John Ronald Reul Tolkein was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was young, but before she died his mother managed to make him firm in the Catholic Church. He was very good in school and interested in rugby. When he was twelve, he began to learn Middle English and Anglo-Saxon. He was married to Edith Bratt in 1916, a year when many people were not sure how long the war would last, or if they would survive it. Both did, and the war played a large part in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkein wanted to create a mythology for England, who only had the King Arthur tales. He succeeded. He created a work that is still regarded as amazing, and is able to make the reader feel as if they are in Middle Earth. He made his own languages. He died in 1973, known across the world.
Good. I found out a lot of things I didn't know: he was a Catholic (I'd always assumed he was Anglican); he moved twelve times in two years; the first publishers of The Lord of the Rings printed a very small number of copies because they did not think it would sell well; Tolkein despised The Chronicles of Narnia; etc. It seemed kind of short, but I don't know which part I would like more of.
It is recommended that one read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings before this.
Jane Eyre makes more sense now. Thanks
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Florida books
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Quasimodo the hunchback, Dom Claude the priest, and Phoebus the captain are all in love with Esmeralda, the gypsy. They all react in different ways, though: Quasimodo can't do anything because he is partially blind, deaf, and mostly mute; Dom Claude tries to kill her, and Phoebus is almost murdered. It is really very interesting.
Very good. The ending was sad, but it couldn't have ended any other way and still have made sense. That makes me pretty sure that Disney screwed it up, even though the first and only time I have ever watched it was when I was five. Pierre was good.
Notre Dame is spelled so weird.
French is weird.
Did I spell weird right?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane is a plain governess orphan who is working for Mr. Rochester, and odd, proud, man. He is like his house. Many nights there is eery laughter from the attic. Someone tries to murder him twice. He and Jane fall in love with each other, and try to marry each other. Of course, there are problems.
Good, but there is no good reason that Mr. Rochester has for loving her. He doesn't seem like the kind of man to love a plain woman. It kind of ruins the story if you realize that the actual story doesn't make sense. I would love it if someone gave me an explanation.
Why is there so much French? Maybe lots of people back then could read French out of a book. I can't. I would try to read German, though. St. John makes no sense. I'm glad he's not my brother.
school's out!
Quasimodo the hunchback, Dom Claude the priest, and Phoebus the captain are all in love with Esmeralda, the gypsy. They all react in different ways, though: Quasimodo can't do anything because he is partially blind, deaf, and mostly mute; Dom Claude tries to kill her, and Phoebus is almost murdered. It is really very interesting.
Very good. The ending was sad, but it couldn't have ended any other way and still have made sense. That makes me pretty sure that Disney screwed it up, even though the first and only time I have ever watched it was when I was five. Pierre was good.
Notre Dame is spelled so weird.
French is weird.
Did I spell weird right?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane is a plain governess orphan who is working for Mr. Rochester, and odd, proud, man. He is like his house. Many nights there is eery laughter from the attic. Someone tries to murder him twice. He and Jane fall in love with each other, and try to marry each other. Of course, there are problems.
Good, but there is no good reason that Mr. Rochester has for loving her. He doesn't seem like the kind of man to love a plain woman. It kind of ruins the story if you realize that the actual story doesn't make sense. I would love it if someone gave me an explanation.
Why is there so much French? Maybe lots of people back then could read French out of a book. I can't. I would try to read German, though. St. John makes no sense. I'm glad he's not my brother.
school's out!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
When the Bluebonnets Come by John J. Dwyer
Katie Shanahan and her family live in Cotton Patch, Texas. Her father is the pastor of a small Presbyterian church. Word comes that rich people from Dallas are going to build a casino and a 'family entertainment center' right in Cotton Patch. Immediately the town and even the Shanahan's church is divided. People stop talking to each other, and buildings are purposely burnt. But through it all, miracles happen.
Very good. I was a little confused in some places, but that was soon fixed. It made me feel like I would cry. That is a thing I've only done with maybe three books, this being the third. It is a mark of its goodness.
GOING TO FA TOMORROW! YAAAAAAY!
Yet all things must come at a price. Finals begin tomorrow morning, and I have to take them in Florida.
Very good. I was a little confused in some places, but that was soon fixed. It made me feel like I would cry. That is a thing I've only done with maybe three books, this being the third. It is a mark of its goodness.
GOING TO FA TOMORROW! YAAAAAAY!
Yet all things must come at a price. Finals begin tomorrow morning, and I have to take them in Florida.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
Mr. Crossley recieves an alarming note one day: SOMEONE IN 6B IS A WITCH. This is bad because, as everyone knows, witches are burned at the stake. But Mr. Crossley decides to ignore it. Soon he regrets this. A parrot appears during music, there is a Simon Says spell, and the entire boarding school's shoes appear in the hall. The inquisitor is sent for. But he is not what everyone expects....
Good. An easy read. It was neat that everything was because of Guy Fawkes' day, which was also kind of odd, because it's a British holiday. Would that mean that only all the magic in Britain was because of Guy Fawkes' day? Would ours be because of the Fourth of July, or something?
I like the word odd.
It's almost time for Summer Conference! Yay!
To turi: what is Germanism?
Good. An easy read. It was neat that everything was because of Guy Fawkes' day, which was also kind of odd, because it's a British holiday. Would that mean that only all the magic in Britain was because of Guy Fawkes' day? Would ours be because of the Fourth of July, or something?
I like the word odd.
It's almost time for Summer Conference! Yay!
To turi: what is Germanism?
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