Monday, August 8, 2011
Summer Reading
This summer you had the pleasure of reading a novel or play from the recommended list of titles in your AP Language acceptance letter. Since you must choose one more independent study novel to read this semester, you need feedback from your classmates assessing the novels they read. Out of five stars, how would you rate the book you read this summer (5=high, 1=low)? List the title you read, follow it with your rating, and explain why you would or would not recommend your choice to another reader. Your responses may be brief, but please be specific and edit your work!
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After only a few chapters of Bram Stoker’s Dracula I found myself marveling at this intriguing story from which the legendary creature- the vampire- first found its fame. This classic novel was obviously written quiet some time ago, and the language is hard to contemplate at times. However; I found this tale to be captivating, especially when describing the Count and his rampage of killing innocent human beings to fulfill his endless thirst for blood. Throughout the novel all of the legends and myths I have heard about vampires were mentioned. From garlic necklaces to the crucifix’s power of protection, it was interesting to see where Hollywood obviously found their inspiration for each Twilight-like, horror filled, vampire film. Overall I would rate this as a 4. I would recommend this to older readers, whether it be to challenge themselves or even just for a fun read to discover more about the original story of Count Dracula. However; take caution when deciding to pick up this thick piece of literature, it isn’t for the light-stomach nor the faint of heart.
ReplyDeleteThe novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is one that captures the ugly side of love and follows the downfall of two people who cannot thrive by themselves. The first 50 or so pages are somewhat hard to follow because readers are unsure exactly who Catherine and Heathcliff, the main characters, are. Also, it takes a while into the story before readers finally figure out who the narrator is. Once the characters are straightened out, the story is really quite dramatic and entertaining. Readers feel sorry for Catherine when she must make the choice between the man she is a part of, her one love Heathcliff, and the more sensible man, Edgar. Once the characters start to die, the book becomes confusing again. It’s especially puzzling because there is a second character named Catherine. I would award this novel a 3. While it is captivating, the plot is somewhat hard to follow at times. The family tree provided in the opening pages does little at a glance to help readers during the novel. I do recommend the book to a patient reader. The first pages of setup are a bit tedious; however, the rest of the book is worth the time. A warning to readers though: this novel is not by any means a classic love story. It is dark and gloomy as the relationship of two lovers actually becomes the very thing that kills them.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I would give this book a rating of 3 out of 5. The language was very wordy, and at some parts difficult to understand. In part 1 of the book, Gulliver visits a land called Lilliput. He describes nearly every action in great detail, but there is very little dialogue between Gulliver and the Lilliputians. This lack of dialogue makes the beginning of the story very slow and hard to move past. Once the first part is over with, the story picks up and is easier to follow. I enjoyed the satire making fun of England’s government. In each land Gulliver visited there was a contrast to the previous land, or to the views on England’s government. For example, the Lilliputians are very tiny people and Gulliver views their ways of ruling to be harsh. He then travels to the land of Brobdingnag where the people are all giants, and Gulliver is the tiny one, opposite of in Lilliput. The giants’ view on England’s government is harsh, jus as Gulliver found the Lilliputians. These clever contradictions add to the plotline and make the story more captivating. Overall, this is a good read with a well developed plot if the reader can get past the lengthy and rather wordy first part.
ReplyDeleteGulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift is the book I read over the summer and it earns a 4 out of 5 stars. While the book struggles to draw in the reader immediately, it soon picks up the pace, and it is an exciting read. This book is similar to Lord of the Flies, by William Golding in that it satirizes different aspects of society. In William Golding’s novel, each boy on the island represents an aspect of society and he criticizes it. In Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver travels to different nations, intent on spreading the glory of his native country, England. With each place he visits, Swift peels back a layer of human nature, exposing its corruptness. The entire novel is dripping with satire and humor, which I especially enjoyed. There are hilarious parts including the six-inch tall Lilliputians searching Gulliver’s coat, upon which they find a pocket watch. They insist it is some god he worships since he consults it before he does anything. Each place Gulliver visits provides different insight into our lives. The miniature Lilliputians are prideful, and argue over petty things that we are meant to view as ridiculous. This however reflects our own arguments and quarrels. Gulliver then is thrust into a society of giants where he experiences seemingly beautiful things up close and is revolted. This represents the corruptness of things in our society that seem perfect. Swift satirizes human character in this way with each nation Gulliver reaches. Swift also uses his main character to observe the flaws of the nations but also to be the center of criticism, making the reader cringe at times. The most disappointing part is the end, where Gulliver identifies himself with the Yahoos, brute humanlike figures, and he no longer looks at life the same way. His own nation, and even his family disgust him. After being able to relate to Gulliver through the book, the reader practically screams in protest at his downfall. Other than this, Gulliver’s Travels is a fantastic book that keeps the reader captivated with an intricate plot and dripping satire.
ReplyDeleteFor the summer AP Language Independent Study book I read the novel The Once and Future King by T. H. White. I would rate this book as a 4 out of 5. This rating is due to the fact that although the book is good it is also very lengthy. Not only is it 668 pages long, but it uses small font and large pages. If I had to describe this book in one sentence I would say it’s a complex version of a children’s story. The novel has the basis of the hero quest, but it adds infidelity, and subjects of a much higher level than the normal child would understand. There are also many humorous parts to this book, such as when the two knights Pellinore and Grumman get into an argument where they sound like little bickering children. What was most enjoyable about this book is that it made you want to keep reading in most parts. The dialogue (though sometimes hard to understand due to the accents) is very entertaining and quick reading. The novel also consistently keeps moving making it even easier to read. There are a few points in the book where T. H. White will take a few pages to first establish setting and prerequisite information, which is understandable, but dramatically slows down the story. Overall if you have the time to read this novel, I would highly recommend reading The Once and Future King.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. On a scale of one to five on greatness I would give this book a four. Stoker’s plot demonstrates evil’s animalistic characteristics living vicariously through innocent beings, and how through faith and dedication to preserving the human’s divine goodness, one can prevail against evil. The message of this book is very important to those who are faced with their own evils everyday. However, at times the plot dragged on when I wished that the author would get to the point. Over all I thought Dracula was a good book with an important message that posed light on a dark subject on the time it was composed. I would highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a dark and meaning filled book.
ReplyDeleteFor the summer reading assignment I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. This book follows the story of two young lovers torn apart by class and family. As Emily said, the first couple chapters are confusing because following Catherine, Heathcliff and Lockwood in their different roles is difficult. Also, the jump between present day at Wuthering Heights and years ago at Wuthering Heights is very abrupt, leaving the reader in the dust. However, once the novel starts moving, the passion between Catherine and Heathcliff envelopes the reader. The continuous literary boundaries and norms Brontë breaks are very unique and take the reader in. Catherine and Heathcliff describe themselves as "the same person" in souls, even though most writers paint the protagonists in tragic love stories as complete opposites. However, the lovers are juxtaposed in class and personality, as they are the "same person" but their backgrounds keep them apart. Their love eventually leads to the demise of them both. Overall, I would rate this book a 4, because while the beginning is slow and confusing, the rest of the story is captivating and the passion is breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read Emma by Jane Austen. I would give the novel a three out of five. This work of literature is full of irony, humor, and enchanting characters. I especially enjoyed Emma, the main character, because she is constantly trying—and failing—to be a matchmaker. Emma is convinced that she does not need a husband, and yet attempts to set up her friend Harriet with numerous men. As with most novels written in England during this time period, the language was sometimes difficult to understand. For example, Austen uses terms such as “fortnight” and “apothecary,” which I had to look up in order to understand the novel. Another negative part of the book is that it does not have a very exciting plot. The whole novel is Emma’s pursuit to get a husband for Harriet and the vast number of misunderstandings that ensue. Though it is comical to see the character’s misunderstandings of each other, there is not a set plot that engages the reader. In this novel, Austen focuses on the characters more than the plot.
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ReplyDelete[i]Emma[/i] by Jane Austen is a story that challenges the idea that one should marry for wealth and social status instead of marrying for love. In the novel the main character, Emma, tries to play match-maker for her friend Harriet. This triggers a series of humorous events as certain situations turn out to be not what was planned. It can be hard to understand at times as well, because the novel was written in old English. Jane Austen's characters are rich and complex, especially Emma. Emma has many flaws, but despite this the reader comes to appreciate her in the end. Through [i]Emma[/i] Jane Austen reveals much about what life was like during her time period and criticizes many beliefs of society during that era. For example, Emma believes that she does not need to marry anyone because she is already wealthy. She, as well as other characters, fail to understand the concept of love throughout the novel. I would rate this novel a 4 out of 10. Despite being boring at parts and hard to understand, the characters were unique and very real.
ReplyDeleteThis past summer, I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Overall, I would certainly give the book a four. Like many novels that interest me, Dracula was filled with a great deal of suspense as well as a large amount of action. The book also displayed major themes such as reality vs. illusion or Christianity vs. magic. By the use of such animalistic and terror-filled characters such as Dracula or the asylum patient, Bram Stoker was able to reveal a dark and meaningful way to the idea of the “good guys always winning.” Truly, the only thing I didn’t enjoy about the novel was the occasional extremely in-depth descriptions of characters and situations. Although the explanations added to the story, they also made it a struggle to stay focused and to still understand the section. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and thrill that Bram Stoker’s Dracula provided. I would easily recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy an action-filled drama.
ReplyDeleteMary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a riveting tale of passion versus responsibility and the repercussions associated with the power of knowledge. Shelley begins her novel by introducing the child Victor Frankenstein, and his passion for science and untainted knowledge. As the plot unfolds, Frankenstein bestows life upon a creature- a horrifying monster of his own creation. It is this point in the novel that truly begins to intrigue the reader; a series of unfortunate events befall young Frankenstein, coincidentally connected to his monstrous creation. The novel is captivating, and can certainly be horrifying when tragedy strikes the protagonist; thus I rate the novel a four, and highly recommend it to other readers. In fact, if not for the prosaic introduction of Frankenstein, I would give it a five. Shelley’s plot is extremely fascinating, and simultaneously criticizes several aspects of the era in which it was written; accordingly, it makes for a great read and exceptional essay writing material.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Gulliver, the main character, is a man who loves adventure and traveling the oceans. I would rate this book a 3 out of 5, because it did not entice me right away and was not interesting to me. The stories build on each other and some of the book was confusing, especially the third part where he visits these floating islands. I never understood the civilization on these islands. I enjoy books that have more exciting adventures. This book seemed very wordy; and, Gulliver (the main character) just talked a lot and described everything he encountered with the civilizations. He is stranded on four islands where he entertains the citizens with his personality and traits. After a shipwreck, he first lands on the Island of Lilliput and lives with these people for approximately 3 years. This book discussed the types of government of the countries he visited and the contrast with his home country of England. One could tell this was a satirical book because of the comments these Lilliputan people were making about Gulliver and his English laws. This book was a good read, but one must get past the wordy pieces to completely understand and enjoy this book.
ReplyDeleteEmma, written by Jane Austen, I would rate a 3 out of 5 thoroughly romantic novel. In her narrative, Austen describes the high societal life of a young woman, Emma in the early 1800’s. Emma is constantly struggling with the temptations of passion versus her responsibility and inner pride in society. She vows never to be in love due to her loyalty to her aging single father. However, halfway through the novel, Emma realizes that she is in love with a Mr. Knightley, who returns the same emotions towards her. But, if they want to carry out their love, Emma must sacrifice a long time friendship. Throughout the novel, many characters also tend to experience the same inner struggles of inability to express their true desires. However in the end, Austen proves to the reader that love will always overcome responsibility in an optimistic way when Emma succumbs to her emotions resulting in the perfect marriage. This three volume novel is, however, extremely time consuming and one must be patient for the plot(s) to slowly develop and unfold. In rating this novel a 3, the reader must remember that although the plot may seem slightly prosaic, Austen really does give one a glimpse into the constant pressures of high societal life back in her era and is constantly pointing out the flaws in a prideful high class society.
ReplyDeleteRight from the beginning Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is fast paced and filled with drama and excitement. Stoker keeps his readers on edge by constantly adding in new characters and deepening the plot. More and more innocent people are killed by the monster we know as Dracula, the vampire. This love story is quite captivating and will keep one reading for days. Though some of Stoker’s details in the story paint very graphic and terrifying pictures in the readers’ head; that is one of the many reasons this book is so great. The details come in immense packages, containing more than anyone could ever want in a horror story. In short, this book is a 4 out of 5, based on Stoker’s ability to grasp a reader’s attention and keep it throughout this giant, wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein by Mary Shelley is an interesting and unusual tale. It early on introduces compelling questions about the nature of man and his desire for knowledge. It continuously referred to the dangers of the human mind, what it can create, and how everything is affected by even the smallest action. Frankenstein’s life was at first perfect, but through his selfish desire for more, he ended up hurting himself and those he loved. In the end, he dies a lonely and broken man. Shelley introduces many themes concerning morality, science, the power of knowledge, and the consequences of actions. Overall, I would rate this novel 3 out of 5. Though it was a deeply thoughtful novel, the story moved slow and constantly consisted of Frankenstein’s foolish complaints and over-dramatics. If one wanted to read it, s/he would have to devote a good number of hours towards it.
ReplyDeleteMary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a powerful and emotionally charged novel dealing with the nature of life and death. It should be recommended to English students due to its many points of analysis. Frankenstein moves beyond the typical ghost story to ask thought provoking questions that are still relevant today. The thematic idea central to its plot is the double nature of knowledge. It tells the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who spends his life obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge. His attention is specifically focused on using science to penetrate the boundary between life and death. Moved by a passion equal to madness, he plays God and creates a hideous, humanlike creature. The monster, scorned by mankind and abandoned by Victor, devotes his life to punishing creator. Because Victor has unlawfully passed into immortal grounds, he is tortured with the murder of his loved ones. Shelley uses Victor to ask how far humans progress into the unknown without destroying themselves. This question is especially relevant in a world dominated by computers, medicine, and genetic engineering. Shelley also uses Victor’s creation to challenge the ideas of good and evil. The monster is born ugly but innocent. He originally seeks to join mankind, but turns to violence as a result of their hatred. He also looks remarkably human, built of human limbs and organs. To complicate matters further, his sentences often mirror those of his creator. This makes it impossible for the reader to distinguish between the hero and the villain. Should the reader blame the monster who learns to hate or the creator who abandons his creation? This blur between good and evil makes Frankenstein especially touching. In addition to employing powerful messages, Shelley also uses imagery and apostrophes to touch her reader. This imagery is particularly strong when Shelley describes the birth of the creature:
ReplyDelete“How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath…but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with …his shriveled complexion and his straight, black lips” (51).
She further uses apostrophes to add suspense to the text. Victor often cries out to his loved ones that have been murdered, forcing the reader to feel the certainty of approaching death. These factors earn Frankenstein a rating of a four out of five. However, it should be noted that Frankenstein’s plot can be tediously slow. Shelley will often use whole chapters to describe nature. Chapter Ten, for example, serves only as a description of what the Alps look like. Victor will also take multiple pages explaining exactly how depressed and guilty he feels as each of his loved ones die. While these descriptions are very moving, they tend to become repetitive and therefore boring. It is a combination of these positive and negative factors that renders Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein worthy of a four out of five.
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ReplyDeleteFor our summer reading assignment I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Although it is lengthy, it’s full of love and hatred, not really a classic combination, but those ideas create the central themes of this novel. There is confusion and mixed emotions throughout the novel. The characters each face their own internal conflict. For Catherine, her conflict was whether she should marry Edgar for money or Heathcliff, because he is right for her. Brontë wrote this in a way so that the reader feels as though he/she is sitting there with Catherine while she talks her way through this decision. With every struggle the reader can feel the tension between both the character and his/herself or between the different characters. As the story progresses it slowly becomes more confusing, there are now two Catherine’s, Heathcliff’s Catherine, and her daughter, Cathy. Heathcliff finds himself obsessing over Catherine, her death, and his love for her, the love her never got to fulfill. This novel deserves a 4, because of the way it captures its audience and tells a not-so-classic love story full of heartache, deception, and loss.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read Graham Greene’s powerful novel, The Power and the Glory. On a scale of one to five I would give this book a four. The Power and the Glory follows the story of a “whisky priest” trying to escape the harsh government that is diligently trying to destroy all religion. This book flirts with a very severe line between offensive and direct. The depicted story in which churches are burned, followers are held hostage, and priests are forced into being martyred or shot, creates an exciting and enticing setting that can’t help but draw the reader in. Graham Greene is a fantastic writer; he has a potent voice and he intrigues the reader through the entire book. The reader lives vicariously through the protagonist (the whisky priest) who endures moments of extreme self-loathing and practices moments of incredible manipulation. This book forces the reader to ponder the clutching difficulty between survival vs. humanity and accountability vs. addiction. The Power and the Glory is a fantastically written novel that conditions the brain and the heart. The final chapters of the book leave the reader with a feeling of serenity and hope; there is a lot to be said about an ending that can leave that kind of imprint.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I would give this book a rating of 3 out of 5. For the most part the book was an easy read, but did get slow and confusing at some points. During Part 1 of the novel Gulliver travels to the land of the Lilliputs, where everyone is only a few inches tall. This part is by far the hardest to read out of the 4. This section is mostly filled with descriptions with little dialogue from anyone. But the novel gets more entertaining after part 1. The rest of the book is also filled with lots of descriptions, but with more dialogue and you can see a plot line growing and growing. Also toward the end of the book the reader must comprehend and remember all the names of the places Gulliver has traveled, who is fighting who, who is big, who is small, and who is human. It can get confusing at some parts. But the entertaining and interesting plot line is worth the slow beginning and the confusing parts. Overall, once you get past the first part, they story becomes more enjoyable and more entertaining with an interesting plot line, and I would recommend it to anyone.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, I read Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift. I would rate the novel 4 out of 5 stars because it made a great, entertaining story. Swift wrote about a man named Lemuel Gulliver, and he travels as a surgeon on four different voyages, all of which he gets lost or stranded on some sort of seemingly deserted island. On each island, he meets a different type of human-like creature (from the small people Lilliputians to the advanced horses called Houyhynyms) that teach Gulliver a different way of life. As a story, I found it to be very entertaining how Swift was able to come up with the different fictional creatures to represent a real-life event orcountry. That was the only reason why the book didn’t receive all the stars. It was difficult to follow the plot line of some of the stories, and compare the fiction to real life events. But if it was just purely for the story, then it was have been an amazing book.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Shelley’s argument that knowledge is destructive was captivating because I could relate to Frankenstein’s struggle to prioritize between his dream of creating artificial life and the well-being of his friends and family. I was able to connect the horror of Victor’s creation with my own desire to learn more; the creation of the monster demonstrates that knowledge is not innocent, but complex and not easy to control. It was heart-breaking to read as Victor Frankenstein watched his own creation destroy his best friend, his lover Elizabeth, and other innocent observers of Victor’s life. I was frustrated by the depiction of women and significant people who stand by and watch. Although Victor loves Elizabeth, he does not take her thoughtful advice seriously. The novel was overall very dark and lacked a positive outlook on life. If Victor had put his family and friends before his unhealthy obsession, he would have never created the monster. Frankenstein’s joy was destroyed by his own creation. This is a great argument because the reader can see that knowledge is destructive through Shelley's horror-filled descriptions of the monster. I would recommend the novel to my fellow readers; it is a quick read, yet it has a lot to say about the effects of one’s knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Jane Austen’s timeless classic, Emma, I would give it a 4 and a half out of 5 “stars” . Now, it was not that I didn’t enjoy the content of the book, or Austen’s writing, quite frankly it was the characters. Before I continue I’ll give a brief summary. Emma is the story of one very stubborn woman, Emma, who lives her life quite contently , while “match-making” the people she loves, or basically creating love, she not only ruins the chances of friends getting married but even herself. Eventually she finds herself in a rut between passion and control, and finally coming to the conclusion that love cannot be created. And while she thinks she will never find love, due to her stubbornness and reputation, she in fact does fall in love with someone very unexpected. So, while the story is all fine and dandy, it is Emma’s attitude and Harriet’s ignorance that I find annoying. All throughout the book, Emma is always trying to match people together forgetting his or her feelings for the situation. And Harriet, Emma’s best friend, is ridiculously naive and ignorant it would drive one mad. Though the characters may drive the reader a little nuts sometimes, it is Austen’s wonderful writing and creation of characters, situations and settings that helped me conclude that this book is definitely worth 4 and a half stars. So, I would highly recommend that readers choose to read Jane Austen’s Emma for it’s humor, dynamic characters and lyrical writing because after all it is a classic.
ReplyDeleteRaw with sexual innuendo and criticism of female sensuality, Bram Stoker’s Dracula captivates its reader. While the controversial topics of female dominance and carnal instinct no longer hold such taboo connotation, Stoker’s novel is still somewhat racy. Dracula is painted as a monster, sucking the blood from all humanity. He seduces his victim and lures them into his control. Women are his main target. And under the sexual spell of Dracula, these women manipulate and take advantage of the men surrounding them. It is only the most noble of men that resist and deny their temptation to make society pure again. Stoker is making a political statement by drawing attention to fear of matriarchy during the Victorian Era. His relation of matriarchy to sensuality reveals a deeper, psychological issue of male inferiority or weakness in sexual matters. The layered nature of Stoker’s writing makes Dracula a challenging read. The language, as was common during the Victorian Era, is somewhat dense. However, the flawless blend of fiction and reality stirs within the reader an undeniable desire to continue reading. The classic tale emotes as much in today’s reader as it did in the readers of the past. Earning four stars out of five, it is a must-read masterpiece for the literature lover.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read Jane Austen’s Emma. I would rate this novel a 4 out of 5. The novel is about Emma, a young and stubborn woman, who tries to play matchmaker for her friend Harriet instead of pursuing her own love. Her matchmaking causes all sorts of misunderstandings and causes her to reevaluate her own life in the end. The misunderstandings are very humorous and ironic at times. The characterization is also very good as each character has depth and growth through the novel. For example, Emma in the beginning of the novel has no intention of marrying. Then Austen reveals some of the pressures that Emma has in her life and the slight nuances in her personality and thinking that lead to her not wanting to marry. She eventually, through all the misunderstanding her matchmaking causes, reevaluates her life and who she really loves. The weakness of this novel is that it is slow and lengthy. The plot is not very exciting and the large amounts of dialogue make it rather boring. Parts of the novel are also hard to understand as it is written in old English and contains vocabulary that is not commonly seen. I would recommend this book to another reader as it is very funny, has believable characters, and contains nuances in the writing that make it very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read Jane Austen’s Emma for my independent study novel. This novel, set in 19th century England chronicles the near perfect life of Emma Woodhouse and her meddling in the lives of her friends and neighbors. Emma is the perfect example of horatian satire, targeting the privileged upper class in England. The story had several comedic and romantic high points including the Emma’s disastrous attempts to find a match for Harriet Smith and her flirtations with both Mr. Knightley and Mr. Frank Churchhill. Overall, I would give Emma three out of five stars, because while it is worth reading for its satire and interesting characters, it is very lengthy and for most of the novel, lacks a clear plot, focusing instead on portraying a cast of primarily exaggerated characters.
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