Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is a memoir of the life of Jeannette Walls. The use of diction in this novel is impressive. Jeannette Walls has a very detailed way of describing things that appeals to me. Not even the smallest detail escapes her observation. An example of this precision can be seen in the first chapter, in which she describes her mother's behaviour while picking through garbage. "Mom's gestures were all familiar - the way she tilted her head and thrust out her lower lip when studying items of potential value...the way her eyes widened with childish glee when she found something she liked." The tone of Walsh's writing is also interesting. While Walsh's family was raised in abject poverty, she still grew up with supportive and loving parents. She also had a very stable household life, which is somewhat unusual for families as poor as her. When she grows up she is a bit embarrassed by her parents' financial state, but she was never bothered by their poverty while she was a kid. An example of this could be her parents refusal to let her believe in Santa Claus. They tell her that other kids are fooled by their parents into believing in Santa, and that she must, "try not to look down on those other children. It's not their fault that they've been brainwashed into believing silly myths." These creative explanations add a suprisingly brighter tone to the memoir. You would expect that Walsh wouldn't want to relive the memories of her childhood poverty, but she seems to recall those early years with fondness. This creative use of tone and diction results in a very interesting and inventive memoir.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Ash Garden
"But it's true. I felt it in his hand. His hand moves for me. He understands things when I touch him."
This quotation takes place in a Japanese aid hospital several months after the bombing of Hiroshima. Emiko's brother Mitsuo has not regained consciousness since the bombing. The doctors believe that there is no hope for him, but Emiko insists that he can communicate with her by lightly squeezing her hand while she tells him stories. This simple action of Mitsuo squeezing her hand gives Emiko hope that she and Mitsuo will triumph over the obstacles that have been placed in their path. Hope is an important theme in all the despair and pain during those months following the bombing, which is why this quotation appeals to me.
"At night he reminded himself why all this had happened. He'd close his eyes and remember that there had been no alternative. Us or them. The sad fact of the world. A tragic inevitability."
This quotation appeals to me because of the conflicting nature of Anton Böll. Anton was involved in the Manhattan Project. Throughout his work on the atomic bomb, Anton was convinced that the use of the bomb was necessary in order to save lives. After the bomb was dropped, Anton and several of his coworkers traveled to Hiroshima in order to study the effects of the bomb. There he goes through a moral crisis as he sees the pain and suffering that his life's work has caused. Anton never wished to harm anyone, but he knew that the use of the bomb would save many more lives that it destroyed. Nevertheless, Anton struggles with these emotions, humanizing him to the reader, who until now only saw his cold, scientific side.
"He returned the embrace, and as he did so, arms only half raised, half there, it looked as though he was going to be sick. I knew how hard the reverend had worked the last ten years of his life, trying to repair the damage that had been done. Working with people like me. He had lived through the war. He had seen things. But he was not ready for this."
This quotation is one of Emiko's recollections of her stay in America for reconstructive surgery. The children and their caretakers are invited onto an American TV show called This Life in Focus. This quotation reveals the double-sided nature of the American media and government. The show was aired as a public sign of regret to the survivors from the American people. Unofficially, however, the show was also used to promote American patriotism and atomic supremacy. This duality and seemingly opposing viewpoints appeal to me because they provoke new thoughts on the subject of atomic weapons.
After reading The Ash Garden, I would like to ask these questions to Dennis Bock...
1. Do you agree or disagree with the use of atomic weapons?
2. Do you believe that America took advantage of the suffering of the survivors of Hiroshima to promote their own nuclear agenda?
3. Do you think that Anton was justified to follow Emiko's life after the bombing?
Sunday, May 4, 2008
We are the Weather Makers
The chapter that I've chosen to precis is the twelfth chapter of We are the Weather Makers, titled, "A Warning from the Golden Toad". In this chapter, Tim Flannery describes in detail the sudden drop off in the amphibious population of the Earth. After the planet passed through its most recent climatic magic gate in 1976, scientists have noticed that an alarming number of frog species that live in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in Costa Rica have disappeared. Among these species is the Golden Frog, which holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first species to become extinct as a direct result of climate change. The Golden Frog is best known for its bright gold colour and its aggressive mating habits. For most of the year, the frogs are very difficult to find, but for a few weeks each year, they gather together in large numbers. Marty Crump, an amphibian expert, visited the park in 1987 to further study the Golden Toad. In the following two years, however, there was only one Golden Toad sighted in total. To the best of our knowledge, this frog was the last of his species. This extinction is due to the drying up of the ponds that held the toad's tadpoles. Without these pools, which have evaporated due to climate change, the tadpoles could not survive, and quickly died out.
Here are 3 questions associated with this chapter:
1. Do you think that we are directly responsible for the extinction of the Golden Toad due to our reckless use of fossil fuels?
2. How do you think climate change will impact not only amphibians, but all animals in the near future?
3. Is our wasteful lifestyle worth the extinction of many different species?
Here are 3 questions associated with this chapter:
1. Do you think that we are directly responsible for the extinction of the Golden Toad due to our reckless use of fossil fuels?
2. How do you think climate change will impact not only amphibians, but all animals in the near future?
3. Is our wasteful lifestyle worth the extinction of many different species?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Gratitude
Hello Mr. Kertes,
I have just finished reading your new novel, Gratitude, and I must admit I am extremely impressed. Gratitude has made a deep impression on me about the many deportations of Hungarian Jews. It also amazed me that many of the characters and stories in the novel are based on the actual experiences of your grandparents' family and friends. Some of these events include the near-death experience that Marta has in the gas chamber at Auschwitz, and the daring rescue that Paul attempts in order to save his family from deportation. You've also painted an image of the injustice and madness of the time. An example would be Lili's village, Tolgy, which is cleared out entirely by the Germans without warning. Lili is orphaned in that short stretch of time, and must now learn how to survive by herself. After meeting the Beck family, however, Lili becomes their principal breadwinner. Also, the many injustices that Zoli captures in his pictures also provide additional atmosphere to that dark period in history. Eventually, Zoli is deported himself, which leads to his wife-to-be, Rozsi, to commit suicide. The decision to kill certain characters also contributes to the plot. Unfortunately, Gratitude does not have a fairy-tale ending, which I think is important. Over half a million Jews were deported from Hungary during the Second World War. Very few families escaped entirely intact. It was a reality of the time that family members would simply vanish without a trace, such as Zoli and Raoul Wallenberg. Families such as the Becks had to learn to cope with these disappearances. All in all, I think that Gratitude is an extremely thought-provoking and well written book. It is important that people hear of this time in human history, and I think that you have done an excellent job of portraying it.
Sincerely,
Oliver Jones
I have just finished reading your new novel, Gratitude, and I must admit I am extremely impressed. Gratitude has made a deep impression on me about the many deportations of Hungarian Jews. It also amazed me that many of the characters and stories in the novel are based on the actual experiences of your grandparents' family and friends. Some of these events include the near-death experience that Marta has in the gas chamber at Auschwitz, and the daring rescue that Paul attempts in order to save his family from deportation. You've also painted an image of the injustice and madness of the time. An example would be Lili's village, Tolgy, which is cleared out entirely by the Germans without warning. Lili is orphaned in that short stretch of time, and must now learn how to survive by herself. After meeting the Beck family, however, Lili becomes their principal breadwinner. Also, the many injustices that Zoli captures in his pictures also provide additional atmosphere to that dark period in history. Eventually, Zoli is deported himself, which leads to his wife-to-be, Rozsi, to commit suicide. The decision to kill certain characters also contributes to the plot. Unfortunately, Gratitude does not have a fairy-tale ending, which I think is important. Over half a million Jews were deported from Hungary during the Second World War. Very few families escaped entirely intact. It was a reality of the time that family members would simply vanish without a trace, such as Zoli and Raoul Wallenberg. Families such as the Becks had to learn to cope with these disappearances. All in all, I think that Gratitude is an extremely thought-provoking and well written book. It is important that people hear of this time in human history, and I think that you have done an excellent job of portraying it.
Sincerely,
Oliver Jones
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Oryx and Crake
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, is a novel that revolves around a man called Snowman. Snowman is the sole human survivor of an apocalyptic event that has wiped out mankind. The world has now become a wasteland through which all manner of genetically modified creatures roam. With the exception of Snowman, the only humanoid beings left are a group of genetically modified humans that Snowman calls "Crakers". As Snowman recounts his experiences, we begin to understand the history behind his dystopian society.
Margaret Atwood has done several things well in the novel. The first is her use of flashbacks. Most of the story is told through a series of flashbacks that Snowman has. These flashbacks cover Snowman's entire life, from his earliest years right up to the present. While Snowman's real name is revealed as Jimmy, the flashbacks are written is such a way that while Snowman and Jimmy are one and the same, we percieve them as two different people. Another element of the writing that worked well in the novel is Atwood's portrayal of society. Society in the early 21st century is controlled by powerful healthcare corporations which are in constant competition with each other. A privileged few work for these corporations and live in "compounds" which isolate them from the rest of society. This creates a sort of ignorance for so called, "compound kids" like Jimmy, who don't truly understand how the rest of society functions. For example, there are rumors that float around the compounds about "packs" of underpriveledged kids in the cities getting together to play loud music, drink, and copulate. While this sounds unbelievable
to Jimmy, it is not unlike the teenage culture of today, adding an element of authenticity to Oryx and Crake.
While I thought that several elements of Oryx and Crake worked well in the novel, my main source of disappointment in the novel stems from the inconclusive narrative. While Atwood describes the the downfall of humanity and Jimmy's part in it quite well, there are many loose ends that are never tied up. For example, we are never given much information regarding the time between Jimmy's friend Crake's childhood and his maturation as the leader of one of the largest health compounds in the world. Crake is also haunted by some event in his childhood, but we are never told what. While this mystery is effective to a certain degree, there are simply too many unfinished side-stories left at the conclusion of the novel. This disappointed me because the rest of the novel was so well-written that I wanted to know more background information about the various characters. However, this information was never given, leaving me with many unanswered questions.
One of the best examples of descriptive writing in the novel is throughout p. 354-368, where Crake explains to Jimmy how he plans to break the cycle of human conflict and save the human race from inevitable destruction. Crake is so smart that he has not only discovered the source of many of the problems plaguing humanity, but he has also found a way to solve them. Jimmy believes that Crake plans to do this through the use of a prophylactic pill called the Blysspluss pill, and the integration of his genetically modified humans into normal society, where they will fix the remaining problems. In reality, however, Crake creates a hostile bioform and distributes it through the Blysspluss pills, thereby wiping out humanity in a matter of weeks and leaving his genetically modified humans to repopulate the planet. This passage appealed to me because many of the problems that Crake discovers are real issues which could probably be solved by Crake's super pill and genetically modified humans. This realism made the story much more interesting, since it touched on issues which are very relevent to today's world.
The second example of descriptive writing that appealed to me was Snowman's return to the RejoovenEsense compound several weeks after the disaster (p. 274-275). Atwood does a fantastic job of giving a sense of emptiness and loneliness to the whole scene, which sets the atmosphere perfectly. This desolate atmosphere gave a great sense of loss to the whole setting, which made the reading much more enjoyable.
Margaret Atwood has done several things well in the novel. The first is her use of flashbacks. Most of the story is told through a series of flashbacks that Snowman has. These flashbacks cover Snowman's entire life, from his earliest years right up to the present. While Snowman's real name is revealed as Jimmy, the flashbacks are written is such a way that while Snowman and Jimmy are one and the same, we percieve them as two different people. Another element of the writing that worked well in the novel is Atwood's portrayal of society. Society in the early 21st century is controlled by powerful healthcare corporations which are in constant competition with each other. A privileged few work for these corporations and live in "compounds" which isolate them from the rest of society. This creates a sort of ignorance for so called, "compound kids" like Jimmy, who don't truly understand how the rest of society functions. For example, there are rumors that float around the compounds about "packs" of underpriveledged kids in the cities getting together to play loud music, drink, and copulate. While this sounds unbelievable
to Jimmy, it is not unlike the teenage culture of today, adding an element of authenticity to Oryx and Crake.
While I thought that several elements of Oryx and Crake worked well in the novel, my main source of disappointment in the novel stems from the inconclusive narrative. While Atwood describes the the downfall of humanity and Jimmy's part in it quite well, there are many loose ends that are never tied up. For example, we are never given much information regarding the time between Jimmy's friend Crake's childhood and his maturation as the leader of one of the largest health compounds in the world. Crake is also haunted by some event in his childhood, but we are never told what. While this mystery is effective to a certain degree, there are simply too many unfinished side-stories left at the conclusion of the novel. This disappointed me because the rest of the novel was so well-written that I wanted to know more background information about the various characters. However, this information was never given, leaving me with many unanswered questions.
One of the best examples of descriptive writing in the novel is throughout p. 354-368, where Crake explains to Jimmy how he plans to break the cycle of human conflict and save the human race from inevitable destruction. Crake is so smart that he has not only discovered the source of many of the problems plaguing humanity, but he has also found a way to solve them. Jimmy believes that Crake plans to do this through the use of a prophylactic pill called the Blysspluss pill, and the integration of his genetically modified humans into normal society, where they will fix the remaining problems. In reality, however, Crake creates a hostile bioform and distributes it through the Blysspluss pills, thereby wiping out humanity in a matter of weeks and leaving his genetically modified humans to repopulate the planet. This passage appealed to me because many of the problems that Crake discovers are real issues which could probably be solved by Crake's super pill and genetically modified humans. This realism made the story much more interesting, since it touched on issues which are very relevent to today's world.
The second example of descriptive writing that appealed to me was Snowman's return to the RejoovenEsense compound several weeks after the disaster (p. 274-275). Atwood does a fantastic job of giving a sense of emptiness and loneliness to the whole scene, which sets the atmosphere perfectly. This desolate atmosphere gave a great sense of loss to the whole setting, which made the reading much more enjoyable.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ysabel Character Quotations
"Ned, I really wanted to show you this place. It is seriously cool. And it may tie in to the stuff we've been finding."
This quotation contributes to Kate development as a character in Ysabel. As this quotation reveals, Kate is extremely interested and passionate about the historical sites that surround Aix-en-Provence. She often does research on them and has accumulated quite a wealth of knowledge that deals with many of these sites. It is largely due to her knowledge of local myth and geography that Ned is able to discover the location of Ysabel before Cadell and Phelan. This quotation also helps to show Ysabel's influence over Kate before Melanie unwittingly replaces her as the body that will hold Ysabel's soul.
"It matters when we love."
This quotation is part of a conversation between Ned and Cadell. Ned is furious that Ysabel has taken control of Melanie's body and demands to know how he is tied into this ancient story. Cadell responds by asking about Ned's relationship with Melanie. When Ned asks how his friendship with Melanie matters, Cadell responds with the earlier quotation. This quotation shows Cadell's respect for love and his longing for Ysabel. He loves her, and yet he cannot find her, which makes him suffer. This love of Ysabel is his main driving force throughout the novel.
"I believe I see. An ending, love? Past due, must we say?"
Phelan is also looking for Ysabel. He, as well as Cadell, is in love with her. The thing that differentiates Phelan from Cadell, however, is the fact that he has become tired of the cycle that he must endure. For more than two thousand years Phelan and Cadell have fought for Ysabel's love. The outcome is different every time, but all three are repeatedly reincarnated to resume their love triangle. While he still loves Ysabel beyond what words can express, Phelan has grown tired of his repeated reincarnation and wishes that the cycle could be ended. Near the end of the novel, Ned's intervention in the cycle finally gives Phelan the chance to rest that he has longed for. He is grateful to Ned for this action, though he still regrets losing Ysabel.
"Yesterday you entered a space I've been in for some time. When it happened I became aware of it, of you, from where I was. The family thing, I guess."
Ned's Aunt Kim is similar to Ned in many ways. This quotation reveals that she has the same gift that he does, though this gift is never explained in detail. Kim has had past experiences involving her gifts that are never elaborated on during the events of Ysabel. We do know, however, that this gift has been present in Ned's family for several generations. We later learn that this is because he is a descendant from one of Ysabel's relationship with either Cadell or Phelan. This ties Ned and his aunt to the events of this cycle, whether they like it or not.
" A friend of the woman you took. And nephew of the other one. The on who matters."
This quotation shows how Ned develops as the events of Ysabel unfold. At the beginning of the novel, Ned has no idea about the story that he has stumbled into. However, as he discovers more about his own family's history and the history of this ancient love triangle, he begins to understand how he fits into the grand scheme of things. This understanding only increases his drive to save Melanie from becoming Ysabel completely.
This quotation contributes to Kate development as a character in Ysabel. As this quotation reveals, Kate is extremely interested and passionate about the historical sites that surround Aix-en-Provence. She often does research on them and has accumulated quite a wealth of knowledge that deals with many of these sites. It is largely due to her knowledge of local myth and geography that Ned is able to discover the location of Ysabel before Cadell and Phelan. This quotation also helps to show Ysabel's influence over Kate before Melanie unwittingly replaces her as the body that will hold Ysabel's soul.
"It matters when we love."
This quotation is part of a conversation between Ned and Cadell. Ned is furious that Ysabel has taken control of Melanie's body and demands to know how he is tied into this ancient story. Cadell responds by asking about Ned's relationship with Melanie. When Ned asks how his friendship with Melanie matters, Cadell responds with the earlier quotation. This quotation shows Cadell's respect for love and his longing for Ysabel. He loves her, and yet he cannot find her, which makes him suffer. This love of Ysabel is his main driving force throughout the novel.
"I believe I see. An ending, love? Past due, must we say?"
Phelan is also looking for Ysabel. He, as well as Cadell, is in love with her. The thing that differentiates Phelan from Cadell, however, is the fact that he has become tired of the cycle that he must endure. For more than two thousand years Phelan and Cadell have fought for Ysabel's love. The outcome is different every time, but all three are repeatedly reincarnated to resume their love triangle. While he still loves Ysabel beyond what words can express, Phelan has grown tired of his repeated reincarnation and wishes that the cycle could be ended. Near the end of the novel, Ned's intervention in the cycle finally gives Phelan the chance to rest that he has longed for. He is grateful to Ned for this action, though he still regrets losing Ysabel.
"Yesterday you entered a space I've been in for some time. When it happened I became aware of it, of you, from where I was. The family thing, I guess."
Ned's Aunt Kim is similar to Ned in many ways. This quotation reveals that she has the same gift that he does, though this gift is never explained in detail. Kim has had past experiences involving her gifts that are never elaborated on during the events of Ysabel. We do know, however, that this gift has been present in Ned's family for several generations. We later learn that this is because he is a descendant from one of Ysabel's relationship with either Cadell or Phelan. This ties Ned and his aunt to the events of this cycle, whether they like it or not.
" A friend of the woman you took. And nephew of the other one. The on who matters."
This quotation shows how Ned develops as the events of Ysabel unfold. At the beginning of the novel, Ned has no idea about the story that he has stumbled into. However, as he discovers more about his own family's history and the history of this ancient love triangle, he begins to understand how he fits into the grand scheme of things. This understanding only increases his drive to save Melanie from becoming Ysabel completely.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ysabel Fan Letter
Dear Mr. Kay,
I have just finished reading your latest novel, Ysabel, and I must say I'm very impressed. The novel is very well thought out and is very compelling. The use of real archaeological sites and locations gives the novel a sense of authenticity while still keeping an element of fantasy. I found all of the characters very engrossing. The most engaging of these characters are Phelan, Cadell, and Ysabel. The sense of mystery that surrounds them really draws the reader into the story. Having said this, I wish that you had delved a little deeper into the story of these three characters. We are hardly given any information about them other than Phelan and Cadell are constantly resurrected to fight for Ysabel, whom they both love. Also, many times throughout the novel Ned's aunt refers to the history of Ned's family. We are told that certain member's of Ned's mother's family have been gifted with the "second sight", but we are never told what the second sight consists of or how it pertains to Ned's role in the events of Ysabel. Ned's aunt also has this unusual gift, and both she and her husband hint at some kind of secret knowledge. Ned's aunt threatens Cadell with the name "Cenwin", and Ned's uncle exchanges threats with a long-dead druid in a long-forgotten language. This isn't to say that the mystery does not build suspense, but more background information would definitely help to give the book a more linear storyline, which would engage more readers.
Another thing that I loved about Ysabel was the witty dialogue between all the characters. All the sarcastic comments really made the book enjoyable to read and relieved the tension created by some of the more dramatic scenes. The so-called "ringtone war" between Ned and Melanie was very entertaining to follow. Other elements of humour, such as Ned's constant needling of Kate about her roommate, Marie-Chantal, and the sarcastic comments that Ned's aunt and uncle trade constantly are also very engaging.
I was already a fan of your fantasy novels, such as the Fionavar Tapestry series, but I found that the themes expressed in Ysabel enthralled me and compelled me to read further. I hope that many books like it will follow.
Sincerely,
Oliver Jones
I have just finished reading your latest novel, Ysabel, and I must say I'm very impressed. The novel is very well thought out and is very compelling. The use of real archaeological sites and locations gives the novel a sense of authenticity while still keeping an element of fantasy. I found all of the characters very engrossing. The most engaging of these characters are Phelan, Cadell, and Ysabel. The sense of mystery that surrounds them really draws the reader into the story. Having said this, I wish that you had delved a little deeper into the story of these three characters. We are hardly given any information about them other than Phelan and Cadell are constantly resurrected to fight for Ysabel, whom they both love. Also, many times throughout the novel Ned's aunt refers to the history of Ned's family. We are told that certain member's of Ned's mother's family have been gifted with the "second sight", but we are never told what the second sight consists of or how it pertains to Ned's role in the events of Ysabel. Ned's aunt also has this unusual gift, and both she and her husband hint at some kind of secret knowledge. Ned's aunt threatens Cadell with the name "Cenwin", and Ned's uncle exchanges threats with a long-dead druid in a long-forgotten language. This isn't to say that the mystery does not build suspense, but more background information would definitely help to give the book a more linear storyline, which would engage more readers.
Another thing that I loved about Ysabel was the witty dialogue between all the characters. All the sarcastic comments really made the book enjoyable to read and relieved the tension created by some of the more dramatic scenes. The so-called "ringtone war" between Ned and Melanie was very entertaining to follow. Other elements of humour, such as Ned's constant needling of Kate about her roommate, Marie-Chantal, and the sarcastic comments that Ned's aunt and uncle trade constantly are also very engaging.
I was already a fan of your fantasy novels, such as the Fionavar Tapestry series, but I found that the themes expressed in Ysabel enthralled me and compelled me to read further. I hope that many books like it will follow.
Sincerely,
Oliver Jones
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