The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
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This book was brilliant. Definitely, absolutely amazing. When I first got it, I was sort of panicked about the size; not because I wasn't used to reading long books, but because I had another book I needed to read for my English class and I was afraid that this book was going to take up the time I needed. Now that I look back at it, I am so glad I took the time to read this book. It was totally worth it.

For the first chapter or so, I was a bit confused. Not really about the plot- not many books develop a confusing plot in the first few chapters- but about the narrator. I flipped back to the flap in the front of the book I had and confirmed my suspicions- the book was narrated by Death. I must admit, that is one of the most original ideas I have seen in all of my readings. Death doesn't have many appearances, since he's the narrator and not exactly a main character, but the few appearances he did have endeared me to him. He told the story from what seemed to be a bystander's view, but still managed to integrate feeling into his narration. He would talk about historical events happening during the book and show his viewpoint on war and all the death involved. At one point near the middle of the book, he gave away a bit of the end, saying that he didn't care much for how things happened. Although he clearly wasn't human, Zusak gave him a very human personality, which was left buried in between words, and shown in small sentences throughout the book.

"It kills me, sometimes, how people die."

Another interesting aspect is the time period and the way from which Zusak approaches it. The book takes place during World War II and Hitler's regime, but unlike many books written about that era, the protagonist isn't a Jew. You don't get shoved into the pain of watching the main character live in a concentration camp. The main character, Liesel, is a very German-seeming girl, complete with the trademark Arian blonde hair and blue eyes. Still, staying with her foster father- Hans Hubermann- a man far from sympathizing with the Nazis, changed the way she viewed things, making her inside very different from the German you see when you look at her visage.

The book carries you through the ups and downs of Liesel's life, letting you know how she became to be known as the Book Thief, events that followed her through her life with the Hubermanns, love, friendship, finally leaving you at "the end of the world."

This book was extremely touching and very well-written. It has definitely pulled itself high up on the rungs of my favorite books. I would definitely recommend it to someone.

As some of you might know, there is a movie of this book coming out later this year. After watching the trailer, I thought that it seemed quite promising; although one of my favorite aspects of the book- Death's narration- seems just about impossible to incorporate into a movie version. In addition to that, after reading the book, I'd come up with my own ideas of how the characters looked. Of course, those making the movie don't have the same ideas as I do.

All in all, I think the movie itself seems like it'll be good, but I'm a bit skeptical about it due to the pictures I had painted while reading the book. Someone who doesn't spend as much time dreaming up faces to match to the words on the page might find the prospect of a movie far more exciting than I do. Still, I will withhold judgement about the movie- my own casting prejudices aside- until it comes out.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
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After reading this book, I was in shock. I wasn't completely sure how to react. The book itself was very well-written and had an interesting storyline, but then ending completely took me off-guard.

Still, besides that, Lord of the Flies was amazing. It tells the stories of a group of British schoolboys that land on an island and try to create order; but with a large amount of people still in school, how limited can this order be? The book got me thinking, and my dad said that after he read it when he was a student, it disturbed him so much he "sat up all night wand wrote letters about it." Still, Golding demonstrates a wonderful mastery of words, making it an easy book to get hooked on.

The book shows how small divisions can spread so quickly, leading to something much bigger than it had originally seemed. A small disagreement between two schoolboys, in this case, led to a fire that engulfed the whole island that they had been living on. Not only does this book have a good plot, but it is also a good representation of the struggles of life and getting along with other humans.

"The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance."

I must admit, that wasn't the quote I wanted to share; but the quote I did want to share gave away a bit too much. I wouldn't want to do that, especially since I would definitely recommend this to my friends. A small warning; this book is definitely not for the weak of heart, for it has a lot for someone to grasp.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
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"Okay."

A word that we use in our everyday language, made momentous by this touching book. After I read this, it had given itself a boost onto the top of my reading list.

Many of you may have read The Fault in Our Stars before, due to its stupendous popularity. This popularity is well-deserved; make sure you keep that in mind before deciding not to read it. John Green has created a stunning plot that had me crying at the end. Filled with the right amount of tragedy and romance, you follow the adventures of Hazel Grace and Augustus, who struggle to get through teenage life as well as fight deadly sicknesses.

This book also struck close to my heart due to something that was going on with a person close to me. I found so many touching quotes that I managed to identify with, and felt just as Hazel did-- felt as if a book was one of my friends, someone that understood me. After reading through it the first time, I went back and almost finished rereading it before I had to leave for camp, leaving the first part of the book dog-eared due to all of the wonderful quotes I happened upon.

"'All salvation is temporary,' Augustus shot back. 'I bought them a minute. Maybe that's the minute that buys them an hour, which is the hour that buys them a year. No one's gonna buy them forever, Hazel Grace, but my life bought them a minute. And that's not nothing.'"

Before you think I'm giving you a spoiler, that was about a video game.

On top of the wonderful book, they're working on a film to come out in 2014. Although this film has huge expectations that will be almost next to impossible to reach, I still greatly look forward to it, and can't wait to see it.

Overall, this was a wonderful book. I would definitely recommend someone to read it, since not only does it have a great surface story, but it also has another great story hiding underneath the words.

Awakenings

Awakenings by Oliver Sacks
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I sincerely apologize for my lack of posts; to tell the truth, I've been procrastinating and testing.

Don't procrastinate, kids. Read books instead.

All joking aside, this book is very amazing. It doesn't have that much of a story, and it's nonfiction, but that doesn't take away from its content. Oliver Sacks clearly and informatively wrote about his many patients with post-encephalitis lethargica Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects a person's nervous system, in extreme cases leaving them bedridden and unable to talk. While normal Parkinson's disease changes, post-encephalitic patients have a more stagnant form of Parkinson's. These patients are the ones that Sacks treated and observed for an extended period of time, and his findings and observations are compiled in this wonderful book.

I have learned so much from this book- from what encephalitis lethargica is to what neurologists may have to do on a day-to-day basis. After reading the book, I found myself looking up more information about this "sleeping-sickness" and its outbreak in the late 1910's and 1920's. Although all the information gave me chills, I was glad to learn more, and I was glad that the book introduced me to a subject that I'm now so interested in.

A good few of you may have seen the movie version of this book. Although it is certainly a very poignant, wonderful movie, it contains many differences from the book. The movie goes along a storyline more than the book does, while the book is much more factual. There is also a lot of background information that the movie leaves out, and the movie focuses on the story of just one character; Leonard, played by Robert DeNiro. Although Leonard's story is told in the book, there are other patients whose stories are also told in an in-depth manner. Although the movie and the book are both amazing, I wouldn't recommend just watching the movie or just reading the book; they both have their high points, which combined can make for a doubly moving experience.

Many things in this book changed how I view my surroundings and what lies ahead of me. Many things that Sacks mentioned, while informational, were also moving and could be applied to everyday life- even to a life without Parkinson's disease. I would highly recommend this book, especially people who are interested in neurology, medical science, and/or nonfiction books. I'll leave you with what I think about this book, and a quote-- although not from Sacks, it still seemed so... brilliant, and it was mentioned in the book and pertained to what was being talked about at the time.

"Whenever... advantage through illness is at all pronounced, and no substitute for it can be found in reality, you need not look forward very hopefully to influencing (it) through your therapy."

-Freud

Pride and Prejudice

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
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Long time no blog. The reason? I've been reading this here wonderful book.

I tried reading this book when I was in middle school, I believe. It didn't work out very well; I couldn't handle the language and gave up halfway through. Still, my cousin bought me the movie and I liked the story. This year, I decided to give it another try.

I had a rough start on this book. When I began to read the first chapter, I wasn't yet used to her language, and it confused me slightly. As I progressed, though, her sentences' phrasing came more naturally to me and their speech didn't confuse me as much.

As the story progressed, I found myself increasingly enthralled by it. How human the plot is compared with Jane Austen's wonderful writing makes for a very good read, and it seems as though Jane Austen is one of your friends that complains about guy problems.

Although this is undoubtedly what some would call a "girly" book, don't let that scare you male gender away from the book. Jane Austen's writing may still spur you to think about which character you're most like, and if there's- for example- an Elizabeth Bennet for you.

Something that you need to take into mind is the period that Austen lived in- pre-Victorian times, before Charles Dickens. The way she phrases her sentences puts the emphasis at the end, instead of the beginning as we do now. The culture then was also extremely different from what it is now, and I find it very interesting.

Reading this book helped me in how I view things and how I write; it facilitated writing one of my character's speech (He was from the 1600's, and for a while I had him speaking like educated individuals do now. Finding out how Austen's characters spoke helped me correct his syntax.) and had me begin to keep an eye open for chivalrous individuals.

Overall, Pride and Prejudice was a great read, and I hope to read more of Jane Austen's books in the future. The Masterpiece Theater version of the book- with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle- was also a very good movie. I believe it captured the overall sense of the book, and their use of quotes from the book itself helped contribute to that feeling. I would definitely recommend this book to someone, especially if you enjoy reading a good romance novel.



Question to discuss; Would you marry for love or money? (Both isn't an answer, unless you're Elizabeth or Jane.) Why? Also, do you believe that gentlemanly and educated ideals mentioned in the book are still around today, or are they gone?

LETTER TO AN AUTHOR; Yann Martel

Hello everybody!

This is going to vary a little bit from my usual posts. I'm submitting this letter to Letters about Literature, and I thought that I may as well share it. If you like this, I might even write a couple more to other authors of books that I'm going to read.

Now that my explaining is out of the way, I hope you enjoy this!

In case you were wondering, my normal post about the Life of Pi is over here.

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Dear Yann Martel,

What could a fierce tiger and a personal flaw have in common?

Your book, The Life of Pi answered that question: They can both be a channel to show us the meaning of life. The happiness of my life does not lie in simple comfort. Instead, it lies in involving myself in the lives of others, and engaging myself in a battle against my own weakness.

Pi’s life went from something ordinary in India to two hundred and twenty seven days fighting for survival in a lifeboat with a tiger. Fate turned his peaceful youth upside down in the blink of an eye. Only when that happened did Pi realize how much his happiness was associated with his family. And not only that, he was also forced to see how much his very existence depended upon a fierce creature he used to fear—a tiger named Richard Parker.

After Pi’s family was swallowed by the storm in the ocean, Pi’s life completely changed. For two hundred and twenty seven days, the lives of Pi and Richard Parker are tied together: Richard Parker got food from Pi, and Pi found a reason to survive in Richard Parker. Everyday Pi tried to find ways to feed the tiger. This daily routine was set up originally because of Pi’s fear of Richard Parker. Gradually it evolved into a rewarding activity with pleasure generated by the satisfaction of another living creature. They both knew how they depend on each other —Pi acknowledged it through his narration in the book, and Richard Parker with his snorting sound, prusten.

I see three main characters involved in Pi’s life in the ocean: Pi, Richard Parker, and the ocean. Pi and Richard Parker are two creatures coexisting and struggling to survive. Meanwhile, the ocean torments them. It gives Pi boils and half-drowns Richard Parker in storms. It takes away their food and water and then grudgingly gives them barely enough fish for sustenance.

As I finished reading your book, I noticed something that I never understood before: Not only does a person’s happiness depend on other people, but sometimes it is manifested through something that he thinks is frustrating, onerous, or even fearful. The revelation that came after my reading made me see some of my daily activities from a new perspective.

Basically, these activities deal with people. I cannot grasp the meaning of my life without other people, just as Pi’s life would be pointless and empty, and probably over, without Richard Parker.

I started tutoring three younger elementary school students two years ago. I accepted the job because these kids are family friends and their parents asked for help, and I thought it would be nice to have my own income. Over the past two years, I have come to realize what an impatient person I am. I don’t blame myself. I have a busy life—school work, marching band, music lessons, and many extracurricular activities. To me, tutoring was just another job. These naughty boys got on my nerves, and I became annoyed at times.
The day after I finished reading your book, the boys came for their lessons. After I helped them with their homework, I pulled out the Life of Pi. I told them the story and read a few paragraphs to them. They were enthralled. Seeing the sparks in their eyes and listening to their comments about the story uplifted my spirit. I suddenly felt that instead of me helping them, we were helping each other. They made me feel happy and fulfilled. The tutoring sessions were no longer just a source of income—they actually gave some concrete meaning to my existence: All the years that I’ve been in school, I’ve been working hard to get good grades and seeking to excel in all the activities I participated in. But what are the good grades for if I am a lonely person?! Yes, helping others takes time and entails hard work, but it’s through the time and hard work that we establish a bond as Pi and Richard Parker did.

This is the first time a book has made me look at my tutoring sessions in a different way. My students and I are like Richard Parker and Pi, and my impatient personality is like the ocean. I must fight against my personal flaw to help my students learn, and my students, in turn, help me in this battle. I’ve been enjoying my tutoring experience like never before, and I see my life and everyday activities in a much more positive way.

Thank you, Yann Martel. Your book, Life of Pi, taught me how to view various facets of my life and my adversaries. As a result of that, my tutoring experience has been much more pleasant. At the same time, I have become more appreciative of everything around me that gives me happiness.

Truly,
Makea Luzader

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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I'm not going to write as much about this book as I do about other books, but that doesn't make it any less amazing or enthralling. Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman living in Baltimore City, Maryland. She developed cervical cancer and died soon afterwords, but her cancer cells became the first "immortal" cells.

I first heard about this book from my honors biology teacher last year when we were going over genetics. The whole topic had interested me, so I thought that this book would most likely be very interesting as well.

I was right. It tells about the story of the woman behind this amazing breakthrough; the unknown person who helped scientists and doctors develop so many of today's life-saving cures. It was amazing, knowing what her cells had led to and hearing her family's story.

If you're interested in genetics or biology, this book would be interesting. It doesn't say too much about exactly what her cells led to, but I believe that learning about the history of the woman behind HeLa is just as interesting as learning what her cells led to.