Review #18: "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame

Favorite Quotes:

"he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea." -page 8

" The Mole never heard a word he was saying. Absorbed in the new life he was entering upon, intoxicated with the sparkle, the ripple, the scents and the sounds and the sunlight, he trailed a paw in the water and dreamed long waking dreams." -page 11

"we must all live and let live" -page 52

"and they braced themselves for the last long stretch, the home stretch, the stretch that we know is bound to end, some time, in the rattle of the door-latch, the sudden firelight, and the sight of familiar things greeting us as long-absent travellers from far oversea." -page 56

"Indeed, much that he related belonged more properly to the category of what-might-have-happened-had-I-only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of-ten-minutes-afterwards. Those are always the best and the raciest adventures; and why should they not be truly ours, as much as the somewhat inadequate things that really come off?" -page 151

About the Main Character:

The Mole is probably the main character of the story although there are four animals that take the lead at different parts of this novel. He lives a modest, uneventful life until he decides to venture away from his home one day. He quickly befriends the Water Rat and his adventures begin!

Another Character to Note:

Mr. Toad is the conceited, boastful, wealthy animal of River Bank. He keeps the story interesting with his constant mishaps. From stealing cars to breaking out of prison, he just can't quite figure it out. That is until he loses his home to a few unwelcome visitors from the Wild Wood.

Plot Breakdown:

This is a novel about the Mole, the Water Rat, the Badger, and the Toad and how they band together in friendship to explore the land they live in and all the trouble they can get into.

And that is basically it. The writing is very elaborate and each noun gets about six adjectives. 

 The kindness and dedicated friendship is my favorite part of the novel, but overall I found it to be a really slow and rather boring read.

Something Interesting to Note:

I don't know if this is something to note, but I couldn't decide for the majority of the novel what a "Water Rat" was? I still can't decide. I mean I'm assuming it's a rat, but did Grahame make up this "Water Rat" title because his personified character lived on the river? Or are there actual animals called "water rats"? I would love to know what anyone else thinks!

Should you read The Wind in the Willows before you die?

This one is a no for me. It's only 165 pages and I swear it took me over a week to read it because I was so bored. The stories are sweet, but way too fluffed up for my taste.

Review #17: "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

Favorite Quote:

"'Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters."

"Whenever he looked up from his plate he found the general studying him, appraising him narrowly."

"'God makes some men poets. Some He makes kings, some beggars. Me He made a hunter.'"

"'There is no greater bore than perfection.'"

"'I have electricity. We try to be civilized here.'"

"'Hunting at night is so much more exciting than by day, don't you think?'"

"like some prehistoric beaver, he began to dig."

About the Main Character:

Sanger Rainsford is an experienced hunter from New York City who revels the sport. He is on a boat headed for the Amazon to hunt jaguars when he accidentally falls overboard and is stranded on a mysterious island. His hunting and reasoning skills serve him well as he tries to survive all that awaits him there.

Another Character to Note:

General Zaroff is the millionaire who owns and resides on the mysterious island Rainsford happens upon. He, too, is an exceptional hunter who became so great at hunting that he got bored of such primitive prey. He decided to go after a more dangerous opponent...no matter the moral cost {and let's be real...he doesn't seem to notice any immorality issues!}

Plot Breakdown:

With this being a short story, it's hard not to give away the entire plot when summarizing it. Essentially Rainsford is faced with a dilemma on the island that changes some of his major perspectives in life. It's about right and wrong and how the line can be blurred by simple disregard for anyone else's well-being but your own. This story is face-paced and charged with action which keeps you reading until you're done and then starting over again because you can't quite believe what happened!

Something Interesting to Note:

Connell writes with a very clear and calculated plan. General Zaroff is deeply intrigued by Rainsford cunning ability to reason. So as Connell introduces us to Rainsford he tells us that he can tell time by the position of the sun; Rainsford's happy that he heard a pistol fired because that means there are men with food on the mysterious island; he can tell what kind of gun was shot by simply looking at the cartridge; and he can pick up a trail easily by finding hunting boot tracks. 

These skills will serve him well while on the island and Connell made his experience more believable because he included these details early on in the story.

Should you read "The Most Dangerous Game" before you die?

At first, I wrote a paragraph as to why I didn't think this was a must read, but my reasons didn't out-weigh the fact that this is simply entertaining, engaging, and well-written....so it's a yes!!

Review #16: "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Favorite Quotes:

"Burt took a white mouse out of the cage and showd him to me. Burt said thats Algernon and he can do this amazed very good." -page 7

"I dint know they had majers in collidge. I thot it was onley in the army." -page 20

"This morning Gimpy hes the head baker and he has a bad foot and he limps he used my name when he shouted at Ernie because Ernie losst a birthday cake. He said Ernie for godsake you trying to be a Charlie Gordon. I dont know why he said that. I never lost any packiges." -page 23

"What bothers me is that I can't put into words the way I feel." -page 80

"They would always find excuses to slip away, afraid to reveal the narrowness of their knowledge." -page 98

"Nothing in our minds is ever really gone." -page 195

"Watching Algernon squirm under those tiny bands this afternoon, I felt them around my own arms and legs. I started to gag and choke, and I had to get out of the lab for fresh air. I've got to stop identifying with him." -page 232

"I wept as I put a bunch of wild flowers on the grave." -page 258

About the Main Character:

Charlie Gordon works at a bakery where the other employees make fun of him, but because of his retardation he doesn't notice. His parents sent him away at a young age because he couldn't be normal. He takes classes for handicapped adults where he works hard to read and write. He stands out simply for his strong desire to learn. As a result of the recommendation of his teacher, Charlies has been selected to be the first human in a trial operation to increase his intelligence. After the operation, Charlie's life changes dramatically. He just can't decide if it was for the better or not.

Another Character to Note:

It's hard to pick only one supporting character to mention because so many of them are well developed. Charlie's mother, Rose, is interesting because of her drastic change of emotion towards her son once she realized he would never be like the other children his age. Alice, his teacher turned love interest, is engaging because she cared for Charlie deeply before his operation and that affection only grew. Alice represents the balance between intelligence and emotion that Charlie struggles to find throughout the novel. Professor Nemur is curious because he highlights faults in Charlie that he also contains, such as arrogance. He views Charlie as an experiment, not a person, which makes him very unlikeable. 

Plot Breakdown:

I feel like I've been giving too much away in these little breakdowns so I'm going to try and switch up this week :)

Charlie Gordon is chosen to undergo experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. Algernon is the mouse that they've seen the most success with in their trials. Charlie experiences a huge influx of genius and, as a result, his life is completely altered. He begins to see what his life was really like...full of ridicule he didn't understand and struggles because of his handicap. 

Emotions become difficult as he becomes cold with the increase in knowledge. Keyes creates a lot of intrigue with Charlie's skewed sexual perspective as a result of mistreatment as a child and a lifetime of ignorance on the subject. The way his emotional disconnect plays into his new life is riveting and heart-breaking all at the same time. 

What I loved most about this novel was the insight Keyes gives on how Charlie feels about the way people treated him before he had the operation. There are those who misused him because he didn't know any better. While Charlie is infuriated and hurt by the realization of that mistreatment, he seems to be equally as hurt about the condescending pity that he was shown. Even though the pity was not intended in the way the hateful acts were, they belittled Charlie just the same. 

All he ever wanted is for people to see him as a person.

Something Interesting to Note:

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the way Keyes changed the usage and grammar to coincide with Charlie's progress. The book is written in the form of progress reports from Charlie's perspective. At first he has no grammatical tools other than a period at the end of his sentences. His early reports are full of fragments and run-ons and words written as they sound rather than their correct spelling. There is obvious confusion on very basic subejcts, but Keyes also includes a warmth and obvious kindness in the early Charlie Gordon that makes him very likeable. 

As the transformation occurs, Charlie's grammar and usage develop with the level of his intelligence. But as he progresses, the warmth leaves his writing and is replaced by objectivity and directness. 

This affected speech makes the operation and Charlie's change more tangible to the reader. 

Keyes is extremely effective with this tool!

Should you read Flowers for Algernon before you die?

Simply because of the eye-opening effect it had on me, I would say yes! My instincts tell me to feel sorry for someone who is handicapped like Charlie. I automatically feel like I need to do anything and everything I can to make their life easier. I remember sitting in an airport cafeteria once waiting for a flight. While I sat their I noticed that the middle-aged custodial attendant working was limping and seemed to have other mental handicaps as well. My heart strings were immediately tugged. When he dropped some of his cleaner and went to reach for it and his broom fell over, I instantly jumped up to help him. But he wouldn't let me. I went back to the table with my feelings a little hurt and a touch embarrassed. I didn't get it then, but I do now. That man didn't need my pity; he simply needed me to treat him like a person who was capable of doing his job without my help.

 Charlie Gordon helped me learn that lesson.

Review #15: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Favorite Quotes:

"Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how." -page 7

"To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love;" -page 9

"He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again." -page 11

"Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed that, were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger." -page 48

"Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then. It is something to think of, and gives her a distinction among her companions." -page 131

"What are young men to rocks and mountains?" -page 145

"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." -page 176

"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd." -page 191

"'Yes,' replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, 'but that was only when I first knew her; for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.'" -page 246

"But how little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue, she could easily conjecture." -page 283

"Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her." -page 296

"'I often think,' said she, 'that there is nothing so bad as parting with one's friends. One seems so forlorn without them.'" -page 299

"I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing!" -page 316

"I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to any one less worthy." -page 343

About the Main Character:

Elizabeth Bennet is my favorite literary heroine. She is the second eldest of five sisters. She is her father's favorite and, I would guess, her mother's least. Lizzy "gives her opinion very decidedly for a girl of her age." She's described as second in beauty to her sister, Jane, who is basically supposed to be a babe and a half. Her downfall is her strong prejudice throughout the novel. She's pretty quick to decide what she thinks about a person and sticks with it until she is very clearly proven wrong. Yet, Austen makes Lizzy endearing despite her flaws. And don't even get me started on her love story with Darcy!

Another Character to Note:

Charlotte Lucas really stuck out to me in this reading! Before I really get into her character I want to share a couple of quotes about her:

"Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object: it was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and, however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." -page 115

"She had always felt that Charlotte's opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own; but she could not have supposed it possible that, when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage." -page 118

I remember once talking with a friend in college about Pride and Prejudice and about how much I love it and she agreed. She said she especially loved the risk Austen took with Charlotte Lucas and I didn't really understand what she meant. This friend then explained that it was a widely speculated opinion that Charlotte Lucas might have, secretly, preferred women. It completely blew my mind and as much as I wanted to discuss this idea, I hadn't read the novel recently enough to bring weight to the argument. 

As I read it this time, these two quotes stuck out as what might lead a reader to this assumption, especially the "without thinking highly of men" statement. I'm definitely not convinced, but it was interesting to read her character with that perspective in mind. 

I personally think that for many women at the time the concept of marriage was convoluted by fortune and security. I think, in those circumstances, it would be easy for a woman to think of men and marriage as a responsibility rather than a novelty to gush about. Charlotte was not a great beauty and had no means to care for herself without marriage, why would she be selective or even excited about marriage? She was just happy to have fulfilled her requirement as a woman and to eliminate the worry of being a burden on her parents; not everyone was as bold as Elizabeth to wait for actual attachment to form. 

Plot Breakdown:

This will likely be the most thorough plot breakdown I ever do, but it's Austen and I'm playing favorites :)

1. Netherfield Park is let at last...and who shall be the bride of Mr. Bingley?

2. The Prideful and Disagreeable Mr. Darcy...and so begins Lizzy's dislike of him.

3. An Invitation from the Bingley's and a Most Severe Cold...Mrs. Bennet's got game.

4. Darcy's affection for Lizzy develops...4and Caroline Bingley is a brat.

5. Jane and Lizzy go back to Longbourn...and Mr. Collins comes wife hunting.

6. Dear Mr. Wickham...and his story of misfortune at the hands of Mr. Darcy.

7. A Ball at Netherfield...awkward Darcy-Lizzy dancing!

8. Mr. Collins condescends to propose to Elizabeth...Mrs. Bennet is not pleased with the outcome.

9. Bingley leaves Netherfield and Caroline leaves Jane a letter...and she's still a brat.

10. The Lucas Marriage...Mr. Collins and Charlotte shall live a happy {and boring} ever after.

11. Wickham loses interest in Lizzy when another girls relative dies and leaves her a large sum...because he's slimy like that!

12. Lizzy visits Charlotte at Rosings...she meets Lady Catherine de Bourgh and sees more of Darcy!

13. Lizzy learns that Darcy sabotaged Jane's chances with Bingley even though he obviously loved her...because the Bennets are embarrasing and Jane didn't seem that into it. {She's just shy people!}

14. A Rather Poorly Worded Proposal...seriously Darcy "you're poor and you're parents and sisters are ridiculous...marry me anyway!" Uh....no, thank you!

15. Elizabeth tears into him about Wickham and Jane...and he writes her a note letting her know his side of things.

16. Lydia goes to Brighton and Elizabeth goes with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner {her uncle and aunt} to Pemberley...yes, Pemberley as in where Darcy lives.

17. The Most Adorable Tension Ever...Lizzy affections blossoms for Darcy as she sees his house and meets his sister. He also fishes with her Uncle {too cute!}

18. Lydia's Embarrassment...and the demise of her whole family.

19. Lizzy starts to realize that maybe, just maybe Darcy is the one to make her the most happy...but did she miss her shot?

20. A Botched Marriage and a Visit from the Wickhams...and silly Lydia lets it slip to Lizzy that the Bennet's owe their saved names to Mr. Darcy.

21. Bingley's Back, Back Again...and with a marriage proposal for the agreeable and lovely Jane. Darcy is with him for some of the trip and Elizabeth just wants his attention.

22. Lady Catherine pays Lizzy a visit...and they have an all out argument about Darcy and who is and is not appropriate to marry him. It's salty to say the least.

23. The Return of Mr. Darcy and Love at Last.

Something Interesting to Note:

Like I said before, it had been a while since I read this novel. Since I read it way back when, the Kiera Knightley version has been my favorite movie of. all. time. And let's be honest, it will probably remain as such. But, as I reread this little gem I kept thinking..."This is so different from the movie!" I have seen the 6 hour version before and didn't really love the actresses who played Elizabeth or Jane, but I'm going to have to re-watch it because 1. I think it is probably a lot more accurate and 2. Colin Firth as Darcy. As a result of these obvious differences, my something interesting to note would have to be a few of the major things I noticed from the novel that didn't quite make the cut in the Knightly adaptation.

1. People call in Elizabeth "Eliza" along with "Lizzy" in the book, but she's only ever nicknamed "Lizzy" in the movie. It was hard to even think of someone calling her that because I'm so used to thinking of her as "Lizzy."

2. Darcy flat out tells Caroline Bingley his interest in Elizabeth in the book which is a sore disappointment as she obviously favors him. In the movie it is pretty clear that Caroline likes Darcy, but he never tells her he likes Elizabeth.

3. Caroline tries to convince Jane that Mr. Bingley is interested in Georgiana rather than in her in the book. This happens in the movie, but it is far bigger deal in the book. Jane is very distressed over and Elizabeth refutes the point by telling her that it is only Caroline trying to discourage her.

4. In the book, Colonel Fitzwilliam {Mr. Darcy's friend that Lizzy meets at Rosings} has some interest in Lizzy, but in the movie this doesn't happen. It has an interesting effect in the book because Lizzy has him somewhat on her mind when Mr. Darcy proposes to her the first time.

5. Both Mr. Bingley's and Mr. Darcy's proposals to Jane and Lizzy are different in the book. They're a little more tender and sweet in the book, but I'm not entirely disappointed in the movie version either.

I guess the book being better than the movie is truer in this case than I remember!

Should you read Pride and Prejudice before you die?

My love for this novel runs deep. I love the Bennet sisters and how they aren't all the same and some have strong attachments {Jane and Lizzy/Lydia and Kitty} and others kind of do their own thing {Mary} and they embarrass each other, but at the end of they day still love each other {okay, maybe not Lydia.} I love that the love stories aren't predictable and keep you intrigued the entire time because they aren't all kisses and rainbows. I love that even in the smallest of ways, Lizzy took a stand for her right as a woman to risk being impoverished for the rest of her life because she would not marry without affection {sorry Mr. Collins.} I love that Mr. Darcy became unabashed for the sake of love. He became Wickham's brother-in-law for crying out loud! And I love Jane Austen. In closing, she's one of my favorites because in a time when many women were using male pseudonyms for their novels in hopes of achieving better sales, Jane used a pen name of a different sort.

Her books were written by "A Lady" because she was just that awesome. And they still sold.

So yes, read Pride and Prejudice again and again and again :)

Review #14: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Favorite Quotes:

"'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'" -page 1

"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." 

-page 4

"And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
-page 17

"He hadn't once ceased to look at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes." -page 91

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." -page 118

"Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away." -page 177

About the Main Character:

Simply because I think everyone knows a lot more about Jay Gatsby than they do about Nick Carraway, I chose the narrator as the main character. Nick writes this account of his time with Gatsby two years after it occured. He talks about having taken some notes on a timetable that was withering away with barely legible notes by the time he returned to them to write this account. Nick is Daisy Buchanan's cousin and helps to reconnect Daisy to Gatsby. He represents normalcy and the reality of life in the very pomp and circumstance world that Gatsby lives in. He was from the "Middle West" as he called it and then went to Yale. He served in the war before moving to New York Ciry, Long Island's West Egg specifically, to sell bonds. His love interest is Jordan Baker.

Another Character to Note:

The conundrum of The Great Gatsby this time was Jordan Baker. I've read this novel several times and really never noticed or focused on her character until this reading. Jordan is a friend of Daisy's that she knew from her youth. She is a professional golfer whose closest relation is an aunt. Jordan carries herself in a very confident "I don't need a man" manner and she is unmarried. She becomes somewhat romantically involved with Nick, although extensive details are not given as the main love story is between Daisy and Gatsby. The reason I think she is noteworthy and frankly a little confusing is because I really can't decide why she is in the novel. She and Nick don't end up together. Her encounters in the novel are not monumental {she does help in connecting Gatsby to Daisy, but I think Nick could've been sufficient to make that tie.} The only thing I can think of is the contrast she provides to Daisy and the balance of male to female ratio she aides in. Daisy is rather silly and over-the-top. She was much sought after in her youth and holds no sort of position outside of her home or that of a socialite. Jordan is a competitive, unmarried athlete who doesn't throw herself on Nick in anyway. And there would be one less female presence without. I'm 100% open to other theories because this is all I got.
 

Plot Breakdown:

1. Nick Carraway pays his cousin a visit...and takes a peek at the unhappy marriage of the Buchanans.

2. Tom introduces Nick to his mistress...and they buy a dog and throw a really odd party/gathering. Also, I love Fitzgerald's description of Myrtle. Hilarious.

3. Nick meets Gatsby...at one of the parties that never end.

4. The History of Daisy and Gatsby...Nick and Jordan help Gatsby reunite with Daisy. And he's so awkward about it.

5. Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Nick, and Gatsby...all at the same party. Tom decides he needs to know more about this Gatsby fellow.

 

6. Say you never loved him...a hot day and a heated argument.

7. The "Death" Car...it was yellow in case you were wondering.

8.  An angry husband and a gun...Nick is the only one who stays behind.

 

 

Something Interesting to Note:

 

George Wilson, Myrtle's husband, realizes that she has been cheating on him for awhile and basically has a breakdown and locks her in their house. He yells at her that God knows what she's been up to and that He's been watching. Yet, the eyes he is referring to are the literal eyes of an advertisement for an eye doctor, specifically Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes are just across the street from his garage. Dr. T.J. Eckleburg knows that Tom and Myrtle are cheating on their spouses. And he knows what really happened with the "death" car. {No, I'm not telling.} I loved this very literal reminder from Fitzgerald that nothing that happens goes unnoticed. Someone always knows the secret.

 

Should you read The Great Gatsby before you die?

 

I'm a huge fan of this novel, so my vote would have to be a resounding YES! Fitzgerald perfectly captures the time he writes about. The 1920s were filled with flappers and liquor and happiness. The American Dream was thriving...only to be followed by the stock market crash of the 1930s. Gatsby had this idealized version of Daisy in his mind, just like many people idealized what their lives were going to be like. Both parties were disappointed.

It's just really, really good. I notice something new every time I read it.

Review #13: "The Cutting Season" by Attica Locke

Favorite Quotes:

"Caren was, at that moment, a mere thirty yards or so from a crime scene, but, of course, she didn't know it yet." -page 9

"Not the kind of emptiness that comes with vacancy, but rather a kind of strained quiet that was trying too hard, the tightness that comes when someone somewhere is trying very hard to be still, to restrain every twitch and wayward breath." -page 14

"It used to embarrass Caren, how much they looked alike, as if she'd huddled alone in a dark room, and sculpted the child from her own flesh." -page 48

"It was the look in his eyes that finally broke her, when she finally started to cry. What she saw was relief. In the end, her transgression had cost him nothing. She had given him his way out." -page 180

" Caren had the awful thought that they'd kept him in lockup for the past few days for the sole purpose of aging him, curing him like a cut of meat, making him look more like the thug they were here to charge. It was a reminder of the ways an arrest can often work backward, making a criminal of any life it touches. It pained her to see him this way." -page 283

About the Main Character:

Caren is the manager of Belle Vie, an old Southern plantation, where her mother worked and her ancestors were slaves. She is a single mother of 9-year-old Morgan. As the novel begins, Caren finds a dead body on her property. Locke shows the audience Caren's nature through her interactions with those involved in the case and those who work with her. I think one of Caren's most interesting traits is her internal struggle over her feelings about Belle Vie. On one hand she's drawn to it. Her history is there and her memories with her mother, but on the other hand it is painful and dangerous. The addition of this internal struggle along with the multiple external struggles really added depth to the novel.

Another Character to Note:

Jason is Caren's great-great-great grandfather. He was a slave at Belle Vie that later went on to gain his freedom. Then he went missing, never to be seen or heard of again. As this modern day murder unfolds, Jason's story is at the forefront of Caren's mind and becomes interwoven into the plot of the novel. As a reader you get just as invested in Jason's story as you do in the current case.

Plot Breakdown:

1. A Presence and a Body...the slave quarters on Belle Vie foreshadow the crime scene

 

2. Questions and Donovan...the detectives are suspicious of Caren and narrow in on a suspect

 

3. Morgan...how is Caren's daughter involved?

 

4. Problems at home...cue Morgan's dad's return

 

5. The reporter and the preacher...Caren learns more about the case and how the detectives are far off

 

6. Goodbye to Belle Vie

 

7. The Clancy's (Belle Vie owners) and Caren's history...Jason and how it ties into the current case

 

8. Who is the murderer?

 

 

Something Interesting to Note:

 

Another side plot of this story is that of Caren's love life. She has Morgan with her ex, Eric. He comes back into town when he fears his daughter might be in trouble. His history with Caren causes the heat to rise! Then there is the reporter who shows a lot of attraction to her and feeds her information about the case {which totally keeps her interest!} And lastly we have Bobby Clancy, Caren's childhood crush who resurfaces into her life. Although, I thought it was a bit of a disappointment in the romance department, the love aspect of the novel does charge the pace at times.

 

Should you read The Cutting Season before you die?

 

While I would recommend it to read, I wouldn't say it is something you have to read before you die. It's a good mystery with lots of interesting plot lines, but it reads a little too fluffy {for lack of a better word obviously...suggestions are welcome :)} And while Locke does a good job of presenting several suspects, it's not terribly hard to figure out the "Who dunnit?" part of the novel. Good book, fun read, but not a must.

 

   

 

Review #12: "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis

Favorite Quotes:

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them." -page IX

"It occurs when lovers have got married and begin the real task of learning to live together. In every department of life it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing." -page 7

"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out." -page 16

"There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy." 

-page 25

"One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth." -page 38

"All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be." -page 50

"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts," -page 61

"We have trained them to think of the Future as a promise land which favoured heroes attain--not as something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is," -page 139

"Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that the he is 'finding his place in it', while really it is finding its place in him." -page 155

"No man who says I'm as good as you believes it. He would not say it if he did." -page 198

"Nowhere do we tempt so successfully as on the very steps of the altar." -page 209

{Please excuse the million quotes...it was just that good!}

About the Main Character:

The subject of Screwtape's letters is known as "the patient." He is a mere mortal man who Wormwood {Screwtape's nephew} has been assigned to turn to the dark ways of the world. The letters narrate his progression from sinner to saint to his great temptation to his eventual end...and no, I won't be telling you if his demon is successful in tempting him :)

"The patient" is arguably not the main character of this book as Screwtape is the narrator, but I identify him as the main character because he is who Lewis wants us to identify with. He is man {or woman} caught in the depths of temptation and deciding what kind of life he would lead. He goes through a broad spectrum of life experiences and in the process Lewis gives his audience the perspective of the demons who try to tempt him at each turn. 

Another Character to Note:

Screwtape is the narrator of the "Letters" and acts as a mentor of sorts to his nephew Wormwood as he attempts to tempt and turn the soul of "the patient" to the ways of who he refers to as "Our Father Below"...or Satan. Screwtape is to be considered a master devil and gives wisdom to Wormwood in the form of letters as he navigates the different settings the life of "the patient" throws him. Lewis is masterful at taking an ordinary occurrence in human life and dissecting it according to how a devil would manipulate it in their favor. It's equal parts enticing and terrifying.

Plot Breakdown:

At the end of my copy of The Screwtape Letters is the addition of "Screwtape Proposes a Toast." There is to the "Toast" that is written by someone who simply signs as J.E.G. In this preface the author states that, "Screwtape's whites are our blacks and whatever he welcomes we should dread" (page 180). This heavy handed irony of the novel is hard to adjust to at first. The devils successes are naturally what the normal human would call failures, but the writing is so convincing and enthralling that it takes a few chapters to adjust. 

Yet, once you're acclimated to the Screwtape setting, the novel doesn't disappoint!

  This book doesn't really lend itself to a list breakdown, but I will attempt it anyway...

1. The Patient Becomes a Christian and the Manipulation of the Mother

2. The Improper Way to Pray and the Effect of War on the Soul

3.  The Hiding of the Demons and the Warning to Not Be Complacent

4. The Influence of Friends and the Slow, Steady Road to Hell

5. Restricting Pleasure and the Vice of Humility

6. Confusion by Many Congregations

7. Love, Chastity, and Sexual Temptation

8. A Woman and the Importance of Attacking Her Soul

9.   The Corruption of Courtship and Love as a Distraction

10. The Outcome of Wormwood's Efforts

11. Screwtape's Toast {Possibly my favorite part!}

Something Interesting to Note:

I think the section of this novel that caught my attention the most was the segment on democracy in the "Toast." Without going too far into it, Lewis addresses how democracy results in mediocrity because of the "togetherness" is demands. There is a vivid metaphor involving some corn that really caused an "Ah-ha" moment for me. I'm not saying these paragraphs changed my political views or anything, but it definitely got me thinking. 

Also, C.S. Lewis dedicated this book to J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Should you read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis?

Yes! This was my first C.S. Lewis and it most certainly will not be the last! This novel made me more conscious of my everyday decisions and what is influencing me. Is my desire to do or have something coming from the right place? For anyone interested in the worth and well-being of a soul...I highly recommend this novel!

Review #11: "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

"I was hated by large numbers of people---the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me." -page 1

 

"As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear." -page 1

 

"(Never tell me, by the way, that the dead look peaceful. Most of the corpses I have seen looked devilish.)" -page 3

 

"I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people jostling at my heels." -page 3

 

"He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it." -page 4

 

"I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with the preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have." -page 4

 

"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool." -page 6

 

About the Main Character:

 

The narrator is an Englishman, working as a police officer. Many akin the narrator to George Orwell himself. He spent time in Burma where the story in this essay takes place, but it's not definitive if it is him or not. The narrator is put in a difficult position when an elephant in "must" breaks free and runs amok on a small Burmese village.

 

Another Character to Note:

 

In the midst of the havoc of the elephant, a Burmese man referred to as a "coolie" is killed. This nameless character is important to the narrator. He acts as justification for what happens at the end of the essay.

 

Plot Breakdown:

 

1. The Story of the Miserable Cop in Burma

 

2. An Elephant in the Bazaar

 

3. Dead Man in the Mud

 

4. Let the Circus Begin!

 

5. The Internal Struggle of the "White Man"

 

6. Ain't Nobody's Fool

 

Something Interesting to Note:

 

There are bigger questions going on here than shooting an elephant. For me, it makes me reflect on motives and why, at the end of the day, do we do what we do? Is it because of an insecurity or an assurance? It is pressure from somewhere else or a simple whim?

I also thought of consequences. Do we consider who will be most affected by what we're doing? And do we sometimes think it will be the person we are inflicting our action upon...when in actuality it will be us who leaves more wounded than anyone else? 

Orwell prods these questions with this essay.

 

Should you read "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell?

 

Yes you should! I'm a big fan of Orwell's essays. I don't so much love his novels, but he is poignant beyond words when you give him 5 pages. And he's pretty witty too! This essay is a must read for me!!



Review #10: "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss

Favorite Quotes:

"All I want is not to die on a day when I went unseen." -page 4

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering." -page 11

"I had left my anger somewhere long ago. Put it down on a park bench and walked away." -page 18

"I kept my manuscript in a box in the oven." -page 26

"I know there is a moral to this story, but I don't know what it is." -page 39

"...when I said I was going up to my room she'd call after me, 'What can I do for you I love you so much,' and I always wanted to say, but never said: Love me less." -page 43

"22. THAT YEAR I WORE MY FATHER'S SWEATER FOR FORTY-TWO DAYS STRAIGHT" -page 49

"So many words get lost. They leave the mouth and lose their courage, wandering aimlessly until they are swept into the gutter like dead leaves." -page 111

"Perhaps that's why I hoarded the world: with the hope that when I died, the sum total of my things would suggest a life larger that the one I lived." -page 165

"As certain as I am sitting here now, this letter exists. And yet. In my heart, I know my hand is empty." -page 230

"Leopold Gursky started dying on August 18, 1920."

About the Main Character:

Alma Singer. Leo Gursky. These two take the lead in The History of Love. Alma lost her father from cancer and has been trying to survive the tailspin it sent her family into. Leo lost the love of his life long ago and has lived a secluded life ever since. This story beautifully outlines how their paths cross and the happiness and revelation it brings to them both.

Another Character to Note:

Bruno is Leo's best friend. They grew up together in Poland and reunited in America. Bruno and Leo check in on each other periodically to be sure they don't die without it being noticed. Bruno gives Leo the gumption he needs to go to his son's house and generally keeps the loneliness from killing him. To explain what makes Bruno interesting would be giving too much away. He's just interesting...trust me.

Plot Breakdown:

1. The nude old man...Leo Gursky, the man who wanted to be seen.

2. Alma Singer. An Alma, but not the only one...we're introduced to the Singer family in list form {which I love!}

3. Zvi Litvinoff...the man of great guilt.

4. The loss of someone someone important...Leo loses someone before he can express how important they are to him.

5. Alma, the matchmaker, and the translation...Alma's mother begins translating a book and, as always, Alma thinks the man who commissioned her might be the one to break her out of her slump.

6. Why Litvinoff did what he did...the story is actually pretty sad.

7. Bruno gets Leo to where he needs to go...He's looking for answers.

8.  Misha's kiss, searching for Alma, and Bird's journal...Alma's plot continues to thicken.

9. Alma finds who she's looking for

10. Bird gets involved...he's hoping to prove himself to someone very important.

11. The Park Bench

Something Interesting to Note:

One of the things I loved about this book was the freedom Krauss took with the formatting. The perspective changes each chapter. There are pages with three words. There is a page without a number. Krauss was thoughtful in the layout and final product of The History of Love and I think it adds so much to the novel.

I also love how Krauss addresses the theme of death and how her characters each depict a different coping mechanism with loss. There are characters that she doesn't really tell you much about other than showing you how they deal with the loss of a loved one and that's all your really need to know because they have become their loss. Krauss shows how telling of a person grief can be. 

Should you read The History of Love before you die?

I'm having a hard time settling on the answer for this one. I think this book can make a huge impact if read at a certain season in life and I think I read it in the wrong one. So I didn't connect with it as much as other people I know who have read it...which makes me want to say "No." But, I also feel like the originality, tenderness, and beautiful execution of the novel warrants a resounding "YES!!" And what more could one really ask for in a novel??? So I think that I want to stick with yes....yup, it's gonna be a yes for this one.

The History of Love is definitely a novel that demands to be reread because there is so much more to it than what I took away the first time.

Review #9: "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

Favorite Quotes:

"When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and get up eight times." -Introduction vii
 

"And if you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." -page 22

"I'm like everyone else--- I see not the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does." -page 40

"I'm afraid if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living." -page 55

"...he had loved her before he even knew she existed. He knew that his love for her would enable him to discover every treasure in the world." -page 94

"'But this payment goes well beyond my generosity,' the monk responded.

'Don't say that again. Life might be listening, and give you less the next time.'" -page 155

About the Main Character:

"The boy's name was Santiago." -page 1. That is the first and, I'm pretty sure, the last time we hear "the boy's" name throughout the entirety of the novel. After I finished, I started thinking about my review and went, "What is 'the boy's' name?!? Doe he have one?! And sure enough, he does! Although as Santiago embarks to fulfill his Personal Legend, he is simply referred to as "the boy." When the audience is introduced to Santiago, he is a shepard on his way to a town where a beautiful girl lives. He is also pondering a recurring dream he is having. After he learns what his dream means, the audience ventures with him on his quest to realize his Personal Legend of finding a treasure. Along the way he learns more about the Soul of the World and meets many characters who teach him more about life.

Another Character to Note:

 

Melchizedek is one of the most interesting characters in the novel. There are several people who help him along the way, but Melchizedek, or the King of Salem as he claims to be, seems to have the most influence. He meets Santiago early in his journey (really before it begins) and gives him guidance that shapes how he will view the world for the rest of his life. The interaction between Santiago and Melchizedek reads a bit like a modern day parable to me. Really lovely and insightful.

 

Plot Breakdown:

 

1. The Girl in the Valley...Santiago starts off the book as a dreamer seeking the heart of a pretty girl.

 

 

2. Dream Interpreting, Treasure, and Pyramids...The journey for his Personal Legend starts with a gypsy.

 

3. The King of Salem...Melchizedek sets the boy on the right track and teaches him about the Soul of the World.

 

4. Omens and Thieves...Beginner's luck gets the boy's hopes up, but his fate takes a turn for the worst.

 

5. Selling Crystal...After his fate takes a turn, Santiago has to pay his dues and learn some lessons along the way.

 

6. The Oasis...The boy continues to on his journey after joining a caravan to the Pyramids. Love finds him in the desert.

 

7. The Alchemist...He helps the boy finish out his journey and teaches him much.

 

8. The Boy basically becomes an Airbender...and it wraps up nicely!

 



Something Interesting to Note:

 





I'm going to use this section as more of a "Tip to Reading" area. My number one would be to read the Introduction and the after notes of the book. I found it so endearing that Paulo Coehlo 100% believes everything he wrote. And he writes it that way. You can't help, but get enthralled with the story and the idea of Personal Legends.

PS-Let me know if you can figure out that Prologue. The metaphors abound!!!

 

Should you read The Alchemist before you die?

 

If you had asked me this the first time I read it I would have said it was too deep and left it at that. But, after reading it again, especially where we are in our lives, it really touched me. Any book that promotes following your dreams or "Personal Legends" is a resounding YES from me.