In the end, I had to drop a star for Brown's ridiculous historical and theological misstatements, but, especially until the very end, it's a pretty coIn the end, I had to drop a star for Brown's ridiculous historical and theological misstatements, but, especially until the very end, it's a pretty compelling read. I'm glad I happened across it and gave it a second chance. Far from my experience with the Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons seems to actually have a well-thought-out plot and is about more than simply painting the church as antiquated, secretive, and dangerous. I find myself wishing that Brown (and particularly the Hanks/Williams duo in their movie press) had gone the opposite way in setting up this FICTIONAL work. If he'd come forth and said, "Look, I used my extensive knowledge of art and Illuminati lore to make up a great STORY about how science and religion inter-relate", he may have found less vitriol from the faithful. Instead, he states that artwork, architecture, locations and Illuminati existence are real, allowing readers to infer that maybe there's more truth than he intends in the rest of it. But, then again, he probably wouldn't have sold as many books. I'm saddened that many who start this book with a misconceived or inaccurate views of the church as a whole will have their anti-Catholic views reinforced, but I believe those who understand their faith can read it, skip over the patently ridiculous stuff, and still enjoy a well-crafted tale. ...more
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD -- As I recall, I came to The Shining relatively late in my ravenous consumption of all things King through the late '80s and '90MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD -- As I recall, I came to The Shining relatively late in my ravenous consumption of all things King through the late '80s and '90s. By the time I read it, I had already seen the Kubrick film, and was reminded of the reason I so rarely see a film before I read the book -- I was "infected" by Kubrik'sversion and, since it was mostly pre-internet, I hadn't read about King's dissatisfaction with the film. I have vague memories of watching the miniseries with the guy from Wings and thinking that it wasn't as solid an adaptation as The Stand or IT had been. When my son brought Dr. Sleep and The Shining home form the library, I read over the first couple of chapters of The Shining and immediately remembered how Jack Torrance's inner demons as he fought alcoholism were as terrifying as the ghostly residents of the Overlook Hotel. I knew I'd never get to the sequel if I tried to finish, so I trusted that I remembered enough to start Dr. Sleep The Prologue of Dr. Sleep immediately drowns the reader in the very real-world horrors as it follows sweet, brave little Danny Torrance down his father's alcoholic path. King's description of Danny's bottoming out is realistic and heartbreaking, and introduces its own brand of terror before he ever addresses the supernatural element of the problem. He dedicates the first 60+pages to Danny before ever introducing the creepy antagonists of the True Knot or his preeteen heroine, Abra. Once he gets to them, his picture of the psychic, Winnebego-riding vampires of the True Knot is as good or better than any of King's human/supernatural hybrids of the past. His description of their evil is as vulgar and intense as it needs to be to establish the danger to the Abra and Danny's role as her protector. King strikes a pretty superb balance in including enough of the backstory of The Shining without bogging down the current work, and I didn't feel cheated or as though I needed to go back and re-read the former even though it has proably been a solid 20 years since I finished it. Neither did I experience much in the way of a "get on with it" reaction. If I had to complain, I would say there's a little too much coincidence pulled in toward the end of the novel as he builds connections between his main characters that don't, I think, add anything of real necessity. King himself may have realized this, as he writes several references as to how unbelievable it all is. Anothe aspect that I really appreciated was the many teacher/student, mentor/mentee, intergenerational wisdom sharing relationships in the books. having experienced some of these, I think King realistically captures the "The student has become the master/ Pay it forward" vibe without making it a trope. At its core, Dr. Sleep has elements of a love letter to the recovery process. King has explored this before, but God bless him for providing a solid look at the AA program. If the climax comes together a little too quickly without ever letting the conflict develop to a point where we really feel that the protagonists might not come out of it OK, it's a minor blip in an otherwise solid conclusion (there could be more I suppose) for characters that King admits in his post- book note to COnstant Reader were left without resolution. ...more
**Mild Spoilers**I am literally a diswasher-filling away from having read the last page of Lee's new-old entry into the literary canon, in a house tha**Mild Spoilers**I am literally a diswasher-filling away from having read the last page of Lee's new-old entry into the literary canon, in a house that is uncharacteristically empty, and thought it might be a good time to capture some initial reaction.
I'll admit to some trepidation about the situation surrounding its publishing, especially after reading the few early reviews that I sampled. I feared that Lee was simply a victim of her publishers, or that, like many posthumously published works of important writers, I would simply see an unpolished draft.
I think, however, that the publishing of Watchman now is actually, perhaps, the most timely decision that could have been made. Other reviewers have already tried to plant themselves as the definitive opinion givers on "What does racist Atticus mean to America", but I think that those who focus on that question will miss the power of this work.
I have little doubt that many, many, lesson plans this year will focus on contrasting the picture of Atticus Finch that Lee paints in Mockingbird with the already oft-quoted scenes of Atticus at a Citizen's Committee meeting, or his less-tha-flattering descriptions of the "Negro" community that you have probably already read if you've read anything about the book. But those who see Watchman through a race-first lens will make the same mistake that those who choose that lens for Mockingbird. There is no doubt that race is integral to both, and few leave Mockingbird without chilling reactions to the unjustice visited on Tom Robinson. But Tom's case, powerful though it is both to the novel and as social commentary, is a single example of the larger theme in TKAM, which is the importance of understanding things from the other person's point of view. This is the lesson that Atticus trots in front of his children, in both word and example, throughout the novel, from Scout's first day of school until the very last page.
The racial issues in GSAW can likewise cloud the lesson that I think Scout has for us as the 21st Century struggles through its tumultuous teens. We are a nation of people who value disagreement, and we invest great time and verbiage into showing, often as shrilly as possible, through memes, "likes" and sharing innumerable links to those who agree with us, that those with whom we disagree are clearly stupid, backwards, and evil, worthy only of disdain and contempt for daring to espouse a view different than the one we hold. As Watchman draws to its close, the question is not whether Scout or Atticus is right in his or her respective views, but whether, despite the differences, they can continue to love one another. The sage who puts them on the right path is Uncle Jack Finch who wisely tells Scout (and all of us) ". . .the time your friends need you is when they're wrong, Jean Louise. They don't need you when they're right--". That a book written (and never published) more than a half-century ago can speak this clearly to our social-meida-driven society today is impressive.
I'll never get a chance to talk to "Nell" to ask her whether my interpretation of her work or her decision to finally publish it is right, but I think there are some bones upon which I can craft the clay of learning when I go into my 21st year of teaching the first novel later this year. And maybe, just maybe, I can help a generation of learners to find truth in Lee's second publication.
PS -- I'll admit to being bamboozled throughout the novel of how inthe world Lee and an editor found TKAM in this draft of GSAW. But by the very end, I think I got at least a little of it. By switching the narrator to a 6- to 10-year-old Scout, the larger-than-life, almost-too-perfect Atticus makes perfect sense. Once you decide that the novel will be told with THAT Atticus at the center, it becomes easier to see how to use the Tom Robinson case to put a 1960s, civil-rights spin on a story set in 1935. It's still an impressive feat of transformation, but I found at least enough logic in it to satisfy my need that the works have some connection.
Thanks for slogging through. I'd be interested in hearing from others whether you think I'm onto anything with this as you finish it....more
**spoiler alert** **Mild Spoilers** Perhaps more detail later, but for now, a pretty impressive YA book. For me, it clearly places both pro-life and p**spoiler alert** **Mild Spoilers** Perhaps more detail later, but for now, a pretty impressive YA book. For me, it clearly places both pro-life and pro-choice views under scrutiny as well as the danger of half-measures as solutions. The young characters are compelling, the world that Shusterman creates is compelling, and NEVER does political preachiness impose itself on the narrative. In fact, even in the most political speech of the novel, Shusterman juxtaposes these statements: "We have a right to our lives" and "We have a right to choose what happens to our bodies". His certainly deliberate choice of pro-life/pro-choice catchphrases clearly highlights his intention of including both sides of the argument. That being said, I have a hard time understanding how someone could read this novel, sympathize with the main characters, and still staunchly take a pro-choice stance. (Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's a way, but I don't see it)The rooting interest clearly on the side of the Unwinds and I can't see what happens to them as anything but unjust. I'm also impressed with the ability to take a broad view of the personal impacts of the "Unwind" decision as Shusterman avoids the temptation to polarize by making a stark good/bad distinction. Post-unwind regret, Medical benefits to use of human products of unwinding, problems of dealing with unwanted children in a world, without abortion -- even profit motives and personal impacts of being employed within the unwind industry -- are all addressed in this book. I'm a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, but reading that book, you rarely lose sight of the "This is a date rape novel". Unwind lets you immerse yourself in the dystopian-future-fought-by-kids narrative without either shying away from or making a distraction of the life issues it addresses. Really a top-notch social issues read, not just for YA, but for anyone....more
A nice princess story where humility and hard work are rewarded mare than the ability to sing to animals. A pretty parable about the hard work necessaA nice princess story where humility and hard work are rewarded mare than the ability to sing to animals. A pretty parable about the hard work necessary to effect meaningful change. Glad my daughter likes this one, as it's easier to re-read than most of the Disney easy readers. Beautifully illustrated, and the sisters who serve as counterpoints aren't horribly vilified for being a little too vain and self-important. ...more
Started this to preview it for my son, but ended up really enjoying it. For most of the novel, it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect about a storStarted this to preview it for my son, but ended up really enjoying it. For most of the novel, it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect about a story about a very good guy torn between a mission that requires him to keep a low profile and a desire to help those he sees around him. There are no real surprises in the character of Kenobi himself. There is some small insights into his feelings about Anakin that I would have liked to see more fully developed, but, for the most pArt, the story operates independently of the films. There are some well-placed allusions, however, to events in Episodes 1-3, and you find the long-term effects of Anakin's return to his home world.
The new characters are pretty well-developed, and the author does an excellent job of filling out the details of life in a small moisture-farming community. There are some large societal issues involving the nature of threats and the ways we respond (and the true costs to us) when we try to protect ourselves from outsiders. For the most part, the author avoids the trap of making those outsiders (the Tuskens) TOO sympathetic, revealing them to treads in shades of gray without totally demonic ing humans who wish to protect what they have.
Particularly well-done is the revelation of who the villain really is, and, while astute readers will probably see it coming from a couple of chapters out, for teen/pre-teen readers, the twist will be impact full. (Not Luke-I-am-your-father impactful,but still, pretty good). One of the best parts of the twist is a masterful handling of the relationship between farmers and banking when harvests and loans interact. Once the bad guy is revealed, he goes all-the-way bad, and I would have liked to have seen a little more acknowledgement of how making bad decisions for appearances' sake can lead to one's downfall without maybe making them evil. That said, the justice for the villain at the end is both surprising and appropriate. The "good guys" side of the story for the non-continuing characters is a little pat in its resolution, but not overly so.
As a novel for young teens, the author is able to address relationships and violence without making either overly explicit. Enough of both to make it realistic, but nothing prudish parents like me need to worry about shielding their kids from....more
If you think that the Fancy Nancy books are ONLY about girly stuff like hair and makeup, you're wrong. DOn't get me wrong, that stuff is in there, butIf you think that the Fancy Nancy books are ONLY about girly stuff like hair and makeup, you're wrong. DOn't get me wrong, that stuff is in there, but it's a great series for introducing and expanding young readers' vocabulary and Nancy's trials and triumphs in elementary school are engaging for both genders.
The 'Extraordinaire' series is good for introducing some real-world learning about subject matter with day-to-day trials of being an elementary school kid. This one does a good job of introducing basic poetic forms, and really showing some of the variety in what "counts" as poetry in the mondern world. It also has a few examples of poems that younger kids might either be familiar with or like.
You can take the four stars as a general rating for the series as a whole, as I probably won't get around to posting reviews for ALL of the Fancy Nancy books we've read....more
Yawn. . .One of the rare Children's books where the movie is VASTLY superior to the book for entertainment value. Neither the penguins nor the PoppersYawn. . .One of the rare Children's books where the movie is VASTLY superior to the book for entertainment value. Neither the penguins nor the Poppers have any significant personality. Made Stuart Little seem fast-paced. 5yo-Daughter liked it, thus the "OK" rating. Otherwise it would be less....more
**spoiler alert** Top notch story, both from plot and character-development. As is often the case with penultimate books in series, I think there was **spoiler alert** Top notch story, both from plot and character-development. As is often the case with penultimate books in series, I think there was a little more emphasis on developing character for the final installment than really moving the story forward. My son had an excellent point about the series as a whole, though. It's getting harder to suspend the disbelief that every one of the main characters comes through every challenge more or less unscathed. I hate it when authors kill off characters just because they can (Am I glancing your way, G.R.R. Martin? Perhaps.) Stephen King has a great chapter in On Writing where he describes the necessity of killing off a couple of his favorite characters in the name of streamlining the overall narrative.
That being said, I won't hold it against Riordan if he heads for the full happily-ever-after treatment. I just don't want the final installment to be as simple as each hero having a task to complete/monster to overcome and then a complicated tie in with everyone at the end that doesn't quite get pulled off. I should also probably point out that I was surprised and impressed with the way in which Riordan introduced and handled Nico's homosexual tendencies without making it completely political or used as a grab at creating controversey that leads to book sales. I think he captures beautifully the confusion of both Nico and his friends as those who know and those who don't struggle with helping him feel ok with himself and just wonder what's going on. It all seems very real, and, like most of Riordan's YA work, captures the voice and tone of middle/high schoolers to do so....more
Looking back at my updates, I'd originally bumped my review to 'liked it, but I can't honestly go much higher than "It was ok." To give Brown credit, Looking back at my updates, I'd originally bumped my review to 'liked it, but I can't honestly go much higher than "It was ok." To give Brown credit, I actually tore through the last 75 - 100 pages or so with some interest, especially since the complexity of the interlinked betrayals and wondering who to trust was such a stark contrast to the first 300+ pages of flashbacks filling in missing time when we already knew about current timeline events. I felt a little cheated by the "duplicate" experiences of Sienna and Ferris with the biologist guy. I don't see how both experiences could have happened and din't care enough to go back and re-read to see if it were a clever plot device or an outright cheat.
I feel, too, like Brown finally got to two smart women (yes, I intentionally used all three forms of "to" correctly in the the same clause) who knew a lot more about what was going on than Langdon himself, which was a nice change. I'm not sure that this completely excuses all the smug, Langdon-y exchanges early on, and I felt like I could feel the physical resistance Brown had to employ to keep Langdon and Sienna out of bed together at the end. Still way too much of Langdon explaining himself to the simple ladies, and there were too many instances of writing like "She knew that it was probably just the adrenaline, but she found herself strangely attracted to the American professor".
For better or worse, the stories are better when Brown is manipulating history to make the Church look bad. I'm not sure he was as successful in promulgating transhumanist population explosion fears as he was in stirring up anti-Catholic sentiment, but I didn't hear about him going on the interview circuit talking about the "truth" in his fiction about overpopulation the way he did with Angels and Demons and Da Vinci.
Even though it can slow down the narrative at times, I really like the way he's able to integrate knowledge about art, literature, and architecture in what is ultimately a passable story....more
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