Yes, as someone with an English degree, I am not very proud of the fact that I have not read a lot of classic literature. In fact, when I read the top 100 classics everyone should read, I do not think I even get to 20 that I actually have read. But, this past year, I have vowed to change that and started today with A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. When first recommended to me, I thought the book sounded a lot like one of my favorite books, We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. After doing some research, I came to find that some authors actually believe that Zamyatin's book was what inspired Huxley. But onto my thoughts.
The reader inside of me that reads for pleasure, wanted to stop the book in the first few pages. When I come across a word that I don't know, I have to stop and look it up. Needless to say, if you have read the book before, you'll understand what I mean when I say that it took me a fair amount of time to even get through the first chapter because of how much time I spent in the dictionary. But after I got through the first hump of all the medical jargon, and into the dialogue and plot, it started getting easier.
Then I hit the next obstacle, which was a series of stream of consciousness writing. Now, though I have not read a lot of classic novels, I have read some Faulkner and some Joyce, so stream of consciousness is not new to me. This however, was the easiest it has been. I thoroughly enjoyed that though Huxley jumped from place to place sometimes even in the middle of his sentence, the changes were distinguishable because of the break in the paragraph (Perhaps this was available only in my edition of the book, but I appreciated it) and he kept it simple by jumping in between three different scenes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the description Huxley used in the novel. While he used some complex and sometimes hard to understand comparisons, it tied well into the book because it was about a society that was as simple and it was complex, and conventional comparisons would not have applied.
The plot was somewhat predictable, but reading a novel that was written in the 1930's, in 2012, may have something to do with that. Because it was a classic, it has undoubtedly inspired many writers to revisit the idea of a dystopia. Also, with the way the world is today, one can't really blame writers for imagining brain-washed individuals blindly following the government and not really knowing the truth or what free will is.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, for pleasure, and for what it has to offer on a literary level. I am looking forward to writing a paper, or a few, on certain aspects such as Freud's presence in the novel, the government's influence in the civilized society and how it compares to government structures today, or how the behaviors we find taboo now are considered normal in the novel's civilized society, and what we consider normal was considered taboo and what Huxley was trying to say.
All in all, I admire Huxley for writing with such an innovative perspective of the time, for using a lot of texture with quoting multiple other literary greats in his own book, and for creating another great book that I got lost in.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Hunger Games--- Are You Full Yet?
Let me start off this first entry (besides the actual introductory entry) by saying SPOILER ALERT. If you have not read the Hunger Games series, and do not want to know what happens at the end, then do not continue to read this blog.
As I have stated before, the purpose of this blog is to delve into the purpose of words and their effect on the reader, as well as critique books. This is all opinion based. I'm sure some people will disagree, but that's why it is called an opinion, because not everyone has to agree with me.
Now, onto The Hunger Games. I have to say, I was like most readers and got sucked into this series quite quickly. However, when I reached the end, I was unsatisfied.
In books, there are typically main characters, and those characters have a weakness of sorts and at the end they overcome the weakness. My issue with the Hunger Games trilogy is that this is not really the case. When we meet Katniss, she is strong, willing to break the rules, and will do whatever it takes for her family. Once the games begin, she becomes conflicted with the idea that she is going to have to kill people in order to survive and get back to her family. The novel avoids this conflict pretty easily, having the other tributes kill each other off, and having Katniss and Peeta accidentally kill off Foxface with poisoned berries. In the next book, they are thrown into the Hunger Games again, and Katniss still avoids killing off everyone. In the third book when they are waging war against District 1, it becomes more evident that Katniss has trouble killing other people even for her own safety. To me, this was one of the flaws that Katniss had. Even when faced with her own life at risk, she didn't have the strength to kill someone. This is overcome at the end, yes, but there was a bigger conflict in the story, a bigger flaw for Katniss to overcome, that she never defeated.
Even if one hasn't read the Hunger Games, if you've paid any attention to the press, the previews, the posters, or teenage girls, you already know that a main issue in the book was Team Gale vs. Team Peeta. As soon as Peeta confesses his love for Katniss before the games begin, the readers are supposed to choose sides. Some readers are set from the beginning. They are on one team or the other and do not waver with their decision, despite the many game-changing occurances throughout the trilogy. Other readers waver. They start as Team Gale, the cave scene begins and they switch to Team Peeta, and every time Gale appears, they're on his side, but any time Peeta appears they are Team Peeta. Needless to say, the author gives each boy appealing attributes so that they are worthy of admiration from the readers as well as Katniss. It is assumed that at the end, Katniss will evaluate what each of the boys has to offer her and choose one.
Apparently not.
Let me take a moment to say that yes, I was Team Gale. Also, I was the slightest bit bitter that she chose Peeta in the end. Both boys had demonstrated that they were willing to die for Katniss, they put their lives at risk constantly for her. I understand why Peeta was the end result. Sometimes people go through things together, and nobody else can understand and that creates a bond that no one can break. I get it, I really do. My issue is more that, in the story, Katniss does not make a choice. It's the main conflict. There is supposed to be events that help the conflict be resolved. Yes, in the end she is with one boy and not the other, but it isn't her choice. Gale leaves to go work for another District, and Peeta stays behind. What kind of example is that setting for the impressionable teenage girls who read this type of book? "It does not matter if your best friend is in love with you and has always been there for you. If he leaves, and another boy loves you and is as damaged as you are, then you can date him instead."
Suzanne Collins failed me at that moment. I still enjoyed the series. I will still read it again. But everytime I reach the end of the series I will be as dumbfounded as I was the first time. In my opinion, if she had changed the ending the slightest bit, it would have been a significant improvement and I would not be ranting about it right now. She could've simply had Katniss tell Gale that she was choosing Peeta because they had been through the Games together, and Gale couldn't understand. Then, Gale could've decided as a result to take the job at the other District. He leaves, Katniss and Peeta live happily broken ever after. Much better ending.
My point is, a book is all about character development, and plot development. We expect our favorite characters to have flaws. That's how we relate to them. We expect our characters to overcome those flaws, so that we have hope to overcome our own. When the character's flaw is that they cannot make a decision, and then that decision is taken away from them, that disconnects the entire story. I, as a reader, felt robbed. Because of that, what may have become one of my favorite series of all time, has instead left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I'm still hungry, Miss Collins.
As I have stated before, the purpose of this blog is to delve into the purpose of words and their effect on the reader, as well as critique books. This is all opinion based. I'm sure some people will disagree, but that's why it is called an opinion, because not everyone has to agree with me.
Now, onto The Hunger Games. I have to say, I was like most readers and got sucked into this series quite quickly. However, when I reached the end, I was unsatisfied.
In books, there are typically main characters, and those characters have a weakness of sorts and at the end they overcome the weakness. My issue with the Hunger Games trilogy is that this is not really the case. When we meet Katniss, she is strong, willing to break the rules, and will do whatever it takes for her family. Once the games begin, she becomes conflicted with the idea that she is going to have to kill people in order to survive and get back to her family. The novel avoids this conflict pretty easily, having the other tributes kill each other off, and having Katniss and Peeta accidentally kill off Foxface with poisoned berries. In the next book, they are thrown into the Hunger Games again, and Katniss still avoids killing off everyone. In the third book when they are waging war against District 1, it becomes more evident that Katniss has trouble killing other people even for her own safety. To me, this was one of the flaws that Katniss had. Even when faced with her own life at risk, she didn't have the strength to kill someone. This is overcome at the end, yes, but there was a bigger conflict in the story, a bigger flaw for Katniss to overcome, that she never defeated.
Even if one hasn't read the Hunger Games, if you've paid any attention to the press, the previews, the posters, or teenage girls, you already know that a main issue in the book was Team Gale vs. Team Peeta. As soon as Peeta confesses his love for Katniss before the games begin, the readers are supposed to choose sides. Some readers are set from the beginning. They are on one team or the other and do not waver with their decision, despite the many game-changing occurances throughout the trilogy. Other readers waver. They start as Team Gale, the cave scene begins and they switch to Team Peeta, and every time Gale appears, they're on his side, but any time Peeta appears they are Team Peeta. Needless to say, the author gives each boy appealing attributes so that they are worthy of admiration from the readers as well as Katniss. It is assumed that at the end, Katniss will evaluate what each of the boys has to offer her and choose one.
Apparently not.
Let me take a moment to say that yes, I was Team Gale. Also, I was the slightest bit bitter that she chose Peeta in the end. Both boys had demonstrated that they were willing to die for Katniss, they put their lives at risk constantly for her. I understand why Peeta was the end result. Sometimes people go through things together, and nobody else can understand and that creates a bond that no one can break. I get it, I really do. My issue is more that, in the story, Katniss does not make a choice. It's the main conflict. There is supposed to be events that help the conflict be resolved. Yes, in the end she is with one boy and not the other, but it isn't her choice. Gale leaves to go work for another District, and Peeta stays behind. What kind of example is that setting for the impressionable teenage girls who read this type of book? "It does not matter if your best friend is in love with you and has always been there for you. If he leaves, and another boy loves you and is as damaged as you are, then you can date him instead."
Suzanne Collins failed me at that moment. I still enjoyed the series. I will still read it again. But everytime I reach the end of the series I will be as dumbfounded as I was the first time. In my opinion, if she had changed the ending the slightest bit, it would have been a significant improvement and I would not be ranting about it right now. She could've simply had Katniss tell Gale that she was choosing Peeta because they had been through the Games together, and Gale couldn't understand. Then, Gale could've decided as a result to take the job at the other District. He leaves, Katniss and Peeta live happily broken ever after. Much better ending.
My point is, a book is all about character development, and plot development. We expect our favorite characters to have flaws. That's how we relate to them. We expect our characters to overcome those flaws, so that we have hope to overcome our own. When the character's flaw is that they cannot make a decision, and then that decision is taken away from them, that disconnects the entire story. I, as a reader, felt robbed. Because of that, what may have become one of my favorite series of all time, has instead left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I'm still hungry, Miss Collins.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Why Are We Here
For all of those reading this blog for the first time, I figure it is best for me to explain myself and my purpose. Language is the bond that holds us all together. Whether it be nonverbal or verbal, two people cannot forge a relationship with each other without some form of language. Because of a connection that someone can make because of language, it is common for someone to form a relationship with a good book. When we read a well-written book, we become attached to the characters, form relationships with them, the protagonists become like our friends and the antagonists become our own enemies. We begin to take elements from the story and tie them to our own life, the characters lessons become our own, the setting becomes so familiar to us that if we walked into a similar location we would instantly be transported back to the story. A scary story will make us pull the covers even tighter around ourselves, and romance will make us swoon, and an adventure will make us want to climb a mountain, go sailing, or participate in a car chase.
This blog will explore books that I have read, my opinions, as well as others on the books. Of course, I will also address the role of the media with books since so many books are being translated to the big screen these days. I will take suggestions of books I should read, as well as throwing in a couple of odd balls. Be prepared for spoilers. I hope you enjoy.
This blog will explore books that I have read, my opinions, as well as others on the books. Of course, I will also address the role of the media with books since so many books are being translated to the big screen these days. I will take suggestions of books I should read, as well as throwing in a couple of odd balls. Be prepared for spoilers. I hope you enjoy.
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