Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Book of General Ignorance
The Book of General Ignorance is a very compelling book written by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. At the name of the title I knew I was going to be thoroughly intrigued with this book. The book is mainly about common misconceptions that the average person sees as common knowledge. This book sets out to set the record for a wide range of common questions that would normally seem to be “no brainers”. These 230 random questions that are designed and set up in no particular order. This book has no chapters, just questions then a thorough and detailed description of why the real answer is the way it is and how the general public began to believe differently. This book also wants to explain how these many urban myths and random misconceptions came to be about. This book is a great prerequisite to any game of trivia around the house, any game show, or even just to show off with peers. Revealing these relearned facts is not only fun and entertaining but also very humorous and you don’t feel like you are learning at all! The Book of General Ignorance totally goes against all prior knowledge of 230 subjects that you have acquired in a lifetime. I was completely dumbfounded by almost every one of these new facts and was ready to share them with everyone. Ever think the tallest mountain in the world was Mt. Everest
My Booky Wook by Russell Brand
My Booky Wook is a memoir written by English comedian and actor, Russell Brand. Brand is very well known in the UK. He achieved mainstream fame by hosting his own BBC Radio show that became an instant phenomenon. He is probably the most well known in the US for his role in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I have been a huge fan of Russell Brand for a few years. His British humor is one that can make nearly anyone laugh. I first discovered this book when I was watching E News one evening a few weeks ago. A small clip of Russell came on urging everyone to read his new memoir, My Booky Wook. I found the title of his book very interesting. It was childish, yet witty, and it was just the title Russell brand would name his life story. The book seemed interesting enough, so I soon bought it. As I began reading, I was very surprised to find that Russell’s younger years were not as glamorous as his life is today.
Brand shares his past with anyone who is willing to listen. He was born in the small county of Essex, located in the East of England. His story begins when he mentions that even before he was born, his parent’s relationship was heading downhill, and they were bound for divorce. Three months after his birth, Russell’s father left his mother to care for their child by herself. Russell’s mother was diagnosed with cancer several years later. To add to Russell’s pain, his mother began dating a man named Collin soon after she was cured of her illness, whom Russell was not very fond of. Brand suffered from bulimia in his early teenage years. His mother suffered from cancer a second time, but was again cured. He soon began hanging out with the wrong crowd and took up the habits of drinking later followed by a heavy drug addiction. Russell has been arrested numerous times, and he has had to struggle with his mother being diagnosed with cancer several times. Russell found relief from his problems when he took up acting. He loved the feeling of being on stage, and was soon admitted to a prestigious drama school in England. His love for acting stemmed into what his life has now become. Russell is very successful, and he truly uses what he has learned from his childhood to shape his career today.
Brand is very inspiring in that he struggled throughout his childhood, but he used laughter as a solution to his problems. I learned so much about my favorite comedian that I never knew before. I still am curious as to how Russell has such a great sense of humor. He never mentions looking up to any comedians or actors as I child, so I am still eager to find out who inspired him. Nonetheless, reading My Booky Wook made me appreciate every joke that he tells today all the more. I recommend this book to anyone that loves to laugh. To those who have not yet heard of him, I suggest watching some of his comedy performances on YouTube. Even as a Russell fan, I wasn’t sure if I would like reading someone’s life story, but he tells his story in a very easy to read manner. I was skeptical, having never read an autobiography, that it would read as a, “then this happened, and then this,” rhythm. Brand manages to seamlessly weave in and out of his memories without confusing the reader. I especially loved how Brand wrote this book almost in a Huck Finn manner. Each sentence is written in his vernacular, so much so that I could hear his colorful, English accent from cover to cover. His humor and charm transfer very well onto paper. I think the book’s greatest strength is how he openly and knowingly describes all of the most questionable and regrettable moments of his life. Brand is brave enough to publish some of his most personal experiences out in the open, without caring what others will think of him. Russell is brimming with literary talent as he puts things into words most couldn’t describe, and he cleverly uses a plethora of metaphors throughout his novel. His conversational tone keeps the story fast paced, and there is never a dull moment in the life of Russell Brand.
Brand shares his past with anyone who is willing to listen. He was born in the small county of Essex, located in the East of England. His story begins when he mentions that even before he was born, his parent’s relationship was heading downhill, and they were bound for divorce. Three months after his birth, Russell’s father left his mother to care for their child by herself. Russell’s mother was diagnosed with cancer several years later. To add to Russell’s pain, his mother began dating a man named Collin soon after she was cured of her illness, whom Russell was not very fond of. Brand suffered from bulimia in his early teenage years. His mother suffered from cancer a second time, but was again cured. He soon began hanging out with the wrong crowd and took up the habits of drinking later followed by a heavy drug addiction. Russell has been arrested numerous times, and he has had to struggle with his mother being diagnosed with cancer several times. Russell found relief from his problems when he took up acting. He loved the feeling of being on stage, and was soon admitted to a prestigious drama school in England. His love for acting stemmed into what his life has now become. Russell is very successful, and he truly uses what he has learned from his childhood to shape his career today.
Brand is very inspiring in that he struggled throughout his childhood, but he used laughter as a solution to his problems. I learned so much about my favorite comedian that I never knew before. I still am curious as to how Russell has such a great sense of humor. He never mentions looking up to any comedians or actors as I child, so I am still eager to find out who inspired him. Nonetheless, reading My Booky Wook made me appreciate every joke that he tells today all the more. I recommend this book to anyone that loves to laugh. To those who have not yet heard of him, I suggest watching some of his comedy performances on YouTube. Even as a Russell fan, I wasn’t sure if I would like reading someone’s life story, but he tells his story in a very easy to read manner. I was skeptical, having never read an autobiography, that it would read as a, “then this happened, and then this,” rhythm. Brand manages to seamlessly weave in and out of his memories without confusing the reader. I especially loved how Brand wrote this book almost in a Huck Finn manner. Each sentence is written in his vernacular, so much so that I could hear his colorful, English accent from cover to cover. His humor and charm transfer very well onto paper. I think the book’s greatest strength is how he openly and knowingly describes all of the most questionable and regrettable moments of his life. Brand is brave enough to publish some of his most personal experiences out in the open, without caring what others will think of him. Russell is brimming with literary talent as he puts things into words most couldn’t describe, and he cleverly uses a plethora of metaphors throughout his novel. His conversational tone keeps the story fast paced, and there is never a dull moment in the life of Russell Brand.
"The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom
The novel, "The Hiding Place", is an amazing story of a Christian woman who hides Jews during the Holocaust. She and her father open their home to fugitive Jews, and do their best to save their lives. The author and main character, Corrie Ten Boom, tells her story of terror, faith, and prayer to show how devastating the time of the Holocaust really was. The novel is a true story, and Ten Boom has lived to deliver inspiring speeches all over the world to tell about her experience. In the novel, the author portrays life as it was in that time, and what they had to do at their home in order to keep the Jews safe. The Ten Boom residence remains safe and undiscovered as a Jewish hiding place for most of the novel. The sad thing is that the Jews in the house are finally discovered and most are sent to concentration or death camps. Most of the ones that were hiding at the Ten Boom residence were sent to Aushwitz, which was the most severe and terrifying death camp that Hitler established in that time.
The novel shows all the horrible things that the Jews had to go through, and what they were forced to do even in order to keep themselves safe. In the hiding place at the Ten Boom's, they had to perform practice drills in case the house was searched by the Nazi soldiers. In some cases, there were secret places to hide in bookcases, walls, and even in the floors. In the story, it seemed as if the Jews staying in the house always had to worry and never had a chance to slow down and enjoy themselves. I would have felt the same way and done the same things if I had been in that awful situation. There was one thing in the novel that the Jews could enjoy. That was that whenever there was a Nazi drill that they hid away in a certain time limit, they would be rewarded with cream puffs.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the way it was written portrayed the Holocaust in a very accurate way. I guess it would because it is a true story. I admire Corrie Ten Boom because she was a selfless Christian woman who opened up her home to Jews who were saved for the time being. I think that she taught the Jews to have faith that God would protect them, and that He would save them from anything that they could not handle. I also admire the author because she sacrificed her home, time, money, and even safety for these people who had no other choice but to die. It is harsh and cruel, but that is how that time was, and no one could do anything about it. I enjoyed the book because it was interesting to read about and learn the way that Jews dealt with their situation, and how they were helped by others who did not have to worry as much about the devastation.
The true story of Corrie Ten Boom illustrates that even in terrible and hard times, faith can bring a person through. I love the perseverance and faith of Ten Boom throughout the novel. She has lived to inspire many other people with her speeches across the world. I would love to have listened to one of her speeches, and to have known what it was like to live in such danger and fear of being taken and possibly killed in the near future, even though she was not a Jew herself. The novel, "The Hiding Place", portrays the Holocaust as a terrifying time in which a Christian woman perseveres and gives up her life in order to save someone else.
The novel shows all the horrible things that the Jews had to go through, and what they were forced to do even in order to keep themselves safe. In the hiding place at the Ten Boom's, they had to perform practice drills in case the house was searched by the Nazi soldiers. In some cases, there were secret places to hide in bookcases, walls, and even in the floors. In the story, it seemed as if the Jews staying in the house always had to worry and never had a chance to slow down and enjoy themselves. I would have felt the same way and done the same things if I had been in that awful situation. There was one thing in the novel that the Jews could enjoy. That was that whenever there was a Nazi drill that they hid away in a certain time limit, they would be rewarded with cream puffs.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the way it was written portrayed the Holocaust in a very accurate way. I guess it would because it is a true story. I admire Corrie Ten Boom because she was a selfless Christian woman who opened up her home to Jews who were saved for the time being. I think that she taught the Jews to have faith that God would protect them, and that He would save them from anything that they could not handle. I also admire the author because she sacrificed her home, time, money, and even safety for these people who had no other choice but to die. It is harsh and cruel, but that is how that time was, and no one could do anything about it. I enjoyed the book because it was interesting to read about and learn the way that Jews dealt with their situation, and how they were helped by others who did not have to worry as much about the devastation.
The true story of Corrie Ten Boom illustrates that even in terrible and hard times, faith can bring a person through. I love the perseverance and faith of Ten Boom throughout the novel. She has lived to inspire many other people with her speeches across the world. I would love to have listened to one of her speeches, and to have known what it was like to live in such danger and fear of being taken and possibly killed in the near future, even though she was not a Jew herself. The novel, "The Hiding Place", portrays the Holocaust as a terrifying time in which a Christian woman perseveres and gives up her life in order to save someone else.
A Time of Angels by Karen Hesse.
A Time of Angels
A Time of Angels, written by Karen Hesse is an incredible book, in my opinion of course. My friend’s think it is unusual to why a novel like this is one of my favorites because of the genre section it “fits”. A Time of Angels is a novel of magic realism and fantasy.
A Time of Angels takes place in 1918 in a two-month period, September through November. A Time of Angels, is a novel about a fourteen-year-old American- Jewish teenage girl named Hannah Gold and her two younger sisters, Libbie and Eve Gold. Hannah and her sister’s move to Boston and live with their Aunt Tanta Rose and her mean friend Vashti in a crowded apartment complex. Hannah stays with her aunt in Boston awaiting her parents to return; her mom captured in Europe, and her dad fighting in the war against Germany.
Quickly, the influenza epidemic struck in her town, meaning that no one is safe from this quick spreading sickness. Sooner than intended, Tanta Rose, Libbie, and Eve get the influenza. When Tanta Rose dies, Hannah is sent away to her cousin’s house in Albany to get away from the influenza.
As Hannah is leaving town, she is helped getting onto the train by a girl with violet eyes (which later on she realizes is an angel). Hannah catches the influenza on the train, and is taken to a Red Cross Hospital in Vermont.
She is then taken care of by an elderly man named Klaus Gerhard who she realizes is a German. At first, Hannah hesitates around Klaus because he is a German, but later on she outbreaks stereotypes and realizes that just because you are German or Russian doesn’t make you mean or nice, it‘s all about the person himself. She accepts Klaus as a German and begins to call him “Uncle” Klaus like he asks of her. “Uncle” Klaus takes care of her and gives her the strength to go back to her town to see Vashti and the other people in her old community. On the way there, the girl with violet eyes reappears and helps guide her on her way, and Hannah realizes that she is an angel.
Hannah has a bond with everyone by the end of the novel, even Vashti. In addition, when Hannah goes back to her town Vashti, Libbie, and Eve are all alive.
This novel is at the top of my list for recommendations. A Time of Angels shows and helps you realize the importance of family and close friends. It also shows how even a violet-eyed angel could help guide her and be with her in the times she needed it the most. The use of words Karen Hesse’s uses in her novel makes you feel like you are there, with Hannah going through obstacles and assistance. The struggle Hannah had when she made the decision of going back to her town or to stay in Vermont with “Uncle” Klaus, makes you want to be able to be there and be able to give them your opinion. This novel, once again, is one of my favorites and it would be one of the first books I would recommend for you to read.
-Hazar Rafkah
A Time of Angels, written by Karen Hesse is an incredible book, in my opinion of course. My friend’s think it is unusual to why a novel like this is one of my favorites because of the genre section it “fits”. A Time of Angels is a novel of magic realism and fantasy.
A Time of Angels takes place in 1918 in a two-month period, September through November. A Time of Angels, is a novel about a fourteen-year-old American- Jewish teenage girl named Hannah Gold and her two younger sisters, Libbie and Eve Gold. Hannah and her sister’s move to Boston and live with their Aunt Tanta Rose and her mean friend Vashti in a crowded apartment complex. Hannah stays with her aunt in Boston awaiting her parents to return; her mom captured in Europe, and her dad fighting in the war against Germany.
Quickly, the influenza epidemic struck in her town, meaning that no one is safe from this quick spreading sickness. Sooner than intended, Tanta Rose, Libbie, and Eve get the influenza. When Tanta Rose dies, Hannah is sent away to her cousin’s house in Albany to get away from the influenza.
As Hannah is leaving town, she is helped getting onto the train by a girl with violet eyes (which later on she realizes is an angel). Hannah catches the influenza on the train, and is taken to a Red Cross Hospital in Vermont.
She is then taken care of by an elderly man named Klaus Gerhard who she realizes is a German. At first, Hannah hesitates around Klaus because he is a German, but later on she outbreaks stereotypes and realizes that just because you are German or Russian doesn’t make you mean or nice, it‘s all about the person himself. She accepts Klaus as a German and begins to call him “Uncle” Klaus like he asks of her. “Uncle” Klaus takes care of her and gives her the strength to go back to her town to see Vashti and the other people in her old community. On the way there, the girl with violet eyes reappears and helps guide her on her way, and Hannah realizes that she is an angel.
Hannah has a bond with everyone by the end of the novel, even Vashti. In addition, when Hannah goes back to her town Vashti, Libbie, and Eve are all alive.
This novel is at the top of my list for recommendations. A Time of Angels shows and helps you realize the importance of family and close friends. It also shows how even a violet-eyed angel could help guide her and be with her in the times she needed it the most. The use of words Karen Hesse’s uses in her novel makes you feel like you are there, with Hannah going through obstacles and assistance. The struggle Hannah had when she made the decision of going back to her town or to stay in Vermont with “Uncle” Klaus, makes you want to be able to be there and be able to give them your opinion. This novel, once again, is one of my favorites and it would be one of the first books I would recommend for you to read.
-Hazar Rafkah
Twlight by Stephanie Meyer
Twilight is a fantastic novel that is quickly circulating among not only teenagers, but adults as well. Based on the idea of vampires, a blood thirsty crave is raving throughout the United States. Along with a movie based on Twilight that has just been released are 3 follow up novels titled New Moon, Breaking Dawn and Eclipse. A movie based on New Moon is scheduled to come out in the summer time.
Twilight is a story about an average teenage girl named Bella, who's parents are divorced and she lives with her mother in Phoenix, Arizona, while her father lives in Forks, Washington- the wetest and rainiest place on the planet. During the middle of her school year, her mother's new boyfriend, a rising professional baseball player, has to make trip to Florida for training for an unknown amount of time. Instead of deciding to go with them, Bella takes to staying with her father in Forks so her mother and her boyfriend can have some time alone together. When Bella gets to Forks, she is expecting to despise the place, considering she hates everything about it, especially then rain. Everyone at her new school in this small town knows about her and wants to be her friend. All except for her curious lab partner, Edward Cullen, a strikingly beautiful boy in a "clan" with other family members who are all equally gorgeous and distant from people. Bella can't seem to grasp why Edward doesn't like her when he doesnt even know her. But, one day she is almost killed in a car accident and Edward comes to her rescue and saves her life. From there on out, Edward seems to be popping up everywhere she is and keeping her out of dangerous situations. They become friends and eventually end up liking each other. After spending some time with Edward, Bella realizes some not-so-normal qualitites about him, such as: he never goes out in the sunlight, he's incredibly fast, incredibly strong, and unbelieveably pale. She figures out he is a vampire along with the rest of the family. But the two of them work through the struggle of their undying love for each other and the fact that Edward wants Bella's blood more than any human ever. Towards the end of the story, Bella is put in the way of a Tracker who is willing to kill Bella for her blood. In order to save her life, Edward's whole family chips in to whisk her out of Forks and lead the Tracker away. Then, the Tracker finds her mother and threatens to murder her if Bella doesn't agree to giving in to him. So she meets him in her old ballet studio and he bites her, but before he can do much damage, Edward shows up and fights and kills the Tracker. Then, Edward is forced to suck the venom out of Bella and saves her life once more.
Twlight is a captivating read and extremely hard to put down once you pick it up and I definitly reccommend it to anyone who is looking for something out of the ordinary but certainly interesting and relative to their own life.
Twilight is a story about an average teenage girl named Bella, who's parents are divorced and she lives with her mother in Phoenix, Arizona, while her father lives in Forks, Washington- the wetest and rainiest place on the planet. During the middle of her school year, her mother's new boyfriend, a rising professional baseball player, has to make trip to Florida for training for an unknown amount of time. Instead of deciding to go with them, Bella takes to staying with her father in Forks so her mother and her boyfriend can have some time alone together. When Bella gets to Forks, she is expecting to despise the place, considering she hates everything about it, especially then rain. Everyone at her new school in this small town knows about her and wants to be her friend. All except for her curious lab partner, Edward Cullen, a strikingly beautiful boy in a "clan" with other family members who are all equally gorgeous and distant from people. Bella can't seem to grasp why Edward doesn't like her when he doesnt even know her. But, one day she is almost killed in a car accident and Edward comes to her rescue and saves her life. From there on out, Edward seems to be popping up everywhere she is and keeping her out of dangerous situations. They become friends and eventually end up liking each other. After spending some time with Edward, Bella realizes some not-so-normal qualitites about him, such as: he never goes out in the sunlight, he's incredibly fast, incredibly strong, and unbelieveably pale. She figures out he is a vampire along with the rest of the family. But the two of them work through the struggle of their undying love for each other and the fact that Edward wants Bella's blood more than any human ever. Towards the end of the story, Bella is put in the way of a Tracker who is willing to kill Bella for her blood. In order to save her life, Edward's whole family chips in to whisk her out of Forks and lead the Tracker away. Then, the Tracker finds her mother and threatens to murder her if Bella doesn't agree to giving in to him. So she meets him in her old ballet studio and he bites her, but before he can do much damage, Edward shows up and fights and kills the Tracker. Then, Edward is forced to suck the venom out of Bella and saves her life once more.
Twlight is a captivating read and extremely hard to put down once you pick it up and I definitly reccommend it to anyone who is looking for something out of the ordinary but certainly interesting and relative to their own life.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
“The clouds I can handle but I can’t fight with an eclipse.”
I have always been an avid reader ever since the age of six when I finished my first book. From that point on, I have devoured an assortment of books written by a variety of different authors and hailing from all genres. I have read everything from Pride and Prejudice to Full Tilt to the Harry Potter series, but this year I came across an entirely original series – a series so enthralling that it became my obsession for nearly a month. Every spare minute I had I devoted to reading Stephenie Meyer’s captivating Twilight saga.
In this series, an ordinary teenage girl from Phoenix, Arizona, Bella Swan, decides in the middle of her junior year of high school to move to one of the rainiest places in the continental U.S., Forks, Washington, and live with her dad, Charlie. In this small dreary town, Bella meets Edward Cullen and his “family” who have a monstrous secret – they are vampires. However, Edward and his family are not your average bloodsucking monsters. They live peacefully amongst other humans; they come out during the day; and most importantly, they survive by only drinking the blood of animals. Bella and Edward soon develop an unconditional and irrevocable love, but when Edward feels he and his family are interfering with Bella’s chance at a normal life, he leaves, resulting in a painful separation for both of them. Bella seeks refuge for her broken heart in long-time family friend, Jacob Black. However, after developing a natural, laid-back relationship with Jacob, Bella unearths another secret – Jacob Black is a werewolf.
Despite Edward’s attempts to protect Bella’s mortality and soul through separation, the two cannot live without each other, but when Edward returns Bella’s relationships get complicated. Werewolves are the natural enemies of vampires and so Bella must face the hostility and tension that comes from having a werewolf for a best friend and a vampire for a soul mate. In Eclipse, Bella struggles to reconcile the two parts of her heart because although she is in love with Edward and knows that she cannot possibly live without him, she also knows she loves Jacob too. The obstacle Bella faces of choosing to live a life with either Edward or Jacob, knowing that whatever decision she makes will break a heart, is a central conflict in the novel.
The other main conflict Bella faces in this book is of a more dangerous and violent nature. In the first book of the series, Twilight, Bella’s life is threatened by a sadistic vampire named James who after a violent battle at a ballet studio in Bella’s hometown, is killed by the Cullen family. James’s mate, Victoria, out to avenge James’s death by killing Bella forms an army of newborn vampires to do the job. The Cullens see Victoria building this army through Alice’s, Edward’s “sister”, premonitions and realize their family of seven older and experienced vampires will be an equal match up with Victoria’s powerful but reckless army of twenty newborns. The Cullens would like to have the upper hand in their fight against Victoria and her army, so they call upon some of their other vampire friends to help them in the battle. But when no one can be persuaded to join the fight the Cullens must turn to their enemies, the Quileute werewolves, for assistance.
The one question I have regarding this novel is the comparison Meyer makes between the love triangle of Bella, Edward, and Jacob to one of literature’s most famous love triangles, that of Wuthering Heights’ Cathy, Heathcliff, and Edgar. Meyer explains her position on this comparison using dialogue between Edward and Bella and certain excerpts from Wuthering Heights. However, I was wondering if someone else had more insight to the comparison made between the two love triangles. I can see some similarities between the two characters, however, Bella and Cathy’s situations and stories are so different I am having a hard time seeing them side-by-side.
Overall, this book is a wonderful, engrossing novel full of romance, action, suspense, humor and any other qualities a well-written story should possess. I would recommend this novel to anyone. It is, in my opinion, the best novel of the Twilight series!
I have always been an avid reader ever since the age of six when I finished my first book. From that point on, I have devoured an assortment of books written by a variety of different authors and hailing from all genres. I have read everything from Pride and Prejudice to Full Tilt to the Harry Potter series, but this year I came across an entirely original series – a series so enthralling that it became my obsession for nearly a month. Every spare minute I had I devoted to reading Stephenie Meyer’s captivating Twilight saga.
In this series, an ordinary teenage girl from Phoenix, Arizona, Bella Swan, decides in the middle of her junior year of high school to move to one of the rainiest places in the continental U.S., Forks, Washington, and live with her dad, Charlie. In this small dreary town, Bella meets Edward Cullen and his “family” who have a monstrous secret – they are vampires. However, Edward and his family are not your average bloodsucking monsters. They live peacefully amongst other humans; they come out during the day; and most importantly, they survive by only drinking the blood of animals. Bella and Edward soon develop an unconditional and irrevocable love, but when Edward feels he and his family are interfering with Bella’s chance at a normal life, he leaves, resulting in a painful separation for both of them. Bella seeks refuge for her broken heart in long-time family friend, Jacob Black. However, after developing a natural, laid-back relationship with Jacob, Bella unearths another secret – Jacob Black is a werewolf.
Despite Edward’s attempts to protect Bella’s mortality and soul through separation, the two cannot live without each other, but when Edward returns Bella’s relationships get complicated. Werewolves are the natural enemies of vampires and so Bella must face the hostility and tension that comes from having a werewolf for a best friend and a vampire for a soul mate. In Eclipse, Bella struggles to reconcile the two parts of her heart because although she is in love with Edward and knows that she cannot possibly live without him, she also knows she loves Jacob too. The obstacle Bella faces of choosing to live a life with either Edward or Jacob, knowing that whatever decision she makes will break a heart, is a central conflict in the novel.
The other main conflict Bella faces in this book is of a more dangerous and violent nature. In the first book of the series, Twilight, Bella’s life is threatened by a sadistic vampire named James who after a violent battle at a ballet studio in Bella’s hometown, is killed by the Cullen family. James’s mate, Victoria, out to avenge James’s death by killing Bella forms an army of newborn vampires to do the job. The Cullens see Victoria building this army through Alice’s, Edward’s “sister”, premonitions and realize their family of seven older and experienced vampires will be an equal match up with Victoria’s powerful but reckless army of twenty newborns. The Cullens would like to have the upper hand in their fight against Victoria and her army, so they call upon some of their other vampire friends to help them in the battle. But when no one can be persuaded to join the fight the Cullens must turn to their enemies, the Quileute werewolves, for assistance.
The one question I have regarding this novel is the comparison Meyer makes between the love triangle of Bella, Edward, and Jacob to one of literature’s most famous love triangles, that of Wuthering Heights’ Cathy, Heathcliff, and Edgar. Meyer explains her position on this comparison using dialogue between Edward and Bella and certain excerpts from Wuthering Heights. However, I was wondering if someone else had more insight to the comparison made between the two love triangles. I can see some similarities between the two characters, however, Bella and Cathy’s situations and stories are so different I am having a hard time seeing them side-by-side.
Overall, this book is a wonderful, engrossing novel full of romance, action, suspense, humor and any other qualities a well-written story should possess. I would recommend this novel to anyone. It is, in my opinion, the best novel of the Twilight series!
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