Pleasant Surprise

I just finished my first book of the new school year, and it was a very pleasant surprise. Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin, is tough to categorize, but I totally loved it. I would say that it is a paranormal romance of sorts about how to appreciate th things you have in life, no matter which side of it you are on. If this is confusing, bear with me. The main character of the novel is a girl named Liz, who is recently deceased, don't worry, I am not spoiling anything. Anyways, she finds herself in a unique place called Elsewhere, which is where she will spend her afterlife. I know this sounds strange, but there is a lot more to it. Several of the students that I support had to read this book for Summer reading, so I read it in order to offer the best help. Boy am I glad that I decided to pick it up. I have read quite a bit over the last year, and I can honestly say this is the most refreshing book that I have read in a long time. It has a wonderful innocence that is irresistible. Keep in mind that it is aimed at young adults, so it may not be as deep as you want it to be, but it is definitely worth your time. Four Stars.

Has It Really Been A Month?

I know I have been gone for a while, but here are some grumblings from the past month.

First off, I have another book to recommend. Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, by Christopher Moore. Hilarious read. After fighting through the Heights, I was in the mood for something light, and one of my students recommended Fluke to me. I will admit that I was initially hesitant after reading the back cover, but I decided to give it a whirl, and boy am I glad that I did. It has been a long time since I have laughed so much while reading fiction, unless you include White House briefings. Anyways, the story centers on whale researchers in Hawaii and a strange discovery that is made. The characters that inhabit the pages are colorful and down to earth, which makes them seem like everyday people. My personal favorite was Kona, a pseudo-Rastafarian white kid from Jersey whose every word had me in stitches. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a fun read.

Now on to Iron Man. I really enjoyed this flick. Not only was it a fine example of a summer blockbuster, it was a really good movie. Robert Downey Jr. plays smug weapons developer Tony Stark with an understated flair that makes him compulsively watchable. His supporting staff is just as good as the story moves along at a pace that never slows down. I don’t want to give away too many details about the plot, so I will leave it at that. Make sure you stick around after the credits are over. Three and a half stars.

Forgetting Sara Marshall was one of the funniest movie’s I have seen in awhile. It was very funny and the charters were endearing. Jason Segal and the British singer are totally hilarious. Watch out for the full frontal male nudity if you are not in to that kind of thing. Three stars.

The Secret of Alchemy

For the last year or so, my mother has been trying to get me to The Secret, which I have steadfastly refused to do. I am not very big on inspirational fare and do not quite buy into the idea of authors repacking philosophical ideas in the name of profit. A couple of weeks back, we had a lengthy conversation about why people read these types of books, and my position weakened a bit. This is not to say that I will pick up The Secret tomorrow, but I figured that there must be something to the genre if it is so successful. Well, last week I was browsing a bookshelf in my classroom and came across such a book titled The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. After reading the jacket, I decided to give it a whirl to see if I would be “inspired.”

The Alchemist is the story of a young man, Santiago, in pursuit of his “Personal Legend.” A Personal Legend is the idea that everyone has a preordained mission that will guide him or her through life. Not everyone will come to realize their Personal Legend, but Santiago is told about his Personal Legend by an old wise king and a gypsy. These chance occurrences persuade the young man to sell his herd of sheep and pursue his Personal Legend. Mixed in with this journey are important lessons that teach Santiago the meaning of life. The book itself ended up being relatively harmless, but I am still not sold on the impact of the inspirational novel. Now, I understand that certain people will look at this as a very heartless view from a hardened individual, but hear me out.

As most people know, I witnessed my brother get hit by a car when I was eleven years old, and he came within an inch of losing his life. This incident is the single most important event in my life. I will not go into all the details (if you are interested, just give me a call sometime), but the domino effect that followed made me the person that I am today. I totally understand that not every has an event like that to draw inspiration from, but I find it hard to believe that true life does not give people to opportunity to rise up. I know that sounds cheesy, but I feel that “inspirational” writers often times poach on people that may not have the strength to realize that they are victims of a multi-billion dollar industry. Once again, I know this makes me sound like some kind of jaded individual, but I truly believe that inspiration lies in the world around us, not in some gift wrapped special edition version of the latest fade.

Wuther or Not

I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. If you cannot tell by the title, I am speaking of Wuthering Heights, the classic novel by Emily Bronte. As most of us know, I support students at a local high school, and in order to do my job to the fullest, I need to make sure that I know the material they are studying. Well, several of them were reading the Heights, as I affectionately call it, and I decided to pick it up in order to know what they were talking about when they asked me questions. I will wholly admit that about fifty pages into the book, I hated it. Well, I'm glad I stuck with it, because as the story progressed, the words jumped off the pages.

This novel is pitched as a story about jilted love, but I would not necessarily agree. In my opinion, love is not about hate and anger, which is bountiful amongst the lively characters that inhabit this story. It centers around two families, the Lintons and the Earnshaws, who are tangled in a wicked web of deceit and drama as different members compete to bring misery upon each other. Our "hero" is Heathcliff, a member of the Earnshaws, who lives quit possibly, the most miserable existence in the history of literature. Heathcliff is a completely loathsome individual that is hell bent on ruining the lives of the people who have crossed him, no matter what their relation. His dastardly actions are what drives the novel as his actions are narrated by his lifetime servant Nelly Dean. As Ms. Dean describes the conflict between the families, the reader cannot help but wonder what will happen next as characters parish and Heathcliff strives to feel wanted.

Perhaps what I appreciated the most about this novel is the fact that it challenged me to fight through something that I initially despised. I am by no means trying to put myself on a pedestal, but this was a definite challenge for me, and I was richly rewarded. Bronte was a master of the written word and while she can be long winded at times, her handle on the English language makes every sentence seem smooth as silk. This is not only a novel but it is truly a piece of literature. Everyone should read this book if they want a challenge that will reward them for their effort with a timeless story.

Book Review Time

As promised, here are the reviews of the books that I have read in the last few months.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury- Fabulous. I cannot shower this text with enough superlatives. This book was previously reviewed in the following post.

Inherit the Wind- by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee- I really enjoyed reading this play that is a biting satire of the Scopes Monkey Trial. Hilarious and relevant in today's time as a reminder that freedom of speech is not always one of our inherent rights.

Into the Wild by John Krakauer- A harrowing true story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who goes on a journey in to the Alaskan wild, never to return. Don't worry, the fact that he did not survive is revealed on the first page, so I did not ruin anything. Krakauer was very diligent in his research and does a splendid job of retelling the story of a well-to-do kidB that wants to experience life at it's most basic level. Although McCandless comes to a heartbreaking end, it was fascinating reading about his journey.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer- I read this before Into the Wild, and it is just as riveting. This story is a retelling of the deadliest group ascent of Mount Everest that was ever attempted. Krakauer was a member of this trip that went horribly wrong and provides devastating insight to the tragic event. You will remain breathless as the pages turn themselves. A terrific read.

Day of Tears by Julius Lester- Based on a true story, Mr. Lester retells the nightmare of the largest single auction of slaves in Unites States history. Lester retells the story from the point of view of several of the slaves as they deal with the fate of the sale. If there are any educators that happen to read this blog, I would highly recommend adding it to your curriculum as a way to show students the tragedy of the slave trade.

Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck- This tale about a friendship that is destined to end in tragedy is an American classic. George has been entrusted with taking care of Lennie, a gentle giant who has a low IQ. Both characters are Californian farm hands in the 1930's who travel where work will take them. The burden of taking care of Lennie, who literally does not realize his own strength, leads to an ending that tears are the readers emotions. While not on the epic scale of Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden, Steinbeck is able to catch the attention of the reader from the beginning we learn about Lenny and George's complex relationship.