The Handmaid's Tale and Other Reading Goals

    I am currently reading The Handmaid's Tale.  I choose this book initially because my mother and sister and law read it and had AMAZING things to say about it.   They felt I would like it because I typically enjoy reading novels that fit within the "dystopian" genre, especially if the themes and topics in the book are things that are relevant today.

I REALLY enjoy the way this book is written.  The author really paints a picture with very subtle strokes.  For example, the main character describes her room in a way that lets her know that most of the women who had been in her position before have attempted to kill themself.  The author never states this, but we can tell from reading the context clues. For example, it talks about all the picture frames having the glass removed and suggests that something had been done with shards of the broken glass.  They also talk about the windows being bolted shut because the bedroom is at a height that would be fatal to fall from, and all the furniture being too light to attempt to break it.  The light fixture is also described in detail, and the narrator talks about it appearing like it had once been a chandelier, but that anything had been removed that one could "Throw a rope over." Again, they don't tell us that suicide is an issue, but the reader is free to read between the lines and figure this out.

There really isn't a lot I don't like about this novel. Truly, one of the things might be some of the content being a little graphic in its treatment towards women.  While I understand that this is largely the point, and that it was written as a dark satire, I feel like it makes me a little uncomfortable, and it can make it difficult for me to want to read it at times.  Despite my discomfort, I feel that content is necessary for the book to have its desired impact.

I know that I haven't been the best at reading it--I've had this book by my bed for almost a year now, and I keep getting distracted by other things I want to read.  I am going to have this book read by the end of fall break.  In order to hold myself accountable, I'm telling my English classes, so I know I will do it.

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FEBRUARY post 1

Who is the main character in your book?  What is this character like?  Tell the character’s name, age, appearance, friends, personality, and problems…

My book, Lost Stars, by Claudia Gray, has two characters who spotlight as central protagonists. Thane Kyrell, and Ciena Ree are two young people from Jelucan, a planet on the Outer Rim. They come from two different "sides of the tracks" so to speak. Thane is from a part of the colony that is more established; Thane's family has a ship that he use can practice flying-Ciena is from a poorer part, and is lucky enough to have Thane to co-pilot with. The book follows them from a very young age (around 7) until they are adults and tracks their lives as they navigate through the ever changing space-scape that is the galactic empire. Ciena's family is fiercely loyal; once you make a stand for something there is no backing down. Thane, on the other hand, is more of an idealistic individual, while balancing a healthy cynicism.

9/1 IR Post 2

1. Are the events in your book realistic or unrealistic?  Could they really happen, are they fantasy, or a mix of both?  Explain using specific examples from the book.

Last night I finished the book, The Winner's Crime. It is the second book in a trilogy. The book is fiction; I find myself commonly drawn to works of fiction. My book took place in a fictional world, where there is currently political unrest between the countries of Valoria, Herran, and "The East." Since these places aren't real, it obviously couldn't happen per se, but the things that happen are fairly realistic. I feel like similar things could have happened in the past. For example, Valoria is very similar to the Romans, particularly within the realm of their obsession with conquest. Much like the Valorians, the people captured by the Roman armies would become their slaves. The author clearly takes certain cultural influences from history-"the east" seems reminiscent of African grasslands in many ways.

The Valorians are also very similar to some Asian cultures-for example, their culture embraces the idea of the "honor suicide" which seems to fall along the same vein of the Japanese practice of seppuku. So while the setting of my book is one of fiction, it is of a culture that could have, in fact, developed if given the right circumstances.

Independent Reading Post 5

Do you have any unanswered questions about the story? Explain. 

"Life is an unanswered question, but let's still believe in the dignity and importance of the question." -Tenesee Williams

Much like life, the book I am presently reading, A Clash of Kings, currently has many questions that remain unanswered. I think that is the key thing driving me to read this book with such gusto-I MUST KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON! For starters, I really want to know what has happened to Benjen Stark, the uncle of our main characters. At the start of the previous book, he went on an expedition north of "The Wall" to investigate some strange things going on. However, NO ONE knows what has happened to him.

I also want to know who Jon Snow's mother is. Jon's Father, the Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark, promised to tell him about the mother he never met; however, he died before he got the opportunity to reveal that to Jon. I have a theory that Jon isn't actually Ned's son at all. It would explain a lot, after all. I can only hope that my questions will be answered. While I'm waiting I'm sure that I will be able to enjoy the ride.