I thought that I would never catch myself reading a book full of symbolism, but George Orwell's Animal Farm changed that. Orwell's political view jump right through the pages.
The story starts with Old Major, an aged pig that resides in the Manor Farm meets with the other animals and tells them how terrible the humans truly are and how horrible the animals are treated. Old Major also teaches the animals a revolutionary song, Beasts of England. A few days later, Old Major died, but he inspired the animals to start a revolution. Two younger pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, positioned themselves as commander and drove the drunken Mr. Jones from the farmed and renamed the place "Animal Farm." At first, all goes well. The animals cooperate and work hard with one another. The animals even learned how to read and write and even came up with the Seven Commandments. The pigs named themselves as leaders, which was fine, because they were the most intelligent of them all. The farm becomes rocky when Snowball brings up the idea of the windmill. That is when corruption kicks in and the demise begins. To find out what happens to pig political leaders, I suggest reading the book.
Orwell made the animal characters very human-like. The animals talked to each other, had strong opinions, read, write, and become corrupted just as we humans do when given a powerful position. This represented Orwell's views on Stalin's communism. Old Major had ideas similar to that of Karl Marx, Napoleon was similar to Stalin himself, and Snowball was similar to Leon Trotsky. Talk about personification!
I highly recommend this book to people interested in politics, for this brutally explains corruption. Really, anyone could enjoy this book.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar bored to tears me with the conventional Shakespearean plot and writing style. I at least expected a little diversity from a person considered the greatest writer of all time. I suppose that the play would be at least decent when preformed.
Shakespeare liked putting the supernatural in his dramas, or at least the dramas I have read of his. Maybe the supernatural embellishes the plot and appealed to the audience during the Renaissance. Maybe placing supernatural events in stories happens to be Shakespeare's signature style. Either way, the style lacks variety in the point of view of a modern reader. Shakespeare also used iambic pentameter in a majority --if not, all-- of his plays. Sure, Shakespeare can be considered a genius by using iambic pentameter, but he uses that too much for me to consider him very artistic.
When I look at just the story line alone, the drama does not appear to be so annoying. A powerful man is assassinated by men that he put his trust into (I am sure we all know about the tragedy off, so no surprises given away here). The story line had the ability to catch my attention in the first place; with out William Shakespeare's play. The play opens with two tribunes, Marullus and Flavius nagging Roman citizens for exalting Caesar. The two worry about Caesar perhaps becoming too powerful. Strange, supernatural happenings occur that night, which Cassius, Casca, and Cinna meet and come to the conclusion that they will overthrow Caesar by killing him. They recruit a few men: Decius Brutus, Trebonios Ligarus, and Metellus Cimber. Brutus just so happens to be a close friend of Caesar's. Caesar was previously warned by a soothsayer and his own wife that he would be murdered. Caesar's ignorance did not turn out to be so bliss, because he was stabbed multiple times by different people. The last one being his close friend, Brutus. The last words that left Caesar's mouth were, "Et tu, Brute?"(You to, Brutus?). The rest, I do not want to risk giving away to people who do not know about the tragedy.
Though I am not very fond of this play, I did pick up a life lesson from it: One cannot escape fate. Of course, most people's fates are not as brutal as Caesar's (thank goodness for that). Infact, fate can be a good happening, such as falling in love.
I enjoyed the storyline, but overall, this play did not appeal to me. The play could possibly appeal to those who do not get sick of Shakespeare's use of the supernatural.
Shakespeare liked putting the supernatural in his dramas, or at least the dramas I have read of his. Maybe the supernatural embellishes the plot and appealed to the audience during the Renaissance. Maybe placing supernatural events in stories happens to be Shakespeare's signature style. Either way, the style lacks variety in the point of view of a modern reader. Shakespeare also used iambic pentameter in a majority --if not, all-- of his plays. Sure, Shakespeare can be considered a genius by using iambic pentameter, but he uses that too much for me to consider him very artistic.
When I look at just the story line alone, the drama does not appear to be so annoying. A powerful man is assassinated by men that he put his trust into (I am sure we all know about the tragedy off, so no surprises given away here). The story line had the ability to catch my attention in the first place; with out William Shakespeare's play. The play opens with two tribunes, Marullus and Flavius nagging Roman citizens for exalting Caesar. The two worry about Caesar perhaps becoming too powerful. Strange, supernatural happenings occur that night, which Cassius, Casca, and Cinna meet and come to the conclusion that they will overthrow Caesar by killing him. They recruit a few men: Decius Brutus, Trebonios Ligarus, and Metellus Cimber. Brutus just so happens to be a close friend of Caesar's. Caesar was previously warned by a soothsayer and his own wife that he would be murdered. Caesar's ignorance did not turn out to be so bliss, because he was stabbed multiple times by different people. The last one being his close friend, Brutus. The last words that left Caesar's mouth were, "Et tu, Brute?"(You to, Brutus?). The rest, I do not want to risk giving away to people who do not know about the tragedy.
Though I am not very fond of this play, I did pick up a life lesson from it: One cannot escape fate. Of course, most people's fates are not as brutal as Caesar's (thank goodness for that). Infact, fate can be a good happening, such as falling in love.
I enjoyed the storyline, but overall, this play did not appeal to me. The play could possibly appeal to those who do not get sick of Shakespeare's use of the supernatural.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Don't Hate Me Because My Name's Perfect!
(Writer's Notebook 12.07.09)
People can be so cruel and ridicule others. It's just our nature and no matter how hard we try, we end up saying something offensive in the long run. Sometimes we make fun of other people's names. Why we do this? Perhaps the name is different and new to us? I have made fun of names before, like the names celebrities give to their children. It is hurtful, and I don't plan on doing that again. I don't recall anyone ever making fun of my name to my face. I suppose it's because my name is common enough to be accepted by others. I imagine, though, that it would be similar to someone degrading me (or whoever I was named after) by ridiculing me for my name.
I recommend the children's book, Chrysanthemum to people who have had their name made fun of by someone else before or if you were one to point fun at another person's name.
People can be so cruel and ridicule others. It's just our nature and no matter how hard we try, we end up saying something offensive in the long run. Sometimes we make fun of other people's names. Why we do this? Perhaps the name is different and new to us? I have made fun of names before, like the names celebrities give to their children. It is hurtful, and I don't plan on doing that again. I don't recall anyone ever making fun of my name to my face. I suppose it's because my name is common enough to be accepted by others. I imagine, though, that it would be similar to someone degrading me (or whoever I was named after) by ridiculing me for my name.
I recommend the children's book, Chrysanthemum to people who have had their name made fun of by someone else before or if you were one to point fun at another person's name.
Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For.
(Writer's Notebook 11.24.09)
1. The roof over my head. I am very fortunate to have a place to lay my head. Some people take their home for granted, and don't even realize how lucky they are.
2. A loving family that would never hurt me. Some children are being abused by their parents right at this second. Some children have drug addicts and alcoholics raising them.
3. My friends. I'm glad that I don't have back-stabbing friends like others do. I don't have to worry about them starting pointless rumors about me.
4. Food on the table. There are people in this country struggling to get a simple meal. All I have to do is go to the refrigerator or pantry and I can make a meal easily.
5. An opportunity to get an education. A long time ago, women in America (our country that claimed to be all about equality) could not get a proper education because "that was not their place in society." There place was at home. Some countries still believe women should stay uneducated.
6. Though this country had its dark, dark days (okay, this country still has some rough spots here and there), we have never once had a nutcase that overthrew the government and became dictator. Since this country is a democratic republic for now, instead of some crazy communism.
7. The opportunity to climb the ladder of success. Some people don't have the same opportunities as we do, whether they are well-skilled or not.
8. Each breath I take. Many, many people take each breath they take for granted. You never know when your last breath will be.
9. Jesus saving me. Yes, I brought religion into this again! It's true, though. He lead me towards God, whom I now talk to every day through prayer. He's helped me so much in life.
10. The arts. Art gave me a way to express myself, whether it be through music, drawing something, or writing a poem. I don't think I can imagine life without art.
1. The roof over my head. I am very fortunate to have a place to lay my head. Some people take their home for granted, and don't even realize how lucky they are.
2. A loving family that would never hurt me. Some children are being abused by their parents right at this second. Some children have drug addicts and alcoholics raising them.
3. My friends. I'm glad that I don't have back-stabbing friends like others do. I don't have to worry about them starting pointless rumors about me.
4. Food on the table. There are people in this country struggling to get a simple meal. All I have to do is go to the refrigerator or pantry and I can make a meal easily.
5. An opportunity to get an education. A long time ago, women in America (our country that claimed to be all about equality) could not get a proper education because "that was not their place in society." There place was at home. Some countries still believe women should stay uneducated.
6. Though this country had its dark, dark days (okay, this country still has some rough spots here and there), we have never once had a nutcase that overthrew the government and became dictator. Since this country is a democratic republic for now, instead of some crazy communism.
7. The opportunity to climb the ladder of success. Some people don't have the same opportunities as we do, whether they are well-skilled or not.
8. Each breath I take. Many, many people take each breath they take for granted. You never know when your last breath will be.
9. Jesus saving me. Yes, I brought religion into this again! It's true, though. He lead me towards God, whom I now talk to every day through prayer. He's helped me so much in life.
10. The arts. Art gave me a way to express myself, whether it be through music, drawing something, or writing a poem. I don't think I can imagine life without art.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
My Favorite Leaders (in noooo particular order)
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
He made a huge contribution to this country when it comes to civil. He lead peaceful protests and was a Baptist priest. He gave one of the most remembered speeches, I Have A Dream. If he never stood up for what he believed in, I'm pretty sure this country would be very behind on liberation.
-Jesus
Yes, I just brought my religion into this. Jesus is the greatest leader of all time. He healed sinners, instead of condemning them, and lead them to God. Heck, he was even crucified far more brutal as anyone has ever had so we could go to heaven. I could go on and on, but I only have so much space.
-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Gandhi lead a peaceful civil disobedience movement for India to resist tyranny. He sparked civil rights movements around the world. Not to mention he was a strict vegetarian.
-Nelson Mandela
He spent 27 years in prison for standing up for what he believed in. Once released in 1990, Mandela helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. He eventually became the president of South Africa and won a Nobel Peace Prize
He made a huge contribution to this country when it comes to civil. He lead peaceful protests and was a Baptist priest. He gave one of the most remembered speeches, I Have A Dream. If he never stood up for what he believed in, I'm pretty sure this country would be very behind on liberation.
-Jesus
Yes, I just brought my religion into this. Jesus is the greatest leader of all time. He healed sinners, instead of condemning them, and lead them to God. Heck, he was even crucified far more brutal as anyone has ever had so we could go to heaven. I could go on and on, but I only have so much space.
-Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Gandhi lead a peaceful civil disobedience movement for India to resist tyranny. He sparked civil rights movements around the world. Not to mention he was a strict vegetarian.
-Nelson Mandela
He spent 27 years in prison for standing up for what he believed in. Once released in 1990, Mandela helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. He eventually became the president of South Africa and won a Nobel Peace Prize
Oh, no! Plagiarism!
(11.12.09 Writer's Notebook)
Today, I read a blog post about plagiarism. It revealed the top ten plagiarism scandals of all time. Here is a couple that caught my eye.
The thought of J.D California’s Coming Through the Rye, supposedly a parody of J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, seemed deliciously hilarious to me, since I love The Catcher in the Rye. J.D Salinger, however did not find the parody funny, because he sued! The book won’t be sold in the U.S, but is already being sold in England.
It’s a little sad and shocking that someone as intelligent as Barack Obama has to copy someone else’s speech. At least he was noble enough to admit his fault.
Today, I read a blog post about plagiarism. It revealed the top ten plagiarism scandals of all time. Here is a couple that caught my eye.
The thought of J.D California’s Coming Through the Rye, supposedly a parody of J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, seemed deliciously hilarious to me, since I love The Catcher in the Rye. J.D Salinger, however did not find the parody funny, because he sued! The book won’t be sold in the U.S, but is already being sold in England.
It’s a little sad and shocking that someone as intelligent as Barack Obama has to copy someone else’s speech. At least he was noble enough to admit his fault.
RANDOM Acts of Kindness
(Writer's Notebook 11/04/09)
I did a random act of kindness yesterday. I randomly helped my mother by doing the housework and made her a warm (vegetarian) dinner, because I knew she had a rough day.
I felt really good and slightly empowered that I made my mom feel better and gave her a few less chores to worry about. My mother definitely showed that she appreciated my act of kindness by thanking me, which added even more to the good feeling. I hope to do more random acts of kindness in the future, because the feeling afterward is warming.
I will be proactive in as many situations as I can from now on, because the results are truly rewarding.
I did a random act of kindness yesterday. I randomly helped my mother by doing the housework and made her a warm (vegetarian) dinner, because I knew she had a rough day.
I felt really good and slightly empowered that I made my mom feel better and gave her a few less chores to worry about. My mother definitely showed that she appreciated my act of kindness by thanking me, which added even more to the good feeling. I hope to do more random acts of kindness in the future, because the feeling afterward is warming.
I will be proactive in as many situations as I can from now on, because the results are truly rewarding.
Gemini
(11/4/09)
Since my mother works as the librarian's assistant and the elementary school she works at, we National Family Literacy Month with no trouble. We discussed a number of books, but the one book that caught my interest was Gemini Summer. I am sure Iain Lawrence, the author of this story, intended this for children from ages eight to twelve, but this book sounds intriguing for anyone.
The experience seemed different to me. I am not used to talking about books with my family, because my father only enjoys biographies, my mother likes just some books I like(she likes everything, though), my brother pretty much sticks to his religious books, and my sister reads some down-right depressing novels. I learned that my mom reads everything from Stephen King to elementary books (of course, her job calls for the latter) and that she gives great book talks.
Since my mother works as the librarian's assistant and the elementary school she works at, we National Family Literacy Month with no trouble. We discussed a number of books, but the one book that caught my interest was Gemini Summer. I am sure Iain Lawrence, the author of this story, intended this for children from ages eight to twelve, but this book sounds intriguing for anyone.
The experience seemed different to me. I am not used to talking about books with my family, because my father only enjoys biographies, my mother likes just some books I like(she likes everything, though), my brother pretty much sticks to his religious books, and my sister reads some down-right depressing novels. I learned that my mom reads everything from Stephen King to elementary books (of course, her job calls for the latter) and that she gives great book talks.
A Habit I Need To Work On
(Written 11/3/09)
I have recently completed a little book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. The book tells teenagers how to be successful, healthy, and build proper relationships.
As I read the book, I came across a habit that I did not excel at, and that was habit number five, Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. This habit proved to me that I was not as great as a listener as thought I was. Of course, I usually pay attention to the person talking to me, but I seldom attempted to truly understand him or her. I just thought of something I could say.
Sometimes, my friends would go to me if they were in need of someone to talk to about an issue. I listened to them and even understood them, but I gave them advice when they never even asked for help. I should have used some sort of "mirroring"(telling someone my interpretation what they are saying to me) skill. The book gives great examples of how to use the skill, and I will make sure to use said skill in the near future, so I can become a better listener.
I recommend this book to teenagers who are lost or troubled. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens assists lost teenagers to help get their life back on track. Parents who are having a little trouble with their teen should give this book to their teen. I myself found the book pretty decent.
I have recently completed a little book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. The book tells teenagers how to be successful, healthy, and build proper relationships.
As I read the book, I came across a habit that I did not excel at, and that was habit number five, Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. This habit proved to me that I was not as great as a listener as thought I was. Of course, I usually pay attention to the person talking to me, but I seldom attempted to truly understand him or her. I just thought of something I could say.
Sometimes, my friends would go to me if they were in need of someone to talk to about an issue. I listened to them and even understood them, but I gave them advice when they never even asked for help. I should have used some sort of "mirroring"(telling someone my interpretation what they are saying to me) skill. The book gives great examples of how to use the skill, and I will make sure to use said skill in the near future, so I can become a better listener.
I recommend this book to teenagers who are lost or troubled. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens assists lost teenagers to help get their life back on track. Parents who are having a little trouble with their teen should give this book to their teen. I myself found the book pretty decent.
Possible Young Adult Novel Ideas?
*Note: Writer's notebook entry 11/2/09*
Our Pre-AP English class is entering a young adult novel contest. I am still a little clueless of what I may write about. I already had an idea going about a teenage alcoholic who does other drugs(obviously written in a tone against drinking and drug use), but that might be considered inappropriate. I was always taught that if I have to question whether a topic is appropriate or not, I shouldn't do the topic. If anything, I really want to write something about a troubled teenager. Writing about those subjects have always appealed to me, in a strange way. I also want to write it in first person and it sound very casual, instead of up-tight and formal. I suppose it's because I enjoy reading those books as well, such as The Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, and Speak.
Oh, and that blog post I read today was actually somewhat inspiring.
Our Pre-AP English class is entering a young adult novel contest. I am still a little clueless of what I may write about. I already had an idea going about a teenage alcoholic who does other drugs(obviously written in a tone against drinking and drug use), but that might be considered inappropriate. I was always taught that if I have to question whether a topic is appropriate or not, I shouldn't do the topic. If anything, I really want to write something about a troubled teenager. Writing about those subjects have always appealed to me, in a strange way. I also want to write it in first person and it sound very casual, instead of up-tight and formal. I suppose it's because I enjoy reading those books as well, such as The Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, and Speak.
Oh, and that blog post I read today was actually somewhat inspiring.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
7 Habits of Highly Intolerable People
Does being the most intolerable person in town sound like an impossible task? No need to worry! The title everyone has dreamed of can now be easily reached with seven simple steps guaranteed.
1. Talk about people in a negative way when they are not around (also known as "talking bad about people behind their back"). If there is something negative that wee need say about a particular person, we need to say it! Talking about a person behind his or her back should be easy to accomplish; the habit comes natural to the human race.
2. The world has so many problems, but we intolerable people do not have the time to fix these problems. That should be the job of someone tolerable. Our job includes condemning people to their issues, since these problems do not apply to us. Basically, we should only complain to people about the problems of the world and make no motion to fix the problem.
3. Those darned tolerable people cannot tolerate us lying to them. Lies do not hurt anyone. In fact, lies help people. People cannot handle the truth, so we are secretly helping them by covering up all of the truth that they cannot handle. Along with habit one, this habit also comes natural, so there should be no difficulty with this one. And, though this particular habit happens to be the one of the easier ones, this could make one very intolerable.
4. Only do just enough to get by; there is no need to put some actual effort into work. This bugs more people than most would think.
5. Forget being considerate of another person's feelings; being mean is far too fun. If someone seems to be having a hard time with his or her life, do not hold back any insults. Remember: Kick people when they are down.
6. I do not understand why people think their problems are more important than mine, because they are not. I never want to hear someone's problems; they are too boring to listen to! If some idiot comes to me with his or her problem, I either ignore them or refer to habit five. As long as a problem does not affect me, the problem does not exist.
7. People like to get into deep conversations for some odd reason. Deep conversations are too difficult to deal and take up too much of our time to relax and check our facebook, so these need to be avoided at all costs. Be as shallow as possible.
WARNING: THESE HABITS COULD LEAD TO SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS AMONG MANY
1. Talk about people in a negative way when they are not around (also known as "talking bad about people behind their back"). If there is something negative that wee need say about a particular person, we need to say it! Talking about a person behind his or her back should be easy to accomplish; the habit comes natural to the human race.
2. The world has so many problems, but we intolerable people do not have the time to fix these problems. That should be the job of someone tolerable. Our job includes condemning people to their issues, since these problems do not apply to us. Basically, we should only complain to people about the problems of the world and make no motion to fix the problem.
3. Those darned tolerable people cannot tolerate us lying to them. Lies do not hurt anyone. In fact, lies help people. People cannot handle the truth, so we are secretly helping them by covering up all of the truth that they cannot handle. Along with habit one, this habit also comes natural, so there should be no difficulty with this one. And, though this particular habit happens to be the one of the easier ones, this could make one very intolerable.
4. Only do just enough to get by; there is no need to put some actual effort into work. This bugs more people than most would think.
5. Forget being considerate of another person's feelings; being mean is far too fun. If someone seems to be having a hard time with his or her life, do not hold back any insults. Remember: Kick people when they are down.
6. I do not understand why people think their problems are more important than mine, because they are not. I never want to hear someone's problems; they are too boring to listen to! If some idiot comes to me with his or her problem, I either ignore them or refer to habit five. As long as a problem does not affect me, the problem does not exist.
7. People like to get into deep conversations for some odd reason. Deep conversations are too difficult to deal and take up too much of our time to relax and check our facebook, so these need to be avoided at all costs. Be as shallow as possible.
WARNING: THESE HABITS COULD LEAD TO SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS AMONG MANY
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Shining
Who would have thought that one of Stephen King's most horrifying novels could have been inspired by a simple John Lennon song? Actually, the lyric, "We all shine on..." only inspired the title, The Shining. Stephen King has yet to not amaze me with his works of writing and his ability to captivate me with suspense from start to finish of his books.
Jack Torrance, a recently fired English teacher and former alcoholic, gets the perfect opportunity to work on writing his new novel when he is offered a job at the Overlook Hotel, an isolated hotel located in Colorado, as the caretaker. Jack's wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, immediately move to the Overlook Hotel. Danny has the ability to get information about objects, people, locations, or physical events through means other than the known human senses, making him sensitive to supernatural forces. Not long after the family's arrival to the hotel, Danny meets Dick Halloran, who shares Danny's ability. Before Dick's departure, the two talk about their power and the hotel's chilling history. Dick warns Danny of the dangers of room 217. What happens from then on only gets eerier as Danny finds out through his premonitions about the dangers of the hotel. He sees ghosts and life-scaring visions, but assures himself that they are not dangerous in the present. He cannot tell his parents about it, because he knows how important the job is to his dad. The house tries, but fails to posses little Danny, so who does the house go to next?
The characters, though they have names similar to that of a children's book, seem very real because of their struggles, such as being an alcoholic. The Torrance family seems real to the readers with the recovering-alcoholic father with a scary temper, the determined mother that would do anything for her family, and the strange child with the imaginary friend.
King's writing style from Carrie portrays in the Shining. He still puts the character's thoughts into parenthesis, though the story is written in third person. This time, however, seems to be in a different tone than Carrie. Instead of a vengeful tone, I feel anger through out the whole book (I have been reading many angry books lately). Stephen King remains keen with his detail usage.
This book has a lot of suspense, especially during the last few chapters, so I recommend this for suspense-lovers and horror gurus. This belongs on my list of favorite books of all time, so I will read this novel numerous times.
*447 pages*
Jack Torrance, a recently fired English teacher and former alcoholic, gets the perfect opportunity to work on writing his new novel when he is offered a job at the Overlook Hotel, an isolated hotel located in Colorado, as the caretaker. Jack's wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, immediately move to the Overlook Hotel. Danny has the ability to get information about objects, people, locations, or physical events through means other than the known human senses, making him sensitive to supernatural forces. Not long after the family's arrival to the hotel, Danny meets Dick Halloran, who shares Danny's ability. Before Dick's departure, the two talk about their power and the hotel's chilling history. Dick warns Danny of the dangers of room 217. What happens from then on only gets eerier as Danny finds out through his premonitions about the dangers of the hotel. He sees ghosts and life-scaring visions, but assures himself that they are not dangerous in the present. He cannot tell his parents about it, because he knows how important the job is to his dad. The house tries, but fails to posses little Danny, so who does the house go to next?
The characters, though they have names similar to that of a children's book, seem very real because of their struggles, such as being an alcoholic. The Torrance family seems real to the readers with the recovering-alcoholic father with a scary temper, the determined mother that would do anything for her family, and the strange child with the imaginary friend.
King's writing style from Carrie portrays in the Shining. He still puts the character's thoughts into parenthesis, though the story is written in third person. This time, however, seems to be in a different tone than Carrie. Instead of a vengeful tone, I feel anger through out the whole book (I have been reading many angry books lately). Stephen King remains keen with his detail usage.
This book has a lot of suspense, especially during the last few chapters, so I recommend this for suspense-lovers and horror gurus. This belongs on my list of favorite books of all time, so I will read this novel numerous times.
*447 pages*
Carrie.
"They had taken her again, gulled her again, made her the butt again. The horror of it should have been monotonous, but it was not; they had gotten her up here, up here in front of the whole school, and had repeated the shower-room scene...only the voice had said
(my god that's blood)
something too awful to be contemplated. If she opened her eyes and it was true, oh, what then? What then?" Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie, chilled my bones until I finally put the book down at page 199. The night I read Carrie was a "night to remember."
Stephen King used a different writing style than most authors. He made up articles in magazines, interviews, and quotes from books to make this story seem believable, though it was about a teenager with telekinesis. King uses crisp details very often; he has a reputation for taking up multiple pages just to describe one item. I did not encounter a multi-page description, however, I did encounter a full paragraph of description, but Carrie was only the first book King published. Another weird writing technique I caught was how King put down Carrie's thoughts in parenthesis, while he wrote the story in third person. I felt Stephen King's anger and desire for some sort of vengeance through each word of the book. He possibly has a slightly sympathetic voice (only towards Carrie) throughout the novel as well.
Though King did not introduce all of the characters with as much personality as the previous two authors, I still felt as if I can clearly picture them in my head (and, no, the images are not of Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie in the 1976 film). He did introduce Carrie, obviously the main character, very well. The strange thing was that the reader relates to the protagonist and antagonists. Most unpopular outcasts would relate to Carrie, while everyone else would relate to the other students that constantly ridicule Carrie. The characters seem realistic to me, because of their cruelty that regular teenagers possess.
I recommend this book to readers who like a good thriller and will not be easy to offend. I do warn readers that this book contains very mature content. That aside, this book is great, especially for a first published novel. Stephen King's has a very unique writing style and anyone who appreciates an eccentric writing style should read at least one of his books.
(my god that's blood)
something too awful to be contemplated. If she opened her eyes and it was true, oh, what then? What then?" Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie, chilled my bones until I finally put the book down at page 199. The night I read Carrie was a "night to remember."
Stephen King used a different writing style than most authors. He made up articles in magazines, interviews, and quotes from books to make this story seem believable, though it was about a teenager with telekinesis. King uses crisp details very often; he has a reputation for taking up multiple pages just to describe one item. I did not encounter a multi-page description, however, I did encounter a full paragraph of description, but Carrie was only the first book King published. Another weird writing technique I caught was how King put down Carrie's thoughts in parenthesis, while he wrote the story in third person. I felt Stephen King's anger and desire for some sort of vengeance through each word of the book. He possibly has a slightly sympathetic voice (only towards Carrie) throughout the novel as well.
Though King did not introduce all of the characters with as much personality as the previous two authors, I still felt as if I can clearly picture them in my head (and, no, the images are not of Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie in the 1976 film). He did introduce Carrie, obviously the main character, very well. The strange thing was that the reader relates to the protagonist and antagonists. Most unpopular outcasts would relate to Carrie, while everyone else would relate to the other students that constantly ridicule Carrie. The characters seem realistic to me, because of their cruelty that regular teenagers possess.
I recommend this book to readers who like a good thriller and will not be easy to offend. I do warn readers that this book contains very mature content. That aside, this book is great, especially for a first published novel. Stephen King's has a very unique writing style and anyone who appreciates an eccentric writing style should read at least one of his books.
I'm the Invisible Man!
How can a person of complete competence go from an intelligent scientist who made a brilliant discover to a criminal with a lack of mental stability? Griffin, a scientist, theorized that if a person's refractive index is adjusted to that of air and did not reflect or absorb any light, then that person will become invisible. He tests his theory, and though his theory is a success, a horrifying outcome came about; Griffin turned himself invisible. H.G Wells' The Invisible Man made twists and turns from the beginning to end.
When reading The Invisible Man, I immediately noticed how Wells introduced his readers to the characters. Each character had individuality. The characters had their own style, their own appearance, their own personality, and their own past. Wells' detail on this story's characters can be compared to a great artist's skill of detail on his painting. Some barely use old English slang, such as Dr. Kemp, others use jargon in every other sentence, such as Mr. and Mrs. Hall.
The story began with Griffin's arrival at the Hall's inn, the Coach and Horses Inn, where he appeared as an unconventional and reclusive stranger to the citizens of Iping by covering up every inch of his skin. The stranger worked with chemicals and demanded to be left alone. Who would find that ordinary? At the same time all of this happens, mysterious robberies occurred in Iping, and none of the victims caught the sight of their thief. One morning, as Mr. and Mrs. Hall passed the stranger's room, they notice the stranger's clothing scattered all over the floor with no stranger in sight. The furniture appeared to come alive and leaped into mid-air to push the couple out of the room. Griffin then revealed his invisibility by ripping off his bandages and goggles to reveal that there was nothing under it all. The chaos started here when the police tried to catch Griffin, but he stripped himself of all his clothing and makes an escape. Griffin encountered Thomas Marvel during this escape, only to force Marvel into becoming his lab assistant by scaring Marvel with his invisibility. Marvel fled to an inn located at the seaside. When Griffin tries to break in to the inn, a man with a black beard shoots him. Griffin then escaped the scene to a house, that happened to belong to Dr. Kemp, an old friend of his, in order to tend to his wound. He recognized Dr. Kemp right away and revealed his identity to not only Kemp, but the reader (he was previously known as a mysterious stranger). And from that point on, I feel the reader should find out about by himself or herself.
I recommend this book to fans of sci-fi novels, because this is classical sci-fi! Not to mention, the "Father of Sci-Fi" wrote this story. Wells filled this story with chaos, suspense, insanity, and curiousity pickers, making the book quite a page turner. With the old English terms in this story, it can be a bit difficult to understand, so I recommend The Invisible Man for readers of a higher level.
When reading The Invisible Man, I immediately noticed how Wells introduced his readers to the characters. Each character had individuality. The characters had their own style, their own appearance, their own personality, and their own past. Wells' detail on this story's characters can be compared to a great artist's skill of detail on his painting. Some barely use old English slang, such as Dr. Kemp, others use jargon in every other sentence, such as Mr. and Mrs. Hall.
The story began with Griffin's arrival at the Hall's inn, the Coach and Horses Inn, where he appeared as an unconventional and reclusive stranger to the citizens of Iping by covering up every inch of his skin. The stranger worked with chemicals and demanded to be left alone. Who would find that ordinary? At the same time all of this happens, mysterious robberies occurred in Iping, and none of the victims caught the sight of their thief. One morning, as Mr. and Mrs. Hall passed the stranger's room, they notice the stranger's clothing scattered all over the floor with no stranger in sight. The furniture appeared to come alive and leaped into mid-air to push the couple out of the room. Griffin then revealed his invisibility by ripping off his bandages and goggles to reveal that there was nothing under it all. The chaos started here when the police tried to catch Griffin, but he stripped himself of all his clothing and makes an escape. Griffin encountered Thomas Marvel during this escape, only to force Marvel into becoming his lab assistant by scaring Marvel with his invisibility. Marvel fled to an inn located at the seaside. When Griffin tries to break in to the inn, a man with a black beard shoots him. Griffin then escaped the scene to a house, that happened to belong to Dr. Kemp, an old friend of his, in order to tend to his wound. He recognized Dr. Kemp right away and revealed his identity to not only Kemp, but the reader (he was previously known as a mysterious stranger). And from that point on, I feel the reader should find out about by himself or herself.
I recommend this book to fans of sci-fi novels, because this is classical sci-fi! Not to mention, the "Father of Sci-Fi" wrote this story. Wells filled this story with chaos, suspense, insanity, and curiousity pickers, making the book quite a page turner. With the old English terms in this story, it can be a bit difficult to understand, so I recommend The Invisible Man for readers of a higher level.
SPEAK...the review..
“The ninth graders are herded into the auditorium. We fall into clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Goths, Shredders. I am clanless. I wasted the last weeks of August watching bad cartoons. I didn’t go to the mall, the lake, or the pool, or answer the phone. I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don’t have anyone to sit with.” Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak kept my attention with a relatable story line and dark humor.
A ninth grade girl by the name of Melinda Sordino tells us about the life of a teenage outcast. Melinda, like all of the characters, seemed like a realistic teenager with an issue that any teenager can have. Anderson defined all of the characters in this story so well; with great detail. She not only describes a character’s physical appearance to where the reader can get a clear picture of the character in his or her mind, but Anderson also describes the character’s behavior to where you feel as though you have met the character before. A variety of characters that are not hard to keep up with, unlike some books, assists in making this book an interesting read. It varies from Heather from Ohio, who is described as a fellow wounded zebra with nice shoes and $5,000 worth of orthodontia and desires to fit in to a crowd (preferably the Marthas) to Mr. Freeman, the hideous but laid-back art teacher with a grasshopper body and what looks like a credit card between his eyes as a nose. The reader can easily identify Melinda’s enemies, so some characters are more dislikable than others.
The story starts out with Melinda getting on the bus to go to her first day of high school. Every person including people who have never met her personally and her old friends will not talk to her. Because of her desperation to find friends, Melinda becomes friendly with Heather, the super self-centered new girl from Ohio. Heather immediately clings to Melinda. A former “solid B student”, her grades go down as she distances herself from friends and family. Melinda started skipping school with only own aspiration: to take a nap. She finds a hide-away, an abandoned janitor’s closet, to go to when she wants fulfill her aspiration or whenever she feels anxious. The janitor’s closet and Mr. Freeman’s class are the only places Melinda begins to feel secure. Throughout the book, the reason why Melinda is a social pariah is revealed. She called the cops at an end-of-summer party. Why she called the cops is revealed near the end of the story.
We should raise our voice and speak the truth no matter what. Melinda eventually speaks up and tells one of her friends the reason she called the cops the night of the party. After that point, life got easier for Melinda. The story shows that keeping the truth from everyone not only hurts us, but it hurts others.
All teenagers who feel like they do not fit in should read this book. I read Speak every year, because I get a better understanding of the book each time I turn the page. The plot never gets old, in fact; I enjoy the story more and more each time.Wednesday, September 9, 2009
For my first blog, I will just put this out in the open: I am a vegetarian. It seems to be a shocking phrase to say, since I was born and raised in the South, which is apart of the Bible Belt, meaning that people in this area tend to lean on the conservative side of political views. Not only that, but the South is typically known for its type of cooking, which usually involves meat. People often question my views on vegetarianism, always wanting to change my mind. If I will ever change my mind, which I probably will not, it would be on my own.
I will turn the tables right now. Why do most people eat meat? Most people eat meat because they like the taste. They probably do not know or do not care where meat comes from or what kind of treatment the animals go through. I will inform. The image of green pastures and peaceful barnyard scenes are long gone. The images kids see in children's books are long gone. They have been replaced by windowless metal sheds, gestation crates, wire cages, and other forms of confinement, known as factory farming. The factory-farming system focuses on producing the most meat as quickly, cheaply, and in the smallest space as possible. Cattle, pigs, and chickens are kept in cages or stalls so tiny that they often do not have the ability to turn around. Deprived of exercise, all of their energy goes toward producing flesh for human consumption. Factory farm workers feed the animals drugs that fatten them faster and genetically manipulate the animals to grow faster than they would naturally. Since crowding makes an environment that welcomes disease, workers feed and spray animals with pesticides and antibiotics, which passes on to the people who eat the poor creatures.
Time for every meat eater to meet their meat, starting with chickens. Chickens are curious animals, and if put in their natural surroundings, they form friendships, love and nurture their young, and enjoy full lives (which includes dust-bathing, making nests, and roosting in trees). Factory farms deny chickens of these activities, and they suffer from it. Factory farms raise over 9 billion "broiler" chickens in sheds annually. They manipulate artificial lighting to keep birds eating as often as possible. To keep up with meat eaters' vicious demand and to reduce production costs, genetic selection calls for large birds and rapid growth, which causes extremely painful joint and bone conditions. Birds suffer from dehydration, respiratory diseases, bacterial infections, heart attacks, crippled legs and other ailments. At the slaughterhouse, workers hang chickens upside-down, force their legs into metal shackles, slit their throats, and immerse them in scalding-hot de-feathering tanks. Many chickens are conscious throughout the entire process.
Now it's time for people to meet their BigMac. Cows who can roam pastures and care for their young form life-long friendships. Cows can hold grudges or even play games! However, cows raised for the meat and dairy industries are far removed from the sunny pastures. Cattle raised for beef can be born in one state, fattened in another, and slaughtered in yet another. Factory farms feed cows a very unnatural diet containing high-bulk grains and other "fillers" (this can include expired dog food and cat food, poultry feces, and leftover restaurant food...YUCK!). Workers castrate them, rip their horns out, and give them 3rd-degree burns (branding) without any painkillers. During transportation, cattle are crowded into metal trucks, where they suffer from trampling, temperature extremes, and lack of food water, and veterinary care. At the slaughterhouse, cattle may be hoisted upside-down by their hind legs and dismembered while they are still fully conscious. A typical slaughterhouse kills 400 animals per hour. Calves raised for veal are the male offspring of dairy cows. They're taken from their mothers within a few days of birth, and they are chained in stalls that have slatted floors and are only 2 feet wide and 6 feet long. Since humans consume the calf's mother's milk, the calves are fed a milk substitute that is designed to help them gain a least 2 lbs a day. The diet is purposely low in iron so that the calves become anemic and their flesh stays pale and tender.
People should meat their bacon. Pigs are very clean animals who take to mud to cool off and evade flies. Pigs are just as friendly as dogs and more sophisticated than dogs and 3 year old! Mother pigs in factory farms in the U.S. live most of their lives in individual crates that are 7 feet long and 2 feet wide, displaying signs of extreme boredom and stress, such as biting the bars of their cages and gnashing their teeth. Their piglets are taken away from them 3 weeks after birth and packed into pens until they are singled out to be raised for breeding or for meat. Like chickens, pigs are genetically manipulated and pumped full of drugs, and many become crippled under their own weight. Although pigs are naturally social animals, the confinement of these crowded pens causes neurotic behaviors such as cannibalism and tail-biting, so farmers use pliers to break off the ends of piglet's teeth and cut off their tails without any painkillers.
So, the question is not "Why are you a vegetarian?", the real question is "Why do you eat meat?" I hope meat eaters now think before they take a bite of KFC or McDonalds.
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