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| January: The Pianist |
| 01.21.05 (10:55 am) [edit] |
The Pianist
by Wladyslaw Szpilman
Published: orginally 1945, current 1999
Rating: :D :D :D
I admit to having seen this movie first and not knowing it was true until it ended when they told what become of the people in the story. Up until that point, I thought it was historical fiction because I honestly thought that no one could have survived what I was watching on the screen.
The movie stayed true to the book. The only difference is that some of the characters are misplaced. I can understand why this was done: Szpilman makes mention of the "soup lady", "the crazy man" and the little boy who was beaten to death trying to smuggle food under the wall. Each of these people were worked into the story that was brought to the screen and thus, immortalized.
The difference between the book and the movie is that the book gave me nightmares. Any other book this size, I could have read in a day or two. This book took me two weeks when I realized the bad dreams were coming from reading the horrific story of the Jews in Poland.
This book is a must read for everyone.
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| "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom |
| 12.05.04 (12:34 pm) [edit] |
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
By: Mitch Albom
Published: 2003
Rating: :)
This book wasn't on my book discussion group list, but seeing how the movie will be on TV tonight...AND it was 50% off at Waldenbooks yesterday, I decided to pick it up and read it before the movie version ruined it for me.
It's a nice little short read that took me under 5 hours to get through. Be aware that I'm a slow reader....
The book is well written...straight forward...and the author doesn't waste your time with descriptions of object or things that goes on and on for pages. I like this in a writer....
I think the only issue I might take with it would be the fact that none of the main characters dies of natural causes. Kinda goes against the odds....
Still...all and all a great little book that will bring tears to your eyes.
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| December: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil |
| 12.02.04 (4:52 am) [edit] |
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by John Berendt
Published: 1994
Rating: :?
This is a true story based on a murder in Savannah, Georgia. The story is well written...and an easy read.
The problem I had with the book is that the murder mystery gets lost amongst the story of all the other Savannahians.
By the time I finished, I was saying to myself: "So what?" about the murder and I was left voyeuristic feeling where the other people were concerned.
It was T.M.I.
JMHO :wink:
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| November: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte |
| 11.01.04 (5:45 am) [edit] |
Wuthering Heights
By Emily Brontë
Published: 1847
My Rating: :)
I began reading this book several years ago, but put it down halfway through and never picked it up again. My interest in the book back then was piqued when I had seen the 1939 movie version and also after having heard the song of the same name by Pat Benatar (originally written and recorded by Kate Bush).
This time around, it was the book of the month for my Book Discussion Group, so I couldn't put it down.
My honest thoughts on the book (much different from the movie) was the Emily Brontë must have had some really troubling personal issues to have written a story about such self-absorbed, vendictive and troubled people. The only sane character appears to be Nelly the housekeeper. One could always guess that Nelly might have embellished the story of Heathcliff and Cathy as she tells it to a visitor named Mr. Lockwood.
One of my thoughts throughout the book was wondering whether or not anyone has ever done a study or comparison of Wuthering Heights' Catherine Earnshaw and Gone with the Wind's Scarlett O'Hara? I'd love to see an essay on the topic.
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| October: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand |
| 10.04.04 (9:01 am) [edit] |
Seabiscuit:An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand
Published: 2002
Rating: 8) :!:
This book was a real surprise for me. I'm a lover of non-fiction and tend towards biographies...but I cringed at the thought of reading a book about a horse.
I went into this without having seen the movie...and after I got done reading it, I'm very anxious to see how Hollywood portrayed this story.
The first 100 pages were the most difficult to get through as they provide the background of all the characters: Pollard, Woolf, Smith, Howard, Seabiscuit, etc. But once through the history, the story will suck you in and will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next.
I would recommend this book highly! And believe me, I never thought I'd be saying that! :)
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| September: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer |
| 09.28.04 (5:26 am) [edit] |
Into The Wild
by Jon Krakauer
Published: 1996
Rating: :D
I would have loved to have written about this book prior to meeting with my discussion group, but they did bring up an interesting angle.
It seems that the reader either really understands this book or really doesn't. You can relate to how Chris McCandless viewed life and the world around him or you can't.
Some feel the circumstances surrounding his death were a result of his own stupidity...and some people find his death to be a terrible tragedy.
*I* believe the answers lie in the beginning of the book with his inner to need to feed the homeless while he was in high school and his rejection of getting a car as a graduation gift from his parents.
Do you know WHY? That seems to be the question everyone walks away with from this book.
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| The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold |
| 09.28.04 (4:49 am) [edit] |
The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
Published: 2002
Rating: :)
This book wasn't one of the books on the library's list of monthly reading, but my daughter had bought it so I picked it up to read.
One of the attractions to this book is the fact that it's set in southeastern PA where I live. So as the characters traveled up and down the highways, I could image where they were.
I found it interesting that if I carried this book around with me to appointments and such, people would stop to tell me how much they enjoyed it.
I think this was an okay read. Very New Age in it's approach to death and heaven. The author must be a follower of the John Edwards, James Van Praaghs and Sylvia Browns of the world.
The only disappointment I found in this book was the ending. I'm not sure what I would wanted done differently, but it left me with a "Whatever......" kind of feeling.
Still, a very interesting read with a fresh approach.
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| August: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway |
| 09.28.04 (2:51 am) [edit] |
The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway
Published: 1926
My rating: :roll:
Ever since high school, my eyes roll to the back of my head at the thought of reading another book by Hemingway. This book proved to be no different.
The story is about a man and his bizarre group of friends. One can't help but to picture Jerry Seinfeld, George, Elaine and Cramer all travelling through Spain.
I went into reading this book looking for the required symbolism that everyone (but myself) seems to find. I noticed that the main character seems to keep wandering into churches or spends quite a bit of time standing on bridges throughout the book. And so, I went to the internet to find the meaning behind these symbols and this is what I found:
Below are more excerpts from an interview edited by George Plimpton in Modern Critical Views: Ernest Hemingway.
Interviewer: Would you admit to there being symbolism in your novels?
Hemingway: I suppose there are symbols since critics keep finding them. If you do not mind, I dislike talking about them and being questions about them. It is hard enough to write books and stories without being asked to explain them as well. If five or six more good explainers can keep going why should I interfere with them? Read anything I write for the pleasure of reading it. Whatever else you find will be the measure of what you brought to the reading.
Well, at least if I'm ever at a dinner party I can at least say I've read Hemingway. *shrug*
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| My Blog expectations |
| 09.26.04 (6:06 am) [edit] |
My purpose in starting this Blog is to write monthly book reviews of the books that are read at the Chester County Book Discussion group.
Feel free to comment on the books I review. I'd like to hear from other's who have read these books.
Thank you
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