This was the perfect book to read after Moby Dick. Moby Dick was long and difficult. Of Mice and Men was short and simple. Simple and easy and a little fun. I don't see why it was such a classic but I guess it was a nice story.
I think I will like this more when I get to reading Grapes of Wrath. I think as I read more Steinbeck that I will appreciate it more. This story just seemed too short and kind of pointless. Not much happened. I liked the characters but it was just a tale of about a three day span in the life of these two Depression era workers.
It was a bit of a sad tale. A bit that I think people can relate to. These two guys were dealt a bad hand in life and had a dream. It was a simple dream and they lived a simple life and all they wanted was to reach that dream and own their own piece of land. George wants the land and Lennie wants the rabbits, oh he wants the rabbits. But like most things in their lives, things get out of hand and the dream is ruined.
I won't ruin it, the end is sad and the book is like 100 pages so check it out. Just based on the length of the book it is worth checking out. Maybe you can enjoy the simplicity better than I. It wasn't a great book but I have read a lot worse and I'm sure I will read a lot more.
NEXT UP: #22 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Monday, February 7, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
#31 Moby Dick
I will be happy if I never read this book again. It lost me at "Call me Ishmael". It can be a classic all it wants but it was a literal struggle to read and if I hadn't made it part of this challenge thing I am doing, I would have quit it a long time ago.
Now as many people know, the book is about a sailor named Ishmael who joins on to a ship with Captain Ahad. Captain Ahab had a run in with a great white whale some time ago and lost his ship and leg to the beast. Now he vows revenge on the whale. [SPOILER ALERT] They finally track Moby Dick down and Ahab dies after he gets dragged under by his harpoon line from sticking the whale and everybody else dies except Ishmael who floats along until rescued. There, now you don't have to waste your time.
About the only thing I liked about the book was that the first mate's name was Starbuck. Then through some research found out that the coffee chain is named after him.
Maybe I am just not smart enough but I got frustrated with the Olde English speak and long drawn out, outdated and confusing descriptions. But I guess I can understand why people like it. It's like how some people call a bunch of squiggly lines art. But on to the next one.
NEXT UP: #20 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Now as many people know, the book is about a sailor named Ishmael who joins on to a ship with Captain Ahad. Captain Ahab had a run in with a great white whale some time ago and lost his ship and leg to the beast. Now he vows revenge on the whale. [SPOILER ALERT] They finally track Moby Dick down and Ahab dies after he gets dragged under by his harpoon line from sticking the whale and everybody else dies except Ishmael who floats along until rescued. There, now you don't have to waste your time.
About the only thing I liked about the book was that the first mate's name was Starbuck. Then through some research found out that the coffee chain is named after him.
Maybe I am just not smart enough but I got frustrated with the Olde English speak and long drawn out, outdated and confusing descriptions. But I guess I can understand why people like it. It's like how some people call a bunch of squiggly lines art. But on to the next one.
NEXT UP: #20 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Monday, January 17, 2011
#21 Animal Farm
Well there was nothing subtle about this one. It was a satire and commentary on how well intended revolutions can quickly escalate into something so much worse than what the people had before ala Soviet Russia, the Nazis and the Taliban. Overall I didn't think this book was all too great on its own but when matched with the historical allegories, it was entertaining.
The book started with a meeting of all the animals on the farm got together and an old boar told them the idea of a revolution, of a world without humans running them where there would be no whips and chains and all the food they could want. Of course the animals didn't really understand why but they believed him. Then the boar dies and new younger pigs take over the idea and go through with it. By the end of the book, all the things they fought against and vowed not to let happen became the norm again with the pigs taking tyrannical power worse than the humans.
The story reminded me a lot of how the Taliban rose to power in The kite Runner, the book I just read. The Taliban rose up as a help to the people and overthrew a corrupt government and protected the people. Then once in power, they changed the rules and started to enjoy the spoils that power breeds. The books was published in 1946 so I'm guessing it was more a look at Stalinism or the rise of Hitler more than anything else but still is a nice little look at how those with little power should be careful how they use it because before you know it, you may have none at all.
Like I said, it is a great book in context and not horrible on its own. I found it kind of confusing at the beginning with what animal was named what and even what species of animal they even were. And even for such a short book I found it to be a slow read for some reason, maybe I'm getting dumber in 2011, I don't know. But I can understand why it is revered the way it is.
NEXT UP: #31 Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The book started with a meeting of all the animals on the farm got together and an old boar told them the idea of a revolution, of a world without humans running them where there would be no whips and chains and all the food they could want. Of course the animals didn't really understand why but they believed him. Then the boar dies and new younger pigs take over the idea and go through with it. By the end of the book, all the things they fought against and vowed not to let happen became the norm again with the pigs taking tyrannical power worse than the humans.
The story reminded me a lot of how the Taliban rose to power in The kite Runner, the book I just read. The Taliban rose up as a help to the people and overthrew a corrupt government and protected the people. Then once in power, they changed the rules and started to enjoy the spoils that power breeds. The books was published in 1946 so I'm guessing it was more a look at Stalinism or the rise of Hitler more than anything else but still is a nice little look at how those with little power should be careful how they use it because before you know it, you may have none at all.
Like I said, it is a great book in context and not horrible on its own. I found it kind of confusing at the beginning with what animal was named what and even what species of animal they even were. And even for such a short book I found it to be a slow read for some reason, maybe I'm getting dumber in 2011, I don't know. But I can understand why it is revered the way it is.
NEXT UP: #31 Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
#41 The Kite Runner
Well this sure wasn't a Harry Potter book, that's for sure. But it was still just as hard to put down once I got going. This book was much better than some of the classics I have read so far like The Great Gatsby and The Lord of the Flies and I could see this being a book that lasts. Now this book was a bit depressing and dark at some points but the writing style kept you wanting more. You were just waiting for things to get better and it seemed every part of the book had a purpose, a purpose that wrapped up the final few chapters for you.
I said the writing style was great. When I first thought of reading the book, I was apprehensive because I was being lazy and didn't want to deal with all these Muslim names and places that would get confusing and such. But I was wrong. Hosseini did a great job of mixing in Arabic words with the English so you are never lost or wondering what a certain words mean. My favorite part of the style was the bits of foreshadowing he tended to end paragraphs with. Things like, "Little did I know it would be the last solid food I would eat in a while" or "Those were the last words I would hear him speak for over a year", just got your mind reeling and wondering what was going to happen to fulfill those prophecies.
Without spoiling anything, the book is about a man who grew up in Afghanistan before the Russians invaded. Things were great, albeit pretty rough and poor compared to American standards, then the fall of the monarchy lead to the Russian invasion which lead to the rise of the Taliban and the rest is a war torn history. Well this boy fled with his father to America and became a successful author until he is brought back to Afghanistan to retrieve the son of his best friend/servant of the past who he greatly wronged and from there the story is just packed with tales of honor, shame, trust and forgiveness.
Like I said this got dark and depressing and there were definitely some horrible things done in this book but I believe it is a great truthful tale of the Afghan people and their culture. Just the name itself, plays off the Afghan sport of kite flying where you cut the strings of your opponents and then kids run after the freed kites, is interesting and something I never knew was done anywhere. If you read it and don't like it, well at least you may be able to walk away with a deeper understanding of the Afghan people and what life is really like over there for the people that we are fighting for. Sorry for getting political but the next book I got is pretty short so look for a new post pretty soon in the new year.
NEXT UP: #21 Animal Farm by George Orwell
I said the writing style was great. When I first thought of reading the book, I was apprehensive because I was being lazy and didn't want to deal with all these Muslim names and places that would get confusing and such. But I was wrong. Hosseini did a great job of mixing in Arabic words with the English so you are never lost or wondering what a certain words mean. My favorite part of the style was the bits of foreshadowing he tended to end paragraphs with. Things like, "Little did I know it would be the last solid food I would eat in a while" or "Those were the last words I would hear him speak for over a year", just got your mind reeling and wondering what was going to happen to fulfill those prophecies.
Without spoiling anything, the book is about a man who grew up in Afghanistan before the Russians invaded. Things were great, albeit pretty rough and poor compared to American standards, then the fall of the monarchy lead to the Russian invasion which lead to the rise of the Taliban and the rest is a war torn history. Well this boy fled with his father to America and became a successful author until he is brought back to Afghanistan to retrieve the son of his best friend/servant of the past who he greatly wronged and from there the story is just packed with tales of honor, shame, trust and forgiveness.
Like I said this got dark and depressing and there were definitely some horrible things done in this book but I believe it is a great truthful tale of the Afghan people and their culture. Just the name itself, plays off the Afghan sport of kite flying where you cut the strings of your opponents and then kids run after the freed kites, is interesting and something I never knew was done anywhere. If you read it and don't like it, well at least you may be able to walk away with a deeper understanding of the Afghan people and what life is really like over there for the people that we are fighting for. Sorry for getting political but the next book I got is pretty short so look for a new post pretty soon in the new year.
NEXT UP: #21 Animal Farm by George Orwell
Thursday, December 23, 2010
#14 Lord of the Flies
Took two weeks off from the list but then made my way through this "classic". Maybe it was because I was spoiled by the Harry Potter series but I just did not like this book at all. I constantly found myself bored with it and drifting in and out of paying attention. There would be a time where I read a whole page but had no idea what it said but the funny thing was I wasn't lost in the whole story.
Now the book is about a group of boys that survived a crash landing on a small jungle island and it is a look at how mob mentality and anarchy can rise as children are left to fend for themselves. Most of the boys slowly become savage which leads to one kid talking to a boar head on a stick (This is The Lord of the Flies) and two kids being killed. Then the book just ends without any real conclusion except for a naval officer seeing it all as cute little kids playing. I don't know I didn't like it.
The writing just seemed to try too hard. There were times where I got lost in the detailed description of a rock or a tree that really didn't progress the story. Not until about chapter 10 of 12 did the story get going and we got away from the ridiculously difficult and complex descriptions. On top of that it seemed liked too many of the boys were alike so it was easy to confuse one for another.
Well this was one of those books that I had to read in high school and I want to go back and check them out. This book may have been the reason I haven't read much since then. Well anyways, on to the next one as Jay-Z says. Merry Christmas all.
NEXT UP: #41 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Now the book is about a group of boys that survived a crash landing on a small jungle island and it is a look at how mob mentality and anarchy can rise as children are left to fend for themselves. Most of the boys slowly become savage which leads to one kid talking to a boar head on a stick (This is The Lord of the Flies) and two kids being killed. Then the book just ends without any real conclusion except for a naval officer seeing it all as cute little kids playing. I don't know I didn't like it.
The writing just seemed to try too hard. There were times where I got lost in the detailed description of a rock or a tree that really didn't progress the story. Not until about chapter 10 of 12 did the story get going and we got away from the ridiculously difficult and complex descriptions. On top of that it seemed liked too many of the boys were alike so it was easy to confuse one for another.
Well this was one of those books that I had to read in high school and I want to go back and check them out. This book may have been the reason I haven't read much since then. Well anyways, on to the next one as Jay-Z says. Merry Christmas all.
NEXT UP: #41 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Thursday, December 2, 2010
How They Rank
Figured I have gone through 10 books, why not rank them so far....
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
8. The Catcher in the Rye
9. Five People You Meet in Heaven
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Now just because those books come in at the bottom does not mean I didn't like them, they just weren't as good. I'll bust out another ranking at Book #20.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
7. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
8. The Catcher in the Rye
9. Five People You Meet in Heaven
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Now just because those books come in at the bottom does not mean I didn't like them, they just weren't as good. I'll bust out another ranking at Book #20.
#10 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Well here we are. I finished. Seven books in 35 days. And they aren't small. I have been so immersed in Harry Potter over the last month that I just needed it to stop. But that said, I loved this series. It just sucks you in and even the slow parts made you want to press through because you needed to see what happened next. No matter how slow it got though, this final book made EVERYTHING worth it. Just a non stop page turner that does not disappoint.
This book didn't have Harry acting like a whiny little brat or making dumb childish moves. He has finally matured and realized what the wizarding world is and what he is meant to do and he is starting to just trust that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. A few books ago I complained about the formula getting a bit stale as they went through the school year and here it is, a whole book where they didn't even go to school. Even when Harry had no idea what or where he was going, I was still right there with him waiting with baited breath (I just googled 'bated breath' to see how it is spelled and ironically the website I clicked on quote J.K. Rowling with the Prisoner of Azkaban...wierd). ALong with all the adventures it was also worth some good laughs with the Weasley twins and Ron and Hermione making out during a huge battle.
Two things that I would have changed. I liked the point where we thought Dumbledore was trying to get Harry killed the whole time. It played well with the checkered past we learned about old Albus and would NOT have been seen at all. And I think if it had stayed that way the book still could have finished all the same way. But, that would have been just to shake things up obviously. The other was the epilogue. Didn't need it and it bothered me that the kids were all obvious and named after dead people. Would have preferred just a movie-style blurb on each character and what they did.
Well I am very happy I gave in to the craze and read these books. Cannot wait to see Part 1 this weekend and may have to see Part 2 at midnight this summer. Now I am going to take a break from the fantasy world and hit up a classic and may take a few days off before starting the next book but I am only a fifth of the way through with this crazy journey.
NEXT UP: #14 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
This book didn't have Harry acting like a whiny little brat or making dumb childish moves. He has finally matured and realized what the wizarding world is and what he is meant to do and he is starting to just trust that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. A few books ago I complained about the formula getting a bit stale as they went through the school year and here it is, a whole book where they didn't even go to school. Even when Harry had no idea what or where he was going, I was still right there with him waiting with baited breath (I just googled 'bated breath' to see how it is spelled and ironically the website I clicked on quote J.K. Rowling with the Prisoner of Azkaban...wierd). ALong with all the adventures it was also worth some good laughs with the Weasley twins and Ron and Hermione making out during a huge battle.
Two things that I would have changed. I liked the point where we thought Dumbledore was trying to get Harry killed the whole time. It played well with the checkered past we learned about old Albus and would NOT have been seen at all. And I think if it had stayed that way the book still could have finished all the same way. But, that would have been just to shake things up obviously. The other was the epilogue. Didn't need it and it bothered me that the kids were all obvious and named after dead people. Would have preferred just a movie-style blurb on each character and what they did.
Well I am very happy I gave in to the craze and read these books. Cannot wait to see Part 1 this weekend and may have to see Part 2 at midnight this summer. Now I am going to take a break from the fantasy world and hit up a classic and may take a few days off before starting the next book but I am only a fifth of the way through with this crazy journey.
NEXT UP: #14 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
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