The Grapes of Wrath

My reading this week began on one of the interlude chapters.  These chapters are like nothing else that I have encountered in my independent reading career before.  This particular one was unique in that the narrator takes on the perspective of a car salesmen selling cars to desperate evicted farming families who are looking to head to California, just as the Joad family is.  These salesmen take extreme advantage of of the uneducated fearful families, being mean and rude to them, thus adding insult to injury to their standing condition.  Also in my reading this week, I met the rest of the Joad family.  This was a great ordeal because as I explained in my last post, Steinbeck likes to spend pages on just the details of one person and meeting many people of a family takes many pages.  

The Grapes of Wrath Chapters 1-6

I am really enjoying this second classic book that I am reading this quarter.  I believe the book deals with a deals with a deep subject being that it is set during the great depression following a poor family who has been evicted from their home.  This book is exceptionally written with vivid characters and small chapter long interludes that act as somewhat of a sub plot in the story.  These little interlude chapters are really very interesting because they bring the problems in the story into real perspective.  I like how Steinbeck makes strong points about events that are seemingly small to the reader, such as the several page passage about a turtle trying to cross the road.  This turtle goes on to be found and picked up by Tom Joad, the main character.  But it is interesting to see what happens to the turtle before Tom Joad finds it. 

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

I am glad to say that finally this story has gained some momentum.  But perhaps this lack of a fruitful story is only sacrifice to the simply captivating writing style of Dickens.  At the start of Book the Third the story really began to take off, especially with the meeting between Louisa and her father where she blames him for her awful upbringing and her inability to have proper emotions.  This was a powerful turning point in the story, as well as character development.  We see that Mr. Gradgrind is sorry for not allowing his children to live normal lives and finally sees the pain that he has caused his daughter.  Louisa confesses her hate for her husband and her true feelings for Harthouse.  I am looking forward to the ending of this book.  

Hard Times by Charles Dickens Chapters 1-14

This book thus far has been difficult to form an opinion on.  The book opens in a 1854 European schoolroom filled with children being taught nothing but facts.  In this room is a girl named Sissy Jupe who is more commonly referred to by her "number" which is number twenty.  When she is asked if placing floral carpet in one's home is practical or not she answers yes.  This of course is the wrong answer as seen by the teachers since flowers are made to stay outside.  This opening scene launches a rather bland story of a father who disproves of all types of imagination or creative power from his children.  This story leaves much to be desired, but the writing style combined with the vivid descriptions of images and deep characters that makes this book worth reading.  

Quarter 1 Reaction

Looking over my blogs so far for the first quarter of school I see that all but one are about either a biography or memoir story of some kind.  I tell about how each story, book or chapter makes me feel and also provide somewhat of a summary.  This quarter it has been my goal to read books of the biography/memoir genre and so far I feel that this goal has been met.  I read two memoir based books and am currently reading a novel based on the life of the author.  This blogging experience has been a positive one for me, I can reflect on the books that I choose to read.  Rather then talking about the books that are required in class.  

For the second quarter of school, my goal is to read more into the play/classic genre.  I feel that reading works of fiction will open up my blogs in terms of analysis and insight.  I'm hoping that my blogs for the second quarter will be more meaty, as in having more than just the required five sentences.  Since football season has ended I will have more time to read and blog.  I hope to complete four books this quarter rather then the three that I read the first quarter.  

The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson Ch. 1

This first chapter has been one of considerable mystery.  The book follows a first-person account of a man who moves from New York to Peurto Rico for a reason remains untold for several pages.  I have learned that this man is a journalist moving to work as a writer for a second rate newspaper on the island.  This first chapter has allowed me to become aquatinted with Mr. Thompson's writing style since this is the first of his books that I am reading.  Also, after completing the first chapter, I found out that this novel is based on Thompson's actual life making it somewhat of a memoir.  

"The Georgia Thumper" by Augusten Burroughs

This story is one that I found a little disturbing.  In it, Burroughs describes his loathing for his grandmother, Amah.  He accounts his visits with her as being held captive by a relative who hates him.  Amah and Burroughs seem to have mutual discontent with each other.  Burroughs tells of flooding Amah's bedroom with the garden hose and other mischievous acts against her.  He then describes his feelings after her death.  He seems to be devastated at the death of a women whom he despised.  But as he looks back on his actions he sees that he could have had a functional relationship with Amah, but he choose to torment her instead.  I think this story is a good display of how our choices now will come back to us later in the future.  

Getting to No You by Augusten Burroughs

I enjoyed the personal level that this story explored.  It was about Burroughs and his experiences with age and dating, and one particular instance on a date with a very odd man.  He goes through his thoughts and actions while dating this man.  This story really digs deep into the mind of a person while on a date with someone whose company they don't particularly enjoy.  Early in the story Burroughs discusses the relationship between age and dating, saying that at age thirty dating for him changed dramatically then when he was in his twenties.   

Pest Control by Augusten Burroughs

This story was quite cute.  It was all about Mr. Burroughs losing his first tooth and how he was afraid of the tooth fairy.  I found this quite odd as most children, including myself at one time, adore the tooth fairy.  They wiggle teeth day in and day out so that they may be paid a visit and receive some money.  But not Mr. Burroughs, he tells how he barricaded himself in his room and locked the windows in an attempt to keep the fairy away.  I think this story just goes to show how some children have a skew way of thinking--perhaps getting the wrong idea on things in situations that were deigned by adults to make them happy. 

"Crybaby" By David Sedaris

I especially enjoyed this story, but at the same time I disliked it.  The story was about David Sedaris' experience on airplanes, and I liked that I could relate to most of what was in the story having been in an airplane myself before. What I did not like was that Sedaris seemed to be insulting and complaining about a man sitting next to him on a flight who was crying over the death of his mother.  The name of this story is "Crybaby" I think this is meant to poke fun at this man.  But it really is unfair, the man loved his mother and cried because of the loss he has suffered, Sedaris could be more sympathetic.  

Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie? By David Sedaris Reveiw

This memoir story has been exceptionally different than most others that I've ever read.  Some biographies or memoirs pay little regard to the clothes of the person.  This story was all clothes.  And it wasn't just a straight description of the clothes that David Sedaris wears but rather the story behind that particular article.  He tells odd stories about stupid things that he has bought at the description of his father or sister.  David Sedaris' sense of humor really comes to life in this story as he describes his absurd wardrobe.  

 

John Lennon:The Life by Philip Norman Review

This biography was different then most others that I have read about famous musicians.  The story of John Lennon is almost beyond compare to others.  The books begins with detailed account of Lennon's grandfather's life as a ship hand working in England.  From then on, the book retells most every month of every year of Lennon's life from his first public appearance as a musician to the rise of the Beatles and eventually his death in New York City.  The writing style of Philip Norman is another factor that sets this biography apart from the rest.  This biography is written with the style of a novel following Lennon's life through his eyes rather then those of a bystander.  The book stays from the overuse of quotes from newspapers and magazines but favors quotes of Lennon.  Due to it's immense detail, this biography is no quick reads as some are, it's some 900 pages took me almost three weeks to finish and it was well worth it.  

The Remarkable Rocket by Oscar Wilde Review

This story was my favorite of the stories in The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde.  I am a fan of the work of Oscar Wilde due to his writing using not humans as characters but rather animals and inanimate objects.  In this story it is fireworks that are used as a majority of the characters.  These fireworks are waiting in a castle to be set off after a wedding that night.  One very self-concerned rocket is to be saved as the finale and speaks the most through the story.  He speaks quite highly of himself and goes on to denigrate the other fireworks.  He claims that since he is the last rocket to be set off he is clearly superior to all others.  He speaks of how it is his one and only dream to burt high in the air among the stars gazed upon by hundreds of spectators.  His own words lead him to tears of "pity" for the other "inferior" rockets.  As a result of his tears he is too wet to be set off and thrown away.  The next day, two boys find the rocket and accidently set him off in broad daylight.  No one observes as the rocket explodes over some woods far from the city.  I believe this story just goes to show that those who talk down on others and have over confidence in themselves may be unwanted and unseen by other people.