Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
A Review of Room by Emma Donoghue (some spoilers included)
Room is a story narrated by Jack, who lives with his Ma in Room. Jack is five, and through his perspective, we come to understand that Ma was kidnapped by a man Jack refers to as "Old Nick" several years before. She has been held in Room and visited in the night by Old Nick. Eventually, she gave birth to Jack there, and has raised him as best she can in this tiny space.
The book is told in several parts, but it is divided mainly between the beginning, in which Jack and Ma are living in Room and after they escape, by having Jack play dead.
The author tells the story from Jack's perception, which is not narrow but is limited by his 5 years of only living in Room. He has no contact with the outside world, which he thinks of as everything in the television. People outside aren't real, buildings, other lives not held captive aren't real to Jack.
After coming out of Room, Jack is forced to confront a world in which he has no frame of reference at all, except in the one hour per day of television his Ma lets him watch. He is exposed to paparazzi, well-meaning, and not-so-well-meaning relatives, germs and just regular people who do things Jack cannot understand.
Despite this, it is Ma who has a much harder time reintegrating into the real world. She goes a little crazy, and Jack is forced to be without her for a time, something he has never had to experience in his life.
Room is a sad but hopeful story about the human condition. It is well written and telling it from Jack's perspective keeps it fresh as well as preventing the story from sinking into melodrama or maudlin territory. It does not, and the end of the tale is a hopeful one, we are hopeful that Jack will adapt to life outside of Room and become just like any other child in the world.
The book is told in several parts, but it is divided mainly between the beginning, in which Jack and Ma are living in Room and after they escape, by having Jack play dead.
The author tells the story from Jack's perception, which is not narrow but is limited by his 5 years of only living in Room. He has no contact with the outside world, which he thinks of as everything in the television. People outside aren't real, buildings, other lives not held captive aren't real to Jack.
After coming out of Room, Jack is forced to confront a world in which he has no frame of reference at all, except in the one hour per day of television his Ma lets him watch. He is exposed to paparazzi, well-meaning, and not-so-well-meaning relatives, germs and just regular people who do things Jack cannot understand.
Despite this, it is Ma who has a much harder time reintegrating into the real world. She goes a little crazy, and Jack is forced to be without her for a time, something he has never had to experience in his life.
Room is a sad but hopeful story about the human condition. It is well written and telling it from Jack's perspective keeps it fresh as well as preventing the story from sinking into melodrama or maudlin territory. It does not, and the end of the tale is a hopeful one, we are hopeful that Jack will adapt to life outside of Room and become just like any other child in the world.
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Review of The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
This trio of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins takes place in the future world of Panem, located in what was once North America. Panem is made up of 12 districts and the Capitol, all controlled by President Snow and various other members of the Capitol city. The citizens of the rest of the 12 districts exist only to provide for the Capitol; provide food, clothing, medicine, coal and very importantly, entertainment.
Many years past, the citizens of the 13 original districts had risen up to rebel against a very unfair living arrangement. District 13 was obliterated and the Hunger Games were begun as a way to control the other districts. Each year, a boy and a girl from each district, between the ages of 12 and 17, is "reaped", their names chosen from a list of all of the children in that district. Once chosen, those two children join the 22 others from the remaining districts for a fight to the death in an arena, termed the Hunger Games. This spectacle is broadcast as required watching for all citizens of Panem, who in the 12 districts get to watch those they know and love get brutally murdered by other children.
In District 12, Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old living in the poorest of the districts, supports her mother and beloved younger sister, Prim, with her illegal hunting and creative ways of providing for her family.
On the day of the reaping this year, Prim is the one whose name is chosen. Katniss immediately volunteers to go for Prim instead. In her mind, she has agreed to die for her but cannot bear the thought of Prim dying in the Games.
What unfolds from here is a spectacular tale of rising up against oppression, with Katniss becoming the symbol for the rebellion. She is joined in the Hunger Games by the first of two love interests, Peeta, who is a baker's son she's known for years.
Throughout this story (it is truly one long story broken into three parts), the author does an amazing job of writing flawed characters. Put into this world, there are few who are selfless, or even marginally kind. Katniss herself is surly at best, having been forced to care for her family since her father died when she was 11. For any young adult reading this novel, it truly shows how a young girl feels inside at this age; not always able to see the true motives of those around her or believe the truly good things about herself.
This story also a commentary on many social and political issues, interspersed with lessons about what should and should not be trusted in life. The politics of those on Katniss' own side of the war, for example, is a lesson on how those in power are those who disseminate the information, and how they spin it and whether how they act on in is in the best interest of the people. It is a lesson on how human beings treat each other and why, how arbitrary things are in life and how betrayal is a part of that.
Although these books were written for YA, they are easily accessible for adults. I found myself riveted, in no small part because of how much the author made me root for Katniss. She is an extremely complicated character, but one I would want on my side in a rough situation. She can't help but protect those who are smaller or weaker than she is, and even those who aren't. She is cold and calculating, though, which makes her decisions and her words unlikable at times, but she is as real a character as I've ever read.
I was struck by the more esoteric parts of Suzanne Collins' writing as well. For example, she references other literature, most notably numbering Katniss' army squadron (from the final book, Mockingjay) 451. The numbers have no meaning in the army, and this number is most easily remembered from Ray Bradbury's tale, Fahrenheit 451, another futuristic story about government control. This is only one reference, however. She uses character's names (eg. Cressida, Castor, Pollux) to further reference historical and literary ideas, as well as metaphorical ideas (naming the very evil President Snow, whose breath smells like blood and roses).
In all, these novels are well-worth reading for those of all ages who like a gripping futuristic tale that isn't all that far-fetched.
Many years past, the citizens of the 13 original districts had risen up to rebel against a very unfair living arrangement. District 13 was obliterated and the Hunger Games were begun as a way to control the other districts. Each year, a boy and a girl from each district, between the ages of 12 and 17, is "reaped", their names chosen from a list of all of the children in that district. Once chosen, those two children join the 22 others from the remaining districts for a fight to the death in an arena, termed the Hunger Games. This spectacle is broadcast as required watching for all citizens of Panem, who in the 12 districts get to watch those they know and love get brutally murdered by other children.
In District 12, Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old living in the poorest of the districts, supports her mother and beloved younger sister, Prim, with her illegal hunting and creative ways of providing for her family.
On the day of the reaping this year, Prim is the one whose name is chosen. Katniss immediately volunteers to go for Prim instead. In her mind, she has agreed to die for her but cannot bear the thought of Prim dying in the Games.
What unfolds from here is a spectacular tale of rising up against oppression, with Katniss becoming the symbol for the rebellion. She is joined in the Hunger Games by the first of two love interests, Peeta, who is a baker's son she's known for years.
Throughout this story (it is truly one long story broken into three parts), the author does an amazing job of writing flawed characters. Put into this world, there are few who are selfless, or even marginally kind. Katniss herself is surly at best, having been forced to care for her family since her father died when she was 11. For any young adult reading this novel, it truly shows how a young girl feels inside at this age; not always able to see the true motives of those around her or believe the truly good things about herself.
This story also a commentary on many social and political issues, interspersed with lessons about what should and should not be trusted in life. The politics of those on Katniss' own side of the war, for example, is a lesson on how those in power are those who disseminate the information, and how they spin it and whether how they act on in is in the best interest of the people. It is a lesson on how human beings treat each other and why, how arbitrary things are in life and how betrayal is a part of that.
Although these books were written for YA, they are easily accessible for adults. I found myself riveted, in no small part because of how much the author made me root for Katniss. She is an extremely complicated character, but one I would want on my side in a rough situation. She can't help but protect those who are smaller or weaker than she is, and even those who aren't. She is cold and calculating, though, which makes her decisions and her words unlikable at times, but she is as real a character as I've ever read.
I was struck by the more esoteric parts of Suzanne Collins' writing as well. For example, she references other literature, most notably numbering Katniss' army squadron (from the final book, Mockingjay) 451. The numbers have no meaning in the army, and this number is most easily remembered from Ray Bradbury's tale, Fahrenheit 451, another futuristic story about government control. This is only one reference, however. She uses character's names (eg. Cressida, Castor, Pollux) to further reference historical and literary ideas, as well as metaphorical ideas (naming the very evil President Snow, whose breath smells like blood and roses).
In all, these novels are well-worth reading for those of all ages who like a gripping futuristic tale that isn't all that far-fetched.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A Review of The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
The Story of Beautiful Girl is a tale of the purposely forgotten, the mentally and physically disabled who were forced into living in group settings in the 20th century. These homes were neglectful, abusive and harsh, extremely unpleasant for those living there, some of whom were not disabled much at all, only misunderstood.
Beautiful Girl is Lynnie, a resident at one of these homes, who along with her deaf boyfriend, who in the beginning of the story is only known as Number 42, escapes from the institution to give birth to her daughter. Since they have escaped, they must find someone to help them, which they do accidentally in the form of septuagenarian Martha, whom they press the newborn baby upon. When the authorities from the home find them there, Lynnie is caught, Number 42 (who we later find out is named Homan) escapes, and Martha keeps the child, Julia, and raises her.
This story is told over years, jumping from Martha, to Lynnie, to Kate one of the caretakers at the institution who helps tell Lynnie's story, to Homan. Lynnie and Homan love each other, and are separated by ignorance, geography and their respective disabilities.
This tale is a harsh one, although fiction, it baldly shows what these institutions were like and how they treated their residents. It manages to be a beautiful tale of love: both family love and romantic love.
Ms. Simon does a fantastic job of rendering the tale from the perspective of those who view the world in the way of those who are marginalized. Although we know Homan is deaf, he is unable to sign, read or write, and so his part of the story is told from his limited perspective, as is Lynnie's. We don't know her disability, but it appears she is of limited intelligence. However, she is an artist of rare talent, something that is eventually nurtured as it should be and blossoms to show she may be limited in her means of communication, but that she is not necessarily limited as a human being.
This is a beautiful story of how love can unite people, some who don't even know each other at all. It is also a social commentary, and a heart-wrenching one, making us all ashamed of the marginalization of the disabled in our society.
I would recommend this book to all readers.
Beautiful Girl is Lynnie, a resident at one of these homes, who along with her deaf boyfriend, who in the beginning of the story is only known as Number 42, escapes from the institution to give birth to her daughter. Since they have escaped, they must find someone to help them, which they do accidentally in the form of septuagenarian Martha, whom they press the newborn baby upon. When the authorities from the home find them there, Lynnie is caught, Number 42 (who we later find out is named Homan) escapes, and Martha keeps the child, Julia, and raises her.
This story is told over years, jumping from Martha, to Lynnie, to Kate one of the caretakers at the institution who helps tell Lynnie's story, to Homan. Lynnie and Homan love each other, and are separated by ignorance, geography and their respective disabilities.
This tale is a harsh one, although fiction, it baldly shows what these institutions were like and how they treated their residents. It manages to be a beautiful tale of love: both family love and romantic love.
Ms. Simon does a fantastic job of rendering the tale from the perspective of those who view the world in the way of those who are marginalized. Although we know Homan is deaf, he is unable to sign, read or write, and so his part of the story is told from his limited perspective, as is Lynnie's. We don't know her disability, but it appears she is of limited intelligence. However, she is an artist of rare talent, something that is eventually nurtured as it should be and blossoms to show she may be limited in her means of communication, but that she is not necessarily limited as a human being.
This is a beautiful story of how love can unite people, some who don't even know each other at all. It is also a social commentary, and a heart-wrenching one, making us all ashamed of the marginalization of the disabled in our society.
I would recommend this book to all readers.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)