Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Category: Lost Book Club
Many are familiar with this classic tale, so I won't repeat a plot synopsis here. Since it's fantasy, children's, and classic, I feel like I should like it more than I do. I first read it as a child, and what stood out for me (and got annoying, to be plain) was Alice's continual size changes. It's a very strange, meandering story that got exciting but ended in what seemed to me to be a bit of a cop out. On rereading it, I still didn't love it and found it rather difficult to follow on audio as well. An alright story, but not one of my favorites. 4 stars.
Showing posts with label Category - Lost Book Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Category - Lost Book Club. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Pearl by John Steinbeck (72/81)
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Category: Lost Book Club
From page one, the reader is clearly told that this is a fable in which "there are only good and bad things and black and white things and good and evil things and no in-between anywhere." In this parable, Kino lives with his wife Juana and son, Coyotito, living simply as a pearl diver. Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, and since Kino is poor he cannot pay for the doctor to help his boy. Then, he finds the Pearl of the World and plans on changing his life for the better, forever.
Steinbeck has a knack for describing things briefly but powerfully and memorably, an aspect of this story that I definitely enjoyed. The story is short and simple and, like any parable, has a moral to it. My recurring difficulty with Steinbeck seems to be that I am simply unhappy with what the story is, and wish he told a different one (this strikes me as a bit unfair, but it's how I react as a reader, perhaps because I find some of his writing depressing). In this case, I also had some trouble connecting with the characters. While not the story for me, I could definitely appreciate the description and would recommend it to others. 3 stars.
Category: Lost Book Club
From page one, the reader is clearly told that this is a fable in which "there are only good and bad things and black and white things and good and evil things and no in-between anywhere." In this parable, Kino lives with his wife Juana and son, Coyotito, living simply as a pearl diver. Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, and since Kino is poor he cannot pay for the doctor to help his boy. Then, he finds the Pearl of the World and plans on changing his life for the better, forever.
Steinbeck has a knack for describing things briefly but powerfully and memorably, an aspect of this story that I definitely enjoyed. The story is short and simple and, like any parable, has a moral to it. My recurring difficulty with Steinbeck seems to be that I am simply unhappy with what the story is, and wish he told a different one (this strikes me as a bit unfair, but it's how I react as a reader, perhaps because I find some of his writing depressing). In this case, I also had some trouble connecting with the characters. While not the story for me, I could definitely appreciate the description and would recommend it to others. 3 stars.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Everything That Rises Must Converge (67/81)
Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor
Category: Lost Book Club
This is a collection of nine short stories, seven of which had been previously published, that was published posthumously. Each is well-crafted, packs an emotional punch, and develops realistic characters in approximately 20 pages. Probably my favorites were "The Enduring Chill" and "Revelation."
I hadn't read any of Flannery O'Connor's writing before this story collection. This was the one that Jacob was reading when Locke fell out of the window, and I can't help but think that (*spoiler warning*) it was a bit of foreshadowing, as most of the stories involve someone's death in the end. I'm interested in reading more of her works. 4 stars.
Category: Lost Book Club
This is a collection of nine short stories, seven of which had been previously published, that was published posthumously. Each is well-crafted, packs an emotional punch, and develops realistic characters in approximately 20 pages. Probably my favorites were "The Enduring Chill" and "Revelation."
I hadn't read any of Flannery O'Connor's writing before this story collection. This was the one that Jacob was reading when Locke fell out of the window, and I can't help but think that (*spoiler warning*) it was a bit of foreshadowing, as most of the stories involve someone's death in the end. I'm interested in reading more of her works. 4 stars.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Brief History of Time (47/81)
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Category: Lost Book Club
The theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and the search for a unified theory of the universe are the subjects of this mind-boggling explication of physics (I found I could read about 5 pages at a time without my brain hurting). Perhaps I was even more at a disadvantage for never having taken physics, though I did feel a little better when an engineer friend of mine told me that quantum mechanics is covered in Physics 3. Even so, it's ultimately a rewarding learning experience investigating the universe as we know it. I'm interested in learning more, and daresay I'll understand more in whichever book I choose next for having persevered in this one. 4.5 stars.
Cross-posted at Born Reader.
Category: Lost Book Club
The theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and the search for a unified theory of the universe are the subjects of this mind-boggling explication of physics (I found I could read about 5 pages at a time without my brain hurting). Perhaps I was even more at a disadvantage for never having taken physics, though I did feel a little better when an engineer friend of mine told me that quantum mechanics is covered in Physics 3. Even so, it's ultimately a rewarding learning experience investigating the universe as we know it. I'm interested in learning more, and daresay I'll understand more in whichever book I choose next for having persevered in this one. 4.5 stars.
Cross-posted at Born Reader.
Walden Two by B.F. Skinner (46/81)
Walden Two by B.F. Skinner
Category: Lost Book Club
A behavioral psychologist imagines a utopia based on principles of positive reinforcement and training peopl eto act in a way that benefits the community. Professor Burris narrates for us when he and some friends visit his old colleague Frazier, the founder of Walden Two. Each character is on varying levels of acceptance, as Frazier expounds on his Utopia; Castle, in particular, remains a determined skeptic, while Burris finds himself mediating between Castle and Frazier.
I was rather disappointed by this book. It was a fictional way of promoting Skinner's ideas, and there's no story outside of that, only Frazier promoting while Castle digs his heels in further. I remain unconvinced that it could work, and found myself getting annoyed that ultimately Frazier's reasoning was, "Well, you see it working before you" as he led his charges around Walden Two, when I don't know of any such successful community. Also, Skinner is a strict behaviorist and doesn't give much credence to the "nature" or genetic side of psychology. 3 stars.
Cross-posted at Born Reader.
Category: Lost Book Club
A behavioral psychologist imagines a utopia based on principles of positive reinforcement and training peopl eto act in a way that benefits the community. Professor Burris narrates for us when he and some friends visit his old colleague Frazier, the founder of Walden Two. Each character is on varying levels of acceptance, as Frazier expounds on his Utopia; Castle, in particular, remains a determined skeptic, while Burris finds himself mediating between Castle and Frazier.
I was rather disappointed by this book. It was a fictional way of promoting Skinner's ideas, and there's no story outside of that, only Frazier promoting while Castle digs his heels in further. I remain unconvinced that it could work, and found myself getting annoyed that ultimately Frazier's reasoning was, "Well, you see it working before you" as he led his charges around Walden Two, when I don't know of any such successful community. Also, Skinner is a strict behaviorist and doesn't give much credence to the "nature" or genetic side of psychology. 3 stars.
Cross-posted at Born Reader.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Brothers Karamazov (24/81)
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Category: Lost Book Club
I don't want to give you more of the same two posts in a row, as Victoria has nicely summed up the story already, and my thoughts closely echo hers. If you'd like to see my review, I've posted it on my blog, Born Reader.
I'll just add that I probably would not have even tried to read this book if it hadn't been for the group read, but I'm glad I did. I pushed through for the group (and to see what on earth it might have to do with Lost), was able to commiserate with others when I was stuck on the slower, tougher books, and ultimately found it to be a satisfying read.
Category: Lost Book Club
I don't want to give you more of the same two posts in a row, as Victoria has nicely summed up the story already, and my thoughts closely echo hers. If you'd like to see my review, I've posted it on my blog, Born Reader.
I'll just add that I probably would not have even tried to read this book if it hadn't been for the group read, but I'm glad I did. I pushed through for the group (and to see what on earth it might have to do with Lost), was able to commiserate with others when I was stuck on the slower, tougher books, and ultimately found it to be a satisfying read.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Bad Twin by Gary Troup (9/81)
Bad Twin by Gary Troup
Category: Lost Book Club
Paul Artisan is a private detective in California, where the cases he receives are mostly petty disputes and insurance fraud. But when Cliff Widmore appears and asks him to find his twin, Artisan knows this case won't be like the others he's had before. He's not sure who to trust or which is really the "bad" twin. The book itself is the "manuscript" that Hurley and Sawyer read in Season 2 of Lost, written by author "Gary Troup" who died in the plane crash. Other connections include the Hanso Foundation (located on floor 42 of the Widmore Building), repetition of the numbers, and a comment about the Paik's business.
Bad Twin is one of those rare books that I finished thinking, "I could've written better than that." Granted, it had a compelling story and characters, but the writing was full of misplaced adjectives and jarring similes. For example:
After that, I didn't read the descriptions to closely, but even then the story structure was somewhat unbelievable until it finally came down to the last four pages of Paul Artisan explaining, "Oh, I talked to ---, so now I can tell you exactly what's been happening." Not recommended. 2 stars.
Cross posted at Born Reader.
Category: Lost Book Club
Paul Artisan is a private detective in California, where the cases he receives are mostly petty disputes and insurance fraud. But when Cliff Widmore appears and asks him to find his twin, Artisan knows this case won't be like the others he's had before. He's not sure who to trust or which is really the "bad" twin. The book itself is the "manuscript" that Hurley and Sawyer read in Season 2 of Lost, written by author "Gary Troup" who died in the plane crash. Other connections include the Hanso Foundation (located on floor 42 of the Widmore Building), repetition of the numbers, and a comment about the Paik's business.
Bad Twin is one of those rare books that I finished thinking, "I could've written better than that." Granted, it had a compelling story and characters, but the writing was full of misplaced adjectives and jarring similes. For example:
The sloop--a good size, maybe forty feet, a third of a million dollars' worth of fiberglass and teak with the name Escape Hatch etched into the transom--was lifted in a giant wooden cradle in the hanger-like shed of Hap's Marina; there was something rude and almost obscene about the sight of the boat's raised, bare bottom, its stiff keel stabbing downward like the penis of an excited whale (53).
After that, I didn't read the descriptions to closely, but even then the story structure was somewhat unbelievable until it finally came down to the last four pages of Paul Artisan explaining, "Oh, I talked to ---, so now I can tell you exactly what's been happening." Not recommended. 2 stars.
Cross posted at Born Reader.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
