Michelle writes:
Reading the novel, “Great Expectations” had me wondering what Charles Dickens’ life had been like while he had written it. Researching his life gave me the chance to see what might have inspired him to include certain characters and events. Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Known as a congenial man, his father, John Dickens was financially threatened due to his hospitality and generosity. Eventually, the expenses caught up to him and he was imprisoned in 1824 for his debts. Because Charles was twelve at the time, he’d gone to work at a shoe-blacking factory to support the imprisoned family. The early, harsh labour he endured as a child played well into his stories, inspiring some of his characters – such as ‘Pip’ from “Great Expectations,” for example. His father had arranged for his son to attend the Wellington House Academy in London from 1824-1827, possibly sealing his fate to become a writer rather than suffer through more years of hard work. Dickens’ first book went by the name, “Sketches by Boz,” published in 1836, coincidentally the same year he’d married his wife, Catherine Hogart and had become editor for “Bentley’s Miscellany” – all in all, a very eventful year for Charles. A succession of novels followed promptly, starting with “Dombey And Son” (1846) and “David Copperfield” (1849), etc. After having collaborated with the author, Wilkie Collins on the drama, “No Thoroughfare,” and acting in his play, “The Frozen Deep” in 1857, he and his opposing actress (Ellen Ternan) had fallen in love, resulting in his divorce to Catherine. Now renowned throughout Europe, he’d begun to set off on public readings in 1858, following the publication/serialization of “Great Expectations” in 1860. Just as life seems to be at its highest climax for Charles, it had fallen to a disastrous end as Dickens, his mother and Ellen were involved in the Staplehurst train crash on their way back from Paris. Though escaping with minor injuries, he’d suffered post-traumatic trauma that he had never quite recovered from. Sadly, his life ended by a cerebral hemorrhage on June 9th, 1870. Buried in Poet’s Corner in London, Thomas Carlyle had described Dickens as “A sympathiser to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed.” Greatly missed he was, but his spirit lives on forever in the beloved novels he’d left in his wake.
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Shayan writes:
For our independent reading project I am reading The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky was born to a middle-class family in Moscow, Russia on October 30, 1821. His father, an oppressive man, was a doctor and his mom, who was a very kind and religious woman, died before he was sixteen. His father insisted that he be an engineer, so in 1837, he went to a military engineering school in St. Petersburg. While he was studying his father was murdered by his own serfs. Some of Dostoyevsky’s literary works suggest that his epilepsy was a symptom of his own internal wish for his father’s death.
On April 22, 1849 Dostoyevsky was arrested. He was accused of four different charges the most serious being that he was in a plot to kill the tsar. He denied this but it was to no avail. On December 22, 1849 he was marched out to face his death. In the end, it turned out to be a mock execution which was so terrifyingly realistic, that one of the other prisoners went insane. Dostoyevsky was exiled to Siberia to serve his sentence of hard-labor. When Fyodor Dostoyevsky was done serving his sentence, he emerged spiritually and philosophically transformed.
Dostoyevsky, once free, resumed his literary career in St. Petersburg. This time period however was marked with financial insecurity and the death of his brother and wife. In 1867 Dostoyevsky and his second wife escaped creditors by moving to Europe where he wrote a few very important literary works. Dostoyevsky returned to Russia in 1871 where he began his final decade of monumental literary activity. It was in this time period that he wrote The Brothers Karamazov, a novel that “explores the conflict between intellect and faith and between the forces of evil and the redemptive power of Christianity”. Fyodor Dostoyevsky died a few months after completing this novel in his home in St. Petersburg on January 28, 1881.
For our independent reading project I am reading The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky was born to a middle-class family in Moscow, Russia on October 30, 1821. His father, an oppressive man, was a doctor and his mom, who was a very kind and religious woman, died before he was sixteen. His father insisted that he be an engineer, so in 1837, he went to a military engineering school in St. Petersburg. While he was studying his father was murdered by his own serfs. Some of Dostoyevsky’s literary works suggest that his epilepsy was a symptom of his own internal wish for his father’s death.
On April 22, 1849 Dostoyevsky was arrested. He was accused of four different charges the most serious being that he was in a plot to kill the tsar. He denied this but it was to no avail. On December 22, 1849 he was marched out to face his death. In the end, it turned out to be a mock execution which was so terrifyingly realistic, that one of the other prisoners went insane. Dostoyevsky was exiled to Siberia to serve his sentence of hard-labor. When Fyodor Dostoyevsky was done serving his sentence, he emerged spiritually and philosophically transformed.
Dostoyevsky, once free, resumed his literary career in St. Petersburg. This time period however was marked with financial insecurity and the death of his brother and wife. In 1867 Dostoyevsky and his second wife escaped creditors by moving to Europe where he wrote a few very important literary works. Dostoyevsky returned to Russia in 1871 where he began his final decade of monumental literary activity. It was in this time period that he wrote The Brothers Karamazov, a novel that “explores the conflict between intellect and faith and between the forces of evil and the redemptive power of Christianity”. Fyodor Dostoyevsky died a few months after completing this novel in his home in St. Petersburg on January 28, 1881.
Tobias Wolff
Kevin M. writes:
Tobias Wolff was born on June 19, 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama. Wolff traveled the country with his mother until they settled in Washington State. Tobias Wolff grew up in Washington State with his mother and an abusive step-father. Tobias’ mother and father divorced and he was separated from his brother who remained in his father’s custody. He attended Hill School in Pennsylvania as a scholarship student but was expelled due to failing math multiple times his final year. After Wolff was expelled from Hill School he served in the Army for four years which included a tour of Vietnam. After Wolff’s time in the army he attended Oxford University in England. In 1972, he received a First Class Honors degree in English at Oxford University. Upon returning to the United States, Wolff worked as a reporter, night watchman, waiter and a high school teacher. This was before he received Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford University in 1975. Wolff wrote a number of novels including This Boy’s life which was a memoir of Tobias’ childhood. This memoir is his most famous piece of writing and what brought him most of his fame. This was made into a movie starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Tobias Wolff is currently a professor in humanities at Stanford where he lives with his wife. Tobias and his wife Catherine have three kids.
Sources:
[ http://www.redroom.com/author/tobias-wolff/bio ]http://www.redroom.com/author/tobias-wolff/bio, [ http://www.answers.com/topic/tobias-wolff ]http://www.answers.com/topic/tobias-wolff
Tobias Wolff was born on June 19, 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama. Wolff traveled the country with his mother until they settled in Washington State. Tobias Wolff grew up in Washington State with his mother and an abusive step-father. Tobias’ mother and father divorced and he was separated from his brother who remained in his father’s custody. He attended Hill School in Pennsylvania as a scholarship student but was expelled due to failing math multiple times his final year. After Wolff was expelled from Hill School he served in the Army for four years which included a tour of Vietnam. After Wolff’s time in the army he attended Oxford University in England. In 1972, he received a First Class Honors degree in English at Oxford University. Upon returning to the United States, Wolff worked as a reporter, night watchman, waiter and a high school teacher. This was before he received Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing at Stanford University in 1975. Wolff wrote a number of novels including This Boy’s life which was a memoir of Tobias’ childhood. This memoir is his most famous piece of writing and what brought him most of his fame. This was made into a movie starring Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Tobias Wolff is currently a professor in humanities at Stanford where he lives with his wife. Tobias and his wife Catherine have three kids.
Sources:
[ http://www.redroom.com/author/tobias-wolff/bio ]http://www.redroom.com/author/tobias-wolff/bio, [ http://www.answers.com/topic/tobias-wolff ]http://www.answers.com/topic/tobias-wolff
E.M Forster
Maggie writes:
The author of my book is E.M Forster. His full name is Edward Morgan Forster and he was born on January 1879 and died on June 7th 1970, he was also born in London, England. Forster was a well known Eglish novelist who was best known for his novels examining class differences and hypocrisy in early British society. some of his novels include Where Angels Fear to Tread , a Passage to India, Howard's end, and my book a Room With a view. Forster's father died while he was still a baby so he grew up mostly by the influence of his mother and aunts. He attended King's Collage in Cambridge where he graduated in 1901. Forster was also a member of Bloomsbury group which was a group of writers who often got together to have discussions about liturature. some of the Bloomsbury group members consisted of Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, Lytten Strachey, Duncan Grant, and many more.
The author of my book is E.M Forster. His full name is Edward Morgan Forster and he was born on January 1879 and died on June 7th 1970, he was also born in London, England. Forster was a well known Eglish novelist who was best known for his novels examining class differences and hypocrisy in early British society. some of his novels include Where Angels Fear to Tread , a Passage to India, Howard's end, and my book a Room With a view. Forster's father died while he was still a baby so he grew up mostly by the influence of his mother and aunts. He attended King's Collage in Cambridge where he graduated in 1901. Forster was also a member of Bloomsbury group which was a group of writers who often got together to have discussions about liturature. some of the Bloomsbury group members consisted of Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, Lytten Strachey, Duncan Grant, and many more.
Jane Austen
Deborah writes:
Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 in England. She began writing at the age of twelve. Austen wrote many stories that were refused by publishers the first few times. Finally, in 1811 Sense and Sensibility was her first book to be published. She published three more before her death. Within the year, her brother oversaw the publishing of two more of her pieces. She grew up in Britain in a time when the most important thing for a girl to do was get married. She found out, though, that marriage was not about love but was more a way of securing yourself. But since she believed in love so much, she spent much of her time writing about it.
Stories like Emma, which I am currently reading. The novel is about a beautiful, wealthy young girl with a talent for match making. When it comes to her own love life though, she never wants to be tied down. Instead she lives with her father, making fun by setting up couples. Emma was the last of Austen’s novels to be published before her death. She began it in January of 1814 and it took her a little over a year to finish with it being published a year after that. Originally, it didn’t sell very well but after her death, sales went up considerably. Now, Emma is widely popular, along with all of Austen’s books.
Sources:
[ http://www.austen.com/emma/ ]http://www.austen.com/emma/
[ http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp ]http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp
[ http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html#_emma ]http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html#_emma
Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 in England. She began writing at the age of twelve. Austen wrote many stories that were refused by publishers the first few times. Finally, in 1811 Sense and Sensibility was her first book to be published. She published three more before her death. Within the year, her brother oversaw the publishing of two more of her pieces. She grew up in Britain in a time when the most important thing for a girl to do was get married. She found out, though, that marriage was not about love but was more a way of securing yourself. But since she believed in love so much, she spent much of her time writing about it.
Stories like Emma, which I am currently reading. The novel is about a beautiful, wealthy young girl with a talent for match making. When it comes to her own love life though, she never wants to be tied down. Instead she lives with her father, making fun by setting up couples. Emma was the last of Austen’s novels to be published before her death. She began it in January of 1814 and it took her a little over a year to finish with it being published a year after that. Originally, it didn’t sell very well but after her death, sales went up considerably. Now, Emma is widely popular, along with all of Austen’s books.
Sources:
[ http://www.austen.com/emma/ ]http://www.austen.com/emma/
[ http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp ]http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.asp
[ http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html#_emma ]http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html#_emma
The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger
Alec. writes:
I have chosen to read the book The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger. Sebastian Junger was born in Belmont, Massachusetts on January 17, 1962. Sebastian Junger graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology. He worked as a journalist who reported on his own chosen stories and then trying in vain to have them published. Finally, success came to him when his book The Perfect Storm was published in 1997. His novel became one of the best-selling books of the time. The hardcover copy of the book stayed on the New York Times’ bestseller list for a year, and then remained on the soft-cover list for two more years. The smash-hit novel quickly became a movie after its publication. The book recounts the tale of the crew of a fishing boat, the Andrea Gail, off the coast of Nova Scotia, caught in what was later to be deemed “the perfect storm” by meteorologists. Sebastian Junger says “The next day I read in the paper that a Gloucester boat was feared lost at sea, and I clipped the article and stuck it in a drawer. Without even knowing it, I had begun to write The Perfect Storm.” Junger’s actual experience with the storm was minimal, where he merely watched as the 30-foot swells slowly advanced on the shores of Cape Ann, but to him, that was “all it took”. When Junger began his research into the events that conspired aboard the Andrea Gail, he intended his book to be based as truly on fact as it could be, instead of inventing his own version of the story. He went through records and interviewed survivors and says that all of the dialogue in the text is based on the actual recollections of the said survivors. Junger wanted to make his book as factual as possible, yet he feared that this may distract or bore a reader, but in the end he completed the book based on all of the facts that he could acquire. The Perfect Storm is not the only book that was written by Sebastian Junger, he has also written several other books, including Fire, and A Death in Belmont.
I have chosen to read the book The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger. Sebastian Junger was born in Belmont, Massachusetts on January 17, 1962. Sebastian Junger graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural anthropology. He worked as a journalist who reported on his own chosen stories and then trying in vain to have them published. Finally, success came to him when his book The Perfect Storm was published in 1997. His novel became one of the best-selling books of the time. The hardcover copy of the book stayed on the New York Times’ bestseller list for a year, and then remained on the soft-cover list for two more years. The smash-hit novel quickly became a movie after its publication. The book recounts the tale of the crew of a fishing boat, the Andrea Gail, off the coast of Nova Scotia, caught in what was later to be deemed “the perfect storm” by meteorologists. Sebastian Junger says “The next day I read in the paper that a Gloucester boat was feared lost at sea, and I clipped the article and stuck it in a drawer. Without even knowing it, I had begun to write The Perfect Storm.” Junger’s actual experience with the storm was minimal, where he merely watched as the 30-foot swells slowly advanced on the shores of Cape Ann, but to him, that was “all it took”. When Junger began his research into the events that conspired aboard the Andrea Gail, he intended his book to be based as truly on fact as it could be, instead of inventing his own version of the story. He went through records and interviewed survivors and says that all of the dialogue in the text is based on the actual recollections of the said survivors. Junger wanted to make his book as factual as possible, yet he feared that this may distract or bore a reader, but in the end he completed the book based on all of the facts that he could acquire. The Perfect Storm is not the only book that was written by Sebastian Junger, he has also written several other books, including Fire, and A Death in Belmont.
Megan writes:
My Antonia by Willa Cather, an american author from the late 1800's. Most of Willa Cather's novels have the same setting, the Great Plains. Besides My Antonia, some of her other novels that take place in the Great Plains include O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark. Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873 in Winchester, Virginia. Her family had lived on the same farm for many generations. Cather was the oldest of six children from her mother Mary Virginia Boak. . When Cather was around ten years old, her mother moved the family to Webster County, Nebraska, a town she commonly uses in her Novels.During Willa's childhood, she was often called William by her classmates due to the fact that she wore boyish clothes and had a manly figure. As she grew older she started to realize that she was attracted to women instead of men. She never confirmed her sexual identity to anyone, however.When Cather was around the age of 20, she was determined to go to college. Since she showed such a strong interest, her parents saved up enough money and she attended the University of Nebraska. Cather had always been interested in writing, however she never really tried to get any of her work published. In her 20's, Cather became a writer for the Nebraska State Journal, which used to be a popular newspaper in Nebraska. McClure's Magazine published her first novel, Alexander's Bridge in the early 1900's. Everything just went uphill after that. In 1922, she published a novel titled "One of Ours". In 1923, she received the Pulizer Prize, a US which is often given for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature, and music composition. She was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature later on in her life. On April 24, 1947, Cather passed away to a hemorrhage and was burried in a small cemetery in New Hampshire. Even though she is no longer with us, her novels are still commonly read around the United States and her legacy will live on forever.
My Antonia by Willa Cather, an american author from the late 1800's. Most of Willa Cather's novels have the same setting, the Great Plains. Besides My Antonia, some of her other novels that take place in the Great Plains include O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark. Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873 in Winchester, Virginia. Her family had lived on the same farm for many generations. Cather was the oldest of six children from her mother Mary Virginia Boak. . When Cather was around ten years old, her mother moved the family to Webster County, Nebraska, a town she commonly uses in her Novels.During Willa's childhood, she was often called William by her classmates due to the fact that she wore boyish clothes and had a manly figure. As she grew older she started to realize that she was attracted to women instead of men. She never confirmed her sexual identity to anyone, however.When Cather was around the age of 20, she was determined to go to college. Since she showed such a strong interest, her parents saved up enough money and she attended the University of Nebraska. Cather had always been interested in writing, however she never really tried to get any of her work published. In her 20's, Cather became a writer for the Nebraska State Journal, which used to be a popular newspaper in Nebraska. McClure's Magazine published her first novel, Alexander's Bridge in the early 1900's. Everything just went uphill after that. In 1922, she published a novel titled "One of Ours". In 1923, she received the Pulizer Prize, a US which is often given for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature, and music composition. She was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature later on in her life. On April 24, 1947, Cather passed away to a hemorrhage and was burried in a small cemetery in New Hampshire. Even though she is no longer with us, her novels are still commonly read around the United States and her legacy will live on forever.
Tobias Wolff
Masaud writes:
Tobias Wolff is a very well known author. He is well known for his short stories and memoirs, one of them is This Boys Life. He was born on June 19, 1945 in Alabama. Wolf Tobias also went to the Hill School of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It was a tough time for him there and because he failed repeatedly, he was expelled. He also served in the army for 4 years. He wrote a memoir about his experience in Vietnam which is called The Night in Question. Tobias wolfes mom was a waitress, and his dad worked as an aeronautical engineer at the time of Tobias’ birth. When Tobias turned 4, his parents divorced. His older brother moved with his dad to Washington and he moved with his mom to Florida. Throughout Tobias's childhood, he observed that his mom was being abbused a lot in every relationship she had. She later found the right man and moved to Utah with Tobias. When Tobias moved to Utah, there he somehow met his brother again and he inspired him a lot. He loved to read and write after meeting his brother. Later in his life , he goese to Hill School of Pottstown as I've mentioned earlier and was expelled later on. Then he joined the army and quit after anti-war movements started. Then he moved to England to attend Oxford where he graduated with high honors in 1972. Then from that day on, his writing career started.
Tobias Wolff is a very well known author. He is well known for his short stories and memoirs, one of them is This Boys Life. He was born on June 19, 1945 in Alabama. Wolf Tobias also went to the Hill School of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It was a tough time for him there and because he failed repeatedly, he was expelled. He also served in the army for 4 years. He wrote a memoir about his experience in Vietnam which is called The Night in Question. Tobias wolfes mom was a waitress, and his dad worked as an aeronautical engineer at the time of Tobias’ birth. When Tobias turned 4, his parents divorced. His older brother moved with his dad to Washington and he moved with his mom to Florida. Throughout Tobias's childhood, he observed that his mom was being abbused a lot in every relationship she had. She later found the right man and moved to Utah with Tobias. When Tobias moved to Utah, there he somehow met his brother again and he inspired him a lot. He loved to read and write after meeting his brother. Later in his life , he goese to Hill School of Pottstown as I've mentioned earlier and was expelled later on. Then he joined the army and quit after anti-war movements started. Then he moved to England to attend Oxford where he graduated with high honors in 1972. Then from that day on, his writing career started.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Logan writes:
The book I am reading independently is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley was born in 1797 in the town of Somers Town, Great Britain. Her mother died at birth. Her mother was a writer and her father was a philosopher. She began writing at age ten when she wrote poetry. Around 1816 Mary is with three friends of hers when one decides they should allwrite a horor story. Mary writes Frankenstein which is the only one to get published. A few of her other books are published including Mathilde which actually was not published until 1959 long after her death. She had a nervous breakdown when her husband died and moved backed to her home town with her son not long after. Mary wrote a few more novels until her death in 1851 which may have been from a brain tumor. I think it is very funny how her most famous story was written for a contest amongst friends. One quick note about what I have read so far is that i find it interesting how the beginning of the story is in letters amongst two people and is story telling. This is very similar to the beginning of Dracula I am wondering if there is a connection.
The book I am reading independently is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley was born in 1797 in the town of Somers Town, Great Britain. Her mother died at birth. Her mother was a writer and her father was a philosopher. She began writing at age ten when she wrote poetry. Around 1816 Mary is with three friends of hers when one decides they should allwrite a horor story. Mary writes Frankenstein which is the only one to get published. A few of her other books are published including Mathilde which actually was not published until 1959 long after her death. She had a nervous breakdown when her husband died and moved backed to her home town with her son not long after. Mary wrote a few more novels until her death in 1851 which may have been from a brain tumor. I think it is very funny how her most famous story was written for a contest amongst friends. One quick note about what I have read so far is that i find it interesting how the beginning of the story is in letters amongst two people and is story telling. This is very similar to the beginning of Dracula I am wondering if there is a connection.
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Cameron A writes:
Right now I am reading "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving. My book is the 6th novle that Irving has published. He has been been compared with the likes of Charles Dickens. Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire on March 2, 1942. When he was growing up he enjoyed wrestling and writing the most. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and the Institute for Europens studies in Vienna. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1965 and then earned his M.F.A. at the University of Iowa.Irving went on to teach at the writers workshop in Iowa. He has been awarded many fellowships from the National Endowment for the arts, and the Rockerfeller Foundation. Irving is the father of three sons, he lives in Vermont and Toronto with his wife/literary agent. In 1969 he published his first novel, "Setting Free The Bears", which was very successful and praised by The New York Times. "The World According To Garp", was a worldwide bestseller when it was published in 1978. In the 1980's Irving had a stretch of many succesful novels like "The Hotel New Hampshire", published in 1981. Then in 1985 he published his best work, "The Cider House Rules". His last novel published in the 1980's was, "A Prayer For Owen Meany", in 1989. His string of bestsellers continued in the 1990's with "A Son Of The Circus" (1994), "Trying To Save Piggy Sneed" (1996), "A Widow For One Year" (1998). In November 1999 Irving's memoir of his own life was published. In December 1999 "The Cider House Rules", was realeased as a movie in which Irving played a non speaking role. In January 2000, "A Son Of The Circus", was made in India. John Irving was an author who was constantly credited and loved by all critics, magazines, newspapers, readers, and fellow writers/authors. He was an inspiring figure in the field of literature.
Right now I am reading "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving. My book is the 6th novle that Irving has published. He has been been compared with the likes of Charles Dickens. Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire on March 2, 1942. When he was growing up he enjoyed wrestling and writing the most. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and the Institute for Europens studies in Vienna. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1965 and then earned his M.F.A. at the University of Iowa.Irving went on to teach at the writers workshop in Iowa. He has been awarded many fellowships from the National Endowment for the arts, and the Rockerfeller Foundation. Irving is the father of three sons, he lives in Vermont and Toronto with his wife/literary agent. In 1969 he published his first novel, "Setting Free The Bears", which was very successful and praised by The New York Times. "The World According To Garp", was a worldwide bestseller when it was published in 1978. In the 1980's Irving had a stretch of many succesful novels like "The Hotel New Hampshire", published in 1981. Then in 1985 he published his best work, "The Cider House Rules". His last novel published in the 1980's was, "A Prayer For Owen Meany", in 1989. His string of bestsellers continued in the 1990's with "A Son Of The Circus" (1994), "Trying To Save Piggy Sneed" (1996), "A Widow For One Year" (1998). In November 1999 Irving's memoir of his own life was published. In December 1999 "The Cider House Rules", was realeased as a movie in which Irving played a non speaking role. In January 2000, "A Son Of The Circus", was made in India. John Irving was an author who was constantly credited and loved by all critics, magazines, newspapers, readers, and fellow writers/authors. He was an inspiring figure in the field of literature.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Ali writes:
For my independant reading book, I am reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Emily Bronte was born on July 30th, 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, in northern England. She had 5 brothers and sisters and a mother who died of cancer in 1821. Emily had a hard childhood, switching from school to school, and living in poor conditions. Although Emily wasn’t the only writer in her family, her and her sisters Charlotte and Anne wrote poetry together. Her first published work was her 21 poems contributed into a book made by Currer Ellis and Acton Bell in 1846. After that Emily only wrote one novel, the novel I am reading, Wuthering Heights. At first the novel was not a huge success, but in time people realized the greatness of the story, and the book began to sell. Emily died at age 30 in 1848, making herself known as the greatest writer in the Bronte family.
Information from:
[ http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/emily/emily.asp ]http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/emily/emily.asp
For my independant reading book, I am reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Emily Bronte was born on July 30th, 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, in northern England. She had 5 brothers and sisters and a mother who died of cancer in 1821. Emily had a hard childhood, switching from school to school, and living in poor conditions. Although Emily wasn’t the only writer in her family, her and her sisters Charlotte and Anne wrote poetry together. Her first published work was her 21 poems contributed into a book made by Currer Ellis and Acton Bell in 1846. After that Emily only wrote one novel, the novel I am reading, Wuthering Heights. At first the novel was not a huge success, but in time people realized the greatness of the story, and the book began to sell. Emily died at age 30 in 1848, making herself known as the greatest writer in the Bronte family.
Information from:
[ http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/emily/emily.asp ]http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/emily/emily.asp
Gustave Flaubert
Norah H writes:
Gustave Flaubert was born on December 12th, 1821 in Rouen, France. He lived with his five siblings and his mother and father. His father was a surgeon who died in 1846 and his mother was the daughter of a physician and a very influential woman who dies in 1872. Flaubert attended Collège Royal de Rouen in the 1830s. Once his father died, he resided in Rouen for his whole life. He had what was most likely epilepsy which started in the early 1840s, so he was home most of the time. This peace and quiet gave him plenty of time to write. In 1848, Flaubert went to Paris to witness the Revolution with good friend Louis Boilhet. In 1851, he travelled to Egypt with Maxime Du Camp, a fellow author. In the late 1850s, Madame Bovary was published and in 1857, he was unsuccessfully prosecuted. He soon publishes Salammb, and then became very ill. He continued to write, but had multiple unfinished novels when he passed away in 1872.
Gustave Flaubert was born on December 12th, 1821 in Rouen, France. He lived with his five siblings and his mother and father. His father was a surgeon who died in 1846 and his mother was the daughter of a physician and a very influential woman who dies in 1872. Flaubert attended Collège Royal de Rouen in the 1830s. Once his father died, he resided in Rouen for his whole life. He had what was most likely epilepsy which started in the early 1840s, so he was home most of the time. This peace and quiet gave him plenty of time to write. In 1848, Flaubert went to Paris to witness the Revolution with good friend Louis Boilhet. In 1851, he travelled to Egypt with Maxime Du Camp, a fellow author. In the late 1850s, Madame Bovary was published and in 1857, he was unsuccessfully prosecuted. He soon publishes Salammb, and then became very ill. He continued to write, but had multiple unfinished novels when he passed away in 1872.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Matt J writes:
For independent reading I chose to read the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I’m not too far in the story yet but it is starting to get interesting. This book starts off with the main character Jonathan Harker narrating the novel. Writing in his rather interesting journal. He is on his way to Transylvania where he is planning on meeting the count, Dracula. As Harker tells the locals where he plans on going they were speechless. They started making weird actions regarding signs to call off an evil eye. Harker thinks nothing of it and gets on his carriage. The ride was horrifying for the man. This ride consisted of howling wolves, a mysterious carriage driver, and scary blue fires throughout the night. He finally arrives to the counts’ castle where he meets the bone chilling count. Canine fangs, red lips, and pale-white skin. Harker thinks nothing of it and thinks of the count as a nice friendly man. As time goes on Jonathan becomes suspicious. He never sees the count out during the day. So Harker too starts living in a nocturnal lifestyle just so he can talk to this strange man.
For independent reading I chose to read the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I’m not too far in the story yet but it is starting to get interesting. This book starts off with the main character Jonathan Harker narrating the novel. Writing in his rather interesting journal. He is on his way to Transylvania where he is planning on meeting the count, Dracula. As Harker tells the locals where he plans on going they were speechless. They started making weird actions regarding signs to call off an evil eye. Harker thinks nothing of it and gets on his carriage. The ride was horrifying for the man. This ride consisted of howling wolves, a mysterious carriage driver, and scary blue fires throughout the night. He finally arrives to the counts’ castle where he meets the bone chilling count. Canine fangs, red lips, and pale-white skin. Harker thinks nothing of it and thinks of the count as a nice friendly man. As time goes on Jonathan becomes suspicious. He never sees the count out during the day. So Harker too starts living in a nocturnal lifestyle just so he can talk to this strange man.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Aimee writes:
This term I read The Cider House Rules by John Irving. I have finished reading the book and I enjoyed it much more than the one I read last term. This was an easy read for me because it was something I could get into, it fit my personality better. The book is about an orphanage located in St. Clouds, Maine. Dr. Wilber Larch is the caretaker to the orphans, and also performs illegal abortions. One of the orphans, Homer Wells, cannot seem to find a family to call his own. He has gone to different homes but has a hard time finding a full-time home. When his first foster family thinks something is wrong with him because he does not cry, they beat him. When he goes back to the orphanage and to other families, he cannot stop crying. After a while, Dr. Larch gives up on trying to find a home for Homer because he believes he was meant to live at the orphanage. While living in the orphanage, Nurse Enda, Nurse Angela, and Dr. Larch start to give him chores to do. Homer finds out that Dr. Larch is an illegal abortionist when one day, while taking out the trash, he finds a fetus. Dr. Larch then teaches Homer to be an abortionist. In the meantime, Homer becomes friends with a girl from the girl version of the orphanage, Melonie. She is just like Homer in the sense that she “belongs” to St. Clouds, so they make a promise that they will not leave St. Clouds without the other.
Over the next few years, Homer is still learning to be an abortionist. The reader then meets Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington, also known as the couple in Heart’s Haven. Candy is the same age as Homer, and when she discovers she is pregnant, she realizes that she is too young to be a mother. She wants to live more of her life without taking care of a child. Wally takes Candy to St. Clouds where they meet Homer. Homer likes Candy and would like to help her, but he thinks that abortions are wrong and doesn’t want to perform them. He has decided that he will deliver babies, but not abort them. Homer breaks his promise with Melonie when Wally asks him to take a road trip with him, and it turns into a summer job for Homer. This is all that I am going to give away, so you will have to read the book to find out more.
I thought this was a very good story because I do not get bothered by sad or disturbing images. I actually enjoy reading books like this one. John Irving writes in a way that the reader can understand, and he is very descriptive with some scenes. I would give this book an 8 out of 10 because I liked the story line and it kept me reading it even outside of school.
This term I read The Cider House Rules by John Irving. I have finished reading the book and I enjoyed it much more than the one I read last term. This was an easy read for me because it was something I could get into, it fit my personality better. The book is about an orphanage located in St. Clouds, Maine. Dr. Wilber Larch is the caretaker to the orphans, and also performs illegal abortions. One of the orphans, Homer Wells, cannot seem to find a family to call his own. He has gone to different homes but has a hard time finding a full-time home. When his first foster family thinks something is wrong with him because he does not cry, they beat him. When he goes back to the orphanage and to other families, he cannot stop crying. After a while, Dr. Larch gives up on trying to find a home for Homer because he believes he was meant to live at the orphanage. While living in the orphanage, Nurse Enda, Nurse Angela, and Dr. Larch start to give him chores to do. Homer finds out that Dr. Larch is an illegal abortionist when one day, while taking out the trash, he finds a fetus. Dr. Larch then teaches Homer to be an abortionist. In the meantime, Homer becomes friends with a girl from the girl version of the orphanage, Melonie. She is just like Homer in the sense that she “belongs” to St. Clouds, so they make a promise that they will not leave St. Clouds without the other.
Over the next few years, Homer is still learning to be an abortionist. The reader then meets Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington, also known as the couple in Heart’s Haven. Candy is the same age as Homer, and when she discovers she is pregnant, she realizes that she is too young to be a mother. She wants to live more of her life without taking care of a child. Wally takes Candy to St. Clouds where they meet Homer. Homer likes Candy and would like to help her, but he thinks that abortions are wrong and doesn’t want to perform them. He has decided that he will deliver babies, but not abort them. Homer breaks his promise with Melonie when Wally asks him to take a road trip with him, and it turns into a summer job for Homer. This is all that I am going to give away, so you will have to read the book to find out more.
I thought this was a very good story because I do not get bothered by sad or disturbing images. I actually enjoy reading books like this one. John Irving writes in a way that the reader can understand, and he is very descriptive with some scenes. I would give this book an 8 out of 10 because I liked the story line and it kept me reading it even outside of school.
Owen Meany by John Irving
Caitie writes:So far in my novel Owen Meany by John Irving I have met the main characters which are Owen Meany and the narrator John Wheelwright. The boys are starting to grow up and you follow them through their private preparatory high school. Owen still has not grown and looks very out of place with all the high school boys. Even though he is very small Owen is still famous in town. Especially for his performance in “A Christmas Carol” as the ghost of Christmas past, even though it is a non-speaking role Owen still puts on a very memorable performance. He is so frightening in the role that he actually causes one young audience member to wet her pants. Owen then makes himself known in the Gravesend High by becoming “The Voice”. Owen writes a column for the school newspaper and is always criticizing the school and its staff much to joy of his peers. He is always first on the case when there is a new issue in the school. Owen even has a role in who is picked for the next headmaster. He interviews each candidate and picks the one he likes the best and totally trashes the other people going for the job. Owen is almost viewed as an adult even though he has the least physical resemblance of all the students at Gravesend high. This novel may not seem very gripping just by the plot but the way Irving writes and creates the characters really makes the story. The character of Owen Meany is one of my favorite characters of all time. He is a very complex but I have already become attached to him. His story isn’t a great one but it is very original he is the smallest kid on the baseball team who kills his best friend’s mother when he gets his first hit. He never even apologizes to Johnny for killing his only parent he just flees the scene. Ms. Wheelwright was like a mother to Owen too, so it upset him to he just never acknowledged that he was responsible for her death. The way this character interacts with the world around him is spectacular he is so confident and everyone knows it. All Owen’s dialogue is in ALL CAPS which I really like. It may seem strange but it is just one more thing that draws the reader to the character. It made me pay attention to every word he says, it totally completes the character. Owen believes that he is God’s instrument. At first this seems absurd but as the character of Owen Meany develops you see how religious he is and how he relates everything back to the bible. This makes his claim somewhat more believable; the reader actually says to themselves “is this boy really doing God’s work?” I really like this concept and found myself starting to believe that God was walking among humans through this boy. I am almost done with this book and I intend to read many more novels by John Irving I really like his writing style and look forward to the other characters and worlds he has created.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Mairian writes:t
I am reading the novel “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert. So far in the story a man named Charles gets married to a woman who was very controlling and she thought he was cheating on her with someone who lived with one of his clients because he kept going back to his client’s house to visit. Charles’s wife eventually passed away. Once it was appropriate Charles got remarried to Emma, one of his clients daughter (the one he was believed to be cheating with). Emma thought she was in love but she feel that she was fooled and she thinks that it isn’t like she imagined and read about, however Charles is completely in love with her. Emma and Charles get invited to a fancy ball thrown by “le Marquis”. Emma really enjoyed it and she danced with a man who was a good dancer. Emma wanted to continue in that life style but she went back home to her boring life hoping to one day go to another ball. She feels very unsatisfied in life and is almost depressed. Emma doesn’t want to continue living in the small town she lives in and she pretends to be sick and she drinks things to make her loose weight until her husband decides to move because he thinks that the town is making her sick. Once they leave Emma finds out that she is pregnant but she looses her little dog during the journey to their new town. At the new town while Charles was talking to his correspondent, Homais, Emma talks to Homais’s young, boarder, law clerk, Leon. She discovers that he too likes romance novels and they feel very close to each other. Emma hopes that her life here changes for the better and that she will become happy again.
I think that the novel is getting good. It had a slow start but it is starting to get interesting and I’m looking forward to continue reading it. So far I give it about a 6 or 7 but I’m sure it will get more interesting.
I am reading the novel “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert. So far in the story a man named Charles gets married to a woman who was very controlling and she thought he was cheating on her with someone who lived with one of his clients because he kept going back to his client’s house to visit. Charles’s wife eventually passed away. Once it was appropriate Charles got remarried to Emma, one of his clients daughter (the one he was believed to be cheating with). Emma thought she was in love but she feel that she was fooled and she thinks that it isn’t like she imagined and read about, however Charles is completely in love with her. Emma and Charles get invited to a fancy ball thrown by “le Marquis”. Emma really enjoyed it and she danced with a man who was a good dancer. Emma wanted to continue in that life style but she went back home to her boring life hoping to one day go to another ball. She feels very unsatisfied in life and is almost depressed. Emma doesn’t want to continue living in the small town she lives in and she pretends to be sick and she drinks things to make her loose weight until her husband decides to move because he thinks that the town is making her sick. Once they leave Emma finds out that she is pregnant but she looses her little dog during the journey to their new town. At the new town while Charles was talking to his correspondent, Homais, Emma talks to Homais’s young, boarder, law clerk, Leon. She discovers that he too likes romance novels and they feel very close to each other. Emma hopes that her life here changes for the better and that she will become happy again.
I think that the novel is getting good. It had a slow start but it is starting to get interesting and I’m looking forward to continue reading it. So far I give it about a 6 or 7 but I’m sure it will get more interesting.
Heart of Darkness
Greg writes:
Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, follows the life of a man named Marlow after he is taken from his life in England to be the captain of a ship. However, he soon after learns that this alleged “ferry boat” is really used to transport ivory for a man named Kurtz in the Congo. Throughout the story, Marlow finds himself growing to love the water more and more, considering it far more omnipresent and boundless than the land, which, in Africa, is usually riddled with plague and disease.
I like this novel because of how it so literally incorporated the title into the story, often showing dark scenes, using night, and contrasting light as a metaphor for good vs. evil, which is time and again shown when dealing with the natures of Marlow and the wicked Kurtz. Another recurring theme in the novel are the characters’ finding themselves speechless, and unable to articulate their thoughts at key times. This usually happens at very important times in the novel, meaning that the events and sights may well have rendered them speechless, or may well have been too awe-inspiring to have words fully describe them. I particularly liked this aspect of the novel because I relate to it quite nicely. I am, at times, at a loss for words when even trying to describe the simplest of feelings, and in that, I can relate to the novel at those times.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was a realistic fiction, yet it was heavier in metaphors and symbolism than any reality possibly could be. That’s not to say it’s inferior to today’s novels. It is simply different. It pioneered the modern era’s sense of symbolism. Overall, I rate this book a 5.5-6/10. I absolutely loved the figurative language Conrad used in the novel, however, it was a bit erratic at times, drawing lines between good and evil in the most obscure places.
Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, follows the life of a man named Marlow after he is taken from his life in England to be the captain of a ship. However, he soon after learns that this alleged “ferry boat” is really used to transport ivory for a man named Kurtz in the Congo. Throughout the story, Marlow finds himself growing to love the water more and more, considering it far more omnipresent and boundless than the land, which, in Africa, is usually riddled with plague and disease.
I like this novel because of how it so literally incorporated the title into the story, often showing dark scenes, using night, and contrasting light as a metaphor for good vs. evil, which is time and again shown when dealing with the natures of Marlow and the wicked Kurtz. Another recurring theme in the novel are the characters’ finding themselves speechless, and unable to articulate their thoughts at key times. This usually happens at very important times in the novel, meaning that the events and sights may well have rendered them speechless, or may well have been too awe-inspiring to have words fully describe them. I particularly liked this aspect of the novel because I relate to it quite nicely. I am, at times, at a loss for words when even trying to describe the simplest of feelings, and in that, I can relate to the novel at those times.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was a realistic fiction, yet it was heavier in metaphors and symbolism than any reality possibly could be. That’s not to say it’s inferior to today’s novels. It is simply different. It pioneered the modern era’s sense of symbolism. Overall, I rate this book a 5.5-6/10. I absolutely loved the figurative language Conrad used in the novel, however, it was a bit erratic at times, drawing lines between good and evil in the most obscure places.
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut'
Nick writes:
Of the two I have read, I certainly would say that Cat's Cradle
is the better classic novel. Jude the Obscure was good, but I
think Kurt Vonnegut's writing style suits me more. I'm more than
half way done with the novel Cat's Cradle and considering the
fact that I actually enjoy reading this one a lot, I think I may
finish it in the near future. Basically this book is a story of a
man who finds his story while trying to tell another man's story.
The main characters life is explained, but not told. Really the
reader learns about how he lives and what effects his decisions
rather than what events took place in his life. The Book also
revolves mainly on the ideas of Bokonism. I imagine this is a
made up religion for this book, but as you read on you learn more
and more about this crazy religion. I now know that there's an
island, San Lorenzo. On San Lorenzo Bokonism is illegal. The
reason it's illegal is because the person who created the
religion made it illegal, and made himself a convict by doing so.
It appears to make no sense but I believe he did it so that only
his true followers stay with him. The crazy thing is that almost
everyone on the island is a Bokonist. It's really odd, but the
punishment for practicing the beliefs is to get "The Hook"
basically a form of hanging execution. I'm not sure exactly what
"the Hook" is but I'm positive it's brutal and keeps everyone in
fear. Another thing I have come to realize as I read is that in
this novel you have to pay attention to the development of ideas
a lot more than the characters. I'm amazed at how little the
characters actually matter in this story. Normally if I like a
book this much then I am crushed to see a character killed or
dying or dead. In this particular novel I think I would easily
come to grips with the death of any character if it would
contribute to the development of the conceptual part of the
story. Kurt Vonegut has a unique writing style, and it definitely
fits me. Yet another thing I love about this book is that it's
split into 127 small chapters with interesting names that make
reading a bit more fun. Some examples are chapter 19 "No more
mud" chapter 23 "The Last Batch of Brownies" and chapter 80 "The
Waterfall Strainer". I really like this novel, and I'm glad I
got it, it's a good read and puts an interesting twist on what I
usually read.
Of the two I have read, I certainly would say that Cat's Cradle
is the better classic novel. Jude the Obscure was good, but I
think Kurt Vonnegut's writing style suits me more. I'm more than
half way done with the novel Cat's Cradle and considering the
fact that I actually enjoy reading this one a lot, I think I may
finish it in the near future. Basically this book is a story of a
man who finds his story while trying to tell another man's story.
The main characters life is explained, but not told. Really the
reader learns about how he lives and what effects his decisions
rather than what events took place in his life. The Book also
revolves mainly on the ideas of Bokonism. I imagine this is a
made up religion for this book, but as you read on you learn more
and more about this crazy religion. I now know that there's an
island, San Lorenzo. On San Lorenzo Bokonism is illegal. The
reason it's illegal is because the person who created the
religion made it illegal, and made himself a convict by doing so.
It appears to make no sense but I believe he did it so that only
his true followers stay with him. The crazy thing is that almost
everyone on the island is a Bokonist. It's really odd, but the
punishment for practicing the beliefs is to get "The Hook"
basically a form of hanging execution. I'm not sure exactly what
"the Hook" is but I'm positive it's brutal and keeps everyone in
fear. Another thing I have come to realize as I read is that in
this novel you have to pay attention to the development of ideas
a lot more than the characters. I'm amazed at how little the
characters actually matter in this story. Normally if I like a
book this much then I am crushed to see a character killed or
dying or dead. In this particular novel I think I would easily
come to grips with the death of any character if it would
contribute to the development of the conceptual part of the
story. Kurt Vonegut has a unique writing style, and it definitely
fits me. Yet another thing I love about this book is that it's
split into 127 small chapters with interesting names that make
reading a bit more fun. Some examples are chapter 19 "No more
mud" chapter 23 "The Last Batch of Brownies" and chapter 80 "The
Waterfall Strainer". I really like this novel, and I'm glad I
got it, it's a good read and puts an interesting twist on what I
usually read.
The Mill On The Floss
Kayla writes:
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot has a rather boring beginning. I still need incouragement to keep reading because it does not seem like there is a point to the story. Young Maggie Tulliver is in need of love and affection from her family, mainly her older brother Tom. She does not let her mother curl her unruly black hair like all the other girls, and she does not even try to keep clean. What people around her do not realize is that she is very smart, and reads books that girls do not normally read. Maggie runs away to live with the gypsies but eventually gets sick of their food and way of living and goes home. Tom never appreciated Maggie until he attended private schooling. He was the only one in his class and his teacher was not impressed at all with his learning skills. He began to miss Maggie and when she came to visit him she offered to help him learn. The teacher is impressed with her skills but says wome n only have "superficial cleverness". Tom is relieved to go home at christmas for the half year.
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot has a rather boring beginning. I still need incouragement to keep reading because it does not seem like there is a point to the story. Young Maggie Tulliver is in need of love and affection from her family, mainly her older brother Tom. She does not let her mother curl her unruly black hair like all the other girls, and she does not even try to keep clean. What people around her do not realize is that she is very smart, and reads books that girls do not normally read. Maggie runs away to live with the gypsies but eventually gets sick of their food and way of living and goes home. Tom never appreciated Maggie until he attended private schooling. He was the only one in his class and his teacher was not impressed at all with his learning skills. He began to miss Maggie and when she came to visit him she offered to help him learn. The teacher is impressed with her skills but says wome n only have "superficial cleverness". Tom is relieved to go home at christmas for the half year.
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Parisa writes:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is one of the best books I’ve read in the last year, because of its constant suspense and gripping plot. The novel is about Edmond Dantès, in 1400’s France, about to marry the girl he loves and become captain of a ship, and on the day of his wedding he is suddenly arrested and thrown in jail for the next fourteen years. During his time in the dungeons of Le Château d’If, Edmond undergoes a serious change, much like the change Spiderman or Batman go through. Before his period of confinement he is a respected young and successful man, if a bit trusting. He is the second mate on a ship full of officers all older than him, and he is a very skilled seaman, someone with a lot of potential in life. But because of this he has enemies: the treacherous M. Danglars, a shipmate and officer under Edmond, and the jealous Fernando Catalan, who is in love with Edmond’s fiancé, and Caderousse, a mercenary social climber. In jail Edmond changes completely and readers see exactly how mentally strong Edmond really is. He has a good friend in the cell next to his who tells him about a secret treasure on the island of Monte Cristo.
In one great scene, Edmond takes the place of a dead man in a shroud which is carried out of the dungeon and to the “graveyard”. The “graveyard” turns out to be a cliff overlooking the ocean, and Edmond discovers this rather suddenly when the guards tie a cannonball to his feet and hurl his shrouded body off the cliff. He screams. Equipped with a homemade knife, Edmond manages to cut himself free just as he is about to drown. He surfaces and looks up at the cliff to see the figures leaning over the edge, searching for the source of the cry. This scene is an example of the type of action and suspense combined with humor, with which the novel is packed from cover to cover.
I very strongly recommend this novel to all those who like thrilling escapes from death, a complex plot, and a handsome, compelling Robin Hood type character. I give The Count of Monte Cristo a hundred out of ten.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is one of the best books I’ve read in the last year, because of its constant suspense and gripping plot. The novel is about Edmond Dantès, in 1400’s France, about to marry the girl he loves and become captain of a ship, and on the day of his wedding he is suddenly arrested and thrown in jail for the next fourteen years. During his time in the dungeons of Le Château d’If, Edmond undergoes a serious change, much like the change Spiderman or Batman go through. Before his period of confinement he is a respected young and successful man, if a bit trusting. He is the second mate on a ship full of officers all older than him, and he is a very skilled seaman, someone with a lot of potential in life. But because of this he has enemies: the treacherous M. Danglars, a shipmate and officer under Edmond, and the jealous Fernando Catalan, who is in love with Edmond’s fiancé, and Caderousse, a mercenary social climber. In jail Edmond changes completely and readers see exactly how mentally strong Edmond really is. He has a good friend in the cell next to his who tells him about a secret treasure on the island of Monte Cristo.
In one great scene, Edmond takes the place of a dead man in a shroud which is carried out of the dungeon and to the “graveyard”. The “graveyard” turns out to be a cliff overlooking the ocean, and Edmond discovers this rather suddenly when the guards tie a cannonball to his feet and hurl his shrouded body off the cliff. He screams. Equipped with a homemade knife, Edmond manages to cut himself free just as he is about to drown. He surfaces and looks up at the cliff to see the figures leaning over the edge, searching for the source of the cry. This scene is an example of the type of action and suspense combined with humor, with which the novel is packed from cover to cover.
I very strongly recommend this novel to all those who like thrilling escapes from death, a complex plot, and a handsome, compelling Robin Hood type character. I give The Count of Monte Cristo a hundred out of ten.
Far From the Madding Crowd”
Talia writes:
A lot has happened in my book “Far From the Madding Crowd” since my last blog entry. He was recently trying to win over Bathsheba’s heart, but she wouldn’t have him. Now he learns that she has left the area and gone to a place called Weatherbury; without even telling him. He misses her and fells like he is more in love with her now that she has left. I can already tell that this part in the story is foreshadowing that Gabriel will meet Bathsheba again soon.
On Gabriel’s farm, he has two sheepdogs that are still learning how to herd and aren’t making work much easier on the farm for Gabriel. During one night, Gabriel gets woken up by sheep bells and comes outside to see that the dog had chased all the sheep of the edge into a pit. Most of the sheep are dying and some lay there already dead. Now that Gabriel has no sheep he can no longer farm or make any money. The farm had been his only life, and without it he has nothing. He becomes very frustrated and decides to shoot both the dogs. In the end he is happy that he did not marry Bathsheba though, because he had promised her a great life full of many things and ended up with nothing.
A lot has happened in my book “Far From the Madding Crowd” since my last blog entry. He was recently trying to win over Bathsheba’s heart, but she wouldn’t have him. Now he learns that she has left the area and gone to a place called Weatherbury; without even telling him. He misses her and fells like he is more in love with her now that she has left. I can already tell that this part in the story is foreshadowing that Gabriel will meet Bathsheba again soon.
On Gabriel’s farm, he has two sheepdogs that are still learning how to herd and aren’t making work much easier on the farm for Gabriel. During one night, Gabriel gets woken up by sheep bells and comes outside to see that the dog had chased all the sheep of the edge into a pit. Most of the sheep are dying and some lay there already dead. Now that Gabriel has no sheep he can no longer farm or make any money. The farm had been his only life, and without it he has nothing. He becomes very frustrated and decides to shoot both the dogs. In the end he is happy that he did not marry Bathsheba though, because he had promised her a great life full of many things and ended up with nothing.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Golshan writes:
I am reading the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. This novel starts off by having a character interview people in Starkfield about Ethan Frome. To this character, it seems like Ethan has a big secret. Right before he finds out what the secret is chapter one starts. Ethan is waiting for Mattie, his wife's cousin (who he has a crush on). When the dance she was at ended, they walk home together and discuss her job. Mattie works for Ethan and Zeena as a housekeeper. Zeena (his wife) is jealous and wants to fire Mattie, but she needs someone to help out around the house. She is always sick and can't do much most of the time. Ethan goes out to get wood and thinks about Mattie and Zeena. When he gets back, he finds out that Zeena is going to the doctor for a few days and he will be alone with Mattie. He has some flashbacks of when he met Zeena. Ethan's father had died in an accident and his mother was very ill and quiet most of the time. Zeena helped him take care of his mother and talked to him when there was no one else around. This is how they had met and they got married later. This is as far as I have read. I like this novel because it has an interesting plot and the characters are well developed. The only thing I did not like was how the author used too many details. She explained the scenery and setting too much. Also, she used a lot of pages to make one point. So far I would give this novel a 7 because of this.
-Golshan
I am reading the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. This novel starts off by having a character interview people in Starkfield about Ethan Frome. To this character, it seems like Ethan has a big secret. Right before he finds out what the secret is chapter one starts. Ethan is waiting for Mattie, his wife's cousin (who he has a crush on). When the dance she was at ended, they walk home together and discuss her job. Mattie works for Ethan and Zeena as a housekeeper. Zeena (his wife) is jealous and wants to fire Mattie, but she needs someone to help out around the house. She is always sick and can't do much most of the time. Ethan goes out to get wood and thinks about Mattie and Zeena. When he gets back, he finds out that Zeena is going to the doctor for a few days and he will be alone with Mattie. He has some flashbacks of when he met Zeena. Ethan's father had died in an accident and his mother was very ill and quiet most of the time. Zeena helped him take care of his mother and talked to him when there was no one else around. This is how they had met and they got married later. This is as far as I have read. I like this novel because it has an interesting plot and the characters are well developed. The only thing I did not like was how the author used too many details. She explained the scenery and setting too much. Also, she used a lot of pages to make one point. So far I would give this novel a 7 because of this.
-Golshan
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Sasha writes:
So far, I have found Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy to be rather dry. The writing is beautiful, Hardy’s prose is elegant and well crafted, but the plot is slow and the characters not easy to relate to.
The novel is the story of Jude, a young man living in the countryside of a fictional place called Wessex. Jude lives in a small town with his aunt, but is quite bright and dreams of going to the nearby city of Christminster to go to school.
The majority of the first part of the book is a description of the town Jude grows up in and the books he reads growing up.
Then he gets a job in a nearby town, and moves there. He walks back and forth between the new town and the town he grew up in often in order to visit his aunt.
One day during his commute he meets a girl named Arabella and they begin a courtship and get married. When this happens, Jude gives up his dream of becoming a scholar and settles down with Arabella.
So far, I am finding there to be very little about the novel that inspires me to continue reading. There is very little action, and what action there is, is slow and drawn out. I do not find that the characters easy to like or even really easy to feel anything for and that is making it very hard to become engaged in the novel.
I think that it is going to be a challenge to finish this novel before the school year ends. I would not recommend it unless you happen to like novels that move slowly but offer very detailed description of scenery.
So far, I have found Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy to be rather dry. The writing is beautiful, Hardy’s prose is elegant and well crafted, but the plot is slow and the characters not easy to relate to.
The novel is the story of Jude, a young man living in the countryside of a fictional place called Wessex. Jude lives in a small town with his aunt, but is quite bright and dreams of going to the nearby city of Christminster to go to school.
The majority of the first part of the book is a description of the town Jude grows up in and the books he reads growing up.
Then he gets a job in a nearby town, and moves there. He walks back and forth between the new town and the town he grew up in often in order to visit his aunt.
One day during his commute he meets a girl named Arabella and they begin a courtship and get married. When this happens, Jude gives up his dream of becoming a scholar and settles down with Arabella.
So far, I am finding there to be very little about the novel that inspires me to continue reading. There is very little action, and what action there is, is slow and drawn out. I do not find that the characters easy to like or even really easy to feel anything for and that is making it very hard to become engaged in the novel.
I think that it is going to be a challenge to finish this novel before the school year ends. I would not recommend it unless you happen to like novels that move slowly but offer very detailed description of scenery.
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Erika writes:
I have been reading the novel A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. The novel began with a young woman named Lucy staying in London. With Charlotte who was to watch over Lucy and make sure she has a good time. This is because she told Lucy’s mother that she would do her this favor. Unfortunately when they get there they are given two rooms without a view and they were supposed to get one with a view. So they were upset about this. Then two gentlemen named Mr. Emerson and his son George Emerson offer there rooms up because they say that they are guys and that they don’t care if they have a view or not. Charlotte does not want to take them but after they keep insisting and Lucy asking her to say yes she gives in. The reason why she did not want to take the rooms is because she did not want to feel implied to give something back to them. Lucy is basically told to keep away from George though because Charlotte is afraid he might want something form Lucy.
~One day when Lucy gets separated from the group she was with she witnesses a murder. Seeing a man gets stabbed she faints. She wakes up in George Emerson’s arms. He then insists to walk her home and she tells him not to say anything about what happened since she is not supposed to be with him. (He agrees to this). A while later a group of people are going on a trip in carriages Lucy and Charlotte get invited. They do go on the carriage ride through London and when they stop Lucy gets out and wonders off she finds herself in a field and then sees George Emerson, they kiss… Charlotte sees this occur and tells her to say nothing about it. Charlotte now wants to leave for Rome. Since they both have friends that are there right now along with because she does not want Lucy to get any closer with George Emerson who she may be starting to like.
I have been reading the novel A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. The novel began with a young woman named Lucy staying in London. With Charlotte who was to watch over Lucy and make sure she has a good time. This is because she told Lucy’s mother that she would do her this favor. Unfortunately when they get there they are given two rooms without a view and they were supposed to get one with a view. So they were upset about this. Then two gentlemen named Mr. Emerson and his son George Emerson offer there rooms up because they say that they are guys and that they don’t care if they have a view or not. Charlotte does not want to take them but after they keep insisting and Lucy asking her to say yes she gives in. The reason why she did not want to take the rooms is because she did not want to feel implied to give something back to them. Lucy is basically told to keep away from George though because Charlotte is afraid he might want something form Lucy.
~One day when Lucy gets separated from the group she was with she witnesses a murder. Seeing a man gets stabbed she faints. She wakes up in George Emerson’s arms. He then insists to walk her home and she tells him not to say anything about what happened since she is not supposed to be with him. (He agrees to this). A while later a group of people are going on a trip in carriages Lucy and Charlotte get invited. They do go on the carriage ride through London and when they stop Lucy gets out and wonders off she finds herself in a field and then sees George Emerson, they kiss… Charlotte sees this occur and tells her to say nothing about it. Charlotte now wants to leave for Rome. Since they both have friends that are there right now along with because she does not want Lucy to get any closer with George Emerson who she may be starting to like.
Wuthering Heights
Kristina writes:
The story Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a complicated, and somewhat
intense kind of love story. With the love also comes hate and sadness, as in most
love stories. The story is told as a flashback that Nelly tells Lockwood. The story is
about Heathcliff and Catherine's love for each other. They were young lovers who
were some torn apart by Catherine's brother Hindley Earnshaw. Hindley hates
Heathcliff and makes him the servant of the house when Hindley and Catherine's
father dies. Catherine still loves him and they sneak of together to the Linton's
house. The Linton's realize someone is outside and they let the dogs loose.
Heathcliff gets away but Catherine gets bit and the Linton's insist she stay at their
house. When Catherine is here the Linton's change her by making her more
feminine. When Catherine returns she and Heathcliff have an awkward relationship
due to her change. Soon enough the Linton's son, Edgar, and Catherine get
married. Heathcliff gets angry and runs away. When he comes back years later he is
a changed man. He and Catherine bond like old times. Linton's sister, Isabella falls
in love with Heathcliff and he takes advantage of it. Edgar and Linton get into a
fight, which literally breaks Catherine's heart. While pregnant Catherine gets almost
deathly ill. I'm not going to give away the whole story but it is very complex and has
a lot of detail. The language is difficult to understand, but it well worth it.
The story Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a complicated, and somewhat
intense kind of love story. With the love also comes hate and sadness, as in most
love stories. The story is told as a flashback that Nelly tells Lockwood. The story is
about Heathcliff and Catherine's love for each other. They were young lovers who
were some torn apart by Catherine's brother Hindley Earnshaw. Hindley hates
Heathcliff and makes him the servant of the house when Hindley and Catherine's
father dies. Catherine still loves him and they sneak of together to the Linton's
house. The Linton's realize someone is outside and they let the dogs loose.
Heathcliff gets away but Catherine gets bit and the Linton's insist she stay at their
house. When Catherine is here the Linton's change her by making her more
feminine. When Catherine returns she and Heathcliff have an awkward relationship
due to her change. Soon enough the Linton's son, Edgar, and Catherine get
married. Heathcliff gets angry and runs away. When he comes back years later he is
a changed man. He and Catherine bond like old times. Linton's sister, Isabella falls
in love with Heathcliff and he takes advantage of it. Edgar and Linton get into a
fight, which literally breaks Catherine's heart. While pregnant Catherine gets almost
deathly ill. I'm not going to give away the whole story but it is very complex and has
a lot of detail. The language is difficult to understand, but it well worth it.
Dubliners by James Joyce
Meaghan writes:
Just recently, I finished Dubliners, by James Joyce for my last reading classic book. It consists of fifteen short stories, all about different topics. I have never read anything else by James Joyce, but Dubliners was a very good read. Some of the sentences were choppy, but it all evened out in the long run.
My favorite short story was called The Sisters. When I begun Dubliners, it was my favorite short story. Now, finished with the book, it still is my favorite story. It is about a young boy who reflects about the death of his friend Father Flynn. The young boy continuously walks by Father Flynn’s house, knowing he is dead. Each time there is a different sign outside of his house. The first day there were two candles lit up on opposite sides of the house. The next day, there were flowers outside. That evening, the boy prays by the coffin with Father Flynn’s sister Nannie. The Sisters has a very unique ending, you will have to read the short story book to find out! This book creates real images in my head while reading, which makes it my favorite short story. The other stories do not have this quality.
The climax arises quickly in short stories like these, but it makes it more interesting. Some stories were very boring, and others held my interest very well.
In conclusion, I would rate Dubliners by James Joyce a seven out of ten. Not all stories were great, and not all of them kept my interest. I am looking forward to reading better books by the end of the school year and throughout the summer that hold my interest better.
Just recently, I finished Dubliners, by James Joyce for my last reading classic book. It consists of fifteen short stories, all about different topics. I have never read anything else by James Joyce, but Dubliners was a very good read. Some of the sentences were choppy, but it all evened out in the long run.
My favorite short story was called The Sisters. When I begun Dubliners, it was my favorite short story. Now, finished with the book, it still is my favorite story. It is about a young boy who reflects about the death of his friend Father Flynn. The young boy continuously walks by Father Flynn’s house, knowing he is dead. Each time there is a different sign outside of his house. The first day there were two candles lit up on opposite sides of the house. The next day, there were flowers outside. That evening, the boy prays by the coffin with Father Flynn’s sister Nannie. The Sisters has a very unique ending, you will have to read the short story book to find out! This book creates real images in my head while reading, which makes it my favorite short story. The other stories do not have this quality.
The climax arises quickly in short stories like these, but it makes it more interesting. Some stories were very boring, and others held my interest very well.
In conclusion, I would rate Dubliners by James Joyce a seven out of ten. Not all stories were great, and not all of them kept my interest. I am looking forward to reading better books by the end of the school year and throughout the summer that hold my interest better.
Tobias Wolff
While growing up as a 12 year old boy just before his teenage years, Tobias Wolff is going through tough times since he has no father in his parents divorce and now he has to live with just his poor mother and take care of her the best he can. As a result of not having a normal life family wise, he tends to do things that others in his situation might have been taught properly not to do. You will find him and his friends going around egging nice cars, making cars roll down hills smashing into other cars, vandalizing bathrooms, and using his rifle that his mother told him not to use while she is away.
In addition to his hard times, Tobias and his mother, Rosemary move to a small town in Washington to live with his step-father and his three kids who are all in their late teens. If moving and leaving his friends wasn’t bad enough, Tobias’ step-father is abusive towards him. He controls what Toby is doing at all times and to keep him busy at all times, he makes him crack nuts and put them in a bowl for others to at. He would make him do this for hours and hours at a time every day. This must be hard for Tobias to get used to because all his life, while his mother was away at work, Toby would have all the freedom he wanted, and now that someone is bossing him around, in a matter of a few days, his life changes forever. Even when he does have some free time, there is not much to do since the other kids around him were at least 6 years older than him and would rather not hang out with him even though once in a while they have a game of monopoly.
Since Tobias is not one who is used to being told what to do, he has control of what he wants to do with the rest of his life which includes possibly running away and starting over on his own.
In addition to his hard times, Tobias and his mother, Rosemary move to a small town in Washington to live with his step-father and his three kids who are all in their late teens. If moving and leaving his friends wasn’t bad enough, Tobias’ step-father is abusive towards him. He controls what Toby is doing at all times and to keep him busy at all times, he makes him crack nuts and put them in a bowl for others to at. He would make him do this for hours and hours at a time every day. This must be hard for Tobias to get used to because all his life, while his mother was away at work, Toby would have all the freedom he wanted, and now that someone is bossing him around, in a matter of a few days, his life changes forever. Even when he does have some free time, there is not much to do since the other kids around him were at least 6 years older than him and would rather not hang out with him even though once in a while they have a game of monopoly.
Since Tobias is not one who is used to being told what to do, he has control of what he wants to do with the rest of his life which includes possibly running away and starting over on his own.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Maeve writes:
I am about halfway through Dracula, by Bram Stoker, and I am enjoying it immensely!
Since my last blog entry, the novel has gone through several different forms of narration. We leave Jonathan on the eve of his escape and move instead to a series of letters written between his fiancée, Mina Murray, and her best friend Lucy Westerna. The letters are, at the beginning, a bit tedious, as all the ladies are talking about are Lucy’s suitors and her fiancé, a rich, good-natured young man named Arthur Holmwood. Arthur is a friend of Lucy’s other two suitors, an ambitious doctor named John Steward who works at a mental hospital, and Quincey Morris, a Texan (of all things) who is fond of using, as Lucy puts it, “slang.” The men are quite civil to each other, and do not begrudge Arthur for winning Lucy’s hand.
The book gets more interesting as we move away from the letters between Mina and Lucy and back into journal entries, but not those written by Jonathan. The next journal entries to come are those written by Mr. John Steward. These entries detail the eccentric behavior of one of Steward’s more unhinged patients, who is simply known as Renfield. He has very strange habits, as we learn from Steward’s journal. Renfield keeps a succession of pets, all of which mysteriously disappear, to be replaced by bigger animals. Steward eventually finds out why they have been disappearing – Renfield, for some unknown reason, has been eating them. There is some method to his madness, but Steward has yet to figure out what it is.
Interspersed with Steward’s journal entries are those written by Mina. She has gone to the coast with Lucy to celebrate Lucy’s engagement. It is deeply beautiful there, and she is glad to be staying with Lucy, Arthur, and Lucy’s mother, but she is troubled and worries constantly about Jonathan, as she hasn’t heard from him in a very long time. Mina and Lucy spend lots of time together, most of it sitting in the graveyard of the old abbey, which overlooks the sea. Mina writes that she is also troubled about Lucy, as she seems to be acting not quite like herself, and has begun sleepwalking again, something she hasn’t done in a long time.
In the meantime, a terrible storm is brewed up, and a ship becomes wrecked on the shore of the town where they are staying. No one is left alive, but Mina is allowed to look at the captain’s logbook, which was found on the wreck. The book details the strange events that happened before the storm. Unrest began to grow in the crew, and the men whispered of something that lurked on the ship. Men began to disappear at night, and eventually only the captain was left. The log ends with him seeing the “monster” and vowing to go down with his ship, as there was no conceivable way for him to remain among the living. I can only conclude that the monster on the ship was Dracula, come to find Jonathan. What a strange fate that he should end up where Mina is staying.
As Mina’s journal entries progress, she writes that Lucy has been growing more and more troubled in her sleep. She then writes of a terrible fright she has one night when she wakes up and sees that Lucy is nowhere to be found. She runs to the churchyard and finds Lucy asleep on the bench they always sit on, with a dark shape bending over her. She shouts out, and Lucy wakes up. The shape disappears. Mina takes Lucy home and tucks her in. She sees two perfect, round puncture marks on Lucy’s neck, and thinks they are from her accidentally sticking Lucy’s neck with a pin (but we all know what they really are!). Over the next little while, Lucy’s health fluctuates from high to low. One day she seems to be fine, the next she is pale and weak. Mina thinks this is because she is sleeping with the window, as she sees Lucy sitting with her head out of the window on several occasions, and thinks she sees a large black bat on one of these (Dracula, I think).
In the world of John Steward, Renfield has moved on from eating animals to religious mania. All he can talk about is the “master coming.” All of this culminates with him breaking out of the asylum. Steward chases him and finds him at the church nearby, leaning on the door and speaking to someone Steward cannot see about his unending allegiance. After he is subdued and taken back to the asylum, he is locked up and straight-jacketed. I think that whatever Renfield’s mania is, it doesn’t have anything to do with God. He’s somehow being influenced by Dracula.
I can’t wait to see what happens next! There are so many loose ends to tie up, and I’m very curious to see how all of these characters eventually fit into Harker’s story.
I am about halfway through Dracula, by Bram Stoker, and I am enjoying it immensely!
Since my last blog entry, the novel has gone through several different forms of narration. We leave Jonathan on the eve of his escape and move instead to a series of letters written between his fiancée, Mina Murray, and her best friend Lucy Westerna. The letters are, at the beginning, a bit tedious, as all the ladies are talking about are Lucy’s suitors and her fiancé, a rich, good-natured young man named Arthur Holmwood. Arthur is a friend of Lucy’s other two suitors, an ambitious doctor named John Steward who works at a mental hospital, and Quincey Morris, a Texan (of all things) who is fond of using, as Lucy puts it, “slang.” The men are quite civil to each other, and do not begrudge Arthur for winning Lucy’s hand.
The book gets more interesting as we move away from the letters between Mina and Lucy and back into journal entries, but not those written by Jonathan. The next journal entries to come are those written by Mr. John Steward. These entries detail the eccentric behavior of one of Steward’s more unhinged patients, who is simply known as Renfield. He has very strange habits, as we learn from Steward’s journal. Renfield keeps a succession of pets, all of which mysteriously disappear, to be replaced by bigger animals. Steward eventually finds out why they have been disappearing – Renfield, for some unknown reason, has been eating them. There is some method to his madness, but Steward has yet to figure out what it is.
Interspersed with Steward’s journal entries are those written by Mina. She has gone to the coast with Lucy to celebrate Lucy’s engagement. It is deeply beautiful there, and she is glad to be staying with Lucy, Arthur, and Lucy’s mother, but she is troubled and worries constantly about Jonathan, as she hasn’t heard from him in a very long time. Mina and Lucy spend lots of time together, most of it sitting in the graveyard of the old abbey, which overlooks the sea. Mina writes that she is also troubled about Lucy, as she seems to be acting not quite like herself, and has begun sleepwalking again, something she hasn’t done in a long time.
In the meantime, a terrible storm is brewed up, and a ship becomes wrecked on the shore of the town where they are staying. No one is left alive, but Mina is allowed to look at the captain’s logbook, which was found on the wreck. The book details the strange events that happened before the storm. Unrest began to grow in the crew, and the men whispered of something that lurked on the ship. Men began to disappear at night, and eventually only the captain was left. The log ends with him seeing the “monster” and vowing to go down with his ship, as there was no conceivable way for him to remain among the living. I can only conclude that the monster on the ship was Dracula, come to find Jonathan. What a strange fate that he should end up where Mina is staying.
As Mina’s journal entries progress, she writes that Lucy has been growing more and more troubled in her sleep. She then writes of a terrible fright she has one night when she wakes up and sees that Lucy is nowhere to be found. She runs to the churchyard and finds Lucy asleep on the bench they always sit on, with a dark shape bending over her. She shouts out, and Lucy wakes up. The shape disappears. Mina takes Lucy home and tucks her in. She sees two perfect, round puncture marks on Lucy’s neck, and thinks they are from her accidentally sticking Lucy’s neck with a pin (but we all know what they really are!). Over the next little while, Lucy’s health fluctuates from high to low. One day she seems to be fine, the next she is pale and weak. Mina thinks this is because she is sleeping with the window, as she sees Lucy sitting with her head out of the window on several occasions, and thinks she sees a large black bat on one of these (Dracula, I think).
In the world of John Steward, Renfield has moved on from eating animals to religious mania. All he can talk about is the “master coming.” All of this culminates with him breaking out of the asylum. Steward chases him and finds him at the church nearby, leaning on the door and speaking to someone Steward cannot see about his unending allegiance. After he is subdued and taken back to the asylum, he is locked up and straight-jacketed. I think that whatever Renfield’s mania is, it doesn’t have anything to do with God. He’s somehow being influenced by Dracula.
I can’t wait to see what happens next! There are so many loose ends to tie up, and I’m very curious to see how all of these characters eventually fit into Harker’s story.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Dubliners
Meaghan writes:
For my independent classic reading book this last quarter, I chose to read Dubliners, by James Joyce. James Joyce was an Irish novelist, who was born in Dublin on February 2, 1882. Both of his parents studied literature when James was growing up. Joyce expressed his great use of language in Ulysses (1922) and Finnegan’s Wake (1939). Throughout writing all three novels, he expressed his great use of allusions, word play, history, and puns. He published Dubliners in 1914 right after attending Belvedere College in Dublin. James Joyce died on January 14, 1941.
The novel, Dubliners, consists of fourteen short stories, with the addition of an introduction and a preface. This book is very unique, and so far has kept my interest. I am not too far in the book now, I am about to start my fourth short story. The climax comes quick in the short stories, and at the end of each one, I am constantly finding myself wanting to read more. Like I said, Dubliners is a very unique selection consisting of short stories. I have never read anything like any one of the stories. There are loads of characters for every short story. For example, in my favorite so far called The Sisters, I was introduced to Nannie, Eliza, Father O’Rourke, Miss Flynn, Auntie, and Rev. James Flynn. It is hard to keep track of what each character does, but at the end they all come to a conclusion.
I am looking forward to continue reading Dubliners. It will be interesting to see if my personal favorite short story The Sisters will fluctuate and possibly I might have a new favorite short story once I am finished.
Source: http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/
For my independent classic reading book this last quarter, I chose to read Dubliners, by James Joyce. James Joyce was an Irish novelist, who was born in Dublin on February 2, 1882. Both of his parents studied literature when James was growing up. Joyce expressed his great use of language in Ulysses (1922) and Finnegan’s Wake (1939). Throughout writing all three novels, he expressed his great use of allusions, word play, history, and puns. He published Dubliners in 1914 right after attending Belvedere College in Dublin. James Joyce died on January 14, 1941.
The novel, Dubliners, consists of fourteen short stories, with the addition of an introduction and a preface. This book is very unique, and so far has kept my interest. I am not too far in the book now, I am about to start my fourth short story. The climax comes quick in the short stories, and at the end of each one, I am constantly finding myself wanting to read more. Like I said, Dubliners is a very unique selection consisting of short stories. I have never read anything like any one of the stories. There are loads of characters for every short story. For example, in my favorite so far called The Sisters, I was introduced to Nannie, Eliza, Father O’Rourke, Miss Flynn, Auntie, and Rev. James Flynn. It is hard to keep track of what each character does, but at the end they all come to a conclusion.
I am looking forward to continue reading Dubliners. It will be interesting to see if my personal favorite short story The Sisters will fluctuate and possibly I might have a new favorite short story once I am finished.
Source: http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Dracula, by Bram Stoker.
Maeve writes:
For my independent reading book this quarter, I am reading Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I am enjoying it immensely. I am not very far into the book yet, but I hope to progress much further in the next weeks.
The novel so far has been narrated by the main character, Jonathan Harker, a newly qualified English solicitor, in the form of his journal. The story begins with Harker’s traveling to Transylvania, where he plans to meet with the count, Dracula, who owns a large castle there and presides over the surrounding land. Harker meets very peculiar behavior when he tells the locals where he is going. They keep crossing their chest and making a sign to ward off the evil eye. He can make neither heads nor tails of this strange behavior, but accepts a rosary with a cross from the woman who owns the inn where he is staying. He thinks nothing of it at the time, but is later very glad to have it. After a terrifying carriage ride involving wolves and strange blue fires in the night, he arrives at the Count’s castle. Dracula has all the makings of your classic vampire. Red lips with protruding fangs, pale skin – the whole shebang. At the time, Harker thinks this is just peculiar and rather likes the Count. However, as time progresses, Harker begins to get suspicious. For one thing, the Count never dines with him and always leaves come morning. Harker begins living a nocturnal lifestyle, as night is the only time he can talk to the Count. As he is there on the business of selling the Count a house in the English countryside, this is necessary.
After Harker has a startling series of adventures involving forbidden rooms in the castle and seeing the Count crawl like a spider down the castle wall, returning with a large bag (containing a child which is shortly after killed), he begins to get seriously alarmed. He writes that he is a prisoner, and that the Count plans to kill him (which, from all points, seems to be the case). The Count realizes that Harker is getting suspicious and locks him in his room for long periods of time and takes away almost everything he owns.
When Harker discovers that where the Count really goes during the day is down to the castle basement and into a coffin where he sleeps until the night comes again, he plans his escape. After a group of men come and take the coffin away (after Harker has a near brush with the Count involving a shovel), Harker decides to scale the castle wall with some gold in his pockets and strikes out for home. His journal entry ends with a farewell to his beloved Mina.
For my independent reading book this quarter, I am reading Dracula, by Bram Stoker. I am enjoying it immensely. I am not very far into the book yet, but I hope to progress much further in the next weeks.
The novel so far has been narrated by the main character, Jonathan Harker, a newly qualified English solicitor, in the form of his journal. The story begins with Harker’s traveling to Transylvania, where he plans to meet with the count, Dracula, who owns a large castle there and presides over the surrounding land. Harker meets very peculiar behavior when he tells the locals where he is going. They keep crossing their chest and making a sign to ward off the evil eye. He can make neither heads nor tails of this strange behavior, but accepts a rosary with a cross from the woman who owns the inn where he is staying. He thinks nothing of it at the time, but is later very glad to have it. After a terrifying carriage ride involving wolves and strange blue fires in the night, he arrives at the Count’s castle. Dracula has all the makings of your classic vampire. Red lips with protruding fangs, pale skin – the whole shebang. At the time, Harker thinks this is just peculiar and rather likes the Count. However, as time progresses, Harker begins to get suspicious. For one thing, the Count never dines with him and always leaves come morning. Harker begins living a nocturnal lifestyle, as night is the only time he can talk to the Count. As he is there on the business of selling the Count a house in the English countryside, this is necessary.
After Harker has a startling series of adventures involving forbidden rooms in the castle and seeing the Count crawl like a spider down the castle wall, returning with a large bag (containing a child which is shortly after killed), he begins to get seriously alarmed. He writes that he is a prisoner, and that the Count plans to kill him (which, from all points, seems to be the case). The Count realizes that Harker is getting suspicious and locks him in his room for long periods of time and takes away almost everything he owns.
When Harker discovers that where the Count really goes during the day is down to the castle basement and into a coffin where he sleeps until the night comes again, he plans his escape. After a group of men come and take the coffin away (after Harker has a near brush with the Count involving a shovel), Harker decides to scale the castle wall with some gold in his pockets and strikes out for home. His journal entry ends with a farewell to his beloved Mina.
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