Exercise #3

Book Reviews I read: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Nights In Rodanthe

Elements of a Book Review:
1. An introduction describing either the author's style or a personal connection of what brought you to read the book.
2. A body that summarizes the novel (typically without giving away the ending), discusses the basic plot line, and usually focuses on character development.
3. A conclusion that discusses the theme, author's purpose, and your personal opinion about the book.

Reading Log

This week I started down the path of my journey to accomplish what is, in my opinion, my hardest and most important reading goal, to finish all of the Jane Austen novels.  After starting it over a month ago, I finally finished the last 100 pages of Northanger Abbey.  It was one of Austen’s shorter and earlier novels, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.  It was difficult to make the switch back to Austen novels after reading an easier, leisurely book like The Hunger Games.  However, the difference in culture, elevated diction, and at times hard to decipher humor presented a challenge that revived my passion for classic literature and reverence for Austen.  Although most of her story lines are the same and many of my colleagues that have read her work complain that her novels are either full of just women talking or story lines built up only to be resolved nonchalantly in the last two pages of the novel, there is a simple, rustic elegance about the masterful way she weaves a path through the complex maze of a woman’s mind and articulates it flawlessly while still containing a subtle criticism on society, marriage, and the social standing of women.  Her style is so complicated yet so simple its intriguing.         

Note #1

A teacher asked Paul
what he would remember
from third grade, and he sat
a long time before writing
"this year somebody tutched me
on the sholder"
and turned his paper in.
Later she showed it to me
as an example of her wasted life.
The words he wrote were large
as houses in a landscape.
He wanted to go inside them
and live, he could fill in
the windows of "o" and "d"
and be safe while outside
birds building nests in drainpipes
knew nothing of the coming rain.

-- Naomi Shihab Nye

In Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Rain”, the short, sweet, and simple elegance delineates the underlying symbolism and foreshadowing of the oncoming threat and adversity.  The ignorant spelling and gargantuan letters of the young boy’s written response to his teacher’s question not only characterize him as a tenderly innocent, but they also emphasize his malleability.  The boy’s deeply considered, profound answer presents the importance of an event as insignificant as a simple gesture while exposing his heart-wrenching neglect. The teacher’s pity and self-focus on her “wasted life” blind her from the boy’s desire for attention and necessity of affection.  The teacher’s intent and vigorous focus on leading her students to successful futures canopies the extent of her student’s suffering and his cry for help.  The seemingly tragic misunderstanding between the suffering boy and frustrated teacher shines a satirical light on self-centered society.  The rain serves as a festering, unavoidable omen of the boy’s heavy burden.  The boy’s desire for the comforting protection and relieving security of the houses reveals his desperate search for a non-existent refuge from the rain.  The unaware bliss of the busy birds creates a sense of an impenetrable barrier separating the boy and his stormy life from the whirlwind society.  The rain foreshadows an unavoidable coming threat; it’s almost as if he can see it in the distance but not taste, feel, or hear it.  Like a boulder hanging by a thread, all the boy can do is watch and wait for the “coming rain” to attack and completely engulf his life, mind, body, and soul while the oblivious others tragically watch from the sidelines. 

Exercise #2

Weaknesses:                                                                                                                      

1.       “The author enhances the stress by throwing the reader straight into the action.” (Error #4)

2.       He "kept his butt cocked to one side, his feet up on the shut rails so that the bull couldn't grind his leg, brad him up, so that if it  thrashed he could get over the to in hurry." (Error #2)

3.       The bull "loose-skinned brindle Brahma-cross identified in the program as Little Kisses." (Error #2)

Strong Blog: Unfettered

Exercise 1

In her book Cruddy, Lynda Barry expresses an informal, childish vernacular through the hot-headed, undisciplined mind of a child that displays the innocent lack of self-control and extreme emotional fluctuations of youth.  The elementary diction and repetition of the word “cruddy” weave themselves together and embody the age and personality of the young aggravated author.  The use of stereotypical “once upon a…time” and uniquely crafter descriptions of the generic setting creates a flood of vivid imagery and adds a humorous silvery lining.  The naive, inescapable shadow of childish rage bursts through the author’s pen and spills its noisome stench across her words.  The overpowering outrage reveals the passion of childhood.       

Anthology

The theme for my anthology will be rain.  It fascinates me with both is simplicity and complexity.  It is so contrasting with a wide range of variety from the harsh, dark pounding of a stormy downpour to the soft, peaceful drip-dropping of a spring shower.  It can set the mood, cause foreshadowing, and really change the pace of any piece of work.  One artifact I hope to use is the poem Rain by Naomi Shihab Nye because the poem is short and sweet and, even though rain is not the main focus or mentioned at all until the last line, it plays an important role in the poem’s mood while emphasizing the beauty of childhood naivety.  Another artifact I would like to use would be the rain scene in the Notebook because I find it only necessary to have at least one stereotypical, romantic rain scene in my collection.  

Reading Log and Reading Goals

Reading Goals:

• Read every Jane Austen novel.
• Read in 5 different coffee shops.
• Read one non-fiction novel.
• Go on a “reading picnic” with a group of friends.

This week I read the last part of the Hunger Games, and honestly it was hard to tear myself away. I found myself going to the point of planning my schedule around it.  I would strategically plan “homework breaks” while studying or get my classes a few minutes earlier just to read the next few pages.  I told myself I needed to hurry and finish the book since the movie’s release date is fast approaching, but honestly, I was just addicted.  It was simply that good.

While talking to my cousin about the book, he pointed out an eye-opening factor by saying, “The Hunger Games has a corrupt government because, let’s be honest, every good novel has one.”  Initially I disagreed with his suggestion, but once I processed it more in depth I realized he was right.  Of course a corrupt government is not always needed, but many popular novels have them.  For example, Twilight has the Volturi, a very disturbing clan of ruling vampires.  Fahrenheit 451 has a government dedicated to the destruction of books.  The Giver has a bland world without music or color due to government regulation.  Although many are science fiction and placed in futuristic societies, the factor of a corrupt government has become a common occurrence.  However, the audience is not so much captured by the government themselves, but more the individuals that shake the chain of order and serenity by testing the government’s boundaries and breaking their rules.  Not only does this add an adrenaline rushing level of suspense and danger, but it helps the character’s develop and usually discover who they truly are and what they believe in.  Through the tool of a corrupted government, individuals in this book break the current of popular, acceptable society and choose to follow their own uncharted path leading down the path of self-discovery and individuality.  The confidence, boldness, sacrifice, and strength of these characters is inspiring and causes the reader to desire firmly grounded beliefs and the courage to stand up for them.  All around the focus on finding oneself and breaking away from the status quo has become popular as the focus of individuality rises in our culture.  

      This type of writing really appeals to me because I want to be a person that is strong enough to stand up for what I believe in no matter what opposition I may face. 

A Shameless Leap Onto the Bandwagon

I always talk about how I tend to stray from popular culture and read the classics; however, this week I started reading the Hunger Games.  Honestly, I couldn’t resist.  I had to understand the source of the constant hype that spreads like a fever eagerly pouncing on its next victim.  Who can blame me?  The opportunity presented itself and I accepted it with little knowledge of what I was getting myself into.  And so it began and the fever overtook another reader.

Although the book takes place in what I believe to be the future of a post-apocalyptic North America, it maintains a rustic elegance.  The use of hand tools like bows, arrows, knives, and more keeps an ancient feel about it.  At the same time, there are some items used that the audience is familiar with such as trains, showers, elevators, and television.  Even with both these antique and modern elements, the future plays a major role with the use of so many unusual items such as hovercrafts and an assortment of mutated plants and animals as well as scientifically advanced tools used for warfare.  The fascinating combination of past, present, and future puts an intriguing spin on reality and allows a valuable connection as well as extreme suspension of disbelief.  They all work together in an ineffable harmony that helps the flow of the plot.  The book combines what should be estranged, yet it meshes with a curious grace.  If the creativity and mastermind put into the meticulous details of the book isn’t enough to catch the audience’s attention, the heart-stopping plot will blow them away.  I won’t go into detail for fear of spoiling the book.  If you are considering reading it, I highly recommend it.  

It is everything I thought it would be, and so much more than I had expected.  I didn’t realize how addicted I was to the book until my eyes were practically glued to it as precious homework time slipped away.  As quiet and sneaky as a snake, the story crept into my mind and captured my fascination; without even realizing it, I was hooked.  It’s worth reading.   

Back on the Bandwagon: Northanger Abbey

“All [women] have been, or at least have believed themselves to be, in danger from the pursuit of some one whom they wished to avoid; and all have been anxious for the attentions of some one whom they wished to please.” Pg. 54-55

I just couldn’t take it another week.  I had to hop back on the Jane Austen bandwagon.  No other style of writing is quite as fascinating to me.  Surprisingly, Northanger Abbey was a bit of a fresh twist in comparison to Austen's other novels.  Obviously it centers on her typical plot line of a woman finding a man, but the naivety and inner conflict of the main character as she pursues one man and completely avoids another creates a ludicrous cycle of utter felicity and complete disappointment while exploring the rollercoaster of youthful society.

Although most of her novels touch on some of youthful society’s ridiculous civilities and the empty headedness many conduct themselves with, this novel seems drown itself in mockery of it.  The novel sets a satirical tone with a constant sarcasm about the ways, formality, and communication in England's youth.  Throughout the novel, it constantly mocks the misunderstandings and chaotic agonizing over matters of very little importance.  It’s almost as if Austen characterizes the whole of women as hysterical, worrisome, fretful, delicate ninnies and the men as dense, tiresome, and overwhelmingly conceited.  To me, I could not help but detect that Austen had written this novel under extreme dejection and distaste for social custom and behavior.

(Isabella’s reaction after a day of separation) “It was ages since she had had a moment’s conversation with her dearest Catherine; and, though she had such thousands of things to say to her, it appeared as if they were never to be together again; so, with smiles of most exquisite misery, and the laughing eye of utter despondency, she bade her friend adieu and went on.” Pg. 48-49  

After being under the distress of reading non-classic novels, this beautifully written piece is exactly what I needed.  The parallel of my distaste modern literature and Austen’s frustration with youthful folly of her society almost creates a sort of bond that gives me ineffable enjoyment in reading this book.  I can’t wait to continue.