Nicholas Sparks, the author of The Notebook, has managed to create the most beautiful love story yet. This novel depicts the story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson as a young couple caught under the spell of summer love. In a nursing home sometime in the 1990’s Noah begins to read a story to a patient who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Little do the readers know but Allie and Noah are the main characters in this novel. Noah continues to read Allie this story everyday in hope that she will regain the memory she has lost.
“Read this to me and I’ll come back to you.” –Allie Nelson
The story begins at a 1946 North Carolina Fair. Noah catches Allies eye and decides that he will do anything to accompany the young Allie on a date. In turn Noah decides to hang from a Ferris wheel until Allie in fear of Noah’s life says yes. Friends of Noah and Allie decide to set them up at a movie. At the end of the movie Noah asks Allie if he could walk her home. Noah and Allie discuss life and love during this stroll. All because of that night Allie and Noah become inseparable for the entire summer. Allie’s mother begins to see that Noah is not suit for their family. Noah is a poor construction worker and Allie is the daughter of a “High Society wealthy” southern man. Allie’s mother sees that they are falling in love and decides to leave their summer home a week in advance. Noah continues to write to Allie everyday for an entire year. When Noah hears nothing back from Allie he decides to leave for the war. While Noah is off at war Allie is in Charleston with her new fiancé that has won the approval of Allie’s parents. One day when Noah travels to Charleston to consult a contractor for the house he is building he spots the love of his life Allie. He leaps off the bus and follows her only to see that she is having lunch with her fiancé. Noah finishes the house and decides to put it on the market. One day while trying on her wedding dress Allie picks up a newspaper and sees that Noah has built her dream house that she described to him one day that summer. Allie decides to drop everything and tell her fiancé that she must travel to the town of her summer home and do some thinking. She reassures him that she is having no second thoughts of marriage. Upon arriving at Noah’s house the two once lovers are thrown back into their love. Allie’s mother arrives and hands Allie all the letters that Noah had written to her in Charleston. She has been hiding them from Allie. Allie is forced to decide whether to live her life with Noah or her fiancé. Allie lives a long life with Noah.
Back in the nursing home Allie remembers and asks Noah if it is possible that God will take them away together. The novel ends with the nurse finding Noah and Allie in a nursing room bed passed on together. I would strongly encourage anyone to pick up a copy of this outstanding novel and begin to discover an inspirational romance. This novel has been turned into a motion picture that brings all of its viewers to tears at the conclusion. I encourage you to ask the questions; How does someone find a love like this? Will Noah and Allie end up together in the end? I believe that The Notebook without a doubt will become a timeless romance novel that many future generations will enjoy.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Arthur C. Brooks
There is a rather ridiculous mainstream belief that liberals compared to conservatives are more compassionate. We know we all should give to charity and we like to think that we do but who really cares? Arthur C. Brooks delivers with stern words the fruits of many painstaking years of research that conservatives are more compassionate than liberals in many ways and what the true definition of charity really is in Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.
In eight chapters Brooks undermines that compassionate conservatism is an oxymoron. First he guides the readers on the subject of charity and what it really stands for. Charity is derived from the Latin word caritas which means affection. According to Brooks charity is a “personal voluntary sacrifice”. He is quick to dismiss that government taxation spent on charitable programs is charity. Why? Going back to the definition of charity, government taxation spent on charitable programs is not charity because the givers, those being taxed, do not personally volunteer to be taxed for the programs. In Who Really Cares Brooks uses the deep evidences of economics to find out who really cares. As he progresses further in his research Brooks is astonished by the results as a liberal Democrat. Comparison after comparison, the results is still the same, conservatives are compassionate and this shows in how conservatives donate compared to liberals. To quote Harvey Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government, Harvard University, “Arthur Brook’s study of the virtue of charity, a remarkable work of practical philosophy in the plain guise of economics.”
When I picked up this book I expected something special but Arthur C. Brook’s served a slice of truth and clarity into who really cares about charity. I especially liked the intense care Brooks took when researching evidence for his book. Several years of research really produced a great book. Another thing that got my attention was how Brooks too was stunned that conservatives gave more than liberals. He says that he went through all his data over and over believing the initial result was a mistake on his part but came to accept the facts. This really added a layer of authenticity to the book. Far too often are books like this conducted by biased individuals with goals not to find the truth but rather to further advance their personal agenda. None of this can be seen in Brooks. He is earnest to give dues to those who deserve the dues and the criticisms of harsh evidence.
Despite Brooks’s book opening my eyes to the truth I am still left with questions. Why do people the majority of people still believe that liberals are more compassionate than conservatives? What also amazes me is the irony involved in this. One would expect the opposite of the results.
I must confess that no review can summarize the work of Arthur C. Brooks. If you need evidence for a political platform, for research, or just want to discover the truth Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters is the book for you.
In eight chapters Brooks undermines that compassionate conservatism is an oxymoron. First he guides the readers on the subject of charity and what it really stands for. Charity is derived from the Latin word caritas which means affection. According to Brooks charity is a “personal voluntary sacrifice”. He is quick to dismiss that government taxation spent on charitable programs is charity. Why? Going back to the definition of charity, government taxation spent on charitable programs is not charity because the givers, those being taxed, do not personally volunteer to be taxed for the programs. In Who Really Cares Brooks uses the deep evidences of economics to find out who really cares. As he progresses further in his research Brooks is astonished by the results as a liberal Democrat. Comparison after comparison, the results is still the same, conservatives are compassionate and this shows in how conservatives donate compared to liberals. To quote Harvey Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government, Harvard University, “Arthur Brook’s study of the virtue of charity, a remarkable work of practical philosophy in the plain guise of economics.”
When I picked up this book I expected something special but Arthur C. Brook’s served a slice of truth and clarity into who really cares about charity. I especially liked the intense care Brooks took when researching evidence for his book. Several years of research really produced a great book. Another thing that got my attention was how Brooks too was stunned that conservatives gave more than liberals. He says that he went through all his data over and over believing the initial result was a mistake on his part but came to accept the facts. This really added a layer of authenticity to the book. Far too often are books like this conducted by biased individuals with goals not to find the truth but rather to further advance their personal agenda. None of this can be seen in Brooks. He is earnest to give dues to those who deserve the dues and the criticisms of harsh evidence.
Despite Brooks’s book opening my eyes to the truth I am still left with questions. Why do people the majority of people still believe that liberals are more compassionate than conservatives? What also amazes me is the irony involved in this. One would expect the opposite of the results.
I must confess that no review can summarize the work of Arthur C. Brooks. If you need evidence for a political platform, for research, or just want to discover the truth Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters is the book for you.
1984 by George Orwell
In the year 1948, George Orwell wrote a book called 1984. Since its release, the book became widely known as a warning to all people and governments of the world. The appeal of the book is not only due to the fact that 1984 is written so expressively, movingly, and with such foresight into the future, but also because it makes a bold statement about humanity — humans must have the freedom to think rationally and independently.
The main character of 1984 is Winston Smith. Winston is a man who doubts the righteousness of the totalitarian government (led by the imaginary Big Brother) that rules Oceania. Oceania is one of three superstates in the setting of 1984. The book begins with Winston realizing that he despises the government, the party, and Big Brother. Winston works in the Records Department, which is an institution that literally erases history through its communication, whether it is books, magazines, art, films, etc. The object of erasing and changing history is so that anything that the Party considers unorthodoxy is to be wiped out of existence, or vaporized. For example, if a person is vaporized, than the records department has to make sure that any record of that person is filtered and changed to make it so that person never existed in the past. The government of Oceania runs on the principle of “Ingsoc”, or English Socialism. The method of governing that the Party uses to retain power is by keeping a constant watch over its citizens via the Thought Police. Oceania has telescreens and hidden microphones in every public place, and every citizen’s dwelling. Thus, every citizen in Oceania is constantly watched day and night, every word, action, and even thought. Thoughts are being monitored for thoughtcrime, the worst crime of all. Thoughtcrime is the crime of thinking about anything against the Party. Oceania is at continuous war with the other two superstates, Eastasia and Eurasia, and needs to channel the thoughts of its citizens against the enemies. The government has also developed its own language, Newspeak, which is the official language of Oceania, and has its sole purpose in abolishing all unorthodox thought. Newspeak is derived from Standard English, and most vocabulary and grammar is eliminated so that the stream of one’s thinking is narrowed, making it impossible to commit thoughtcrime.
Orwell was very good at foretelling the future. He was obviously warning the people living in democratic societies about the control of totalitarian governments. The people needed to know about the cruel and unfair dictatorship of totalitarian leaders, such as that of Stalin. Later in the book, Julia (Winston’s coworker) and Winston become lovers and eventually confess their feelings of rebelliousness to O’Brien, a fellow coworker of the Inner Party who is believed to be a member of a rebel group, the Brotherhood. O’Brien gives a book to Winston and Julia that they must read in order to be members of the Brotherhood. In 1984, there are two chapters from the book that was given to Winston and Julia, which in my opinion fill fifty long and boring pages in 1984. I think that is was completely unnecessary for Orwell to include those excerpts from the book because everything that was stated in those excerpts was realized and narrated by Winston throughout 1984. Winston and Julia are then caught by the Thought Police, being betrayed by a seemingly trustworthy friend, and are sent to the Ministry of Love, never to see each other again. The Ministry of Love is the torture center and prison of Oceania, where all the thought criminals are taken to be vaporized. Winston is tortured in the Ministry of Love by O’Brien, who admits that he has been spying on Winston for the last seven years. The object of the torture is to get Winston to understand the Party’s motives, to accept the Party’s mannerisms, and to love Big Brother. "’Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else,’ says O’Brien. ‘. . . In the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth.’" After months of torture, Winston is strolling through one of the halls in the Ministry of Love, where he finally admits to himself that he loves Big Brother, and is promptly shot in the back of the head.
At the end of the book, Orwell has included an Appendix, which explains the grammar and formation of words in Newspeak. Newspeak has already been thoroughly described in the actual story, so I don’t understand why Orwell needed to include this part. These thirty pages of the book are very boring and they would induce glazed eyes of the younger generation of readers.
Overall, I very much enjoyed 1984. Orwell was very skilled at making a mental picture in my mind on what things would really be like if this had really happened. Not only was it completely realistic and capable of happening, but Orwell’s use of the right words and phrases made me feel the Winston’s agony in prison and during his torture. Though the book was dry at times, I could not put it down because of its level of interest. My biggest question is what would the world have been like if Orwell had not written 1984? Political tragedies, such as this, are published all of the time, but 1984 is one of the few that has remained timeless and will always be seen as visionary. The book reminds us of all that has gone wrong, all that can go wrong, and what will go wrong when government becomes all-powerful. It is because of this political and social insight that 1984 is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever to written.
We see some of Orwell’s foresights come true even in our present democratic society. There is tapping of phone lines and surveillance of public affairs. I think that Orwell’s prediction might come true — that the full invasion of privacy is inevitable. As our technology becomes better and better, and terrorism is occurring more often, the government will need to spy on its own citizens in case of future terrorist attacks. However, I think that the US government will be trying to protect the people and not its own power (since it’s a democracy). No matter the threat, I still believe that it’s wrong to monitor the citizens’ every move, the surveillance is necessary but only to a point. The real debacle is over whether people want to be secure but have their freedom taken away, or whether they want their total freedom.
I think that it is necessary for people to have the capacity for rational, critical thinking. The greatest threat is when people are brainwashed by ideologies, political and revolutionary leaders, corrupt and totalitarian governments, and they lose the ability to think for themselves. This could be the take-home message that we could take from the book, and it is still relevant, even after the collapse of communism worldwide. Even in our democratic society, we should be on a lookout for factors that suppress our freedom of thought and expression.
The main character of 1984 is Winston Smith. Winston is a man who doubts the righteousness of the totalitarian government (led by the imaginary Big Brother) that rules Oceania. Oceania is one of three superstates in the setting of 1984. The book begins with Winston realizing that he despises the government, the party, and Big Brother. Winston works in the Records Department, which is an institution that literally erases history through its communication, whether it is books, magazines, art, films, etc. The object of erasing and changing history is so that anything that the Party considers unorthodoxy is to be wiped out of existence, or vaporized. For example, if a person is vaporized, than the records department has to make sure that any record of that person is filtered and changed to make it so that person never existed in the past. The government of Oceania runs on the principle of “Ingsoc”, or English Socialism. The method of governing that the Party uses to retain power is by keeping a constant watch over its citizens via the Thought Police. Oceania has telescreens and hidden microphones in every public place, and every citizen’s dwelling. Thus, every citizen in Oceania is constantly watched day and night, every word, action, and even thought. Thoughts are being monitored for thoughtcrime, the worst crime of all. Thoughtcrime is the crime of thinking about anything against the Party. Oceania is at continuous war with the other two superstates, Eastasia and Eurasia, and needs to channel the thoughts of its citizens against the enemies. The government has also developed its own language, Newspeak, which is the official language of Oceania, and has its sole purpose in abolishing all unorthodox thought. Newspeak is derived from Standard English, and most vocabulary and grammar is eliminated so that the stream of one’s thinking is narrowed, making it impossible to commit thoughtcrime.
Orwell was very good at foretelling the future. He was obviously warning the people living in democratic societies about the control of totalitarian governments. The people needed to know about the cruel and unfair dictatorship of totalitarian leaders, such as that of Stalin. Later in the book, Julia (Winston’s coworker) and Winston become lovers and eventually confess their feelings of rebelliousness to O’Brien, a fellow coworker of the Inner Party who is believed to be a member of a rebel group, the Brotherhood. O’Brien gives a book to Winston and Julia that they must read in order to be members of the Brotherhood. In 1984, there are two chapters from the book that was given to Winston and Julia, which in my opinion fill fifty long and boring pages in 1984. I think that is was completely unnecessary for Orwell to include those excerpts from the book because everything that was stated in those excerpts was realized and narrated by Winston throughout 1984. Winston and Julia are then caught by the Thought Police, being betrayed by a seemingly trustworthy friend, and are sent to the Ministry of Love, never to see each other again. The Ministry of Love is the torture center and prison of Oceania, where all the thought criminals are taken to be vaporized. Winston is tortured in the Ministry of Love by O’Brien, who admits that he has been spying on Winston for the last seven years. The object of the torture is to get Winston to understand the Party’s motives, to accept the Party’s mannerisms, and to love Big Brother. "’Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else,’ says O’Brien. ‘. . . In the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth.’" After months of torture, Winston is strolling through one of the halls in the Ministry of Love, where he finally admits to himself that he loves Big Brother, and is promptly shot in the back of the head.
At the end of the book, Orwell has included an Appendix, which explains the grammar and formation of words in Newspeak. Newspeak has already been thoroughly described in the actual story, so I don’t understand why Orwell needed to include this part. These thirty pages of the book are very boring and they would induce glazed eyes of the younger generation of readers.
Overall, I very much enjoyed 1984. Orwell was very skilled at making a mental picture in my mind on what things would really be like if this had really happened. Not only was it completely realistic and capable of happening, but Orwell’s use of the right words and phrases made me feel the Winston’s agony in prison and during his torture. Though the book was dry at times, I could not put it down because of its level of interest. My biggest question is what would the world have been like if Orwell had not written 1984? Political tragedies, such as this, are published all of the time, but 1984 is one of the few that has remained timeless and will always be seen as visionary. The book reminds us of all that has gone wrong, all that can go wrong, and what will go wrong when government becomes all-powerful. It is because of this political and social insight that 1984 is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever to written.
We see some of Orwell’s foresights come true even in our present democratic society. There is tapping of phone lines and surveillance of public affairs. I think that Orwell’s prediction might come true — that the full invasion of privacy is inevitable. As our technology becomes better and better, and terrorism is occurring more often, the government will need to spy on its own citizens in case of future terrorist attacks. However, I think that the US government will be trying to protect the people and not its own power (since it’s a democracy). No matter the threat, I still believe that it’s wrong to monitor the citizens’ every move, the surveillance is necessary but only to a point. The real debacle is over whether people want to be secure but have their freedom taken away, or whether they want their total freedom.
I think that it is necessary for people to have the capacity for rational, critical thinking. The greatest threat is when people are brainwashed by ideologies, political and revolutionary leaders, corrupt and totalitarian governments, and they lose the ability to think for themselves. This could be the take-home message that we could take from the book, and it is still relevant, even after the collapse of communism worldwide. Even in our democratic society, we should be on a lookout for factors that suppress our freedom of thought and expression.
PRIVATE by Kate Brian
Private, a novel written by Kate Brian, is a very entertaining book and contains many realistic elements, such as problems at home and the pressure to follow the crowd, in which an average high school student can relate. This book focuses on a simple fifteen-year-old girl named Reed Brennan who has suffered from the pain and hurt of her pill-popping, nagging, and drunkard mother throughout her life in Croton, Pennsylvania. Winning a scholarship to Easton Academy in Connecticut is an answer to Reed’s prayers because she feels that the time has finally come for her to start a new life, completely free from her family issues. But within the first few seconds of her arrival at the boarding school, Reed is filled with fear and intimidation when seeing the extremely self-confident, sophisticated, and gorgeous girls with their expensive designer clothes and Louis Vuitton luggage. Noticing these great contrasts to her simple life, Reed knows that being accepted by Easton Academy will be a very difficult task. “The Billings Girls” are the most popular, glamorous, and envied girls on the entire campus with a reputation of prestigious success and honor. Ready to participate in a new, exciting lifestyle, Reed Brennan has never wanted anything more than to become part of the Billings Girls “inner circle” and does whatever she has to throughout the novel to fulfill this goal.
My eye has always been drawn to books about high school life and its relationships within. Therefore, finding this book about teenage pressures, romance, and social events during high school years sparked my interest to read it. I felt that Kate Brian did a great job in connecting her audience’s feelings to her characters’ emotions in the novel. Like Reed, every teenager wants to fit in and have a lot of friends in high school. Putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone are sometimes necessary steps in becoming more sociable and well-known. However, Realizing that Reed was so obsessed with being a Billings Girl that she didn’t even care that the popular crowd mocked, snickered, and demanded her to perform selfish errands made me question the dignity of individuals. It made me recognize how ridiculous it is for people to go to such drastic measures and degrade themselves for the sake of others in order to gain high social status and a cool title. Disappointment struck over me when Reed caved in too easily and took her boyfriend back, even after he treated her badly and made several mistakes. This made me feel that girls should be firm and strong in their decisions, involving not only their relationships but also all aspects of life, and not take the easy way out. An emphasis on the importance of money and materialistic items also plays a big factor throughout the novel.
I really enjoyed reading about the growing relationship and secret encounters of Reed and her crush, Thomas Pearson. I also admired the great determination and persistency continually exhibited in Reed’s thoughts and actions throughout the book. Proving the lesson of the story, Reed conveys that one should never give up trying to accomplish their goal and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Though it may appeal more to the female audience, Private is such a fun and easy book to read. I thought it was an excellent book and look forward to reading the sequels in the future!
My eye has always been drawn to books about high school life and its relationships within. Therefore, finding this book about teenage pressures, romance, and social events during high school years sparked my interest to read it. I felt that Kate Brian did a great job in connecting her audience’s feelings to her characters’ emotions in the novel. Like Reed, every teenager wants to fit in and have a lot of friends in high school. Putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone are sometimes necessary steps in becoming more sociable and well-known. However, Realizing that Reed was so obsessed with being a Billings Girl that she didn’t even care that the popular crowd mocked, snickered, and demanded her to perform selfish errands made me question the dignity of individuals. It made me recognize how ridiculous it is for people to go to such drastic measures and degrade themselves for the sake of others in order to gain high social status and a cool title. Disappointment struck over me when Reed caved in too easily and took her boyfriend back, even after he treated her badly and made several mistakes. This made me feel that girls should be firm and strong in their decisions, involving not only their relationships but also all aspects of life, and not take the easy way out. An emphasis on the importance of money and materialistic items also plays a big factor throughout the novel.
I really enjoyed reading about the growing relationship and secret encounters of Reed and her crush, Thomas Pearson. I also admired the great determination and persistency continually exhibited in Reed’s thoughts and actions throughout the book. Proving the lesson of the story, Reed conveys that one should never give up trying to accomplish their goal and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Though it may appeal more to the female audience, Private is such a fun and easy book to read. I thought it was an excellent book and look forward to reading the sequels in the future!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Although The Chronicles of Narnia have been around for a long time and I’ve read the books many times over, I find myself continually going back to reread C.S. Lewis’s beautiful words and illustrations in these novels. C.S. Lewis believed in embedding powerful theological truths and principles in fiction books for young minds. He fully believed that fairy tales stick in the minds of children and if the stories contain characters that are representative of good and evil, or Jesus and Satan, then the readers begin to understand the philosophical ideas at a young age. Good and Evil are classic themes in many of today’s works, but no one portrays the truths reflecting the Gospel in such lovely, flowing words like Lewis does. The four children Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and Peter represent the broken sinners, like the people in our world. They are separated from their parents due to the world war, and being sent to a rich benefactor far from home, they find refuge in a magical world that lies behind the doors of a chestnut wardrobe. The world of Narnia is currently in a deep winter that has stricken coldness and fear into the Narnians. The four children find out that this fear and coldness is due to the rule of the evil White Witch, who is representative of Satan. Each of the children feels the temptations of the witch’s sinful traps, especially Edmond. Upon meeting the White Witch, Edmond chooses to follow her, and he helps her by giving valuable information as to where his siblings are and their purpose in Narnia. The Narnians tell the other three children that the witch has ruled for the past few decades and they are all waiting for the return of their beloved king, Aslan, who represents Christ. Eventually Aslan returns, and a war ensues, involving Aslan and his Narnians versus the White Witch and her evil minions. However, before the war begins, the White Witch accuses Edmond of his treachery to the Narnians. She declares that Edmond must die, because that is the consequence for traitors. Aslan offers his body as a sacrifice to the witch in the place of Edmond and the other Narnians who would undoubtedly die in battle. The scene in which Aslan is cruelly murdered on a stone alter is my favorite scene from the book. Lewis uses the imagery from this scene to show the reader the endless compassion and mercy Aslan had for those he loved in contrast to the evil hatred inside the White Witch’s heart. When children read this, it is obvious which side they would be rooting for. Lewis created the great contrast in this scene so that children are able to understand the true meaning of a sacrifice. A sacrifice is a gift of mercy which is undeserved by those receiving it, but it is given in love in order to save the otherwise hopeless people. There is no way the Narnians could have won the war against the White Witch alone, just as there is no way we sinners could win the battle against Satan and his temptations. But Aslan, like Jesus saved His people because He is the only way to have life. Although the life that Aslan offers is a physical life, Jesus gave the world eternal life. If we know that we are sinners, believe in His perfect sacrifice, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are offered more in eternal rewards than this earth could ever give. Aslan’s sacrifice is followed by great sorrow but also a promise that he will rise once again in his glory. A few days later, Aslan does return from the dead, as a true king, and he defeats the White Witch. This is reflective of the truth in the Bible that Jesus was resurrected three days after His death, and He will be back once again to defeat Satan on Earth.
This book was amazing when I was in elementary school, it’s amazing now, and I will hopefully be able read it to my children in the future. I think C.S. Lewis is an awesome author and I would recommend this book to people of any age.
This book was amazing when I was in elementary school, it’s amazing now, and I will hopefully be able read it to my children in the future. I think C.S. Lewis is an awesome author and I would recommend this book to people of any age.
All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
On the cover of my copy of this novel it reads “The Greatest War Novel of All Time.” Ironically, this novel is an antiwar novel. I guess you are confused about how this could be. The novel does talk about war, all 296 pages, but it talks about war to emphasize the importance of peace.
The main character, Paul Bäumer, is a young soldier in WWI. He voluntarily enlists with his classmates as soon as he is old enough --just like young men across the pond. Paul also is a German soldier. His elders had told him of the glories and satisfaction of war and he believed them enough to enlist in the German army. At first Paul and his classmates are excited to enlist, full of romantic notions about war. When they start training, they realize that the army does not care for these notions or for their intelligence. All the army wants from them are drills and “a renunciation of personality.”
“We are not youth any longer. We don’t want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.”
Paul and his comrades fight and kill at point blank range. The soldiers spent countless hours in the trenches throwing bombs or hiding from bombs themselves. They become closer then lovers in the companionship created by daily risking their lives. They dreamof visiting their homes and families. Some of the soldiers get injured and lose hope of living. Paul and his comrades are separated for a bit as some are in the hospital and others like Paul are given leave.
Strangely enough when Paul goes home, he finds he does not belong in that atmosphere anymore. He feels like an outsider in his own home. The war has changed Paul to the point thathe feels more comfortable on the front line, then in the peaceful town he grew up in. To me, Paul feeling as an outsider makes me dreadfully sad. I even cried a little.It made me think of what kind of future was in store for him if he ever returned permanently. The psychologic damage of the war could cause Paul to suffer depression. I wonder how many veterans felt like this when they first went home and how many still fill like this.
Paul is relieved to return to the line enters another cycle of fighting and killing. He gets wounded twice and recovers well. Some of his friends are not so lucky. Paul and his remaining have some moments of happiness like finding good food in an abandoned town . At one point, Paul guards a prisoner camp full of Russians and recognizes that these men are no different then him ; Paul no longer understands why he is fighting them. He shakes off these feelings enough to go back to the line again.A few years pass by and Paul ends up being one of the last of his group of friends . He has no hope, no dreams,no feelings left . He is just tired of life.
The novel doesn’t end there but of course I want you to read the ending for yourself.
Erich Maria Remarque fought in World War I, like Bäumer. Because of this, Remarque describes everything from the whistling of shells and the gruesomeness of wounds in stunning detail. I am not the writer Remarque is and cannot do his descriptions justice, so you must read the book .
This book might not be for those with vivid imaginations. I know I was haunted by some of the images Remarque presents to you but I could not put the book down. Like a bad dream, the images went away, but then all I could think of was how hard it would be for those images be your daily visions or daily nightmares.
Remarque concentrates especially on the horrors of the war and how they made people inhuman. Focusing on those aspects of war, Remarque seems to be advocating an end to wars, peace—which I couldn’t agree with more. In my opinion, Remarque’s technique of describing to the reader war so vividly is very effective in turning the reader to the antiwar side. This book made me feel disgusted with humanity for ever raising a weapon against each other.
Despite the images and the emotions I saw and felt when reading this book , I did truly like it. It gave me a better appreciation for veterans ,who can function in society, because I do not know if I could do that in their shoes. I connected with Paul and realised that I am never going to face something as horrendous in my life—I should count myself lucky. I was also surprised to find the message of peace in “the greatest war novel of all time .”
Maybe if enough people read this novel there would be less war.
On the cover of my copy of this novel it reads “The Greatest War Novel of All Time.” Ironically, this novel is an antiwar novel. I guess you are confused about how this could be. The novel does talk about war, all 296 pages, but it talks about war to emphasize the importance of peace.
The main character, Paul Bäumer, is a young soldier in WWI. He voluntarily enlists with his classmates as soon as he is old enough --just like young men across the pond. Paul also is a German soldier. His elders had told him of the glories and satisfaction of war and he believed them enough to enlist in the German army. At first Paul and his classmates are excited to enlist, full of romantic notions about war. When they start training, they realize that the army does not care for these notions or for their intelligence. All the army wants from them are drills and “a renunciation of personality.”
“We are not youth any longer. We don’t want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.”
Paul and his comrades fight and kill at point blank range. The soldiers spent countless hours in the trenches throwing bombs or hiding from bombs themselves. They become closer then lovers in the companionship created by daily risking their lives. They dreamof visiting their homes and families. Some of the soldiers get injured and lose hope of living. Paul and his comrades are separated for a bit as some are in the hospital and others like Paul are given leave.
Strangely enough when Paul goes home, he finds he does not belong in that atmosphere anymore. He feels like an outsider in his own home. The war has changed Paul to the point thathe feels more comfortable on the front line, then in the peaceful town he grew up in. To me, Paul feeling as an outsider makes me dreadfully sad. I even cried a little.It made me think of what kind of future was in store for him if he ever returned permanently. The psychologic damage of the war could cause Paul to suffer depression. I wonder how many veterans felt like this when they first went home and how many still fill like this.
Paul is relieved to return to the line enters another cycle of fighting and killing. He gets wounded twice and recovers well. Some of his friends are not so lucky. Paul and his remaining have some moments of happiness like finding good food in an abandoned town . At one point, Paul guards a prisoner camp full of Russians and recognizes that these men are no different then him ; Paul no longer understands why he is fighting them. He shakes off these feelings enough to go back to the line again.A few years pass by and Paul ends up being one of the last of his group of friends . He has no hope, no dreams,no feelings left . He is just tired of life.
The novel doesn’t end there but of course I want you to read the ending for yourself.
Erich Maria Remarque fought in World War I, like Bäumer. Because of this, Remarque describes everything from the whistling of shells and the gruesomeness of wounds in stunning detail. I am not the writer Remarque is and cannot do his descriptions justice, so you must read the book .
This book might not be for those with vivid imaginations. I know I was haunted by some of the images Remarque presents to you but I could not put the book down. Like a bad dream, the images went away, but then all I could think of was how hard it would be for those images be your daily visions or daily nightmares.
Remarque concentrates especially on the horrors of the war and how they made people inhuman. Focusing on those aspects of war, Remarque seems to be advocating an end to wars, peace—which I couldn’t agree with more. In my opinion, Remarque’s technique of describing to the reader war so vividly is very effective in turning the reader to the antiwar side. This book made me feel disgusted with humanity for ever raising a weapon against each other.
Despite the images and the emotions I saw and felt when reading this book , I did truly like it. It gave me a better appreciation for veterans ,who can function in society, because I do not know if I could do that in their shoes. I connected with Paul and realised that I am never going to face something as horrendous in my life—I should count myself lucky. I was also surprised to find the message of peace in “the greatest war novel of all time .”
Maybe if enough people read this novel there would be less war.
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas mainly takes place in the south of France during the Bonaparte Era, when Napoleon had been exiled to the island of Elba, the king had returned to power, and when there were still many people who were loyal to Napoleon and wanted his return.
The story begins with the main character, a young sailor named Edmond Dantes, who had just come back from a long voyage. When he arrived to Marseilles, his hometown, the first thing he did was visit his father, a poor, generous, loving man and the only live member of his family. After visiting his old man, Edmond ran to Mercedes’, his fiancé’s, house. At that time, Edmund felt like the luckiest man in the world; he had even been told by Monsieur Morrel, the owner of the ship for which Edmond worked for, that there was a big possibility of him being promoted to captain of the ship! However, Edmond had secret enemies who were jealous of him and of his luck. The first secret enemy was Danglars, who was a pursuer of the ship and who also wanted the role of captain. The second was Caderousse, a tailor who was Danglars’ friend. Finally, the third secret enemy was a young Catalan named Fernand who was in love with his own cousin, Mercedes.
These evil men got together one day, and plotted a scheme to get rid of Edmund. They decided to declare him a Bonapartist by stating that they had seen Edmond take a letter from a man in Elba, which had the purpose of bringing Napoleon back to power.
Edmund, oblivious to all the evil surrounding him, was at his betrothal feast, when suddenly; the police came in and arrested him. Edmund was taken to an examination, where he was questioned by Villefort, the judge. In the beginning, Villefort told Edmond not to worry because the evidence was in Edmond’s favor. However, after having read the letter addressed to M. Noirtier which had been found between Edmond’s belongings, the judge appeared a little bit nervous, and abruptly change his mind about Edmond’s sentence. He told Edmond that this letter had been the main cause of his imprisonment; therefore he was going to burn the letter. Then, Mr. Villefort told Edmond that if he firmly denied the existence of the letter, Edmond would be saved.
Edmund spent one day in a small cell in Paris. The next day, was then taken to the Chateau d’If, a State prison only used for important political offenders which was on an island. Then, when Edmund asked why he was being taken there even if he had done nothing wrong and if the judge had promised him freedom; the only response he got from the guards was “We are forbidden to give you any explanation”. Edmund became really frustrated due to this injustice and was starting to go a little bit crazy inside his cell; he even thought about suicide through starvation since there was nothing else in his cell with which he could himself with.
Luckily, while in jail, Edmond had the pleasure of meeting Abbe Faria, an old Italian prisoner who was seeking freedom by digging a tunnel; but who had failed miserably since he had ended up in Edmond’s cell instead of out in the sea. The two men end up becoming great friends so the abbe teaches Edmond all he knows, and helps Edmond figure out the reason for his imprisonment. Before his death, the abbe reveals Edmond, the location of a huge treasure.
After the abbe dies, Edmond took the old man’s body through the tunnel into his own cell and placed himself inside the bag where the priest’s body was supposed to be, with nothing but a knife. The next day, the guards came in and threw him into the sea. Once inside the sea, he waited a couple of minutes so that he wouldn’t risk being seen by the guards; and after 14 years of imprisonment, escaped.
A couple of days later, Edmond went to the island of Monte Cristo for the treasure and changed his name to The Count of Monte Cristo. Then, he went to his father’s house but soon learnt that his father had died from starvation several years ago. The same day, he also learnt that Mercedes thought that Edmond had died, so she had married Fernand.
After a few sad days for Monte Cristo, he looked for those who had been good to him like Monsieur Morrel, and secretly helped them and their families by taking care of all their financial problems. After having completed this task, Monte Cristo decided to seek vengeance, by tracking down the men who had taken his freedom and his happiness away from him and making them pay.
In this part of the story, the author provides the reader with the most brilliant and complicated schemes any man could come up with.
Finally, at the end of the story, Monte Cristo married a young and beautiful princess. Then, he realized that he went a little bit far with some of his schemes so he asks his wife and friends for their forgiveness for taking lives and material possessions from people as he pleased.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I, as the reader, had to pay attention to all the details in the book which seemed insignificant in the beginning, but as the story went on, became more and more important. Therefore, it kept my imagination and my memory working throughout the whole story making this book very entertaining! The only question that I had after reading this story was whether Monte Cristo plotted his schemes while in prison or after, because they were extremely detailed and precise.
The story begins with the main character, a young sailor named Edmond Dantes, who had just come back from a long voyage. When he arrived to Marseilles, his hometown, the first thing he did was visit his father, a poor, generous, loving man and the only live member of his family. After visiting his old man, Edmond ran to Mercedes’, his fiancé’s, house. At that time, Edmund felt like the luckiest man in the world; he had even been told by Monsieur Morrel, the owner of the ship for which Edmond worked for, that there was a big possibility of him being promoted to captain of the ship! However, Edmond had secret enemies who were jealous of him and of his luck. The first secret enemy was Danglars, who was a pursuer of the ship and who also wanted the role of captain. The second was Caderousse, a tailor who was Danglars’ friend. Finally, the third secret enemy was a young Catalan named Fernand who was in love with his own cousin, Mercedes.
These evil men got together one day, and plotted a scheme to get rid of Edmund. They decided to declare him a Bonapartist by stating that they had seen Edmond take a letter from a man in Elba, which had the purpose of bringing Napoleon back to power.
Edmund, oblivious to all the evil surrounding him, was at his betrothal feast, when suddenly; the police came in and arrested him. Edmund was taken to an examination, where he was questioned by Villefort, the judge. In the beginning, Villefort told Edmond not to worry because the evidence was in Edmond’s favor. However, after having read the letter addressed to M. Noirtier which had been found between Edmond’s belongings, the judge appeared a little bit nervous, and abruptly change his mind about Edmond’s sentence. He told Edmond that this letter had been the main cause of his imprisonment; therefore he was going to burn the letter. Then, Mr. Villefort told Edmond that if he firmly denied the existence of the letter, Edmond would be saved.
Edmund spent one day in a small cell in Paris. The next day, was then taken to the Chateau d’If, a State prison only used for important political offenders which was on an island. Then, when Edmund asked why he was being taken there even if he had done nothing wrong and if the judge had promised him freedom; the only response he got from the guards was “We are forbidden to give you any explanation”. Edmund became really frustrated due to this injustice and was starting to go a little bit crazy inside his cell; he even thought about suicide through starvation since there was nothing else in his cell with which he could himself with.
Luckily, while in jail, Edmond had the pleasure of meeting Abbe Faria, an old Italian prisoner who was seeking freedom by digging a tunnel; but who had failed miserably since he had ended up in Edmond’s cell instead of out in the sea. The two men end up becoming great friends so the abbe teaches Edmond all he knows, and helps Edmond figure out the reason for his imprisonment. Before his death, the abbe reveals Edmond, the location of a huge treasure.
After the abbe dies, Edmond took the old man’s body through the tunnel into his own cell and placed himself inside the bag where the priest’s body was supposed to be, with nothing but a knife. The next day, the guards came in and threw him into the sea. Once inside the sea, he waited a couple of minutes so that he wouldn’t risk being seen by the guards; and after 14 years of imprisonment, escaped.
A couple of days later, Edmond went to the island of Monte Cristo for the treasure and changed his name to The Count of Monte Cristo. Then, he went to his father’s house but soon learnt that his father had died from starvation several years ago. The same day, he also learnt that Mercedes thought that Edmond had died, so she had married Fernand.
After a few sad days for Monte Cristo, he looked for those who had been good to him like Monsieur Morrel, and secretly helped them and their families by taking care of all their financial problems. After having completed this task, Monte Cristo decided to seek vengeance, by tracking down the men who had taken his freedom and his happiness away from him and making them pay.
In this part of the story, the author provides the reader with the most brilliant and complicated schemes any man could come up with.
Finally, at the end of the story, Monte Cristo married a young and beautiful princess. Then, he realized that he went a little bit far with some of his schemes so he asks his wife and friends for their forgiveness for taking lives and material possessions from people as he pleased.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I, as the reader, had to pay attention to all the details in the book which seemed insignificant in the beginning, but as the story went on, became more and more important. Therefore, it kept my imagination and my memory working throughout the whole story making this book very entertaining! The only question that I had after reading this story was whether Monte Cristo plotted his schemes while in prison or after, because they were extremely detailed and precise.
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