Please someone! I need your help! I have a questionaire due today in English. 10 pages. 88 questions. And 39 of them i cant answer. Please i dont need them all answered just i need help!!!
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Please someone! I need your help! I have a questionaire due today in English. 10 pages. 88 questions. And 39 of them i cant answer. Please i dont need them all answered just i need help!!!
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
Story of a bear. A story of sorrow. A story of love. In fact, it is a story of a family and how they go through different problems. Would they ever be able to overcome their fears? Would they ever be able to overcome their sorrows? A story of deaths. A story of revenge.
A very well written story - full of twists and turns. Humorous on some places, and on others, it looks as if there has never been such a complex and serious novel. Characters are very interesting. Plot is like a road having lots of turns in it that the traveller forgets where he is going. A very insightful novel which everyone should try. A story of full of pun too.
I would rate it 10/10 definitely.
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
It's about a country girl who goes off to a prestigious college and the usual problems of fitting in, it seems like the book is trying to make a point about how society views athletes and the "cool" kids but it trys to hard. Overall an interesting read.
7.8/10
I just read Sula, for class. It was amazing for the author's ability to use the dirt on the ground to symbolize the cosmic battles of good and evil. Fully supports the saying "a bird is never just a bird, in literature".
I just finished reading Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. What a long and complex book. The first part was pretty much straight forward, but the second one was perplex and confusing. But that is what makes this book so great. Now I really want to watch the movie.
So if someone has nothing to do and feels like reading twelve hundred pages of satire on knighthood, go for it :)
The Complete Wandering Ghosts by F Marion Crawford.
A decent collection of all this author's ghost and horror stories. Wonderful writer of the creepy and skin-crawling shivers. However, the stories are abit outdated by style and by construction. He does a fair job of developing characters yet there is a predictability usually via a twist ending or grisley denounement quite imaginable with the expectant accompanying music sting. But these were written mostly in the 1890s.
My favorites being "The Screaming Skull", "The Upper-Berth", and "The Doll's Ghost".
Certainly not on the level of some of his latter more sophisticated more popular posthumous contemporaries of M R James, Lovercaft, Machen, or Blackwood. These are simply short atmospheric delights. Chocolates in a tin.
I feel Crawford is best accentuated and represented bookended within the pages of an horror collection.
2.5 out of 5
Three men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
The title would be an adequate synopsis, but the beauty is in the writing, every paragraph being a comic gem. One of the funniest books I've read.
I recently completed The Golden Pot by ETA Hoffmann.
One of the most interpretated works of German Romanticism, it is subtitled "A Fairy Tale of Modern Times". And indeed it contains singing snakes, a salamander-magician antagonising a nasty witch, a heroic student in love, and a happy end.
Contrary to all other fairy tales I've read so far, The Golden Pot is not set once upon a time, and the setting is not a fictionary distant country, but the city of Dresden around 1800. These two levels of fiction (the magical characters and tokens and their anchorage in the historical Dresden) this is one of the point why I found the short tale so interesting.
It is not only a fairy tale, but also a medical treatise of melancholy, a portrait of the bourgeoisie in contrast to the bohème, and the study of a character developing from a law student into a poet.
The Golden Pot might be interesting for all those interested in the key texts and theory of European Romanticism, and for those enjoying a piece of fantastic literature by the scariest author of German literature :D.
I'd rate The Golden Pot 10/10.
To Walk The Night by William Sloane
Finished this one quickly at only 228 pages, and say, what a huge disappointment. Read like a overlong episode of Outer Limits or Twilight Zone where not much really happened and an equal amount of vague allusions centered mathmatical equations that open the portals of time and fourth dimensions.
The novel was made entirely of a series of switch-backs where the author successfully avoided creating any sense of mystery, suspense, and atmosphere. I can't count how many times the main character (and novel's narrator) thought or spoke descriptively of another whether it be her strange apparel, her quiet high intellect, or pale skin.
Or the protagonist's lifelong friend obsession of said woman.
In all practicality, read a sentence or two and one basically has read entire page.
The conclusion was an absolute letdown after reading 190 pages of build-up failed to provide any resolution or straight answers and the book raises dozens of them but rather a dull resignation of mild consequences.
This hill was a terrible near maddening climb with few "startling" revelations. I will read William Sloane's other more famous novel Edge of Running Water as it is more genuinely horror in nature dealing with the dead becoming unwelcome returnees.
1 out of 5
I recently read The Warden and Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope. I would recommend reading Barchester Towers right after The Warden as they contain many of the same characters, and the plot flows from The Warden right into Barchester Towers. I started Doctor Thorne (the next book in the series), but so far I haven't run into any of the same characters and I think there is a considerable jump in time between the first two novels and Doctor Thorne. Both novels were very enjoyable. A huge cast of hilarious characters, thrown into odd situations, always makes for a good novel.
Courtny
[QUOTE=Pen&Ink;297472]Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Pen&Ink,I read this very long book a number of years ago and thought it was the greatest book I ever read. I cried, too at the end. It is a magnificent read. I was fortunate a friend had all the volumes so I read it in it's entirety - wonderful!Quote:
Just finished this a couple days ago. I loved it. I was crying at the end.:bawling:
I love the plot and over all story. I personally could have done without the 30 page retelling of the battle of waterloo, and sometimes it was a bit slow,but over all it was a really great book. ^_^ I would recommend it to anyone who has the patience to read such a long book.
Brainstrain, Other great novel "Tale of Two Cities" - absolutely a perfect novel, and as you stated a few posts back, it had so many elements you could relate to; it definitely had something for everyone. I adored it.
East of Eden -- John Steinbeck
I am so glad I was able to finish it, going by the number of pages; I had thought it will take me six months to complete the book, considering what a slow reader I am. But, it really was a good book, after a long time I have read such a book that made me want to read further, everyday while coming back from work I would think what will unfold next (Kite Runner was another book like this).
In the beginning, there were three parallel stories going on (Adam, Cathy and Samuel), I had no idea how eventually all the characters will meet and become a part of each other’s life so well. The beginning was very descriptive; something like the author is trying to set a stage for the whole drama to begin. At the back of my mind also I was trying to think how they all will meet, which made me eager to read further and see if that is what will happen.
The two main turning points in the story were – When Cathy landed at Adam and Charles home and when Adam planned to relocate. Falling in love and then betrayal was what changed the course of story, mainly, and other circumstances and people (like Lee and Samuel) helped greatly in binding the story till the end. These two people were like anchors in the story, like when one needs a piece of advice they look up to people like Lee and Samuel.
There were certain conditions that were symbolic also, or so I think. For example: - Cathy gets arthritis in her fingers. Although this condition can occur on anybody, but I was thinking what could be the reason? The explanation I could give myself was that since she did many dirty deeds using her hands, such as – setting her home and family on fire, shooting Adam, and perhaps that never ever lovingly held her babies in her arms. I thought it was symbolic.
The writing style of Steinbeck is so good. He doesn’t divulge all information. I mean he also makes the reader think and come up with their own ideas as to why certain things happened. At least in my case that happened or if not then of course it was my lack of comprehending what he was trying to say. For example: - When Adam went to see Cathy in her house – at the end of the meeting, he was smiling with content, which also made Cathy angry. It was never made clear by the author as to what exactly Adam was being content at? I wanted to know what went on in Adams mind at the point of time? Also, I was wondering why Cathy left everything that belonged to her to Aaron and not to Caleb.
But it was interesting to read the analogy later on – that Aaron might have felt the same way as Adam who inherited money that was ill-begotten and had to live off that money.
There were so many general philosophies too that I came across -- thou mayest; and how people deal with their insecurities all the time, like Caleb and his realization that its okay if one is not perfect; like Aaron’s dream world, out of which he never wanted to come to reality, and likewise many others.
The story ended in everyone being forgiven, so that they can start off afresh.
Rating -- 10/10
This is my understanding of the story, I am not a critic.
Diary of a Country Priest, by Georges Bernanos.
The book is the fictional diarz of a young priest in rural France. It is his first parish and he is utterly dedicated to it. Except doing his sacramental duties, he visits every family in the parish, teaches catechism, visits sick, tries to create a club for young man. But the world around him his hard, often cruel, not accpeting him, and he considers himself to be a failure. For example, he is very ill - at the end it is found out it was stomach cancer - and one sort of fine wine relieves pain a bit, but villagers began gossip that he's alcoholic. One of the kids he teaches catechism, about 13-year old girl, Seraphita, also enjoy spreading rumours about him at every opportunity. That's why the young priest considers himself a failure, poor instrument of God's grace. He would like to be as his friend, a priest in neighbouring parish, de Torcy, who is much more relaxed. Together they have long discussions about God and religion.
It is a novel that has both spiritual value and literary quality (and that's not seen that often). What I liked about it was, that it was very believable, realistic, giving you good impression of what priest's life is like, but also a picture of French society. It shows how empty is intellectualism without God, how Church fails to present God's love - but on the other hand, it shows a power of a man really dedicated to God.
But, I must also write a warning:
It is complex, quite difficult - one of those books that you either love or throw away as dull and boring. :rolleyes:
Personally I loved it - fell in love with Bernanos, in fact and now I'm going to find his other works. :)
10/10
Dark Forces edited by Kirby McCauley
I would call this collection more dark contemporary fantasy rather than horror, Kirby McCauley is a reknown anthologist but there is alot hubris surrounding this collection.
The some of the strongest stories were represented by Robert Aickman, T.E.D. Klein, Ramsey Campbell, though Aickman's contribution is comparitively weak especially the ending for the master of ambigious psychological ghost stories.
The very best were written by Russell Kirk, Manly Wade Wellman, Gahan Wilson, and the father/son duo Richard Matheson/Richard Christian Matheson. Coincidently, these four tales were a perfect balance of the macabre and laugh-out loud comedy. Delightfully sinister collection of winks and gasps.
Now for the bad, the rest of the bunch were very predictable neither shocking or scary and disappointing like the worst episodes of Tales From The Crypt.
But the biggest malefactor was Stephen King's novella The Mist, after 42 pages of pretty decent atmospheric build-up King finding his rthythm, character's developing and the typical witty anecdotes rolling when King suddenly pushes all stops and the story explodes into mayhem and green-blooded horrors. Though King's infrequently shines through in moments of disasterous gratuity or comic relief there is a moment when some voluteers amongst survivors of this castrastrophe holed up in a grocery store go to check the generator back near the docks and receiving, that had me anticipating the worst "Oh god.... oh no.... oh no" ........ "Eh?... what?... oh hell that's downright asinine!"
Stephen King and his excessiveness fumbles again.
There are many other horror anthologies and author short story collections I'd recommend before this one.
I give 3.5 out of 5 for a mostly disappointing collection from great authors and one seriously ridiculously overrated Stephen King novella.
the last book I read entirely was CELINE's Voyage au bout de la nuit (sorry, I don't know the english title). a book for depressive people who try to suicide without finding enough courage.
more seriously, a very interesting story and a very interesting way to tell it. does anyone know how the english translation is ?
Celine's journey on a boat at night?
:-)
I don't really know what you mean...
I don't think it's the english title. I would rather have imagined something like... no, I don't see anything. sorry.
Journey to the end of the night... wasn't really hard to find it, in reality.
Just finished: To Kill a Mockingbird, for my english class, I cried a bit.
Certainly better than what they had us read last semester, I know a lot of people may think this is the greatest book ever, but I don't ever want to read again Great Expectations.
The last book I read was The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck. It is set in pre-revolutionary China is about a poor farmer who rose to wealth. The book follows the farmer, Wang Lung, from his wedding day to shortly before his death.
I had never read anything about China before this, so I was pleasently surprised. The book is very well written and easy to read (it took me one day), but provides much to think about. I found myself most often wondering whether Wang Lung was actually happy with his life (I won't say exactly why since I would hate to spoil the book. I'm not sure how much to reveal), but that may just be from the fact that pre-revolutionary Chinese culture is so different from modern western culture.
I found The Good Earth to be a very worthwhile book. It isn't the sort that I would read over and over, but I'm glad I read it.
Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame; finished it late last night. A masterpiece, I highly recommend it to everyone.
The story is placed in Paris, somewhere about 1450., about a priest who got in love with beautiful Gipsy dancer and all tragedies that comes from it...A lot of unhappiness and death; it's a realism, so nothing strange actually. Very very interesting, many interesting ideas, great thoughts and quotes, and priest and his hunchback are really great developed.
Now I can't wait for Les Miserables( as Chris Rea would say; I'm looking for the summer...)
5 of 5, if I must.
The Moorstone Sickness by Bernard Taylor
Probably should have introduced myself to this author via one of his more popular works than this infrequently mentioned novel. A quiet English thriller in a quaint English setting. Slow build up but the pay off is excellent. Not particularly scary or suspenseful abit predictable yet capped with a great finish. The pace is the real toe curler here.
3 out of 5
Mother's Boys by Bernard Taylor
Now I know why Taylor is such a reknown name in modern British horror literature. The book is a deep plunge into the darkest day. One of the more exciting waking nightmares I've had the pleasure of reading. One part of the book basically serves as the centerpiece of events, sparked a shocking revelation, preceding and proceding that makes William Golding read like a child author. If you like syrupy feel good endings like say a typical Koontz novel? Don't look here. I'd advise against it. This book antes up the frozen marrow factor brilliantly! Simply awesome!
5 out of 5
The City of Fallen Angels - John Berendt
The author arrives in Venice a few days after the famous Teatro La Fenice burns down, he follows the story of it's rebuilding. The book is chockful of colorful characters he meets along the way. It's in the same vein as his other book , Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but just as if not more entertaining.
4/5
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
I was pleasantly surprised by the book. It is the tale of a boy who finds a dragon egg. Eventually the egg hatches and both their lives are intertwined as the boy finds out he is one of the fabled dragon riders and he is actually a Very Important Person.
The only thing I had a problem with was that there were a lot of parallels between LOTR and Eragon. For example:
urgals=orcs
kulls=uruk-hai
Eragon=Frodo or Aragorn (I couldn't decide which)
Brom=Gandalf
Murtagh=Boromir
I don't know if that's just because I'm picky when it comes to LOTR but it irked me a little bit. Though I would still suggest it if you enjoy fantasy. 4/5
Last book I read was Umberto Eco's Feucault's Pendulum. The man's vocab is imense and his understanding of medieval history and philosophy is very impresive. The book is as witty as it is insightful. Character's are well drawn and individuated. It can get a little bogged down with litany of obscure occult factions which are woven into the tapestry as the three friends are drawn deeper into the world of the "Diabolicals", but this is not so discuraging as to ruin or even really interrupt the enthralling narrative of Casaubon.
Eco's writing reminds me strongly of Salman Rushdie.
Just finished "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck a couple of minutes ago. Great novel. Jerked a tear from my eye.
Sweetheart, Sweetheart by Bernard Taylor
Hadn't had much time to read and it created abit of a funk in me. But I did finally finish my third book written by Taylor and will say it was one of the kinkier ghost stories I've read. Slow starting and will say it quite likely one of the worst predictable ones I have read and concerned a cottage with a history of generational mysteries and untimely deaths.
Matheson wrote the greatest paranormal investigative ghost stories of all time in Hell House with a hair-raising climax that goes all balls out by the end (which is completely absent from the film adaptation directed by John Hough btw). Michael McDowell wrote some of the finest modern ghost stories incorporating geography and elements along with a smashing dash of Southern Gothic eccentricity.
But by the finish of this novel, the narrative becomes an improvisational comedy troupe where characters appear on stage and disappear off stage at a moments notice and with a most logic jarring lengthy intervals and injuries come via a most lethal perplexing convenience. Reader beware, keep one self away from suspect knitting needles, duck ballestic roof tiles, and flee from dressers the size of a sedan please. How these characters teleport at five-ten paces apart from another is beyond me.
1 out of 5
I'll read the next three at a later date.
I would also like to add that "Cannery Row" contained one of the funniest sentences I've ever read, I had to put the book down and lost my page because I was laughing so hard. Chapter 32 beings with
I'm not exactly sure why that sentence made me laugh so hard, I just know I absolutely love it.Quote:
Doc awakened very slowly and clumsily like a fat man getting out of a swimming pool.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Interesting mystery novel, definitely an influence of those Italian sleazy giallo films and books so predominate during the 70s. However the novel becomes quite monotous, the dialogue can get dry, and that failed to develop a proper level of suspense and atmosphere. And most of all, for the whole duration of this terrifying crisis the characters had a tendency to take everything in stride (yes, they were amoral people but still), no hysterics or desperation a la no realism. In a event such as this, something has to give!
I, the reader, could hardly wait anticipating every move perpetuated by the killer.
Mixed thoughts on the book, liked conclusion that reveals the culprit in a rather tricky plot and offers more on the hows and whys. Still, I can't help dwelling on the fact this probably isn't one of Christie's more intricate or difficult to solve mysteries. I was not blown away by it but appreciative.
4/5
I just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I started it Saturday at 4:00 pm and finished it by Sunday at 1:00 pm. I literally couldn't put the book down. It was a hauntingly beautiful novel that I'll never forget. The person who told me about the book did not recommend it. She couldn't get past the fact that the destruction is never explained. I tried to tell her that there must be a reason for this, probably because the destruction of the earth as we know it isn't the point of the story, but she just couldn't get past it. It didn't bother me at all. I was far too worried about where the next meal was coming from, or whether they would survive the night, to care about how things became that way. I was so moved by their love for each other, their bond, I was constantly worried about the mental and physical health of the boy, that the hows and whys of the situation were irrelevant. I actually sobbed at the end. Books never make me cry. And allthough I felt sad at the end I also felt hope. I do feel emotionally drained after reading the novel.
Courtny
The Chemistry Of Death by Simon Beckett
For a debut novel i must say this book was fantastic and would highly recommend it to any crime/thriller fans, especially those who like authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs and Karin Slaughter
In a nutshell the story is about an ex forensic anthropologist who leaves London to work as a GP in a small village in Norfolk. Then when women start to disappear and get brutally murdered in his village he finds himself helping the police out with their enquiries.
I loved reading about the whole forensics side to an investigation and the attention to detail in this book is incredible. Also, the author does a great job of leading you off track, I was convinced i'd guessed who'd 'done it' but i was completely wrong lol!
I just finished William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!"...and I'm floored. It was the first novel by Faulkner that I read and at times it was pretty tough to keep concentrated (and I certainly missed a lot of small details and subtleties)...but Dear Lord, this has to be one of the greatest novels ever written. The setting, the characters, the twists and turns, the different narrators...the sheer atmosphere is overwhelming. I think I have never read a book before that was as intense as this one. Before, the expression "Southern Gothic" was just another term for me - now it's the image of the rotten Sutpen mansion in the midst of the swamps on one of those hot summer evenings.
I'm not sure how Faulkner's other novels compare to this. As a matter of fact, I chose this one to begin with because I found its title so intriguing.
As for his style: After the initial shock of the first chapter I think you get used to it pretty fast. After a while, you don't really look for seperate sentences, anyway. It all becomes one continous flow of images and sounds. Almost the same as it's in the case of all the neologisms in Clockwork Orange. Before you realize it, you almost begin to use "horrorshow" in your everyday language ;)
It's probably most important to realize that you are not meant to understand everything from the beginning, because things will unfold later on. I guess this might be the main reason why people quit this book after the first chapter or so.
The being said, I can't wait to lay my hands on his other major works :)
Eldest, sequel to Eragon.
I liked this book a whole lot better than Eragon. It builds up on the story, brings Roran's POV into the book, and has a couple of twists and turns. Without too much happening, Galbatorix (the villain of the piece who wants to enslave everyone) sends troops to attack the main rebellion left against him. Eragon and Saphira his dragon lend their aid but are nearly floored by a new familiar protagonist who lets them go.
4/5
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg
Not going to waste too much time on this one, only say that the film Angel Heart is far more shocking, far more economized and tighter (makes a big difference here), and has a far more dramatic, thrilling, and ultimately horrific ending (the novel is too comic book). Hjortsberg adapted his own book into the screenplay. If you seen the film don't bother reading this or you'll find yourself most assuredly bored because the former follows it very closely. Graded mostly for style and any greatness this book could have further achieved is lost in the shadows of the film.
2.5/5
I'm going to review two books to make me feel special! I also read two books, so that's another reason.
Book one:
The Lost Cosmonaut by Daniel Kalder. This is an anti-tourist book. The intention is to go to undesirable places, have an unpleasant time and more or less, have a bad vacation. Kalder goes to several republics in Russia, all of which have hard names to remember and even harder names to write, so I'm not going to bother. The book is 'snippets' of very short adventures, descriptions, dreams, and some of them are entertaining because the things he writes about are not something that would be expected from a travel book.
The major downside to Kalder's book is that it is terrible uneven; he eats at McDonalds (it's everywere!) and then talks philosophy and it makes little sense, a 'jolt' to the reader. He insults a Russian and then makes some Nietzsche-inspired point about being insignificant in the scope of the world-- again , making little sense. The purpose of his book seems to be 'tagged on', but it could have been a good book.
2.5/5
Book Two.
The Third Policeman by Flann O'brien (a pseudonym)
This book was too funny. I was laughing out loud and had many people give me queer looks in the library. I would ruin the book if I explained it in full, but the best part is that the author manipulates the reader - lengthy footnotes, ridiculously hard words used on purpose, non sequiters that pull the reader in to a completely absurd world. Definetly recommended.
4.5/5
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
I just spent a long Bank Holiday weekend lazing in my garden (or conservatory when it rained) reading this dark and intriguing mystery novel (with a bit of magic and mysticism thrown in to boot). The author very boldly chooses the present day as her setting, with the novel starting out as a cyberspace thriller but progressing into tale of witchcraft, psychic powers, love and death. The characters are wonderful - the protagonist Gabriel Blackstone is a flawed but brilliant private investigator asked to find the truth behind the disappearance of his ex-lover's stepson, meeting the mysterious Monk sisters in doing so. Both are highly brilliant and intelligent women in very different ways - and it's really pleasing for me to find two strong female characters. Too many books, especially in the mystic/fantasy genre, have no female characters of any substance or who are convincing, so to create two distinct ones is a real treat.
The mystery within is a gripping one, with a nice whodunnit setup and an ongoing romantic subplot (for all his skills, Gabriel is unable to work out which sister is in love with him). And the mystic concepts are really well explained and researched - the author has done her homework and creates a really engrossing world inside the book. I really liked the book, although the start left me sceptical by the end I was engrossed and the ending (without giving away too much!) is heartbreaking but fitting at the same time. A highly recommended book, especially for anyone who is trying to get in touch with their mystic or spiritual side.
The Collector - John Fowles
Sparse literature style is now rehabilitated in my eyes after I have read this work of Fowles. Screaming, incisive lines - even every exclamation is like a new story to be unfolded...Caliban is undoubtedly a deranged specimen, but unconventional in his "pursuits"...
Sociopathy loses its remote features and becomes terribly realistic and close...Moreover it is not simply defined, it is given power and life...
Mind-altering...
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Whew, one of the funniest books I have ever read since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a satirical presentation of war and the 20th Century seen through the cracked lenses of mad wit and irony. I'll not witness ramblings of the Three Musketeers in a funnier light. I can understand why this book is favorite book of many to re-visit.
5/5
Albert Camus, The Stranger
Whether you agree with Camus' ideas or not, this novel should be read.
Some novels are read because they're entertaining. They hold our interest with an exciting plot, lovable characters, or a witty narration. I wouldn't put this novel in that class. It's characters are not really likable--they're not really even knowable. The narration is the plain, unadorned prose of the main character himself. But, where this novel lacks excitement, it redeems itself through its extreme significance and relevance to our lives. It approaches a constantly recurring debate, and provides insight into the inscrutable workings of consciousness. Camus may not have been an entertainer, but he had a connection to humanity greater than anyone around him. The Stranger is a hunt for genuine humanity in a society that has given up any claim to life.
Meursault, a middle-class Algerian, commits a random murder in this novel by Camus. At the trial, Meursault is asked the question that the readers must have on their mind: why did he do it? Meursault blurts out, "it was because of the sun". He believes that random circumstances drew him to the beach with a loaded revolver, and that he chose to commit murder without any other influence but his own will. This response baffles the court, and they throw it out as impossible. The lawyers and the judge try to prove that he committed murder because he was either grief-stricken over his mother's death or an inherently evil person. The court wants to believe that action are prompted by ideas like love, morality, and other-worldly faith. They refuse to accept that Meursault killed the stranger on the beach because he simply made a choice in the circumstances at that time. And, Meursault refuses to believe that the large over-arching ideas that the court holds should affect a person's action. He argues that those around him have given up their lives by believing that their actions are controlled by ideas. This is the basic human conflict that separate the characters in this novel. No matter what you think of Meursault at the end of the novel, I think people should read this novel. They have to take part in this discussion, or a large part of their life will go unnoticed.
Cruising in Serafin, was a great book about a young couple back in the late 60s who built and sailed their own 24 foot cutter down the coast of California, through the Panamá Canal, up the East Coast and ultimately across to England.
I had been very interested in taking my family cruising in our own boat, until other circumstances changed the course of things, at least for now. But these two folks, Lyn and Larry Pardey, seem to have just the right mix of humility, frugality and adventurousness to make the story really attractive to me. Lyn actually wrote the book, and Larry, at least in the beginning, was more of a sailor. The things that seemed important to this couple really appealed to me: they weren't bragging or boastful, they did this on a shoestring budget, often, having to stop places to pick up on work to build up their funds to support their travel. For example, their boat was completely lit by kerosene lanterns and had no motor at all -- in the ocean!
This couple continues to sail and write today, in fact, they have a meager web site:http://www.landlpardey.com/Where/Where_Now.html
I really enjoyed the book, it made me happy and sad.
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Great Book, interesting insight into the behavior and thoughts of how and why the murders occurred.
4.375/5