Reading the Life of Pi was a wonderful treat. This enchanting story about young Piscine Patel’s search for self discovery is truly one of a kind. Through tiger taming to the basics of Islam, it would seem that author Yann Martel leaves no subject of youth discovering oneself untouched in his writing. This novel is written in such a way that you feel as though you’re flying through the pages, making the chapters both long and short, and managing to have one hundred of them. Martel also utilizes the power of having another story within his story, and thus giving the reader more enticement to continue.
This fantastical tale of a tiger and a boy living out at sea for about a year made so much sense to me. As I reader the stories of self discovery can be so repetitive, but with Martel’s main focus from the beginning being religion and animals, he is able to capture Pi’s life and thoughtful crisis of growing up. I am completely impressed with this inventive story, and how it really plays so well throughout. Never missing a beat, Martel begins the story with Piscine later in life, having graduated from college and majoring in zoology and religious studies. This spoke to me personally, having an interest myself in these areas. The beginning is a little slow at times, but has all the necessary parts in order to lead the reader to complete understanding when the book is over. This is definitely a novel I would read again, and I hope that others will take the time to read show more as well. show less
This fantastical tale of a tiger and a boy living out at sea for about a year made so much sense to me. As I reader the stories of self discovery can be so repetitive, but with Martel’s main focus from the beginning being religion and animals, he is able to capture Pi’s life and thoughtful crisis of growing up. I am completely impressed with this inventive story, and how it really plays so well throughout. Never missing a beat, Martel begins the story with Piscine later in life, having graduated from college and majoring in zoology and religious studies. This spoke to me personally, having an interest myself in these areas. The beginning is a little slow at times, but has all the necessary parts in order to lead the reader to complete understanding when the book is over. This is definitely a novel I would read again, and I hope that others will take the time to read show more as well. show less
Having the freedom of choice is something that people of this country rarely realize is a privilege. Ayn Rand’s descriptions of a futuristic society in which people have no choice in their lives truly puts this privilege of ours into perspective. In her novel Anthem, Rand gives readers a quick but thoughtful glance at life without this free choice.
Throughout the novel the reader follows the main characters journey, Equality 7-2521. Right off the bat the reader is thrown into a world in which we find that writing is illegal; being alone itself is breaking the law and the moral code of the world. Equality 7-2521 lives in a world in which not only is personal thought is forbidden, but the idea of the individual is unheard of. The terms ‘we’ and ‘they’ are all Equality 7-2521 know to describe himself and others. A general grouping of people in the “World State” is all they must think of, in one unit, one entity- the brotherhood.
In this distant future described, Rand shows the reader a place in which our world has gone from technological advancements to an entire regression in how the world is run; back to the most ancient of times. The world is run by great leaders of the “World State”, and otherwise unquestioned by those who follow its society. There is no daring dream of difference or discovery by any, as far as the reader can tell. That is everyone except Equality 7-2521. His unearthing of enjoyment and pleasure through science and experimenting is show more what becomes the powerful key to this rapid paced novel.
The differences between our world today and that of Rand’s world in the novel are dramatic. With her distant voice in this first person point of view tale, Rand’s model of a future dystopia is something that leaves the reader with goose bumps in the end. With the message of never forgetting to be the unique person that makes us all individuals in this world, and embracing the choice that one has to do so, it is one of the stories that may need to be read twice in order to understand its full picture. Quick but powerful, this novel truly strikes a chord in me to read more of Rand’s work. show less
Throughout the novel the reader follows the main characters journey, Equality 7-2521. Right off the bat the reader is thrown into a world in which we find that writing is illegal; being alone itself is breaking the law and the moral code of the world. Equality 7-2521 lives in a world in which not only is personal thought is forbidden, but the idea of the individual is unheard of. The terms ‘we’ and ‘they’ are all Equality 7-2521 know to describe himself and others. A general grouping of people in the “World State” is all they must think of, in one unit, one entity- the brotherhood.
In this distant future described, Rand shows the reader a place in which our world has gone from technological advancements to an entire regression in how the world is run; back to the most ancient of times. The world is run by great leaders of the “World State”, and otherwise unquestioned by those who follow its society. There is no daring dream of difference or discovery by any, as far as the reader can tell. That is everyone except Equality 7-2521. His unearthing of enjoyment and pleasure through science and experimenting is show more what becomes the powerful key to this rapid paced novel.
The differences between our world today and that of Rand’s world in the novel are dramatic. With her distant voice in this first person point of view tale, Rand’s model of a future dystopia is something that leaves the reader with goose bumps in the end. With the message of never forgetting to be the unique person that makes us all individuals in this world, and embracing the choice that one has to do so, it is one of the stories that may need to be read twice in order to understand its full picture. Quick but powerful, this novel truly strikes a chord in me to read more of Rand’s work. show less
My final free choice novel summer review- is here! Sadly of course. This summer I had the chance to read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This was a book that was both hilarious and hard for me to read at the same time. A memoir about growing up with an extremely dysfunctional family, Walls tells stories that made me tear with laughter and with total sadness.
Right away the reader is introduced to the parents of Jeanette, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, and I got the feeling they weren’t your average parents. Rex actually took his daughter out of the hospital when she was seriously burned in order to escape the bills. Their family is constantly on the run in this book, and as Jeannette and her three siblings get older, the less thrilling the adventures become, and the more reality sinks in for them. I found the stories that Walls tells about being a young child in this story completely unbelievable, but fun to read about. I can understand that because the book was a memoir, her memories are vaguer as a youngster. Getting caught in Jeannette’s life as a teenager in West Virginia however, made my stomach turn. The realities of having no food to live off; of not have reliable parents to watch after you, as well as the mere embarrassment suffered due to their pitiful residences.
Mr. and Mrs. Walls were obviously not the most practical of parents. They didn’t believe that either of them needed steady jobs, and Mrs. Walls was so sure that her art would one day be famous. In show more the meantime, their children were starving. Rex Walls on the other hand was an alcoholic, and it was due to many of his drinking habits that they lost their money. The families that these parents came from were each very different, but I would imagine that the thrill of a new lifestyle is what brought them together. I did not like at all hearing about how Jeanette’s younger brother was sexually abused by his grandmother, Rex’s mom, and that the parents did nothing about it when their children told them.
The book takes such a turn for the best when the children begin moving out of West Virginia and into New York, to start their own lives. Being forced to have jobs at the earliest age possible and also having to worry about where to hide their money from their father made these kids grow up fast. Too fast; and yet it was the only way for them to escape the starving poor lifestyle that they lived. They begin their journey around the country out West in California, and stay there for as long as they can. Rex Walls always found a reason to pick up and move, but looking back on the book now I realize it was definitely because of money issues.
This book is filled with hard things to hear, but is quite an inspiring tale. The fact that these children were able to grow up raising each other, and make a great successful living in the end is absolutely amazing. I quite enjoyed hearing both the humorous and the hard aspects of Jeanette Walls’ life, and find that it has helped me. I cannot imagine a family that doesn't constantly supports me every single day, and through reading this I feel that I was honestly able to appreciate them so much more. Just knowing that there are actually people in the world whose parents are could care less about their children makes me feel more than special. show less
Right away the reader is introduced to the parents of Jeanette, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, and I got the feeling they weren’t your average parents. Rex actually took his daughter out of the hospital when she was seriously burned in order to escape the bills. Their family is constantly on the run in this book, and as Jeannette and her three siblings get older, the less thrilling the adventures become, and the more reality sinks in for them. I found the stories that Walls tells about being a young child in this story completely unbelievable, but fun to read about. I can understand that because the book was a memoir, her memories are vaguer as a youngster. Getting caught in Jeannette’s life as a teenager in West Virginia however, made my stomach turn. The realities of having no food to live off; of not have reliable parents to watch after you, as well as the mere embarrassment suffered due to their pitiful residences.
Mr. and Mrs. Walls were obviously not the most practical of parents. They didn’t believe that either of them needed steady jobs, and Mrs. Walls was so sure that her art would one day be famous. In show more the meantime, their children were starving. Rex Walls on the other hand was an alcoholic, and it was due to many of his drinking habits that they lost their money. The families that these parents came from were each very different, but I would imagine that the thrill of a new lifestyle is what brought them together. I did not like at all hearing about how Jeanette’s younger brother was sexually abused by his grandmother, Rex’s mom, and that the parents did nothing about it when their children told them.
The book takes such a turn for the best when the children begin moving out of West Virginia and into New York, to start their own lives. Being forced to have jobs at the earliest age possible and also having to worry about where to hide their money from their father made these kids grow up fast. Too fast; and yet it was the only way for them to escape the starving poor lifestyle that they lived. They begin their journey around the country out West in California, and stay there for as long as they can. Rex Walls always found a reason to pick up and move, but looking back on the book now I realize it was definitely because of money issues.
This book is filled with hard things to hear, but is quite an inspiring tale. The fact that these children were able to grow up raising each other, and make a great successful living in the end is absolutely amazing. I quite enjoyed hearing both the humorous and the hard aspects of Jeanette Walls’ life, and find that it has helped me. I cannot imagine a family that doesn't constantly supports me every single day, and through reading this I feel that I was honestly able to appreciate them so much more. Just knowing that there are actually people in the world whose parents are could care less about their children makes me feel more than special. show less