhaps it’s because He has made us men, Max, not dolls that can’t lift a finger of their own accord. But I don’t really know; I’m not in the Operations Room, you see. All I do know is that the world has a Chief who was victorious when the powers of darkness struck at Him with everything they had. He has the plans today. The darkness won’t last forever. There’s a splendour beyond.’”

Next I have a song that is an important part of the book and that also sums it up, in a way.

And did those feets in ancient time

Walk upon England's mountains green:

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine,

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here,

Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold:

Bring me my arrows of desire:

Bring me my Spear: O clouds, unfold!

Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,

Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:

Till we have built Jerusalem,

In England's green and pleasant Land.

(William Blake)

    And then the notes begin. When I started this I did some journaling and then copied out alllllll the quotes I loved. 

    All that is almost all quotes. And I ended up not writing down all my favourite quotes from each chapter because there were so many. 8 pages for one chapter, for example!!

I added one or two quotes that the book made me think of, or that made me think of the book.

"England expects every man to do his duty" (Admiral Horatio Nelson)

and 

"British terms of endearment: 

- "You're not all bad."

- "I quite like you, in a way."

- "I'll let you buy the first round."

- "Help yourself to chips."

- "Tea?" 

(@verybritishproblemsofficial)

    I also pasted in my favourite cover. <33 it has a big significance. 

    Then I wrote down my review and then I started journaling my second buddy-read. 

    Which didn't take as many pages. XP
    And at the end, I have a verse from a hymn that is important to the book as well.

"Glorious things of thee are spoken,  
Zion, city of our God;  
He whose word cannot be broken  
Formed thee for His own abode;  
On the Rock of Ages founded,  
What can shake thy sure repose?  
With salvation's walls surrounded,  
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes."
(Augustus Toplady)

So now that you’ve seen the journal, here are some of my notes...

and yes, there are a lot. You are forewarned.

...................here goes.....................

(Oh, and final note. I do not have a crush on anyone in this book. I just love them for their characters.)

“I’m so excited to pick up this book again. I love the font so much! & the cover—I love how Dym is ‘dimmed’ out!”

“I love this beginning so much. When I start reading it, I think, 'Maybe I shouldn’t read this again so soon... it’ll get old/boring.’ But after a moment I just get into it & know I love it as much as ever. Its home. It’s the place I’ve been wanting to go to. It’s the people I love. It’s the people I missed. I’m back. & I love it.”   

“I loved this book all over again as I began it. The description of grey. ❤️ ❤️ & Ginger! I love him & his humour. I also just understood the “forsaken merman act”— The Forsaken Merman by Matthew Arnold! I love how poetry binds the book together.”

“I love how by chapter one you love the characters already.”

“I also love how this book has mystery/suspense/action (a kidnapping) but is still so realistic & quiet &... ❤️”

“‘The brothers looked into each other’s eyes and smiled....’ I love this. How much does it say about their relationship?? Just a quiet smile, & they know how much they love each other & are glad to see each other & that the other’s safe. & as Ginger said....Dym would have come all the way there just on the chance of seeing him... He tries to downplay it but ginger knows what it means.” 

“‘Quaint way of dealing with prisoners, isn’t it?’ I can just see Dym’s sarcastic small smile, ’as if he’s laughing at you,’ as Tony would say.” 

“When they discuss Little Hitler you see both brothers have an admiration/respect for him as well as pity—though Dym more than Ginger, & Ginger respects more than he pities, while Dym pities more than he admires.” 

“‘Poor little Tony’ to Ginger—a child from the past, hopelessly gone. To Dym, it’s ‘poor old Tony’—a child of 12, alive & somewhere.” 

“OK, can we just admire how brilliant this is?? I love how she explains the backstory without it feeling like an info-dump—it’s natural & interesting.” 

“Dym’s defence of Thomas. (I love it.) I’m gonna tear up. What a horrible time for them. Dym tried so hard to find Tony. He knew he was being indoctrinated there. He had all that daily pressure & pain, thinking of Tony. & he was almost too late. ‘A few more years...’ But he chose to put duty first, & he had his reward. But he also wanted to. He loved. He had to.”  

“‘It wasn’t possible to risk that for my private concerns. I had to choose between Tony and...what had to be done.’ 

“‘So you returned to England.’ 

“‘I came back, yes.’ 

“The part about choosing between Tony & England/duty was so English!”

“Dym was always thinking & talking of Tony. He was prepared for what he’d find. ‘I learnt a lot.... some of it made me anxious to find Tony before it was too late.’ He spent his life preparing… all those parenting books on his shelf, & all his journeys to Germany… & he knew what was coming. & he’d still have loved Tony as an adult Nazi.” 

(( So many good quotes from chapter two...<33 ))

“Tony really picks up on the moods/motions/actions of the people around him—even Dym, who can be somewhat enigmatic/deep.” 

“Ah! This chapter completes the melting of my heart. My Tony!! ❤️ He is so self-reliant & yet so helpless. I love how we see his fear in between his bravado. & the Captain. ❤️ He’s simply amazing with Tony. He brings out the child in him.”

“‘Like babies drew in Kindergarten.’ I love how the narrative is so from Tony’s POV. You see the difference between the rest of the book & chapters 1-2. The beginning is [Savery,] the rest, Tony.”

“Ah, my Dym! That scene where Tony tries to run & Dym catches him & Tony bites him & Dym doesn’t tell is one of my favourites in the book.” 

“And Olaf!! How did he end up with my favourite Norwegian names??”

(( Olaf & Erikson are like my top favourite Norwegian names.... & I love Norway & Norwegians, so…))

“I love how good the Captain is at fishing for clues/information without tony knowing/noticing!” 

“Dym didn’t order. He just acted & showed he expected Tony to obey. Ginger ordered & was prepared to fight.” 

“Even when Tony is afraid of/threatened by Dym [because he knows Dym won’t let him go], he’s comforted by him, finds him his steady rock. & Dym is his rock because he leans on The Solid Rock of Ages.”

“This chapter. I love the description of Dym. ❤️ & I love how good he is to Tony. Protecting him. Making him seem the same as everyone else. Humouring him. ❤️” 

“The kiss. Dym’s & Tony's mother should have been able to have given it to him. A domestic, daily happening… 💔”

“& somehow I have a thing for Ernst just from the little he appears…” 

“‘The British faces did not change; but their jaws stopped chewing and they all looked at him. He felt as if he had strayed into a meadow full of mildly inquisitive cows.’ Oh my heart, I love that!! xD”

“Dym, modest, humble, sympathetic.. even to annoying strangers.”

“‘But whether or not the English enjoyed [it,] they made themselves do it.’ Yes. So British.” 

“I love how they casually quote poetry.”

“How everyone stops everything to see the kitty rescued… <3”

“Oh, Tony, you left all your possessions behind… no way to get them back or know if they’re safe…”

“Poor Tony. He’s so miserable & frightened & helpless & hopeless & angry. But Dym is his shelter, even if he won’t admit it. The part where he asks to be set free... 💔” 

“Oh, Dym, how your heart twisted at that appeal. But you choose what was best for him. True love. ‘I am German, I shall always be German…’ Oh, Dym’s heart. 💔” 

“I love how Tony sees everything through books/stories.”

“This chapter... I’m just like ‘My people ❤️’ I love the Inglefords.”

“Thomas… always caring, even when he’s spread thin. Margaret—keeps going even when it hurts. Does what she has to do every when it's not easy.❤️” 

“I love the Inglefords & the setting more & more.... I just love these people so much.”

“Oh, Mortimer. Wrecked by no choice of your own, yet still courageous & self-sacrificing. In silence." 

“Dym studied the other side to know exactly what he was fighting against.” 

“James, blunt & open but kindly & fair. That’s why he & Tony have such a good relationship.” 

“Oh, Dym, that argument broke your heart. Knowing where your bombs do fall… Yet you hid it & kept the two from quarrelling…. talked with the evacs… went on like normal.” 

“Tony knows Dym fully understands all he’s going through. One more reason to love & trust him.”

“Arguments won’t change Tony. Love & kind actions will. Another message of the book.”

“Tony’s so childish & so shrewd at the same time.” 

“Tony is so glad he needn’t spy & I love it.” 

“‘Hope I didn’t make England sound too noble and holy,’ said Dym. ‘We’ve made awful mistakes ourselves in our own dealings with other nations. I wasn’t forgetting that, but I hadn’t time to embark on a regular philosophy of history. Not with Mousie as audience, anyhow.’ I really love Dym’s speech [about the war]. It lays everything out so clearly. I love how he admits they’ve been wrong too. And oh, Mousie. At least you're useful to explain things to.”

"The whole church scene. Oh my word. It was awesome. XD Never gets old.”

“Matron was a duck, & Dym... he’s wonderful, as always. I love Euphemia more & more, & so does Tony.” 

“Dym was afraid to talk to Tony lest he undo all he did by being angry or bitter. He knew Tony didn’t realize how badly it’d hurt since it was their mother’s…. It’s a glimpse at Dym as a real human, struggling against emotion.”

“Dym was willing to get rid of all those things (‘have no further use for them’) because Tony was more important to him than his possessions.”

“The whole bedtime scene…. hil-a-ri-ous. Dym was so quietly good to Tony... ❤️ Also I love the music!” 

“I love how sometimes Tony forgets to call Dym ‘Herr Dym…’” 

“This chapter. ❤️❤️ I love how Dym protects Tony in this one, & how Tony desperately clings to him. I also love how considerate & kind & understanding Dym is. & for once he shows how deeply he loves him—‘Tony.’ He forgot to call him Max because he was anxious & worried & frightened, but he stayed calm. Only that slip betrayed him, & Tony barely noticed.”

“James’ championship of Tony. <33 And his comment on the District Comittee. XD”

“This might be my favourite chapter in the book... well, at any rate, it’s one of my favourites. I love the picture of Dym. ❤️ & seeing Tony’s change of heart. The English life. The descriptions. Oh, I love it so!” 

“I wonder if Dym was really in danger that night? I mean, he’s not real. But was that what Savery had in mind?”

“‘Herr Eckermann & Tante Anna.’ I’m sorry Tony got stuck with such a cool ‘father’’ but I’m glad he didn’t have to give up another love.”

“’So that’s how you got in, is it?’

“Tony thought Uncle William too clever. He began to feel he disliked Uncle William.” 

“Tony vs Uncle William. LOVE IT.”  

“I love how Tony always notices nature when he’s emotional.” 

“Michael breaks my heart. ‘Nothing happens to me. I just go on living here because I have nowhere else to live.’ Sums up his life. Poor kiddo. <33 So much quiet depression & hopelessness & resignation. So much pathos. You know all about Mike just from that line.” 

“Mike loves Dym & Tony loves that.”

“Reading about Jacob while listening to the Air on a G String. ❤️❤️❤️ Perfectly sums him up.” 

“Margaret could so easily be bitter & nasty to everyone but instead she’s fair, even to Tony.”

“I love that his multi really fostered his love for imagination & fairytales—that she let him be who he was & strove to let him be the best of that.”

“Germany calling… his own heart beating the the victory sign… I love that scene!!!” 

“Oh my heart, I love Dym’s speech.... I love how he works the song in... ❤️❤️❤️ is just what I’m feeling right now." 

“Dym said nothing because it was wiser, & he kept silent until he could trust himself. ‘It was pretty grim, waiting.’ All that sums up all he went through. He didn’t take it out on Tony. He let Tony feel he’s still the understanding, kind, steady, rock he always was…. One of the largest glimpses we get the real Dym—the human behind his calm, steady exterior. And the strength which he draws from his Rock. The strength to allow his beloved little brother to go on loving the woman who harmed them all so cruelly.” 

“Oh... oh... oh... I love this reunion scene!!!  & when Dym promises ... what a sacrifice, when the woman’s stolen & indoctrinated his brother, caused all the suffering & annoyance they’ve had & [caused his mother’s death]. I love the English Tony. & the chat between James & Tony!!!! ... I could copy [down] the whole chapter.”

“I love how he reassures Tony even when Tony’s asleep.” 

“Euphemia was not blind to Tony’s flaws, but she didn’t blame him for what he was helpless about. I feel like that’s a theme of the book—judging/loving people based on themselves, not on their past or nationality.” 

“That ending. My heart. And Jerusalem is the best way to end it.” 

“That’s what I love. Dym’s unconditional love. Selfless, deep, & true. We all want that love & that’s why everyone loves Dym. We all see ourselves in Tony & crave the love that Dym offers him. The love of Christ.” 

............... so there you are. I hope you enjoyed this. XD Let me know what your favourite book is!