My Little Literature Life

[exodus238]

okay so its now become obvious that people don't always comment on literature, so im just gonna start a blog of the literature in my life and see if anyone reads it or comments on it. However, I can't work out HOW to make a blog so thread it is! If you wanna ask questions, do so! I will answer almost anything (provided it's not nasty, disgusting or silly). So here goes...
so, I am a 17 year old (18 in september 2011) and I love literature! I love to read. So I started reading as a child, but I only read adventure books. I wasn't really into the whole literature stuff. And then, as I was entering my college years, I realised that it said a lot about what I had been through in the past two years. You see, you cut it short, I fell madly in love with a boy and he broke my heart. If you want anymore on this story, just ask and I may fill you in
So I was heart broken and perhaps a way of forgetting it was by getting stuck into a brilliant, yet challenging book. I started with Tess of the D'urbevilles as I was nearing the end of Year 11. Thus, I fell in love with Hardy. I then read the Road as a favourite English teacher of mine wouldn't stop talking about it. Perhaps that was a bad reason - I found it mediocre next to Tess. Dreary, depressing, boring. It took me a long time to read.
So then that summer between Year 11 and the first year of college, the summer of freedom - no work to do, friends, holidays and funfunfun! Or not. For me, it was the exact opposite. You see, Within two weeks of my nine week holiday, I had abdominal surgery and I was in hospital for 4-5 days. My Parents were there for me every step of the way, and so were my good friends Hannah and Molly (Hannah and I have considered each other 'sisters' since we met when we were 7).
I couldn't walk properly for four weeks. At the fifth week, I was beginning to stand up straight again, but I couldn't walk for 20 minutes without wanting to collapse. For the first three weeks I slept twice a day. At around 3pm, I grew so exhausted as if i'd been awake for 24 hours.
So this didn't help my mental situation, with the heartbreak and all...
But it developed my mind so much and moved me towards literature so much that I will never give it up!
I am now studying English Pre-U in my 6th form college. The Pre-U is a 2 year literature course which was created by Cambridge University and is above the normal literature exam. After 2 years, we take a huge exam... well anyways, what I would like to al about on this blog is how the books i has got me to read have influenced, changed, disgusted me and/or made an impact.
But I need to write an essay about Interesting Villains (focusing on Richard III) right now. So I will start another time x

[Dodo25]

Great that you've found something you're passionate about! By the way, you can start blogs once you have 50 posts here (I think), it might be more convenient to wait and get 50 posts first.

[Emil Miller]

An introductory post which highlights some interesting things about someone who at only 17 has already experienced quite a lot. I'm sure that good writing has been a great help in overcoming your problems and, although I haven't read it,Tess is obviously a good novel to start with: as evidenced by the admiration in which many people on this forum have for it. I'm not surprised that you didn't like The Road after reading Hardy but other people's recommendations are not always to be relied on. If you remain as a forum member, you will, however, find it useful in getting some idea which books are most suited to your requirements as a student, even though they may only supplement those you have to read as a part of your course.
Incidentally, your description of The Road is exactly how it has come across to me on reading other member's views of the novel, although I expect you will be given similar books to read throughout your course as it's part of the latest buzzword 'postmodernism' that is much loved by academics.
Good luck on the forum.

[tonywalt]

Good for you. Your resilience and strength is admired and you will really enjoy this forum.

Most of us do not give a back story here, so it's good to hear about someone.

Welcome!

[TheChilly]

okay so its now become obvious that people don't always comment on literature, so im just gonna start a blog of the literature in my life and see if anyone reads it or comments on it. However, I can't work out HOW to make a blog so thread it is! If you wanna ask questions, do so! I will answer almost anything (provided it's not nasty, disgusting or silly). So here goes...
so, I am a 17 year old (18 in september 2011) and I love literature! I love to read. So I started reading as a child, but I only read adventure books. I wasn't really into the whole literature stuff. And then, as I was entering my college years, I realised that it said a lot about what I had been through in the past two years. You see, you cut it short, I fell madly in love with a boy and he broke my heart. If you want anymore on this story, just ask and I may fill you in
So I was heart broken and perhaps a way of forgetting it was by getting stuck into a brilliant, yet challenging book. I started with Tess of the D'urbevilles as I was nearing the end of Year 11. Thus, I fell in love with Hardy. I then read the Road as a favourite English teacher of mine wouldn't stop talking about it. Perhaps that was a bad reason - I found it mediocre next to Tess. Dreary, depressing, boring. It took me a long time to read.
So then that summer between Year 11 and the first year of college, the summer of freedom - no work to do, friends, holidays and funfunfun! Or not. For me, it was the exact opposite. You see, Within two weeks of my nine week holiday, I had abdominal surgery and I was in hospital for 4-5 days. My Parents were there for me every step of the way, and so were my good friends Hannah and Molly (Hannah and I have considered each other 'sisters' since we met when we were 7).
I couldn't walk properly for four weeks. At the fifth week, I was beginning to stand up straight again, but I couldn't walk for 20 minutes without wanting to collapse. For the first three weeks I slept twice a day. At around 3pm, I grew so exhausted as if i'd been awake for 24 hours.
So this didn't help my mental situation, with the heartbreak and all...
But it developed my mind so much and moved me towards literature so much that I will never give it up!
I am now studying English Pre-U in my 6th form college. The Pre-U is a 2 year literature course which was created by Cambridge University and is above the normal literature exam. After 2 years, we take a huge exam... well anyways, what I would like to al about on this blog is how the books i has got me to read have influenced, changed, disgusted me and/or made an impact.
But I need to write an essay about Interesting Villains (focusing on Richard III) right now. So I will start another time x

Since you mentioned The Road, I'd also like to recommend No Country for Old Men (from Cormac McCarthy, the same author). It's an intense read and the movie is just as good as the book.

[ChicagoReader]

I think the road gets better the more you read it, it also helps to think of the story of genesis too. Also, the fact that he dedicated it to his son really shows the emotion to it, i have heard from people who read it initially, then, after having a child, could not finish it because it was too emotional for them. It's supposed to be dark and depressing, not for everyone I guess!

[mal4mac]

I read "Return of the Native" about the same time as reading "The Road" and found Hardy far superior... Have you only read Tess? Why not read some more? He's written almost as many great novels as Dickens. If you find a diet of Hardy getting a bit bleak, try Nicholas Nickleby...

[exodus238]

so shall I continue?
So I didn't do that essay I had to leave for and still haven't! My exams got in the way. (Philosophy and Ethics, and History) So I'd like to discuss Margaret Atwood today and see what people think of her. I started to read The Handmaid's Tale. (My friend, who is a huge Margaret Atwood friend warned me of this book, so perhaps it was a bad idea...) I opened the first page and instantly.. I never wanted to read a Margaret Atwood again (no offense, Marge - I'm sure you tried hard!). However, I have a little rule of my own which is that, once a book has been started, it must be finished. I don't know where this rule came from, perhaps it's part of the OCD i am worried I may have developed from the past two years... anyway!... I told myself to finish the book but on every page, the writing just annoyed me so much! Did anyone else find that? The way she wrote.. how do I describe it? Perhaps.. typical sadness, palimpsest writing. Read the first page of The Handmaid's Tale and you'll probably see what I mean. So I forced myself to read the book and even the story didn't interest me much! Where did she think she was going with it? And what was her point? Apparently Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood are better because the story and it's setting are interesting, however, the writing is similar, so I'm considering whether or not to read them... will they be as silly as the Handmaid's Tale or actually worth reading? Wow, I sound very critical of old Marge here, but I'm really just wondering aloud to myself. So I will ask the question to the public. What do you think of Margaret Atwood and her writing style?

thankyou for the welcome. :) I hope you enjoy my little posts :)

[LitNetIsGreat]

Hello, if you're studying literature then I'm afraid that there is no getting away from certain core texts, and Atwood's Handmaid's Tale is one of them. Certainly stick with it because it will no doubt crop up again at some stage probably from a distopian/feminist/post modern angle along with the likes of Angela Carter.

If you are looking to study literature then you need to be as objectional as possible. It is not likely (or realistic) that you are going to enjoy everything, but this doesn't matter, just be objectional and learn the trade.

In terms of Atwood, she is quite solid writer with a decent reputation. Personally I thought that The Handmaid's Tale was OK, quite interesting even if it probably wouldn't be my thing by choice, but fair game.

In terms of Hardy, if you liked Tess I would strongly recommend you to read Jude the Obscure, for me Hardy's best work.

[dfloyd]

Read The Blind Assassain. You'll enjoy it more than your current pick.

As for The Road .... This is not Cormack's best. In fact, it may be his worst. With its repetitiveness, it reads as if he was late giving his publisher a draft he owed so he wrote this one over the weekend.

As for Hardy ..... He is very prolific so it is best to read his best and skip the rest. Read these: Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I include the last, even if you have already read it, since it is among his best.

For a fictionalized book about Hardy, be sure to read Cakes and Ale by Somerset Maugham, an author you should also pursue. Try Maugham's The Moon and Sixpence, The Razor's Edge, and his long semi-autobiogrphical novel, Of Humand Bondage. Also, his short stories are among the best of the 20th century.

[ChicagoReader]

I could not disagree more with your perception of The Road. He wrote it as a form of dedication to his son and the love he has for him. Repetition symbolizes the bleakness of their current state. The lack of time or anything meaningful besides the relationship between father and son.

[exodus238]

i believe that a piece of literature is brilliant when it satisfies you regardless of how much you know about the author's past.
For example, Sylvia Plath's poems are incredible even when you know nothing about her.
And so, knowing nothing of Cormack Macarthy, I felt just dull and depressed when reading The Road.
Of course, knowing more about the author adds a whole dimension to a book, for example, knowing that Hardy lived in Dorset, England (which I know very well) gives a whole knew perspective on his descriptions.
However, I read The Road with no knowledge of Macarthy, let alone, his family life, so the book seemed just dull and dreary to me.

hey, so continuing on with the Literature in my life:
At school, I have been asked to take part in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
This includes getting a subject you are particularly interested in and doing a big project on it, eventually, creating a piece of work (be it an object, film or a 5,000 word essay) showing what you have learned.
I am thinking of looking at how evil in children's literature is shown.
I am thinking of delving into Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Narnia.
I decided against His Dark Materials seeing as there's so much in them, a whole 5,000 essay could be written on it!
However, rather than writing an essay, I was thinking of creating a sort of documentary on the subject. Any ideas of what I could do/show/put in it? All I can think of is interviews with children asking them about 'the bad guys'.
So if you have any recommendations for books I should read, or documentaries I should watch to help me get ideas, then suggest away!
Thanks :)

[endgame]

a very beautiful and moving story :) i also love literature, especially English and american writers.. i think they're all great! i read tess of the d'urbervilkes some months ago and i loved hardy so much.. he's a great writer.. now i'm going to read "far from the madding crowd" by hardy .. i'm very curious. according to me literature is very important in many people's life .. a russian writer says that literature help him living :) i totally agree with him :) maybe it's the only friend that can never betray you! i wish you all the best .. and keep always reading :9

[LitNetIsGreat]

hey, so continuing on with the Literature in my life:
At school, I have been asked to take part in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
This includes getting a subject you are particularly interested in and doing a big project on it, eventually, creating a piece of work (be it an object, film or a 5,000 word essay) showing what you have learned.
I am thinking of looking at how evil in children's literature is shown.
I am thinking of delving into Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Narnia.
I decided against His Dark Materials seeing as there's so much in them, a whole 5,000 essay could be written on it!
However, rather than writing an essay, I was thinking of creating a sort of documentary on the subject. Any ideas of what I could do/show/put in it? All I can think of is interviews with children asking them about 'the bad guys'.
So if you have any recommendations for books I should read, or documentaries I should watch to help me get ideas, then suggest away!
Thanks :)

Sounds interesting. I'd head down to the library if you have access to a decent one and read as much criticism as you can on fantasy literature or look online to give you some further ideas. You should be able to find something useful on LOTR and Narnia in particular. Looking at the portrayal of evil sounds workable to me - looking at the simple good Vs evil binary or considering how they operate conservatively, etc, etc could be good.

For you project maybe you could combine filmed material within a presentation to add a little weight to your project? Something like that. You definitely need to do a lot of research either way for a 5000 word/equivalent presentation weight anyway. Sounds quite a lot for pre-A-Level work to me.

[Drkshadow03]

hey, so continuing on with the Literature in my life:
At school, I have been asked to take part in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
This includes getting a subject you are particularly interested in and doing a big project on it, eventually, creating a piece of work (be it an object, film or a 5,000 word essay) showing what you have learned.
I am thinking of looking at how evil in children's literature is shown.
I am thinking of delving into Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Narnia.
I decided against His Dark Materials seeing as there's so much in them, a whole 5,000 essay could be written on it!
However, rather than writing an essay, I was thinking of creating a sort of documentary on the subject. Any ideas of what I could do/show/put in it? All I can think of is interviews with children asking them about 'the bad guys'.
So if you have any recommendations for books I should read, or documentaries I should watch to help me get ideas, then suggest away!
Thanks :)

Well, for a film presentation in addition to interviews you could select clips from the LOTR, HP, and Narnia films, etc.

A paper would probably be easier to write. There is plenty of criticism out there on LOTR, Harry Potter, and the Narnia books. You need to go to your library's databases to search for those articles. Then once you've found a few skim through their bibliographies to find more sources and hunt those works down.

[exodus238]

I've decided I'm going to update you with my little literature life again :)
I'm now considering studying English and Philosophy at university, especially East Anglia, looks like a really good course there. If anyone has any recommendations, speak now!
I take back what I've said about Margaret Atwood. Yes, The Handmaid's Tale is not great (though now I'm having to use it in my 3000 word coursework piece :S) but I recently read Oryx and Crake and Year Of The Flood, both written by her. These books are also dystopian but are so much better then The Handmaid's Tale and I could hardly recognize Atwood's style! They are incredibly different and absolutely brilliant!
I preferred Oryx and Crake to Year Of The Flood, as it has far more details about the fall of the society than Year Of The Flood.
They are both interlinked and I hugely recommend them both!
Well anyway, I am reading Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman at the moment to get to grips with a typical feminist novel. Any comments on anything I've said here, feel free to say.
x

[exodus238]

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been online for a while.. VERY busy with A Levels and all..
I have just started a blog on a big project of mine (writing a fantasy novel) so if anyone is interested, go to this link:



and feel free to snoop around, comment.. or whatever you like to do on a blog (just don't go being irresponsible and childish please!)

For an update on my Little Literature Life...
I am no longer taking the EPQ project this year as I just don't have time..
instead, I may base it on another project, mentioned above ^^
Recently, i've been studying John Webster's 'The White Devil'. Any thoughts on this? My opinion on it isn't very positive - it seems like a play full of ridiculous gore and is only used to study because of the complicated characters and plot. I would be interested to here other's opinions though!
My English Coursework on Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' and George Orwell's '1984' is coming on nicely after A LOT of research and planning!
How are other's little literature lives?
x

[Voivod30]

Sorry if this is an old thread but I haven't been on this site all that much so it's new to me so I figured I'd post a reply. I too love dystopian stories, of course the more well know are A Brave New World, 1984 and Farenheit 451 but I would also suggest the Dickens' novel Hard Times. It's not exactly a dystopian novel in the vein of the others mentioned but it definitely is along the same lines. It basically is about a world where art and emotions in general are shunned. I love Dickens in general but this may just be my favorite novel of all time. I also might suggest Flatlands by Edwin Abbot which also isn't exactly a dystopian novel in the strictest sense but approaches that style. I suppose Silas Marner could also be put in this category.

I just recently finished reading Tess of the D'urbervilles and I really liked it as well. I've read a small amount of Hardy's work but haven't actually finished any of his novels up until now (I used to have the bad habit of not finishing much of what I started, in the past year I've finally broken that habit). My only criticism is one of personal opinion and not a knock against his writing. I found the novel to be some what difficult to get through because of how depressing Tess's life usually was. She seemed like such a sympathetic character and through very little fault of her own such terrible things kept happening to her. I also felt that many scenes were a bit more vague then I might have liked. For instance the scene where she is essentially assaulted by Alec is at first hard to make-out as to whether she is actually attacked or just let things happen that she would later regret. Any how, it was still a fantastic novel and I'm glad that I was able to see it through to the not exactly happy but some what fulfilling ending.

[exodus238]

yeah, i kind of agree with you there.
the whole assaulting scene is so vague it took me a while to work out what had happened...
However Tess was and still is one of my favourite novels. I loved Silas Marner too, but I can't see how it is dystopian...?
I'm rarely on this site either...in fact, it's unusual to find me online.
x

[exodus238]

Hiya! So I know I haven't been around for a while. I've been doing stuff - like running 3 other blogs, writing 2 novels, doing my A Levels (I got BBB! I'm happy!) and generally living life. But I am back again for a brief moment!
I have started a reading project - 52 books in one year...so that's basically 1 book a week. It is WAY harder than I thought it would be! At the moment, I'm reading about 4 books at once. Yeah, I always read too many books at once!

I've put myself up for some little competitions here and there so...yeah...read and vote for them if you feel like being nice :D
I'm sorry this is such a short post but there really isn't anything else to tell you about! Umm...oh yeah...I'm on my gap year now, waiting to go and study English and Philosophy in Reading (which might change to English and Creative Writing...)
So have fun with...what ever you're doing!
x
oh and I'm also doing Latin GCSE...still...have I told you guys about that? And I'm reconsidering doing that EPQ thing...just because I'm bored and it'll give me something to do! Haha!
I'm writing a fantasy novel...currently called Homeland. It's set on a completely different planet...have I told you guys about that? I've been away so long, I forget what I have and haven't told you!
Oh and as of yesterday evening, I'm attempting to write some sort of screen play.
I want to get something published soon to set me up as an author :D
x

[kev67]

Interesting, did you study all Pre-Us or just the Pre-U in English? Well done on your A level or Pre-U results, and Reading University has a nice campus if nothing else.

I think your rule about finishing any book you have started is a good one. I have abandoned several books part way through on the grounds that life is too short, but later regretted it when I could not strike them off the list.

I recently read Tess too. Despite the unfamiliar vocabulary, the mythological and ecclesiastical references, I liked it right up to the last three chapters. I agreed with a comment I read on this forum that it was diseased book. Not just because Tess behaved badly at the end, not only because of its super-tragic ending, but for its ungodliness, for want of a better word. It has not put me off Hardy, but I am going to keep away from the sad ones. I watched the DVD of The Road with some friends one Saturday night - not a good idea. I don't think I have ever watched a more depressing film.

I took Latin at O level in 1983. I found it very difficult and extremely boring, but I still scraped a C by memorizing the literature translation. It bothers me I lost my grip on it so early on. Latin grammar relies on word endings so much, and pronouns and word order are no real guide. Unless you can keep track of the word endings, you're lost. One day, I might attempt to study it again.

[exodus238]

Hiya, no I just studied English Pre-U and got an M2 which counts as a B, right? So instead of explaining to everyone what the Pre-U is, I just say I got BBB. So much easier!
I pretty much always have to finish a book, but that doesn't stop me reading more than one at once! I'm currently reading 2 - which is a record - but it will soon be 3 because I'm about to get the next book in a series I'm reading :D
I didn't like Tess' ending either. I think the book was incredible because of her characterization and how detailed and slow it was...but how I never once found it boring! I wrote my own alternative ending for it when I was sixteen..feels so long ago now! But recently I looked back at it and realise how badly it was written! Or maybe it just shows me how far I have come with my writing? The problem with Hardy is that they all tend to be rather miserable. Staying away from the sad ones generally means staying away from Hardy in my experience...
I am totally loving Latin GCSE! Okay, so my Dad is my teacher and it's the only time I ever really get with just him and me. It's our thing and nobody elses which is, I guess, its attraction. But I have always had a dream of walking into any random church and being able to read the latin on the walls and the floor and windows etc. I also found it pretty awesome that last lesson, I read out the creation bit in the Bible in Latin! That makes my nerdy side tingle :D
x

[kev67]

I read out the creation bit in the Bible in Latin! That makes my nerdy side tingle :D
x

Like this? There's an annoying bit of glare on the image.

[exodus238]

a bit like that - just without the fancy writing. :)

[Seasider]

Not all Hardy is depressing. "Under The Greenwood Tree" is a lovely novel...a love story with, eventually a happy ending. I read it as a typically romantic 6th Former and loved it. I was reading "The Mayor of Casterbridge" for A level at the same time and so wished I could swop them.

[Andrew Mcleod]

I admire your determination.