Tag Archive for 'a book a week'

A Book A Week: When We Were Romans

chris published on July 18, 2010 in art. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

Published in 2008, When We Were Romans is a charming and simultaneously haunting novel told from the perspective of Lawrence, a nine year old. Lawrence’s mom decides to abruptly leave their home in London in order to flee from the father of Lawrence and his even younger sister, Jemima, who she is convinced is out to harm them. I found myself thoroughly absorbed in Lawrence’s narrative — the novel is as much an exploration of childhood as it is an exploration of life itself. Both my eighteen and nine year old self could relate easily with Lawrence’s tribulations and experiences, or lack thereof.

Of course, the narrator’s perspective is narrow, and Kneale makes full use of Lawrence’s naïvety to explore the nature of the confusions and fears of childhood.

Make sure to check this one out. Literally. From the library. Catch my drift?

A Book a Week: 1-3

chris published on January 26, 2010 in art and superforest journal. 5 Comments Tags: , .

This year I have resolved to read one book a week, for curiosity’s sake. I figure any side-effects will strictly be positive, and after three weeks I already am reaping the benefits: a more open consciousness. That said, I think by the time December rolls around I wouldn’t remember any of the books I actually read unless I recorded my list and thoughts somewhere, and SuperForest is the obvious option. I think I’ll omit cover images, simply for the sake of the non-judge.

Week One: The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

I bought the novel this past summer, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. I couldn’t even get through half of it, partially because I was so focused on my preconceptions and biases. I thought Esther, the protagonist was overly invested in herself, and this is coming from a self-proclaimed Catcher in the Rye fan! That said, when I read my AP Literature syllabus and realized we would be reading The Bell Jar I was again relying on preconceptions. I hadn’t even finished the book! Well, in goes without saying that I loved it the second time around. I was less judgmental of Esther — more open to the possibility that even the story of an instable young woman would reflect something not only about reality, but about my own life.

Week Two: Cosmos – Carl Sagan

I have been a Sagan fan since I first watched A Glorious Dawn. The 13 chapter book bears the same name as the 13 part television series, and rightfully so: they are essentially companions. If you’ve seen the series, the book is very similar, but of course it is a different medium. I found both fascinating. I’ve always been interested in science, but Sagan really reveals to how little we, both as individuals and as a race, know about our physical universe. Of course, our planet is but a “mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam”,  so it is fitting that Cosmos made me feel small. In a good way.

Week Three: For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway

I still don’t know much about Hemingway or his works — other than this one, of course. It’s been sitting on my shelf for awhile; I don’t remember why I first bought it. It is a solid work of literature. Hemingway’s prose is very terse, very simple; it isn’t hard to understand but that doesn’t subtract from it’s poignancy. Reading For Whom the Bell Tolls required me to pay close attention to detail but also to what isn’t expressed. Of course, I feel like exactly what I am: a high school senior trying to understand the beauty of Hemingway. It takes a lifetime…

I’m excited about this entire journey. Hopefully my literary adventure will take me places this year. It’s an exercise in discipline and open-mindedness. I look forward to sharing my amateur observations here. I encourage each and everyone of you to crack up open a book. I think we’re born with a passion for literature, and it is a wondrous thing that I am able to read and understand the musings of men and women long since passed…

Sincerely,

Chris