Some Short Book Reviews

I have recently decided to start reading through all the books recommended to me or that are well known to be good reads. My work being what it is, I have had time to hunker down with these delightful reads for the last few days. I am trying to remember that I am an English teacher: must.write.more…..

The Host, by Stephanie Meyer

When I picked up Stephanie Meyer’s, The Host, I must confess that I did not have very high expectations. I had read (or attempted to read) the Twilight series and gave up after the first book simply because I thought the writing was poorly executed and the plot predictable and boring. I do have to come clean and admit that I watched the movie version of The Host before reading the book, but surprisingly this did not ruin the experience. This is an excellent young adult novel (I would not call this adult fiction, though it is labelled as such). It takes the medium of science fiction and uses it to its advantage while employing new ideas that I have not encountered in my Sci-fi reads. More than just an enjoyable and gripping read, however, this book also does what all good Sci-fi and fantasy novels should do: it conveys a deeper message not always considered in every-day life. It is a compelling novel and Meyers pushes her readers to consider the deeper philosophical questions of the meaning of love and at the end of it all, what it means to be human. Though there are still a few remnants of the Twilight teenage-girl hype in the romance of the story, Meyers does a good job of making sure that romantic love is not the sole focus of the novel.  Meyers has managed to create a world using the contemporary trends of “apocalypse” and “alien-invasion,” and turn them into something completely new. I look forward to the next book of the trilogy with breathless anticipation.

Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card

The first time I picked up Ender’s Game it was a couple of years ago. And it turned into one of those instances when you try reading a book and it’s just not the right timing for it. You and the book aren’t developing any chemistry, so you doggy-ear a page and put it down for two years. (Tangential paragraph: this has happened to me many times, but I have been re-discovering these lost books in the past couple years and it is very satisfying to finally finish something you couldn’t get into years before. Some of these “lost books” however, will simply stay in that pile. There are some books I just can’t make myself read.) This was so with Ender. This time, I could not put it down. The story itself is gripping, because you know the fate of the future of the human race is in the hands of a boy who struggles with the inner battle of his empathy and is incredible talent as a soldier. As a futuristic-sci-fi novel, it effectively captures the way our society may have changed in its day and age. Card does not forget that this is a young adult novel and therefore does not have to be 1000 pages long. He gets his point across in a decent amount of pages, and the reader does not find herself, bored or “skipping to the end.” Card, in the end surprises us and presents some provocative themes that leave his readers questioning current wars and motives and “why we kill.”

Stay tuned for more little book reviews in the coming days....

Why the Modern Woman Loves Jane Eyre (and a few thoughts on feminism)

Jane Eyre is no doubt one of the greatest novels of the 19^th century and of the Cannon of English literature. It has graced the curricula of schools and the bookshelves of avid literature consumers for decades. But what is it about Jane Eyre that makes it so timeless and so applicable? This novel not only challenges the views of the place a woman in the 19^th century could hold, but also puts forth an ideal of equality and love in marriage. In Jane Eyre, we find a destitute orphan who through fate, rises up in the world and stays true to her heart and to her mind.

One way in which Bronte challenges the gender stereotype is by creating a heroine who is a self-made woman.  Her initial rise in the world is the result of her education, to which she devotes all energies and faculties, seeing that her mind will be her way in the world. Jane knows that she lives in a society which brands a woman’s value in her apparent beauty and outward appearances, and that her way in life must be through her mind. But Jane never dwells on self-pity nor focuses on her outward appearances as what makes up her worth. Instead, Jane works diligently at her education, and eventually gains the role of teacher at Lowood—the charity school she went to at the age of 10. After a few years, Jane being somewhat dissatisfied with her position in the world, decides in her independent and practical manner that she would like to find a private governess position with some family. Her education has helped her rise in the world up to this point and will continue to help her later on when she finds herself destitute because of her good character steadfastness to her own identity. After she leaves Mr. Rochester, she wanders to a faraway town and discovers some friends and is granted the position of leader of a school for girls. Again, Jane can fall upon her education to keep her, though she could be considered a desperate and helpless woman, she is anything but that. Jane shows time and again that her education and determined attitude proves her independent.  

Another way that Bronte challenges stereotypes for her age and for ours’, is that Jane Eyre chooses romance on her own terms. She falls in love, yes, but she does not allow her lover to dictate her person. One gets the feeling even after the confession of love that Jane is uncomfortable with the notion of being someone’s idol and statue to be worshiped and adorned. What Jane seems to desire, is to be true to herself above all else. And that is what causes her to leave Rochester. After this staunch holding to her character creates circumstances which lead her to another marriage proposal. Jane, again, does not betray herself. While St. John’s very presence seems to force Jane into a submissive state that quite causes her to act out of character from the very beginning—in the eyes of her readers her heart turns to ice at the thought of marriage to him—he tries all the powers of masculinity and religion to make her submit to his will. She does not break. For Jane can never betray her heart. If she cannot have Rochester, she would rather be a spinster than languish in a loveless marriage where she knows she is not considered her husband’s equal. Thus we are brought to the climax of the book, Jane flees the cold and controlling grasp of St. John to run back into the loving arms of Rochester, who is now humbled and ever more appreciative of the love Jane holds for him. She quite literally becomes his hand and eyes. No other words can describe the blissful marriage they enjoy than the words of Jane herself:

I have now been married ten years. I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on earth. I hold myself supremely blest—blest beyond what language can express; because I am my husband’s life as fully as he is mine. No woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. I know no weariness of my Edward’s society: he knows none of mine, any more than the pulsation of the heart that beats in our separate bosums; consequently, we are ever together. To be together is for us to be at once as free as in solitude, as gay as in company. We talk, I believe, all day long: to talk to each other is but a more animated and an audible thinking. All my confidence is bestowed on him, all his confidence is devoted to me; we are precisely suited in character—perfect concord is the result.

And thus Jane has been united to Rochester not on the condition of being her “Master” or of dependent on benefactor, but of a free and independent woman who is brought by her heart and not by any other motivation to Rochester’s side. Their relationship is based on true love and affection and not on shallow considerations such as typified beauty and monetary motivations. Their love grows through the joining of their minds as well as their bodies.  Jane and Rochester are equals in their love, and it is of the purest kind because of their equality.

As a teacher, and a woman, this is the type of heroine I wish to share with my students and with my female friends. A woman who is not looked at for her sex appeal or how she can please men, but for her mind and everything that makes up her character. The identity of the modern woman is constantly put in jeopardy by the assumption that all the value she can bring is how she looks, and this stereotype is being ever-continued through TV, pop music, advertising and so many other sources of media.  Our society, rather than embracing feminism and equality of women is degrading us more than ever. It’s time we start actively boycotting those industries that objectify women and embrace those that empower them. We may have come far in the past one-hundred years of women’s rights, but we have infinitely farther to go.

Why do we love The Hunger Games?

Everyone's talking about The Hunger Games. Everyone has been talking about The Hunger Games since they hit the young adult lit. market like a virus. Touted as the new Harry Potter or Twilight, this series of books is so appealing that people who hate books or don't read are succumbing to the temptation to read them. I have been meaning to see what the hype is about for a while now, but it wasn't until the impending release of the first movie that I was inspired to read the series before the movie came out (I make it a habit to always read the book before the movie). 


From the first few pages I was completely hooked--can't-tear-my-eyes-away hooked. The first book, The Hunger Games, is unlike any book I have ever read. When Suzanne Collins made the decision to write her novels in the present tense, she incited new take on the genre of young adult adventure novels. No matter what her authorial intent, write the novels in this way, make for a completely gripping story. As I hurriedly flipped the pages of her novel, I became Katniss Everdeen. This complete immersion is possible because the reader is there with Katniss going through every motion, thinking every thought and planning her next move. This was a reading experience that I have not encountered before--and consequently one that made me envision myself playing a video game or watching a movie of the events as they were unfolding...which made seeing the movie so exciting. 


I have just mentioned that I felt like I was in a video-game while reading this novel. There were many elements that caused this sensation for me: the games can only have one winner; the players have to gain favor with sponsors who will pay for medicine; they have to wait and rest to restore their "health;" there are many curve-balls thrown at them from the gamemakers and so on and so forth. Aware of it or not, I personally think that this is one reason why these books are so appealing to the young adult culture at this moment in time. Anyway, enough with my random thoughts about why it is so popular...


All of the appealing elements aside, The Hunger Games represents a very real and very scary picture of what our country could become. The country of Panem, where the twelve districts in the series exist, is a futuristic North America. This country's government and climate resemble that of the one George Orwell wrote about in 1984, and other young adult literature authors have taken his same themes, however, not to this extreme. A country where they hold games and force children to fight to the death? A country where there is no hope for improving yourself, you are simply stuck in the class or profession you are born into; a country where orphans and widows and the poor are left to starve while those in the far-off capitol force them selves to vomit so they can eat as much as they want. The so-called "peacekeepers" in the series are a replacement for combined law-enforcement, but they frequently participate in prostitution and have virtually no checks on their power and the amount of violence they can perform against unarmed and innocent civilians--besides all of that, you are constantly being watched by the president for fear there may be an uprising. 


The premise of the book may seem like an outlandish, unbelievable scenario, but if we truly think about it, is it really? Just taking recent developments in our country as examples, the shooting of a young black boy by a "neighborhood" watchman, the brutal shooting a few months ago of a black veteran by racist police officers, and the recent Supreme Court decision that police officers can strip-search people stopped for minor violations with no real probable cause. Though we do not outwardly select our children to fight to the death as a lesson in obedience, we allow are young men and women to go abroad and fight and die for causes that are not their own. We desensitize our children to violence through a multitude of media, and we are forced to eliminate empathy and compassion from the education of our children for the higher goal of "global competition." 


There is a reason why so many can imagine worlds where our basic rights as human beings are violated on a daily basis, and that reason is staring us right in the face. I am glad that Suzanne Collins wrote such a bold book, and I hope that those who read her books, see the real warnings they hold for our generation and for our government.  

About a Book...

Despite the looming title of this blog, I have decided to write a post about a book I have just read. Having recently completed all of my higher education, and being jobless, I have multitudes of free-time to read. This is quiet exhilarating for me, and I am enjoying every bit of it. 


I am always trying to expand my book knowledge, and to accomplish this, I recently looked up a list of the top 100 books one should read. Naturally, I made a spreadsheet of this list and checked off which ones I have read and marked which ones I have not read (perhaps too extreme?). I am a list person and after making this list of books to read, I was excited to get started! Trying not to be dismayed by the expanse of books on the list I have not read, I began downloading the free ones on my Kindle (due to the aforementioned jobless situation, I have no money to actually buy these books). The first one I decided to read was Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy. I have never read anything by Hardy so this was to be a new experience for me. 


Being a thoroughly educated English major (she laughs to herself, for this is not possible). It was easy to recognize the naturalistic elements of the novel immediately in the opening pages. It called to mind such poets as Wordsworth and Coleridge, and such poems as "Lines composed above Tintern Abbey." The feel of the English landscape and beauty of that country, the life of the common farmer and the common man, struck me immediately. One does not have to read his Wikipedia page (and I confess, I just did) to pick up on the elements of the Enlightenment and Romantic eras in his novel. The situation with Tess's father discovering that he is the last remaining progeny in an old and extinct noble family, evokes many chuckles from any reader.  However, the heart of the book is at the same time greatly influenced by the naturalism that so clearly controls the events. 


Hardy brilliantly combines humorous elements with supernatural qualities and realistic feelings and actions of human beings into his heart-wrenching tale. I found myself sympathizing with the characters even more because I saw my own feelings about organized religion, reactions to societal norms and the like in the characters of Tess Durbeyfield and Angel Clare. More than a novel of naturalism and fate, this is a novel of humanity, and Hardy hits the nail right on the head with the nature of humans. How does the common man react to being told he is a noble? How do secrets tear people apart? How does arrogance and a superior mindset affect those who love you most? These are all questions that Hardy addresses through the characters of the novel. This is a delightful read and I would recommend it to any who like naturalistic, or even ironic novels. 


For a book lover, discovering a new novel is like a kid finding a dollar under her pillow where her tooth was. We expect it, but when it happens we are more excited than we thought we would be. I feel like a kid when I discover a new novel I love, and that sums up my experience with Tess of the D'Urbervilles. 


I'll try Not to write about books next time:)

On Love

Having forgot that I had a blog, I recently tried to create a new one. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this one! Oh there are so many things to write about in the world! 


Have you ever imagined what the world would be like without love? As I write this line, the classic Beatles lyrics come to mind, "love is all you need." This is a subject I have been thinking about, pondering over, mulling around in my over-analytic brain lately. Love is a force to be reckoned with. It moves humanity to sacrifice, to the giving of themselves, and to complete care for others. Where would we be without love? Love is the greatest of all emotions, thoughts and feelings. Love is synonymous with God. Love is the ultimate giving of oneself to the other. And yet, why does it seem that so often we forget how to love? Love should be one of those emotions so easy to "do." You just love people, and that is all. But truly, those who think they can just love people by sending emotions their way are mistaken. Love is more than just a force or an emotion. It is an action. If the action is not carried out, then the whole end of love seems fleeting. 


Love is an action. Those people in the world whom you love, should know from your actions that you love them. They should know from what you do for them, how you speak to them, how you treat them that you love them. I am only recently coming to the realization of how much love requires action and active participation. Without either of these things, how will the beloved know? In your relationships with those you love, there should be a constant reminder to them that you love them by your deeds and by your care of them.  All that is not love often tries to sneak it's way into the relationship. The counterpart of love, causes humans to turn their thoughts and feelings inward to the most selfish thoughts of their inner being. This seems to be a tendency of many. Because of humanity's propensity to disregard love, we must constantly be striving for love as an action.


This is what love looks like to me: Love of family is when you forgive and love despite their mistakes; love of partner/spouse is when you allow another to become one with you, and take on the life-long calling to love that person more than oneself--this  is a constant struggle; love of humanity is when you forgive the past transgressions of all humans, and turn to one another in acceptance regardless of political views, creed, race or religion. Love cannot exist in world where we hate our brothers and sisters and constantly strive for an eye for an eye. To quote the movie The Village, "the world bows for love. It kneels before it in awe.' Love is greater than the confines of religion, race, or social status. It is the emotion that calls men to action. 


Let us never forget how to love. 

127 Hours

I recently saw the movie 127 Hours, and was quite moved by the film in general. Though it had many of the same elements of Into the Wild, I thought James Franco did an excellent job portraying Aaron and Danny Boyle did a great job creating it. Like Into the Wild, the story centers around a 20-something adventurer who is seemingly bent on denying society and family and throwing caution to the wind. The movie consists of the five days that the young man, Aaron Ralston, spent trapped in a canyon in Utah. The movie follows his survival tactics coupled with intermittent flashbacks (or flash-forwards) to the "coulda, shoulda, wouldas" of his life. Containing a similar hero as Into the Wild, that of a young man trying to escape society through nature, the main difference is that this film runs the course of the five days Aaron spent trapped in the canyon. The end of the story is more uplifting than Into the Wild, and I know a lot of people already know what happens as it was a widespread story in the news. The story of this young man's will to live and the distance to which he went to save his life is incredibly inspiring, and leaves you wondering if you would be able to do the same in that situation. The movie portrayed the incredible fight of his will to live against the pain of his body. It certainly made me think about what I would do in that situation, and if I would have the courage to do what he did. The film also sends an important message to outdoor adventurers everywhere to always tell someone where you are going in case of an accident. After all you don't want to lose any limbs. 

Having gone through college where I received my bachelor's degree in English literature, I never had the motivation or inspiration to create a blog. I thought blogs were for "nerds" or people who were REALLY obsessed with writing and being creative on the "interwebs." I must admit that for a second or two over the course of my knowing of the existence of blogs, I had considered making one, but I simply was not motivated to even try. However, now that I am going to start my first experience of student teaching, I wanted to share my thoughts and reflections on that. And alas, now that I am not an English major in college anymore, my supply of fellow book-obsessed, coffee and tea drinkers has seriously dwindled. This results in me wanting to write about what books I am reading, and what I think of them...but do not worry, I will not lapse into literary analysis- just my own personal response to texts, or even movies that I have recently experienced in addition to my thoughts about education and teaching today. 

That being said, I just read an article in the New York Times about the city closing down 12 schools. One of these schools is a charter school that is failing its students. This article greatly intrigued me, as I recently saw "Waiting For Superman" and have just completed a course during which I learned a great deal about the cost/benefit of charter schools. In this lower-Manhatten school, apparently only 26% of the children passed the state reading test passed and only 33% passed the math test. This school presents a contradiction to those schools praised in "Waiting for Superman." The problem that I see with charter schools is, that we need to fix the public schools to be more like the charter schools, and not give up on public education-at least that is my own personal opinion. Not all charter schools are a success, and the ability of those schools to run as they do is only because they do not have the numbers of students to deal with, the pressures of the policy-makers, nor as many of the problems with individual students as public schools have. Sending all children to charter schools is not the answer. However, applying the same principles of higher standards for education could be the answer to saving the failing public schools that our country is facing today.