Currently my classic novel I am reading for class is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Hurley was born in Godalming, Surrey on July 26, 1894 and he died in Los Angeles on November 22, 1963. Huxley was boor into an upper-class family and was initially surrounded by writing basically from birth because hi father, Leonard Huxley, was a biographer, editor and poet. Huxley lived a hard life starting from the young age of fourteen. At the age of sixteen he was suffered from keratitis punctata, and for about eighteen months he was totally blind.
Huxley attended two colleges in his life. The first was Eton College, Berkshire which he attended from 1908-1913. The second college he attended was Balliol College, Oxford from 1913-1915, here he received his B.A in English in 1916. Huxley did not always want to be a write and a master of English though, at first he wanted to be a scientist, but he was not able to pursue this dream, and switched his career of to study English.
In the novel, Brave New World Huxley’s writing can be seen as complex and hard to read, but if you start to get the idea of the story then I think the reader would have enough determination to get through it, because so far it is a very intriguing story. For some it the novel may not be as interesting to read if one of your favorite genres is science fiction, which mine is, which is what makes the story so enjoyable to me.\
So far I am on chapter five of sixteen. The setting of the first chapter is Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, and the World State’s motto “COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY” is hung before the main entrance of the building (which I am sure is to have some significance later on in the novel). The scene takes place in a laboratory, and Huxley gives the impression that this place is dark, dank and secluded, but very busy.
The first character the reader is introduced to is the Director. I don’t want to be too specific for those of you who may want to read this, but the first impression you get about this character is that they are power hungry and determined about whatever project they take on, and do not want any obstacles to overcome them. What the Director is doing when he is introduced is showing new students around the facility. He explains what they do here at the Hatchery, which is to reproduce humans no longer by natural sexual reproduction, but by artificially producing/developing them in test tubes, bringing true meaning in this book to test-tube babies. The Director goes into further detail about the process, and about the experiments done to the embryo’s, which all of this is called “Bokanovsky Process”. It is believed that this will further stabilize society and help civilization develop.
The next character the reader is introduced to is Mr. Foster, a worker at the Hatchery that is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable of his job and the whole Bokanovsky Process.
Later the Director shows the students around the Nurseries. I do not want to give too much away so I can avoid spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that so those who will later read this can find out about this place. In the World State the idea of loving nature and purity of all things has been abolished by those who work in places like the Hatchery (there are many places all over the world like this, producing billions of artificially produced humans a year).
I think I will stop here, so I can make sure as to not give away too many ideas of and events that occur in Brave New World.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Joseph Conrad
Greg writes:
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in Poland as the son of Apollo
Korzeniowski, a Polish playwright and nobleman. His father was well respected in his hometown of Berdychiv (then, it was spelled Berdyczów) mainly for his abilities as a translator of the works of very notable literary geniuses – Dickens, Shakespeare, and Hugo, just to name a few. A life of literature clearly ran in the family!
Conrad became an orphan in 1869, when his father died four years after Conrad’s mother had died of tuberculosis. As a result of these tragic events, the young Conrad spent the rest of his childhood with his uncle in Kraców. Despite having known his father for a relatively short amount of time, his influence spanned Conrad’s entire lifetime; Koreniowski, being a translator, always had the house filled with books in other languages lying around, and a curious Conrad loved to pick them up and read. As a result, Conrad learned three languages – Polish, French, and a bit of English – before his parents’ death, which would prove to be quite useful in his later years, when he developed a love of writing.
At age 16, Conrad began his life at sea. As a seaman, Conrad traveled to all sorts of exotic parts of the world – Australia, Borneo, and the Congo just to name a few. Conrad always found himself writing about his surroundings as a sort of escape. Many voyages out to sea later, Conrad had decided that his true passion was not at sea, but rather with paper and ink. At age 36, Conrad decided to live a more relaxed life at his home in England, and began writing “Heart of Darkness”, a novel that was loosely based on his experiences at sea. Conrad became a well-renowned author in his days, and remains to be one, long after his death at age 66.
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in Poland as the son of Apollo
Korzeniowski, a Polish playwright and nobleman. His father was well respected in his hometown of Berdychiv (then, it was spelled Berdyczów) mainly for his abilities as a translator of the works of very notable literary geniuses – Dickens, Shakespeare, and Hugo, just to name a few. A life of literature clearly ran in the family!
Conrad became an orphan in 1869, when his father died four years after Conrad’s mother had died of tuberculosis. As a result of these tragic events, the young Conrad spent the rest of his childhood with his uncle in Kraców. Despite having known his father for a relatively short amount of time, his influence spanned Conrad’s entire lifetime; Koreniowski, being a translator, always had the house filled with books in other languages lying around, and a curious Conrad loved to pick them up and read. As a result, Conrad learned three languages – Polish, French, and a bit of English – before his parents’ death, which would prove to be quite useful in his later years, when he developed a love of writing.
At age 16, Conrad began his life at sea. As a seaman, Conrad traveled to all sorts of exotic parts of the world – Australia, Borneo, and the Congo just to name a few. Conrad always found himself writing about his surroundings as a sort of escape. Many voyages out to sea later, Conrad had decided that his true passion was not at sea, but rather with paper and ink. At age 36, Conrad decided to live a more relaxed life at his home in England, and began writing “Heart of Darkness”, a novel that was loosely based on his experiences at sea. Conrad became a well-renowned author in his days, and remains to be one, long after his death at age 66.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Mill On The Floss
Katherine writes:
Reflecting back on my latest read, George Eliot's The Mill On
The Floss, I'm also reflecting back to the life of character
Maggie Tulliver, the novel's protagonist. For our first entry
blog, I mentioned the life of author George Eliot and her secret
affair with married man George Henry Lewes. As I was reading
Maggie's story, I felt that I was also connecting to George
Eliot, in the aspect that she put a bit of her life in Maggie's
love connection to character Stephen Guest, who is engaged to
Maggie's cousin Lucy. This intrigued me and enticed me to read
on, eventually I became engrossed in the novel. The story is
certainly a good read, with the exception of a rather dull
beginning. Eliot's story starts off rather plainly, not very
appealing, and in need of some encouragement to get you through.
The turning point in the novel where the pace picks up a bit, and
gets going, is when Eliot includes humorous situations, such as
Maggie cutting all her hair off because she thinks her aunts like
short thin hair better. In fact, her family is repulsed by her
new hair style, with its stumpy jagged edges sticking out every
which way. If you are someone who prefers a page turner from the
get-go, I would not recommend this novel for you, however you
would be missing out on a classic read with a devastating
cliff-hanger ending. I would rate this book a six and a half out
of ten. Overall it was a good book, however the monotonous ending
brings it down slightly, and for me personally it wasn't the
exact type of genre I was looking for. However I do not
discourage others from picking it off the shelves, in fact I hope
you do just so because the ending is definitely worth it.
Reflecting back on my latest read, George Eliot's The Mill On
The Floss, I'm also reflecting back to the life of character
Maggie Tulliver, the novel's protagonist. For our first entry
blog, I mentioned the life of author George Eliot and her secret
affair with married man George Henry Lewes. As I was reading
Maggie's story, I felt that I was also connecting to George
Eliot, in the aspect that she put a bit of her life in Maggie's
love connection to character Stephen Guest, who is engaged to
Maggie's cousin Lucy. This intrigued me and enticed me to read
on, eventually I became engrossed in the novel. The story is
certainly a good read, with the exception of a rather dull
beginning. Eliot's story starts off rather plainly, not very
appealing, and in need of some encouragement to get you through.
The turning point in the novel where the pace picks up a bit, and
gets going, is when Eliot includes humorous situations, such as
Maggie cutting all her hair off because she thinks her aunts like
short thin hair better. In fact, her family is repulsed by her
new hair style, with its stumpy jagged edges sticking out every
which way. If you are someone who prefers a page turner from the
get-go, I would not recommend this novel for you, however you
would be missing out on a classic read with a devastating
cliff-hanger ending. I would rate this book a six and a half out
of ten. Overall it was a good book, however the monotonous ending
brings it down slightly, and for me personally it wasn't the
exact type of genre I was looking for. However I do not
discourage others from picking it off the shelves, in fact I hope
you do just so because the ending is definitely worth it.
Katherine writes:
Reflecting back on my latest read, George Eliot's The Mill On
The Floss, I'm also reflecting back to the life of character
Maggie Tulliver, the novel's protagonist. For our first entry
blog, I mentioned the life of author George Eliot and her secret
affair with married man George Henry Lewes. As I was reading
Maggie's story, I felt that I was also connecting to George
Eliot, in the aspect that she put a bit of her life in Maggie's
love connection to character Stephen Guest, who is engaged to
Maggie's cousin Lucy. This intrigued me and enticed me to read
on, eventually I became engrossed in the novel. The story is
certainly a good read, with the exception of a rather dull
beginning. Eliot's story starts off rather plainly, not very
appealing, and in need of some encouragement to get you through.
The turning point in the novel where the pace picks up a bit, and
gets going, is when Eliot includes humorous situations, such as
Maggie cutting all her hair off because she thinks her aunts like
short thin hair better. In fact, her family is repulsed by her
new hair style, with its stumpy jagged edges sticking out every
which way. If you are someone who prefers a page turner from the
get-go, I would not recommend this novel for you, however you
would be missing out on a classic read with a devastating
cliff-hanger ending. I would rate this book a six and a half out
of ten. Overall it was a good book, however the monotonous ending
brings it down slightly, and for me personally it wasn't the
exact type of genre I was looking for. However I do not
discourage others from picking it off the shelves, in fact I hope
you do just so because the ending is definitely worth it.
Reflecting back on my latest read, George Eliot's The Mill On
The Floss, I'm also reflecting back to the life of character
Maggie Tulliver, the novel's protagonist. For our first entry
blog, I mentioned the life of author George Eliot and her secret
affair with married man George Henry Lewes. As I was reading
Maggie's story, I felt that I was also connecting to George
Eliot, in the aspect that she put a bit of her life in Maggie's
love connection to character Stephen Guest, who is engaged to
Maggie's cousin Lucy. This intrigued me and enticed me to read
on, eventually I became engrossed in the novel. The story is
certainly a good read, with the exception of a rather dull
beginning. Eliot's story starts off rather plainly, not very
appealing, and in need of some encouragement to get you through.
The turning point in the novel where the pace picks up a bit, and
gets going, is when Eliot includes humorous situations, such as
Maggie cutting all her hair off because she thinks her aunts like
short thin hair better. In fact, her family is repulsed by her
new hair style, with its stumpy jagged edges sticking out every
which way. If you are someone who prefers a page turner from the
get-go, I would not recommend this novel for you, however you
would be missing out on a classic read with a devastating
cliff-hanger ending. I would rate this book a six and a half out
of ten. Overall it was a good book, however the monotonous ending
brings it down slightly, and for me personally it wasn't the
exact type of genre I was looking for. However I do not
discourage others from picking it off the shelves, in fact I hope
you do just so because the ending is definitely worth it.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Araz writes:
The novel that I read as my third quarter classic was The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. This novel was well composed and written. It gives you a good glimpse of what political life was back in the day and shows how political leader’s family members lived. This novel is based off of a letter that was written to Isabel Allende’s grandfather who was on his death bed. The beginning of the novel was pretty boring but by chapter six the story got really good and I was unable to put down the novel. I would rate this novel an 8 out of 10 because it had an easy plot to follow. The only problem was that they never notified the reader when the points of view were changing. This novel is considered a journal that Clara and Alba wrote in. This journal enabled them to write down all their thoughts and ideas. I would definitely recommend this novel to a friend because I know they would enjoy it as much as I did.
The novel that I read as my third quarter classic was The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende. This novel was well composed and written. It gives you a good glimpse of what political life was back in the day and shows how political leader’s family members lived. This novel is based off of a letter that was written to Isabel Allende’s grandfather who was on his death bed. The beginning of the novel was pretty boring but by chapter six the story got really good and I was unable to put down the novel. I would rate this novel an 8 out of 10 because it had an easy plot to follow. The only problem was that they never notified the reader when the points of view were changing. This novel is considered a journal that Clara and Alba wrote in. This journal enabled them to write down all their thoughts and ideas. I would definitely recommend this novel to a friend because I know they would enjoy it as much as I did.
Cat’s Cradle
Sasha writes:
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a sarcastic, darkly humorous account of the aftermath of a number of fictitious WWII events. The story is told by John, although his role in the plot, other than to chronicle the events is minimal.
The story is kicked off by a man named Felix Hoenikker, a brilliant, if somewhat childish scientist and inventor, who was one of the unintentional parents of the atomic bomb. His last invention before he died was a mysterious substance called ice-nine. When the story takes place Hoenikker is already dead and it is his children who are actually there.
What is probably my favorite aspect of the book is the fictitious religion that many of the characters practice. The religion is called Bokononism and is based around the teachings of a man named Bokonon. Many of the parables and facets of Bokononism are mentioned throughout the book. They can be confusing at times but if you pay attention the pieces do fit.
The novel is written in a style that can at times feel choppy, with very short chapters and often very short sentences, but at the end it has a well-put together feel and the style fits with the story.
At the end of the novel I was left with a feeling of satisfaction, something I always enjoy when finishing a good novel, and something I experience all to infrequently. This has become one of my new favorite novels and I would probably give it a nine out of ten and a strong recommendation. I would however caution someone who does not particularly enjoy reading and who does not enjoy novels that do not get straight to the point that this could be frustrating.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a sarcastic, darkly humorous account of the aftermath of a number of fictitious WWII events. The story is told by John, although his role in the plot, other than to chronicle the events is minimal.
The story is kicked off by a man named Felix Hoenikker, a brilliant, if somewhat childish scientist and inventor, who was one of the unintentional parents of the atomic bomb. His last invention before he died was a mysterious substance called ice-nine. When the story takes place Hoenikker is already dead and it is his children who are actually there.
What is probably my favorite aspect of the book is the fictitious religion that many of the characters practice. The religion is called Bokononism and is based around the teachings of a man named Bokonon. Many of the parables and facets of Bokononism are mentioned throughout the book. They can be confusing at times but if you pay attention the pieces do fit.
The novel is written in a style that can at times feel choppy, with very short chapters and often very short sentences, but at the end it has a well-put together feel and the style fits with the story.
At the end of the novel I was left with a feeling of satisfaction, something I always enjoy when finishing a good novel, and something I experience all to infrequently. This has become one of my new favorite novels and I would probably give it a nine out of ten and a strong recommendation. I would however caution someone who does not particularly enjoy reading and who does not enjoy novels that do not get straight to the point that this could be frustrating.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Kayla writes:
I would rate my novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a seven out of ten. In the small town of Macondo, the Buendia family lives. Jose Arcadio Buendia helped found the town, and he is the start of many generations. Throughout generations each person in the Buendia family has many moments of prosperity and struggle. They encounter love, lust, grief, death, happiness, and most20of all, solitude. Macondo grows and prospers, but in time it becomes abandoned and a place of solitude for the last remaining Buendia. Alone and in need of comfort, he deciphers ancient documents that belonged to a gypsy friend of Jose Arcadio Buendia’s. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fiction and novels about fantasy.
I would rate my novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a seven out of ten. In the small town of Macondo, the Buendia family lives. Jose Arcadio Buendia helped found the town, and he is the start of many generations. Throughout generations each person in the Buendia family has many moments of prosperity and struggle. They encounter love, lust, grief, death, happiness, and most20of all, solitude. Macondo grows and prospers, but in time it becomes abandoned and a place of solitude for the last remaining Buendia. Alone and in need of comfort, he deciphers ancient documents that belonged to a gypsy friend of Jose Arcadio Buendia’s. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fiction and novels about fantasy.
A Room with a View
Mairian writes:
In this story Lucy the main character falls in love with a guy she met in Italy named George Emerson. Sadly many people she know disapprove of him and his father and once her cousin finds him kissing her in a garden she decides Lucy must go away from him and not tell her mother. They pack to leave to Rome to stay with the Vyses. When Lucy goes back home to Surrey she accepts the third marriage proposal from Cecil Vyse Cecil disapproves of many people and one day he sees the Emerson’s in a Museum and offers them a small ugly villa that they move into. After a game of tennis George kisses Lucy once again and explains why she shouldn’t marry Cecil. Lucy sees Cecil differently and breaks off the engagement that night. Lucy doesn’t believe that she loves George and decides to go to Greece with the Miss Alans. By surprise she meets Mr. Emerson who tells her that she loves George and should marry him instead. The book ends with a happy ending of Lucy and George in Italy, in the same Hotel they stayed before, in a room with a view.
I would give this novel 8 out of 10. I thought it was a good story and it is very interesting. Once I got further in the novel it kept my attention but in the beginning it was a little hard to understand and it was progressing slowly. Overall it was a good book and I would recommend it to other student’s especially the ones who enjoy love stories.
In this story Lucy the main character falls in love with a guy she met in Italy named George Emerson. Sadly many people she know disapprove of him and his father and once her cousin finds him kissing her in a garden she decides Lucy must go away from him and not tell her mother. They pack to leave to Rome to stay with the Vyses. When Lucy goes back home to Surrey she accepts the third marriage proposal from Cecil Vyse Cecil disapproves of many people and one day he sees the Emerson’s in a Museum and offers them a small ugly villa that they move into. After a game of tennis George kisses Lucy once again and explains why she shouldn’t marry Cecil. Lucy sees Cecil differently and breaks off the engagement that night. Lucy doesn’t believe that she loves George and decides to go to Greece with the Miss Alans. By surprise she meets Mr. Emerson who tells her that she loves George and should marry him instead. The book ends with a happy ending of Lucy and George in Italy, in the same Hotel they stayed before, in a room with a view.
I would give this novel 8 out of 10. I thought it was a good story and it is very interesting. Once I got further in the novel it kept my attention but in the beginning it was a little hard to understand and it was progressing slowly. Overall it was a good book and I would recommend it to other student’s especially the ones who enjoy love stories.
Jude The Obscure
Nick writes:
Jude The Obscure by Thomas hardy a novel renowned for its
quality, writer, and the mark it left in the time period based on
its obscenity. Although it's not nearly as bad as many of the
books out there now, for the time period it was considered
vulgar. Based on the language in the novel it can be assumed the
time period was some time ago most likely in the late 1800's
possibly early 1900's. The language can make this a tougher read,
but I would still recommend it to someone that I knew could
handle filling in the blanks, and figuring out what Thomas Hardy
is trying to say. Halfway through the Novel you find the
difference in language doesn't have any effect on your reading
any longer. Now on to the Main summary, Jude is an ambitious,
intelligent and well, obscure boy. In the beginning of the novel
you meet a boy who's only mentor is leaving to go to the center
of learning in that area. Christminster. To Jude the teacher
leaving was a huge deal, the teacher had meant a lot to Jude, and
was close enough to Jude to have told him his private ambitions
to become a scholar at the university in Christminster. Jude's
Ambitions soon turn into a lifestyle. He reads classics, and
learns all he can with a little help from his old friend, and
mentor teacher. A Huge theme I noticed in the novel was how a
human's love can get in the way of their ambitions. This is
exactly the story in Jude's case. He's dumb enough to find
himself involved in a relationship with a Young girl who cares
not for his needs. His first mistake was Arabella, the
relationship like many in his family's history ended poorly and
had a huge effect on Jude getting to Christminster because he was
forced to put his classics aside for the most part and focus on
his wife. He married her in response to her lie that she was
pregnant. Arabella unintentionally messed up Jude's life pretty
badly. Eventually Jude moves into Christminster to fulfill his
dream, and this was the section Jude faced his disappointment in
many aspect. His Teacher, His mentor, had he really cared for
Jude so much? Evidentially not because he couldn't seem to
remember the name Jude at all, for me reading this I could really
feel Jude's tremendous disappointment. Jude will find
disappointment repeatedly from this point on. Although I loved
the story in the novel I did find it hard to read for a long
period of time. As to not spoil the end I will not reveal
whether or not Jude reaches his dream, or if he ever finds love
again. I do recommend this as a book, but only if you have the
time to read it, I truly found it much more enjoyable in rations,
possibly half hour a night to forty five minutes. After that the
book begins to seem much worse than it really is. I liked the
book, but I wouldn't have finished it if I didn't have too. This
is because I prefer books that really get my emotions going, and
have a lot to them. Somehow this novel just wasn't doing it for
me. Because of the situation I have two scales for this book. On
the scale of how much I enjoyed it I give it a six out of ten. On
a scale of how much I appreciate the writing, and how well I
realize it is written I give it a nine. Unfortunately my
appreciation for Thomas Hardy's style was not enough to make the
book stimulate my brain for long.
Jude The Obscure by Thomas hardy a novel renowned for its
quality, writer, and the mark it left in the time period based on
its obscenity. Although it's not nearly as bad as many of the
books out there now, for the time period it was considered
vulgar. Based on the language in the novel it can be assumed the
time period was some time ago most likely in the late 1800's
possibly early 1900's. The language can make this a tougher read,
but I would still recommend it to someone that I knew could
handle filling in the blanks, and figuring out what Thomas Hardy
is trying to say. Halfway through the Novel you find the
difference in language doesn't have any effect on your reading
any longer. Now on to the Main summary, Jude is an ambitious,
intelligent and well, obscure boy. In the beginning of the novel
you meet a boy who's only mentor is leaving to go to the center
of learning in that area. Christminster. To Jude the teacher
leaving was a huge deal, the teacher had meant a lot to Jude, and
was close enough to Jude to have told him his private ambitions
to become a scholar at the university in Christminster. Jude's
Ambitions soon turn into a lifestyle. He reads classics, and
learns all he can with a little help from his old friend, and
mentor teacher. A Huge theme I noticed in the novel was how a
human's love can get in the way of their ambitions. This is
exactly the story in Jude's case. He's dumb enough to find
himself involved in a relationship with a Young girl who cares
not for his needs. His first mistake was Arabella, the
relationship like many in his family's history ended poorly and
had a huge effect on Jude getting to Christminster because he was
forced to put his classics aside for the most part and focus on
his wife. He married her in response to her lie that she was
pregnant. Arabella unintentionally messed up Jude's life pretty
badly. Eventually Jude moves into Christminster to fulfill his
dream, and this was the section Jude faced his disappointment in
many aspect. His Teacher, His mentor, had he really cared for
Jude so much? Evidentially not because he couldn't seem to
remember the name Jude at all, for me reading this I could really
feel Jude's tremendous disappointment. Jude will find
disappointment repeatedly from this point on. Although I loved
the story in the novel I did find it hard to read for a long
period of time. As to not spoil the end I will not reveal
whether or not Jude reaches his dream, or if he ever finds love
again. I do recommend this as a book, but only if you have the
time to read it, I truly found it much more enjoyable in rations,
possibly half hour a night to forty five minutes. After that the
book begins to seem much worse than it really is. I liked the
book, but I wouldn't have finished it if I didn't have too. This
is because I prefer books that really get my emotions going, and
have a lot to them. Somehow this novel just wasn't doing it for
me. Because of the situation I have two scales for this book. On
the scale of how much I enjoyed it I give it a six out of ten. On
a scale of how much I appreciate the writing, and how well I
realize it is written I give it a nine. Unfortunately my
appreciation for Thomas Hardy's style was not enough to make the
book stimulate my brain for long.
The Cider House Rules
Caitie writes:
I read The Cider House Rules by John Irving. The book is about an orphanage in St. Cloud’s Maine where illegal abortions are preformed. Dr. Wilbur Larch cares for all the orphans in St. Cloud’s orphanage with the help of Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela. These nurses also help him with abortions. The nurses are responsible for naming all the orphans, one orphan they name Homer Wells. Homer is not an average baby, he does not cry. When adoptive families take Homer home they think there is something wrong with him, one family beats him to make him cry. This made him sensitive to the smallest touch or movement. Now he won’t stop crying. Each family can never seem to really mesh with Homer Wells. Dr. Larch stops trying to find Homer Wells’ perfect fit after Homer went on a day trip with one family and the family was gruesomely killed. Homer remains at the orphanage and becomes a son to Dr. Larch and Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela. They start giving him responsibilities and chores. He has to take out the trash and this is how he discovers Dr. Larch’s secret, he finds a fetus in the trash. Dr. Larch has to tell Homer about his secret career. He tells Homer and even starts training him to be an abortionist.
Homer is starved for attention at times so becomes close friends with a rude girl named Melonie, who is in the same predicament as Homer as far as being an orphan that never gets adopted in the girl’s division of St. Cloud’s. Homer and Melonie make a promise to each other that neither would leave St. Cloud’s without the other. Homer is trained to be an abortionist for the next few years. In the meantime the reader is introduced to Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington. Wally comes from a very rich family who owns a famous apple orchard; Candy’s dad is a very hard working, well respected handy man. Candy and Wally are “the couple” in Heart’s Haven, a town a few miles from St. Cloud’s. Candy happens to be the same age as Homer Wells and when she discovers she is pregnant she feels she is too young and has too much going on in her life right now to support a child. She knows Wally will support her, money is not an issue, and she just wants more time to live her life without having to care for a kid. She feels that she has no choice but to gat an abortion. Wally has heard about St. Cloud’s and Dr. Larch’s work. He takes Candy to St. Cloud’s for an abortion. The couple meets Homer Wells there. Homer really likes Candy and wants to help her but he has made up his mind that he thinks abortion is wrong, he doesn’t want to perform abortions anymore. This destroys Dr. Larch who had spent so much time training Homer. Homer will deliver babies but he will not kill them. So during Candy’s procedure he waits outside and talks with Wally. They create a fast friendship and he asks Homer if he wants to take a road trip with him and Candy. This road trip turns into a summer job for Homer. He had to break his promise with Melonie when he left and now Dr. Larch feels like his son is being taken away. Dr. Larch solves many of his problems with his ether addiction but this time he tries to find a new apprentice. He asks Melonie if she would like to learn how to abort a pregnancy. This does not work out because Melonie does not like blood and guts. Dr. Larch is very depressed and doesn’t hear from Homer for a while. Homer is having fun but the story has a twist that I do not want to give away if you want to read the book which I highly recommend.
It was a great book and I really enjoyed it. I like the way John Irving writes. He describes things really well; I can see what is going on. I also really like the characters and the setting. I think they add to the story in the best way. I would give the book 7 out of 10. I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone that likes a really good author; I wouldn’t however recommend this book to people who usually choose fantasy books. I would also not recommend it to anyone who is particularly squeamish or easily disturbed because there are some very disturbing scenes in the book.
I read The Cider House Rules by John Irving. The book is about an orphanage in St. Cloud’s Maine where illegal abortions are preformed. Dr. Wilbur Larch cares for all the orphans in St. Cloud’s orphanage with the help of Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela. These nurses also help him with abortions. The nurses are responsible for naming all the orphans, one orphan they name Homer Wells. Homer is not an average baby, he does not cry. When adoptive families take Homer home they think there is something wrong with him, one family beats him to make him cry. This made him sensitive to the smallest touch or movement. Now he won’t stop crying. Each family can never seem to really mesh with Homer Wells. Dr. Larch stops trying to find Homer Wells’ perfect fit after Homer went on a day trip with one family and the family was gruesomely killed. Homer remains at the orphanage and becomes a son to Dr. Larch and Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela. They start giving him responsibilities and chores. He has to take out the trash and this is how he discovers Dr. Larch’s secret, he finds a fetus in the trash. Dr. Larch has to tell Homer about his secret career. He tells Homer and even starts training him to be an abortionist.
Homer is starved for attention at times so becomes close friends with a rude girl named Melonie, who is in the same predicament as Homer as far as being an orphan that never gets adopted in the girl’s division of St. Cloud’s. Homer and Melonie make a promise to each other that neither would leave St. Cloud’s without the other. Homer is trained to be an abortionist for the next few years. In the meantime the reader is introduced to Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington. Wally comes from a very rich family who owns a famous apple orchard; Candy’s dad is a very hard working, well respected handy man. Candy and Wally are “the couple” in Heart’s Haven, a town a few miles from St. Cloud’s. Candy happens to be the same age as Homer Wells and when she discovers she is pregnant she feels she is too young and has too much going on in her life right now to support a child. She knows Wally will support her, money is not an issue, and she just wants more time to live her life without having to care for a kid. She feels that she has no choice but to gat an abortion. Wally has heard about St. Cloud’s and Dr. Larch’s work. He takes Candy to St. Cloud’s for an abortion. The couple meets Homer Wells there. Homer really likes Candy and wants to help her but he has made up his mind that he thinks abortion is wrong, he doesn’t want to perform abortions anymore. This destroys Dr. Larch who had spent so much time training Homer. Homer will deliver babies but he will not kill them. So during Candy’s procedure he waits outside and talks with Wally. They create a fast friendship and he asks Homer if he wants to take a road trip with him and Candy. This road trip turns into a summer job for Homer. He had to break his promise with Melonie when he left and now Dr. Larch feels like his son is being taken away. Dr. Larch solves many of his problems with his ether addiction but this time he tries to find a new apprentice. He asks Melonie if she would like to learn how to abort a pregnancy. This does not work out because Melonie does not like blood and guts. Dr. Larch is very depressed and doesn’t hear from Homer for a while. Homer is having fun but the story has a twist that I do not want to give away if you want to read the book which I highly recommend.
It was a great book and I really enjoyed it. I like the way John Irving writes. He describes things really well; I can see what is going on. I also really like the characters and the setting. I think they add to the story in the best way. I would give the book 7 out of 10. I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone that likes a really good author; I wouldn’t however recommend this book to people who usually choose fantasy books. I would also not recommend it to anyone who is particularly squeamish or easily disturbed because there are some very disturbing scenes in the book.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Parisa writes
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
By Thomas Hardy
I would rate this book a 7 ½ out of 10. I would recommend this book for good readers because it contains rather advanced vocabulary. The novel is the story of a very young woman’s life in 1800’s England, her quest for happiness and love, and the obstacles society puts in her path. Hardy is concerned with right and wrong, and Tess strives to be a moral person. The novel covers very shocking material for that time, including rape and seduction. Not to give it away, but this book is not for people looking for a happy ending. Some parts of this book are very tragic, and the life of the main character, Tess, is difficult. Hardy can teach a lot about that period in English history and how people’s lives were lived. There are detailed descriptions of farm life, villages, and scenery. He has a strong feeling for poor people’s troubles, and creates a believable character. Although sometimes the sadness of the story forced me to put it down, I did find the story interesting and readable. The best thing about the book is the plot, which is brilliantly complicated, involving all the many characters, woven to keep the reader guessing until the end.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
By Thomas Hardy
I would rate this book a 7 ½ out of 10. I would recommend this book for good readers because it contains rather advanced vocabulary. The novel is the story of a very young woman’s life in 1800’s England, her quest for happiness and love, and the obstacles society puts in her path. Hardy is concerned with right and wrong, and Tess strives to be a moral person. The novel covers very shocking material for that time, including rape and seduction. Not to give it away, but this book is not for people looking for a happy ending. Some parts of this book are very tragic, and the life of the main character, Tess, is difficult. Hardy can teach a lot about that period in English history and how people’s lives were lived. There are detailed descriptions of farm life, villages, and scenery. He has a strong feeling for poor people’s troubles, and creates a believable character. Although sometimes the sadness of the story forced me to put it down, I did find the story interesting and readable. The best thing about the book is the plot, which is brilliantly complicated, involving all the many characters, woven to keep the reader guessing until the end.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Hannah writes:
Personally, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas did not meet my expectations. I thought the plot was confusing and hard to follow. There were too many characters and plot changes and it took away from the over all meaning of the novel. Also, I think the language was difficult to understand and not age appropriate. Along with the diction and the plot being hard to keep up with, some of the parts of the story were so depressing, like when the characters are enslaved in horrible prisons for very long periods of time. I did not find parts like that enjoyable to read about. This book was definitely not a page-turner for me, it was actually the opposite! I got bored reading this novel a lot of times and I would just want to put it down. I have read longer books than this in the past, but this one felt like it went on forever!
I would rate this book a 5/10 because I thought it was confusing and boring and not age appropriate. I would only recommend it to someone with a lot of patience and someone who enjoys reading very long books. I do not mean to insult the author in any way, but this book just wasn’t as good as I thought it would be when I read about the author and heard what other people who read it thought about it. Overall, this novel was not a good match with my reading style and preference, and hopefully next time I will read a novel that I enjoy more than this one.
Personally, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas did not meet my expectations. I thought the plot was confusing and hard to follow. There were too many characters and plot changes and it took away from the over all meaning of the novel. Also, I think the language was difficult to understand and not age appropriate. Along with the diction and the plot being hard to keep up with, some of the parts of the story were so depressing, like when the characters are enslaved in horrible prisons for very long periods of time. I did not find parts like that enjoyable to read about. This book was definitely not a page-turner for me, it was actually the opposite! I got bored reading this novel a lot of times and I would just want to put it down. I have read longer books than this in the past, but this one felt like it went on forever!
I would rate this book a 5/10 because I thought it was confusing and boring and not age appropriate. I would only recommend it to someone with a lot of patience and someone who enjoys reading very long books. I do not mean to insult the author in any way, but this book just wasn’t as good as I thought it would be when I read about the author and heard what other people who read it thought about it. Overall, this novel was not a good match with my reading style and preference, and hopefully next time I will read a novel that I enjoy more than this one.
Ethan Frome
Kristina writes:
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was a short novel filled with a lot of description and
passion. It is a story that I will remember, because I have never read a story like it
before. The amount of description that Wharton gives lets the reader get into the mind
of the characters. You can understand how much Ethan and Mattie (two of the main
characters) love each other, because of the description of the emotions that are
running through their heads.
I would rate this book a 7 out of 10, because as much as I love reading love
stories, in my opinion I do not like the plot very much. I thought it was also very
predictable. I would recommend this novel to a friend, because just because I didn't
enjoy it I know someone else will probably enjoy it.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was a short novel filled with a lot of description and
passion. It is a story that I will remember, because I have never read a story like it
before. The amount of description that Wharton gives lets the reader get into the mind
of the characters. You can understand how much Ethan and Mattie (two of the main
characters) love each other, because of the description of the emotions that are
running through their heads.
I would rate this book a 7 out of 10, because as much as I love reading love
stories, in my opinion I do not like the plot very much. I thought it was also very
predictable. I would recommend this novel to a friend, because just because I didn't
enjoy it I know someone else will probably enjoy it.
Madame Bovary
Eric writes:
The novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a detailed novel that tells the story about a young, beautiful woman named Emma who is very unhappy with her life. Flaubert’s work in the novel is explanatory in almost anything a character does. He is able to make you feel like you are in the novel watching and hearing the situation as it is happening. I would rate the novel a six out of ten, this is because I found that Flaubert did not get to his point quick enough. Even though he made his writing vivid for the reader he seemed to drag out most of the situations which made me get bored of what I was reading. Flaubert did write a surprise ending which was unexpected. (I will not say to much in case any of you would like to read Madame Bovary). I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes to read about romance, unexpected situations, conflict between characters and some forbidden love. Overall looking back on the novel Gustave Flaubert did a good job on writing Madame Bovary it was full of all sorts of problems that will make you want to keep reading.
The novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is a detailed novel that tells the story about a young, beautiful woman named Emma who is very unhappy with her life. Flaubert’s work in the novel is explanatory in almost anything a character does. He is able to make you feel like you are in the novel watching and hearing the situation as it is happening. I would rate the novel a six out of ten, this is because I found that Flaubert did not get to his point quick enough. Even though he made his writing vivid for the reader he seemed to drag out most of the situations which made me get bored of what I was reading. Flaubert did write a surprise ending which was unexpected. (I will not say to much in case any of you would like to read Madame Bovary). I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes to read about romance, unexpected situations, conflict between characters and some forbidden love. Overall looking back on the novel Gustave Flaubert did a good job on writing Madame Bovary it was full of all sorts of problems that will make you want to keep reading.
Cat’s Cradle
Sasha
The novel I read as my third quarter classic was Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The writing is well crafted and the plot is fast moving. However while the novel is delightfully written, there is very little emphasis placed on characters and their development. They almost seem to be put in as an after thought, more there to help the plot along than for their own sake. What is interesting about this is that unlike many authors whose characters have no development because they are not very good at what they do, this lack of character development comes off as completely intentional and in fact works very well for the story and for Vonnegut’s style.
In the novel it is very hard to become attached to any of the characters and to really feel them as human beings. This should make it hard to relate to the novel, but what it does instead is make you read for the plot itself and not for the characters. Instead, it feels almost like the plot itself is the character that you watch develop.
The novel is told from the first person, but in an oddly disconnected way. While the narrator is part of the events of the book, his telling seems oddly removed and his presence does not seem to have any real effect on what happens.
It seems that all of these unusual writing techniques would not make the novel an enjoyable one, but Vonnegut’s writing is so clever and so unique that the reader cannot help but be completely drawn into the story and feeling like the monumental occurrences that take place in the novel effect this world as well.
The novel I read as my third quarter classic was Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The writing is well crafted and the plot is fast moving. However while the novel is delightfully written, there is very little emphasis placed on characters and their development. They almost seem to be put in as an after thought, more there to help the plot along than for their own sake. What is interesting about this is that unlike many authors whose characters have no development because they are not very good at what they do, this lack of character development comes off as completely intentional and in fact works very well for the story and for Vonnegut’s style.
In the novel it is very hard to become attached to any of the characters and to really feel them as human beings. This should make it hard to relate to the novel, but what it does instead is make you read for the plot itself and not for the characters. Instead, it feels almost like the plot itself is the character that you watch develop.
The novel is told from the first person, but in an oddly disconnected way. While the narrator is part of the events of the book, his telling seems oddly removed and his presence does not seem to have any real effect on what happens.
It seems that all of these unusual writing techniques would not make the novel an enjoyable one, but Vonnegut’s writing is so clever and so unique that the reader cannot help but be completely drawn into the story and feeling like the monumental occurrences that take place in the novel effect this world as well.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wuthering Heights
Talia writes:
So far in my classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, I have met the characters Lockwood, Heathcliff, Joseph, Mrs. Heathcliff, Hareton, Zillah, and Mr. Earnshaw. An important main character in the novel is Heathcliff, although the author hasn’t gone into full detail of him or gotten his main story. The other main character is Cathy, but she has not been introduced yet. The main plot of the novel is supposed to be the big love story of Heathcliff and Cathy.
The novel started of with Heathcliff meeting Mr. Lockwood; his new tenant in his huge house known as the Thrustcross Grange in England. While he is staying with Heathcliff he meets Mrs. Heathcliff (Heathcliff’s daughter in law) and gets into a fight with her and Joseph. While trying to run he is attacked and hurt by dogs they unleashed on him. Zillah the housewife of the Grange brings him to a room and attempts to treat him. Inside the room he is left in, he comes across old books with the name Catherine written all over them and he begins to read the stories inside. The writing was similar to a diary and Lockwood thought it might be Catherine’s that she wrote while staying with Heathcliff.
The use of language and vocabulary makes the novel a bit hard to comprehend and follow along. At times I got lost and wasn’t able to keep up with what the characters were saying but overall I understand the main points of the novel. My opinion is that the beginning of the novel was not that interesting and is only starting to become more appealing. I guess I’ll just have to keep reading to find out.
So far in my classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, I have met the characters Lockwood, Heathcliff, Joseph, Mrs. Heathcliff, Hareton, Zillah, and Mr. Earnshaw. An important main character in the novel is Heathcliff, although the author hasn’t gone into full detail of him or gotten his main story. The other main character is Cathy, but she has not been introduced yet. The main plot of the novel is supposed to be the big love story of Heathcliff and Cathy.
The novel started of with Heathcliff meeting Mr. Lockwood; his new tenant in his huge house known as the Thrustcross Grange in England. While he is staying with Heathcliff he meets Mrs. Heathcliff (Heathcliff’s daughter in law) and gets into a fight with her and Joseph. While trying to run he is attacked and hurt by dogs they unleashed on him. Zillah the housewife of the Grange brings him to a room and attempts to treat him. Inside the room he is left in, he comes across old books with the name Catherine written all over them and he begins to read the stories inside. The writing was similar to a diary and Lockwood thought it might be Catherine’s that she wrote while staying with Heathcliff.
The use of language and vocabulary makes the novel a bit hard to comprehend and follow along. At times I got lost and wasn’t able to keep up with what the characters were saying but overall I understand the main points of the novel. My opinion is that the beginning of the novel was not that interesting and is only starting to become more appealing. I guess I’ll just have to keep reading to find out.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Parisa writes:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is a novel written by Thomas Hardy which is very strongly driven by plot. Starting with the death of the Durbeyfields’ horse, which plunges the family into crisis, and then continuing with Tess’ meeting with some rich relations, the book moves from event to event swiftly. Every chapter provides the reader with further drama. The basic plot of the story is Tess’ life. The novel is a true cliffhanger, and cliffhangers revolve around plot to keep the suspense up. Tess’ life contains many ups and downs, and reversals of fortune. A major climactic scene and twist in the plot is when Alec D’Urberville seduces Tess. Hardy uses the plot to demonstrate the difference between rich and poor, and the differences in opportunity, how the poor were exploited, how there was this double standard about sex and women. He doesn’t talk about the oppression of women or about the horrifying way some people are treated, but he makes readers feel the agony by having the main character go through certain experiences. Plot is a very important element in this novel right up until the shocking ending, which I will not reveal, on the grounds that it would spoil the story for anyone wanting to read it.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is a novel written by Thomas Hardy which is very strongly driven by plot. Starting with the death of the Durbeyfields’ horse, which plunges the family into crisis, and then continuing with Tess’ meeting with some rich relations, the book moves from event to event swiftly. Every chapter provides the reader with further drama. The basic plot of the story is Tess’ life. The novel is a true cliffhanger, and cliffhangers revolve around plot to keep the suspense up. Tess’ life contains many ups and downs, and reversals of fortune. A major climactic scene and twist in the plot is when Alec D’Urberville seduces Tess. Hardy uses the plot to demonstrate the difference between rich and poor, and the differences in opportunity, how the poor were exploited, how there was this double standard about sex and women. He doesn’t talk about the oppression of women or about the horrifying way some people are treated, but he makes readers feel the agony by having the main character go through certain experiences. Plot is a very important element in this novel right up until the shocking ending, which I will not reveal, on the grounds that it would spoil the story for anyone wanting to read it.
Dracula
Golshan writes:
Dracula by Bram Stoker starts off by introducing Jonathan Harker, one of the main characters. He is a solicitor who is going to Dracula's castle for business purposes. At first Count Dracula seems really nice, but after a while weird things start happening. Jonathan notices things like he is locked in the castle and there are no servants. When Jonathan was shaving, the Count's reflection didn't show up in the mirror, and once, when he fell asleep in a room, he saw three beautiful women who wanted to kill him. He is afraid for his life and crawls out the window like he had seen the Count do many times. Then the novel introduces the other characters like Mina, Jonathan's wife and Lucy, her best friend. Lucy writes a letter to Mina saying that she was proposed to by three men in the same day and explains the men a little. The one she decided to marry is Arthur Holmwood, and is very upset about turning down the others (Quincy Morris and Dr. Seward). This novel is written as a diary for the characters, and in Dr. Seward's diary, he talks about a patient named Renfield. Renfield has an obsession with consuming lives. He collects flies, feeds them to spiders, then feeds the spiders to birds. He asks Dr. Seward for a kitten but when he refuses he eats the birds raw and gets sick. When Mina and Lucy are together, Mina notices that Lucy began to sleepwalk and one night she walks to a park and sits by a bench. When Mina found her she saw a strange skinny old man with red eyes next to her. When she got closer he disappeared, but there were two little red wounds on Lucy's neck (which Mina thought they were made by a pin). Eventually Lucy gets sick and Arthur calls Dr. Seward who calls Van Helsing. They find out that Lucy has lost a lot of blood and decide to give her blood transfusions. This happens four times. Van Helsing has mysterious ways of trying to get Lucy better which include rubbing garlic all over her room. There are many mysterious things that happen including many things that go wrong with Lucy's treatment. I'm going to stop here because I don't want to give too much away. Dracula seems like it is going to be one of my favorite novels because of its exciting plot and characters.
-Golshan
Dracula by Bram Stoker starts off by introducing Jonathan Harker, one of the main characters. He is a solicitor who is going to Dracula's castle for business purposes. At first Count Dracula seems really nice, but after a while weird things start happening. Jonathan notices things like he is locked in the castle and there are no servants. When Jonathan was shaving, the Count's reflection didn't show up in the mirror, and once, when he fell asleep in a room, he saw three beautiful women who wanted to kill him. He is afraid for his life and crawls out the window like he had seen the Count do many times. Then the novel introduces the other characters like Mina, Jonathan's wife and Lucy, her best friend. Lucy writes a letter to Mina saying that she was proposed to by three men in the same day and explains the men a little. The one she decided to marry is Arthur Holmwood, and is very upset about turning down the others (Quincy Morris and Dr. Seward). This novel is written as a diary for the characters, and in Dr. Seward's diary, he talks about a patient named Renfield. Renfield has an obsession with consuming lives. He collects flies, feeds them to spiders, then feeds the spiders to birds. He asks Dr. Seward for a kitten but when he refuses he eats the birds raw and gets sick. When Mina and Lucy are together, Mina notices that Lucy began to sleepwalk and one night she walks to a park and sits by a bench. When Mina found her she saw a strange skinny old man with red eyes next to her. When she got closer he disappeared, but there were two little red wounds on Lucy's neck (which Mina thought they were made by a pin). Eventually Lucy gets sick and Arthur calls Dr. Seward who calls Van Helsing. They find out that Lucy has lost a lot of blood and decide to give her blood transfusions. This happens four times. Van Helsing has mysterious ways of trying to get Lucy better which include rubbing garlic all over her room. There are many mysterious things that happen including many things that go wrong with Lucy's treatment. I'm going to stop here because I don't want to give too much away. Dracula seems like it is going to be one of my favorite novels because of its exciting plot and characters.
-Golshan
Brave New World
Meaghan writes:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is the independent reading book I am currently reading now. It is a very hard book to get in to, but once some interesting facts are stated, the book heats up quickly. Brave New World is a difficult book to read, mainly because the language is so complex. Many times I have had to look plenty of words up in the dictionary.
In the novel, Huxley talks about many new scientific discoveries. In the first chapter Huxley states many times about parent conditioning, how a child should act, and human cloning. Human reproduction is also a key factor that Huxley talks about over and over. In the second chapter, the director separates many newborn babies, infants, and toddlers into different rooms, with all different signs on the children’s doors. Many people observe the children, and watch them all the time, to notice if there is anything they notice differently. The director and many nurses’ test out various experiments to see what the young children will do. For example, they hold up flowers to the kids’ faces to see what reaction they have. Also, they ring an alarm clock to see how the children will react. If the children don’t like the nurse shoving flowers into their faces, they will have a hatred for flowers. This system will determine any future technologies from kids.
There hasn’t been many characters introduced into the story yet, but so far we have the director, and many nurses.
One can never really tell with this book what is being explained or what peoples private thoughts are. There are several inappropriate terms Huxley’s story; therefore, that’s why the thoughts are in peoples head, in their own private thoughts. This story is all about the future, what will happen next. This novel is very unpredictable; sometimes I am shocked about what I just read. Many different chemical names are mentioned, since the director constructs many experiments to see what will happen.
“Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn't do without Epsilons. Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one...” (49) This quote is relevantly important in the novel. It shows how people in the building constructing different ideas can help people and how the office can’t do work with out any one. Each and every person is a special part of his or her living.
In conclusion, Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World will take me some time for me to actually make a solid decision if I love the book or not. In the meantime, I am looking forward to see what else Huxley has in mind for the future!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is the independent reading book I am currently reading now. It is a very hard book to get in to, but once some interesting facts are stated, the book heats up quickly. Brave New World is a difficult book to read, mainly because the language is so complex. Many times I have had to look plenty of words up in the dictionary.
In the novel, Huxley talks about many new scientific discoveries. In the first chapter Huxley states many times about parent conditioning, how a child should act, and human cloning. Human reproduction is also a key factor that Huxley talks about over and over. In the second chapter, the director separates many newborn babies, infants, and toddlers into different rooms, with all different signs on the children’s doors. Many people observe the children, and watch them all the time, to notice if there is anything they notice differently. The director and many nurses’ test out various experiments to see what the young children will do. For example, they hold up flowers to the kids’ faces to see what reaction they have. Also, they ring an alarm clock to see how the children will react. If the children don’t like the nurse shoving flowers into their faces, they will have a hatred for flowers. This system will determine any future technologies from kids.
There hasn’t been many characters introduced into the story yet, but so far we have the director, and many nurses.
One can never really tell with this book what is being explained or what peoples private thoughts are. There are several inappropriate terms Huxley’s story; therefore, that’s why the thoughts are in peoples head, in their own private thoughts. This story is all about the future, what will happen next. This novel is very unpredictable; sometimes I am shocked about what I just read. Many different chemical names are mentioned, since the director constructs many experiments to see what will happen.
“Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn't do without Epsilons. Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one...” (49) This quote is relevantly important in the novel. It shows how people in the building constructing different ideas can help people and how the office can’t do work with out any one. Each and every person is a special part of his or her living.
In conclusion, Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World will take me some time for me to actually make a solid decision if I love the book or not. In the meantime, I am looking forward to see what else Huxley has in mind for the future!
Cider House Rules
Caitie writes:
I am reading the novel Cider House Rules by well known author John Irving. Cider House Rules is about Wilbur Larch a doctor that works at an orphanage but also performs illegal abortions. Women come to him offering him sums of money to remove the fetus growing in their stomach. Dr. Larch takes a liking to one of the orphans named Homer Wells by Nurse Angela. Homer can’t seem to find a family that is a good fit for him. When he was a baby he did not cry, a foster family thinks there is something wrong with him so they bring him back to the orphanage. The next family forces him to cry by torturing him giving him a fear of the slightest movement or touch. Homer is now unable to stop from crying so most families don’t want him. Homer grows up in the orphanage and befriends Dr. Larch and the nurses. Dr. Larch tries to find a family for homer to try out but when he finally does they get killed when they take Homer on a camping trip. After this disturbing event Dr. Larch stops searching for Homer Well’s perfect fit. Homer grows up in St. Cloud’s orphanage. He even gives Homer chores around the orphanage such as doing the nightly read-aloud and taking out the trash. One day when Homer is taking out the trash he finds a human fetus among the debris. He recognizes it as what was a living creature so he takes it to Dr. Larch and asks him what it is. Dr. Larch realizes he has to reveal his occupation. He even starts training Homer to be an abortionist. Over a period of a few years Homer is almost ready to perform an abortion by himself. When the day comes that Dr. Larch can not make it home in time to perform an abortion Homer is put to the test. He has to perform his first abortion without Dr. Larch there in case anything was to go wrong or Homer becomes overwhelmed during his first attempt at a complex medical operation. How he does will decide weather he is fit to be an abortionist or not.
The setting of Cider House Rule is very dark. The orphanage is depressing, and St. Cloud’s Maine is portrayed as a dreary town. It is a logging town, the residents are missing limbs. It always seems to be cloudy and stormy and dull. At the orphanage there are characters such as Fuzzy Stone that add to the misery of the setting. Fuzzy Stone is constantly on a breathing apparatus and sleeps in a tent like structure to protect his sensitive lungs from dust. Fuzzy’s mechanical lung makes so much noise that Homer usually has trouble falling asleep at night. Homer stays up thinking all night. He is a complex character. Homer befriends Melanie, the only other orphan left that is his age. She lives in the girl’s division of St. Cloud’s. She desperate for affection and he meets her needs. He isn’t really attracted to Melanie but he feels that he should be so he goes along with her antics. He does find comfort in having a friend at the orphanage. Dr. Larch doesn’t think that Melanie is a good influence on Homer but doesn’t want to take away his only friend his age.
Dr. Larch is also a complex character. He is a doctor with an addiction to ether. He knows the perfect amount to go into a daze but not kill him. This helps him have the perfect touch when it comes to the amount for ether he gives the patient. This is why some people prefer him to other doctors but the main reason is the cost. Dr. Larch works very cheap, unlike places like “off Harrison” who charges a large amount of money. Dr. Larch is mainly concerned in the safety of the patient which makes him a more caring doctor. The characters Homer Wells and Wilbur Larch really interact well together. They really complete the whole mood of the story. Dr. Larch is like a father to Homer because he knows that every child needs to be loved to grow into a functional adult. The chemistry between the characters is like a father and son, but it still has a slight awkwardness to it, making it a very realistic relationship.
I am really enjoying this book, and find it very exciting. I like the way John Irving creates the characters. I am really excited to see how the characters develop through the rest of the novel.
I am reading the novel Cider House Rules by well known author John Irving. Cider House Rules is about Wilbur Larch a doctor that works at an orphanage but also performs illegal abortions. Women come to him offering him sums of money to remove the fetus growing in their stomach. Dr. Larch takes a liking to one of the orphans named Homer Wells by Nurse Angela. Homer can’t seem to find a family that is a good fit for him. When he was a baby he did not cry, a foster family thinks there is something wrong with him so they bring him back to the orphanage. The next family forces him to cry by torturing him giving him a fear of the slightest movement or touch. Homer is now unable to stop from crying so most families don’t want him. Homer grows up in the orphanage and befriends Dr. Larch and the nurses. Dr. Larch tries to find a family for homer to try out but when he finally does they get killed when they take Homer on a camping trip. After this disturbing event Dr. Larch stops searching for Homer Well’s perfect fit. Homer grows up in St. Cloud’s orphanage. He even gives Homer chores around the orphanage such as doing the nightly read-aloud and taking out the trash. One day when Homer is taking out the trash he finds a human fetus among the debris. He recognizes it as what was a living creature so he takes it to Dr. Larch and asks him what it is. Dr. Larch realizes he has to reveal his occupation. He even starts training Homer to be an abortionist. Over a period of a few years Homer is almost ready to perform an abortion by himself. When the day comes that Dr. Larch can not make it home in time to perform an abortion Homer is put to the test. He has to perform his first abortion without Dr. Larch there in case anything was to go wrong or Homer becomes overwhelmed during his first attempt at a complex medical operation. How he does will decide weather he is fit to be an abortionist or not.
The setting of Cider House Rule is very dark. The orphanage is depressing, and St. Cloud’s Maine is portrayed as a dreary town. It is a logging town, the residents are missing limbs. It always seems to be cloudy and stormy and dull. At the orphanage there are characters such as Fuzzy Stone that add to the misery of the setting. Fuzzy Stone is constantly on a breathing apparatus and sleeps in a tent like structure to protect his sensitive lungs from dust. Fuzzy’s mechanical lung makes so much noise that Homer usually has trouble falling asleep at night. Homer stays up thinking all night. He is a complex character. Homer befriends Melanie, the only other orphan left that is his age. She lives in the girl’s division of St. Cloud’s. She desperate for affection and he meets her needs. He isn’t really attracted to Melanie but he feels that he should be so he goes along with her antics. He does find comfort in having a friend at the orphanage. Dr. Larch doesn’t think that Melanie is a good influence on Homer but doesn’t want to take away his only friend his age.
Dr. Larch is also a complex character. He is a doctor with an addiction to ether. He knows the perfect amount to go into a daze but not kill him. This helps him have the perfect touch when it comes to the amount for ether he gives the patient. This is why some people prefer him to other doctors but the main reason is the cost. Dr. Larch works very cheap, unlike places like “off Harrison” who charges a large amount of money. Dr. Larch is mainly concerned in the safety of the patient which makes him a more caring doctor. The characters Homer Wells and Wilbur Larch really interact well together. They really complete the whole mood of the story. Dr. Larch is like a father to Homer because he knows that every child needs to be loved to grow into a functional adult. The chemistry between the characters is like a father and son, but it still has a slight awkwardness to it, making it a very realistic relationship.
I am really enjoying this book, and find it very exciting. I like the way John Irving creates the characters. I am really excited to see how the characters develop through the rest of the novel.
John Irving
Caitie writes
John Irving
John Irving was born in Exeter New Hampshire on March 2nd 1942. His Parents got a divorce during his mother’s pregnancy. He was born John Wallace Blunt Jr. but became John Winslow Irving at age six when his mother remarried a Russian history teacher. He wrote his first three novels, but Irving still made a living from teaching. His fourth novel The World According to Garp, sold many copies. It sold 4,000,000 copies in English and 4,000,000 copies in other languages. Five of his novels have been made into films; The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampshire, A Prayer for Owen Meany (as Simon Birch), The Cider House Rules, and A Widow for One Year (as A Door in the Floor). Irving wrote the screenplay for The Cider House Rules, it took him thirteen years. The movie is similar to the book but the screenplay is only the same as the first chapter. He then wrote an auto biography about his experience in the movie business and how difficult it was to turn a novel into a two hour movie; My Movie Business, a Memoir.
Irving’s The Cider House Rules was considered controversial to some because the main character was an ether addict and he preformed illegal abortions. The book was also pro-abortion. Irving believes that women should have the choice to terminate their pregnancy if it is needed, he does not think it is a good thing but sometimes is necessary. His novel A Prayer for Owen Meany, made the list of BBC’s most loved American novels right above Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Irving has also been inducted into the wrestler’s hall of fame.
He attended four universities and now has three sons. He has achieved such awards as; The American Book Award for Life According to Garp, and is on the academy of achievement. He faces the challenge of Dyslexia, but still managed to write eleven well known novels. John Irving is one of the best authors of our time and is responsible for some of the best literature of our time.
John Irving
John Irving was born in Exeter New Hampshire on March 2nd 1942. His Parents got a divorce during his mother’s pregnancy. He was born John Wallace Blunt Jr. but became John Winslow Irving at age six when his mother remarried a Russian history teacher. He wrote his first three novels, but Irving still made a living from teaching. His fourth novel The World According to Garp, sold many copies. It sold 4,000,000 copies in English and 4,000,000 copies in other languages. Five of his novels have been made into films; The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampshire, A Prayer for Owen Meany (as Simon Birch), The Cider House Rules, and A Widow for One Year (as A Door in the Floor). Irving wrote the screenplay for The Cider House Rules, it took him thirteen years. The movie is similar to the book but the screenplay is only the same as the first chapter. He then wrote an auto biography about his experience in the movie business and how difficult it was to turn a novel into a two hour movie; My Movie Business, a Memoir.
Irving’s The Cider House Rules was considered controversial to some because the main character was an ether addict and he preformed illegal abortions. The book was also pro-abortion. Irving believes that women should have the choice to terminate their pregnancy if it is needed, he does not think it is a good thing but sometimes is necessary. His novel A Prayer for Owen Meany, made the list of BBC’s most loved American novels right above Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Irving has also been inducted into the wrestler’s hall of fame.
He attended four universities and now has three sons. He has achieved such awards as; The American Book Award for Life According to Garp, and is on the academy of achievement. He faces the challenge of Dyslexia, but still managed to write eleven well known novels. John Irving is one of the best authors of our time and is responsible for some of the best literature of our time.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Kayla writes:
One element of fiction in my novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is characterization. The main character, Jose Arcadio Buendia founded the village of Macondo. WhenJose Arcadio Buendia first founded the village he was very social and helped the community with theirhouses, work, and animals, then he becomes fascinated with the wonders of the world, especially
alchemy. For a period of time the people of the village consider him to be crazy because he spends dayand night in the solitude of his laboratory. His madness stops, but he still wants to invent things in orderto improve Macondo and the lives of its people. Ursula Iguaran, his wife, is a very active, hard worker,who doesn’t stand for her husband’s silly ideas. To gether they have three children, two boys and onegirl. The eldest son, Jose Aracadio, is physically like his father, but he lacks his father’s imaginationand curiosity. Aureliano the second son is quiet and his phenomenon’s always come true. He workswith his father in the laboratory and is gifted in the art of silver. Their youngest child is baby girl named
Amaranta.
One element of fiction in my novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is characterization. The main character, Jose Arcadio Buendia founded the village of Macondo. WhenJose Arcadio Buendia first founded the village he was very social and helped the community with theirhouses, work, and animals, then he becomes fascinated with the wonders of the world, especially
alchemy. For a period of time the people of the village consider him to be crazy because he spends dayand night in the solitude of his laboratory. His madness stops, but he still wants to invent things in orderto improve Macondo and the lives of its people. Ursula Iguaran, his wife, is a very active, hard worker,who doesn’t stand for her husband’s silly ideas. To gether they have three children, two boys and onegirl. The eldest son, Jose Aracadio, is physically like his father, but he lacks his father’s imaginationand curiosity. Aureliano the second son is quiet and his phenomenon’s always come true. He workswith his father in the laboratory and is gifted in the art of silver. Their youngest child is baby girl named
Amaranta.
Ethan Frome
Kristina writes:
The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a story about Ethan Frome and his
forbidden love with his wife's cousin. In the beginning of the story we are
introduced to the three main characters Ethan, Zeena, Ethan's wife, and Mattie
Zeena's cousin. Ethan is a very intelligent person and went to school, but had to
quit because of his marriage to Zeena. He has an interest in learning and that is
why he finds an interest in Mattie because she is also very smart. Mattie is said to
be a beautiful girl, and very humorous. Ethan is not very found with Zeena. He
married her because he thought it was appropriate because she helped him take
care of his sick mother. Ethan in the novel explains that Zeena is much like his
mother, because she said very few words.
So far in the story Zeena has become very "sickly" and the doctors have told her not
to do any housework. Zeena comes up with the idea to "hire" Mattie to come and
live with her and Ethan so she can do housework. Mattie is not paid but in return
she is offered food and a place to stay. From the moment Mattie had arrived Ethan
thought she was beautiful and became very fond of her. Zeena has noticed and she
does not like it at all. She wants to send Mattie away so she hires a new
housekeeper. So far the story has been good. I really like the plot line and can't
wait to finish it.
The novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a story about Ethan Frome and his
forbidden love with his wife's cousin. In the beginning of the story we are
introduced to the three main characters Ethan, Zeena, Ethan's wife, and Mattie
Zeena's cousin. Ethan is a very intelligent person and went to school, but had to
quit because of his marriage to Zeena. He has an interest in learning and that is
why he finds an interest in Mattie because she is also very smart. Mattie is said to
be a beautiful girl, and very humorous. Ethan is not very found with Zeena. He
married her because he thought it was appropriate because she helped him take
care of his sick mother. Ethan in the novel explains that Zeena is much like his
mother, because she said very few words.
So far in the story Zeena has become very "sickly" and the doctors have told her not
to do any housework. Zeena comes up with the idea to "hire" Mattie to come and
live with her and Ethan so she can do housework. Mattie is not paid but in return
she is offered food and a place to stay. From the moment Mattie had arrived Ethan
thought she was beautiful and became very fond of her. Zeena has noticed and she
does not like it at all. She wants to send Mattie away so she hires a new
housekeeper. So far the story has been good. I really like the plot line and can't
wait to finish it.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Hannah writes:
I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The main character of the novel is Edmond Dantes, an impeccably brilliant and clever young man. The novel begins with Edmond returning from overseas on a boat he was working aboard. When he returns he greets his father, who is very happy to see him. He then proceeds to see the love of his life, Mercedes. Edmond’s boss, M. Morrel also decides to promote Edmond as captain for the next trip. Mercedes and Edmond decide to get married, However, Fernando, who is secretly in love with Mercedes, becomes extremely jealous. Completely disregarding the fact that Mercedes only loves him as a friend, Fernando comes up with a plot to stop the marriage without killing Edmond. He and his two friends come up with a plot to falsely accuse Edmond of a crime he did not commit and to arrest him. During the wedding ceremony, Edmond is arrested and taken away. Edmond is taken to a man named Gerard de Villefort. Villefort asks Edmond if he is carrying a letter and Edmond responds yes and shows him the letter. Villefort realizes that the letter is addressed to his father, and scared that his father would be arrested, he accuses Edmond and sends him to prison. While Edmond is in prison, Villefort travels to visit his father and warns him about the letter. His father then shaves and changes his clothes so the police will not be able to recognize him. The letter is about how Napoleon was back to seize power, so Villefort travels to warn King Louis XVIII about the letter. However, Napoleon seizes the throne. Since the charge on which Edmond was arrested is no longer illegal, he has the chance to be released, except Villefort never releases him. Edmond is trapped in prison for many years, and get tired and hopeless. However, Edmond discovers a way to visit another person on the other side of his cell by carving a hole through the wall. The other prisoners name is Abbe Faria. Over the years they are together, Abbe educates Edmond, making him a more brilliant and wise person. They figure out that Edmond had been set up, and now he seeks revenge on Villefort for falsely imprisoning him. Abbe also tells Edmond about secret treasure hidden on the Island of Monte Cristo and says that it belong to himself, but also to Edmond because of their bond. As the two plan to escape, Abbe dies. Edmond then manages to escape and ends up on a boat. The boat reaches the Island of Monte Cristo, and Edmond stays on the island alone. He then searches and finds the greatly large amount of treasure that he inherits. He then reunites with the crew and asks his friend to see how his dad and Mercedes are. His friend comes back to inform him that his father had passed away and Mercedes is missing. Dantes decides to go back home, disguised. He visits Caderousse, who was one of the men who arrested him in the first place. He finds out what has happened to his friends and his dad while he was gone for so long. He is also informed that Mercedes married Fernando because she thinks Dantes is dead, and they now live in Paris. Dantes decides to give Caderousse a large portion of the treasure.
So far I have read up to this much, and it is making me very apprehensive as to what will come next. The plot is very involved and changes very frequently with drastic twists. This novel so far has been keeping me on my feet.
I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The main character of the novel is Edmond Dantes, an impeccably brilliant and clever young man. The novel begins with Edmond returning from overseas on a boat he was working aboard. When he returns he greets his father, who is very happy to see him. He then proceeds to see the love of his life, Mercedes. Edmond’s boss, M. Morrel also decides to promote Edmond as captain for the next trip. Mercedes and Edmond decide to get married, However, Fernando, who is secretly in love with Mercedes, becomes extremely jealous. Completely disregarding the fact that Mercedes only loves him as a friend, Fernando comes up with a plot to stop the marriage without killing Edmond. He and his two friends come up with a plot to falsely accuse Edmond of a crime he did not commit and to arrest him. During the wedding ceremony, Edmond is arrested and taken away. Edmond is taken to a man named Gerard de Villefort. Villefort asks Edmond if he is carrying a letter and Edmond responds yes and shows him the letter. Villefort realizes that the letter is addressed to his father, and scared that his father would be arrested, he accuses Edmond and sends him to prison. While Edmond is in prison, Villefort travels to visit his father and warns him about the letter. His father then shaves and changes his clothes so the police will not be able to recognize him. The letter is about how Napoleon was back to seize power, so Villefort travels to warn King Louis XVIII about the letter. However, Napoleon seizes the throne. Since the charge on which Edmond was arrested is no longer illegal, he has the chance to be released, except Villefort never releases him. Edmond is trapped in prison for many years, and get tired and hopeless. However, Edmond discovers a way to visit another person on the other side of his cell by carving a hole through the wall. The other prisoners name is Abbe Faria. Over the years they are together, Abbe educates Edmond, making him a more brilliant and wise person. They figure out that Edmond had been set up, and now he seeks revenge on Villefort for falsely imprisoning him. Abbe also tells Edmond about secret treasure hidden on the Island of Monte Cristo and says that it belong to himself, but also to Edmond because of their bond. As the two plan to escape, Abbe dies. Edmond then manages to escape and ends up on a boat. The boat reaches the Island of Monte Cristo, and Edmond stays on the island alone. He then searches and finds the greatly large amount of treasure that he inherits. He then reunites with the crew and asks his friend to see how his dad and Mercedes are. His friend comes back to inform him that his father had passed away and Mercedes is missing. Dantes decides to go back home, disguised. He visits Caderousse, who was one of the men who arrested him in the first place. He finds out what has happened to his friends and his dad while he was gone for so long. He is also informed that Mercedes married Fernando because she thinks Dantes is dead, and they now live in Paris. Dantes decides to give Caderousse a large portion of the treasure.
So far I have read up to this much, and it is making me very apprehensive as to what will come next. The plot is very involved and changes very frequently with drastic twists. This novel so far has been keeping me on my feet.
In Country - Element of Fiction
Tim writes:
In the novel In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason, One element of fiction that plays a big part in the novel is the characters’ conflicts. The main character is a 17 year old Sam Hughes. She lives in the small town of Hopewell Kentucky and the story takes place in 1984. She is living with her uncle named Emmett who was a Vietnam War veteran. Her father was also in the war but unfortunately he was killed. Now Sam is trying to figure out more about her father and what type of person he was before and during the war since she was only a baby when he was killed. The conflict in this novel is not really a conflict between two or more characters but more of a conflict because there is something missing between her and her knowledge of her father.
It is very difficult for Sam to find anything out about her father but she still tries hard to find ways. Her main source is her uncle Emmett. The bad part is he is a radical person who tries his hardest to put Vietnam behind him and doesn’t like to talk about it. Once in a while when they are having conversations, she will bring up the subject about Vietnam and her father and try to squeeze as much information out of her uncle as possible.
So Far, she really hasn’t gotten enough information to know who her father really was and be able to put her self in his shoes and experience Vietnam’s environment first hand. The main problem is that her father isn’t there to be with her and she has to get all of her information second hand from her uncle unless she can find other sources which I’m sure she will.
In the novel In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason, One element of fiction that plays a big part in the novel is the characters’ conflicts. The main character is a 17 year old Sam Hughes. She lives in the small town of Hopewell Kentucky and the story takes place in 1984. She is living with her uncle named Emmett who was a Vietnam War veteran. Her father was also in the war but unfortunately he was killed. Now Sam is trying to figure out more about her father and what type of person he was before and during the war since she was only a baby when he was killed. The conflict in this novel is not really a conflict between two or more characters but more of a conflict because there is something missing between her and her knowledge of her father.
It is very difficult for Sam to find anything out about her father but she still tries hard to find ways. Her main source is her uncle Emmett. The bad part is he is a radical person who tries his hardest to put Vietnam behind him and doesn’t like to talk about it. Once in a while when they are having conversations, she will bring up the subject about Vietnam and her father and try to squeeze as much information out of her uncle as possible.
So Far, she really hasn’t gotten enough information to know who her father really was and be able to put her self in his shoes and experience Vietnam’s environment first hand. The main problem is that her father isn’t there to be with her and she has to get all of her information second hand from her uncle unless she can find other sources which I’m sure she will.
Madame Bovary
Erika writes:
The novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, is a very interesting novel that takes place in France. The novel begins with a man named Charles Bovary’s wife passing away and so he decided to marry a young women named Emma who he is very attracted to because of her beauty. He asked for her father’s permission and knowing that Charles is a doctor and makes good money he accepts and allows him to marry Emma. Charles is very happy with his wife and does and buys anything she asks for so he can please her. Charles thinks she is happy with where she is but deep down Emma is very miserable and wishes she never went along with the marriage. She feels that if she waited she would have fallen in love with someone better and fit for her.
Soon Charles and Emma have a daughter together who they send to a wet nurse to be taken care of. Emma still displeased with her life accompanies Charles to dinner one night and meets a man named Leon. They talk for hours, after that night they meet up and walk around together both talking about there lives. Emma seems to be falling for Leon but to her disappointment he moves away to find better things in his life. Emma is once again miserable with nothing in her life to brighten it up in till she meets Rodolphe. They are automatically are attracted to each other. Rodolphe likes her for her beauty and Emma likes him for how he treats her. He always tells her how beautiful she is and respects her. Charles has no idea that Emma is in love with Rodolphe but thinks as him as a friend of the family, while most of the town suspects differently. He has no idea they are having an affair and will soon be planning a trip to run away together. Emma does not dare speak of running away because she loves Rodophe very much and does not want anything to change there plan. Unfortunately a day before they are going to leave Emma gets a letter in a basket with fruit, that explains how he (Rodolphe) can not take her away from her life and that it does not feel right so he is leaving without her. When Emma sees the letter she cries uncontrollably and faints. Charles is very worried about her and he has no idea why she fainted but thinks that she is very sick. Emma, now extremely sad lies in bed for a long time and Charles prays that she will be okay.
Overall something in novel always seems to happen to Emma which makes you want to keep reading to see how she will handle the next situation that comes into her life. Madame Bovary is not only a interesting novel but it is a very well written book making you always wanting to know what’s going to happen next.
The novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, is a very interesting novel that takes place in France. The novel begins with a man named Charles Bovary’s wife passing away and so he decided to marry a young women named Emma who he is very attracted to because of her beauty. He asked for her father’s permission and knowing that Charles is a doctor and makes good money he accepts and allows him to marry Emma. Charles is very happy with his wife and does and buys anything she asks for so he can please her. Charles thinks she is happy with where she is but deep down Emma is very miserable and wishes she never went along with the marriage. She feels that if she waited she would have fallen in love with someone better and fit for her.
Soon Charles and Emma have a daughter together who they send to a wet nurse to be taken care of. Emma still displeased with her life accompanies Charles to dinner one night and meets a man named Leon. They talk for hours, after that night they meet up and walk around together both talking about there lives. Emma seems to be falling for Leon but to her disappointment he moves away to find better things in his life. Emma is once again miserable with nothing in her life to brighten it up in till she meets Rodolphe. They are automatically are attracted to each other. Rodolphe likes her for her beauty and Emma likes him for how he treats her. He always tells her how beautiful she is and respects her. Charles has no idea that Emma is in love with Rodolphe but thinks as him as a friend of the family, while most of the town suspects differently. He has no idea they are having an affair and will soon be planning a trip to run away together. Emma does not dare speak of running away because she loves Rodophe very much and does not want anything to change there plan. Unfortunately a day before they are going to leave Emma gets a letter in a basket with fruit, that explains how he (Rodolphe) can not take her away from her life and that it does not feel right so he is leaving without her. When Emma sees the letter she cries uncontrollably and faints. Charles is very worried about her and he has no idea why she fainted but thinks that she is very sick. Emma, now extremely sad lies in bed for a long time and Charles prays that she will be okay.
Overall something in novel always seems to happen to Emma which makes you want to keep reading to see how she will handle the next situation that comes into her life. Madame Bovary is not only a interesting novel but it is a very well written book making you always wanting to know what’s going to happen next.
Jude the Obscure
Nick writes:
Characters, in life and in novels have a lot to them. Everybody
is a character who acts in a certain way in certain situations.
In the novel Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy the characters are
very well drawn. From what is known in the novel so far Jude, is
a boy of many different aspects. The word Obscure is very suiting
for him because he's just an average person who feels
extraordinary yet sees the goodness in life's simplicity. For
example as a boy Jude was seen by the farmer feeding the crows
with his food. This got Jude into trouble and lead to the loss
of his job along with a smack from the farmer. On the way home
leaving the farm an upset boy still took the time to make sure he
killed not a single worm in a mud patch. These two things show
Jude's kindness from the very start of the novel. Probably the
most reinforcing part in the novel to this point is the scene
where the butcher shows up late. Jude's wife expects him to kill
the pig slowly, but Jude knows the pig trusted him. The pig had
the ability to make Jude guilty which is than can be said for
most. The scene with the pig really shows his sense of humanness,
and as a reader there is a feeling of sadness as if you where
Jude looking into the eyes of a pain filled friend. Another
aspect that is seen in Jude along with to the rest of his family
is the inability to seek a respectable husband or wife. His first
and current wife was only married to him because she lied.
Clearly a relationship based on lies could never have worked and
inevitably she moved away to Australia. The most prominent
aspects of Jude's character is his intelligence, and work ethic.
He stays up late to read so that he could eventually move to
Christminister, and be a respectable scholar like his old
teacher. His work ethic is seen in his constant strive to become
the scholar he has always dreamed of being. His interest in books
sparks his want to be a scholar, and his intelligence gives him
the ability. Everybody has different aspect to their character as
a whole, and once you take the time to get to know people most of
the time you'll find they are a good person or at least have some
good in them. Thomas Hardy's display of Jude is very well thought
out, and even as far as halfway as a reader you have to feel a
connection with him.
Characters, in life and in novels have a lot to them. Everybody
is a character who acts in a certain way in certain situations.
In the novel Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy the characters are
very well drawn. From what is known in the novel so far Jude, is
a boy of many different aspects. The word Obscure is very suiting
for him because he's just an average person who feels
extraordinary yet sees the goodness in life's simplicity. For
example as a boy Jude was seen by the farmer feeding the crows
with his food. This got Jude into trouble and lead to the loss
of his job along with a smack from the farmer. On the way home
leaving the farm an upset boy still took the time to make sure he
killed not a single worm in a mud patch. These two things show
Jude's kindness from the very start of the novel. Probably the
most reinforcing part in the novel to this point is the scene
where the butcher shows up late. Jude's wife expects him to kill
the pig slowly, but Jude knows the pig trusted him. The pig had
the ability to make Jude guilty which is than can be said for
most. The scene with the pig really shows his sense of humanness,
and as a reader there is a feeling of sadness as if you where
Jude looking into the eyes of a pain filled friend. Another
aspect that is seen in Jude along with to the rest of his family
is the inability to seek a respectable husband or wife. His first
and current wife was only married to him because she lied.
Clearly a relationship based on lies could never have worked and
inevitably she moved away to Australia. The most prominent
aspects of Jude's character is his intelligence, and work ethic.
He stays up late to read so that he could eventually move to
Christminister, and be a respectable scholar like his old
teacher. His work ethic is seen in his constant strive to become
the scholar he has always dreamed of being. His interest in books
sparks his want to be a scholar, and his intelligence gives him
the ability. Everybody has different aspect to their character as
a whole, and once you take the time to get to know people most of
the time you'll find they are a good person or at least have some
good in them. Thomas Hardy's display of Jude is very well thought
out, and even as far as halfway as a reader you have to feel a
connection with him.
The Mill on the Floss
Katherine writes:
George Eliot's classic The Mill on the Floss includes well
drawn and realistic characters that bring the story to life. So
far, about halfway through the novel the characters are
beginning to reveal to the audience their traits and
personalities.
Sitting in her special corner of the attic, sulking, Maggie
Tulliver can't seem to please anybody. Her mother, a self -
conscious character, thriving on the ridicules of her sisters
that constantly put down her two children, is never satisfied
with Maggie's flaws. Maggies brother Tom, a moody pre -teen is
either affectionate or extremely cross with his sister. Poor
Maggie is just in a self conflict of being a kid and living up
to the expectations of her loved ones. The only character who
truly accepts Maggie, and values her for who she is, her
father, is a gentleman who isn't afraid to speak his opinion.
"But while he was speaking, Mr. Tulliver, who had by no means
said enough to satisfy his anger, burst out again."(79) Mr.
Tulliver, when the time is nessescary speaks his mind, and
protects his daughter Maggie from the scorn of others.
Through her detailed and vivid characters, Eliot truly
personifies her characters and creates an enticing story that
well deserves it's spot among the Great Classics of all times.
George Eliot's classic The Mill on the Floss includes well
drawn and realistic characters that bring the story to life. So
far, about halfway through the novel the characters are
beginning to reveal to the audience their traits and
personalities.
Sitting in her special corner of the attic, sulking, Maggie
Tulliver can't seem to please anybody. Her mother, a self -
conscious character, thriving on the ridicules of her sisters
that constantly put down her two children, is never satisfied
with Maggie's flaws. Maggies brother Tom, a moody pre -teen is
either affectionate or extremely cross with his sister. Poor
Maggie is just in a self conflict of being a kid and living up
to the expectations of her loved ones. The only character who
truly accepts Maggie, and values her for who she is, her
father, is a gentleman who isn't afraid to speak his opinion.
"But while he was speaking, Mr. Tulliver, who had by no means
said enough to satisfy his anger, burst out again."(79) Mr.
Tulliver, when the time is nessescary speaks his mind, and
protects his daughter Maggie from the scorn of others.
Through her detailed and vivid characters, Eliot truly
personifies her characters and creates an enticing story that
well deserves it's spot among the Great Classics of all times.
Emma
Maeve writes:
For my independent reading book this quarter, I am reading Emma, by Jane Austen. Emma is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Regency England, the period between 1811 and 1820. The novel is about a young, beautiful and vivacious girl named Emma Woodhouse, who lives in the village Highbury in Surrey. Emma likes nothing better than matchmaking, and already prides herself in what she considers to be a marriage arranged and thought up by herself, the wedding of her old nurse and friend Miss Taylor to the estimable Mr. Weston. This successful match gives her a rather high opinion of herself as a matchmaker, and she therefore sets out to find her new friend, Harriet Smith – a young, pretty and rather naïve girl – a suitable husband. She steers Harriet towards the young vicar, Mr. Elton. I have just reached the part in the story where Harriet begins to fall for Mr. Elton, leaving Emma with a feeling of immense satisfaction. I have a feeling that something is about to go wrong, however, seeing as I’m only on page 100 and the story is around 475 pages long. I’m interested in seeing what happens.
I do have to give a brief opinion of the novel as I have read it so far: I’m aware that I’m not very far into the story, but I find the novel pretty dull. This makes me sad, because I’m generally a fan of Austen’s works. I’m finding Emma very hard to read at the moment. A story about happily giggling as gossiping girls is never one that I have related to or enjoyed, and this particular girl just meddles in other people’s business, really. Everyone likes Emma in the story, but I find her annoying. I’m hoping that the novel and Emma will get more interesting and bearable as it continues on.
For my independent reading book this quarter, I am reading Emma, by Jane Austen. Emma is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Regency England, the period between 1811 and 1820. The novel is about a young, beautiful and vivacious girl named Emma Woodhouse, who lives in the village Highbury in Surrey. Emma likes nothing better than matchmaking, and already prides herself in what she considers to be a marriage arranged and thought up by herself, the wedding of her old nurse and friend Miss Taylor to the estimable Mr. Weston. This successful match gives her a rather high opinion of herself as a matchmaker, and she therefore sets out to find her new friend, Harriet Smith – a young, pretty and rather naïve girl – a suitable husband. She steers Harriet towards the young vicar, Mr. Elton. I have just reached the part in the story where Harriet begins to fall for Mr. Elton, leaving Emma with a feeling of immense satisfaction. I have a feeling that something is about to go wrong, however, seeing as I’m only on page 100 and the story is around 475 pages long. I’m interested in seeing what happens.
I do have to give a brief opinion of the novel as I have read it so far: I’m aware that I’m not very far into the story, but I find the novel pretty dull. This makes me sad, because I’m generally a fan of Austen’s works. I’m finding Emma very hard to read at the moment. A story about happily giggling as gossiping girls is never one that I have related to or enjoyed, and this particular girl just meddles in other people’s business, really. Everyone likes Emma in the story, but I find her annoying. I’m hoping that the novel and Emma will get more interesting and bearable as it continues on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)