Hamlet: Hamlet, a prince of Denmark, is driven mad by his father's ghost, who makes him believe that his uncle Claudius, his father's brother, killed him. The Ghost says that Claudius killed him, and then married his wife. Hamlet is insane with rage, and because of this, causes his lover, Ophelia, to commit suicide. Ophelia's brother decides to kill Hamlet. Hamlet is bent on killing Claudius, and wouldn't be too fussed if his mother dies as well. There is the inevitable showdown.
Good/creepy/scary. I'm not quite sure whether I liked it. It's the same feeling I was given by Wuthering Heights- confused and creeped out. I felt very sorry for Ophelia. Driven mad by the death of her father and Hamlet- so she commits suicide. Very tragic, but perhaps she could have thought about a better alternative. An unmistakeable tragedy.
Thought it was neat that 'soft' for Shakespeare meant 'hold still, wait'.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Favorite Books
These are my Top 20, in no particular order:
1) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2) Summerland by Michael Chabon
3) Luther the Reformer by James M. Kittleson
4) 1776 by David MacCullough
5) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
6) A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle
7) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
8) The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
9) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10) The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
11) The Three Musketeers by Alexandar Dumas
12) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by J.R.R Tolkein
13) The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein
14) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
15) A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
16) The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
17) The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
18) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
19) The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandar Dumas
20) The Once and Future King by T.H. White
1) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2) Summerland by Michael Chabon
3) Luther the Reformer by James M. Kittleson
4) 1776 by David MacCullough
5) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
6) A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle
7) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
8) The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
9) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10) The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
11) The Three Musketeers by Alexandar Dumas
12) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by J.R.R Tolkein
13) The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein
14) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
15) A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
16) The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
17) The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
18) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
19) The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandar Dumas
20) The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Germany and the Czech Republic
For those who don't know, I went up the Elbe River on a cruise boat in June. We went from Prague up to Berlin.
I really don't know where my favorite places were, but I've tried for top three, in no particular order:
1)Worlitz Park, Worlitz, GER. Worlitz is a town an hour's drive from Berlin. There is a huge man-made canal/lagoon system, and they have gondola tours. Amazingly beautiful.
2)Berlin, GER. Huge gray stone buildings, cathedrals, a ten-story department store from Paris, the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, wienerschitzel...la!
3)Prague, CZ. The City of a Hundred Spires. Walked on the Charles Bridge and through the town, though regrettably- as far as I can remember- no churches. There is a water mark on most of the houses, about four feet high- the city is regularly flooded by the Vltava
I loved meeting the people, seeing the sights, snapping pictures like mad, and trying the food. We also got to try our hand at foreign shopping- all my luggage got lost on the way to Prague! So now I have a collection of foreign shirts, though interesting, they are still MADE IN CHINA.
Thanks and Hooray to everyone, whoever you are!
I really don't know where my favorite places were, but I've tried for top three, in no particular order:
1)Worlitz Park, Worlitz, GER. Worlitz is a town an hour's drive from Berlin. There is a huge man-made canal/lagoon system, and they have gondola tours. Amazingly beautiful.
2)Berlin, GER. Huge gray stone buildings, cathedrals, a ten-story department store from Paris, the Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, wienerschitzel...la!
3)Prague, CZ. The City of a Hundred Spires. Walked on the Charles Bridge and through the town, though regrettably- as far as I can remember- no churches. There is a water mark on most of the houses, about four feet high- the city is regularly flooded by the Vltava
I loved meeting the people, seeing the sights, snapping pictures like mad, and trying the food. We also got to try our hand at foreign shopping- all my luggage got lost on the way to Prague! So now I have a collection of foreign shirts, though interesting, they are still MADE IN CHINA.
Thanks and Hooray to everyone, whoever you are!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling [at last!]
Voldemort is on the rise, Dumbledore is dead, and Harry is faced with the enormous challenge of destroying three more Horcruxes. Eventually, he must face the Dark Lord, and do something none would dream of.
But I'm not telling you anymore! Read it, peoples!
So. All that 'junk' in the last few books has turned out to be not junk at all. The crown on the bust; the locket in the cupboard; the fairy story. It would greatly interest me to know how in the world J.K. thinks of these things!!! The woman's a genius!!! Hooray!
I suppose I have succeeded in telling you nothing useful. You have to read it for yourselves. But I suspect that you would have read it anyways, no matter what I say. We can discuss our joys and annoyances later.
But I'm not telling you anymore! Read it, peoples!
So. All that 'junk' in the last few books has turned out to be not junk at all. The crown on the bust; the locket in the cupboard; the fairy story. It would greatly interest me to know how in the world J.K. thinks of these things!!! The woman's a genius!!! Hooray!
I suppose I have succeeded in telling you nothing useful. You have to read it for yourselves. But I suspect that you would have read it anyways, no matter what I say. We can discuss our joys and annoyances later.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
five weeks' worth of book reports!
So. Germany and the Czech Republic and Branson and D.C. Lots of books.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Antonia is a Czech immigrant in the Nebraska plains, where she befriends Jim. They are fast friends, but circumstances change and hard times come. Both change, for better and for worse.
Good. The description was lovely. Amazing. It seems like a few things needed to be changed, though- what happens to the murderer? Never is he mentioned. What happens to his family? They are never mentioned. The ending flops, too. But over all a very nice book.
------------
George Elliot by Kathryn Hughes
Marianne Evans was born in 1819 as a sullen, petty child. She was a Puritan, and hated the Christmas celebrations' 'frivolity'. She slowly changed, though, into an atheist. She wrote her first book,Adam Bede , under the pen name of George Elliot, and continued to use it for most of her life. She was attention-hungry and strained many a relationship because of it. She was 'married' to George Lewes for sixteen years, and then to for the last three months of her life.
Interesting. She was an amazingly odd person. I'm glad I didn't write to her; she was no fun to her pen pals. And being married to someone who has another wife who has another husband. Ick. A slow read.
----------
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Catherine Earnshaw, the lady, and Heathcliff, the waif, make a strange pair, but they will not be separated from each other. Heathcliff is deemed violent, and Catherine married off to a lord. Neither can stand it. Cathy becomes insane and Heathcliff runs away, to leave their problems for the younger generation.
Strange. It was scary, but not nightmarish...shivery, maybe. The way Catherine goes mad and Heathcliff forgets, and then you're afraid it's going to happen all over again with Cathy and Hareton. But it doesn't. Good.
----------
The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis
This was Lewis's first book after his conversion, and records his trip to salvation. John sees an island, the perfect island, Paradise, and he sets off to find it. He meets people such as Mr. Enlightenment, Mr. Humanist, and Mother Kirk, in such places as the Valley of Humiliation and the city of Thrill as he journeys to this mysterious place.
Good. I think it was just as good as Pilgrim's Progress. Lewis is perfect with allegories. He can think of things that fit, and make sense, and people know about, and make them represent things that you would never have thought of, and it works. Mother Kirk should have been talked about a little more, though.
--------------
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The obsessions of two remarkable and very different men led to the making of the book that defined many of the words we know today. The book, begun in 1857 and taking seventy more years, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. Professor James Murray headed the project, and discovered that a chief contributor was confined in an asylum.
Very good. I liked that the word definitions and the dictionary were tied to someone as strange as Dr. Minor. It is rather ironic, though, that if he had not been confined he would not have contributed, and if he had not contributed, he would not have become even worse. Is that a paradox?
----------
A Portrait of Jesus by Joseph Gerizone
Father Gerizone has attempted to get inside the heads of Jesus and his followers. What it would be like to walk all over Israel, what his disciples thought of Jesus. There is also a lot of tolerance to Jews and Muslims preached.
Interesting. I find, though, that he skipped-or almost skipped-four major parts of the Gospel- the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension. How can a portrait of Christ be complete without these? Now, I think it's fine to have people of different faiths as friends, but can you accept them as influences on your church, on your decisions? I don't think so, but then, I am a very opinionated almost-thirteen, and other opinions would be appreciated.
WOW! LOTS OF REPORTS! PHEW!
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Antonia is a Czech immigrant in the Nebraska plains, where she befriends Jim. They are fast friends, but circumstances change and hard times come. Both change, for better and for worse.
Good. The description was lovely. Amazing. It seems like a few things needed to be changed, though- what happens to the murderer? Never is he mentioned. What happens to his family? They are never mentioned. The ending flops, too. But over all a very nice book.
------------
George Elliot by Kathryn Hughes
Marianne Evans was born in 1819 as a sullen, petty child. She was a Puritan, and hated the Christmas celebrations' 'frivolity'. She slowly changed, though, into an atheist. She wrote her first book,Adam Bede , under the pen name of George Elliot, and continued to use it for most of her life. She was attention-hungry and strained many a relationship because of it. She was 'married' to George Lewes for sixteen years, and then to for the last three months of her life.
Interesting. She was an amazingly odd person. I'm glad I didn't write to her; she was no fun to her pen pals. And being married to someone who has another wife who has another husband. Ick. A slow read.
----------
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Catherine Earnshaw, the lady, and Heathcliff, the waif, make a strange pair, but they will not be separated from each other. Heathcliff is deemed violent, and Catherine married off to a lord. Neither can stand it. Cathy becomes insane and Heathcliff runs away, to leave their problems for the younger generation.
Strange. It was scary, but not nightmarish...shivery, maybe. The way Catherine goes mad and Heathcliff forgets, and then you're afraid it's going to happen all over again with Cathy and Hareton. But it doesn't. Good.
----------
The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis
This was Lewis's first book after his conversion, and records his trip to salvation. John sees an island, the perfect island, Paradise, and he sets off to find it. He meets people such as Mr. Enlightenment, Mr. Humanist, and Mother Kirk, in such places as the Valley of Humiliation and the city of Thrill as he journeys to this mysterious place.
Good. I think it was just as good as Pilgrim's Progress. Lewis is perfect with allegories. He can think of things that fit, and make sense, and people know about, and make them represent things that you would never have thought of, and it works. Mother Kirk should have been talked about a little more, though.
--------------
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
The obsessions of two remarkable and very different men led to the making of the book that defined many of the words we know today. The book, begun in 1857 and taking seventy more years, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. Professor James Murray headed the project, and discovered that a chief contributor was confined in an asylum.
Very good. I liked that the word definitions and the dictionary were tied to someone as strange as Dr. Minor. It is rather ironic, though, that if he had not been confined he would not have contributed, and if he had not contributed, he would not have become even worse. Is that a paradox?
----------
A Portrait of Jesus by Joseph Gerizone
Father Gerizone has attempted to get inside the heads of Jesus and his followers. What it would be like to walk all over Israel, what his disciples thought of Jesus. There is also a lot of tolerance to Jews and Muslims preached.
Interesting. I find, though, that he skipped-or almost skipped-four major parts of the Gospel- the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension. How can a portrait of Christ be complete without these? Now, I think it's fine to have people of different faiths as friends, but can you accept them as influences on your church, on your decisions? I don't think so, but then, I am a very opinionated almost-thirteen, and other opinions would be appreciated.
WOW! LOTS OF REPORTS! PHEW!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
The Narnian: the Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis by Alan Jacobs
Clive Staples Lewis was born in 1898. At the age of four he told the family that he would not answer to anything but Jack, and Jack he remained to friends and family until his death. As a boy he and his brother, Warnie, would make up an imaginary world of Boxen. Lewis liked nothing other than reading a good book, and was very introverted. He hated school. This is probably the cause for Eustace's and Jill's horrible school. In 1914 he began working with a tutor, who declared that his translation abilities were amazing and that he had read more classics than anyone he had ever known. He considered himself an atheist, but gradually became a Christian. He did, however, continue living with a Mrs. Moore, who was twenty years older than he, until her death in the fifties. He became an Oxford don, met J.R.R Tolkein, began the Inklings, wrote many books, and married Joy Gresham. He died on November 22, 1963, and, between him and Tolkein, started a new era of literature.
Very good. I hadn't known about Mrs. Moore, or half of everything else, either. His favorite sound was 'adult male laughter'. Many fantasy writers hate him because they are atheists and find his very pronounced views of Christianity- the 'pie in the sky by and by' view- maddening. This was interesting. Wouldn't you be glad that you had eternal life? Except, of course, if you're an atheist, which would mean that you thought it was dumb. Hmm.
I GO TO GERMANY TODAY!!!!!!!!
Very good. I hadn't known about Mrs. Moore, or half of everything else, either. His favorite sound was 'adult male laughter'. Many fantasy writers hate him because they are atheists and find his very pronounced views of Christianity- the 'pie in the sky by and by' view- maddening. This was interesting. Wouldn't you be glad that you had eternal life? Except, of course, if you're an atheist, which would mean that you thought it was dumb. Hmm.
I GO TO GERMANY TODAY!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tolkein: a biography by Michael White
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
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 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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