may the odds be ever in your favor.

I think this is what reality television is headed to. I firmly believe that one day contestants will fight to the death; it seems to be an inevitable conclusion to what people will do for fame and fortune. Also to appease the masses of those that would watch I mean you can only watch 20 people live on an island for months without food so many times.

The idea of the Hunger Games to me goes back to ancient times, to the Roman coliseum. Whether it be slaves (the poorer districts) or professional gladiators (the richer districts).

I love the world that the author has created, with a post-apocalyptic America, and the idea of the 13 colonies is very reminiscent of the beginnings of American life.

My favorite character was of course Katniss. I know she was the main character and all, but I loved her rebellious nature and take charge attitude. I found it refreshing that her goals were to save herself and not for love of someone else. Nowadays female characters seem to be only willing to live for love, but I think its believable that she would be looking out for herself and for her sister too.

The scene with Rue broke my heart, I really liked her, but I knew she had to die in order for Katniss to live and win the games. But the tribute with the flowers that Katniss did for her was beautiful and fitting.

So I know that love was not the message of this story, but I can’t help but wonder who I want her to be with. Now I do agree with Katie, I’m glad that she doesn’t really fall in love with Peeta when the games begin and I still honestly don’t think she is love with him at the end either. But then I can’t help but feel bad for Peeta because he is truly in love, and it’s heartbreaking when he finds that out.

I don’t know what is going to happen in Panem now, I think that what Katniss has set in motion by trying to commit suicide at the end of the games won’t go away lightly. I can’t wait to start Catching Fire, and then Mockingjay! This has been an amazing book, I’m so glad that everyone has loved and enjoyed it!!

My final thoughts on Katniss and the Games

So I loved the Hunger Games (as you all know).  As previously discussed, the whole set up of the book is intriguing with the Capitol rule and the actual Hunger Games.  When I got to the actual section on the Games, I couldn't put the book down.  Collins does a great job of making me feel like I'm right there with Katniss as she's trying to survive the Games.

I love Katniss and I also loved that she is not in love with anyone.  Peeta is in love with her but she doesn't have the same feelings.  Her whole focus is on the actual games.  I thought her not instantly falling in love with Peeta refreshing.  She is only 15 and I found it very realistic that she doesn't know how she feels about Peeta or Gale.  Overall, I think I enjoyed it because it was very different from Twilight.

I also loved that Katniss made an alliance with Rue.  Rue is so young and her being chosen I think really shows the cruelty of the Hunger Games.  Rue does have some skills but she isn't a fighter or hunter like Katniss or Cato.

This book is fantastic (thank you Christine!). I have already finished Catching Fire and I'm almost done with Mockingjay.


 

Final Musings of a Capitol Controlled World

Collins has set up a terrific world here.

I tend to go through reviews and look at the most negative because a lot of reviews I see are all, "OMG THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN!! I LUV IT!!," and they have no real substance toward the review. But the negative ones seem to give a better idea of what the book may be about. While I don't doubt the reviews professing undying love toward the book, it helps to see something other than those couple sentences, lol.

One review I read said that as a parent she couldn't understand why the parents would allow their children to be sent to death like that. Maybe it's because I'm not a parent, but I think it shows just how much control the Capitol has over the people. You can see it even during the games, when they set fire to smoke Katniss out of her hiding place. Especially with the sponsors and when they can send things to the tributes.

I do like the signs of rebellion Katniss shows. The flowers she spreads over Rue made me want to cry. It was a heartbreaking moment. I really loved the end of the games when both she and Peeta eat the berries when the Capitol tries to go back on their word. It makes me want to read the 2nd and 3rd books because you know they're not going to let Katniss get away with her acts of defiance.

Overall, the book was great. It was a nice quick pace that rarely lagged. It was interesting seeing Peeta as the more emotional of the two and Katniss being the stronger one. He seemed to recognize his strengths and weaknesses and expected to die, whereas Katniss battles within herself whether or not she could kill him. I like watching that internal battle with her, since a lot of feelings seem to be foreign to her. Picking up the others should make it interesting to see how things come out, especially if there are things between Gale and Katniss as well.

Great pick, Christine :-)

All is not fair in Love and War

No wound is worse than counterfeited love.
SOPHOCLES, Antigone

Ah, young love. It is the central topic of all the most popular tween books and blockbuster movies. For the most part it is the hub a plot revolves around but not necessarily in The Hunger Games. In this story it is used as a means to an end. Love is a tool that is capitalized on and shamelessly exploited for entertainment purposes and personal survival.

Through the course of the story you start to understand that Peeta and Haymitch choose the united front strategy to gain public support. In regards to the game, being "team players" were entirely new and certainty gained public attention and greatly aided Katniss and Peeta.

But Love becomes this immense double edged sword when we realize Peeta agreed to the strategy because he did greatly care for Katniss. But our young heroine totally doesn't get it at all. She has small moments where she believes Peeta's actions and words are sincere and honestly becomes greatly conflicted and confused. Katniss then slowly starts to drive me crazy with her thoughts before deciding it is all a front for the game and continues to play into it.

Heck, before the whole mess started when Gale was talking about having a family and running away she didn't get it. Hello Katniss! You have two men who care about you and obviously want you to bare their children. What a lucky biotch!

I understand that as a reader, the author is setting up the love triangle for the future books. I just really wish that Katniss was more in tune with the emotions around her. She seems so naive in that aspect but flaws are often what characters in popular stories are missing. So despite my utter annoyance with her behavior I am glad she has faults as great as mine.

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

Okay, so I'm very very pleased that everyone is enjoying the book so far. I was hooked instantly, I love the world. I love the characters. I love the utter barbaric nature of the hunger games. I too am very interested to learn more about Haymitch, not sure if they will continue on with his character development, but I would like to know why he drinks all the time. Perhaps it has something to do with the Hunger Games? I'm glad to see that Katie and Amanda have enjoyed this book so much that they finished it lol! I sadly have only made it to chapter 6. So I'm going to update the next due date for those who haven't quite finished the book yet. I have to agree with Amanda, I have always been amazed by post-apocalyptic worlds. I think that is something that drew me to this series. I just love to learn about why society has fallen, and why we have become this weird world that districts, and games involving the hunting of humans. Don't have much else to post, other than I think the book has been amazing so far and I can't wait to see what else there is learn about Panem and the rest of this world.

I have a confession ....

... Pause for Dramatic Effect ...

I have finished the book. Yup. Two days ago. I was so epically caught up in the world I couldn't put it down. In fact, I have already bought the second book and can't wait to start reading. And since everyone has pretty much covered everything I would have said for a first post anyways, I am going in another direction: my favorite thing about the book and the way I saw the world in my head and the movies I thought of.

(You guys already know I am weird so just roll with it.)

My favorite thing about the book didn't have anything to do with the storyline (which was awesomely original in a Vampire fiction world), the characters (which are likable but I have some issues with them) or the descriptions (GASP! I know, me say that? 'Cause I am a sucker for descriptions).

All those things where fine and dandy but what I enjoyed the most was the point of view the author chose to write in: First Person, Present Tense. Which in my opinion was a genius move by Collins because how else are we going to feel how tense the Hunger Games are if we are not experiencing "the game" as it is happening. I feel the book would have fallen short if any other tense was chosen. Kudos Collins, kudos.

Now the book is naturally dark. And as I read it a picture of a washed out, gritty world emerged in my head. I know everyone will see something different but in movie speak it was a combination of The Book of Eli and Zombieland. I know it is probably heresy to even think about combining or mixing those movies in any way, but they are both amazing and have to deal with survival and a world on the brink of disaster. But both of these movies popped into my head about two pages into the book. Coincidence? I think not ...

To further explore this avenue, I will be watching both of these movies this weekend because I am suddenly very interested in Post-apocalyptic worlds and the evolution of the "unlikely Hero" in teen fiction and popular culture. (I love when I sound smart.)

Anyways, I can't be the only one with unique visuals. How did y'all see the world?

NB: Here's the teaser trailer

Katniss the Flame bearer

I agree with Katie, and Allyssa, this book is amazing, intriguing, and fascinating all rolled into one! I've been having an issue with connecting to books recently, and I am so glad Christine chose this book to read, I've been itching to read it, and Christine gave me the perfect opportunity!

Here's my question though, Panem is America in the way way way future, so is the anthem still the Star Spangled Banner? I've been wondering that every time it's been mentioned! I have to mention that even though he's a drunk, I am so fascinated with Haymitch, there is something about him that is so mysterious! Is there a reason he's always drunk? How could he possibly be of any help, or use to the tributes?

I can't wait to find out what happens with the training and with Katniss and Peeta. I want to know how they're relationship works out, or if there will be anything between them. I would love to have a closet and shower like she does, all automatic. Makes me wonder if that's where our technology is headed.

Great choice Christine! I just want to lay in bed all day tomorrow and finish the book, and the series for that matter, I haven't been this excited about a book since I started reading the Shopaholic series!

Being the chosen one is not a good thing after all...

I will have to agree with Allyssa...The Hunger Games is definitely  intriguing.  I think that is the perfect word for it because I am so wrapped up in Katniss and the Hunger Games' history and concept.  Suzanne Collins, you are a genius.

I love Katniss because she is such a strong character.  She takes care of her mother and sister and she is only a teenager.  She sacrifices herself for her sister.  But I think she is more prepared for the Hunger Games than she thinks she is.  She is a hunter and those skills and instincts will help her.

I really don't know what to make of Peeta yet.  He does have the nice guy image going on with his backstory with Katniss.  But that was back in District 12.  The Hunger Games will a totally different situation and there can only be one champion.

I think there is a possibility of a romance between Peeta and Katniss since they will be in extreme situation together and I imagine the story will be focused on them.  Now that Katniss is out of District 12, I don't know how much more Gale will be in the book.

I am looking forward to seeing the other competitors in the Hunger Games and who Katniss will be up against.

Capitol Control in a Scary Form!

Hunger Games -- Suzanne Collins

The set up she's created so far is really good. Post- North America which is now Panema and is divided into 12 Districts, formerly having had 13 until a rebellion caused it's eradication. Every year the citizens of districts are shown the Hunger Games, which is a way for the Capitol to keep their citizens in line.

Katniss is chosen because she sacrifices herself for her sister. Her character is very interesting. She has an extremely realistic outlook towards her life. Even after she has given herself to the Hunger Games to keep Prima alive, she's expecting to die. She hasn't had the training that others have had, she comes from the poorer district.

I'm interested in seeing if she's going to grow more. She wavers when it comes to Peeta, so I get the impression if there's a love interest, he's it. At first I thought it was Gale, especially with the way he acts toward her, but Collins set things up pretty well with Peeta giving her the burned bread when they were younger.

I like seeing Katniss's reaction towards the Capitol and the people inside it. It reminds me of something, but I can't place what it is right now. I'm sure I will soon. The ceremony was just wow. Cinna and Portia were determined to make Katniss and Peeta stand out the most, which they clearly did with flaming costumes!

Beginning thoughts: Intrigue. I'm curious to see where everything goes. Figuring out how this whole world works is...well...for lack of a better word, intriguing. I like the way Collins describes the different districts and what they provide. She shows how controlling the Capitol is pretty quickly, just in the beginning when Katniss says she has to watch what she says, even at home. People giving their thanks to her at the Reaping was very nice, in a sense, that I think Katniss underestimates herself. She clearly gives a lot of herself to help her family, and manages to trade pretty well, despite the circumstances they live in. Everyone's reaction to her self-sacrifice shows me that the people think quite a lot of her, especially those who say they will keep an eye on her family.

The Hunger Games

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Last thoughts on the bizarre world!

Half-Made World is a very interesting book altogether! After some thought, I've come to the conclusion that I am perfectly happy living in our world vs. that one.

The idea of getting controlled by Engines or Guns is just freaky. Marmion is clearly pissed off with Creedmoor at the end of the book. It makes me wonder how often servants of the Gun actually get away from them. So far I'm saying never. I would hate to have to be in servitude to them, or the Engines.

Creedmoor was the best character in my opinion. Out of all of them he seemed to be the most human, struggling with his past ideologies, reuniting with them when Marmion couldn't connect with him. But at the same time, he was upfront and very aware that he would probably die in servitude to the gun.

I haven't figured out what I think of Liv yet. If there's a sequel, which I"m hoping there is, I hope to see more character growth in her area. She kept taking her tonic and she seemed little better than an opium addict, then they ended up in  the mountains where she ran out. She was forced to reconnect completely with reality and face the harshness of their world.

One place I really don't ever want to visit is New Deal. What a backwards way of life there! Freaked me out. They were so restrictive toward Liv and everything there that I wanted to run screaming from the place and it's a fictional town, lol!!

All in all, I really enjoyed The Half Made World and if there is a sequel, I will probably pick it up to see if any of my questions will be answered!

final thoughts on the half made world...

(sorry for the unoriginal title for this post. lol)

So I know, I know, we've been reading this book and this is my first post about it. I think my problem was that I was having trouble coming up with ideas for blog posts. So here goes!

There are some books you enter knowing exactly what to expect, which can be good. Sort of like sitting in your favorite chair. Nice and cozy. Then there are those books that immediately jar you into realizing how different they are, which are few and far between. Its amazing that you can get a sense of isolation while exploring a world so big that its western regions are still forming into existence yet has a history of thousands of years.

I can't help but compare The Half Made World with Firefly and Serenity. Not sure if anyone else made these comparisons, but its something that popped into my head pretty quickly. I love the idea of the unknown world that has yet to be explored. And I find that when the creepy helicopter like thingies show up, I almost expect Reavers to jump out and lay waste to the land.

From the first chapter I was set embark on a journey involving a general of a dead republic lost in his own mind, a psychologist out of her depth, and a man who has done evil things for decades. The Half-Made world is full of magical people and the warring factions of possessed guns and thinking engines of destruction both in control. There are even religious groups such as the Smilers who just want you to be happy. Which personally I think is kinds nice, and awesome!

I love the complexity of this story, the characters aren’t good or bad, they are what they are, making their way through life. As Donkey says we all have layers, like an onion, which I find each characters have in untold spades. As they go through their journeys, they are slowly peeled back, and we are given a peek into their souls. As we learn about the world building, it comes to us in slow bursts, which I found kind of frustrating, I wanted to know more about this crazy world, and I felt like the author was keeping it from us.


I will admit, I had a hard time after the prologue getting into the book, but once I did, I found it was full of amazing characters and a gorgeously developed world. I’m glad that Amanda chose this book, it was something I don’t think I would have checked out. While I love the idea of the steampunk genre, I’ve never really attempted to read a novel about it. But I’m glad that I did, its opened up a whole new literary genre to me, and for that I am grateful.

To be Made or not to be Made...

I really enjoyed the Half Made World and thought it was very original.  Some books were slower than other but overall I really enjoyed the book and the concepts Gilman presents with the Line, the Gun, and the unmade world.  I really look forward to reading the sequel. :)

I have to say Creedmoor was my favorite character because I think he was the most complex.  Once he and Liv are out in the unmade world, I think his true character is shown and we see that Creedmoor truly wants to be a good person when Marmion is not around.  But of course he still struggles because with the Gun his is superhuman and he doesn’t want to give that up.  I was really moved by the story with kidnapping the little girl and that that is what drives him away from the Gun.  And of course I love him because of his sarcasm and awesome action scenes. 

Also, Liv and Creedmoor are made for each other in my opinion.  They both struggle with addictions and in the unmade world they are rid of their addictions. I think it will be interesting to see Creedmoor in the next book because he won’t have the supernatural powers he had from being one of the Gun.  We will really get to see him as an ordinary man.

I found it very appropriate how Gilman handled Lowery and his death.  It doesn’t happen during Lowery’s perspective and afterwards, he is never mentioned again.  It just shows how disposable the Linesmen are.

Amanda, thanks for picking an awesome book!

Will the Half-Made World ever be made?

I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clockmaker.
Voltaire

For my first introduction to Steampunk, I was very satisfied and really enjoyed The Half-Made World. It was interesting to see such contradictory ideas come together and intermingle. It was an epic battle of technology and western cultural ideals and the winner is still yet to be determined.

So here is a summary of what I liked:
- All the characters were flawed. Today I feel like Authors are writing these sickeningly perfect characters and I find it rather boring.
- The descriptions were amazing. See previous post.
- The Prologue was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. It really set the tone for the story.

What I thought was weak:
- I am going to have to say the ending. Everything builds up so fast in the beginning and I felt the story peeked to early. The last book kind of just strolled along. I am not saying it didn't have it's moments, but it would have been nice to have some climatic moment that brought things together more or answered some questions.

But, for those wondering, the book is very open ended because Gilman is planning on writing a sequel. And I would be very interested in seeing if the Half-Made World will ever be complete.

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." ... Except in the Half-Made World ...

"It was strictly speaking a rose, though of all things of the made world, it most closely resembled a flower, and of all flowers Liv knew, it most closely resembled a rose [...] It's petals formed a corolla that was rose like, yet iterated over and over, whorls withing whorls, past the point of ordinary botanical possibility [...] It smelled of electricity, and slightly of motor oil; and in it's heart ... this one had a delicate crisscrossing of golden wires, enclosing something minute and fleshy that pulsed with a steady beat."

The thing was hideous. It was ridiculous. It was beautiful. All those things at once, and none of them. It was not meant for her, and her opinions of it were beside the point. It would have been both futile and insulting to classify it; it was neither a rose nor a relative of the rose. It was perhaps in part the potentiality of a rose, or an alternative to the rose, or more likely something with no meaning at all....

Alas, you all know how much I love my quotes so I had to share probably my favorite from the book. One: I believe the whole description was wonderfully done. Two: I deeply related to it, especially what's in bold above.

I feel like we spend so much of our time classifying people, relationships, things, hopes, dreams etc., placing them into boxes and storing them on a shelf. WHY? Perhaps we are over analyzing life instead of LIVING it. Liv spent almost a whole page trying to compare the wondrous thing she found to something, although considered beautiful, paled in comparison to her discovery. I feel like her attempting to place such a wondrous creation into the Made World, devalued it. Instead of dissecting it, she should have just enjoyed it.

We spend too much time questioning things. Why am I here? Who am I supposed to be? How was this made? The chicken or the egg?

But there is a simple answer: Maybe we were never meant to know. Instead of questioning, the true answer might just lie in enjoying what we are given and living to the best of out abilities.

NB: I will be doing a final post as well soon. And I hope y'all enjoyed the book.

Forget The Dollhouse. Take a Tylenol instead.

There is only one reason why men become addicted to drugs, they are weak men. Only strong men are cured, and they cure themselves.

Martin Fischer

After finishing the reading, I found The Dollhouse to be more of a haunting, sad place then an uplifting and healing one. The only person who seems to not truly mind the environment is the Director. Despite spouting Smiler ideals, I don't really find his character all that trusting and was not sure if I should believe the story he told Liv in regards to the house's creation.

Everyone else in the house, excluding the seemingly insane, are either angry and spiteful or naive and somewhat dull. And they only seem to be staying put because they have fallen into some lull in life and are content not to change their surroundings. Granted some of them truly believe in this "healing" spirit but others admitted they don't think the spirit's or their efforts are making any difference. Even Creedmoor began to fall in pace with this non-living life. But when he opened his eyes and really looked around he felt trapped and wanted to be free (Which, of course he accomplished because he is freaking awesome).

I am sure that not many people can say they outsmarted a spirit, but Creedmoor is one of them. Not only does this being not heal, but it's hunger for pain and sadness and who knows what other horrors can be sated. Of course the spirit wants to protect the house, it has an never ending food supply. I have yet to see any evidence that it is nothing more then a drug that offers temporary relief. Unfortunately, when the pain comes back, it hits even harder as Liv proved by upping the doses of her tonic. Increasing Liv's addictions from one to two drugs. I wonder how she is going to fair without either since Creedmoor kidnapped her. Things could get interesting.

The Dollhouse Heals...Kinda

We made the Gun out of our spite, and Line out of our fear, and this poor thing out of our sorrow.

The House Dolorous or Dollhouse has a spirit protecting it but I find it interesting that this spirit has limits and that it doesn't truly heal.  Liv gets addicted to the healing powers of the spirit and basically everyone there stays because of these healing powers.  It seems like the spirit is more of a drug for the people there.  But the spirit can no doubt protect the people there which is shown when it takes out the Line's flying machine.  I honestly don't know if the spirit is overall strong or weak.  It obviously can protect but it doesn't heal so its power isn't everlasting. 

Finding out Liv's past regarding her mother's death, I feel very bad for her but also find it interesting that she takes on her mother's profession.  She doesn't seem afraid that the same thing might happen to her but that may be what the nerve tonic is for.  Maybe that field of study is all she really knows or she's trying to carry on her mother's legacy.  

ANGELUS. ARCHWAY. ARKLEY. ARSENAL. BARKING. COLLIER HILL. DRYDEN. FOUNTAINHEAD. GEORGIANA. GLORIANA ...

Thirty-eight Engines. Wow. I will admit when I read the Engines telegraph to Lowry I shivered a little bit. The Line irks me a little more then the Gun. These Engines and the beings that possess them really do not have a high regard for humans and see us as a means to an end. Evident by how fast Lowry rose through the ranks. No matter what happened "progress" had to continue and the Engines didn't seem to care about lost lives in the process.

Of course the same could be said for the Gun, but those beings seem more susceptible to suggestions and even insults as Creedmoor has proven over and over. And despite not taking sides at the moment, I am leaning more towards the Gun just because of the Old West feel. The unique names of those involved remind me of those old school John Wayne movies and the more traditional west we are familiar with.

But what I am most curious about right now is the connection (if there really is one) between these gods/demons/beings and those that are considered mentally ill. Maggfrid was terrified of the Engine and William, poor boy, seemed to sense Marmion and even asked about "voices." Makes me wonder about their past and if what happened to them made them more sensitive to the fantastical elements around them.

Our Old West?

The concept with the Guns and the Linesmen becomes more and more intriguing as I keep reading. I really love the concept that's been created with it. The fact that the weapon is the Guns mean of communication to their Masters and the Linesmen using telegraphs to communicate with theirs.

Liv's description of the Engine was really interesting. It seemed more like a large black cloud than anything truly physical which was pretty interesting. What was more so was how intense being on the Engine seemed to be. It was like asking for someone to willingly submit themselves to a giant migraine. The Linesmen who questioned her on the ride made me nervous. While I know Lowry was still in Kloan, I couldn't help but wonder if it was him on the Engine (even though I know it wasn't).

Creedmore is pretty tricky, which is understandable given his profession. I was surprised that the Spirit didn't take him out, but that it accepted William as the Agent instead. It makes me wonder what the Guns have in store for the Spirit when they need to kill it, as well as what will happen to the general.

So far, this is making me think Old West of our own history, and how progression from the east kept coming on out. Given that I wasn't even alive when the Old West was formed and and such, it makes me wonder what the people thought of the times, you know? Such as...how uncivilized did the people in the East consider the West? I know there were wars with the different Indian tribes as people wanted to claim more land. I wonder if the author took this into consideration as a sort of basis for his world.

I'm on to Book 2 now, and am very interested to see what is going to happen with the General and Liv and Creedmore and Lowry!

Taking Sides: I'm Switzerland

So I mentioned in our Facebook group that this book reminded me of American Gods by Neil Gaiman though Gilman's concept is on a different level.  American Gods is about how Gods of other countries came to America with all the immigration.  But what I love about Gilman's concept is that the gods take physical form.  The Engines can take form and can even be killed temporarily.  The Guns are connected to an actual weapon which is shown when Creedmoor throws his gun to the ground and Marmion shrieks out.  I'm not 100% sure if the Engines and the Guns are gods but at least for now that is how they are portrayed in my opinion.

The side of the war that is not lead by gods (that we know of so far) is the Republic.  I'm glad we found out more about them in this section of reading. I think this is the group that we're supposed to identify with.  They were a people that believed in democracy and justice; they seem like they were just normal, everyday people.

So who's side am I on?  Right now, I'm claiming Switzerland, that is if the Engines haven't take over it yet.  I feel for the Republic but they don't really have anyone representing them right now so my feelings for them only go so far.  Of course the Engines I despise.  I have to admit that Creedmoor is pretty awesome.  The fight scene in Kloan kicked butt.  I'm still on the fence and I can't see what Book 2 brings.

P.S. Sorry, I had to throw in a Twilight reference.  The next movie will be coming out soon. :)

Intrigue! Mystery! And so much more!

I'm really enjoying this book so far. I really liked the prologue and the way it showed the General starting to lose his mind.

I think one of my favorite moments so far was with Creedmore and the riverboat, when he threw the other man off the side of the ship. I like how dangerous and forewarning he was towards the guy, but still threw him overboard.

The concept of the Guns is really intriguing. I want to know more about them. Plus, I want to know more about the secret weapon the General has in his mind. I hope Livy gets to him soon. I want to see what she can do for him and what's going to happen there.

I don't trust Lowry, but then again, at the moment, I haven't got a clue as to which side I'm on! Hopefully as we get farther in I'll find a side I support!

"Once upon a time and it was the last time I went into the mountains to find..."

"The black boots of a Linesman stopped in front of him. The echo was not rhythmic--the horses that galloped across his mind were limping, falling, screaming. What shattered the soul, what set the brain's delicate architecture bleeding and crumbling, was that horrid senseless arrhythmia."

After reading the prologue I will admit a shudder ran through me. It was so haunting and left me with so many questions. Gilman did such a good job of getting into the general's head giving us a, slightly disturbing, front row seat to his demise. To slowly go mad and forget my comrades, my family, what I was fighting for and most importantly who I am is not something I want to experience. Especially at the hand of the Line. *shudder*

Now, I am only up to chapter six (a tiny bit behind), but the character that is really intriguing me right now is Maggfrid, Liv's strange choice in a traveling companion. I wonder at his loyalty to her and can't help but think there has to be something more to him.

I guess I just have to keep reading!

NB: I am so curious about the fairytale the general kept recalling! Anyone else?

Liv's journey to the edge of the Made world

I am really loving The Half Made World. Thank you Amanda for choosing this book!  I'm dying to know more of the history behind the Republic since there are already two characters representing the Gun and the Line.  There is a preview of the Republic in the prologue but I am waiting for a character that speaks for them and their side in the war.

I love Liv Alverhyusen and that she decides to take on an adventure that will take her to the edge of the Made world.  I have often wondered about myself if I would have the courage to go somewhere far away if I was called to (and I don't think I could do it). But even when Liv gets stuck in that small town because they won't go down the river anymore, she doesn't give up then either.  It would've been easy and even logical for her to give up and go home but she is confident that if she waits, an opportunity will present itself.  There is no turning back.  I simply love her determination and her courage to go someplace completely unknown to her.

I can't wait to see what happens with Liv, Creedmoor, and Lowry all heading to the House Dolorous.

P.S. I love this line by Liv in response to Mr. Bond.

Bond: I used to have a lawyer, but he got himself shot in a duel.  Can you read a contact?
Liv: I expect so. I can certainly endeavor not to be shot.

For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not'.

I finally finished East of Eden, and wow, what a read. I find that Steinbeck has a way with words that you rarely find in some literature these days. I enjoyed the themes in this novel, and I found the "retelling" of the story of Cain and Abel done in a very interesting way.

So for my final post on our second book I decided to talk about some themes and share a few thoughts in the process:


There’s an all-encompassing theme about the existence of people from various walks of life, and in the end what validates their existence is basically tied to how well they are remembered by those who left them behind.

Although there seems to be no real romantic love, there is a love of marital commitment between Samuel Hamilton and his wife Liza. There are a lot of people who love out of convenience, domination, and selfish desires, but we find no real love until the very end of the book. The love at the end is very different and one might say accidental, an undeserving love that falls on two of the characters. It’s in this humble form that these two characters manage to find the only genuinely felt love through the entire novel.

One of the strongest themes in the book is the desire to be loved by another, and what happens when love is withheld. Aaron and Cal are juxtaposed in the story. Aaron does very little to earn his father’s love and Cal works very hard to win Adam’s approval. Adam only seems to focus on giving love and approval to Aaron, further adding to Cal’s insecurities about his father’s love for him. This becomes the great struggle toward the end of the book, Cal desperately looking for love and approval from his father drives the book to a woeful conclusion.

Not only does this reflect our human experience of seeking love, but I think it also reflects the feeling that many sons (and daughters) may have toward their fathers. Ultimately it comes down to the realization that we need to reconcile with one another and given love if we are to be fully human.

"A clockwork heart can’t replace the real thing."

I went ahead and changed the layout in anticipation of next week. But feel free to do any posts in regards to the awesome book East of Eden. I can't wait to read everyone's closing thoughts.

“To some, ‘steampunk’ is a catchall term, a concept in search of a visual identity. To me, it’s essentially the intersection of technology and romance."

Jake von Slatt



NB: Title quote by Dru Pagliassotti

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

"We all have that heritage, no matter what old land our fathers left. All colors and blends of Americans have somewhat the same tendencies. It's a breed-selected out by accident. And so we're overbrave and overfearful-we're kind and cruel as children. We're overfriendly and at the same time frightened of strangers. We boast and are impressed. We're oversentimental and realistic. We are mundane and materialistic-and do you know of any other nation that acts for ideals? We eat too much. We have no taste, no sense of proportion. We throw our energy about like waste. In the old lands they say of us that we go from barbarism to decadence without an intervening culture."

We are human and therefore contradictory by nature. Good and evil lies within us all. BUT we are not inherently either. How we CHOOSE to live our lives is what really matters. Lee and Samuel know this. So they spent a good part of their lives trying to impart this on those they cared about. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that, for the most part, needs to be learned.

This is really just a long way to sum up the idea of Timshel - thou mayest. But it's true. WE are the only ones that have control over our lives. And despite what is done or happens to us, it is how we react that determines are character.

So, take a deep breath, center yourself and live. Because thou mayest ...

NB: My good pal Oscar Wilde knew what was up as well. I just had to give a shout out.

Human Struggles and Rose Colored Glasses

"...I think I love you, Cal."
"I'm not good."
"Because you're not good."...

This was perhaps my favorite part of the book. The entire story was wonderful. This little part between Abra and Cal made me feel that it was love in its purest form. Abra loves Cal for who he his, not who he could be. It also shows that Cal is human, and we see that a lot throughout the book. He struggles with the ugly side of himself, the side he doesn't like. He hates that he's mean, but he can't help it. He wants to be good and loved like his brother, but he's not.

Cal's demeanor initially made me think he was a bit of a brat. He probably was, but he looked at the world and saw it. Aron looked at the world through rose colored glasses that shattered when he found the truth out about his mother. He got a swift kick in the pants of reality and hated it, so he joined the army. He followed Adam's footsteps in his demeanor toward Abra. Instead of seeing her, he put her on a pedestal and created an image of who she was rather than seeing who she actually was.

I came out of this book liking Cal more than I liked Aron. I felt like Aron was trying to hide behind an image that he had created of his mother and refused to allow anyone to let that be destroyed. In anger, Cal destroyed that image and walks away feeling incredibly guilty for causing his brother to join the Army. Aron had this child like attitude that just never seemed to leave.

One of the best scenes in my opinion is the moment when Adam really sees Cal and they have a heart to heart moment. In that moment it seems like Adam is going against the attitude his own father had toward him, but that was backpedaled on quickly when he essentially did the same thing to Aron that his father did to him. He refused to see that Aron wasn't happy about college and wanted to do something else.

Lee is an awesome character. When he left to go start his own bookstore, I was sulking because I didn't want him to leave. Thankfully, he came back a page and a half later! :-D Samuel was also an amazing character. His insight to life was amazing. In his last moments with Adam he forced Adam to know the truth of his wife and it brought Adam out of a 10 year funk. It made me sad to see him die, but I think his wisdom added on to Lee's own wisdom whenever he needed to step in.

Katie, you chose an amazing book! :-) I really enjoyed it and I can see why it's one of your favorites! Fantastic job!

Timshel - Thou mayest

"But 'Thou mayest'!  Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice.  He can choose his course and fight it through and win." - Lee

I love the theme of timshel that is woven throughout this book.  East of Eden puts out the question - are we who we are because of our bloodline or our choices?  Cal struggles with this throughout the last half of the book especially with knowing Cathy is his mother and fearing her blood is why he is bad.  But Cal also tries to be good and attempts to make choices to benefit others.  I really feel this whole book is built on the choices the characters make. Even though Cathy is described as a monster, her parents were obviously good people so she didn't receive bad blood.  Cathy never choose to be good so she did not choose to conqueror her sins.   What makes this theme of timshel so powerful is that we all struggle with sin and making the right choices.  It's universal; everyone faces temptations and trials and sometimes we make good choices and sometimes we the wrong ones. 

I find the end of the book very powerful with Adam's last word being timshel.  Adam is giving his blessing to Cal to go forward with his life and choose to win.  I think it is also the point in the book where Adam realizes the true meaning of timshel because his choice of favoring Aron has influenced Cal's choices.  Giving the blessing of timshel, Adam is encouraging Cal to make the choose of winning.

"Thou mayest, Thou mayest!' What glory!  It is true that we are week sick and quarrelsome, but if that is all we ever were, we would, millenniums ago, have disappeared from the face of the earth.  A few remnants of fossilized jawbone, some broken teeth in strata of limestone, would be the only mark man would have left of his existence in the world.  But the choice, Lee, the choice of winning!" - Samuel Hamilton

AN:  Girls - I hope you all enjoyed East of Eden, my second favorite book. 

Important Update!

I know it's been awhile since we've posted on here about Steinbeck's awesome genius. I don't want us to lose our group b/c I think it's great that all of us are sharing our favorite books with each other.

SO, that being said, I'm setting a final deadline for East of Eden. We should all have our final posts done by the end of June. Then July 1st, we'll start a new book. Christine, Mandy, it's between you two on who is going to go next.

And, no, it does not have to be a classic. If you want something short and sweet next, then by all means, choose something short and sweet :-)

Without further ado, read away and post away! :-D

The Search For Something More

I too am running behind a bit behind on the reading, sorry :D

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.”

I can’t help but pick this quote, I know two of us did already, but it really “spoke” to me.

I think that the power of free will in the human mind is the most precious of human capabilities. The ability to fight against any force – ideological, religious, political or otherwise – is something that is amazing and beautiful. To stand up and fight for what you believe in is something that everyone should be able to do without worrying about reprisal or persecution.

I think that the characters in East of Eden have struggled with the problem of evil throughout most of the novel so far, and I think that there is still hope that they will have the freedom to choose between either good or evil in the end.
I have to agree with you guys, I think Steinbeck is an amazing author, he has a way with the human language that speaks volumes hours after you close the book. To have that ability is enviable and spectacular.

This quote reminds of something else too:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

"And this I believe: the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world."

Okay, so I am a little behind on reading. But since I can't do an in depth post, I thought I would see about some passage discussing. As I am reading this book, I am delighted with the number of paragraphs and sentences that jump out and make me go, "Freaking Wow! This fella knows how to write!"

Here is one that really caught my attention and made me think:

"Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.

And now the forces marshaled around the concept of the group have declared a war of extermination on that preciousness, the mind of man. By disparagement, by starvation, by repressions, forced direction, and the stunning hammerblows of conditioning, the free, roving, mind is being pursued, roped, blunted, drugged. It is a sad suicidal course our species seems to have taken."

Do you all agree or disagree?

Is it Lust or Love that Makes Us Blind?

This morning I was thinking about Adam and Cathy. Yes, I really want to shake Adam for falling under Cathy's spell, and I want to shoot Cathy for all the harm she's caused others.

I noticed how all of us talk about Adam being in love with Cathy and how it makes him blind to what she really is. We see her evilness and we see that nearly all the other characters see it as well. I have to wonder though, is Adam really in love with her or just in lust with her? He's so blind to her real character and not seeing who she is that it makes me curious.

The thought came up because when I read Jane Eyre I enjoyed the love story to it in the sense that Jane and Rochester fell in love with each other because of who they are. They acknowledged each other's strengths and weaknesses, did not lie to each other, but still loved one another (we're completely ignoring the fact that I wanted to slap Rochester every other page). With Adam though, he seems so blinded by his infatuation with Cathy that he notices nothing about her actual self. Steinbeck proves it too when he says Adam's Cathy. So the woman that Adam has envisioned Cathy to be does not actually exist. What was it about Cathy that managed to enthrall Adam, as well as her pimp from early on. The difference with Adam and the pimp, is that that the pimp, after first pissing Cathy off, saw who she was and decided to get rid of her. Not that it worked. Instead she fell into Adam's hands. How is it someone evil can draw protection from a man like Adam, even in the state she was in when he and Charles found her?

So, my question is, was Adam simply in lust with Cathy and has been shocked out of it now that she shot and left him?

Just Keep Moving Along

I'm really enjoying East of Eden. I'm at a point where I'm very concerned for some of the characters. Right now Faye is at the top of my concern list. I don't want "Kate" to hurt her. What I like a lot about this story is how Steinbeck formats his chapters, giving all of us different tidbits of everyone's life. Especially when the narrator identified himself as Olive's son. I did have to laugh when the story of her flight came about. The pilot is amazed by Olive's adventurous spirit, while Olive is being brave and calm to help him accept his coming doom. It was entertaining to me to say the least.

I really like Lee's character. I think he has a lot of wisdom that he hasn't shown to Adam, but Samuel has gotten him to talk. I'm hoping to see Lee open  up to Adam more and that Lee helps Adam "move through the motions" the way Samuel told him too. The friendship budding between Lee and Samuel is nice to see. Samuel is definitely different for his time. Instead of judging Lee, he simply tries to understand him, which I think is awesome on his part, and I think Lee really sees that, especially since he opens up to him.

Part of me really wanted to shake Adam. He was so blinded by love for Cathy that he didn't see who she really was, and Charles did. The fact that Charles and Cathy are kindred spirits of sorts to me tells me things won't bode well for Adam in the long run, especially since now he has twins to raise since she ran off.

I've got a lot of questions for the rest of the story, but I suppose the only way I'll get the answers I want for them is to read the rest of the novel. :-) Awesome pick Katie, I'm really digging this!!

Steinbeck, you've got style

I really love the way Steinbeck has formatted his book.  Each chapter centers around a character and the chapter is broken into several parts; each of these sections is used to tell a specific situation.  Each mini story within the chapter reveals so much about the characters. Every details just connects me more with the characters and helps me understand them.  I feel like this book is not build on a storyline or sequence of events but rather the characters.  What is going on with individual characters is building the bigger story.

Olive Hamilton is a good example.  He only spends one chapter on her but there is so much we learn about her. We learn her background as a teacher, her desire to live in the city, and her life as a mother. I especially love the second part of the chapter when Olive declares war on the Germans for kill a local boy, Martin Hopps.  There is so much we learn about Olive's character as she prepares for her airplane ride where she believes she will not come back alive. 

I think Steinbeck is brilliant in picking out situations and details that tell us about his characters.  I hope one day I can write like Steinbeck in developing my characters and revealing information and details that will create a connection with the reader.

"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.  And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected."

Monsters are among us...

I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents. Some you can see, misshapen and horrible, with huge heads or tiny bodies. . . . And just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?

So I was going to do my little summaries like I always do but his quote, I don't know I just really really LOVE this quote.

The way Steinbeck introduces Cathy Ames, is both chilling and beautiful at the same time. He says that although she is a beautiful woman, her soul is tainted and ugly on the inside.

I do believe that people's souls can be born bad. That even someone with the greatest of beauty can harbor a deep secret on the inside. I think that what Cathy represents is something that we all have inside of us, but most of us choose to keep it down, hidden inside where other cannot see it. We are all capable of the things that Cathy thinks of and does, we just choose not to do them. Whether its because we have a conscience or we are good natured people, I still believe you and I are capable of doing them.

I'm certainly not saying that humans are all evil people who scheme and torture and behave like monsters. That's not the case at all, I just think that we are all capable of things we wish we weren't.

I do like Cathy because she seems like that sadistic character in novels and TV shows and movies that you just have to give props to for being so evil and hated. I think she is an interesting person...who knows maybe I just have a soft spot for evil characters.

Sometimes Evil is wrapped up in the prettiest of packages

All things may corrupt when minds are prone to evil.
Ovid (43 BC - 17 AD)

Cathy. As much as I want to despise all she is, I have a dark yearning to open her skull and spend time in her twisted mind. I am awed that Steinbeck created such a delightfully dark character. Charles, mind you, can also be seen as a monster, but he seems to struggle with his feelings a little too much. Cathy is cold and void of emotions or anything resembling humanity.

Perhaps I feel drawn to her character because I have ones that are similar or maybe she acts out what I think in the darkest depths of my mind. Scary thought. But unlike Cathy, I have yet to be marked. Maybe that means I am heading in the right direction: hope.

Beware of Monsters

So this time around in reading East of Eden, I noticed there is no middle ground for female characters in this book.  In the beginning we saw Mrs. Trask (she's not even important enough to know her first name) and Alice Trask who are super submissive.  They portray the silent and obedient housewife. 

Now we have Cathy who is a "mental" monster.  On the outside she looks pretty and innocent like a baby doll but inside she is cold and heartless.  She uses other people for her own gain and even resorts to killing her parents just to escape her hometown. 

I am fascinated by Cathy and how she plays into the Cain and Abel theme with the idea of being born a monster.  She and Charles recognized each others as monsters just by looking at each other.  They also both have scars on their foreheads marking them as such.  I really just love how Steinbeck connects Charles and Cathy into this theme of being born bad.  I think Cathy is obviously the extreme monster.  While Charles identifies with Cain, he still has emotions like love and hatred towards his father and brother.  Cathy seems to lack most emotions and feelings like fear she had to learn from experience.

Question to all: Do you think Cathy will change and maybe learn to love Adam? 

And so it begins...

I think one of the most entertaining parts of this book so far are the relationships, especially Cyrus and his wife. Not only does he giver her syphilis but she later commits suicide because of it, leaving him to take care of the land and the children.

I guess Cyrus is completely challenged and can't care for himself and his offspring so the only thing he can think of doing is to marry someone so she can do all the work!

You can already feel the tension beginning to brew, Cyrus tells Adam that he loves Adam more that his brother Charles, and we all know how well that worked out before.

I'm not sure how I feel about the secret gifts that Adam has been leaving his stepmother, Alice. While on the one hand they aren't related by blood, I find it to be a tad creepy. I'm sure that it is plutonic, but you never know.

I find it interesting that the Trask family has settled on barren land that is hard to cultivate, and they find themselves fraught with strife and hostility. On the other hand the Hamilton family settles on the fertile land and remain close and loving with one another. Its almost a statement that the your surroundings can determine your life and relationships.

I enjoy the obvious elusions to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the feuding brothers. And the Trask brothers are mirroring them quite well, with the exception that Charles does not kill Adam, instead he gives a brutal beating. I think Steinbeck chose not to end the story here because, one we are only 5 chapters in, and two he knew that there was more here to be told.

I look forward to seeing what we have in store.

Would Meshing 2 Brothers make a "Normal" Man?

I enjoyed the first 5 chapters of East of Eden. Samuel makes me want to go visit him to hear his stories. The fact that he and Liza raised so many children, and all of them with varying attitudes towards life, is remarkable, yet completely understandable for the time. I really enjoyed the fact that Liza got into port wine as a medicinal purpose and became a much happier and relaxed woman. I'm definitely curious to see how things turn out for that family. I can't help but wonder what will happen to Lazy Joe. I kinda want to smack him upside the head, but I find it hard to do because I'm also a dreamer...I just can't get others to do things for me, nor should I.

The Trask family has me really curious. It surprises me that Adam and Charles have such a unique relationship. The way that Charles wants to protect him, like someone would a baby, and then suddenly turn on him for beating him at a game makes me think he's bipolar. I definitely saw the comparison to Caine and Abel with Adam and Charles right before Cyrus sent Adam to the Army. But I can sort of understand Charles's need to know why he's not good enough. Usually it's the youngest child that is more spoiled because there aren't going to be anymore after that, but in this case it's the exact opposite. I was surprised when Cyrus said that Adam is his favorite, even though he knows he shouldn't be. I honestly thought that Charles would be his favorite.

But then I thought about what Cyrus was talking about later, that Charles can't be contained because he doesn't have any fear. So it makes me wonder if Adam is Cyrus's favorite because Adam has a large amount of humanity inside him? Is it possible that if you melded the two brothers together you would get a whole person? With Charles being as fearless as he is and Adam being as passive as he is it makes me wonder.

Now onto the next 7 chapters!

From Steinbeck To Amanda

"It is argued that because they believed thoroughly in a just, moral God they could put their faith there and let the smaller securities take care of themselves. But I think that because they trusted themselves and respected themselves as individuals, because they knew beyond doubt that they were valuable and potentially moral units-because of this they could give God their own courage and dignity and then receive it back. Such things have disappeared perhaps because men do not trust themselves anymore, and when that happens there is nothing left except perhaps to find some strong sure man, even though he may be wrong, and to dangle from his coattails."

Dear Steinbeck,
In this day and age I was so sure that I wouldn't find anyone that understood what I was feeling or have been thinking about lately. Granted, I am not currently in the process of struggling to maintain a homestead and family in the Salinas Valley, but I am a young single girl trying to find all the money needed to pay my bills and struggling to deal with myself and those around me on a daily basis. And I truly believe that no one trust or believes in anything anymore.

Instead of finding value in ourselves, we are a world that finds value in things. None of which we can take to our grave. We hand power to few, follow where they lead and get angry when we hit a brick wall or fall of a cliff. Always forgetting that WE were the ones that gave that idiot the control in the first place.

Maybe it's time "we" stop the group think and try being individuals again. Because "I" am more powerful then I give myself credit for. I am valuable and I need to give up worrying about the tedious details of my day and focus on what really matters-being the best person I can be.

Steinbeck, thanks for the reminder.

The Cain and Abel Effect

I was trying to not be the first to post on East of Eden since I've taken a class on it but I guess I need to kick off some discussion!  I also updated the chapter deadline.

Throughout East of Eden Steinbeck uses themes from biblical stories.  He uses the story of Cain and Abel with the Trask brothers.  Charles portrays Cain by being angry and aggressive.  He is jealous of his brother Adam (Abel) because their father loves Adam more.  This jealousy causes Charles to nearly kill Adam but Steinbeck has Adam escapes before Charles comes back. 

I think Steinbeck makes an interesting twist on the story because once Adam goes into the army, Charles and Adam become really close through letter writing.  The brother's relationship seems solid when there is distance between them.  It will be interesting to see what happens when Adam is out of the army and sees Charles again.

Quixote Kicked My Butt

Okay, I will admit, I failed to finish Book 1. It was tough to get into, but I've been told by Katie that in the 30's it gets better. I will continue to keep fighting it so I can complete book 1 but I am definitely looking forward to reading East of Eden. :-)

I will post when I do actually finish Book 1. I imagine it will give me a bit of a fight, but a lot of classics cause me to fight. Jane Eyre took me 3 tries before I conquered that one. I had to come and go with Pride and Prejudice as I read it.

I would say this is an epic fail, but I haven't completely given up on finishing it yet, so no failure yet. I just failed to finish it by the deadline. Boo.

Bring it on Steinbeck! :-)

Quizzical Quixote

Oh Don Quixote, what a crazy ride you have been!

My experience with this book had begun with seeing Wishbone recreate it on tv all those years ago. I personally thought it only involved an aging knight battling windmills. Instead I was confronted with an aging knight wandering around the countryside causing mayhem and attacking random people!! Which is still enjoyable, don't get me wrong!

I think it's going to be good to take a break, it's definitely one of those books where you can lose sight of what's going on if you aren't into it.

I would like to finish book 2 At some point in time! I thought it was a good rendition of what not to do when you lose your marbles!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Quick Update

Alright ladies, so we're going from reading both books of Don Quixote to just Book 1 for now. I'm sure we can all use the break considering how tough Don is being at times.

So, for those of us still trying to read it, Book 1 will be done by the end of January. On Feb 1 we will start reading East of Eden, Katie's second favorite book to To Kill A Mockingbird!

Book One of Don Quixote or otherwise know as "How to go crazy from reading too many books, Part One"

Don Quixote has been quite a journey and at times a struggle.  I did enjoy the book loads more when it became less about Don Quixote and more about the other characters he encountered.  I was totally enthralled with the complex love story between Cardeni, Lucinda, Ferdinand and Dorothea. It seems that there are so many stories within the story that Cervantes uses to show real wisdom and love.  I think all these characters were used to offset Don Quixote's craziness and to actually display the love that Don Quixote is always raving about (and I'm also thankful for these characters because I was getting very tired of Don Quixote getting beaten in every chapter).   I also enjoyed The Story of Ill Advised Curiosity because it also had the love triangle and it had the valuable lesson to not destroy what you already have by testing it.  Basically I enjoyed everyone else's story more than Don Quixote's.

As for Don Quixote himself, I am a bit disappointed that he didn't have his moment of glory.  I originally thought that was what the story was leading up to but he ended up back where he started.  Since he did not have his moment I am curious if he achieves that in the second book.

What is Love?

"[...] for love sometimes flies, sometimes walks, runs with one, creeps with another, warms a third, burns a fourth, wounding some and slaying others. In one moment, it begins, performs, and concludes its career; lays siege in the morning to a fortress, which is surrendered before night, there being no force that can withstand its power."

If my children ever ask me what love is, I only have to refer them to Don Quixote, Chapter 34 and these few lines. Despite all the madness and folly that seem to encompass this book, there are some passages that make up for the trying nature of others.