Reading Old Yeller falls in line with a goal of mine which is to read the old classics that I had somehow missed. I've found some real gems like The Old Man and the Sea and Fahrenheit 451.
A short quick read at 198 pages, Old Yeller is a solid boy and his dog story. What differentiates it from the other boy/dog stories is Gipson's knack for language that gives it a certain authenticity to its era, while at the same time providing insight into the tough life of families on the frontier from the view of a youth transitioning to manhood. The novel shows how a young teenager would have to be competent at many roles, hunter, farmer, carpenter, among others to ensure his family's survival.
The book also gave me some insight into the resiliency of life on the frontier. For example, I'm currently recovering from the flu. To get better, I had the fortune to visit a doctor six blocks away and pick up a prescription two blocks away.
Living on the frontier, a mother had to know how to draw out a fever and which plants could be turned into a poultice that could suck out an infection, and while taking care of sick or injured children or husband, she'd have to take over the men's chores until they or he got better, otherwise it wouldn't get done.
I recommend Old Yeller for any age as a short quick and interesting read.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Book Review: Angels & Demons
Angels & Demons was good escapist fiction. Black-hearted villains, a damsel in distress, a reluctant hero, a mystery, and a smattering of red-herrings. It wasn't a high literary novel in terms of the writing, but Dan Brown knows how to end a chapter, keep a book moving, and develop some good characters.
As with The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown found a historical myth and launched it into a conspiracy story involving the Roman Catholic Church. Unlike in the Da Vinci Code where the novel's historical premise centered on debunking one of the basic tenets of faith for Catholics, hence their protest of the movie, Angels and Demons' historical premise was based on the age-old battle between science and religion.
So far, my favorite Dan Brown book is The Da Vinci Code.
As with The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown found a historical myth and launched it into a conspiracy story involving the Roman Catholic Church. Unlike in the Da Vinci Code where the novel's historical premise centered on debunking one of the basic tenets of faith for Catholics, hence their protest of the movie, Angels and Demons' historical premise was based on the age-old battle between science and religion.
So far, my favorite Dan Brown book is The Da Vinci Code.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Book Review: Mockingjay
I found Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins to be a very different book from the first two novels in The Hunger Games Trilogy.
The critical difference was Peeta wasn't in the first half of the novel. Peeta and Katniss great relationship that Suzanne Collins created is what kept me addicted to the first two novels (along with the great chapter cliffhangers). Unfortunately, Katniss' relationship with the other principal characters, Gale, Coin, Haymitch, Finnick, etc., couldn't keep me engaged in the first half of the novel. Considering Katniss kept saying she felt out of it or disconnected, so did I as a reader. My son gave up after 50 pages. I almost gave up after 100.
Once Peeta played a more prominent role in the novel, the energy returned and I finished the rest in two days.
But I was very disappointed by how bleak, dark, and violent it became. I'm not sure how Mockingjay can be considered a teen novel. The violence really did get horrific.
It shows the worst in people and instead of not knowing who to root for, I was begging for at least one positive thing to happen in the book--anything.
I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, but the third was too dark for me.
The critical difference was Peeta wasn't in the first half of the novel. Peeta and Katniss great relationship that Suzanne Collins created is what kept me addicted to the first two novels (along with the great chapter cliffhangers). Unfortunately, Katniss' relationship with the other principal characters, Gale, Coin, Haymitch, Finnick, etc., couldn't keep me engaged in the first half of the novel. Considering Katniss kept saying she felt out of it or disconnected, so did I as a reader. My son gave up after 50 pages. I almost gave up after 100.
Once Peeta played a more prominent role in the novel, the energy returned and I finished the rest in two days.
But I was very disappointed by how bleak, dark, and violent it became. I'm not sure how Mockingjay can be considered a teen novel. The violence really did get horrific.
It shows the worst in people and instead of not knowing who to root for, I was begging for at least one positive thing to happen in the book--anything.
I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, but the third was too dark for me.
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