The Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller is well known by many people for it's reputation. In fact, I bet that over half the people who have an opinion of this book have never even opened it. TV episodes of Seinfeld and general stereotypes have given this book a bad name. However, I actually quite enjoyed it.
Let's get over the first stereotype right away, that this book is only about sex. I didn't get that, at all. Yes, it is about a young bachelor in France who enjoys his sexual encounters, but it in no way is solely about sex. In fact, it was MUCH cleaner than any modern day romance book. I suppose young, immature, preteens could read this book and thing they were reading something really dirty upon the mention of syphilis or the clap, but that is in no way the meaning of the book.
In fact, the book is quite humorous. The main character is meant to be the author himself, Henry Miller, an ex-patriot who is living in Paris as a starving author, trying to make enough living to eat, sleep, and afford the occasional woman of the night. Many time I found myself laughing outloud at the protagonist's thoughts or events.
However, the book does occasionally stray from the main story or plot into the musings and values of Mr. Miller, and that was when I started losing attention. There is not much pure action in this book, but rather it focuses on the life and times of Henry Miller during his stay in Paris. He often looks down on those around him, though he cannot afford a constant form of shelter and goes days without food. He is actually the ultimate moocher, having a different 'weekly meal' wet up with at least 8 different people or families at any one time. Quite clever if you ask me.
Any book that can make me laugh gets extra props. However, the constant straying from the plot often lost my attention. Therefore, I give Tropic of Cancer 3.5 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 5 STARS!
Reading Next:: TBD
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a very interesting read. It takes a while to really get into the story, and while the beginning chapters have a small tie into the story, I am not sure they could be considered a necessity to the plot. This is one of the biggest turnoffs of this book. The reason I really dislike this aspect is, right when I started getting into the plot that Nathaniel was working into, he changed into a completely different plot and it took me even longer to get into this plot. In all actuality, it took about the first quarter of the book to really begin enjoying the main plot.
When we finally get into the main plot, we meet Hephzibah, a grumpy elderly woman who lives in a giant house with only her brother, Clifford. It is immediately obvious that she does not have a good reputation among the neighbors. Soon, a distant relative, Phoebe, crashes the house, asking Hephzibah to take her in for a while. Although Hephzibah is obviously unsure about the situation, she cannot surpass Phoebe's constant persistence, and allows the young woman to stay.
Phoebe is a ray of light in the House of the Seven Gables, lightening the moods and attitudes of both of the inhabitants of the house. Of course, things are not happy in the house. The real crisis begins when Judge Pyncheon, another distant cousin of Hephzibah's, visits the house. Of course, it would rude to ruin the plot for you, so I'll leave you with that little cliff-hanger.
All in all, I give this book THREE STARS OUT OF A POTENTIAL FIVE. When the plot finally becomes consistent, and begins thickening, it becomes very enjoyable. However, it takes FAR too long for the plot to become consistent and enjoyable, at least for my personal tastes. The older style of writing takes a bit of time to get used to (the book having been written in 1851), but it is actually quite accessible for being over 150 years old!
Reading Next:: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (I'm a little scared!!)
When we finally get into the main plot, we meet Hephzibah, a grumpy elderly woman who lives in a giant house with only her brother, Clifford. It is immediately obvious that she does not have a good reputation among the neighbors. Soon, a distant relative, Phoebe, crashes the house, asking Hephzibah to take her in for a while. Although Hephzibah is obviously unsure about the situation, she cannot surpass Phoebe's constant persistence, and allows the young woman to stay.
Phoebe is a ray of light in the House of the Seven Gables, lightening the moods and attitudes of both of the inhabitants of the house. Of course, things are not happy in the house. The real crisis begins when Judge Pyncheon, another distant cousin of Hephzibah's, visits the house. Of course, it would rude to ruin the plot for you, so I'll leave you with that little cliff-hanger.
All in all, I give this book THREE STARS OUT OF A POTENTIAL FIVE. When the plot finally becomes consistent, and begins thickening, it becomes very enjoyable. However, it takes FAR too long for the plot to become consistent and enjoyable, at least for my personal tastes. The older style of writing takes a bit of time to get used to (the book having been written in 1851), but it is actually quite accessible for being over 150 years old!
Reading Next:: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (I'm a little scared!!)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf
I'm going to start off by saying that I really wanted to like this book. I had every intention of enjoying it. However, no matter how hard I tried, I continuously failed. At first I believed it is mostly due to the writing style of the author that turned me off, but upon finishing the book I realized that there was really very little about it that I did like.
The book starts off normal, a young boy wanting to visit the Lighthouse with his mother, who is trying to have optimism that the weather will clear up by the morning, and his father adamantly contradicting the mother. However, after this initial chapter, I became lost and confused. We meet some other characters, many other characters actually, none of whom we get to know very well. There is a Chinese girl who we cannot forget is of Asian decent since the author always refers to her Chinese eyes, yellow skin, and black hair. It an older book, so in the days it was written perhaps this was considered admissible at the time, but I found this to be completely unnecessary.
The first half of the book goes into great detail of one evening of this family's lives. Some kids go to the beach. The father sits on the porch with a friend smoking a pipe. The mother knits socks while the son cuts pictures out of a magazine. The Chinese girl paints and has an intellectual conversation with a family friend. The family gathers around for dinner and then they all head to bed.
The next few chapters introduce some unfamiliar and unimportant characters, and they also pass an uncertain amount of time during which 3 of the main characters have uneventful deaths. After the deaths the previous characters (well, some of them) regather for no apparent reason and we get another simple description of their day, and that's the end. There's no plot, no description of time passed, and no protagonist, antagonist, or climax (which I always thought were necessary to any novel).
There were some fun moments in this, but the book only gets ONE OUT OF FIVE STARS. I am still trying to decide why this was on the list to begin with. Perhaps it has to do with the deep meaning behind the book, but I had trouble catching that also. It didn't help that the used copy I read was marked and highlighted all over the place (I hate highlighting)
Reading next:: The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The book starts off normal, a young boy wanting to visit the Lighthouse with his mother, who is trying to have optimism that the weather will clear up by the morning, and his father adamantly contradicting the mother. However, after this initial chapter, I became lost and confused. We meet some other characters, many other characters actually, none of whom we get to know very well. There is a Chinese girl who we cannot forget is of Asian decent since the author always refers to her Chinese eyes, yellow skin, and black hair. It an older book, so in the days it was written perhaps this was considered admissible at the time, but I found this to be completely unnecessary.
The first half of the book goes into great detail of one evening of this family's lives. Some kids go to the beach. The father sits on the porch with a friend smoking a pipe. The mother knits socks while the son cuts pictures out of a magazine. The Chinese girl paints and has an intellectual conversation with a family friend. The family gathers around for dinner and then they all head to bed.
The next few chapters introduce some unfamiliar and unimportant characters, and they also pass an uncertain amount of time during which 3 of the main characters have uneventful deaths. After the deaths the previous characters (well, some of them) regather for no apparent reason and we get another simple description of their day, and that's the end. There's no plot, no description of time passed, and no protagonist, antagonist, or climax (which I always thought were necessary to any novel).
There were some fun moments in this, but the book only gets ONE OUT OF FIVE STARS. I am still trying to decide why this was on the list to begin with. Perhaps it has to do with the deep meaning behind the book, but I had trouble catching that also. It didn't help that the used copy I read was marked and highlighted all over the place (I hate highlighting)
Reading next:: The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
I LOVED Michael Crichton’s Andromeda Strain, so of course I was excited to read his Jurassic Park. My high expectations were not at all let down. I haven’t seen the movie in a while, so I can’t compare it to the book, but the book is definitely a must read! It was one of those books that you couldn’t believe covered such a short amount of time, because so much happened during it, but at the same time, it wasn’t an unrealistic amount of activity.
If you’ve seen the movie, I imagine you know the general story (and if you haven’t seen the movie, you are either REALLY young or sheltered…) It’s a few years in the future, and scientists are going through biochemistry overload. They are learning about genes, DNA, and cloning. It’s to be expected that someone’s going to come up with the idea of cloning a dinosaur!
However, why just clone a dinosaur when you can clone a bunch of dinosaurs! And what better to do with them than make an amusement park-style zoo on a secluded island for people to observe the prehistoric animals at will. Dr. Grant, a fossil expert, is invited to this park with his associate Ellie in order to study the animals and perhaps offer some expertise. However, he is not expecting the danger that can be involved in a rushed project with security flaws.
Of course, you can put two and two together. Dinosaurs plus security flaws equals intense danger and constant action! OF COURSE I’m not going to give away the plot, because I want you to read this intense novel. Just know that the action in this book is not to be contended. Reading it at night before bed was a bad idea, because the action kept me up and excited throughout the night, and I didn’t get the best sleep.
So awesome plot, awesome action, of course I’m giving this book FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! I mean, I loved this book, it would be silly for me to give it less! Another fast read, but I may have just taken more time to read it because I loved it so much. Definitely not one of those books where you have to read each sentence three times in order to truly understand it
Reading Next:: To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Well I believe it's probably obvious, but if you enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, you're also going to love Through the Looking Glass! So adorable. In this book we finally learn Alice's age, 7 1/2. Some familiar characters, such as the red queen and the red king, reappear, but we get to meet loads of new friends! A white queen and white king, Humpty Dumpty (that's right, he's legit), and many other odd creatures, all of whom seem to have a sort of obsession with fish-related poetry.
Alice's purpose while in the Looking Glass Land is to become a queen. She's in a sort of chess game, starting as a pawn. She has to surpass 8 tiles or stages of her adventure and then she can be crowned a queen. As she begins her journey, she attempts to reach a hill located off in the distance. However, whenever she heads towards the hill, she ends up bumping into the house that she is trying to leave. Of course, in the Looking Glass world, one must walk away from their destination in order to reach it. That's perhaps one of my favorite parts, because it kept me wondering about it for days after I read that situation. I mean, how does one see the progression their making on their destination if they're headed away from it?!
Perhaps her experiences aren't quite as odd as those in Alice in Wonderland. For example, there is no awkward and sudden growing and shrinking. I was rather bummed that we didn't get to meet the Cheshire Cat again (a personal favorite) - with his wide grin that always seemed to stick around for slightly longer than he did. Her entrance into this world is slightly easier, walking through a Looking Glass instead of falling for miles down a rabbit hole.
At the end, we are notified that these adventures were definitely with a dream. But Lewis Carroll wouldn't give us that solid of an ending, would he? Of course not, for we're not sure who was dreaming this dream. Was it a day dream of Alice's, or did it belong to the Slumbering Red King? And what about the kittens she was playing with before her adventures. Did the little black kitten turn into the Red Queen, and it's white sibling turn into the White Queen, and if that's the case, what exactly was Dinah in this long dream?
I give this book FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE, a quick and easy read full of humor, adventures, and fun. I love when a book can make me laugh outloud, and this one certainly succeeded.
Reading Next:: Jurassic Park by Michael Crighton
Alice's purpose while in the Looking Glass Land is to become a queen. She's in a sort of chess game, starting as a pawn. She has to surpass 8 tiles or stages of her adventure and then she can be crowned a queen. As she begins her journey, she attempts to reach a hill located off in the distance. However, whenever she heads towards the hill, she ends up bumping into the house that she is trying to leave. Of course, in the Looking Glass world, one must walk away from their destination in order to reach it. That's perhaps one of my favorite parts, because it kept me wondering about it for days after I read that situation. I mean, how does one see the progression their making on their destination if they're headed away from it?!
Perhaps her experiences aren't quite as odd as those in Alice in Wonderland. For example, there is no awkward and sudden growing and shrinking. I was rather bummed that we didn't get to meet the Cheshire Cat again (a personal favorite) - with his wide grin that always seemed to stick around for slightly longer than he did. Her entrance into this world is slightly easier, walking through a Looking Glass instead of falling for miles down a rabbit hole.
At the end, we are notified that these adventures were definitely with a dream. But Lewis Carroll wouldn't give us that solid of an ending, would he? Of course not, for we're not sure who was dreaming this dream. Was it a day dream of Alice's, or did it belong to the Slumbering Red King? And what about the kittens she was playing with before her adventures. Did the little black kitten turn into the Red Queen, and it's white sibling turn into the White Queen, and if that's the case, what exactly was Dinah in this long dream?
I give this book FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE, a quick and easy read full of humor, adventures, and fun. I love when a book can make me laugh outloud, and this one certainly succeeded.
Reading Next:: Jurassic Park by Michael Crighton
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
It seems like it was just yesterday that I was posting about Dracula... oh yeah, it was! That's right, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is PERFECT for the busy student, mom, worker, etc who just wants a fun and feel good read. Such an adorable book, and it's great fun to compare the book to the movie. Honestly, I don't feel the movie captures the uniqueness and oddities that the book spotlights with such ease.
I'm pretty sure most of my readers know the general story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While laying out on the grass with her sister one fine spring afternoon, Alice sees a white rabbit go running past her. She watches as the white rabbit pulls out a pocketwatch, and then frantically calls out "I'm Late, I'm Late!" and goes running into a rabbit hole. Of course, Alice cannot resist following the creature down the rabbit hole, which is evidently much deeper than she initially imagined as she falls for an unmeasurable amount of time.
When she reaches the bottom of the hole, she discovers a tiny door and the key to it. She drinks and shrinks, eats and grows, and goes through this process a few times until she somehow manages to escape the room (though not through the door she initially hoped to use). This begins her adventures. As she travels through this wonderful land, she meets many odd creatures, such as a hookah smoking caterpillar, a grinning Cheshire Cat, a Mad Hatter, a Dormouse, an animated pack of cards, and a Queen with a beheading obsession.
This book was such a fun and easy read, I would recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of either of the movies made on the book, but allowing my own imagination to create the scenes and creatures worked much better for me. I haven't found one thing that I don't like about this book. It was an amazing escape from the tedious world of college. Of course I am giving this FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE! It's just to amazing not to. Read it, now! Seriously, its adorable.
Reading Next:: Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
I'm pretty sure most of my readers know the general story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While laying out on the grass with her sister one fine spring afternoon, Alice sees a white rabbit go running past her. She watches as the white rabbit pulls out a pocketwatch, and then frantically calls out "I'm Late, I'm Late!" and goes running into a rabbit hole. Of course, Alice cannot resist following the creature down the rabbit hole, which is evidently much deeper than she initially imagined as she falls for an unmeasurable amount of time.
When she reaches the bottom of the hole, she discovers a tiny door and the key to it. She drinks and shrinks, eats and grows, and goes through this process a few times until she somehow manages to escape the room (though not through the door she initially hoped to use). This begins her adventures. As she travels through this wonderful land, she meets many odd creatures, such as a hookah smoking caterpillar, a grinning Cheshire Cat, a Mad Hatter, a Dormouse, an animated pack of cards, and a Queen with a beheading obsession.
This book was such a fun and easy read, I would recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of either of the movies made on the book, but allowing my own imagination to create the scenes and creatures worked much better for me. I haven't found one thing that I don't like about this book. It was an amazing escape from the tedious world of college. Of course I am giving this FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE! It's just to amazing not to. Read it, now! Seriously, its adorable.
Reading Next:: Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
Monday, March 7, 2011
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
My best friend recently purchased a Kindle (due to envy of my Nook), and since we both got Dracula for free on our devices, we decided to read it together. It took a while for the two of us to free up our reading schedule so we could start at the same time, so news of our plan got around the music department. Soon I was having people coming up to me left and right telling me how amazing of a book Dracula was. I'll admit, I was a little iffy. For one, I'm not the biggest fan of the 'classics'. It's just the way I am. Also, I had just finished reading the nowhere-near-horrific-but-still-decent Frankenstein. Since Dracula is also perceived to be one of the classic horror stories, I was a little unsure.
Boy were my doubts wrong! This novel was absolutely amazing! The first chapter sucked me in, and in only a few pages I was beginning to feel tension, suspense, and a smidgen of fear as I followed to adventures of Jonathon Harker. Even when new characters began being added, I did not get lost because of the excellent form of organization exhibited by Bram Stoker.
In Dracula, we follow Jonathon Harker, a type of real estate agent, as he visits the home of his newest client, Count Dracula. Before he even arrives at the home of Dracula, he begins suspecting that this man may be slightly different than what he would consider a normal client. Of course, it's probably just that he's traveling through a strange land at night, who wouldn't be frightened. The story quickly becomes weirder and weirder from there, but I would hate to give away the plot! You HAVE to read this one yourself, so I'll just leave the summary hanging there to entice you further.
On the down side, there were a few sections of the book that I would deem 'unnecessary', and it was in no sense a quick read. Definitely not the best book for the night time reading that I only have time for right now in my busy, college life. However, I do have to put a quick plug in for my Nook! I am absolutely in love with this eBook reader. It was a birthday gift for my mom, and I use it constantly! I have compared it side-by-side to a Kindle, and I have to say that I MUCH prefer the Nook! Probably one of the best things about it is while you're reading it, people don't get down in your face and personal bubble trying to read the title page of the book you're reading. Also, it is great for those people who enjoy reading while they eat, such as myself, or reading while doing other random activities.
Back to Dracula. Great plot! Slow read. A few unnecessary spots, and a pretty slow read unless you're willing and able to sit down and really delve into it. However, it provided me with the suspense, thrill, and horror that I was expecting. Therefore I give this book FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE. I know many of my readers are mothers or college students, but seriously, read it. It may take a few months, but it's worth it.
Reading Next:: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Boy were my doubts wrong! This novel was absolutely amazing! The first chapter sucked me in, and in only a few pages I was beginning to feel tension, suspense, and a smidgen of fear as I followed to adventures of Jonathon Harker. Even when new characters began being added, I did not get lost because of the excellent form of organization exhibited by Bram Stoker.
In Dracula, we follow Jonathon Harker, a type of real estate agent, as he visits the home of his newest client, Count Dracula. Before he even arrives at the home of Dracula, he begins suspecting that this man may be slightly different than what he would consider a normal client. Of course, it's probably just that he's traveling through a strange land at night, who wouldn't be frightened. The story quickly becomes weirder and weirder from there, but I would hate to give away the plot! You HAVE to read this one yourself, so I'll just leave the summary hanging there to entice you further.
On the down side, there were a few sections of the book that I would deem 'unnecessary', and it was in no sense a quick read. Definitely not the best book for the night time reading that I only have time for right now in my busy, college life. However, I do have to put a quick plug in for my Nook! I am absolutely in love with this eBook reader. It was a birthday gift for my mom, and I use it constantly! I have compared it side-by-side to a Kindle, and I have to say that I MUCH prefer the Nook! Probably one of the best things about it is while you're reading it, people don't get down in your face and personal bubble trying to read the title page of the book you're reading. Also, it is great for those people who enjoy reading while they eat, such as myself, or reading while doing other random activities.
Back to Dracula. Great plot! Slow read. A few unnecessary spots, and a pretty slow read unless you're willing and able to sit down and really delve into it. However, it provided me with the suspense, thrill, and horror that I was expecting. Therefore I give this book FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE. I know many of my readers are mothers or college students, but seriously, read it. It may take a few months, but it's worth it.
Reading Next:: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
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