Should I use East of Eden for my presentation?

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Originally Posted by JhKreisler

I am 18 yrs old, I dont' say my teacher isn't interested (although ...) , she couldn't make the difference between someone who searches which book is suited for bringing it's audience some "education" and someone who just goes to a library and picks a book with eyes closed.

That's the average (sad) case in my school.

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It's certainly sad that an eighteen year old high school student is completely unable to write a readable post on a message board. Maybe you should use the time spent critiquing your peers on something more constructive.

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Originally Posted by JhKreisler

It's a bit a dumb situation but I have to suite myself to the class "level".

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Good grief!

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Originally Posted by wat??

It's certainly sad that an eighteen year old high school student is completely unable to write a readable post on a message board. Maybe you should use the time spent critiquing your peers on something more constructive.



Good grief!

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I'm wondering in how much you are capable of writing the "dutch" language, next time: stop by to surprise me, not to make me aware of something I already know.

Maus :)

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Originally Posted by JhKreisler

I'm wondering in how much you are capable of writing the "dutch" language, next time: stop by to surprise me, not to make me aware of something I already know.

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Ah sorry, I was unaware that you were not a native English speaker. I just assumed (stupidly) since you were asking about an American novel.

Sorry about that, it was silly of me.

Like a previous poster suggested, Brave New World is an excellent novel and you could easily compare Huxley's vision of the future with the reality which is today.

You could also try reading Slaughterhouse-5 or Catch 22, both featuring World War II as "extra information" and having a great blend of theme and comedy. If you're reading translated versions however, It would probably be much better to go with Slaughterhouse-5, as it has much more meaning and less humor that would be lost in translation. Your classmates would also find both of these interesting, as they cover the subject of war, with Slaughterhouse featuring time travel and aliens. Good luck on your assignment!

PS. I'm eighteen too, and in my last year of high school. I know it can be challenging attending a school where literature is taught at a second rate level and you are surrounded by people with a different mindset than you. But don't dwell on it too long, for better things are in store for us next year. For example, I'm attending a class at university explicitly called "Nabokov" and I am ecstatic! He's been my favorite author for almost two years. Good luck again on your assignment and keep learning English, it is a very useful tool.

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Originally Posted by wat??

Ah sorry, I was unaware that you were not a native English speaker. I just assumed (stupidly) since you were asking about an American novel.

Sorry about that, it was silly of me.

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Hey, no problem. ; )

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Originally Posted by Travis_R

Like a previous poster suggested, Brave New World is an excellent novel and you could easily compare Huxley's vision of the future with the reality which is today.

You could also try reading Slaughterhouse-5 or Catch 22, both featuring World War II as "extra information" and having a great blend of theme and comedy. If you're reading translated versions however, It would probably be much better to go with Slaughterhouse-5, as it has much more meaning and less humor that would be lost in translation. Your classmates would also find both of these interesting, as they cover the subject of war, with Slaughterhouse featuring time travel and aliens. Good luck on your assignment!

PS. I'm eighteen too, and in my last year of high school. I know it can be challenging attending a school where literature is taught at a second rate level and you are surrounded by people with a different mindset than you. But don't dwell on it too long, for better things are in store for us next year. For example, I'm attending a class at university explicitly called "Nabokov" and I am ecstatic! He's been my favorite author for almost two years. Good luck again on your assignment and keep learning English, it is a very useful tool.

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Thanks for the encouragement; ) I'm attending law school next year, hopefully you're right. I've put Catch-22 on my "to read in near future-list", so it's definitely an option. It's a pity were not allowed to read the original, so maybe I'll just read that in my spare time.

I was thinking about The Gulag Archipelago ... any feedback?

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Originally Posted by JhKreisler

Thanks for the encouragement; ) I'm attending law school next year, hopefully you're right. I've put Catch-22 on my "to read in near future-list", so it's definitely an option. It's a pity were not allowed to read the original, so maybe I'll just read that in my spare time.

I was thinking about The Gulag Archipelago ... any feedback?

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Here are some suggestions:

-A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
-The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
-The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey
-Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonegut
-A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
-Song of Soloman, Toni Morrison
-1984, George Orwell

My take on this is that you want something to read which interests you, and you seem to have a rather high reading level as opposed to the average 12th grader, but you want something with 'a lot going on' so the report will be of interest to your classmates. One thing I'm thinking is you might want a book that is more action and character w/o a lot of philosophical discussion.

All of these novels are complex thematically and stylistically, but are not so full of discussion as a Russian novel might be, for example. It's been a long time since I read East of Eden, but my memory is that the themes are very adult, perhaps too adult in nature for a 12th grade audience to appreciate. A Brave New World is a good suggestion, imo. The others I'm suggesting are 12th grade or 1st year university level reading and have a lot of interesting elements, situations and characters.

You also want the audience to learn something, apparently. I think you will find all of these novels have a very strong comment on man, society, and the human condition.

It is also important for a good presentation to be conducted in an interesting manner. No matter what the content, an audience of any age can be bored if the material is not presented in an compelling way. I suggest visuals, such as power point, handouts, a poster, etc., through which you give basic information and then expand upon verbally.

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Originally Posted by myrna22

Here are some suggestions:

-A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
-The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
-The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey
-Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonegut
-A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
-Song of Soloman, Toni Morrison
-1984, George Orwell

My take on this is that you want something to read which interests you, and you seem to have a rather high reading level as opposed to the average 12th grader, but you want something with 'a lot going on' so the report will be of interest to your classmates. One thing I'm thinking is you might want a book that is more action and character w/o a lot of philosophical discussion.

All of these novels are complex thematically and stylistically, but are not so full of discussion as a Russian novel might be, for example. It's been a long time since I read East of Eden, but my memory is that the themes are very adult, perhaps too adult in nature for a 12th grade audience to appreciate. A Brave New World is a good suggestion, imo. The others I'm suggesting are 12th grade or 1st year university level reading and have a lot of interesting elements, situations and characters.

You also want the audience to learn something, apparently. I think you will find all of these novels have a very strong comment on man, society, and the human condition.

It is also important for a good presentation to be conducted in an interesting manner. No matter what the content, an audience of any age can be bored if the material is not presented in an compelling way. I suggest visuals, such as power point, handouts, a poster, etc., through which you give basic information and then expand upon verbally.

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Thanks for the tip, Myrna, you got it right on what I want to achieve; ) Song of Solomon is defenitely one of the options.