There are a few people who still need to comment on the Dec 13th Blog. Please do so ASAP.
Okay, welcome back! This semester is shorter than last semester, and we're reading MORE (if you can believe it). That means that it's time to get serious, time to put down the SparksNotes, time to start thinking for yourself, time to start figuring out how to improve, time to start coming for tutoring. Our first novel back will be Bronte's Wuthering Heights, a dark, dark novel of ghosts, death, and the tragedy of passionate love.
But for this week, comment on your choice novel. Any aspect of it. Give me a few sentences at least.
Due, as usual, by midnight on Friday.
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63 comments:
i feel like such a nerd doing my blog before we even go back to school.
but now i don't have to worry about it haha.
I am in love with Brave New World. It is sooo good. I guess I like it so much just cause it's so weird. It keeps me interested and keeps me turning the pages. I love it.
:)
I read Brave New World over the break, and though there were certain aspects I didn't like about it, I would definately read it again. I was intrigued by both John's and Bernard's ongoing struggle to fit in with the "civilized world". John's suicide was very sad, but I sort of saw it coming. Also, it made me really angry that they treated him as a brutal animal, yet continually referred to him as Mr. Savage. After I put the book down, I became fearful for what will actually happen in the future.
Ok I read Brave New World and it is so wierd. Children play sex games and everyone belongs to everyone? I read the whole book with a dropped jaw. I like though, it's funny. I have the perfect song for the soma aspect for our project.
Uhm ok so im a nerd and i read like what was left of Handmaid's tale the first day of the break becuase i couldnt put it down. Its like a romance novel/depressing life story which makes it amazing because it makes you feel like your life is normal. Lets read more of these =]
I read Brave New World, and I found it almost somewhat disturbing. Just the whole idea of a society like that made me shudder. I hated the people's ideas about love. It was like in their society love was frowned upon, and brest-feeding was entirely savage and primitive. I'm not a prude at all, but their ideas about sex, procreation, and all that jazz was insane...I truly hope our society does not turn into this crazy one. I did mostly enjoy the novel though; however, I found myself wishing I had read The Handmaid's Tale.
I'm kind of excited about reading Wuthering Heights, and I hope I enjoy it (:
I read 1984, and I thought it was a pretty good novel. There was so much irony in it, like the names of the organizations and what they actually did. I was so angry/frustrated at the end when O'Brian turns Winston. I still believe 2+2=4! I thought it was dumb that the government turns the traitors into their own mindless drones and then they kill them! It seems like such a stupid waste of effort. The book was pretty frightening because I could not imagine living in that type of society. I would not be able to handle the telescreens and the invasion of privacy, even present in the bathroom! I had wished that Winston would not fall victim to the society. The song from the telescreen at the bar that returned traitors usually go to is really creepy. The whole changing of the history seemed crazy and pointless to me, and doublethink was really something to try to wrap your mind around. I really did enjoy the novel; it makes me grateful to live in the society I do.
I absolutely loved 1984! I was a little nervous going into the novel due to my lack of passion towards Animal Farm. Thankfully, 1984 actually kept me reading. It was almost a dark warning towards our own society. The whole idea of "Big Brother is Watching" reminded me of the research paper I wrote last year about the PATRIOT Act. There were scary similarities between the novel and the act.
It's Ashley...
I read The Handmaid's Tale and was completely engrossed in it. Despite the horrible treatment of women in this society, they managed to stay sane and found their own ways to remain unique, even if they had to conceal it most of the time. I could relate to Offred in many different ways, and could almost feel the pain she felt after losing her husband and daughter all at once. Nick was definitely my favorite character. His mystery and subtle charm was interesting, and I definitely would love to believe he helped Offred escape.
I read The Handmaid's Tale over the break. Even though it was depressing, it was interesting, and the ending was hopeful. Some parts of it were just WIERD and a little bit scary. I can't even imagine living a life like Offred's. I have to believe that our world would never become so brainwashed! At least I hope not!
I read the Handmaid's Tale, and honestly I was a little disappointed. Offred was difficult for me to relate to, but I liked Moira's spunk and determination compared to Offred's sort of aquiescent attitude at times. I think she would be the kind of person to write "Nolite bastardes carborundorum," if that's how you spell it. I wonder why Atwood never tells the reader Offred's real name. Or maybe she did and I missed it. I almost missed the "historical notes" at the back, but I'm glad I read them! It provided some closure and setting that I didn't get from the actual story. Atwood makes you think, but this novel's not my favorite.
I read 1984 and loved it! Of course, I love George Orwell stuff anyway, so no surprise. Allegories are fun and hilariously ironic. Plus its interesting to look at all the points in the book that are alluding to some actual historical event that took place in Stalinist Russia. Even though the book describes a dull, seemingly unrealistic time and place, Orwell makes it really interesting the whole way through and makes it believable. I'm pretty sure 1984 is the best novel I've read and will read throughout this year in AP English.
I had really high expectations for brave new world and found that i didnt enjoy it as much as people had said i would. It really dragged in the beginning and didnt really have a plot until getting over all the specific details of the new world. I get it (theres lust and freakish things going on). but when the plot began to thickin as the "protagonists" visited the savages i began to appreciate what huxley was saying. It reminded me alot of science fiction movies and books ive read about the future leaving me to wonder if this is where alot of those idea may have originated. My favorite part of the story is when the savage fights society at the very end and basically in my opinion fails. man has a great triumph to overcome!?
I read The Handmaidens Tale and I actually really enjoyed it. Although at times it was very hard to read because of the brutality Offred was subject to, I found it very interesting. It is so crazy to think that our world could be so completely different and this book made me thankful for the way it is and the way women are treated! I was dsigusted that they were only used for there "viable ovaries." But I loved the way the book was written and it kept my interest.
I read 1984, and I really enjoyed it. :) One of the things that I did not like very much, though, was the fact that Winston's whole goal throughout the novel to change the world and expose Big Brother for what the organization really is was never really accomplished or even close to being so. Also, the dying love between Julia and Winston bothered me. Each of them betrayed each other, which I understand, but I do not see how they could not find a way to let the other back into his/her heart. I guess O'Brien was successful in getting rid of all of their emotions, that is except for their love for Big Brother. The back of my novel said that the book was twisting and very well written, from the opening scene to the last four words: "I love Big Brother." I very much agree, yet I'm disappointed in the lack of hope. It is a dystopia novel, though, so I guess that is what is to be expected. :-/
I read Handmaid's Tale and it one of the first books I have actually enjoyed this year. I felt really bad for Offred the entire time, and even though she was having an affair, I was glad that she was able to find at least some happiness with Nick. I was disappointed by the ending though, because I wanted to know what happened to her. I didn't like ending the book, not knowing whether Nick was telling the truth or if he had actually turned Offred in. But other than that it was a good novel.
Brave New World was a very interesting book. It seemed to be like Huxley's hell. It was a world without hurt but without pain there are not true joys in life. That is why John ends up killing himself when he gives into their world.
Brave New World is crazy. Literally. Something we talked about in groups today is if it can really happen to us. There IS a drug called Soma, and people today are having sex before marriage, so it's really scary. I hate how John caves in at the end and then kills himself. Not cool. It shows the struggle of individuality within a society in which everyone is essentially the same.
I read 1984. I thought it was a good book, not my favorite, but definitely not on my bad list. When we separated into our groups this week, I realized how many things Orwell left completely open or unanswered, such as whether or not O'Brien is decieving Winston or if he actually was a member of the Brotherhood and was converted. That made me mad, but then I realized it was a chance to explore. Obviously Orwell did that for a purpose and it was for his readers to think. Personally, I feel that O'Brien was decieving and there never was a Brotherhood. But overall, I liked 1984 and I'm glad I picked it for my choice novel.
I also read 1984. Since I really liked Animal Farm, my expectations for this novel were high. It didn't let me down (until the end). The ending was unfortunate, but I assume it's necessary to get the true message across. I like how everything wasn't a really specific point-by-point comparison to the dictatorships he portrays. Overall, the book is an easy read, full of surprises, and interesting.
I read Brave New World and at first i thought it was boring, but after we meet John in the novel it gets so much better. I really liked this novel even though it was strange at times like all of the people having sex and the children having erotic play all of the time. anyways... haha. I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Animal Farm gave me high hopes for 1984, and I was not disappointed. My favorite part was the speaker's saying that the "mute protest" in one's bones was the only evidence he had that he was being treated unfairly. I also thought that the adolescent espionage was hysterical and ridiculous.
So, I read The Handmaid's Tale and it was an okay book, but not my favorite. It was an interesting read and kept my attention throughout, even though I did not appreciate everything the women had to endure. But the novel did allow me to embrace the world we live in today as a woman. I agree with Megan, I'm so glad Offred found some passion with Nick to replace what she was orginally stripped of.
Brave New World was awesome! The darkness of everything was crazy.. and the fact that there is absolutely no hope left for anyone in that society is really scary. It makes for a really good story though.
The erotic play definitely added some comic relief to it!
Also, the fact that this book about genetic engineering was written in the '30s is fascinating. Huxley was way ahead of his time on this one.
I liked 1984 overall, but i just thought the ending was a little disappointing. He spends the whole novel pointing out the problems with the totalitarian regime, but in the end the message seems to be there is nothing anyone can do about it. He no longer loves the girl and loves Big Brother...that just is not a good ending. What should have happened was him escaping the jail and kicking down Big Brother's door and saying,"It's Democracy time...Yeah America!!!!!" Now that would have been a more interesting end :-)
I read Brave New World and i was really good! i liked it because it was different than other books that we have read in High School. I thought it was a really wierd society that could actually be an interesting place to live but as the book went on the dangers of a place like that made me change my mind. A world where everyone belongs to anyone and fathering a child is an embarressment would not be some place i would like
I read Brave New World. The book was definitely strange. However, there are certain aspects that can really relate to the society that we live in. A lot of the world around us focuses on sex and drugs as a common thing. While the situation in the U.S. may not be as extreme we are still fighting somewhat of the same battles. It was an ok book. Nothing extraordinary though.
I'm going to be honest; I hardly had a clue what was going on for about the first seventy-five pages, and even had to read the first two chapters twice. But aside from being a bit slow to start and a bunch of needless scientific mumbo jumbo, the Brave New World was pretty good, especially the last half. I ended up reading 135 pages on Sunday, half out of neccesity and the other half out of intersest. I loved the final conversation between Mustapha Mond and John too.
I liked Brave New World enough to get through it, but it's not something I would recommend. I like the concept of a society where everyone's the same and no one thinks for themselves, but I just didn't like how Huxley adapted this futuristic idea. Maybe I just didn't like it because I couldn't connect with any of the characters, & for me to get into a book, I have be able to connect. Just a little too far out & depressing for my taste!
I loved 1984. It was so interesting to see Orwell's view of what he thought we would be living like in '84 from his perspective years before. The whole novel was very sad, but I felt that Orwell had a valid fear; we humans have the power to sign our own death warrants. The government has the power to completely control, which is scary, but we are lucky we live in America. The book really opened my eyes and, most importantly, made me think about our past and our future differently.
I read 'Brave New World' over the break, and while I didn't really like it, I got Huxley's point. Maybe I just can't wrap my head around the idea of not having any sort of emotional relationship with anyone. I really like the whole theme of "no true happiness if never contrasted by loss" because I think its kind of true for every situation.
I thought The Handmaid's Tale was a good book. I didn't like how she had to sleep with the Commander, in fact I just didn't like him. He was just some old guy who's able to have sex with much younger women. Gross! Now if the Commander looked more like Nick, it would have been better for me, but I may just be shallow.
I was a little confused about the ending. I wish Atwood gave more insight about what actually happened to her. I felt that all of her struggles and trials lost some of their meaning because I never found out if she escaped or not.
For some reason though, I like dystopian novels. It makes my life seem better. :)
I was surprised by Catch-22. In a bad way. I expected a few things from it; I knew going into it that it would involve:
- Dark humor
- Satire
- People dying
Usually right up my alley. However, quite frankly, it was stupid. There were times that I wanted to just say, "Yossarian, fly that last freaking mission and you'll be home." Because he'd always be one mission away (or two or four, etc.) when they raised it, and when they raised it, he was busy trying to get out of flying it. Had he shut up and done his job, he would have been home.
The stories were... absurd. Some were slightly funny, but for the most part they were stupid. The out-of-order-let's-tell-a-random-anecdote thing kind of put me off as well.
All in all, not what I expected it to be.
I really enjoyed my novel Catch-22, well its not mine because i did not write it but you know what i mean. i especially like the project that went along with our choice novels and i wish we would be able to do that for another book. overall i liked my book and plan on reading other books that the auther has written
I read George Orwell's 1984 and at first I thought itwas really weird but as I neared the end of the novel I really thought it was good. The middle to end of the novel was extremely exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat and also kept wondering what's going to happen next. I was really disappointed at the end of the novel though, when I found out that Winston finally gave into the Party.
I read The Handmaids Tale and it was one of the hardest books for me to read. It was really good but very emotional. I mean, she loses everything that she knows and is forced to become a prisoner in a society that only wants her to make babies.I can't even imagine living a life like hers.
I read Brave New World for my choice novel. Honestly, i really did not like the dystopian view that Alduous Huxley placed his novel in. In my opinion, people will never come to this point of life. There will always be love and friendship and people will always respect the moral values of others. I'm not gonna lie Mrs. Charbonnet...you were right. Definately not my happy ending!
I read 1984 and I thought that it was relly good. However, the entire book seemed very depressing, and I did not enjoy the end. The book was pretty awesome because if you really think about it, things likethat could really happen today, even if we did'nt know about them
I loved 1984! The bleak prospect of the future presented by Orwell interested me greatly, especially when considering the times in which we currently live. Winston's internal struggle appealed to me as he tried to escape the oppression of the Party. As for the dystopian genre as a whole, it is probably my favorite. I had read dystopian novels before 1984, and Orwell's novel turned out to be another classic!
I loved brave new world It was interesting that Huxley believed the world was too technological in the 1930's. I wonder what he'd think if he saw us today. The novel made me mistrust technology even more. :)
i really like the handmaids tale even though i felt it went super slowly. i got really frustrated when Offred was saying all this stuff in her head but wouldnt take any kind of action, and even more than that, she just went along with everything. the craziest part for me was when janine was telling how she was gang raped when she was 14 and all the other women had to yell 'it was her fault' at her. that creeped me out.
I read The Handmaid's Tale over the break and loved it. Although there were parts that were hard for me to read, like the ceremonies, it was hard for me to put down. I didnt expect to like it as much as I did. I agree with Arie, lets read more like this!
I read Brave New World, and I kind of have mixed feelings about the novel. I thought once you got past the boring beginning that it was a quick read. Sometimes it was hard to read probably because I can't exactly relate to the novel, but I did find this whole new world interesting to learn about. As much as I hated the ending, I saw it coming, and I can see where John's intentions are coming from. Overall, I did like Brave New World, even though it isn't considered my favorite book ever.
I really liked 1984, though it was a but morbid. Orwell does a great job of warning against a totalitarian government. His novel demostrates that by controlling every external aspect of life, such a strong force would be able to effectively use "mind control." Though the size and power of the party may seem to be a stretch, 1984 shows that such a situation is indeed capable. It is possible that human rights, such as emotion, love, freedom of thought, can be taken away.
I read 1984 over the break, and I really liked it. It was definitely dark--semi depressing even, but still. I guess I just liked all the issues it raised. That and, call me crazy, but I really liked the ending. Who knows. Anyways, I really enjoyed it!
I read 1984 and really liked it. I really like the way that Orwell writes, it makes me want to keep reading. The wehole government in total control thing was interesting, i can't imagine what living in that world would be like. Anyway, I thought that Winston was a great character, his fight to bring about a better world, even though he really didn't do much was great. The end was really sad, though, because he was like the only source of real hope for the future, and he gave in.
I read 1984 and i actually thought it was pretty good, although a little disturbing definitely. Sometimes it made me depressed because the conditions in which the people lived were so awful! It's just creepy...while i was reading, I would have to stop sometimes and shiver because their society was weird and so corrupt. Overall, i found it really interesting; i liked learning something new.
Well I read brave new world and I am happy to say that I enjoyed it. I particularlyu identified with John. I know what its like to be placed in a situation where everyone is stuck in the same mindset no one will listen. I found his relationship with Lenina really interesting and depressing. He wants so desperately to be with her, but knows it will never be able to work out because the conditioning she went through is weaved into her very being.
I read 1984 and really enjoyed reading a book for once. It seemed more of a nonfiction book to me. It kinda messed with your head in that you knew he was going to get caught, but you didn't know when, and I didn't expect it to be Mr. Charrington who exposed him. I was pulling for Winston, but I would have caved too when they pulled the rat shenanigans. I am really considering reading Brave New World on my own now because I really liked the dystopia genre. 1984 was an awesome book to me.
I read 1984 and throughly enjoyed the beginning and middle. The ending i think was the most uninspiring thing I've ever read. Still the romance and writing style of Orwell were very intriguing to me and I enjoyed them. My favorite character was O' Brien because I thought he was very 3-Dimensional. First he seems mysterious, then he is an infamous member of the Brotherhood, then the villain. His words at the end of the novel about the mind and whats realistic were very thought provoking. Overall I really enjoyed the book.
I absolutely loved Brave New World. Probably ties Catcher in the Rye as favorite book ever. It's so dark and hilarious... It's got everyone having sex and doing drugs, few characters that you can actually define as a consistent persona, and not a cheesy happy ending. Huxley is a witty guy, yet his opinion of the human race may not be too far off from the truth.
I read (listened to audio book of) 1984 and liked the book. I enjoyed reading (listening to) the overall concept of the perfect totalitarian government that was the Party. The lamest part of the book in my opinion was the reading of the Goldstein handbook (and the fact that you read [listen to] a good part of it not once but twice).
I read Brave New World, and I was slightly disturbed by the large amount of sex and drugs involved. I can relate to Aldous Huxley's nightmare because it would probably be the same nightmare as mine. I would hate to live in a world so controlled without emotion. I could not imagine a society without art, literature, and especially religion and love.
So, I just want to say that I enjoyed 1984 more than any book I have ever been required to read. I love science fiction novels especially dystopian ones. What I like most about these types of books, and somthing that 1984 handles very well, is the mystery element. I like trying to figure out how the Novels' worlds operate, and how they got to be so differnt from our world. The only part of the book I didn't really like was the end, to be honest I prefer endings to be happy,or at least come to more of a conclusion. I would have liked the book better if he had tied up the story better. I still haev so many questions about the party and Big Brother and where they came from.
This is Graham under Casey's name:
I read Brave New World as well and Casey and I both agree the sex and drugs were a little explicit. To think that the book was written in 1932 is strange because such thoughts were so taboo at the time. I think Aldous Huxley was very familiar with the human psych and far ahead of the normal train of thought. Many of his ideas do hold true, while some perhaps remain left to be played out.
Brave New World was really intense yet a real downer at the same time. It's a real slap in the face about conformity and the reality behind it. Also, I like pronouncing Lenina's name la-nine-ah. Idk. Trashwithclass nostalgia.
doses.
I read 1984 and loved it...until the end. The way it ended was sort of depressing, expected but still depressing. I like to think such horrid situations have a happy ending but in this case it definately did not. Also, the part of the book where Winston is reading the book written by the Brotherhood drags on and on and seems unecessary to the progression of the plot. The information revealed in this context was mostly all previous knowledge gained from the remainder of the novel.
I enjoyed the Handmaid's Tale. It was interesting and made me wonder what I would do if I were in Offred's situation. The way women were treated was terrible and causes you to appreciate life, cause things could be a lot worse. We don't learn of Offred's fate but everyone hopes she escaped, I just wish they could have let us know rather than leaving us in the dark. But overall it was a good book and I enjoyed it.
1984 was wierd and I didn't really enjoy it. Was Oceania a dystopia? I don't know, everyone seemed pretty happy for the most part. I thought it was a pretty boring book; it seemed to just drag on and on. I wasn't very surprised by the fact that O'Brien turned on Winston. But yeah, I didn't really like it.
I actually really liked 1984. I was always rooting for Winston and the fact that he was willing to question the lies surrounding him instead of just resigning himself to blindness. I dug on Julia's character, too. I just wish she would have been a little bit deeper, because then she could have been a very strong feminine character.
I read Brave New World over the break, and it was hard to get into at first, I ended up finding it extremely interesting. I thought that Huxley's version of this controlled world where everyone was told to take soma was very thought-provoking. One thing I thought that made the society weird was that people really didn't show the signs of aging, and also that they didn't have a mom or dad to help them get through life, which is why I think this was a far-fetched story. In the end though, I think John made the story complete and definately enjoyed it overall.
I read Aldous Huxley'x Brave New World, and it is by far the strangest book I have ever read. The society at first seems like a dream, where everybody is happy without stress and sadness and fear;however, you begin to see the corruption within the society when people take a thing called soma pills (like anti-depressants) to feel better. It is basically a world of lies. Also, the supreme leader is not God, but a human being. With this being said, the whole society is exposed with lies and hidden from the truth. A very dark novel.
Okay, I read Brave New World over the break. It was quite interesting, to say the least. It was interesting in that they didn't control the citizens out of fear or force, but rather by providing happiness and using hypnopaedia. It was also very weird. I also found it funny because they thought "mother" and "father" were vulgar words. Overall, I loved the book...it kept me interested from the beginning.
I loved Handmaids Tale but thought is was degrading to women in the begining but I couldn't put it down because I knew there had to be hope for Offred and the others. Hands down The Handmaids Tale has been the most enjoyable novel I've ever read.
Mrs. Charbonnet I have you to thank.
:)
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