Naomi
My first thoughts on Animal Farm were far away from what the book was realy about. When you hear the title, I was just like “ok...a book about animals...hmmmm”. Reading the book in 8th grade made me realize that the book so much deeper than my initial beliefs. And after reading it again now, I even captured some things I missed the first time. George Orwell's classic novel is an allegory to Stalinist Russia, and the entire novel is trying to make its audience aware of the ways that Communism itself doesn't make societies better, but it is a way for certain people to gain ultimate power and keep everyone on the same class level except for himself, as the Russian Dictator Joseph Stalin portrayed in history. Old Major (a boar) tells all the animals on the farm about a dream he had about being free and equal. Two other pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, have to try to live up to Old Major's dream, but with twists and turns, we see how these characters are parallel to actual historical figures. It's a great book, and short (although the message goes beyond the minimal pages).
The third book of the August Wilson Century Cycle series did not fail to catch my attention at all. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom exemplifies the Roaring 20's through the African- American perspective and the beauty of jazz and blues comes alive. Set in 1927, the play revolves around the “Mother of Blues” Ma Rainey and her band including Toledo, Leevee, Slow Drag, Cutler and her manager, Mr. Irvin. Although music is one of the highlighted themes of the play, the deeper message is the issues of true freedom that blacks had trouble gaining in “white America”. Even if they are famous, they still get treated with disrespect and are degraded because of the color of their skin.
Some of the most memorable parts of the play include Leevee's soliloquy in the middle of the book and the ending, which shocks the reader and makes them question the motives of trying to fit in a society that does not allow you to.
I have been getting into the habit of reading a lot more plays. This being the second Wilson play, alongside Fences that has caught my attention. I am definitely going to continue reading the entire series to see how Wilson is able to capture the highlights of Black America through each decade of the 1900's.
This book was a autobiography based on the life of journalist and NY1 anchor Dominic Carter. Basically it talked about his hardships growing up poor, fatherless, with a mother who was on drugs/ never really there for him and so forth. Then he overcomes those obstacles in life and makes a name for himself, going back into the past to realize that there was more damage done than he has witnessed. It was an ok book because you've probably heard the storyline before
Alex M. recommended this book to me and I couldn't put the book down ( thats when i wasn't doing hwk). This book was amamzing from the beginning to the end, questioning the bigger meanings in life such as how can we escape the labyrinth of suffering? Or How can we search for our Great Perhaps? Throughout the book, we look at the lives of Miles “Pudge” Halter, Alaska Young, Chip “The Colonel” Martin and Takumi Hikomito as they try to figure out their purposes in life at a Alabama boarding school where the rich preppy kids are separated from the poor. But most importantly, they never rat on each other for anything. When a tragic accident occurs, the whole meaning of life changes right before their eyes, and uses their interests in biographies, literature and religion to sort of help them escape that ongoing labyrinth. I recommend it to everyone
I think I can positively say that this is my favorite Tennessee Williams play! Touching, sweet, and relates to anyone whose dreams are being pushed aside in order to help the family survive. Every family will always have the dreamer, the person who lives in their memory and the person whose personality traps them from branching out and doing what they want to do. Tom, Amanda and Laura all created an atmosphere that anyone would want to step into, only if it is for a while and take in their story about what life truly is under all that false hope. In my current yearning for reading plays, this has to be one of my favorites, alongside DOUBT and FENCES (and more).
this book was so funny! haha i bought this book for a QUARTER at the library and it was so worth it. Marjane Satrapi writes in a comic book format about the hardships of the Islamic Revolution in Iran during the late 70's and 80's. This is such a good book because she uses humor and its kind of a biography that has many exagerrated parts as well. But it draws the attention of the reader. You learn alot you wouldn't have known about Iran. And its just a wonderful journey to go on with Marjane. I recommend this book to everyone because even though you may not connect to her problems and community issues, there will be other ways that you will be able to relate to.
This is my favorite book in the Royal Diaries Series. It is about the Princess of Russia, Anastasia Nicholeivna. She was the Last Grand Duchess of the Romanov Dynasty that started with Peter the Great's grandson in the 1600's until the massacre of Anastasia and her family in 1918. Like Elizabeth I, this book shows us how Anastasia's life would be like as a teenage girl, who has never gotten to see her adult years, dying at the mere age of 17 years. Her father was Czar Nicholas II and mother was Czarina Alexandra; with her three older sisters Duchesses Olga,Tatiana and Marie Nicholeivna, and her younger brother Alexei Nicholeivitch. This story is so good because it is funny and witty, and you wouldn't expect a princess to speak the way the author made anastasia speak. It is really funny, and you are able to step out of your shoes and go on the same adventures Anastasia would go. From eating tons of food, to fasting. Trying to be like her older sisters to sneaking around reading their diaries. But the diary was only lively until the Epilogue (which is written in every diary, telling some historical facts) when we learn the real story of the death of the Romanov's, as well as the infamous Anna Anderson, who was famous for persuading Russia and America that she was Princess Anastasia who survived from the shooting. Nicholas II had to abdicate his throne to his brother, who abdicated a few days later and lost the throne forever. We also learn about how weak of a ruler Anastasia's parents were, for Nicholas was too nice and Alexandra depended too much on a wicked man named Rasputin who claimed to be a holy man. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone whose interested.
BRAVO Oscar Wilde for writing something pre-1900's that succeeds in keeping me interested throughout the entire time. The Picture of Dorian Gray, a gothic horror novel captures the themes of youth, corruption and identity in new ways that I've never really seen before. Basil Hallward is an artist whose “obsession” has been Dorian Gray, a beautiful young man and believes that he inspires a new form of art. Once a man whose sweet personality infatuated anyone who spoke to him, was altered once Gray met Hallward's friend Lord Henry Wotton, whose hedoism about how beauty and the senses are the only thing worth fulfulling in life is instilled in Gray's mind.
Realizing that he will lose his beauty once he ages, Gray sells his soul in order to maintain you, while his portrait would age and wither based on the debauchery and the sins that he commits in life. Estranging himself with the lords and the high profile Britons who were once good friends, Dorian begins to reflect on his life and murders Basil Hallward because he blames him for his unsettled fate.
At the end of the long tireless twisted life, Dorian tried different ways to turn his life around and start off with a clean new slate. Without succeeding, Dorian becomes fed up with the life he lives and studies his portrait, which has become wrinkled and sinful, reflecting the turbulent double life that he led. After 18 years of not aging, Dorian stabs the painting, without noticing that he would end up committing suicide. His body becomes frail and destroyed, unrecognizable to all and then his picture is restored to the beauty that Basil Hallward captivated.
The novel was craftly written and Wilde displayed the turbulent lives that people get tied up in when faced with questions of importance, the philosophy of life, and trying to defeat what the “spiritual” force has had destined for them. With other undertoning themes such as homosexuality, Wilde was definitely strong to write such a book during an era where such taboo was forbidden, but surely cannot be regretful of a novel that definitely makes the mind more stimulated.
Sharon G. Flake wrote Bang! to inform her audience about the hardships of growing up in a ghetto neighborhood, and experiencing death at an early age. Mann Adler was only 11 years old when his younger brother Jason was fatally shot by a gang banger for no apparent reason. The effect that the murder had on the whole Adler family has drastically changed their points of views on life, and their identities. Mann's father takes him and his best friend on a journey to becoming a “man” in a society where your life could be taken the very next day. The moral of his reasonings was to save himself from losing another son. But the reality became a nightmare as Mann turned to violence, drugs/ alcohol and stealing to make a man out of himself. The real question became “ how can the loss of innocence at a very young age detatch you from your identity and the search for assurance when even your family is not in your corner?”
its a really good book and anyone should read it!
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun happens to be one of my favorite books of all time. So reading an autobiography of her short life was bound to be interesting. James Baldwin, author of Go Tell It On The Mountain and other novels gives a really interesting preface, talking about his friendship with her and all of the memories, whether good or bad that they shared. The rest of the book chronicles her life growing up, including the landmark Hansberry vs. Lee Supreme court case and incorporating short scenes from the different plays that she has written. He once said that “it is not at all farfetched to suspect that what she saw contributed to the strain which killed her, for the effort to which Lorraine was dedicated is more than enough to kill a man.” African American literature is another genre in itself when it comes to the depth and strength of text in America and she strongly left an imprint for others up till this day.
Susan Caraway aka stargirl is a unique human being who takes on the challenges of the world in a different point of view. Her relationships with naature and self-cleansing, her love for her ex-boyfriend Leo and her nosiness makes her annoying,weird but eventually lovable to everyone whose crossed her path. In this book, Stargirl writes unsent letters to Leo about how she feels about him, and also about the new friends she's made such as her new best friend, a 6 year old girl named Dootsie and an agoraphobic beauty named Betty Lou. A possible new crush named Perry Delloplane whose tough/bad boy image really softens as you learn more about him and his struggles[and his many girlfriends he can't commit to]. Stargirl helps people become more worthy of themselves, and reminds others that they are not forgotten when they are left alone in this world. Shes not like ANYONE i've ever met in my life. But this book is really good because you won't really find someone like her especially in a city like New York; and its just good to read about people who makes an impact on others in the smallest or biggest way possible.
This book gets 3.5/5 stars (too bad goodreads doesn't give 1/2 stars!). But anyway, as I continue to read the August Wilson Century Cycle books during this fake spring break, I realize that this man does not fail to keep his characters grounded and true to the African American societies of each decade. Jitney is a play focusing on gypsy cab drivers post- Vietnam War in Pittsburgh (1977). There are men of all ages ranging from the Elder Turnbo, whose memories of the military and war do not fail to falter. Then we have Fielding, Becker, and Youngblood, whose high hopes and dreams do not seem to come true because of the poor situations that he is living in. At only 24, he was already in the military as well as raising a son and trying to maintain a marriage that his wife believes is all lies.
Not to give anything away, but Wilson does keep me engaged in his plays at all times. His accomplishments range from Pulitzer Prizes to Broadway theatres named in his honor.
I do plan to read all 9 or 10 books of this cycle. And I know that I will be opened to more ideas and struggles that african americans bravely came out of.
Revolutionary Road, amongst other novels that I have been reading alot in my junior year, was adapted into a motion picture directed by Sam Mendes and starring Titanic actors Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. So before I was running into any theatre, I was going to read the book first.
Richard Yates definitely sets the mood in this depressing story of Frank and April Wheeler, living in a 1955 suburbanite Connecticut. Told in the point of view of Frank, we get to see the dreams and aspirations that are put to the test and the love between the two crumbles as April puts more into the relationship that they have. She tries to bring the family out of their mundane life cycle, but Frank, who does not adjust to the changes that April suggests continues to revolve around his ordinary job, and his ordinary life, failing to ovrshadow the typical suburban stereotype. April realizes that she is not in love with him anymore and she is lost within her own identity.
As I read the book, I wasnt sure if I wanted to sit in the theatre and watch a 2 hr movie about this depressing couple. But a visual representation does help the audience get a grip of the vitalities that humans need in order for survival, competition, and an understanding of self.
‘Cat on a Hot tin roof'by Tennessee Williams was very interesting, and a fast read [if you really get into it]. The storyline shows a typical southern family in the 1950's. A tyrannical father who might be dying, his wife, an overbearing, overprotective house wife. There son Brick, the protagonists, who gets injured and throws his life away with alcohol and his wife, a woman who Brick doesn't even love. There other son and his family are money smooching sycophants who clearly show no ‘real love' for their family. Its a good book because we really get to follow the relationship that Brick has with each member of the family ever since he became an alcoholic. And the death of a friend who probably was gay just causes more outbursts between the father and himself. You will be able to see the clear differences between their time and ours and how Williams does a great job by digging deep into a typical white southern household during times of segregation and intolerance of alot of things.
Oh lord. I've seen people reading this book all the time, so finally I decided to read the novel myself. Wow. the novel is highly graphic, trying to depict the African American stereotype in a new light. I have yet to see a fictional character whose life sucks sooo badly! Precious Jones is the epitome of failure in every sense. But shes a survivor, and that gives people the strength to carry on...even if their lives are as crappy as hers. It took a while to get through all the illiterate writing (Sapphire writes the way Precious thinks and speaks) and the graphic, disgusting details of her life. It wasnt the best book I've ever read, but I finished it in a day, so it was something I needed to keep reading.
this book at first was kind of boring because I could not focus on it,and I was quite lost for a long time. Until I got up to page 100something, did I realize that there were many deep themes and a huge meaning behind this book beyond the fact that little boys were stuck on the island after a plane crash. Watching clips from the movie, I had a visual of the boys so it also helped get through the book [ even though I thought the movie was just as boring as the book...I think I should see it again]. Ralph,Simon,Piggy,Jack,Samneric all had an impact in the book- big or small, it was them who put the pieces together for the audience to understand why William Golding wrote this book.
This is arguably one of the best books in Wilson's Pittsburgh century cycle. His writing style amazes me in so many ways because of his ability to captivate the essence of Africa-Americans each decade, as America changes either for the better or for the worst, and whether or not the Black America correlates with that. The primary novel starts off with Aunt Ester, a 285 year old spiritual woman who gives guidance to those around her. Her maturity and wise aura growing up in slavery for over 200 years, and trying to learn what it feels like to be free. Through her journey, she comes and tries to help those around her such as Black Mary, Citizen Barlow, Solly Two Kings, Eli and Selig; and unfortunately failing at breaking through Caesar, the antagonist of the novel whose determination to go through with the rule of law sets him apart in more ways than just a cruel person. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys plays, and would love to get into the series as well!
I thought this was a really good book to read because Milkweed is a historical fiction book about the Holocaust and the Jew's sufferingd in Poland. Misha Pilsudski (Misha Milgrom) is the protagonist in this book and he was a boy with no knowledge of who he was or who he family was. Living on the streets, he only survived by stealing food from others. He meets a group of boys and they become a little family living in a barbershop at night and trying to survive by day. He then met a little girl named Janina and they became so close that he considered her his sister. When the Germans took all teh Jews to the ghetto, Misha wished he was a Jew (he was a gypsy) so he could be with Janina and her family. When they were all living in the ghetto, he used his small body and his quick feet in order to sneak out of the ghetto evry night and bring back food for himself and the Milgroms alongside a man with a group of orphans who he has also considered family when they all lived in the otehr side of the ghetto. Through all the hard struggles and lost hopes of survival, Misha ends up being the only survivor out of all his loved ones (as far as he knew) of the holocaust and came to America to start a new life. But it was his story of surviving the Holocaust as a gypsy/jew which made the book so compelling.
this book is amazing! and so sad at the same time. But it makes people realize more things about themselves that they have never noticed, or was too caught up with unnecessary things in the world to care. This memoir about a man and his ailing teacher will show societies how to focus on the true meaning of life and how to embrace death as a peaceful passing and not as a dreadful burden that would be laid on your loved ones. Morrie Schwartz is a powerful individual because his words written by Albom now have been reached to millions of readers around the world, and giving hope that individuals can lead succesful, yet peaceful humble lives.
If you read Rainbow Boys or any other book in the series, then I think you would know what the main points of this book is. The God Box, written by Alex Sanchez challenges the theme that homosexuality and religion are not supposed to go against each other. The new kid Manuel, who is a devout christian as well as an openly gay teen, comes to this new school and changes the points of views about being gay, homophobia and whether or not it is a sin against God and the bible. He also helps the protagonist Paul accept himself as a homosexual and question the theories that have been passed down for thousands of years about whether or not God accepts them. It's a good book to read, not my favorite but its a good book.
The third book with Robert Langdon back in the spotlight after Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code was indeed an addictive novel that I could never put down. Reading it in four days, this book had the same elements that Dan Brown always incorporates in his books: suspense, thrills and alluring details that captivate the mind. In this book, Robert is urgently sent to Washington D.C to give a speech in front of his dear friend Peter Solomon and his colleagues. Little did he know that it was a hoax set up by a power hungry man named Mal'ahk who disguises himself as different people to get his way. Peter Solomon, a wealthy Mason has everything that people want, power and money. Mal'ahk on the other hand, wants the wisdom that is stored within the pyramid, handed down to the masonic family from generation to generation. To keep the summary vague, Mal'ahk goes through all measures to get what he wants and once again, Robert goes on another life-risking journey to save his friend and the secrets of the free masons.
If there is any book that would be banned, this is it. Although very graphic (in the extremely creative beat poetic form), this compilation of poetry is very interesting to read. Allen Ginsberg, a homosexual poet wrote Howl and Other Poems as an way to bring out his thoughts and express many issues that was very important to him. Written in between 1955-1956, this automatic controversial book was sent to trial for obscenity and other charges. Some of my favorite poems in this book include America & A Supermarket in California which references famed 19th century poet Walt Whitman (another great homosexual poet). This book is only about 55 pages. It may seem short, but going through the first poem “Howl” was hard enough to understand, so I read it about two times before I could catch on. Poetry can be complex at times, and the message lies in between the lines.
