I have chosen The Moviegoer by Walter Percy, but the other option is The Memories of Old Jack by Wendell Berry. Please read part one of The Moviegoer, and approximately 44 pages of The Memories of Old Jack (I say 60 pages in the video, but ignore that). This round of the book club will go from the 11th of July to the 8th of August. Good luck!
Showing posts with label book analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book analysis. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
2 AM Disturbances
The book club was supposed to start July the Fourth, but seeing as that is a significant holiday, I'm not surprised that no one posted anything. I myself, in fact, let the day slip away from me. I intended to take care of it first thing in the morning, but I didn't give myself a reminder (as I warned myself I should). And so, my friends, it did not get done.
Good news is that I am now prepared for this Saturday. The book club will begin this Saturday the 11th and this round will continue for four weeks. I explain what to do at the first meeting, which is this Saturday, but for now, get your book and get excited!!!
Also, my new blog is close to being "launchable." I'm not totally happy with it, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to move over there before it's totally done and allow it to be a work in progress. Reluctantly, I asked my boyfriend for a photo shoot – because I don't like being photographed and he loves photography – and so we spent part of Sunday shooting a camera at me, and it was actually kind of fun. He's being looking through the photos and found some good ones, so those will be going up on the website soon. I am breaking the barrier between me and you! You shall truly get to know what I look like. (Even sound like…??????)
In other news? Um…. If you're into knitting, check out this page and knit with me! "Knitting Thursday" every, well, Thursday.
Story time:
So last night, I woke up to loud music and talking just before 1:30 AM. It was clearly coming from the vicinity of my black neighbors – I say black neighbors because, well, they're black. Which distinguishes them from my other neighbors. They don't live in my apartment complex, but in the apartments on the next property over. They tend to talk very loudly and shout often. I've been afraid to approach them because they seem so unfriendly…. But last night, they were making a ton of noise. Or visitors of theirs were. I didn't want to get up to check. I rolled over and hoped to get back to sleep. But finally, car doors slammed and the noise quieted. But then my neighbors – husband and wife I assume – continued to talk and yell at each other the only way they know how. And it was 1:30 in the morning. She seemed to deliberately provoke him – she must be a very unhappy person or just really grumpy at 1:30 in the morning – and I sympathize.
Finally – I didn't hear the car pull up but I heard the voices over the radio. Almost 2 AM and, I checked, the police had pulled up. It almost instantly got quieter, although you could hear them still yelling at each other from inside their apartment.
Whew! What a night. Took me forever to get back to sleep. The police stuck around outside for awhile, and some other people seemed to be hanging out, but it was hard to see because it was 2 in the morning. I'm not sure what was going on. But eventually I realized that I hadn't heard a sound for a little while and I assumed everyone had gone or went into their respective doors. And after a bit longer, I fell asleep.
Tonight, it's pouring rain and I love it. I like falling asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for sticking around!
~Meggy
Good news is that I am now prepared for this Saturday. The book club will begin this Saturday the 11th and this round will continue for four weeks. I explain what to do at the first meeting, which is this Saturday, but for now, get your book and get excited!!!
Also, my new blog is close to being "launchable." I'm not totally happy with it, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to move over there before it's totally done and allow it to be a work in progress. Reluctantly, I asked my boyfriend for a photo shoot – because I don't like being photographed and he loves photography – and so we spent part of Sunday shooting a camera at me, and it was actually kind of fun. He's being looking through the photos and found some good ones, so those will be going up on the website soon. I am breaking the barrier between me and you! You shall truly get to know what I look like. (Even sound like…??????)
In other news? Um…. If you're into knitting, check out this page and knit with me! "Knitting Thursday" every, well, Thursday.
Story time:
So last night, I woke up to loud music and talking just before 1:30 AM. It was clearly coming from the vicinity of my black neighbors – I say black neighbors because, well, they're black. Which distinguishes them from my other neighbors. They don't live in my apartment complex, but in the apartments on the next property over. They tend to talk very loudly and shout often. I've been afraid to approach them because they seem so unfriendly…. But last night, they were making a ton of noise. Or visitors of theirs were. I didn't want to get up to check. I rolled over and hoped to get back to sleep. But finally, car doors slammed and the noise quieted. But then my neighbors – husband and wife I assume – continued to talk and yell at each other the only way they know how. And it was 1:30 in the morning. She seemed to deliberately provoke him – she must be a very unhappy person or just really grumpy at 1:30 in the morning – and I sympathize.
Finally – I didn't hear the car pull up but I heard the voices over the radio. Almost 2 AM and, I checked, the police had pulled up. It almost instantly got quieter, although you could hear them still yelling at each other from inside their apartment.
Whew! What a night. Took me forever to get back to sleep. The police stuck around outside for awhile, and some other people seemed to be hanging out, but it was hard to see because it was 2 in the morning. I'm not sure what was going on. But eventually I realized that I hadn't heard a sound for a little while and I assumed everyone had gone or went into their respective doors. And after a bit longer, I fell asleep.
Tonight, it's pouring rain and I love it. I like falling asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for sticking around!
~Meggy
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Some notes on Murder in the Cathedral
(play by T.S. Eliot)
This play tells the story of Thomas Becket's martyrdom, and is about temptation to avoid unpleasant things and, moreover, Christian mourning and joy.
This is an easy read as plays go and I recommend it. You may take note:
Chorus: These women are poor folk who relish being left to themselves. Ever since the archbishop (Thomas) left, they have largely been allowed to sort of settle into a spiritual lukewarmness. They dread Thomas' return because they know they won't be able to remain neutral.
Messenger: knows that there is neither war nor peace, but expects this "peace" will not last
First Priest: He is fully aware of the proud nature of both the king and the archbishop; he is afraid for the archbishop and for the Church and worries that the people will "forget" their friend the archbishop
Second Priest: has all his faith in the archbishop; he wondered what the archbishop could be doing in France and what good it could do; he is glad the archbishop has returned and believes the answer lies with him
Third Priest: He seems to be the wisest; he says the least; he sees the inevitable downfalls of temporal government; he recognizes that the king and the archbishop are like "the hammer and the anvil", and he knows that something must happen, be it good or bad - it cannot remain unresolved
Comparing the Priests: The first is perhaps the least trusting in God of the three. The second, on the other hand, has misplaced his trust. He trusts that the archbishop will come out victorious. He can almost see the archbishop conquering the king, coming out of the battle carrying a banner, victorious! The third, those the wisest, lacks joy and seems to lack hope. He does not know how things will end, but he know that will go one way or another.
First Tempter: He is worldly; he thinks of comfort and easy living without strife against something; he tempts Thomas with the familiarity that he once had with the king; he proposes a sort of compromising of values
Second Tempter: thinks that the archbishop should accept the Chancellorship again, resigning his current spiritual position, in order to be of more influence to the poor, etc.; he tempts Thomas to value worldly power over the greater spiritual responsibilities that he now possesses
Third Tempter: He obviously has a political agenda; he sounds like a politician; notice that he represents barons and tempts Thomas to allegiance against the king
Fourth Tempter: notice that Thomas did not expect this one, making it the most dangerous; pretends to think just as Thomas thinks; notice he quotes Thomas' words, making them seem to say what the tempter wants them to say; asserts that Thomas was right to avoid those temptations: if you want glory, be a martyr; he tempts Thomas to accept martyrdom for his own glory
As the play goes on, we see that all three priests stand on the same ground - they are scared, they fear for the archbishop, and despite their earlier attitudes, they all urge Thomas to do the same thing.
This play tells the story of Thomas Becket's martyrdom, and is about temptation to avoid unpleasant things and, moreover, Christian mourning and joy.
This is an easy read as plays go and I recommend it. You may take note:
Chorus: These women are poor folk who relish being left to themselves. Ever since the archbishop (Thomas) left, they have largely been allowed to sort of settle into a spiritual lukewarmness. They dread Thomas' return because they know they won't be able to remain neutral.
Messenger: knows that there is neither war nor peace, but expects this "peace" will not last
First Priest: He is fully aware of the proud nature of both the king and the archbishop; he is afraid for the archbishop and for the Church and worries that the people will "forget" their friend the archbishop
Second Priest: has all his faith in the archbishop; he wondered what the archbishop could be doing in France and what good it could do; he is glad the archbishop has returned and believes the answer lies with him
Third Priest: He seems to be the wisest; he says the least; he sees the inevitable downfalls of temporal government; he recognizes that the king and the archbishop are like "the hammer and the anvil", and he knows that something must happen, be it good or bad - it cannot remain unresolved
Comparing the Priests: The first is perhaps the least trusting in God of the three. The second, on the other hand, has misplaced his trust. He trusts that the archbishop will come out victorious. He can almost see the archbishop conquering the king, coming out of the battle carrying a banner, victorious! The third, those the wisest, lacks joy and seems to lack hope. He does not know how things will end, but he know that will go one way or another.
First Tempter: He is worldly; he thinks of comfort and easy living without strife against something; he tempts Thomas with the familiarity that he once had with the king; he proposes a sort of compromising of values
Second Tempter: thinks that the archbishop should accept the Chancellorship again, resigning his current spiritual position, in order to be of more influence to the poor, etc.; he tempts Thomas to value worldly power over the greater spiritual responsibilities that he now possesses
Third Tempter: He obviously has a political agenda; he sounds like a politician; notice that he represents barons and tempts Thomas to allegiance against the king
Fourth Tempter: notice that Thomas did not expect this one, making it the most dangerous; pretends to think just as Thomas thinks; notice he quotes Thomas' words, making them seem to say what the tempter wants them to say; asserts that Thomas was right to avoid those temptations: if you want glory, be a martyr; he tempts Thomas to accept martyrdom for his own glory
As the play goes on, we see that all three priests stand on the same ground - they are scared, they fear for the archbishop, and despite their earlier attitudes, they all urge Thomas to do the same thing.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wuthering Heights
Yikes! Freaky story. Seriously freaky. http://juvenilepalaver.forumotion.net/ is doing a book club study on it, but man, where to begin??? This is a book of a different color and, believe me, I have no idea how to review it.
It's a rather pessimistic story, and all told by a servant who related it to the "narrator", or the "writer" Mr. Lockwood. At the end, I'm stuck looking back for a hero or some feeling of satisfaction, but I can find none. In the end, things are set to rights, but at what cost? And was it worth it? Was the ending really satisfactory? The reader goes through the lives of several characters and when all is said and done, the story is about Heathcliff, but, to the reader's disappointment, life never looks up for him. Even at his happiest, his happiness falls short of real happiness and the reader is left hanging, waiting for him to really be happy. On the one hand, the story was about cruel reality; on the other hand, it's repulsively pessimistic.
The writing style, literary techniques, and faithfulness to character are compelling but, like many others, I'm stuck wondering - ................????
Any thoughts?
~Meggy
It's a rather pessimistic story, and all told by a servant who related it to the "narrator", or the "writer" Mr. Lockwood. At the end, I'm stuck looking back for a hero or some feeling of satisfaction, but I can find none. In the end, things are set to rights, but at what cost? And was it worth it? Was the ending really satisfactory? The reader goes through the lives of several characters and when all is said and done, the story is about Heathcliff, but, to the reader's disappointment, life never looks up for him. Even at his happiest, his happiness falls short of real happiness and the reader is left hanging, waiting for him to really be happy. On the one hand, the story was about cruel reality; on the other hand, it's repulsively pessimistic.
The writing style, literary techniques, and faithfulness to character are compelling but, like many others, I'm stuck wondering - ................????
Any thoughts?
~Meggy
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Necessity for a Hero/Heroine in a Story (Warning: Mature and Controversial Content)
I've only watched Glee twice - I was pleasantly disappointed. That is, I was disappointed in myself for wanting to see it the second time, but I was also disappointed in the TV show - which I was glad to find since I had expected that.
Of course, it's set in a high school, and high school students are hardly perfect. There was suggestive content - which is perhaps the only reason that immediately kept me from watching it a third time. (More about that later.) The actions of the characters make it appear as though the one biggest goal is sex - and I've found no evidence to contradict this.
The first episode was about a gay kid named Kurt (or so I remember) and his struggles as his dad fights with death in a hospital bed. Kurt doesn't believe in God, but apparently many of his friends in his club do and they attempt to bring him religion to give him hope and strength. But he wants nothing to do with that, and of course the obstacle of his homosexuality is part of his battle with God. Some of the other kids sing songs about God, hoping to convince and give him hope. But of course, this draws the hatred of one of the teachers, who enlists Kurt to help her stop the "preaching". In the end, one of the girls tell Kurt, "I know you don't believe in God, and that okay - to each his own. But you've got to believe in something...." In the end, Kurt decides he believes in the relationship between him and his dad - and his dad survives. In a beautiful turn of events, the teacher backs off and the students sing "One of Us." Although there were parts that could have been left out, I was surprised to find that they covered this fascinating topic, which is why I went back for more the next week.
The next one was about homosexuality and sex and selfishness - period. A girl that apparently swings both ways makes out with a boy in a wheelchair and hurts his feelings when he finds out that sex means nothing to her - although the step meant everything to him. A new boy transfers to their school and Kurt partners up with him to sing a duet - Kurt hopes he's gay but it turns out he's not, and that leaves hurt feelings. Girls become partners, even though they usually hate each other, in an attempt to come up with the best duet. A couple decide to sing something offensive because they "know" they'll win, but they don't want to knock the new boy out before some big competition thing that I didn't understand (probably the point of the whole show). A girl tells Kurt that even though he's lonely, he's not alone, and hey - they're going to get to the finals because of his talent - he accepts this with pride. Yes, although emotionally involving and attractive, it has no hero to speak of and so a viewer must then make one for himself, resulting in emotionally constipated and selfish and making out teenagers becoming role models for our lives. I can't and will not watch something like that.
I have the same problem with Harry Potter. While some are concerned about the cult aspects that have affected kids around the world, I am more concerned with the fact that the heroes and heroine - Harry, Ron, and Hermione - all all screwy in the head! That isn't to say that they don't have their moments, but Harry's always shooting off about the pressures and Ron's always jealous and impulsive and Hermione is proud and loud. There are great novels in which the protagonists are jerks and, through the trials of life, they change. This, so far as I can see, does not happen. Even Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of all time, turned out to be whack. There isn't a hero among them! Again! an emotionally constipated and prideful young man becomes our hero - and this because he kills someone! Understandably, Lord Voldemort had it coming to him and I don't claim that Harry shouldn't have done what he did - even so, he is our hero because he seeks to kill someone. There is no other reason; he is not moral or a role model, and just because he is perhaps more level headed than his two companions at times is not enough cause for admiration. He destroys a man - an evil man, yes - but a man all the same, and that is why we idolize Harry Potter. I claim that J.K. Rowling failed in writing an epic masterpiece.
~Meggy
Of course, it's set in a high school, and high school students are hardly perfect. There was suggestive content - which is perhaps the only reason that immediately kept me from watching it a third time. (More about that later.) The actions of the characters make it appear as though the one biggest goal is sex - and I've found no evidence to contradict this.
The first episode was about a gay kid named Kurt (or so I remember) and his struggles as his dad fights with death in a hospital bed. Kurt doesn't believe in God, but apparently many of his friends in his club do and they attempt to bring him religion to give him hope and strength. But he wants nothing to do with that, and of course the obstacle of his homosexuality is part of his battle with God. Some of the other kids sing songs about God, hoping to convince and give him hope. But of course, this draws the hatred of one of the teachers, who enlists Kurt to help her stop the "preaching". In the end, one of the girls tell Kurt, "I know you don't believe in God, and that okay - to each his own. But you've got to believe in something...." In the end, Kurt decides he believes in the relationship between him and his dad - and his dad survives. In a beautiful turn of events, the teacher backs off and the students sing "One of Us." Although there were parts that could have been left out, I was surprised to find that they covered this fascinating topic, which is why I went back for more the next week.
The next one was about homosexuality and sex and selfishness - period. A girl that apparently swings both ways makes out with a boy in a wheelchair and hurts his feelings when he finds out that sex means nothing to her - although the step meant everything to him. A new boy transfers to their school and Kurt partners up with him to sing a duet - Kurt hopes he's gay but it turns out he's not, and that leaves hurt feelings. Girls become partners, even though they usually hate each other, in an attempt to come up with the best duet. A couple decide to sing something offensive because they "know" they'll win, but they don't want to knock the new boy out before some big competition thing that I didn't understand (probably the point of the whole show). A girl tells Kurt that even though he's lonely, he's not alone, and hey - they're going to get to the finals because of his talent - he accepts this with pride. Yes, although emotionally involving and attractive, it has no hero to speak of and so a viewer must then make one for himself, resulting in emotionally constipated and selfish and making out teenagers becoming role models for our lives. I can't and will not watch something like that.
I have the same problem with Harry Potter. While some are concerned about the cult aspects that have affected kids around the world, I am more concerned with the fact that the heroes and heroine - Harry, Ron, and Hermione - all all screwy in the head! That isn't to say that they don't have their moments, but Harry's always shooting off about the pressures and Ron's always jealous and impulsive and Hermione is proud and loud. There are great novels in which the protagonists are jerks and, through the trials of life, they change. This, so far as I can see, does not happen. Even Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of all time, turned out to be whack. There isn't a hero among them! Again! an emotionally constipated and prideful young man becomes our hero - and this because he kills someone! Understandably, Lord Voldemort had it coming to him and I don't claim that Harry shouldn't have done what he did - even so, he is our hero because he seeks to kill someone. There is no other reason; he is not moral or a role model, and just because he is perhaps more level headed than his two companions at times is not enough cause for admiration. He destroys a man - an evil man, yes - but a man all the same, and that is why we idolize Harry Potter. I claim that J.K. Rowling failed in writing an epic masterpiece.
~Meggy
Monday, April 25, 2011
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
Have you ever read the play by Robert Bolt which he titled A Man for All Seasons? I think it's quite good, although Robert Bolt's comprehension of the situation was somewhat lacking, since he was not Roman Catholic and so couldn't understand what Thomas More stood for, nor what England was breaking away from. I think this gives Bolt an impersonal and unbiased place to stand, not being Catholic but admiring More all the same. King Henry VIII's motives were obviously not noble, honorable, or applaudable - there were many ways he could have produced an heir besides illegally remarrying. Catherine, his first wife, had a daughter afterall. I suppose that could have still caused an uproar, but his actions in place of this caused an uproar even still.
~Meggy
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