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?