The Appeal of Percy Jackson

Lately, I've been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and they are enjoyable and addicting--like Harry Potter or Twilight. There are 5 books in the series and I just started book 4. It tells the story of what the gods would be like in our time living in America. I can see the appeal for middle school children, especially boys.

The series is about a boy named Percy (short for Perseus) Jackson who, at the age of 11, finds out he is a half-blood (demigod or "hero"), and his father is Poseidon from "the big three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades). There is a prophecy that a child of "the big three" will rise up against Mount Olympus. Percy goes on lots of adventures receiving help from some gods (Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena), and making enemies of others (Ares).

Each book begins with Percy being thrown out of school because he has to battle some monster from Greek mythology (#1 a fury, #2 laistrygonians, #3 a manticore, and #4 empousai) and then heads for Camp Half-Blood to get some training and receive an oracle for his next big adventure. (Oracles and prophesies are constantly misconstrued because the language is obscure and can be interpreted in different ways, and if interpreted wrongly it will cause peril, but no matter what you do to prevent the oracle from happening they always do--Oedipus, Macbeth, Voldemort, etc.) Percy's short-term goals are returning Zeus' lightning bolt (#1), rescuing his goat friend Grover (#2), saving Artemis and his friend Annabeth from the "Titans Curse" of holding up the sky (#3), and I haven't gotten into #4 yet but I'm guessing it probably has something to do with a minotaur and a labyrinth. Long term his goals are to stop Lord Kronos, Zeus' dad, from overthrowing Zeus.

Like I said, I can see the appeal this book has on boys there is something happening from the first chapter, and his troubles don't stop, he runs into monsters and gods from Greek mythology until he accomplishes the oracle. It is a great way to introduce young students to mythology; Percy's stories familiarize the students with characters from his world like "Auntie Em's" (Medusa) who sells garden statues that she has created, or how a witch named Circe who turns men into guinea pigs, or discovers how manipulative the Titan Atlas is. When kids read the actual Greek myths they already know who the gods and monsters are and what they are capable of doing. The series is a nice escape for adults as well, especially after reading Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment.

*Image courtesy of ambookgeek's blog: http://ambookgeek.vox.com/library/book/6a00d4141e3bba3c7f0110169cf6f5860d.html

Does Elinor Have "Sense"?

Finally, after months of drudging through, I finished reading Sense and Sensibility! (That's two completed Jane Austen novels, with about 3 I haven't finished in years.) The plot structure was similar to Twilight. It was really slow with a lot of build up, and then bam the last 100 pages are the most exciting, intense parts (the edition I read was 356 pages long). The ending was a little too clean, and Austen, I guess, wants the reader to have warm fuzzy feelings for Edward, and think of Robert as a cad, and Lucy Steele as a vain self-absorbed person. I think the purpose in that is because she wants us to feel like Elinor has some shred of "sense."

Mark Twain didn't care for Jane Austen much, nor did he care for Sense and Sensibility. He doesn't have nice words to say about any of the characters,"Elinor is a wax figure and Edward a shadow, and how could such manufactures as these warm; up and feel a passion. Edward is an unpleasant shadow, because he has discarded his harmless waxwork and engaged himself to Lucy Steele, who is coarse, ignorant, vicious, brainless, heartless, a flatterer, a sneak" and he goes on further. The only character that is endearing from beginning to end is Colonel Brandon and Marianne doesn't appreciate him until it's too late. She doesn't deserve him!

Mark Twain quote from Who is Mark Twain? published by Harper Studio

Sometimes the Book is Just Better Than the Movie

The new Harry Potter movie looks great. It looks like the directors decided to tell the story properly. A while ago I was talking to a friend who is in film studies, and we started talking about the Harry Potter movies and he said that he liked the third movie, Prisoner of Azkaban, the best of the movies (he obviously hasn't seen the sixth one), and I said that was my least favorite. I couldn't stand it for many reasons mostly because the knight bus wasn't as cool as I thought it would be (most people that I talk to about the series like this scene in the books); Professor Lupin was a disappointing werewolf, I totally could have taken him on he was so scraggly (after watching Van Helsing I know they can do better); and most importantly they screwed up the story. The director, Alfonso Cuaron who directed a Little Princess (which I love), focused more on visual effects than the story. To me telling the story is the most important part, and he blew it blew it by leaving out a lot of the "magical" story-points, so by the end it didn't make sense. Although, I have heard from many people who have not read the books, but are filmy people, like Cuaron's movie the best of all the Harry Potter films.

I like to re-read the Harry Potter books before I see the movies as a refresher. I've read the books so many times that each year blurs together (which they should). The Half-Blood Prince is a good one. It's all about Voldemort's past, and the beginning of the final battle. There is a lot going on in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts that he doesn't quite make it back to his seventh year. Don't worry friends, J.K. Rowling promises seven years and we get it. Here is a new preview to the movie coming out July 17!

The Jane Austen Curse, or Hitting a "Reader's Block"

Have you ever hit a wall in a book? You're reading along and everything is fine, and then BAM! You hit a wall, or a "reader's block" if you will. I don't know how it comes about, but it happens, and it happens to me a lot.

I am currently reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Usually I try to read the book, and then see the movie, but not so with Jane. Her books are well written, but I have a really tough time getting through them. The movie actually helps move the story line along, and I envision Colonel Brandon as Alan Rickman (Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series), the only problem I can see with this image is that Colonel Brandon is actually in his thirties, while Rickman is not (and was not during the filming of the movie). With that aside a side (hahaha) I am stuck, and having a hard time getting back into the novel.

How does this happen? Is there a cure? I am afraid that the book will end up being another started and not finished project. The only Jane Austen book that I have started and finished was Northanger Abbey, a short and sweet book. I have started Emma, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice.

There have been plenty of books that I have left unfinished, like another "current" book Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, a childhood favorite.

John Flanagan - The Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan

I saw this book advertised as a good read on the blog UVSC English Teachers. I had purchased it a few months ago and hadn't yet read it because it's from a series. When I saw, however, the recommendation for it, I couldn't put it off any longer.

A very short synopsis: On Choosing Day, Will wants to become an apprentice for Battleschool, however, he not only is refused but the Ranger, Halt, has his eye on the boy. He is accepted as a Ranger and starts learning the new lifestyle. Soon there is a menacing threat - Morgarath, who started the war that orphaned Will, is back.

I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. Especially if you liked Veil of Darkness (The Earthsoul Prophecies series) by Greg Park, Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist, and love fantasy. Incidentally, I recommend those books as well.

J.D. Salinger - Catcher in the Rye

Well it's clear to me, after the first read of this novel, that Kerri's read the book. :)

This book has enormous cultural significance. It's cited in other novels, songs, films, television, and the news. It was found with Chapman the night he shot John Lennon. In fact, Chapman wanted to change his name to Holden Caulfield. The novel has been found on other killers and in the hands of would-be assassins. It's because of this that the novel also has a role in the movie Conspiracy Theory.

As for me, I thought the book was ok. I feel badly for Caulfield. I have no idea what diagnosis his psychoanalyst will give him. It seems to me like he partially suffers from a large fear of growing up. If he never finishes school, does that mean he won't have to be an adult? If he doesn't face his problems, is he still considered a kid? It's like the death of his brother has caused him to want to freeze time. I wonder if, for him, having time frozen will make the loss of his brother bearable. Does he mean it to freeze before his brother died? He speaks about the glass boxes in the museum and wishes aspects of his life were like those boxes - frozen and unchangeable.

I do admire his want to be a "Catcher in the rye." To me, it seemed like he wanted it to be a service to society, more specifically to children. In this way he'd always be tied to youth. I read some criticism and it's widely thought that Holden wants to do this to save youth from falling into adulthood. (Which if this is really the case, one can see how much he dislikes the thought of being an adult by comparing it to falling of a cliff.) It makes perfect sense, and my idea of it was only surface and because of that shallow. However it's more pleasant to think he wants to help children than to think he wants to help children avoid adulthood.

I loved his love for his family. Holden is always remembering his brothers and sisters throughout the novel. That was endearing to read and I found myself loving his siblings as well. It practically broke my heart when he dropped the record he'd bought for Phoebe. My heart broke because I figured his would. Holden actually seemed to take it better than I did.

I loved most of Salinger's characters. My tastes ran along the lines of Caulfield's tastes. (For example: He didn't care for his roommate, neither did I.)

Maybe I'll change my opinion from ok to good. I did enjoy the novel, I think I just expected something momentously, amazingly huge. It is well-known after all.

Thoughts? Ideas? Criticisms?

Kate Chopin - The Awakening

I'd heard of The Awakening before, and when I saw it somewhere for $.50, I went ahead and got it. It was a rather quick read for me, compared to what I had read before it - Heart of Darkness, but engrossing.

The novel seems depressing because it ends with what most argue is suicide. I was not, however, left with a feeling of depression. Though I wholeheartedly disagree with suicide, I found that I can sympathize with her decision. The reason I say this is because of how the novel unfolds. Edna continually feels hopeless.

I recently read Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman. He talks of learned helplessness. It leads to depression that is pervasive and permanent. It cripples an individual. Edna is in a state of learned helplessness. Though in her case she was a product of her society and time. Her husband essentially owned her.

Throughout the novel Edna tries to lift herself out of this situation. She makes many decisions that I wouldn't myself, but I can see how she reasons she is in control of her life. I think that the major conflict for her is finding a balance within herself where she feels like she is in control of her life. She moves out, she has an affair, and she is turned down by the man, Robert, who she wants more than any other. All these actions are made with an attempt to gain control of her life, but she actually is losing control. I believe that it's this conflict that drives her to swim out too far. In this ultimate last choice, she is still trying to gain control. She decides that she take control in that small way.

The CDC lists some reasons a person might choose suicide. Edna has, arguably, five of the things on the list. She feels hopeless (has no control), impulsiveness (gained and displayed by her moving out) feels isolated, depression, and she loses her relationship with Robert.

Though Edna's journey throughout the novel seems to be a downward spiral, it seemed to me that she felt liberated and at peace at the end.

I recommend the novel and any thoughts you might have about it.

(Am I doing this the way you imagined Kerri?)

Welcome!

Hi! This is a brand new blog about one of my favorite pastimes--reading! This site is mainly about books. Think of it as a book club, but without the assigned reading. Write about whatever book you are currently reading, and find out what other people are reading. I hope this works.