Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Summer Reading Review
This summer you had the pleasure of reading a novel or play from the recommended list of titles in your AP Language acceptance letter. Since you must choose one more independent study novel to read this semester, you need feedback from your classmates assessing the novels they read. Out of five stars, how would you rate the book you read this summer (5=high, 1=low)? List the title you read, follow it with your rating, and explain why you would or would not recommend your choice to another reader. Your responses may be brief, but please be specific and edit your work!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEmma Jane Austen
ReplyDelete3/5
I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 because it was written in the 1800’s so it is a little difficult to understand some of the old English language. Overall the book was pretty good. IT reminded me a lot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream because it is about a large love triangle. This book is a little hard to follow with all that is going on in it but overall is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys love stories.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWuthering Heights by Emily Brönte
ReplyDeleteRating: 3.5/5
There were select passages in this book that were hard to understand but overall I found the book interesting. It is a love story, but it shows the darker side of romantic passion though the cruelness of the characters. There are many conflicts between the characters throughout the novel and conflict is one of the main aspects of the book. You will most likely find yourself hating the characters, but it makes one want to read on to find out what mistakes they make next. Toward the end I felt Brönte could have left out some events that were not pertinent to the book. If you like Gothic texts then I think you would like this book.
Emma by Jane Austen
ReplyDelete4 out of 5
I agree with Sarah, I found this book incredibly slow to get started. The size was a bit overwhelming and the language Austen uses was very frustrating to me at first. I found myself angry at the shallowness and lack of integrity in some characters, and was at times bored with their petty dialogue and gossip. However, the book really does take a turn at the end; character arcs are completed, romantic feelings are confessed, and happy couples are united at last. By the end of the book, I had such an appreciation for Austen’s style of writing, her language is elegant and beautiful, and it made me sad to compare that to the limited vocabulary and casual slang we use today. I recommend this book; it is a great feeling to have read one of Austen’s masterpieces, and it is a charming and romantic story for anyone who is interested.
Dracula, Bram Stoker
ReplyDelete3/5
Although rather intimidating simply because of its fairly familiar content, Stoker’s classic both frightens its readers and draws them into an interesting series of journal entries, telegrams, and letters which tell of good, evil, and the changing presence of both in modern society. Especially emphasizing man’s growing use of technology and shift into industrialism, Stoker causes one to question the advantages of this movement as Dracula finds here his means of devastation. As already noted, the format of the novel takes its reader through many various characters’ perspectives and contributes both humor and disparity through their personalities and experiences. Even as Stoker explores the fundamental nature of evil, he clearly highlights the heroes’ reliance on faith in God while not remaining limited to “fundamentalist” beliefs. I recommend this book to those who enjoy elements of Gothicism and its interesting place in modern culture. (Also, any who wish to know where exactly all those vampire stories first found their identities…)
Over the summer, I read The Once and Future King by T.H.White. It was an excellent book if you enjoy history and legends. I would give it a 4 out of 5. The story covers the life and work of the legendary King Arthur from his time as a young pupil taught by the wizard Merlyn, to his creation of the round table, followed by his eventual downfall. My favorite part about The Once and Future King is how T.H.White introduces many of the main characters while they are young. This lets the reader gain an understanding of why each character acts the way they do. This knowledge of the past for many of the characters gives the story a unique flare for the reader. The book is very long and can be a slow reed, however, its balance of adventure and philosophy make it the quintessential fantasy quest.
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer I read the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. I would give this novel 4 out of 5. There is something to be said for a school book that is about vampires that kill people. Men will be happy to know that Dracula is fairly violent for a book of its time and is not anything like Twilight. Dracula starts off a bit slow, but then again most horror movies and books do. As the plot thickens and more of Dracula’s powers and plans are revealed, the plot gets intense. For anyone who wants to read a book with an awesome character, Bram provides readers with Van Helsing who is badass and I enjoyed. This book was written in Victorian England so many of the things that were fear inducing back then having carried to modern day but most of the novel, I was inpressed to discover, is still feared today. Do not read this book for its historical acurracy. Dracula was lightly based on Vlad the Impaler but probably not enough to intrest history buffs. Be warned; Dracula contains sexual themes, so if you don’t want that kind of thing do not read Dracula.
ReplyDeleteDracula, Bram Stoker
ReplyDelete5/5
I love books that are dark and keep the reader guessing which is exactly what this novel does. For the entire book, the reader doesn't know more than the characters do. It is never mentioned that Count Dracula is a vampire until the characters start to figure out that he is. Because of all of the spin-offs of Dracula, I went in knowing that it was a story about a vampire, but I would have never expected that it would be like this. Instead of the scenes of foggy nights lit by lightning bolts that are generally associated with Dracula, the landscapes are beautifully described and not feel threatening. This juxtaposition of the beauty of the settings and the evil that is happening in them adds a whole other dimension to the story. I was surprised to find that it's a story about friendship, teamwork, and new technology vs. old traditions and myths as much as it is about a vampire that is terrorizing Europe in a conquest to take over the world. I loved the many unpredictable twists that Stoker threw in and how it is told from many perspectives (but never the Count's) which adds to the dark mystery that fills the pages.
Dracula, Bram Stoker
ReplyDelete(re-rate: ⅘)
After discussing our blogging in class, I wished to substantiate and clarify my rating of Stoker’s classic, Dracula. All of us who entered into the wonderfully horrific plot during the summer conclude that the tale is intriguing and strangely ahead of its time, however, I additionally found the many perspectives and elements to be overwhelming. Commencing with one character’s nightmarish experience at Dracula’s transylvanian castle, the story evolves into an inclusive hunt for the villain’s life before he may begin ravaging not only the countryside, but bustling London as well. The group’s battle is of wit, faith, openness to unbelievable realities, and surprisingly--capacity for moral actions. Furthermore, I feel I should “re-rate” my summer novel to a four out of five. Again, I recommend it to those who can enjoy evil’s exploration because it also reveals the nature of goodness.
This summer I chose to read the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I would rate this novel with four stars. My only criticism would be that the first chapter is rather prosaic due to the explication of setting. After that point the novel takes off. Bronte writes the novel in doubles or pairs. She contrasts many things including settings, generations, young love and family loyalty. Through this, Bronte illuminates her reoccurring theme of responsibility in opposition of primal desire. Wuthering Heights also uses vivid language to eloquently and many times harshly illustrate a love story which breaks standard format and delves into the human psyche.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. I would rate this book a 3.8 out of 5. This book is a bit of a puzzle to figure out. Greene tends to jump around characters without much notice to the reader and he mentions a bunch of towns and then doesn’t mention the towns until several chapters later. However, the novel presents quite a few interesting/debatable topics. For example the government has outlawed Catholicism and has hunted down and killed all of the priests except one. The book also makes the reader wonder what he would do in the situation of the priest and the situation of the towns that give him sanctuary. Overall, once you solve the puzzle Greene sets up, the book was very good and the intensity picks up towards the end of the book. I would suggest reading this book for its controversial issues involving Catholicism.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo Kill A Mockingbird
ReplyDeleteRating: 3.5/5
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book that gets you emotionally invested into the story. Lee has created passionate, and trustworthy character's that you actually began to care about. For example when you finally get to the trial your emotions are those of the characters. You the sympathy for Tom Robinson, and the anger towards the jury for being so ignorant that Jem Finch feels. I would defiantly recommend this book for it's ability to make the reader get emotionally invested into the plot.
Emma by Jane Austen
ReplyDeleteRate: 3.5-4
This book is taking place in the late 1800's which makes it hard to read and focus on. The difficulties in this book is not getting lost with all of the characters in the beginning of the book. For example, in the beginning, they introduce 4-5 different characters in the first 2 pages and it is very hard to see what is significant in each ones point in the book. In the beginning, it is quite droll. The author does write a lot of description of everything that takes place in the book, from the time of the day to the weather, that could go on for about four pages. This book I would not recommend to guy because well, it is not a guy book at all. All there is in this book is drama, drama, weather, sickness, and drama. Oh did I mention drama? The whole book is about a matchmaker that is always trying to match up her friends with the perfect guy for them. It gets tricky at the end, though, when the man Emma is in love with her friend Harriet is in love with also. During the book, all the men seem to be all over Emma even though she does not notice it until it is too late and someone gets hurt. The beginning of the book with all of its descriptions makes it hard to focus on and read, but near the middle and the end the book becomes very interesting. This is because there is many love triangles that are so complicated any girl would want to read on to see what happens. You will be on the edge of your seat during the last few chapters because you will never know what will happen next! Again, I would not recommend it to guys because they will read this book and say, "Who cares about who is in love with who?" For girls, I highly recommend it because it is full of love, drama, gossip, and complications between friends. It is almost like highschool in the 1800's. The words can be tedious and descriptive which again makes it hard to read, but overall the plot and the characters; Emma, a stubborn tightly wound piece of work, Harriet, a not so bright women who will fall for three men in one year, Mr. Knightley, a dream man that is the only friend of Emma that can keep her in line, and many other characters will keep you hooked on this book until the end. In the end, the whole book makes sense and comes together to form into a perfect love story.
Over the summer, I read The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 because some parts of book were really slow, especially in the beginning when I didn’t really understand what White was mentioning until I read it for the fifth time. White was talking what Arthur’s schedule with Kay was like and how eventually his instructor went mad. Other than that, I really did enjoy this book and now it’s one of my few favorite books mainly because it was an excellent book about history and legends as Ben had said. Even if you’re not a real fan of history, the fantasy of the book is unreal as well as the adventure King Arthur takes throughout his life. The great thing I enjoyed about this book was that it told the story of Arthur’s life, rather than just starting at one point of his life and going off from there. It talked about his childhood, which most of us can relate from the Disney movie “The Sword in the Stone”. The book continues with the greatness of his reign with the infamous round table in which knights learn to use the might to find the right in society, which eventually leads to his downfall and death. All in all, The Once and Future King is a great book full of action and hilarious description, with a tint of a scandalous romance between the main character’s wife and his right hand man.
ReplyDeleteDracula by Brahm Stoker
ReplyDelete4.5/5
Over the summer I read 'Dracula' by Brahm Stoker. I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 because while the book was published in 1879, it is poingant to this day. The scariest thing was the calm buildup of events that achieved its effects: the diaries, the correspondence, the everyday elements. These heightened the reality of the story. The most astounding part of 'Dracula' was how intimately it has spoken to readers from the Victorian through the modern times. Today, every vampire fan, imitator, film, writer, reader, and Count Chocula cereal eater pays homage to Brahm Stoker's genius in creating this mysterious and powerful character that we both love and hate, welcome and fear.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
ReplyDeleteI would rate this text 4 out of 5. The text is riddled with suspense and adventure throughout that will keep any level reader at the edge of their seat. As opposed to several texts that are for higher level readers, Greene's novel flows fluently and is easily understood, which makes for a quick read. The internal struggle of the main character is central in this novel, yet not entirely relatable to the general audience (he is a priest struggling with his own sin). It is for this reason that I do not rate this book five out of five. The suspense from run-ins with a corrupt police force and the notorious Red Shirts will keep the reader engaged from cover to cover, not to mention the plot line's jumps between multiple characters. I would finally recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick yet riveting read.
Over the summer, I read The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I would rate this book a “4” out of “5”. It took me a really long time to get into the story because I didn’t understand it for a while, but by the end, I was hooked. It is kind of a twisted love story. It is about the aftermath of a man’s affair with a married woman and looking back on both of their thoughts and feelings through the entire thing. I would recommend this book to any of my classmates, boy or girl, as long as you can be patient through the somewhat slow beginning. After that, it is completely worth it.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read the book The Once and Future King by T.H. White. On a scale of “1”-“5”, I would rate this book a “5”. White takes the reader on an adventure containing violence, romance, friendship, revenge, and humor all in one book. The first section of the novel explains the childhood of King Arthur and how he came about. Many aspects of his childhood, such as living with an older sibling, are such that people now a days can relate to. Also, White creates a philosophical side of this legend with her character Merlyn, a character that never runs out of wise saying and witty comebacks. While reading, there were numerous times where I would just burst out laughing due to both the situations the characters put themselves in, and the way they deal with them. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone who loves a good laugh and a great mythical story.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I’d give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I would definitely recommend it to my classmates as reading material for several reasons. First Frankenstein is completely different from what the public believes it is. The monster Frankenstein creates is born essentially good and is transformed into an evil being by society. This would also make an excellent novel for our class because there is so much symbolism throughout the book, like lightening, and the circle of life and death. My last reason is that Frankenstein is just a good read, it’s a compelling story, and very well written. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit anticlimactic in comparison with the rest of the book, but I still really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read, (as many others have) Dracula by Bram Stoker. Now, on the whole, I give this book somewhere around a 4.465. But not to be too precise of course…. I have to say that the way Bram Stoker wrote this novel simply enhanced the overall mystery that surrounds the character of Count Dracula. The use of the journal entries gives the perspective of a variety of characters before you even encounter them in the book. For instance, Stoker brings in a character called Lucy Westenra through a character called Mina, whom we know from previous passages is the significant other of Jonathan. Jonathan is the character who provides his perspective on the events at the very beginning of the book, and who I felt was a significantly frustrating character simply because he is a bit slow on the uptake. And it is probably because of him that I downgrade this novel, as well as the character of Dr. John (or Jack) Seward, whom I found to be significantly limited in his brilliance (even though he was made out to be very bright), and in his openness.
ReplyDeleteAgain returning to the positives of this book, I find that it is a stirring read especially in the last few hundred pages, when you’re in the thick of the hunt for the most famous vampire the world has ever known (save for Edward from Twotlight (intentional misspelling), who does not count). Dracula’s cunning and the intensity of the hunt only enhance the novel, as well as the mystery behind Dracula’s inconceivably effective control of humans, “un-dead”s and beasts.
If you can manage through characters that are more terrified of dust than vampires or refuse to believe anything even after seeing it with their own eyes, then I would greatly recommend this book. It is long, but once the connection between all of the worlds becomes apparent, the novel is suddenly difficult to put down. Amidst making your own conjectures about what is to happen next or who will be next to fall victim, the pages seem to fly by in a flurry of textual mastery and verbose ingenious.
Over the summer I read The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. I would rate it a 4 out of 5. The plot follows the main character, a priest in southern Mexico at a time Catholicism has been outlawed, however, no name is ever given to this priest. This detail creates times where, just like other characters in the story, you really do not know if a man is the priest or not. This and the suspense throughout the novel pulls the reader in to the story. On the other hand, I would not recommend this book to a reader who does not like being confronted with questions of faith and religion. This challenge throughout the book was the thing that lead me to reading it, but I can see many people not enjoying the controversial topics.
ReplyDeleteWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
ReplyDelete4 out of 5
This book was overall a captivating book for me, but at the same time quite often I found the text a little hard to understand. But like many others have said already, it focuses around a love story with a lot of dramatic twist. I am completely into the romantic novels and find the stories utterly wonderful but this love story has a bit of dramatic twist. It brings in both the passion and malice of love. There were a myriad of times where it frustrated me but it only made me want to keep reading it more. So if you are in to stories with a bit of a darker twist to them then this is for you. Just read it and be patient with language of Bronte.
This past summer I read the classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein, authored by Mary Shelley. Throughout the course of Frankenstein, the reader follows the story of Victor Frankenstein a man who has learned to create life, however, many dark and foreboding problems arise as his misbegotten creation turns evil. The story is fairl easy to read eventhough it was created over 200 years ago. The classic themes such as loyalty, friendship, and trustworthiness are brought up and help the reader connect to characters that one would think are suprinsingly hard to connect to. Even, the monster shows flashes of emotion that are easily connectable. Overall I would give Shelley’s novel a 4 due to the fact that it is a classic piece of literature that is easily connectable, however, it is a tad confuisng a some points.
ReplyDelete