Hello!
You have read (at least) one novel this quarter. Please share your reaction to that book, so that others may benefit from your experience. Please include a short summary of the book, as well as discussing its strengths and weaknesses. DO NOT GIVE THE PLOT AWAY...merely inform the readers of the initial situation. Be sure to indicate your recommendation, along with any rationale.
To add your response, please comment on this post. (Consider first composing it in Word and then copying and pasting it into the blog.)
Thank you!
Joe Villari
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161
October 27, 2011
Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a novel depicting events similar to those of the Russian Revolution that occur on a plot of land named Manor Farm. At the beginning of the novel, a boar named Old Major instills his belief that the animals should one day do whatever it takes to end their oppression by the humans. After Old Major’s death and a fight with the farmer of the land, a pig named Napoleon assumes control of the farm and renames it Animal Farm. At first, the farm thrives under his rule. Over time, however, Napoleon begins a reign of totalitarianism during which several of the animals are mistreated and killed. What will be the result of this newly found power structure?
One of the strengths of the novel is the parallelism of the plot and historical events. Joseph Stalin was the leader of Russia from 1941 to 1953. An example of the parallelism between the events that occurred on Animal Farm and in the Soviet Union are the great purges. In both the novel and the Soviet Union, many were mistreated and killed if the leader had any sense of distrust in that individual whatsoever. Another strength is the characterization of Napoleon. Napoleon has a very similar personality to Joseph Stalin. Like Stalin, he is power hungry and over time shows hypocrisy in his actions, but does not care because he is so selfish.
One of the weaknesses of the book is that there is no serious climax. One may say the climax is when Snowball is forced off the farm by a pack of hounds, but another might say it is when Napoleon purges the farm of those he does not trust. Each of these events is not thrilling enough to distinguish itself as the only possible climax of the book. Another weakness of the book is that one must have knowledge of the Russian Revolution for the author’s purpose to be successful. Without this knowledge, one cannot understand the satire and sarcasm towards the Russian Revolution.
The intended audience of this novel are those who were living during the Russian Revolution and the Stalin Regime. Another characteristic of the intended audience are that they must be aware of this foreign event. Therefore, one may conclude that the intended audience consists of literate adults, young and old, who were both living during Stalinist Russia and aware of the regime. One may assume that adults in the 1940s and 1950s are the only ones who can comprehend Russia’s government of this time along with Orwell’s satire towards it. A child would probably not have understood that comparing Russia to a farm and Stalin to a pig were satirical.
This book is recommended for anyone who has learned about the events of the Soviet Union during Stalin’s reign. It does a great job of not only explaining the events of this time, but it is also quite comical due to the immense amount of satire used by Orwell.
Allie Schneider
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161 8/9
26 October 2011
Patricia McCormick does a great job of painting the picture of the Iraq war in the reader’s mind in her novel Purple Heart. McCormick wrote this novel in the third person which allows her readers to observe not only the main character’s feelings, but also the people around him. Through the main character’s eyes, we are able to see the hardships young American soldiers go through. This makes the novel easier to comprehend. McCormick also makes her novel more interesting and engaging by showing different viewpoints of the war from each character which became apparent throughout each riveting chapter.
The strengths of McCormick’s writing far outweighs the weaknesses in Purple Heart. Some examples of her strengths in this novel are that she clearly identifies her character’s emotions and has a strong opening. The emotions she portrays are so vivid that you can relate and have an emotional connection to that character. McCormick also starts off the novel strong by creating the scene of the narrator at the hospital after an accident. One weakness is that McCormick could focus less on the narrator’s rehabilitation and more on his life after his accident. Another weakness is that she could use less mature dialect to fit with the character’s age. Looking past the minor weaknesses, McCormick did a great job grasping the war scene with the young soldiers.
McCormick keeps her audience in mind throughout the novel. The audience she wrote for is for around 15 years and older. She uses mature language that would not be appropriate for younger than 15 year olds to read. Also, the concepts she uses are not suitable for ages 14 and below. It is a great novel to read when you are of age because then you will get the full concept and appreciate everything in it.
In conclusion, McCormick lets you see into the lives of young American soldiers. She visibly acknowledged the hardships they go through everyday and expressed their emotions so intensely that it brought tears to my eyes. The war life described in this novel sickens me. It was not only heartbreaking, but it was a wake up call to me. McCormick made it evident that your life can be taken in an instant and to not take your everyday tasks for granted. In my opinion, everyone 15 years and older should read this to recognize what American soldiers and their families are going through everyday.
Christine Gates
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English
26 October 2011
Many emotions can be felt when reading the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Feelings of happiness, anger, frightfulness, sadness, nervousness, and depression circulate throughout the novel and brain as the book progresses. This New York Times bestseller emulates the life of a boy named Amir. At the beginning he was happily living with his father, Baba, and their two servants and close companions, Ali and Hassan. Because of many tragic and unforgiving events and obstacles, Ali and Hassan left the home and never returned to see Baba or Amir again. After Baba and Amir moved to the United States for safety, their past rudely interfered with their present, seemingly happy lives. Shortly after Baba dies, Amir gets a call from an old friend in Afghanistan and is summoned there. At this point in time, Amir discovers who he really is and who Baba really was. He was given the chance to redeem himself and make what he did in the past better again.
The underlying message or theme in The Kite Runner is redemption. Amir was given the chance to redeem his past in a way that most people would dream of. He went to great troubles and overcame many complications to make sure he was finally doing the right thing after so many years. This amazing story and journey shows Amir’s journey toward forgiveness and acceptance in life. It portrays hardships that many people would not normally have to face in a grueling but also fascinating way.
This book has much strength along with a few weaknesses. Hosseini does a great job with the overall plot of the book. It is a somewhat easy read which allows the plot to really stand out and be the star of the book. Something exciting or unpredictable is always occurring in the course of the narrative. The great detail and action really expresses the hardships and danger of life in war-stricken lands like Afghanistan. This book also carries some weaknesses as well. There are many names in this book and they are all spelled and pronounced similarly. This can cause confusion when reading the book and trying to understand what different people are doing in different situations. Another weakness is the ending. I wish there would be more description at the end so readers can find out if Amir ends up happy or not. The conclusion leaves you with the chance to decide what you think, but I would like to know the characters definite feelings.
I think the intended audience for The Kite Runner is high school kids up through adults. This book is probably a little too detailed and gruesome at points to be acceptable for younger children to read. Overall this book is a very good read that emphasizes something that can be and seems very real.
Jay Thaxton
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English
26 October 2011
When writing No Safe Place, Deborah Ellis did a fantastic job on this third person novel. In this book, she described the hardships people have to go through to reach their goal. The main character of this book was a 15-year-old Kurdish boy named Abdul from the destroyed city of Baghdad. Throughout this book, Abdul is travelling to many different places on very low money and without any family or friends beside him to support him on his treacherous journey away from Baghdad. In Baghdad, he lived in a very shady house with many of his family members. Before he was even a teenager, all of Abdul’s close family member’s (Mother, Father, siblings) were all killed due to bombings and the war. Although Abdul faced many obstacles, he still managed to proceed with his best effort and make it toward his goal.
Throughout this book, Ellis used many very descriptive and vivid details to describe the scenery and the actions the characters were making. While using these details, Ellis made it so the reader could almost paint a picture about the scene and visually imagine what was occurring while reading. Although Ellis is very descriptive, in some scenes she would spend way too much time covering just one topic and needed to moved on or else the reader may get confused due to excessive detail. As well as being very talented at giving vivid details, Ellis is very good at introducing new characters into the novel and she makes it as if you are meeting this person in real life and you can picture them in your head. This is a very helpful strength because the reader can distinguish between different characters much better compared to many other books.
This book is intended for people interested in realistic fiction. I believe this because, it is very realistic in the sense that it is somewhat about today’s society especially the troubles people in the Middle East must deal with. Although it is fiction, it gives the non-fiction feel that others may desire and it seems to be very realistic. This book does have some parts that may not be appropriate for children, so I believe it is also intended for a more mature audience that can handle these disturbing events.
Personally, I thought that this book was well written and also very well put together. Ellis did a phenomenal job of showing the reader the troublesome obstacles that Abdul has to face and overcome to reach his goal and who Abdul would encounter on his journey away from Baghdad. It was very easy to pick up on the personalities of new characters and even visually what they looked like. So, overall this book was well put together and on an average reader’s level, so it was an easy read.
Andrew Sopko
ReplyDeleteMr.Stuebner
PSEO 161, 8/9 Period
October 26, 2011
Charles Dickens, author of the novel Great Expectations, wrote many of his novels from his own life experiences of which can be seen here. Dickens incorporated many parts from his childhood and youth in Great Expectations where the main character Pip expresses through his life much of Dickens’s own. Pip works at a job he hates, believes that he is too good for his surroundings, and experiences material success in London at a very early age similar to Dickens. Dickens incorporates much of what was happening around him during his lifetime this novel such as the numerous social changes that occurred with the outbreak of the industrial revolution showing its effect on the class system. Pip in this case lives with a town blacksmith and originally believes that he will one day become one himself. However, after Pip meets other characters such as Estella and Miss Havisham, who cruelly show him that he is a commoner, he has greater expectations for his own future and plans to make something of himself. Dickens wrote Great Expectations to show the transition from boyhood to manhood such as the one he experienced himself but portrayed through Pip.
Dickens was an exceptionally strong writer because of his ability to take the world around him and his own past and express it through another medium. Great Expectations is well written and the story flows from a boy with no other view of his simple future but being a blacksmith to working to become someone bigger. Probably Dickens’s greatest strength in writing this novel about boyhood moving into manhood and the expectations the boy sets for himself is that it is still relevant in this way today. People from the now less evident social classes do strive for better after struggling with themselves and the social structure built around them. Dickens wrote this book intending for not only the youth of his time to compare their lives to Pip’s and think of their own expectations for their own lives, but for the men already of his generation to look back and reflect on what decisions they made.
Great Expectations is a good read. It expresses many points of social classes and how people strive for something better after seeing what is beyond what they already have. Dickens conveys a better understanding of kindness, revenge, and one’s own expectations through Pip and the various other characters conveying his own life. Dickens may have written his novels many years ago but his writings are still popular today among all classes and walks of life. That fact is a simple testament to his great influence that was his written word.
Mitch McManaman
ReplyDeleteMr. Steubner
10/25/11
Book Report
Blank Confessions by Pete Hautman was an action packed book. Blank Confessions is told alternating by Mikey, Shayne, and Officer Rawls perspectives. The action of the book starts on the first page with Shayne walking into the police station to confess that he has committed murder. The police officer Rawls is shocked and has Shayne explain. Shayne does not hurry to tell the officer who the victim was. Instead he explains to the officer that he and his friend, Mikey, were bullied and involved in a drug scandal. Shayne had recently moved into town and immediately became friends with Mikey. Mikey was very strong and could not stand up for himself. Shayne, on the other hand, was strong and the bullies were scared of him. With all these pressures on Shayne and Mikey, Shayne eventually snapped to protect his friend. The reader does not find out who was killed until the end of the book.
Hautman does an amazing job with the plot. I really enjoyed how this book got right to the action. In the first couple of pages it reveals that the main character, Mikey, has committed murder. This instantly gave me hundreds of questions about the book such as, “who is Mikey,” “why did he do it,” ”who did he murder?” With all these questions shooting through my head, it made me want to continue to read. Throughout this whole book there is action. I enjoy books where there is not much dry time in between big events. Hautman also does a good job in developing the characters. I liked that he gave a good background about each of the characters, it made it easy to understand the book. Another thing that I really enjoyed about Blank Confessions was that it had a good moral behind the book. It really gave me a good idea about how a person feels and their thoughts when they are bullied.
The only complaint that I had about this book was that every once in awhile it would give random facts that did contribute to the book. I just thought that throwing in these random facts distracted me from the book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to all readers. It is a short, quick read, which has a very good message behind it. I would especially recommend this book to readers that enjoy action. It is hard to put this book down as you will always want to know what happens next.
Ryan Schneider
ReplyDelete10/27/11
Mr. Stuebner
Blog
The book Ironman by Chris Crutcher is a story about the struggles a 17 year old boy, Beauregard Brewster, goes through as he trains for the ironman triathlon. He is in conflict with his dad and his old football coach. He uses his anger with his dad to help him train for the ironman until he is forced to enroll into an anger management class that makes him tackle his problems directly.
The intended readers for this book are young adults but mostly teens around the same age as Brewster. It is so easy for people around that age to connect with Brewster. If someone said they did not have any similarities with Brewster after reading this book, they would be lying. Sometimes it may even seem like you are reading about your own life situations. It combines the excitement in sports that every teen enjoys with the emotional stress and struggles that everyone encounters at one point in their life.
One of the things that made me enjoy the book so much is the letters that Brewster wrote all throughout the book. They all were addressed to Larry King, a CNN TV personality. The book was written in third person but the letters that Brewster wrote were in first person. This sort of gave the story from two different points of views and also made it like a bunch of little diaries spread out among the text. They give Brewster’s thoughts and feelings a little more and go in-depth on them. Despite the letters improving the story, the book still had some down sides. At times, the story seemed to be boring, although, a book cannot be exciting every paragraph of every chapter. Taking into account all of the good things about this book and all of the not so good things about this book, I can say that I like my decision to read this book and if I had the same opportunity in the future, I would not choose any differently.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone trying to find a book to read. It was neither a complex read that needs a lot of thinking and brain power nor an easy read that is boring. It combines the fun of sports with the emotional struggles that every teenager has. Ironman is a book that everyone should read at least once in their life because it is very enjoyable and easy to relate to.
Melissa Moore
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English
25 October 2011
A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of the best books I have read during my high school years. It is the second novel by Khaled Hosseini, who was also the author of The Kite Runner. Like The Kite Runner, Khaled also uses the third person point of view in A Thousand Splendid Suns. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story of two women living in Afghanistan in the late 1900s. These two women are Mariam and Laila and they meet in Kabul, where a majority of the book takes place. Other settings described in the book are Herat, Afghanistan and Murree, Pakistan.
The story starts off with Mariam is the daughter of a wealthy man and his maid. Mariam and her mother were ignored by her father’s family and were sent to live far away from the city up on a hill in Herat, Afghanistan. When her mother dies, her father forces her to marry Rasheed, a shoemaker who lives in Kabul. At this part of the book, the reader sees the abusive relationship Mariam has with Rasheed. Rasheed beats Mariam several times, and Mariam goes through several miscarriages. Then, the book shifts its focus to a second woman, a teenager named Laila. Laila grows up in the same Kabul neighborhood as Mariam and Rasheed, and forms a strong friendship with a boy named Tariq. It is in this part of the book that the bombings and wars begin to take place in Kabul, and tragedy strikes Laila’s family. Laila’s two brothers are killed in the line of duty, and her mother is never the same again. Hosseini develops an intricate relationship between Laila and her father because of her brothers’ deaths. However, when Laila is around sixteen, her life takes a twist, and Mariam and Laila’s lives are evermore intertwined. At first they dislike each other, but then develop a close bond that stays with both of them forever.
The strengths of the book are the rich amount of detail and the intricate plot lines of both Mariam and Laila’s lives. Another strength in the book is that in the end, all loose ends are tied up. The only weakness in the book is the graphic details of the bombings in Kabul are a little bit graphic. The book is amazing because it expertly describes the harsh rules of discipline that the women of Afghanistan had to go through in that time period. The intended audience of A Thousand Splendid Suns is fans of historical fiction and anyone who liked the book The Kite Runner. So, if you are interesting in reading a good book, pick up a copy of A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Chris McGaughey
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 191, Period 8/9
27 October 2011
Paul Rusesabagina saved the lives of 1,268 people in Rwanda. In his autobiography, An Ordinary Man, he tells his humbled experience with the Rwandan genocide in 1994. An Ordinary Man is the story that inspired the award winning movie Hotel Rwanda. Rusesabagina shares his story of how he managed to save the lives of over 1,200 people by hiding them in his luxury hotel called the Milles Collines. Rusesabagina’s story involves his memory of the horrendous murders, the frightening conversations with army leaders, and seeing his neighbors and friends turn into machete-using killers.
The strengths of the story include the passion and in depth details that Rusesabagina has been able to recall. This story is by no means a joyful read but has a very strong message. Rusesabagina story shows the ability of an ordinary man to perform heroic actions and make a positive difference in people’s lives though he does not consider himself a hero. He is able to speak of the horrible events and explain them very clearly because these are memories that will never be suppressed. Rusesabagina had to live through every event that occurs in this story and that strengthens this particular story that involves the genocide in Rwanda. The writing and indispensable details that are provided make you feel like you are watching a movie in your mind. The emotion that is displayed by Rusesabagina is incredible. To know every thought that is racing through his head while 1,200 people’s lives are at stake is truly unbelievable. The vivid details make the book very difficult to put down because it entices you to continue reading.
Because of the horrific and upsetting subject matter of Rusesabagina’s experiences, the intended audience of An Ordinary Man is for mature people who can handle such gruesome details. This autobiography is not intended for weak-stomached people and should be strongly considered before being read. The content of the story includes an approximate sixth to ninth grade reading level Rusesabagina’s story falls under a historical category because it is based on events that actually occurred in Rwanda. The story is very factual and has many historical facts to learn about. An Ordinary Man has a very has inspirational message and should be a must read for anyone who can handle the ghastly events of the African genocide.
Rachael Campo
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161 8/9o
October 28, 2011
Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton is an inspiring story about a young girl who gets attacked by a shark. The shark not only takes her left arm, but her dreams of one day becoming a professional surfer. This story is told in the first person, and is an autobiography about the author’s life after a shark attack. This book is directed towards teenage girls such as Hamilton, but the book is appropriate for people of all ages. Hamilton uses very informal language in her book. An example of this is when she uses “faves” instead of favorites. The author also includes various definitions of surfing terms to help the reader understand the sport she loves. The book is very similar to a diary, because in this book Hamilton states her innermost thoughts and beliefs. One reoccurring theme is her belief in God. Hamilton believes that God has a plan for her, and that He has chosen her to use her story to spread His word.
A strength of the book is how inspirational Hamilton’s story is. The book portrays the message “never give up on your dreams.” This theme is repeated throughout the book, and it teaches readers the importance of pursuing your dream. Hamilton’s incredible story emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, and religion. The author does an excellent job explaining how her faith in God has helped her survive her attack and give her the courage to tell her moving story. Hamilton’s story also easily relates to anyone who has ever lost something they treasure. She encourages her readers to persevere through any obstacles they may encounter, and to never lose sight of who they are.
Although inspiring, Soul Surfer does have some weaknesses, including how unorganized the author’s thoughts are. The book jumps around to different events in Hamilton’s life and is very chaotic. Another weakness of the book is that the story has no plot. At the beginning of the book the reader is immediately told that the author lost her arm in a shark attack. The vast majority of the book is about the celebrities Hamilton has met since her accident, and the amount of worldwide recognition she has received.
Soul Surfer has many different strengths and weaknesses, but overall the book is a “good read.” Bethany Hamilton’s story is very enjoyable, and it teaches the reader a thing or two about life, surfing, and never giving up.
Austin Wright
ReplyDeletePSEO English
Mr. Stuebner
October 28, 2011
Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers was an interesting book that I have mixed feelings about. I read a book by Myers previously, which was set in Vietnam. The book was titled Fallen Angels and I greatly enjoyed it. I hoped that Sunrise over Fallujah would be in a similar vein but it was quite different. Sunrise over Fallujah takes place in the early beginnings of the war in the Middle East. The parts of the story that focused on the characters were excellent and I liked them a lot. Myers can describe characters very well and he makes the reader care about them. Most of the book was conversations between the characters which helped develop the characters but sometimes was a little boring.
While Myers develops characters and the setting well, books need exciting sequences in between the sequences of calm to keep the reader interested. In a book taking place in a war zone, these action scenes often involve combat. One of Fallen Angels’ high points was in how Myers described the characters fear during ambushes and other situations. In Sunrise over Fallujah however, I feel like all he did was describe the scene and then talk about emotions afterwards. To describe the combat in his story with one word, I would choose numb. The action scenes just don’t seem realistic. Sometimes this would distract me from reading the story.
Another facet of Sunrise over Fallujah that I thought was confusing was related to the characters. The main characters that Myers creates are great characters. Robin, aka Birdy, is the main character that the story centers around. His friends are also great characters that keep the reader interested and nervous for their safety. So basically, given enough pages, Myers can develop characters that the reader cares about and are interesting. The problem arises with the minor characters. Higher ranked officers and squad leaders are given back stories and interact with the main character but on the occasion where one is in danger, I realized that I really didn’t care. Writing this, I can’t even remember most of their names. The secondary characters just weren’t developed enough to keep me interested.
Sunrise over Fallujah wasn’t all bad however. The environments and main characters were well written and the story had an exciting climax. All things considered, I would give this story a 8 out of 10. The story is better than many stories out there but doesn’t excel in key areas. To improve his story, Myers should revise the combat and further develop his minor characters. If he does, Myers will have a great book on his hands.
Lacy Leduc
ReplyDeleteGood Blogs
10/28/11
In the book “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, it takes place in a small town named Holcomb, Kansas. Holcomb is not very populated but it is well known for its farming. The Clutter Family has four members of their family; Mom, Dad, a daughter Nancy and a son Kenyon. One night, the family is robbed and all four of their lives are taken. This comes as a huge surprise to everybody in the town because they are so close knit, it forces the people to start overthinking each other and questioning whether or not they really do know one another. The killers of the Clutter Family now have an elaborate plan of how they are going to escape the law until a man from the Kansas Penitentiary speaks out to the police. From this point forward, every detail is starting to lead back to the killers until they are tracked down.
The ending of the book is when the author Truman Capote comes in. As a journalist in this story, he gets firsthand information from the killers what exactly happened. The last chapter of the book is the killers being put to trial and elaborates on everything the police had to go through and both the killers were put through. It also shows clearly how the court system worked back in the 1960’s and is easy to see the changes from then until now. I think the intended audience for this book is an older more mature crowd.
The book is very wordy and very graphic but the wordiness of the book is appreciated by the reader because of the deep extent it goes to in order to explain all the details of the murders and the murderers attempts to escape and run from the police. However the graphics of the murder scene and some of the mature comments made gives the feel that it is for an older crowd and an older audience. A big strength in the book for me was the content. I am really interested in murders and the following action to find justice for those who lost their lives. Also, the way the author went about writing the book was a strength because he made it very relatable and made the readers feel like they were there throughout the whole story.
A weakness of the book in my opinion was how the author vaguely touched based upon the killers background and when it came to the trial we heard about many different things that you never knew about them. I think for a better understanding of the book it would’ve been easier for me had I been made aware of the situation before the trials. The book in my overall opinion was very interesting and it always held my interest. It is definitely a page turner and constantly keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. It was a hard book to put down, but at the same time the suspense of the book and the eerie story line made it hard to want to keep reading. If you find interest in murders, this would be a great book to read.
Rachel Sodeé
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161
26 October 2011
What would you sacrifice if you could have just one more moment with a loved one who has passed away? The inspirational book by Mitch Albom entitled For One More Day is a quick, enlightening novel that sheds light on this question. Albom does so through the relationship of Chick Benetto and his deceased mother, whom throughout the story explore the world together—for just one more day. If you are looking for a truly good read and are not afraid to explore the concepts of faith and virtue, then I feel confident in saying For One More Day is the right book for you.
Albom takes the reader on a trip throughout the early life of Benetto and quickly comes to the current day Chick—lost, depressed, and on the verge of suicide. As Chick’s life flashes before his eyes, he is transposed to his childhood house in which a mesmerizing, and confusing, day pursues with his mother whom has already passed away. Chick’s mother takes him to many different places with many interesting people, and as his “one more day” comes to a close, Chick makes life changing realizations that impact his life after this magical day that flirts with the supernatural.
Albom crafts For One More Day, in a very eerie and thought-provoking manner that leads the reader to question their own thoughts on life and death and everything in between. Albom efficiently uses anecdotes from Chick’s past life, and switches from current day to the past, which I found added variation and interest to the book. The chapters are relatively short and are very easy to read, which made the book a fast and fun choice that still had a touching moral and literary merit. I think my absolute favorite quality of this novel was that I went into reading it without any expectations; but the story is so inspirational that I couldn’t help but to take something from the book. The story of Chick Benetto truly evokes new light and thought upon a subject that I had not much previously pondered. My only complaint concerning the story was that the day Chick spends with his mother is very short, and I wish it would have lasted longer with more details. For One More Day lacks any true, apparent weakness and is an overall quick read with an inspiring moral.
The intended audience of this novel would generally be any person with a spiritual side who is willing to accept unbelievable circumstances, and just go with it. While the story at some points seem implausible and far-fetched, one must understand that the concept of heaven and destiny is not concrete and is variegated. Therefore sometimes in the novel things cannot be explained, but Albom accepts that as a part of his story. Anyone could read this book and get something out of it, but one with an open mind is the reader who would obtain the most from the book For One More Day, a novel about faith, losing, and what it means to truly live.
`Tom Parsons
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161
October 27, 2011
I read the novel, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy of books about futuristic government and survival. This intense and eye-opening read is well known and reviewed by many. To my surprise, this book actually lived up to the high expectations others had set for it. I had heard from adults and teenagers alike that this book was amazing and captivating. At first I was skeptical and expected just another trendy book, but now I agree with those that recommended the book to me. It was all they said it would be and more. It was one of those books that kept you on edge, turning the pages faster and faster, but at the same time it made you stop and think about very deep questions. I believe that the book touched on some issues that were so deep that most of its audience could not even fully comprehend its meaning.
The Hunger Games targets a wide audience. Collins wrote the novel in a relatively simple way which could be easily read and understood by grade school children, but at the same time, the deep meaning behind these seemingly simple words, captures ideas that are so complex, many adults might have trouble fully comprehending their whole meaning. Different ages may take different levels of meaning out of the novel, but all ages and skill levels will be able to read it and enjoy it.
Although The Hunger Games is easily one of my favorite books, there a few weaknesses in the writing. I was slightly disappointed by the extremely small amount of dialogue throughout the book and wish that the characters would have had more verbal interaction. The main character, Katniss, often refers to conversations and events, but there is little actual back and forth dialogue allowing us not only into the mind of Katniss, but also of other characters in the novel. Dialogue adds another dimension to a story, giving new perspectives and lively action. Fortunately, this slight weakness is easily outweighed by lively action in other dimensions of the story and can be overlooked by the fact that the main character has a truly unique view that deserves much time and consideration.
Suzanne Collin’s greatest strength is her ability to capture such deep meaning in such simple text. I would not be surprised if I would have been able to read this text when I was in fourth or fifth grade, however I would also not be surprised if I never fully understood the meaning behind the text. This is a truly amazing accomplishment and the mark of a great writer. To convey deep ideas and complicated thoughts in simple speech is a rare talent. Writers talking about topics this complicated often get bogged down in too many words, but Collins manages to keep the full meaning of the text while not following the pitfalls of others. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid to think deep and is willing to expose themselves to heavy topics. Without giving away the ending, all I will say is that it is very action packed and is well worth the journey. My only problem with the ending is it was so good that now I have to read the next book!
Matt Russell
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English
October 5, 2011
Making Choices Writing Prompt
Many people believe that there is only one choice in a profession, to help others or to do well financially. It is often a misconception that with more money comes more greed. An example of a person that this describes is Donald Trump, whom is the least charitable billionaire. While for some people donating is the way to help out others, many do not have the money to do so. So instead they choose to volunteer in many activities to help out the less fortunate such as soup kitchens. Many people who are financially successful do give back to the community and help others, which helped get them to where they are today. Examples of people who give back to the community with their own money they earned are Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, and Brad Pitt.
A misleading belief behind many wealthy individuals is that they are greedy. While this belief is in fact true for some financially successful people, it is also not true for many others. The most common way for financially stable individuals to help others is in the form of charities and donations. Some people even go further to found their own charities to help out specific problems. This is can be the easiest way for wealthy people to donate money and to help others. Many movie stars that make lots of money do feel the need to give some to charities and organizations, besides, what are they really going to do with all their money they earn?
An example of an individual who is seen as an inspiration to many is Oprah Winfrey. She has donated approximately 400-500 million dollars to charities and foundations. Winfrey is a big supporter of The Angel Network and her own Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Winfrey also advocated these foundations on her popular show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Winfrey is approximately worth about three billion dollars. Brad Pitt is a famous movie star that is also very active in his donations to the community. Pitt has donated to many widespread causes and charities such as the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and the Doctors without Borders Foundation. Although his charitable donations are not as high as others, he is seen as an inspiration to many, and for him to donate the amount he does makes other people want to help out.
The individual that has single handedly donated the most to charities is Warren Buffet. Buffet has donated billions of dollars to charities, most of any individual ever. He is currently worth about 39 billion dollars. This amount of money Buffet has donated proves many people’s beliefs and misconceptions wrong. For an individual do donate this amount of money shows the selflessness and willingness to help others. Many people can only dream about this kind of money to have of their own, and he is willing to donate it without a heartbeat.
Eric Simecek
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161
28 October 2011
The Pearl
John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, is book set in the early 1900’s. Starting off telling the bad fortune of a good hearted family of three, good things begin to change the fortune of the family. The family discovers a colossal pearl, they realize their fortune and think only good things are to come for them. Not everything they want comes true and they don’t seem to have the best of luck for the rest of the novel.
As I began The Pearl I soon realized that the story was very wordy. Although the book only reaches a little over 100 pages, the story could be condensed down even more. It takes Steinbeck a very long time to describe the little things that happen in the story. Now this is most likely an attempt to make you feel like you are in the story but in this book that isn’t always the case. There is a lot of repetition in the small aspects of the tale and not much focus on the big picture. And frankly I find the plot to be very dull and “cookie cutter” style. It’s a plot that anybody could write. However maybe that is the beauty behind it; if the “bad things happen to good people” motif was never told in such a way maybe there wouldn’t be more great novels written in the same way.
Although I find small parts of the book to be only sub-par, I do find the overall quality to be very worthy and many aspects to be exquisite. His symbolism of the pearl is impeccable; I find it very easy to connect to your own life. Also with the easiness of connection, the book is in its own way suspenseful. Sometimes parts of the story don’t seem possible to happen in real life but it all adds to the story in a positive manner. Steinbeck creates a sad ending to a book that turned sad suddenly. The way it is conveyed puts the perfect twist to make you want to read more into the story after it is over, but it is changed enough that you can put the book down feeling satisfied with the read.
All in all I recommend that at some point in your life everybody read this book. At first I was excited to read The Pearl because of the short number of pages but nearing the end I was hoping there was more to the story and that it didn’t have to end. In my opinion I believe that this cannot be told in any better way. The story is told in simple enough terms that a 10 year old could read the book and find the overall plot, but it is read in such a way that a retired 70 year old can find enjoyment in the hidden complexity of The Pearl.
Jake Crook
ReplyDeletePSEO English 161
11/11/11
8-9 Period
Of all the books that I have read in my past, there are only a few of them that I enjoyed. Among the few is a book written by Paul Volponi called Rooftop. Rooftop gives a firsthand encounter of what it is like to live in the housing projects and the challenges that come with it. After reading the story, people will be able to relate the many problems of the imperfect world which we live in.
Rooftop is a story about cousins Clay and Addison. Growing up in the project, acting like brothers Clay and Addison were very close until a family argument separated them. Clay enters a drug rehabilitation program due to his drug addiction. During one of the group therapy sessions Clay attends for his addiction, Addison shows up at the same program and they reunite.
While the cousins are in the program, Clay begins to turn his life around and stops smoking. Addison however, does not stop his addiction of selling drugs. This leads to Addison's own downfall where he ends up being fatally shot by a police officer. After this event, Clay begins to focus on doing the right things and becomes more of an adult. However when news about Addison's death reaches his family and friends, they all became outraged and want the police officer who shot Addison sent to jail. Now Clay has to decide on whether he will tell the truth or tell a lie to support Addison's family and friends.
I thought Rooftop was a well written story about the relationship of Clay, Addison, and their family and friends. Since the story was told through Clay's view point, I was able to feel more in touch with the characters and setting. This story is able to provide readers with the realism of the projects by adding street slang into the dialog. What I also liked is that the story did not drag out and it was very entertaining. However, I think that some of Rooftop's weaknesses are that the dialogue had too much swearing which made it unpleasant to read. Some of the characters in the story were lacking personality which made them feel plain and boring.
Rooftop was a good book to read despite the problems it has. I think that Rooftop's intended audience is teens and younger adults. The story line is not too complicated and can be enjoyed for those intended people. I think older adults may find that the story line is not interesting and could be a little too easy for them to read.
Mindy Dills
ReplyDeleteMr. Stuebner
PSEO English 161
11/11/11
A Patch of Blue by Elizabeth Kata is a very inspirational book. It shows some controversial social,issues, such as being a different race or being blind. The main character, Selina, is a blind girl who works at home all day basically being a slave for her mother. One day she meets Gordon, her African American friend, and he discovers that she is very uneducated and cannot even read Braille and is abused at home by her mother. Later he finds out that it was her mother that caused her to become blind, by being so abusive. This book is very interesting to me in the way that the author wrote it.
There are many strengths and weakness that go along with this book. One strength about this book is that it shows that it really shouldn't be about what race a person is or what they look like because if you fall for that person then you fall for that person. Also, the author portrays Selina as innocent and we later find out that Selina is very naive and doesn't really know what is going on around her. A last strength about this book is that the author shows that Selina is very independent and does not really care what her parents think about Gordon. In general this is a very well written novel.
Although there are many strengths there are some weaknesses that go along with this book. One weakness that stuck out to me was that Kata used the color black in Selina's mind as a bad color. I think that it wasn't a very good idea to use because even though her parents' do not like African American people, it shouldn't force Selina into not liking them. There weren't many other weaknesses brought to my attention, I thought this was a very well written novel.
In my opinion, I think that this book was definitely intended more for older people back in the days when racism was a big issue. Racism is still is an issue in the present days and I think that more people should read this book so that they can see that it really isn't all about what's on the outside of a person, but what's on the inside. So in general people that are in high school or out of high school would be the main target of this book's intended readers.
Zach Little
ReplyDelete8/9
Stuebner
PSEO English
William Golding is a very good writer and he demonstrates this in his book The Lord Of The Flies. The story takes place on an island that a group of kids get stranded on after a plane crash. There are no adults on this island, so the boys are forced to try to survive on their own until they are rescued. Ralph becomes the leader of the group and tries to develop rules, similar to a democracy, so they can survive. In the beginning they get along fine and everything is going well for the most part. Then things very slowly begin to fall apart until the group splits into two separate groups. Jack is the rebel and is the dictator of one group and Ralph is the leader of the original group. Jack gets most of the kids to side with him because he is a hunter and he has food. The kids find a dead guy that landed on the island after parachuting out of his plane. They mistake him for a beast, but when Simon returns to tell them there is no beast. They mistake him for the beast and attack him and they kill him. Only a few kids still remain in Ralph’s group when they attack Jack’s group they kill one, tie up two, and Ralph escapes into the forest. Hopefully the kids will get off the island sooner than later. I enjoyed this book because of the amount of detail Golding gives and his understanding of how kids interact.
When you read Golding’s book you can tell that one of his strengths is making you feel like you are watching the events unfold. When they travel through the jungle you can feel the grass on your legs and as it gets dark. The crisp air from the water on your face and the fear of walking through the jungle that little kids would fear. Ralph and his group are walking on the beach to go try and combine the two groups again. As they are walking Golding describes what you would see if you were with them. He says “the sky and the mountain were at immense distance, shimmering in the heat; and the reef was lifted by mirage, floating in a kind of silver pool halfway up the sky.” This makes me feel like I am standing on the beach looking at the mountain and the reef. Golding not only makes you feel like you are there, but also understands how young boys would act if they were on an island alone.
I think that the way that Golding describes the boys and events is very close to how they would act if this were a true story. There is Simon who is the quiet kid that keeps to himself and enjoys being in the woods. Ralph is the kid that likes to be the leader and also make everyone happy. Jack is the kind of kid that ruins everything and likes to be in control. Jack likes to boss kids around and make them do what he wants them to do. The rest of the boys don’t really know what to do so they just follow along. The boys on the island are more focused on playing and worrying about who is in control that they forget about their basic survival. Such as the signal fire to tell passing boats that they are on the island and going and finding food other than berries that make them sick.
I really like the way that Golding writes his books with detail and keeps you interested. I never wanted to put this book down and I was always eager to read more. There was always something new happening and it was always interesting to read.