Watched the 2022 PBS production by Davit Tenant and decided it was time to read the book. An interesting comparison between the two, may need to find Watched the 2022 PBS production by Davit Tenant and decided it was time to read the book. An interesting comparison between the two, may need to find the earlier movie and do a third compare/contrast.
Written in the late 1800's, Around the World is not as "weighty" as so many other classics, which surprised me. It was surprisingly engaging, the "romance" was amusing and I could see how it would be very proper for the time in which this was written. The characters are a bit two-dimensional overall, with Mssr Passpartou (sp?) perhaps being the most well rounded.
I could see this being a good "gateway" book for someone looking to introduce their kids to the classics, especially if they do a movie tie-in and discuss why certain items were "modernized". I know my 14 year old self would have enjoyed this a heck of a lot more than Old Man and the Sea.
Recommended as a historical/classic read - to be enjoyed in the time and context in which it was written. ...more
This past spring The Husband and I took a jaunt down to southeaster Missouri for a late-winter (for us) get away. It was nigh spRead as an audio book.
This past spring The Husband and I took a jaunt down to southeaster Missouri for a late-winter (for us) get away. It was nigh spring in Southern Missouri, and while the trees were quite leafed out nor the early flowers blooming, there wasn't any snow. We stopped in Hannibal, MO, and spent part of a day immersed in Mark Twain's world. Which lead to the realization that I've only read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The Husband noted A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was an enjoyable read. It took a few more months, but I slid it into the lineup.
First noting - I greatly enjoyed the narrators performance, cadence and voices. It was a delight to listen to and I was quite bummed when the book concluded. He had the perfect voice for a commute read.
The story itself was fascinating. Despite being written nearly 100 years ago, it amazed me how much of the authors political commentary was still apropos for today. The astute reader will pick up on Mark Twain's observations and viewpoints from the late 1800's, but gosh darn if some things just don't change.
I did look this up, and while not the "first" science fiction book (that is still thought to be Frankenstein), this is considered the first time-travel book. This was well executed - probably more so than some "modern day" time travel books I've read. This isn't to say the book is perfect in all regards, it's not by any stretch of the imagination. The feasibility of one person being able to re-create the telephone, trains, gas lines, bombs and more did push the bounds of reality a tich. From a 21st Century standpoint. From a 1800's or early 1900's view? Maybe it was more believable.
This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. I'm glad I read this and I regret not picking this up earlier, but perhaps I would not have enjoyed it as much as I did. Recommended from a historical perspective. ...more
A Classic of this nature one simply does not 'review'. I'll leave that to the Literature courses found in schools and higher education institutions. TA Classic of this nature one simply does not 'review'. I'll leave that to the Literature courses found in schools and higher education institutions. This is more my observations and thoughts on this particular Bradbury story.
I "read" this as an audiobook. The narrators voice added a delightful intensity to the dark subject matter of time, the passing of innocence, aging and death. He brought to life the characters of Will and Jim, the anguish of Mr. Halloway, and the shadowy world of Mr. Dark the Illustrated Man. A good narrator draws you into the story that you just can't get from pages in a book.
In all honesty, I really waffled between being totally blown away by Bradbury's use of the English language to describe and illuminate, and being bored by his over use of the English language to describe and illuminate. I think his penchant for simile becomes annoying in a longer story. Additionally, are several points in the book where the characters talk at great length about the state of affairs and in Bradbury's very flowing and almost flowery language, it becomes...pontification. And yes, I recognize that it is a reflection of the times in which Bradbury lived, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Appreciate it, yes, enjoy as part of the story, not so much.
Acknowledging the time period in which this was written, and having just read the Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 in the last 6 months, I am amused by the behavior of small boys as portrayed in these stories. Perpetually smart, incredibly polite, minding their Sir's and Ma'am's, but yet still managing to be 13 year old boys by sneaking out windows, running around at 3am in the morning, and doing their utmost to protect their mama's. The smartness factor had me rolling my eyes a bit, as it does in Heinlein's books, with the expectations that all children should be highly educated and perfectly behaved.
And - my personal quirk - another reason why not to like carnies...they are just creepy. I've not seen the movie adaptation of the book. Torn between wanting to and meh, read the book attitude.
Read as audiobook. Narrator was the author himself.
A classic which I had not yet read, and with the passing of the author this year, decided it was tRead as audiobook. Narrator was the author himself.
A classic which I had not yet read, and with the passing of the author this year, decided it was time to correct this oversight.
Written in 1953, I thought this aged fairly well - which can be problematic for books that address the future, and now that future is here. 60 years forward is not an insignificant time span, really. Society has witnessed the burning of books several times: Hitler in WWII, Russia burned books, we’ve seen books burned in even more modern times across the globe, even here in the states. Library’s will dictate what they will and won’t carry on the shelves because books still carry the stigma of being dangerous, with the ability to corrupt peoples thoughts and minds.
I thought it was interesting to have turned the fireman into a policeman of sorts. A future society’s morality police. No longer there to protect and serve, only to protect from the insidiousness of what books can do.
Perhaps Bradbury’s future wasn’t all that far off in his depiction of ‘Wall TV’s’; one, two or three panels in a room immersing the characters in whatever TV program the government wants them to watch or interact with. Aside from the governmental control, today’s society is pretty immersed 24/7 in the world of electronic newsfeeds, social networking and games.
Would I have gotten as much out of this if I had read it 20 years ago? Hard to say. I’m glad to have added this to my ‘read’ list. Recommended. ...more
I spotted Animal Farm on the shelves and decided it was a good time to read this highly regarded work. No, it was not mandatory reading in any of my hI spotted Animal Farm on the shelves and decided it was a good time to read this highly regarded work. No, it was not mandatory reading in any of my high school or college courses. The few literature classes I took in college were…odd…and we didn’t in any way read what I would consider ‘classic literature’.
Premise of the book from Amazon.com: Since its publication in 1946, George Orwell's fable of a workers' revolution gone wrong has rivaled Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as the Shortest Serious Novel It's OK to Write a Book Report About. (The latter is three pages longer and less fun to read.) Fueled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, Animal Farm is a nearly perfect piece of writing, both an engaging story and an allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land, all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime, productivity soars, and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is full. The animals' Seven Commandment credo is painted in big white letters on the barn. All animals are equal. No animal shall drink alcohol, wear clothes, sleep in a bed, or kill a fellow four-footed creature. Those that go upon four legs or wings are friends and the two-legged are, by definition, the enemy. Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence, succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. "We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of the farm depend on us. Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples." While this swinish brotherhood sells out the revolution, cynically editing the Seven Commandments to excuse their violence and greed, the common animals are once again left hungry and exhausted, no better off than in the days when humans ran the farm. Satire Animal Farm may be, but it's a stony reader who remains unmoved when the stalwart workhorse, Boxer, having given his all to his comrades, is sold to the glue factory to buy booze for the pigs. Orwell's view of Communism is bleak indeed, but given the history of the Russian people since 1917, his pessimism has an air of prophecy. --Joyce Thompson –
I used to love Russian History. It was fascinating. Dark. We had the movies Dr. Zhivago (not very good in my opinion), Rasputin (better). Lenin was taller than life. Stalin was/is everthing that was wrong. The masses yearning to have a better life. And somewhere along the way, I lost interest. Perhaps it was because Russia really never seemed to change.
The opinion expressed in the blurb mentions the reviewer felt Animal Farm was a better book than Old Man and the Sea. In this case, I have to disagree. I felt Old Man and the Sea was a much better book. I say this because I felt Animal Farm was just too heavy handed with the analogys. I found it to be a slow, predictable, read. The animals (peasants) were just too stupid to do anything without the pigs (ruling class) and thus were easily lead down the path to, in essence, slavery. Beat me over the head with it, why don’cha?
I know this is a beloved book to many, but I bounced off of it. ...more
I usually enjoy Hemingway and I'm slowly working my way through his selections. My favorites to date are The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell TollI usually enjoy Hemingway and I'm slowly working my way through his selections. My favorites to date are The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
This book was reminiscent of Old Man and the Sea, in that our initial main character, Harry, makes a series of bad decisions that keep compounding his problems. He's struggling to stay afloat in desperate times, but just can't seem to make things come together. His situation goes from bad to worse. The reader gets glimpses into Harry's soul and sees he is a decent guy under that sun-crusted exterior. He loves the sea, his wife and girls, he works hard, and he tries to do good.
Halfway through the book Hemingway somewhat abruptly introduces new characters, the usual rich and wanna be rich, and as he trolls through their somewhat sordid lives we find that even when you have it all, sometimes you have nothing and that life is as substantial as the sand between your fingers.
I still found this worth reading - the dialog alone brought everything alive: I could totally envision standing there in the bar, with the fan thwupping softly overhead, the smell of salt blowing in the windows, the men tan and weathered as they spoke in their short choppy sentences, leaning against a dark brown wood bar stained with years of sweating bottles.
"Take it easy," said Harry. "Don't get plugged."
"I'm not plugged," replied Albert, "Bring me with."
"Take it easy."
"Why won't you take me?"
"Take it easy."
A fascinating glimpse into the world of the Florida Keys and Cuba in the 1920s/1930's. ...more
I originally borrowed 1984 from the local college library. I didn’t realize when I checked it out that it was 2nd try. Unabridged version this time...
I originally borrowed 1984 from the local college library. I didn’t realize when I checked it out that it was abridged - I was busy talking to my friend and rushing off to the next thing. When I saw it was abridged, I was disappointed but figured, eh, how bad could it be? Well, it was...okay...but I could tell there were bits missing because the story just wasn’t right.
So I went and checked it out from my local library. Wow. What a difference. I don’t think I need to discuss the premise of the book as it’s so well known, so I’ll touch on other bits.
For starters, the abridged version was 2 hours, the complete version, 9 hours. The abridged version made it into a romance and only a romance. Everything that made it “1984", all the social commentar, was completely chopped out.
I also found myself comparing this to WE by Yevgany Zamatin. WE is more of a utopian story, whereas I found 1984 to be more of a rant against Communism. The similarities between the books were striking: One uniform. Love story. No sex. You are always being watched. Mandatory activities at appointed times. Don’t speak ill of the party, just to name a few.
One difference (there are more but I don’t want to blather on too much) was 1984 had a lower class - the proles (since it was an audio book I’m not sure how that was spelled). Winston felt that hope lay with them as the Party felt they were not worth their time or attention and they could do pretty much as they wanted. WE did not have a lower class of people, everyone was the same.
I strongly recommending reading 1984 and WE at the same time. Both are interesting on their own, but together they are absolutely facinating. ...more
I've recently discovered books on tape and grabbed this one as a) I was going to be spending some time in the car and b) I hadn't read it yet. This waI've recently discovered books on tape and grabbed this one as a) I was going to be spending some time in the car and b) I hadn't read it yet. This was an unabrigdged version of Dracula, 18 hours long with 15 CD's.
I don't think I'll review the plot as it's so widely known, but expound on the reading.
It was, to put it simply, amazing. The two readers had a way of bringing each and every character to life with subtle inflections in mannerisms and speech. Though, I must admitt it was amusing to hear an "American" accent as done by a Brit, but it worked. The listener knew it was Quincy, knew it was VanHelsing, knew it was Johnathon Harker. The emotions rolled out and drew the listener in. So much so I would find myself missing exits or driving below the speed limit!
There were a few expositions that got a bit long, but I think having them read, with the intonation of emotion behind the words, made those longer passages more palatable and quickly over. I must say, I was rather sad when the last CD was done. I really enjoyed each and every chapter on my way to and from work. ...more
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