June 21, 2012
Animal Farm. Not sure what to say about this. Most kids read this stuff in middle or high school but I did not. So I wonder what all the hype is about. Well it’s a good enough book. I like the metaphor but I sorta didn’t completely get it OR I am makingmore out of it than I need to. It’s simply this; animals took over the farm and because of many shifty techniques the animals in charge convinced those suffering from the change were doing the right thing in fact brainwashing them into thinking all sorts ofcrazy things. I bet for the time period it was written for it was powerful. An embarrassing reality check on the very behavior they displayed in complete ignorance. Believing something heart and soul without questioning and it progressed to the point wherebetrayal was punishable by death. A few times I felt like was nearly watching a horror movie because you can see the badness develop and the ignorant response to it. That’s a new feeling for me. Something like barnyard animals eliciting a horror like feelinghas Stephen King written all over it. It’s a very short read so give it a shot if you have not. Then when your jr high children read it you can say you have also read it! Low and behold there IS a movie……..I think out of morbid curiosity I may have to check it out!!! http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Farm/dp/B004ADD9UG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1340304366&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=animal+farm+movie
Have you seen it? Read it? Did I completely miss something???
June 21, 2012
I completed ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and it was Go-od! I am intrigued with the era of the depression and this book aligned well with my interest. It’s simplistic and captures the slowness of the world then. The leisureness of it all and the deep rootedsouthern philosophies woven in nicely and it’s an interesting story. That or Sissy Spacek as the narrator was so soothing to listen to I just got lost in her voice and didn’t process much of the story.
To be sure, I rented the movie. It was good! I can see why they chose Gregory Peck to play Atticus. His VOICE! He’s like the dude who narrates the stuff at the movie theatre..his voice is wonderful. Sean Connery, the dude from the All State commercialsand Jeremy Irons also slip into this category for me.
Watch it or read it. It’s very good. LANGUAGE….consider yourself warned. It’s not swear words but the racial tension for its time in the deep south definitely comes out. If you offend by this, might want to pass up but remember, for its time it’s a testamentto the lives lived back then. It’s for this reason I would overlook the words use but also cringe at the same time.
More about the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056592/
More about the book/story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird
June 9, 2012
The summer reading program has kicked off in our wonderful little down and I always enjoy the program. This year is slightly different in that we have lots and lots of baseball games to attend so a few of the events we will miss, but the program is nevertheless wonderful!!! I listen to books and read them. So I will have 2 going usually at the same time. For the first book of the program I chose to listen to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. I never saw the movie nor have I ever read the book or much less know what it is about. Being however, that it is a classic, I went for it. If I hate it I can trade it in for something better.
I love it. I wonder why I’ve never read it before. Sissy Spacek is reading it and her slow, winding southern accent is relaxing and soothing and makes the story somehow more real. If you have not read this, DO IT DO IT DO IT!!! It’s a good one. A sign of its times. There is offensive language, I won’t lie. The use of the N word always bothers me because of the hate it’s wrapped in, but it is an accurate portrayal of the misguided world of that time. It’s unfortunate but it is in there. If you have problems with this might wanna pass this up but you may also miss out. Something to ponder.
I am thinking this might be a summer of the classics. There are a few I have read and enjoyed but I think this is a genre that I’ve yet to really, fully dabble in. Any recommendations for me? I want to try Animal Farm because it sounds very interesting and I want to see what all the hype is about Huck Finn!!!! I wonder if it’s a language issue. Thoughts? What’s you readin’ this summa!?
Animal Farm: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7613.Animal_Farm
PS, I stumbled onto goodreads.com. Where has THIS been all my adult life!!! It’s the Netflix of the book world, except you do not order or receive books over the mail. I wish you could but I love our local library so much I couldn’t do that. J Check it out! you can rate books, make lists, share lists and get recommendations for books and reviews. It’s loaded!!!
Karen
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