Last Post of the Year!

        Over the last school year, I've done about 30 blog posts. For my last one, I'd like to focus on a few assigned questions, starting with "In what ways can writing online be liberating?  Limiting?"
I think writing online can be both limiting or liberating, depending on the writer. Some would feel liberated because they have the guts too some some opinions online that they wouldn't normally say. Or, they feel limited because they know other people will be reading their writing, so they're self-conscious. Basically, the writer either limits or liberates them self. This question ties into the question "Do you think that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like facebook? Do people type things they would never say to a person's face? Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?" As I said before, yes, I do believe that people say things online that they wouldn't say in person.  But I don't really know if this can be titles as "abusing."  I say this because certain websites such as facebook give you the freedom to say things, whether you'd say them in 'real life' or not. But if the creators of websites like these REALLY though that this would happen, they are so wrong, and so stupid. When people are online they get the courage to say things because they're protected and far away from the reader of the things they type. I don't think that this can be immediately classified as good or bad. Yeah, I think it's stupid when people have the courage to have conversations with you on facebook but not in person. But I wouldn't consider it bad at all! However, if you are dissing someone and being anything from rude or down right bitchy to another person online, that's not okay. I think this because once you say something online (like this), it's gone. Anyone cans see it. And two, if you don't have the courage to fight with a person face to face, than don't fight, because that show's your obviously not a strong or smart person.
      Another question I would like to address is " Can you imagine yourself keeping up this blog or creating another one?  What would it be about?  What's your opinion of blogs in general and why?"  I don't think I could keep any blog. If I don't have too, It's hard for me too maintain things that I don't particularly enjoy. Yeah, blogging is fine, but I don't really like to write that much, especially when it's so hard for me to think of topics for writing. This is my opinion of blogs for myself. However, I think blogging is fine for anyone who actually enjoys blogging, because they're very fun to read because I'm a nosy person, so I have to know everything.

The Virgin Suicides, number 2

   " 5 blond sisters, the Lisbons live in suburban Michigan in the mid '70s. They are all teenagers, ranging from 13 to 17, who live under the strict Catholic no-boys policy of their parents. As bad is this sounds, it gets so much worse. Within the first 30 pages, Cecilia, the youngest, succeeds in killing herself." This is what I said last week while describing the Virgin Suicides. However,  have read most of the book since then. Another main event that has happened since then is Homecoming.
     However surprising it is that Mrs. Lisbon allowed her 4 remaining daughters to go to Homecoming, it happened. It started when Trip Fontaine fell in love with the 14 year old daughter, Lux. Trip, who fell for Lux just by looking at her and admiring her from a far, asked her father for permission to take her. Mr. Lisbon said no at first, but after some good tips and promising to get dates for his other daughters as well, the Lisbon's were convinced. However, there would be certain rules.
     I feel like it was really good that the Lisbon girls went to Homecoming. Not only did they get to leave the suffocating house, but four boys actually MET them. Before, the Lisbon girls just seemed like sacred angles. The were admired and cared for deeply from a far, but no one really knew them or what the were like. After that night, the boys danced with them, talked, laughed, shared with them. Two of them kissed their dates. The Lisbon girls became real people, as opposed to who they were before to these boys. 

The Virgin Suicides

     The Virgin Suicides   is one of the books my book group and I have decided to read for ELA. Although I'm only 30 pages in, I know everything that's going to happen. This is because I have seen the movie. The movie of this book, so far, does a great job of portraying the book. However, I definitely regret seeing the movie. Although the book so far is still really good, I now have no surprises coming and I picture everything I read as it was in the movie. This is what has happened so far in the book: 5 blond sisters, the Lisbons live in suburban Michigan in the mid '70s. They are all teenagers, ranging from 13 to 17, who live under the strict Catholic no-boys policy of their parents. As bad is this sounds, it gets so much worse. Within the first 30 pages, Cecilia, the youngest, succeeds in killing herself.
         I think the writing is really good. The mood was expressed so well. Even though I have seen the movie and know what will happen, the writing and descriptions still force me to shudder and close the book. It's just so  horrific and miserable that you kind of have to. In describing Cecilia's limp body after her second, and successful, suicide attempt I just had to stop reading. However, before this part, it expressed sunny days that Lux, the fourteen year-old sun tanned outside. It expressed the awkwardness of some situations, like the party the Lisbon Girls were allowed to throw. Is just rushed from one mood to another so smoothly and nicely. I think this is great because this book is about teenagers from the point of view of teenagers, and teenagers have so may emotions.
     The perspective of the story is from a group of teenage boys who live near the Lisbon family. I think this is really cool. The boys think of the Lisbon Girls as goddesses. They think they are sacred, even though they have had really limited interaction with them. These boys hardly know what the girls look like from up close, yet they value their lives so much. Multiple times, some of these boys were blessed with the opportunity to enter the Lisbon house. When they went, they'd record every detail they could in their heads to tell the other boys. It's kind of humorous, yet moody and strange. 
     It's hard to describe the greatness of this books writing. But it is great.

Around the World in 80 Dates ( Blog posts 1 and 2, because I missed one last week.)

What I said in my blog post was  "80 dates in 6 months in 18 different countries. That's Jennifer Cox's challenge in the memoir, Around the World in 80 dates. At 38, Jennifer is at her breaking point. She can no longer just sit around in London, waiting for "Mr. Right" to come for her, going through bad relationship after bad relationship as she waits. So, she goes to find him. After much planning, emailing and quitting her job, Jennifer is prepared for journey." However, I have progressed very much in this book. Already, I'm up tp after date 55 in her journey. And this date is special. In this date, she finds her soul mate.
       I find it really interseting that this is gow Jennifer attempts, and succeeds in finding love. Many people just hope they will meet the person right for them, and continue there lives. Sure, some people make small efforts like going out hoping to meet someone, but Jennifer really takes this matter into her own hands. I don't really think she wants love any more than most people, just deals with it differently. Most people don't plan 6 month long trips  around the world dating many many various strangers.
      I think how Jennifer Cox handles her loveless life really says something about human nature. The fact that she wrote a memoir that people actually read, or just common knowledge, tells us that this really is different. And the fact that this is different really emphasizes people and how the regularly deal with love. Are we supposed to just sit around waiting for the right person for us to just show up? Or are we supposed to go out looking for them?
     Truthfully, I'm not sure.
Something I might disagree with Jennifer is that how do know there is "a one." Maybe they're are just people whom we can love and love to spend time with. But that doesn't mean there is one set person out there for you. There could be multiple, or no "Settness" at all. Just getting along, and loving it. However, I don't think we are supposed to go looking for them.  Yes, it's fine if you do. Because if you don't look for them, you may never find them. This is the case for Jennifer and her soul mate. He lives in Seattle, and she lives in London. If her journey hadn't started, then they'd never have met. But, as I said before, we probably don't have one set soul mate. If we did, yes, go look for them. But since we don't, we should just sit back and let them stumble upon us.






    Another Idea this got me thinking about is fate. My blog post above is talking about how they're may not be "a one soulmate." And the question my book brought up about whether or not you should search for love.
     Jennifer Cox did search for love. In her memoir, Around the World in 80 Dates, she's on a journey searching for her soul mate. However, i'm not so sure this is the way to go. I don't know if I believe in fate. But, the idea that we shouldn't go searching for our soul mate because we probably have multiple people to love got me thinking that fate could have a roll in that.
   Could the reason our human nature is to not go searching for our soul mate because we believe fate will bring them together, or not, depending on if they are actually meant to be together? I don't mean that stuff thats like " fate wants us to be together forever." No. I mean more like we are not supposed to go looking for our soul mate because we have multiple people we can love. And fate  will lend a hand and  help bring two people together. Fate doesn't determine who is supposed to be together. It brings them together. They determine if they're supposed to be together.
    So, I believe that if there is not a single soulmate for people, it's human nature not to go on a search for love because fate will bring a person you love to you.

Around the World in 80 Dates

      80 dates in 6 months in 18 different countries. That's Jennifer Cox's challenge in the memoir, Around the World in 80 dates. At 38, Jennifer is at her breaking point. She can no longer just sit around in London, waiting for "Mr. Right" to come for her, going through bad relationship after bad relationship as she waits. So, she goes to find him. After much planning, emailing and quitting her job, Jennifer is prepared for journey.

     One reason that I chose to read this book is because it's a true story. I'm a really nosy person, so I love to just know everybody's business and everything about them. So memoirs are just like windows into someone else's life, where you can just get full detail. However, with Around the World in 80 dates, not only do I get to see through this window, but I get to see into someone's life who I think has something very interesting to say. Jennifer Cox's dating quest for true love through the globe is not a common story. I have never traveled out of North America, so this is also like a travel guide for me, which I love. It's funny and gossipy, which I really love. And, last of all, I know that I'm reading about a true experience of a real person, and I think it's so weird that Jennifer Cox experienced this in such a more true way than I did.

    I'm not far into this story at all, so I have only read about her first 2 dates. So far, neither men fit her description of "Mr. Right." Will she find him?

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

      Nicks world is crashing down. When she broke up with him "three weeks, two days and 23 hours ago," Nick only asked his ex not to come to his shows. But there she is, standing in the crowed manhattan club with a new guy. Bobbing her head to the music, staring right at him. Problem. Nick is still in love with Tris, even though she's been cheating on him the entire six months the went out. Even though she laughed at the songs and poems he made her.
      Ironically, there's another new-jersey teen who feels just as passionately about Tris in the room. Another who doesn't even know Nick. However, Norah's passionate feelings are of hatred. For that cruel girl who stomps on nice boys hearts, who wears disgusting yellow tights and who's the least subtle person out their.
     So isn't it's  a  strange coincidence that Nick chose Norah to be his temporary girlfriend in a moment of panic as Tris was walking right towards him. But this small desperate move alters the rest of his night, or more.
     This is about how much progress i've made in  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. So far, it's been really entertaining and the characters are all out. I know them already. Their personality, their wants, their humor, their plans, their problems. The book goes back and forth from Nick and Norah's perspective, and I really like how close I can already get to the characters.
       Nick is kind of sheepish, and he's definitely kind. He loves music and his friends but he was really devoted to Tris. I feel like if Nick was real, he'd be the person to devote himself. To work, to love to music. Just in general he's really committed. One way I noticed this is that even though his ex had moved on, Nick was still really out of it and dejected during the whole night. But his niceness and devotion is not to the point where he's different from everyone else, he's still like an average teenage boy. He's interested in girls, and  cars and parties. He just has a unique view on things.  Well,  I guess he's not average in this sense with friends because he, in his words, is "a non-queer in a queercore band."
      Norah is, in my opinion, really funny. She's also very caring and affectionate. But when she needs to be cold and straightforward, she is. For example, she has a friend Caroline. Whenever the go into the city, Caroline gets crazy drunk and leeches herself onto a guy. Every time, Norah takes it upon herself to makes sure Caroline gets home safe, she holds her hair when she barfs, and she pulls her away from sketchy guys. But when Tris tried to manipulate Nick into lending her his car, and Norah was his "girlfriend," Norah took the matter into her hands, and made Tris leave. Also, when her ex was a jerk to her, and attempted manipulated her into staying with him, she got the strength to glare at him, yell at him, and leave him. But when she's not in a state of strong emotion, Norah's very playful and funny.
         These characters really have character. They are really realistic. Maybe the seem more real to me because I know people like them, or they're onlycouple years older than me. But the seem more real to me than most other characters, because I can clearly define their personality.

The Monsters of Templeton

 I am still reading this book. Although it's very good, it's taking me a long time.  Last week, I wrote " In this novel, Willie Upton returns to her suburbean  home town of  Templeton, New York, from an archeology mission in Alaska, the same day a horrific yet beautiful beast surfaces on Templeton's Lake Glimmerglass. Willie doesn't return to "recharge," and she certainly doesn't return home because she adores her home town. She returns because 29 year old Willie Upton is pregnant with her married professors child. Scandalous, I know. Not only this, but she attempts to slaughter her professors wife in a Bush Plane. However, this isn't really relevant. At least not yet. It's all just leading up to her returning to Templeton." Since then, the one of the main things of this book has entered the plot. Vi, Willie's mother, tells her that her father is not the random chicago hippie like she grew up thinking. In fact, he is a respected templetonian man with a family. Of course, this comes as a shock to Willie. Her father could be anyone! One half of the source of her life lives in her very town.  You see, Willie has roots in Templeton. Marmaduke Temple, the founder of the town, was an ancestor of her. But the Temple family has two sides. The side with Marmaduke's wife, and their children, and their children's children. Also, the is the side in which supposedly quaker Marmaduke Temple has an affair with his slave. (This is in the last 1700s.)It's the Temple's and the Averall's. However, another shock. Willies unknown father is also a descendent from Marmaduke Temple. So, Willie starts a mission. Tracing bake to her ancestors, she finds everything she can about her family.

           Now, I want to talk about Vivienne, or Vi. Willie's mother. I have mixed emotions about this character. Sometimes, I really like her, and others times, I hate her. My feelings contradict each other, just like Vi's "sides" contradict each other. All Willie's life, she grew up with a hippie mother who completely believed in equal rights for everyone, who lied to Willie by telling her she was allergic to sugar to keep her from eating it. She grew up with a mother who found some religions insulting. But when Willie comes back, everything is different. Her mother has gone eats fatty foods, and is church-crazy. We soon find out though, one reason she's so religious now is her relationship with the fat, greasy minister.

           I think the reason this really bothers me is because it's obviously not who she really is. Vivienne is drastically changing herself for her new boyfriend, when it used to be leaping from one partner to another. I understand how in a relationship, people would change small things to make their partner happy, but what Vi did isn't right. She's  basically masking herself for the satisfaction of, as Willie calls him, "Reverend Milky."

          So, what if she really has changed? If she isn't truly masking herself, I still find her new personality annoying. Because she is completely going against herself. I  personally think she is masking herself, because it's impossible to just completely change your view on everything. Her two opposing opinions just clash.

Revised Post

                    In Harry Potter, Ron, Harry and Hermione are always doing dangerous, mischievous things that they shouldn't be doing. While doing these things, they make it seem fair, and right, and safe for them to be doing it.  Well, at least it  is from their perspective. They make it seem totally normal and even right to be doing some of these things. The reader feels safe when reading these parts of the book. J.K. Rowling, the author, seems to resist that feeling of unsettlement that one gets when they read a -breaking-the-rules book. An example would be the Yule Ball.

          The fourth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is about when Harry enters the Tri-wizard tournament. This is a competition involving spells, tasks, and obstacles, between students. It's very dangerous and very risky. In this book, a celebration called The Yule Ball takes place at Hogwarts.  At this ball, Ron and Harry overhear a conversation between Igor Karkaroff and Severus Snape (teachers). They find out that "something" (that turns out to be the Dark Mark) "has been growing clearer and clearer for months," on Snape's arm. This indicates that Voldemort, the Dark Lord, is gaining power. Snape tells Karkaroff to flee, but that he will remain at Hogwarts.
         Of course, nosy  Harry and Ron can't help but get involved. "What were they talking about?" "Since when were they on first name terms?" These were the kinds of things that these boys would wonder. You see, usually Snape and Karkaroff hate each other. And this only adds to the suspicion that Karkaroff is a Death Eater, and their hatred for Snape.
         As the reader, and as Harry Potter is the main character, you must agree with him and Ron. You automatically assume that they are correct. This is because through out your journey through these books, you learn and develop along with them. So they always seem right, just like your friends are always right in an argument with someone else. And you must agree, it's totally their duty to get involved, and find out every bit of information that they can.
         But what's missing? It's the thought that they maybe shouldn't get involved. It's the thought that what they are doing is dangerous, and that they should inform the headmaster immediately. The small thought that they might regret their actions hover some where in the back of their brain. It's the though that Hermione Granger sometimes expressed in the first book, before she grew close to Harry and Ron. She used to strongly disagree with anything bending the rules. She said, " We could get killed. Or worse, expelled."  It's the perspective of someone outside of Harry and his close friends.
        It's a good thing that this perspective is usually missing. If it were here, it would completely ruin the story.
If that voice was there instead of the perspective of Harry and his friends, the reader would be disappointed. They would doubt the strength and passion of Harry and his friends. If there was anyone holding them back, then their determination would be weakened. "Do they really want to go through with finding that out? What about the risk?" That is not how you are supposed to feel at all. You are supposed to be excited, and supporting, and eager for adventure. The  book is supposed to excite you! You are supposed to feel strong emotion. If the other voice was their instead of the voice of Harry and his friends, then it would be 2 sides contradicting each-other. They would cancel each-other out. The actions of Harry and his friends would weaken, due to the words of perspective.
        If that voice was their in addition to Harry and his friends perspective, than there is a chance it wouldn't overpower the original voice. The original voice is Harry, Ron, Hermione, sometimes Ginny Neville, Sirius, and Fred and George's view. These people are their friends, but their usually not as in-the-loop of Harry's obstacles and actions. But your are supposed to know that this danger and mischief is okay. This voice is often shared by the reader. Because of this, it would be hard for an opposing view to overpower it. But, it would still weaken the view. If there was a voice when Harry and Ron listened to the conversation of Snape and Karkaroff saying...
"But they shouldn't share the information, or go into it deeply, because it's private and could be very dangerous"...

The Monsters of Templeton

      Currently, I'm reading a book.  A very good book. (Well, in my opinion.) The title of this book is The Monsters of Templeton, by  Lauren Groff. In this novel, Willie Upton returns to her suburbean  home town of  Templeton, New York, from an archeology mission in Alaska, the same day a horrific yet beautiful beast surfaces on Templeton's Lake Glimmerglass. Willie doesn't return to "recharge," and she certainly doesn't return home because she adores her home town. She returns because 29 year old Willie Upton is pregnant with her married professors child. Scandalous, I know. Not only this, but she attempts to slaughter her professors wife in a Bush Plane. However, this isn't really relevant. At least not yet. It's all just leading up to her returning to Templeton.

                                 I believe that this gigantic monster that floated, dead, onto the glimmering glassy surface of Lake Glimmerglass is more than just an amusing side story. Granted, it hasn't been giving VERY much attention by my placement on page 83. However, every author writes what they write for a reason. Willie's life is screwed up, big time. Her professor impregnated her, she has to leave her exciting, door-opening expedition because she could be charged for attempt of murder. She comes home to find her hippie mother has gone church-crazy. Her best friend, home in San Franscisco,    is ill and out of work, due to her lupus. And now, for the big guns. She found out her father is not, in fact, a random hippie her mother met in Chicago. He IS, however, a well-respected man with a family in her very town. As you can see, Willie Upton's life is all over the place. 

       Based on these facts, this is my theory. The monster, emerged from water, represents a calm, pure, peaceful aspect that just isn't present in Willie's life. It is desperately, desperately wanted. When the dead monster was the center of attention, before it was dragged from it's home/death site, and after it was discovered, Willie touched it. She placed her hands on it's huge, cold scales. And when she did? She felt a nostalgic, pure sense of serenity. She had a memory of being in the water. Now I don't know why the author choice this for the symbol, but I'll find out.

Message in a Bottle

     Message in a Bottle. Ugh. I hated it. I hated it, but at the same time, I felt compelled to read it to the end. (So I did.) Message in a Bottle is about Theresa Osborne, a divorced, 30-something-year-old woman, with a 12 year old son. Theresa was walking on the beach of cape cod, away from the chaos of her life in Boston, when she comes across a bottle. Based on the title, I'm sure you can guess that yes! there was a message in this bottle.
     After taking this beautiful, emotion-stirring, passionate blah blah blah letter out of the bottle and reads it, she shows it to her best friend/boss, who basically forces her to publish it in her column about parenting. (However, I have no idea how a love letter relates to parenting.) The author of this letter, Garret, seems to be writing to his dead wife, her girlfriend or love one named Catherine. For Theresa, it was love at first read. Determined to be with him, she and her friend track him down in North Carolina and away she goes. "Oh, of course her must love me because he has loved before," was basically what I got from Theresa.
      They meet, fall in love, have a long distance relationship, break up. Over the course of the months they are together, she never tells him that she already he was. Tragically, in the end, he dies.


    Why do I hate it so much?
I'm really not sure. Maybe it's the fact that the genre of romance has been worn out. But I don't really think so. Maybe it's the weird, boring relationship between them. Wait. I just figured it out. It's simple really. It's just that it bores the hell out of me, and exasperates me so much! I'm exasperated right now writing this, just thinking about this annoying book that makes me want to throw it across the room every time i pick it up!
    What annoys me so much is got to be the cheesy thoughts, the boring relationship, the annoying supposedly beautiful chemistry between them that's actually so so so corny and way over used! I honestly just can't take it any more. No more romance books, please. All Garret and Theresa think about is,  " Oh, there so wonderful, they make me so happy, do I love them? Oh god, I just don't now!" All the do is go out  to eat and hang around the house. They hardly knew each other when they first fell in love, but ( as the summer breeze ruffled there hair, and sweet air was around them- ugh) it was love .
     I don't know why this annoys me so much, but it does. To an unbelievable extent. I truly don't think this is what real loving relationships are like but if this is an accurate portrayal, then thanks, author, for showing me I never want to be in one.

The Bell Jar

     Recently, I started the Bell Jar. From what I can tell,  the main character us a young girl who has an exciting internship in New York City for the summer. She's from the suburbs  Boston, and could use this glamorous change. He name is Esther Greenwood. 
      Although I'm not very far into the book,  I'm just having trouble figuring out Esther. I guess this is part of the intrigue of the book and, if it is, it's working. I'm really enjoying what I have started, and I've hardly started anything.  So anyway, I'm having trouble figuring out Esther.
     She's not the typical character. I have noticed that in most books I read, female characters are portrayed in two different ways. Either they are very girly and are interested in boys, makeup, clothing and popularity, or their way to cool to care about those silly things. They are in to being themselves, and are high above those "fake" girls.
    To be honest, this kind of makes me angry. Although this isn't true for every book with a teenage girl or young female adult, it is true for many. These are not the only types of girls in existence. Authors, look around. Notice that each and every persons unique, and the kinds of people that there are in the world vary so much it's impossible to pin down!  So why does it look like, from my side of the book, that that's not true in the novelists world? 
     So far, Esther doesn't fit into either of these two categories. I should think this is good, and I do. But I'm also kind of mad at myself for being surprised by this. I'm being convinced that there's a limit to how many kinds of people exist. But at the same time, I ask myself, how can I be convinced? How can I be convinced when there are so many different people, even in my own classroom?
      Esther Greenwood likes parties. She liked to beautify herself, and likes working on her magazine, and she likes nice adventures and her housemates. However, she's more than this. She's herself, and she's not afraid to like who she likes, and she just honestly can't get excited about her new adventure. 
      I can get this worked up, and can tell this much in only the 7th page. This is going to be a good book.

The Wedding

     Last night at about 11:30, I flipped to the last page of The Wedding. To  my disappointment,  the book was finished. Finit. Fin.
    This book is about Wilson Lewis and his desperation to save his marriage to Jane Calhoun. Next to the ideal marriage of Jane's parents, Jalson's marriage seems loveless. After raising 3 children together and being married for 30 years, their marriage has turned awkward and as if somethings missing. They seem to be more like friends than spouses, and all conversations are familiar and have been recited already. So when Wilson forgets his 30th anniversary to his wife Jane, he knew he was at his last chance.
     This story is told through Wilson's eyes, and all through out the story, he mentions he mentions one thing. One thing over and over, this one surprise to his wife he works on an entire year to present to her on their 31st anniversary. But what I really enjoyed about Nicholas Sparks writing? He makes it a surprise for the reader.
     What the author does is mention this surprise every so often but then quickly covers it up and distracts you with the plans for the wedding of Jalson's daughter Anna. She came in one saturday evening and announced she was getting married to her boyfriend Keith... The next saturday. Quickly, her parents got engaged in making wedding plans. This week happened to be their anniversary week, and their child's wedding happened to be on the day of their anniversary. 


What you don't realize is the importance of their anniversary and Wilson's special surprise in this wedding.


     I would have never expected the surprise Jane gets that saturday, the supposed day of her daughters wedding. However,  what leaves her shocked also leaves the reader shocked. Through out the week, her and Wilson have been growing closer and closer. And on saturday, the big surprise Wilson, his family and friends have all been keeping a secret comes out. The wedding? It's not Anna's. It's Jalson's. They're renewing their vows, and it finally gives Jane confidence in her marriage.


   The fact that this secret of the pages doesn't come out until the very end really is a great writing technique. It leaves you so you have to read the book. You just have to know how their marriage turns out in the end, and what the great surprise is. The suspense kills you, so you have to read and read until finally, you are satisfied with the answer.

Responding to Mentor Blog

http://ferny-nandez.blogspot.com/


     In this blog, Isabelle Fernandez talks about It's Kind of a Funny Story. Or, to be more specific, the idea that it brings up.  She talks about how she only likes the book because the end of the ending, the last page even, makes everything else better. She relates this to Shakespeare's  play, All's Well that Ends Well. At the very end, she questions the reality in this theory. Sure for movies and sometimes books, everything is forgiven and the happiness is restored in the ending, but not in true life.
       One reason I like this post is the following: Half way through reading It's Kind of a Funny Story, I stopped. I got bored with it, and put it back on the shelf. Maybe I should've continued? If the god part is at the end, it's like I just missed a finally leaving train after waiting for it forever! Isabelle has me tempted to go pick it up again, just to see what happens on the last page.
     Another reason I like this blog post, is because of the relation to Shakespeare. Isabelle Fernandez says that just the title of this play brings up the question of whether a great end to a story makes up for the bad beginning. In my opinion, it can in stories. It does all the time, and the stories are still generally good. But not in reality. Isabelle says that it happens in reality, but "doesn't erase the unhappy event entirely."
 I agree. 
     When a person is unlucky, and has a tough life and gets a good break? That's an all's well that ends well.
    When two people are fighting, and make up? That's an all's well that ends well.
    When the quality of anything increases, that's an all's well  that ends well.
     But In reality, these should be called..... all's Well that ends well... then ends badly.
Most times, Isabelle is right. Just because it may seem like everything is okay, that previous events probably aren't totally made up or. They needed to be made up for for a reason, and they can't just magically be made all better.
    In conclusion, I just totally agree with Isabelle Fernandez.

A Fraction of the Whole- Philosophy

Something mentioned that plays a huge part of the book? Philosophy. Martin Dean, Harry West, and  I believe Jasper Dean have all been referred to as philosophers, because they are. This is the author's, Steve Toltz, way if saying "hey, I'm a philosopher." By expressing it through his characters. All three of these characters produce critical views based of both fact and things they just assume.
     Martin Dean is by far the most pessimistic. He'll observe things he doesn't like and is not afraid to just talk about what he thinks. Bu he's not usually mean about it, just blunt. A lot of the time he's honestly trying to help- although he often spirals into confusing tangents when he gives speeches, if you get them they're really helpful and informing. He gives constructive criticism, and it works, if you just follow his suggestions. You see, Martin likes things that are hard to solve, and complicated. He likes them, because he can solve them.
    Jasper Dean, Martins son, is much different. Jasper is one who likes more simplicity in his situations. He never understands his fathers speeches, but he still is a philosopher. I think that if you have philosophical thoughts, and have mounds of though and opinion, you just don't share them, they can still count as a philosopher.
    Last, there's Harry West. He has complex, real thoughts of what to do in order to succeed. Even though his thoughts leads him into negative things like murder and crime, he still thinks optimistically. You can tell him anything, and he would go on rants explaining the pro's and con's of that theory.
    I think you can conclude that Steve Toltz does express his many opinions through his characters, especially Martin, Jasper, and Harry.

A Fraction of the Whole... Still

     A fraction of the whole is a very complex book. It's like many small stories, forced into one complicated long novel. It includes murder, and hospitals, mental asylums, parisian bars, suicide, and lots, LOTS of  philosophy. But even though it includes all of this, the characters are still very-well described and the author makes you feel like you can predict them, but they always surprise you.
   For one Martin, the main characters dad, (although the books about him almost as much as his son) doesn't seem to express any visible emotion. His brother died. After murdering dozens of people, he gets burnt up in  fire, miserably in prison. His parents die, in the same fire as his brother. His role model and close friend jumps off a bridge in the midst of an argument with Martin. A close friend had a heart attack and died,  and after giving birth to their son, his wife kills herself by jumping on a boat and exploding herself. This all seems very overwhelming for the reader. But Martin didn't lose a tear.
     That is, he didn't lose a tear then. But once his baby son grew into a boy, and they live miserably and without meaning, all the tears he never used catch up. When he's on the brink of cracking full-blown into his insanity, it's waterfalls.  Every night and day he's  crying, crying, crying. He attempts (weakly) to hide it from his son, Jasper, and fools himself into thinking he's happy. But that's really not the way to live. It would be horrible to not really be happy, but just pretend to be for the sake of not having to face your problems. But what are his problems?
    Why is he crying now? What, he couldn't waste his tears on the tragic deaths of loved ones, but when his life is in the ruins he cries? I don't think so. This makes him come off as conceited, and really he's not at all. He doesn't think much of himself, and he knows his life is messed up, so I believe ha has the right to cry. But I think his tears mean more than  sadness. They represent an ending.
     After each death, he knew there was more to his life. He was still young when those happened, but even though his life sucked, he knew there were places to visit, people to meet, and things to do. And he could be happy again. But after Anouk comes into Martin and Jaspers life years later, criticizing everything about them,  he knew he had to change his life. But he couldn't. He hit rock bottom, and he knew it.

A Fraction of the Whole

           If you flip through the novel A fraction of the Whole, you see that it is about a young boy named Martin Dean and his bond with his criminal brother Terry, and both of their journeys through life. However, when you read it thoroughly, you see that in reality it's about Jasper, Martin's son, and him hearing the stories of his fathers and uncles lives. Through illness, injury, fights, murders, friendships and murders, Jasper hears it all. " He talked and talked until eight in the morning," says Jasper when hearing the stories of his fathers lifetime. However, this is just what I have read so far, only 131 pages into the 561 page book, and I know many more crazy characters and outstanding plot twist will come. However, something I found interesting about this book is it tells you instantaneously that Martin Dean is dead. To express this, the author Steve Toltz announces from Jaspers point of view, that his fathers body will never be found.
         
     This is interesting, because the majority of the pages i've read so far are about and from the perspective of Martin. The first couple pages are from Jasper, but when he asks about Martins past, it immediately turns around. I think it's cool that when it's about Martin, it's from his point of view, so it's like he's talking to you, and you almost forget that he's speaking to his son. When he finally says the name Jasper when declaring an important point of his life, you just say "oh, yeah. I forgot."
    
      The plot is as crazy and interesting as the writing technique and Toltz's creativity. When Martin was 4, he fell into a 4 year coma, waking when he was 8, to find out about his little brother, Terry. As they grew up, Terry turns from a sports- fanatic and local celebrity to a young criminal, due to a leg injury and under the influence of Martin's and Terry's good friend Harry, who they met in their town's prison. Despite Harry's good advice of a low-profile for survival in the criminal world, Terry because a wanted murderer by the age of 20. This entire time Martin is struggling with first being a cripple, then generally disliked and though of as ugly, and eventually as just with being the brother of a wanted murderer.


      The whole time, you know he's gonna die.
What I find so weird about this is that at first, your waiting for any sign of Martin's death to be visible. Obviously it'd have to happen after Jasper Dean was born, but your still on the look out. But by the time you figure out it's way to early to see any sign, your used to it. As you forget that this book is about Jasper as well as his father, you forget that Martin will die. And I'm really anxious to figure it out. This book is giving me a single part of a puzzle and leaving me to fit together all the pieces of Martin Dean's life and death.

BETSY IN SPITE OF HERSELF

po·seur (pō-zœrˈ, pōˈzər)

noun

One who affects a particular attribute, attitude, or identity to impress or influence others.

      Mid-way through her second year of high school in around 1907, Betsy Ray feels how most kids her age feel about themselves. Bad. Although she's plenty popular, and is considered pretty, she doesn't feel glamorous or mysterious enough. So when she's asked to Milwaukee for 2 weeks by an old friend, she grasps the perfect-ness of this opportunity to change herself. 

     When she returns to her home town Deep Valley she's totally different,  much to the dismay of others. She's dressed all in green, drenched in Jockey Club perfume, and determined to stay beautiful and neat at all times. Another aspect of her changing is her goal to be much more "foreign" now, throwing in random german quotes when ever she feels the need to. One of her goals when she returns is to enchant the new-comer to town, a rich kid with a divine red auto," Phil Brandish. He simply must be crazy about her, for the good of her image. However, this just isn't Betsy. As her friends, especially Cab who calls her new air " La de da," recognize, you can't pretend to be something you're not. Betsy can't hold back her distinct laughter, nor can she prevent her well-known smile from peeking out. Although she's desperately trying to be more serious, and more mature, she just cant.

    Basically, Betsy is a poseur. In this part of the book, it's clear that she is pretending to be something that she just isn't. It's very simply put that she wants to be this other Betsy, this more elegant, thrilling Betsy, but she's not. So the fact that she tries to be someone she's not makes her  a poseur. She plainly admits to wanting to change, and even made a list about what specifically she can do to improve herself. Throughout the book, she struggles with being this.

          Betsy is the kind of person who sees the worst in herself. But truth be told, she's far to pessimistic. She has a best friend, who with many others, adore her. I don't understand why she feels that she must change herself to impress them. So she doesn't have flocks of boys surrounding her like she would like, but she has plenty of friends who are boys, so what if they're not romantically interested? If one was, great. But I don't think Betsy, or anyone else, should change herself to satisfy others. Especially when, like in this case, it's unwanted. Although Betsy might have been pleased with her idea, many others weren't. They just wanted the old Betsy back.

Heaven to Betsy #2

I'd never thought that lack of something could make me think so much about a book. Yet, as if the 

things that do happen don't already make me think so much, the absence of things are even making me 

think in my book, Betsy-Tacy. Betsy Ray lives in Minnesota, in the early 1900s, but if you want the full 

summary of Betsy Ray's life, I suggest back tracking to the previous blog post on this story. However in 

this blog post, i'll get right to it.

Betsy Ray's life consists of boys, her best friend Tacy, her family and her looks. Maybe you can throw 

school into that list also, but that doesn't seem to be high on Besty's list of priorities. Her main concern 

however, is that Tony doesn't like her, or that she has a gap in her teeth. I suppose the reason I love the 

Betsy-Tacy series so much is because it's so nice and well... normal. And it's not like the world was free of

problems then. Disaster hit all over all the time, just like now, over 100 years later. But in the isolated 

world of Betsy Ray and her friends, there are no problems.

Poverty, theft, abuse, child labor, child prostitution, slavery, and many other issues are all very common in books. As I'm reading such a pleasant, problem-free story, it actually surprises me to notice the lack of these subjects. When did authors start writing solely on issues and problems in the world? And directed at those who aren't, why aren't you? Is it that you want to pretend none of these problems exist? It's strange, on one hand I don't want even reading material to be filled with all the awful problems people try to avoid everyday. On the other hand, and don't want any doubt in the world that these problems do exist.

 Truth be told, I can answer this question. I'm glad of this deficiency of problems. Betsy-Tacy is a form of escape for me. Although many people who suffer far worse than me roam the world today, that doesn't mean my life isn't hard sometimes. And when those times come, I can just curl up and read the familiar story, with no worry that hardships are entering the story any time soon.

      Then again, as i'm writing this, i'm persuading myself to change my mind.

Heaven to Betsy, Betsy- Tacy.

I'm only six pages into the book.




     The Betsy-Tacy series is no longer new in my household. Not only is each book worn and battered, but by now, I have the story memorized. Betsy-Tacy is not the kind of book you read once, and then stop. Although you may get everything you can out of it the first time, they fun connection of reading it makes you want to do that over and over again. Heaven to Betsy is a particular favorite for me in the series. It truly stand out to me, because it's the first book where Betsy is finally a teen. In this book, she's maturing in looks and personality, and going off to high school. Also, the thickness of the books increase greatly from here on in the series.
      Although the story is fiction, it's based of the authors childhood life in Mankato, Minnesota, in the early 1900s. In the story, this town is called Deep Valley, and is a place Betsy grew up in and loves. In Heaven to Betsy, Betsy pursues her aspiring dream to be a write, works to improve her social life, and still keep the strong family bonds she has remaining.
      The book starts off in a hot, dusty, miserable farm where Betsy is visiting over the summer. Although she is "wretchedly, desperately, nightmarishly homesick," as the book tells it, she is determined to keep this a secret. Although Betsy is very pessimistic  about herself, she is really a very cheerful character. Her personality is very fun, happy, yet dramatic. Even if it instigates trouble, Betsy's main priority is to enjoy herself. So to be alone on this boring, dusting farm, it's hell. The miserable heat definitely expresses not only common summer weather, but Betsy's feelings.
      But the Betsy Ray i'm describing is incomplete. How complete can someone be, without their absolute best friend described as well? The second part of Betsy Ray is her best friend, and the girl who lives across the road back in Deep Valley, Tacy (Anastacia)  Kelly. Although they might as well be glued to the hip, Tacy is very different from Betsy. Where Betsy is bursting, bubbling, happy and opinionated, Tacy is more timid and shy. For example, while Betsy will soon have multiple crushes when she enters high school, Tacy has no interest in Boys yet. Although there might be a Tacy deep inside her that is jealous of Betsy's likable humor, i doubt it. And even if there was, Tacy would never tell.
        Yet, there is even more i'm forgetting. Tib. Although Tib recently moved to Milwaukee, Tib will always be a close friend. Tib is petite and cheerful. Tacy, Betsy and Tib have been the trio since book one. But now, Heaven to Betsy, book 5, everything changes.