Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Another book that I bought only because the cover interested me -literally, I bought this off Amazon and didn't even see the physical book until it was delivered by UPS.
While reading this book I kept disturbing my college roommates with "oh, listed to this" or "ha, this paragraph is hilarous."
I like the moved based on this book -they did a good job. But I don't believe it did the book justice because they skipped half the story. This book tells two stories that intertwine, but the movie only goes over the later story. Some of the best parts of this book are is magical/mythical stories of the protaganists heritage.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
I've spent many sleepless nights reading. Most of these nights were in preparation for school, but I stayed up all night reading Ender's Game because I got so invested in the characters.
I don't think this is the best book ever written, but I believe it should be placed on a short list. The plot is legendary, the characters are complex, and the style is superb.
I've heard criticism that this book is aimed at children, but I don't understand how that changes how great this book is. Perhaps the diction is not as extensive as Philip Roth or Michael Chabon, but I believe Orson can write circles around these two if only because characters are actual characters (as opposed to the same character with different names).
I've spent many sleepless nights reading. Most of these nights were in preparation for school, but I stayed up all night reading Ender's Game because I got so invested in the characters.
I don't think this is the best book ever written, but I believe it should be placed on a short list. The plot is legendary, the characters are complex, and the style is superb.
I've heard criticism that this book is aimed at children, but I don't understand how that changes how great this book is. Perhaps the diction is not as extensive as Philip Roth or Michael Chabon, but I believe Orson can write circles around these two if only because characters are actual characters (as opposed to the same character with different names).
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Saints by Orson Scott Card
This book may have influenced my life more than almost any other book -I hadn't read much before this.
I picked up a copy of this book at the Grant a Wish Foundation in Baltimore. They had a small library for the parents who are staying there -while their kids are at Johns Hopkins. When I saw the book and what it was about, I asked the front desk if I could take it -no one really used the library anyway. They gave it to me and two years later I read it.
At the time, it was the longest book I'd read -1200 pages. In addition to it's length, Orson tackles the often overlooked topic of Joseph Smith's multiple wives. Mormons who know about it, wont deny it, but a lot of Mormons just don't know Joseph practiced polygamy. This didn't cause me to question my faith, but it did get me to question my ideas of friendship, religion, and dating.
This book focuses on two women who join the faith and who eventually both marry Joseph Smith. Their relationships inspired me to focus more on the lasting content of a friendships and relationships -a childish lesson for an embarrassingly older child.
Once I confirmed that Joseph Smith did have multiple wives (which his first wife Emma didn't know about), I started to question why this information was withheld from me. I went through years of Sunday School and seminary (a Mormon financed bible study held daily during school hours). I guess this didn't necessarily rock my faith, but it did start the questioning.
This book may have influenced my life more than almost any other book -I hadn't read much before this.
I picked up a copy of this book at the Grant a Wish Foundation in Baltimore. They had a small library for the parents who are staying there -while their kids are at Johns Hopkins. When I saw the book and what it was about, I asked the front desk if I could take it -no one really used the library anyway. They gave it to me and two years later I read it.
At the time, it was the longest book I'd read -1200 pages. In addition to it's length, Orson tackles the often overlooked topic of Joseph Smith's multiple wives. Mormons who know about it, wont deny it, but a lot of Mormons just don't know Joseph practiced polygamy. This didn't cause me to question my faith, but it did get me to question my ideas of friendship, religion, and dating.
This book focuses on two women who join the faith and who eventually both marry Joseph Smith. Their relationships inspired me to focus more on the lasting content of a friendships and relationships -a childish lesson for an embarrassingly older child.
Once I confirmed that Joseph Smith did have multiple wives (which his first wife Emma didn't know about), I started to question why this information was withheld from me. I went through years of Sunday School and seminary (a Mormon financed bible study held daily during school hours). I guess this didn't necessarily rock my faith, but it did start the questioning.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
I believe I read this book too late in life -similar to Catcher in the Rye, but I still appreciated it's message.
That being said, I believe the message may have been a little too blatent. I like coming to my own conclusions, but this message seemed to obvious/planned.
The language in this book is a little different, fun, and in my opinion the best part of the book.
I believe I read this book too late in life -similar to Catcher in the Rye, but I still appreciated it's message.
That being said, I believe the message may have been a little too blatent. I like coming to my own conclusions, but this message seemed to obvious/planned.
The language in this book is a little different, fun, and in my opinion the best part of the book.
The Commissariat of Enlightenment by Ken Kalfus
You can judge a book by it's cover -it may not be accurate, but I was spot on with this one.
I picked this book up at a bookstore based on the cover and I was absolutely thrilled with my selection.
The writing style wasn't anything too great, but the story was fantastic. Multiple protagonists mixed up in the Russian revolution. None with any particularly strong role in the revolution, but each depicting important aspects of the time.
The part of this book that stuck with me is the embalming of Lenin. Sounds odd, but Lenin was an important symbol for the revolution and the true story behind the body is magical and bizarre.
Worth a read.
You can judge a book by it's cover -it may not be accurate, but I was spot on with this one.
I picked this book up at a bookstore based on the cover and I was absolutely thrilled with my selection.
The writing style wasn't anything too great, but the story was fantastic. Multiple protagonists mixed up in the Russian revolution. None with any particularly strong role in the revolution, but each depicting important aspects of the time.
The part of this book that stuck with me is the embalming of Lenin. Sounds odd, but Lenin was an important symbol for the revolution and the true story behind the body is magical and bizarre.
Worth a read.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Drown & The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
I was assigned "Drown" for a contemporary English Lit class in college.
I didn't fall in love with the book immediately, but I grew to love his style of writing (his plots are a bit lacking, in my opinion). The stories in this book are so raw yet he does not spoil them with details. I liked it enough that I bought "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" years later.
I liked "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" more than "Drown." I feel that Junot Diaz has a similar style in both books, but that the plot was better in "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." I also liked the Gabriel García Márquez theme/magic in the book.
I didn't fall in love with the book immediately, but I grew to love his style of writing (his plots are a bit lacking, in my opinion). The stories in this book are so raw yet he does not spoil them with details. I liked it enough that I bought "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" years later.
I liked "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" more than "Drown." I feel that Junot Diaz has a similar style in both books, but that the plot was better in "The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." I also liked the Gabriel García Márquez theme/magic in the book.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
My year of meats by Ruth Ozeki
This book was assigned for a contemporary literature class.
I had just finished reading "Fast Food Nation," and was ready to read the same "book" again. It was not. At least this book had more of a narrative. The narrative made the book easier to read and remember, but because it had "fiction" written across the back cover it was less believable.
My favorite part of the book was when Ruth Ozeki introduced me to the sci-fi concept of aliens believing cows to be the rulers of the planet (mostly because of how we "serve them"). In the end this book is just a lot of propaganda -most of which I agree with, but propaganda just the same.
I had just finished reading "Fast Food Nation," and was ready to read the same "book" again. It was not. At least this book had more of a narrative. The narrative made the book easier to read and remember, but because it had "fiction" written across the back cover it was less believable.
My favorite part of the book was when Ruth Ozeki introduced me to the sci-fi concept of aliens believing cows to be the rulers of the planet (mostly because of how we "serve them"). In the end this book is just a lot of propaganda -most of which I agree with, but propaganda just the same.
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