Hey Everyone!
I’m currently watching Criminal Minds.
Alright everyone, here is part two of my book commentary on The Surrendered Wife by Laura Doyle. :D
There is a section titled “Responding to His Crazy Ideas”. Doyle’s thoughts are that you should reply “Whatever you think” no matter what you hear your husband saying. I don’t know how I feel about this. I agree with it to some extent, but there are times when opinions will be asked, or your input will be needed. I may be submissive, but I have my own thoughts and I like them to be valued. I am not saying I am shooting down ideas, and I am definitely not suppressing my opinions or thoughts when I have them. There needs to be discussion in certain areas. However, once my opinion is given, the decision is left to him. That’s how I think it needs to be. At least, that’s what I think…
On page 59 the author talks about conversations that she had with her husband before she adapted the “surrendered wife” method. Before she even picks apart what she said wrong, and what she could have said better, I already picked things out. I think that is the major reason why I say that the novel is for women looking to relinquish control rather than women who feel that this is just right. To me, what Doyle instructs, seem like the proper way to do things. I think reading the book is more for the women trying to give up power to help their relationships. At least, that’s what I think…
Hmmm… So… I have been struggling with myself for a little bit to go a bit further into my life with all of you blog readers. I have been fairly “normal” on my blog so far. I could be your best friend, your sister, or the girl next door, but delving into my opinions the past couple days makes it a struggle to keep some aspects of my life out of here. I’m still debating… Twin tells me to keep certain things off of here, but I have read some friends’ blogs. I can think of one person in particular who had two blogs, one for bedroom activities and that type of things then another blog for all things else. He finally got sick of the segregation and combined the two and said “damns to hell”. I’ve been thinking of doing the same. But I don’t know yet… I think that by reading some of the things I have written, you can tell what my preferences in a relationship are, but maybe not… Hmmm…
Alright, I have skimmed through the rest of the book and just am not completely impressed. 99% of the subject matter that is gone over is for someone looking to change their habits, I already have these habits. So, I skimmed. :) I thought it was a decent book, but not for submissive women already, but women looking to improve intimacy and life within their relationships. Like I said previously, this is something you have to do willingly not something you should be forced into, you will never be happy if this is not your CHOICE. At least, that’s what I think…
: )
Soul
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
At least, that's what I think
Hi Everyone!
I'm currently listening to If Today was your Last Day by Nickelback.
Alright everyone, I figure I might as well talk about this marvelous book I'm reading. It's called The Surrendered Wife by Laura Doyle. I am going to go through it while blogging and tell you what I think. I know that my opinions are not those of others, and I am fine with that. But they are my opinions, so if you don't agree, well, we can agree to disagree.
So, I am only on page 21 so far, but I think it is intriguing so far. One of the most important things that I think the author stresses is that this is a conscious CHOICE. No woman (IMHO) should live this way against her will, she would never be happy. But that being said, I think that the women who do choose this lifestyle, they can find more happiness than they thought possible.
There is the idea presented in the book that you cannot have intimacy without vulnerability. I like that idea. I know that I have been vulnerable with Sky recently. I can count on one hand the times that I have cried in front of previous exes. And only one of those times was because I was hurt emotionally. ONLY ONCE. No wonder I never felt connected to them. I have cried a bit with Sky, not because he has hurt me, but because our situation brings up a lot of emotions. Things that I would usually be able to deal with right in the moment with someone I can’t because of the distance. So we have talked through the problems and honestly, I can say that I feel closer to him than anyone before him. Being with him feels right. Also, I think that opening myself up like that, crying and showing him a part of me that I am scared to usually show someone I am with, has made me more vulnerable and in turn, have a deeper intimacy. At least, that is what I think…
There is a line in the book that says that the wife is not responsible for all the problems. “Your husband has plenty of areas he could improve too, but that’s nothing [the wife] can control” (25). However, “That’s nothing [the wife] can control” and “[the wife] can only control [herself]”. I completely agree with this. Taking all of the responsibility for things that go wrong in a relationship is insane. There are certain things that will go wrong, some the wife’s fault, some the husband’s fault, but the only thing that we can do is control ourselves. Recognizing this and accepting it, is key to letting the problems go away easier. At least, that is what I think…
I think one of the most important passages in the book (that I have read so far) is when not to surrender. There is a difference from a powerful, in control husband to an abusive husband. In an abusive relationship, GET OUT. It is very important to read over this list and know when not to surrender. This is not an “At least, that is what I think…”, this is what I KNOW.
Alright, but, there are things in the book that I don’t agree with, on page 35 it outlines a scenario about a scene in a car where a husband misses a turn. The book says, “he keeps going in the wrong direction you will go past the state line and still not correct what he’s doing”. To me, that seems crazy. If we are going someplace, why would I not say, “Hunny, you missed the turn”? I am not going to be rude about it, I definitely would not say, “You missed the exit! Do you not know how to read a road sign???”. There are proper and improper ways to say things, and to me, ending up in Timbuktu is not a thing I want (and nor does the person I am with). At least, that’s what I think…
It is interesting because Doyle relates everything to trust. If a wife tells her husband that he is taking an inefficient way to work it is because she does not trust him to find the best way himself. I am not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I’m sure that once he had found his way, he would find the one that is best for him, for whatever reason. I still think I have the same view as before that it is largely in how you say something, not what you say. I think that the constant nagging would be demeaning and not proper, but in some cases, I think helpful suggestions could be more deemed as, well, helpful than nagging. But I think the amount of time that the “helpful hints” are given, once a day versus once a month, is also important to take into consideration. At least, that’s what I think…
I think that a lot of this book is for assertive women looking to relinquish their control and improve their marriage/relationship. It talks about how there the women should have a “no control” date. That is my ideal, so I am not struggling against it. However, I think the book is interesting so far. I am looking forward to reading the rest. I will be giving my opinion little by little each day until I am finished.
<3
Soul
I'm currently listening to If Today was your Last Day by Nickelback.
Alright everyone, I figure I might as well talk about this marvelous book I'm reading. It's called The Surrendered Wife by Laura Doyle. I am going to go through it while blogging and tell you what I think. I know that my opinions are not those of others, and I am fine with that. But they are my opinions, so if you don't agree, well, we can agree to disagree.
So, I am only on page 21 so far, but I think it is intriguing so far. One of the most important things that I think the author stresses is that this is a conscious CHOICE. No woman (IMHO) should live this way against her will, she would never be happy. But that being said, I think that the women who do choose this lifestyle, they can find more happiness than they thought possible.
There is the idea presented in the book that you cannot have intimacy without vulnerability. I like that idea. I know that I have been vulnerable with Sky recently. I can count on one hand the times that I have cried in front of previous exes. And only one of those times was because I was hurt emotionally. ONLY ONCE. No wonder I never felt connected to them. I have cried a bit with Sky, not because he has hurt me, but because our situation brings up a lot of emotions. Things that I would usually be able to deal with right in the moment with someone I can’t because of the distance. So we have talked through the problems and honestly, I can say that I feel closer to him than anyone before him. Being with him feels right. Also, I think that opening myself up like that, crying and showing him a part of me that I am scared to usually show someone I am with, has made me more vulnerable and in turn, have a deeper intimacy. At least, that is what I think…
There is a line in the book that says that the wife is not responsible for all the problems. “Your husband has plenty of areas he could improve too, but that’s nothing [the wife] can control” (25). However, “That’s nothing [the wife] can control” and “[the wife] can only control [herself]”. I completely agree with this. Taking all of the responsibility for things that go wrong in a relationship is insane. There are certain things that will go wrong, some the wife’s fault, some the husband’s fault, but the only thing that we can do is control ourselves. Recognizing this and accepting it, is key to letting the problems go away easier. At least, that is what I think…
I think one of the most important passages in the book (that I have read so far) is when not to surrender. There is a difference from a powerful, in control husband to an abusive husband. In an abusive relationship, GET OUT. It is very important to read over this list and know when not to surrender. This is not an “At least, that is what I think…”, this is what I KNOW.
Alright, but, there are things in the book that I don’t agree with, on page 35 it outlines a scenario about a scene in a car where a husband misses a turn. The book says, “he keeps going in the wrong direction you will go past the state line and still not correct what he’s doing”. To me, that seems crazy. If we are going someplace, why would I not say, “Hunny, you missed the turn”? I am not going to be rude about it, I definitely would not say, “You missed the exit! Do you not know how to read a road sign???”. There are proper and improper ways to say things, and to me, ending up in Timbuktu is not a thing I want (and nor does the person I am with). At least, that’s what I think…
It is interesting because Doyle relates everything to trust. If a wife tells her husband that he is taking an inefficient way to work it is because she does not trust him to find the best way himself. I am not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I’m sure that once he had found his way, he would find the one that is best for him, for whatever reason. I still think I have the same view as before that it is largely in how you say something, not what you say. I think that the constant nagging would be demeaning and not proper, but in some cases, I think helpful suggestions could be more deemed as, well, helpful than nagging. But I think the amount of time that the “helpful hints” are given, once a day versus once a month, is also important to take into consideration. At least, that’s what I think…
I think that a lot of this book is for assertive women looking to relinquish their control and improve their marriage/relationship. It talks about how there the women should have a “no control” date. That is my ideal, so I am not struggling against it. However, I think the book is interesting so far. I am looking forward to reading the rest. I will be giving my opinion little by little each day until I am finished.
<3
Soul
Friday, November 7, 2008
MY 100TH POST!!!
Hi Everyone!!!
I’m currently listening to New Favorite by Debra Arlyn and Every Mile a Memory by Dierks Bentley.
1. I’ve seen the Statue of Liberty.
2. Metrodad inspired me to blog.
3. I change my computer background often.
4. I constantly lose my flash drives.
5. If I could be any celebrity for a day it would be Victoria Beckham.
6. I like Britney Spears’ music.
7. I love thinking about my future, it excites me.
8. I hate the Times New Roman font.
9. I haven’t read the twilight series and really don’t plan on it.
10. I’ve never broken a bone.
11. Stone is the first boy who is really athletic that I have ever had a crush on.
12. I like it when my nails are painted but I rarely do it.
13. The Green Mile is my all time favorite movie.
14. When I am shopping with my little cousin I like to pretend he is my son to see people’s reactions.
15. My favorite candy is a tie between Almond Joys and Reese’s peanut butter cups.
16. The best number is 27.
17. Completely yellow socks creep me out.
18. I can’t drink plain coffee.
19. My favorite pair of shoes is my nike flip flops.
20. I honestly don’t think I could survive without my IPOD
21. One of my biggest accomplishments this year has been creating my own grades program.
22. My favorite color is midnight blue
23. I used to love Spongebob and my aunt doesn't understand that I don't anymore, so I still get Spongebob stuff at birthday/Xmas time.
24. I always want to live in the town I live in right now.
25. I am pretty much always cold.
26. I love budgeting.
27. I dislike onions.
28. I also dislike tomatoes.
29. Apparently I say “salsa” weirdly.
30. I have never been to a concert.
31. I don’t like caramel usually.
32. I love my mom’s sloppy joe’s and my grandma’s homemade tacos.
33. In my opinion, I swear too much. Although I do it a lot less than many people. However when I do swear, I do it properly.
34. I drink a lot of water. It’s quite a problem actually.
35. I know in my mind that sleep is just a waste of time because I could be doing so many other useful things but I love sleeping. I usually would rather be sleeping than doing what I’m doing.
36. My senior research paper will be the first research paper I write where I have actually read the book.
37. I am so scared of getting hurt.
38. I have such great creative fun ideas, but I never have the time to do them.
39. I have never been more inspired to teach than when I am around River.
40. I love doing PowerPoint presentations.
41. I love blankets. I am constantly using them. I even have one in my car…
42. I am always questioning myself and every little move I make.
43. I have such a great desire to teach it sometimes surprises me.
44. I am not counting down the days until I end high school but I am counting down the days until I never have to do physical education again.
45. I am so excited for my first home.
46. The only things I spend money on are gas and food.
47. I still miss my old personal trainer.
48. The song “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent reminds me of Flash.
49.I like wearing dresses, but I don't have too many of them. :(
50. I’m quite driven when it comes to going farther than what is expected of me.
51. Ginger is really nice and I hope that my students like me as much as I like him.
52. I am planning on doing a unit on blogging when I am a teacher.
53. I like driving.
54. I hate gas prices.
55. I only keep a small percentage of my paycheck, the part I don’t keep goes into a savings account.
56. I recently watched The Truman Show for the first time and LOVED it.
57. My favorite book of all time is 1984.
58. I love Rohl Dahl.
59. I think that everyone is good at lying about certain things.
60. I really dislike my job now that Cabbage and Flash are gone, but Twin keeps me hanging on.
61. I like feeling like I am needed.
62. I like to work alone rather than in groups even if it means more work for me because I know that I will put forth a good product to receive an A.
63. I have only had one enjoyable year of math and that was because of the amazing teacher.
64. I plan on coming back to my high school next year religiously to visit with Noodles and River.
65. I am so surprised with the amount of admiration I feel for River, usually it takes me much longer to like a teacher as much as I like him.
66. I really like the name Molly, but I don’t know anyone personally with this name.
67. I lied about being sick one day for work; it didn’t gnaw at my conscious at all.
68. I greatly dislike people who talked about themselves in the third person seriously.
69. I would really like to take a course on Greek Mythology, it is so interesting.
70. I know I need a haircut but I have no time to get one.
71. I visit postsecret.com religiously.
72. I didn’t read all of To Kill a Mockingbird
73. I really want to load the Sims game on my computer but for some reason I cannot get it to work.
74. I have over 15 gigs of music on my IPOD
75. I love grocery shopping
76. I used to write beautiful poetry, I don’t know why I don’t anymore.
77. My favorite cartoon as a child was the Magic School Bus.
78. Mediterranean is one person who I feel like I can relate to on such a different level than all my other friends.
79. I love horror films.
80. Sometimes I don’t brush my hair, I just throw it up in a ponytail.
81. I like to braid my hair.
82. Not too many girls my age can pull off pigtails, but I can.
83. I love photoshop.
84. I adore gum.
85. I love texting. I will wake up at any hour of the day if I get a text.
86. When doing projects where you need to fasten a piece of paper to a poster board I prefer to use tape over glue.
87. I always download the itunes free music on Tuesday, who turns down FREE music???
88. I want to ride an ostrich.
89. I’m a very open person. I think I have to be to write a blog…
90. I love ellipses (…)
91. I am on the computer at least for a hour every day, usually more though.
92. I love sxephil on youtube.
93. I have conversations with my cat.
94. I enjoy playing games.
95. I’m okay with spending the majority of my nights at home
96. I LOVE taking pictures but I rarely print them out.
97. I have a lot of really nice jewelry but I usually don’t wear any jewelry besides rings.
98. I don’t have the heart to tell my mom I have grown out of the Ripley’s Believe it or Not books.
99. I am usually peppy all day.
100. I have been in a New York cab, scary experience.
Friday, August 22, 2008
My life =)
Hello Everyone!
I am currently listening to Shut up and Drive by Rihanna.
So, it has been a while since my last post. I am truly sorry about that. My mom has been home constantly though and it has been hard to get a moment away. It really has. But I am back! I promise!!! So, I have been reading a lot lately. I love it. I might make another blog page that talks about the books I read. Who knows though. I have so much on my plate with this blog, Llanview Musings, and real life, that I barely have time for anything else.
I babysat yesterday. It was so nice. I have been babysitting this one girl for a couple of years and this summer I haven't done it at all because of my being out of the area. So yesterday was really nice. I am really sad though because her mother asked if I could babysit Sunday or Monday and I couldn't either day. I'm going to see TDK for the third time on Sunday (with Twin and Flash) and on Monday I am going to go for an adrenaline ride with some family. I am really excited. I am working Saturday (with Twin and Flash) then don't have work until Wednesday.
I have been working with Flash a lot lately and I have come to really adore him. He is soo funny and just a great person to be around. I am happy to be back at work and around the people I have come to love.
Not much else is going on in my life. I start my final year of high school in FOUR DAYS! It makes me a bit crazy thinking about it. I literally have dreams about it. Not the days, but little things like finding a parking spot. Sort of crazy. Speaking of parking spots though, my mom is buying our second car Labor day weekend and I am SOOOOO EXCITED. That means I get the current car!!!!!! I get the car!!!! WOO HOO!!!
= D
Soul
I am currently listening to Shut up and Drive by Rihanna.
So, it has been a while since my last post. I am truly sorry about that. My mom has been home constantly though and it has been hard to get a moment away. It really has. But I am back! I promise!!! So, I have been reading a lot lately. I love it. I might make another blog page that talks about the books I read. Who knows though. I have so much on my plate with this blog, Llanview Musings, and real life, that I barely have time for anything else.
I babysat yesterday. It was so nice. I have been babysitting this one girl for a couple of years and this summer I haven't done it at all because of my being out of the area. So yesterday was really nice. I am really sad though because her mother asked if I could babysit Sunday or Monday and I couldn't either day. I'm going to see TDK for the third time on Sunday (with Twin and Flash) and on Monday I am going to go for an adrenaline ride with some family. I am really excited. I am working Saturday (with Twin and Flash) then don't have work until Wednesday.
I have been working with Flash a lot lately and I have come to really adore him. He is soo funny and just a great person to be around. I am happy to be back at work and around the people I have come to love.
Not much else is going on in my life. I start my final year of high school in FOUR DAYS! It makes me a bit crazy thinking about it. I literally have dreams about it. Not the days, but little things like finding a parking spot. Sort of crazy. Speaking of parking spots though, my mom is buying our second car Labor day weekend and I am SOOOOO EXCITED. That means I get the current car!!!!!! I get the car!!!! WOO HOO!!!
= D
Soul
Saturday, July 12, 2008
So Long Since Last Post
Hi Everyone!
I'm currently listening to She will be loved by Maroon 5.
I know some of you are on the edge of your seats to figure out what happened with Bucket. He turned out to be a major jerk. I am happy that nothing came of it. Now I look back with disgust as I think that I was even considering that doing things went through my mind.
Onto other topics though. My Summer has been going soooo amazingly well. I'm spending my time shopping and tanning and making lifelong memories. I've read sooo many books since July 1st. I'm just a bookworm. I don't mind admitting it. I've read 14 books in the first 12 days of July. =) My previous record for a Summer was 50 books. My total right now is 21, maybe I can beat my previous record. Sometimes I hate telling people my book number because it leads them to believe I have no life. Which is soooo not true. I just stay up to the wee hours of the morning devouring books.
I have a really good idea for a book. It is based off of a dream I had not too long ago. We'll see how it goes. My previous "hope to be book" starting has been getting cold in my hard drive. Which is a terrible thing, but what can say? I am really going to try to start it up again, but I don't know if it'll work.
Well, got to sleep, busy day tomorrow. I don't know when the next time I'm going to post is, but I'll be back to my regular postings come August. PROMISE!
=)
Soul
I'm currently listening to She will be loved by Maroon 5.
I know some of you are on the edge of your seats to figure out what happened with Bucket. He turned out to be a major jerk. I am happy that nothing came of it. Now I look back with disgust as I think that I was even considering that doing things went through my mind.
Onto other topics though. My Summer has been going soooo amazingly well. I'm spending my time shopping and tanning and making lifelong memories. I've read sooo many books since July 1st. I'm just a bookworm. I don't mind admitting it. I've read 14 books in the first 12 days of July. =) My previous record for a Summer was 50 books. My total right now is 21, maybe I can beat my previous record. Sometimes I hate telling people my book number because it leads them to believe I have no life. Which is soooo not true. I just stay up to the wee hours of the morning devouring books.
I have a really good idea for a book. It is based off of a dream I had not too long ago. We'll see how it goes. My previous "hope to be book" starting has been getting cold in my hard drive. Which is a terrible thing, but what can say? I am really going to try to start it up again, but I don't know if it'll work.
Well, got to sleep, busy day tomorrow. I don't know when the next time I'm going to post is, but I'll be back to my regular postings come August. PROMISE!
=)
Soul
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Reading
Hi Everyone!
I'm currently listening to These Walls by Teddy Geiger.
For my AP English IV class next year I have 20 books to choose 4 of which I will read. I have already eliminated the Dickens and Shakespeare which leaves me with 17 books to choose from. I am going to sort of talk through each one here. Give me your opinions too!
Bronte, Jane Eyre-
I can buy it for $4.95. It's 558 pages. "Jane Eyre is an extraordinary coming-of-age story featuring one of the most independent and strong-willed female protagonists in all of literature. Poor and plain, Jane Eyre begins life as a lonely orphan in the household of her hateful aunt. Despite the oppression sheendures at home, and the later torture of boarding school, Jane manages to emerge with her spirit and integrity unbroken. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she finds herself falling in love with her employer—the dark, impassioned Mr. Rochester. But an explosive secret tears apart their relationship, forcing Jane to face poverty and isolation once again." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Jane-Eyre/Charlotte-Bronte/e/9781593080075/?itm=1)
Sounds interesting enough. The price is enticing but the page length can be a bit foreboding.
Chopin, The Awakening-
I can buy it for $4.50. It's 190 pages. "An American classic of sexual expression that paved the way for the modern novel, The Awakening is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a startling reminder of how far women in this century have come. The story of a married woman who pursues love outside a stuffy, middle-class marriage, the novel portrays the mind of a woman seeking fulfillment of her essential nature." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Awakening/Kate-Chopin/e/9780380002450/?itm=1)
The price and length both attract me. However I don't know if the writing style is one that will captivate me. Anyone read this??? Opinions???
Conrad, Heart of Darkness-
I can buy it for 3.95. It is 102 pages. "Horror awaits Marlow, a seaman assigned by an ivory company to retrieve a cargo boat and one of its employees, Mr. Kurtz who is stranded in the heart of the Africa, deep in the Belgian Congo. Marlow's journey up the brooding dark river soon becomes a struggle to maintain his own sanity as he witnesses the brutalization of the natives by white traders and discovers the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz. Kurtz, once a genius and the company's most successful representative, has become a savage. His compound is decorated by a row of human heads mounted on spears. The demonic mastermind, liberated from the conventions of European culture, has traded his soul to become ruler of his own horrific dominion. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Heart-of-Darkness/Joseph-Conrad/e/9780979660733/?itm=2)
The first part of it sounds boring but the heads on stakes part is a bit intriguing. The price and length are once again very nice numbers. This might be a good possibility if someone tells me that this is an enjoyable read...
Dostoevski, Crime and Punishment-
I can buy it for $3.50. It has 480 pages. "The poverty-stricken Raskolnikov, a talented student, devises a theory about extraordinary men being above the law, since in their brilliance they think “new thoughts” and so contribute to society. He then sets out to prove his theory by murdering a vile, cynical old pawnbroker and her sister. The act brings Raskolnikov into contact with his own buried conscience and with two characters — the deeply religious Sonia, who has endured great suffering, and Porfiry, the intelligent and discerning official who is charged with investigating the murder — both of whom compel Raskolnikov to feel the split in his nature. Dostoevsky provides readers with a suspenseful, penetrating psychological analysis that goes beyond the crime — which in the course of the novel demands drastic punishment — to reveal something about the human condition: The more we intellectualize, the more imprisoned we become." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Crime-and-Punishment/Fyodor-Dostoevsky/e/9780486415871/?itm=3)
While this sounds like an amazingly good read, I don't think it will be able to hold my attention... Anyone care to dispute?
Ellison, Invisible Man-
I already have it thanks to Mediterranean. It is 608 pages. "The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Invisible-Man/Ralph-Ellison/e/9780679732761/?itm=4)
The fact that I already have it and it is annotated makes me want to read it... Mediterranean, what do you think?
Euripides, Medea-
I can get it for $4.99. It has pages 56. "Medea has been abandoned by her husband. Jason, for whom she has sacrificed so much, has left her and their two children for a younger woman. Strong-willed and fiercely intelligent, Medea turns her formidable energies to exacting the most horrifying revenge possible on those who have injured her. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Medea/Euripides/e/9781599869117/?itm=4#TOC)
Sounds very good. I think that this is on my list.
Faulkner, Sound and the Fury-
I can get it for 11.95. It has 448 pages. "The Sound and the Fury is made up of undifferentiated streams of consciousness that ultimately turn out to be the inner voices of a family's siblings. Its construction is so masterful that the last sentence refers the reader back to the first one, as any perfect work of art might do. Sound has the earmarks of a modern psychological study, although the book was published in 1929. It is a dramatic and harrowing tale of the Compson family's pathology—primarily in the form of incest and incestuous thoughts." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Sound-and-the-Fury/William-Faulkner/e/9780393964813/?itm=7)
Sounds really good, but I think I would rather just read it for my own pleasure and get it from the library than read it for school...
Gardner, Grendel-
I can buy it for $11.95. It has 192 pages. "The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic BEOWULF, tells his side of the story. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Grendel/John-Champlin-Gardner/e/9780679723110/?itm=4)
Ummm, I think I would need to read Beowolf... right???
Heller, Catch-22-
I can buy it for $16.00. It has 464 pages. "Arguably the best novel to come out of World War II, in which Heller strips away the veneer of martial glory to expose its insanity, and gives our language a new paradoxical phrase to describe mankind at the mercy of its own institutions." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Catch-22/Joseph-Heller/e/9780684833392/?itm=15)
I don't think this is my type of book...
James, Turn of the Screw-
I can buy it for 3.99. It has 160 pages. "Gripping ghost story by great novelist depicts the sinister transformation of 2 innocent children into flagrant liars and hypocrites. An elegantly told tale of unspoken horror and psychological terror." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Turn-of-the-Screw/Henry-James/e/9780812533415/?itm=1)
I have wanted to read this since it was featured in LOST, maybe this is my chance. It sounds good and is a reasonable price too!
Kesey, One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest-
I can buy it for $9.99. It has 336 pages. "unforgettable story of a mental ward and its inhabitants, especially the tyrannical Big Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the brawling, fun-loving new inmate who resolves to oppose her. We see the struggle through the eyes of Chief Bromden, the seemingly mute half-Indian patient who witnesses and understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them all imprisoned." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Flew-over-the-Cuckoos-Nest/Ken-Kesey/e/9780451163967/?itm=9)
Sounds interesting but I don't know if it one of those books that I will hate because I HAVE to read it so I should just put it off until I have some spare time...
McCullers, Ballad of the Sad Cafe-
I can buy it for $7.95. It has 160 pages. "A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the novella introduces readers to Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose café serves as the town's gathering place. Among other fine works, the collection also includes "Wunderkind," McCullers's first published story written when she was only seventeen about a musical prodigy who suddenly realizes she will not go on to become a great pianist." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Ballad-of-the-Sad-Cafe/Carson-McCullers/e/9780618565863/?itm=2)
One of the reviews said it was dreary and hard to get through at some places...
Momaday, House Made of Dawn-
I can buy it for $13.00. It has 208 pages. "tells the story of a young American Indian named Abel, home from a foreign war and caught between two worlds: one his father's, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons and the harsh beauty of the land; the other of industrial America, a goading him into a compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/House-Made-of-Dawn/N-Scott-Momaday/e/9780060931940/?itm=4)
I can pretty much tell you I'm not reading this...
Morisson, Beloved-
I can buy it for 13.95. It has 322 pages. "Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Beloved/Toni-Morrison/e/9781400033416/?itm=1)
No. I don't think so...
Salinger, Catcher in the Rye-
I can buy it for $6.99. It has 224 pages. "Salinger's classic coming-of-age story portrays one young man's funny and poignant experiences with life, love, and sex." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Catcher-in-the-Rye/J-D-Salinger/e/9780316769488/?itm=6)
I so badly have wanted to read this for a long time. I have heard great things. I definitely think this is on my list.
Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-
I can buy it for $13.95. It has 204 pages. "savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and 'check it out.' The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force" (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fear-and-Loathing-in-Las-Vegas/Hunter-S-Thompson/e/9780679785897/?itm=1)
mehh...
Williams, Streetcar Named Desire-
I can buy it for 7.50. It has 142 pages. "The play reveals to the very depths the character of Blanche du Bois, a woman whose life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, which lead her to reject—so far as possible—the realities of life with which she is faced and which she consistently ignores. The pressure brought to bear upon her by her sister, with whom she goes to live in New Orleans, intensified by the earthy and extremely "normal" young husband of the latter, leads to a revelation of her tragic self-delusion and, in the end, to madness." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Streetcar-Named-Desire/Tennessee-Williams/e/9780451167781/?itm=7)
I have no opinion...
= )
Soul
I'm currently listening to These Walls by Teddy Geiger.
For my AP English IV class next year I have 20 books to choose 4 of which I will read. I have already eliminated the Dickens and Shakespeare which leaves me with 17 books to choose from. I am going to sort of talk through each one here. Give me your opinions too!
Bronte, Jane Eyre-
I can buy it for $4.95. It's 558 pages. "Jane Eyre is an extraordinary coming-of-age story featuring one of the most independent and strong-willed female protagonists in all of literature. Poor and plain, Jane Eyre begins life as a lonely orphan in the household of her hateful aunt. Despite the oppression sheendures at home, and the later torture of boarding school, Jane manages to emerge with her spirit and integrity unbroken. She becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she finds herself falling in love with her employer—the dark, impassioned Mr. Rochester. But an explosive secret tears apart their relationship, forcing Jane to face poverty and isolation once again." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Jane-Eyre/Charlotte-Bronte/e/9781593080075/?itm=1)
Sounds interesting enough. The price is enticing but the page length can be a bit foreboding.
Chopin, The Awakening-
I can buy it for $4.50. It's 190 pages. "An American classic of sexual expression that paved the way for the modern novel, The Awakening is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a startling reminder of how far women in this century have come. The story of a married woman who pursues love outside a stuffy, middle-class marriage, the novel portrays the mind of a woman seeking fulfillment of her essential nature." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Awakening/Kate-Chopin/e/9780380002450/?itm=1)
The price and length both attract me. However I don't know if the writing style is one that will captivate me. Anyone read this??? Opinions???
Conrad, Heart of Darkness-
I can buy it for 3.95. It is 102 pages. "Horror awaits Marlow, a seaman assigned by an ivory company to retrieve a cargo boat and one of its employees, Mr. Kurtz who is stranded in the heart of the Africa, deep in the Belgian Congo. Marlow's journey up the brooding dark river soon becomes a struggle to maintain his own sanity as he witnesses the brutalization of the natives by white traders and discovers the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz. Kurtz, once a genius and the company's most successful representative, has become a savage. His compound is decorated by a row of human heads mounted on spears. The demonic mastermind, liberated from the conventions of European culture, has traded his soul to become ruler of his own horrific dominion. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Heart-of-Darkness/Joseph-Conrad/e/9780979660733/?itm=2)
The first part of it sounds boring but the heads on stakes part is a bit intriguing. The price and length are once again very nice numbers. This might be a good possibility if someone tells me that this is an enjoyable read...
Dostoevski, Crime and Punishment-
I can buy it for $3.50. It has 480 pages. "The poverty-stricken Raskolnikov, a talented student, devises a theory about extraordinary men being above the law, since in their brilliance they think “new thoughts” and so contribute to society. He then sets out to prove his theory by murdering a vile, cynical old pawnbroker and her sister. The act brings Raskolnikov into contact with his own buried conscience and with two characters — the deeply religious Sonia, who has endured great suffering, and Porfiry, the intelligent and discerning official who is charged with investigating the murder — both of whom compel Raskolnikov to feel the split in his nature. Dostoevsky provides readers with a suspenseful, penetrating psychological analysis that goes beyond the crime — which in the course of the novel demands drastic punishment — to reveal something about the human condition: The more we intellectualize, the more imprisoned we become." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Crime-and-Punishment/Fyodor-Dostoevsky/e/9780486415871/?itm=3)
While this sounds like an amazingly good read, I don't think it will be able to hold my attention... Anyone care to dispute?
Ellison, Invisible Man-
I already have it thanks to Mediterranean. It is 608 pages. "The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Invisible-Man/Ralph-Ellison/e/9780679732761/?itm=4)
The fact that I already have it and it is annotated makes me want to read it... Mediterranean, what do you think?
Euripides, Medea-
I can get it for $4.99. It has pages 56. "Medea has been abandoned by her husband. Jason, for whom she has sacrificed so much, has left her and their two children for a younger woman. Strong-willed and fiercely intelligent, Medea turns her formidable energies to exacting the most horrifying revenge possible on those who have injured her. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Medea/Euripides/e/9781599869117/?itm=4#TOC)
Sounds very good. I think that this is on my list.
Faulkner, Sound and the Fury-
I can get it for 11.95. It has 448 pages. "The Sound and the Fury is made up of undifferentiated streams of consciousness that ultimately turn out to be the inner voices of a family's siblings. Its construction is so masterful that the last sentence refers the reader back to the first one, as any perfect work of art might do. Sound has the earmarks of a modern psychological study, although the book was published in 1929. It is a dramatic and harrowing tale of the Compson family's pathology—primarily in the form of incest and incestuous thoughts." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Sound-and-the-Fury/William-Faulkner/e/9780393964813/?itm=7)
Sounds really good, but I think I would rather just read it for my own pleasure and get it from the library than read it for school...
Gardner, Grendel-
I can buy it for $11.95. It has 192 pages. "The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic BEOWULF, tells his side of the story. " (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Grendel/John-Champlin-Gardner/e/9780679723110/?itm=4)
Ummm, I think I would need to read Beowolf... right???
Heller, Catch-22-
I can buy it for $16.00. It has 464 pages. "Arguably the best novel to come out of World War II, in which Heller strips away the veneer of martial glory to expose its insanity, and gives our language a new paradoxical phrase to describe mankind at the mercy of its own institutions." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Catch-22/Joseph-Heller/e/9780684833392/?itm=15)
I don't think this is my type of book...
James, Turn of the Screw-
I can buy it for 3.99. It has 160 pages. "Gripping ghost story by great novelist depicts the sinister transformation of 2 innocent children into flagrant liars and hypocrites. An elegantly told tale of unspoken horror and psychological terror." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Turn-of-the-Screw/Henry-James/e/9780812533415/?itm=1)
I have wanted to read this since it was featured in LOST, maybe this is my chance. It sounds good and is a reasonable price too!
Kesey, One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest-
I can buy it for $9.99. It has 336 pages. "unforgettable story of a mental ward and its inhabitants, especially the tyrannical Big Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the brawling, fun-loving new inmate who resolves to oppose her. We see the struggle through the eyes of Chief Bromden, the seemingly mute half-Indian patient who witnesses and understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them all imprisoned." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Flew-over-the-Cuckoos-Nest/Ken-Kesey/e/9780451163967/?itm=9)
Sounds interesting but I don't know if it one of those books that I will hate because I HAVE to read it so I should just put it off until I have some spare time...
McCullers, Ballad of the Sad Cafe-
I can buy it for $7.95. It has 160 pages. "A haunting tale of a human triangle that culminates in an astonishing brawl, the novella introduces readers to Miss Amelia, a formidable southern woman whose café serves as the town's gathering place. Among other fine works, the collection also includes "Wunderkind," McCullers's first published story written when she was only seventeen about a musical prodigy who suddenly realizes she will not go on to become a great pianist." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Ballad-of-the-Sad-Cafe/Carson-McCullers/e/9780618565863/?itm=2)
One of the reviews said it was dreary and hard to get through at some places...
Momaday, House Made of Dawn-
I can buy it for $13.00. It has 208 pages. "tells the story of a young American Indian named Abel, home from a foreign war and caught between two worlds: one his father's, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons and the harsh beauty of the land; the other of industrial America, a goading him into a compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/House-Made-of-Dawn/N-Scott-Momaday/e/9780060931940/?itm=4)
I can pretty much tell you I'm not reading this...
Morisson, Beloved-
I can buy it for 13.95. It has 322 pages. "Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Beloved/Toni-Morrison/e/9781400033416/?itm=1)
No. I don't think so...
Salinger, Catcher in the Rye-
I can buy it for $6.99. It has 224 pages. "Salinger's classic coming-of-age story portrays one young man's funny and poignant experiences with life, love, and sex." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Catcher-in-the-Rye/J-D-Salinger/e/9780316769488/?itm=6)
I so badly have wanted to read this for a long time. I have heard great things. I definitely think this is on my list.
Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-
I can buy it for $13.95. It has 204 pages. "savagely comic account of what happened to this country in the 1960s. It is told through the writer's account of an assignment he undertook with his attorney to visit Las Vegas and 'check it out.' The book stands as the final word on the highs and lows of that decade, one of the defining works of our time, and a stylistic and journalistic tour de force" (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fear-and-Loathing-in-Las-Vegas/Hunter-S-Thompson/e/9780679785897/?itm=1)
mehh...
Williams, Streetcar Named Desire-
I can buy it for 7.50. It has 142 pages. "The play reveals to the very depths the character of Blanche du Bois, a woman whose life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, which lead her to reject—so far as possible—the realities of life with which she is faced and which she consistently ignores. The pressure brought to bear upon her by her sister, with whom she goes to live in New Orleans, intensified by the earthy and extremely "normal" young husband of the latter, leads to a revelation of her tragic self-delusion and, in the end, to madness." (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Streetcar-Named-Desire/Tennessee-Williams/e/9780451167781/?itm=7)
I have no opinion...
= )
Soul
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