book of books

I found this challenge at  http://http://readfromatoz.blogspot.com/2006/12/2007-winter-classics-challenge.html and thought it looked like fun. I haven't read a lot of classics over the years, and there are so many great books to pick from.

It was hard to pick. I will use www.dailylit.com to help me reach my goal. a little bit every day. My plan then is:

1. Emma by Jane Austen  It's on the bedside already
2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe   I'm cheating a bit because I am reading this right now.
3. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald    The grade 12s read this but I never have. I'll take it home over Christmas
4. Treasure Island by RL Stevenson      Next up on dailylit, to continue the desert island theme
5. On the Road by Jack Keruac    

Other possible selections if the my mood changes during this challenge would be Black Beauty, something by Alexandre Dumas since we were in Marseilles this summer and saw the Island, or maybe a Mark Twain.

Books Read for the Challenge:

1. Robinson Crusoe

I read this on www.dailylit.com . I tended to read a chapter at a time and I liked the book. There were several aspects to the  book: survival, seafaring, religion, and the whole British/patriarch attitude of acquiring and ownership. I really enjoyed the setting up of his life, and his long term approach to survival once he landed on the island. 

A person left alone on an island would probably be forced to examine some aspect of spirituality and religion and his awakening is a part of the book. Of course, it is a partiarchial and bible based religion.The whole attitude of Britain in the day of claiming land and people, the British superiority complex was evident in this book. When he first spots a ship, the first thing he thinks to do is to protect himself from attack. He assumes all other cultures will be cannibals or savages and plans accordingly. That was a little depressing. And once he was rescued from the Island, he was right back to his ownership ways, counting his money, making sure he still has all that was due to him from his lands and family. I also skimmed pretty fast over the seafaring sections. Latitudes, and the listing of all items on the ships was rather boring.

All in all, I'm glad I read the book and can now reference my man Friday myself, although I can't imagine a child reading it and staying interested.

2. The Great Gatsby

I quite enjoyed this book, but couldn't figure out why it was a classic, because it seemed like just a great story. But since it is almost one hundred years old and could have been written today,  I guess that's what makes it a classic. It seems like a book that would have been good to analyse in a class because I don't often see the many layers of a book without prompting. I need a Coles notes to think about it. The plot was probably original in its day but today it seemed like a Dateline story - mistaken identity, adultry, decadent parties, rich people living the high life. And that's why it is such a good story. It's like watching Casablanca and thinking it is so cliched, when in reality, that is where all the cliches come from. And we think things today are so extravagent and the rich so decadent, but this story, set in the 1920s, was the same. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Good book that I'd like to read more about, and I'll  try another Fitzgerald.

3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

What a rollicking, swash-buckling, adventure! This is what I had hoped Robinson Crusoe would be more like. The story was quick paced, the writing was very accessible although a lot of the vocabulary was not my everyday words. I did, however, learn where the term loophole came from. Here I met Long John Silver for the first time and what a character he was. All the action revolved around him and his quick-thinking and plotting kept him still considered a gentleman to the end. This very much reminded me of the Survivor show and I imagine much of the idea was taken from this book: the double crossing, alliances, back stabbing, elimination of people, and a surviving treasure similarities.

Great story and I'll be looking for more of RLS.

4.? On the Road by Jack Kerouac

It is very seldom I don't finish a book, but there are too many good books I want to read to continue with this one. I think I get it. Not much happens but a bunch of beatniks [slackers] put off finding real work and travel the roads, living on nothing, scamming food, breaking rules, scoring drugs, living for the moment. The writing style is very conversational, with tangents within sentences, but he sounds like he's on cocaine and trying to cover everything, and is so full of what he wants to say, he can't take a breath. If there were, say, a plot to follow; some sense of where this story is going, I might continue. But I even, gasp, looked at the last chapter to see if anything else might happen, but it is just more Dean updates, and nothing seems to have happen. It is like one long Christmas letter following these  loosely associated friends that are driving me nuts with their self serving, avoiding life, philosophy.

I know, this bookwas a huge change in expectations that people had for their lives, that there were other options of life, new ideas being proposed and the beatniks were a novel lifestyle. But I am always annoyed by people who realize after much soul searching what they should be doing. It's not that they realize it, that's great for them, it's the need they have to tell others about their discovery. Like drug addicts who then protylize that drugs are bad and they ruined their life and don't let it ruin yours. Some of us already knew that; you got to live the fun life and now repent. You knew that drugs were bad and you tried it out; why will you change others minds?

I think the Bohemian life is just too slacker for me. I gave the book a try, almost halfway through, and it felt like an obligation to keep reading, like taking medicine: it's good for me, keep taking it. Well, there are too many other books to try and this one wasn't going anywhere else. I'll try Generation X by Douglas Coupland instead. At least I'll get the cultural references. It's not a classic for this challenge, but I'll find another.

4. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Classic story for sure. Victorian writing is always a little, well, flowery and full of analysis of character, but I enjoyed the story. As I was reading it, I was imagining what a scandal and mystery this book would have been in its day. We know the story, generally, and who the characters are, but what must the readers have thought in 1870? (I also continously sang the song from my favorite "Arthur" episode, with the songs. The Brain sings the Jekyll and Hyde song, which is awesome)

I confess that one of its great attractions was the short length, only about 100 pages. The duality of man, the two sides of his nature, gets a little philosphical at the end, but I need the explicit explanation to help me see the hidden message. There was an afterward which included several essays on the story, paralleling Stevenson's life to his characters of Hyde and Jekyll and I enjoyed this part too. Like being in a literature class without all the other stuff: tuition, having to explain myself, boring lectures, etc.

Overall, good book. RLS does not disappoint, with a short story that I should have read long ago.

5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madelaine L'Engle

I loved this book and I can't imagine why I have never read it before now. I might not have enjoyed it so much when I was younger, but the characters, the science, and the good versus evil struggle; it was a fantastic read. I particularly liked the character who talked in quotes, and the descriptions of how limited humans on Earth can be with their language and senses. 

Scientifically, the references to other dimensions was timely to me. I had recently seen this link on dimensions and L'Engle must have been up on the most recent of scientific theories, because it was written in 1962 and is as relevent and accurate as today, I think. I loved th ereference to the 'computing room' and the papers and forms coming in and out. Of course computers were around then, but even science fiction has to be based on the science of the day, and her computers needed forms since digital data was not heard of.

The lessons learned - talents, patience, faith, were lovely and easily understood. I can't wait to read this to my kids in a few years. It is a book I will want my own copy of and will definately be rereading.

6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This was considered a horror story when it was written but in today's modern world, I didn't find it horror. And this is not at all what I expected based on my vision of Frankenstein from the movies - a giant, green creature who talked haltingly. This monster was very well spoken, and quite frankly, I felt more for him than his creator. The story is told from three narrators: a ships captain, Frankenstein, and then the monster; then reversed to end the story.( Just to be clear, Frankenstein is not the name of the monster but rather the creator. The monster never gets a name, which is one more of the indignities inflicted upon him)  I enjoyed the middle portion told by the monster the best. His was the story I could empathise with the most. I immensely disliked Frankenstein and felt no sympathy for the path his life took as the monster enacted his revenge.

So Dr Frankenstein created the monster using science (note major indictment of science and the pursuit of knowledge with no respect for the consequences of actions at this point). Then he leaves the creature. Just runs out of the room and is 'tormented' by his result, but doesn't stay around to do anything with this monster. Just leaves this helpless human. And at this point, I am imagining helpless babies, or crack babies, who through no fault of their own, are abandoned and left to fend for themselves. How do socio- or phsycopaths develop? They are abandoned and given no love or feeling of safety. No bonding with their parent who love them. And are we surprised at the result of children who get no love? Oh, this book made me mad.

Anyway, two years later, the monster meets up with his creator and tries to forge a connection. But Frankenstein is unrelenting and not in a mood to right his wrongs. Everything is poor, helpless me. Look how all this affected me. The narration of the monster and his development was my favorite part of the story. As he grows and learns, all he wants is some love. Someone to see past his exterior and appreciate his inner self. Of course that doesn't happen and he decides to exact revenge on his creator. At this point, I can see the troubled adolescent who doesn't fit it and just wants a friend. And then takes a gun to his school to exact revenge on his tormentors. The monster pretty much does the same. (Revenge is a major theme of the story. It appears to be a bad thing; nobody wins at revenge)

Frankenstein and the monster then climax the book in their dual revenge seeking mode; each needing the other, and themselves to be destroyed. So I guess I did like this book, because I saw a lot of parallels in life today;  the need of acceptance and love, and the consequences of  abandoning responsibiblity. The results are never good. But a good story, once you wade through the language of the early 1800s and the moral speaking of the annoying narrator Dr Frankensein.

7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I had planned to read Emma for the Challenge, but I never got into it, and it was too long. I decided to try Northanger Abbey on dailylit.com and I am glad I did. I ended up getting it from the library because I wanted to finish it more quickly, by the end of February.

I found this much more humourous as Austen seemed to be making fun of the social niceties of the day and also of her other novels,or at least other novels of that time. This is the story of  Catherine, our heroine as she is directly called, as she matures and grows up to find love. She is sweetly naive and is confused by all the double talk of other characters. She assumes that people mean what they say and that isn't the case at all. She gradually becomes more careful of what she says and what she believes of others. Of course, there is a gentleman who recognizes her sweet charm and is the object of her affection. And it turns out well. Of course.

I really liked this one, more than Pride and Prejudice, and quite enjoyed the tale.