I Have Listened To All the Sounds of the Woods For Thirty Years

I honestly cannot remember much about Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. I read it when I was in seventh grade or so. However, I can imagine that I didn't care for it much. As a child, I was never fascinated by stories of the Native Americans or the French and Indian War. Seeing as the plot of this novel is a story during that very time period, I have decided to give it a solid B. My indifference and lack of memory here speaks for itself.

33 down, 968 to go!

"The Americans...are almost ignorant of the art of music, one of the most elevating, innocent and refining of human tastes, whose influence on the habits and morals of a people is the most beneficial tendency." (James Fenimore Cooper)

People Never Notice Anything

While J.D Salinger's The Cather in the Rye is the favorite book of a few of my close friends, I myself continue to harbor mixed feelings towards this classic novel. These sentiments are consistent with many of the other novels I have taken issue with thus far in this blog. As I've said many times before about various books, I should probably re-read The Catcher in the Rye, but here is what I remember from my experience reading it three years ago.

The Catcher in the Rye was my first exposure to a novel written in the "stream-of-consciousness" style. I understand the literary merit of writing in such a style, but the thoughts of a disgruntled teenager were perhaps too disjointed for me as my first attempt reading a novel fashioned in this way. In addition, I find certain dialects confusing and tiresome to read. Such was the case with this novel and I found myself being distracted by the language used by Salinger. Apart from these personal observances, I think there is much good to be said about The Cather in the Rye. I love the character of Holden Caulfield in all his obscene and confused angst. I think it is easy for any teenager to identify with his experiences. I like that he is skeptical and judgmental of those around him. Although some may view it as a vice, I think it is important to set standards for those you wish to associate and then hold new acquaintances to those standards. Sure, Holden might complain a lot, but he's a teenager. That's what teenagers do. Throughout the course of the story Holden learns many lessons, especially one of humility. As he learns, so does the reader, and for that I give it a B.

32 down, 969 to go!

"I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy." (J.D Salinger)

The Cost of Oblivious Daydreaming Was Always This Moment Of Return

It is a strange business, turning well known and loved novels into films. No matter how much producers, directors, and actors may try, it has been my experience that a film adaptation of a book rarely lives up to my own imagination. True, the BBC has managed to capture some of my favorite classics adequately on film, but only in mini-series form, which takes 4 or 5 hours to view. It was completely by surprise then, that I finally discovered a situation in which I enjoy a movie more than the book it depicts. That was the film based on Ian McEwan's Atonement. It is rare that I see a book-based film without first reading its accompanying novel, but such was the case in this scenario. I was quite impressed with the film. I immediately loved the story, not only for the plot as constructed by Briony, but the way the story changes after the twist at the end. It offers a beautiful commentary on the power of literature. Although she is too late to change the past, Briony attempts to find atonement through her writing, giving those in her life that she has injured a "happily ever after". In addition to the story itself, the way the film combined cinematography with a brilliant score was stunning, and I loved the way McAvoy and Knightly crafted their characters. I found myself becoming emotionally attached to the characters, which is precisely why I love film and literature. As a result of this experience, I was looking forward to reading the novel.

Unfortunately, as with The Woman in White, McEwan's novel did not live up to the epic beauty I expected after watching the film. My preconceived notions of the characters were challenged, and I favored their on screen counterparts to the way they expressed themselves in the written word. The story itself was no less captivating, but was rather slow moving in the novel. I finished the book severely disappointed. Regardless I applaud McEwan for his imaginative commentary on literature and authorship. Judging the book itself rather than the film, I give it a B-.

31 down, 970 to go!

"Politics is the enemy of the imagination." (Ian McEwan)

This Is God's Curse On Slavery

For some reason or another, I thought it would be a good idea to read Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin when I was in middle school. I'm sure it had something to do with my fascination with the musical The King and I which mentions this very novel. I don't think I was quite prepared then for the thorough treatment of slavery that this novel presents. I remember finding it long winded and rather boring, as I read about a pair of slaves being sold from one plantation to another. I should probably give this book a second chance now that I'm older, but since I don't remember hating it, for the moment I'll give it a solid B.

30 down, 971 to go!

"Any mind that is capable of real sorrow is capable of good." (Harriet Beecher Stowe)

I Think I'll Be a Clown When I Get Grown

I read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school. I loved it then and I love it even more now. One of the things that strikes me most about this novel is the narrative voice. I think it's absolutely brilliant to write about social injustice, whether based on race or class, from the perspective of a child. These prejudices seem completely nonsensical to a child who manages to see the good in everything and everyone. Through the course of the novel, the children learn life lessons from the behavior of the adults around them, but the same can be said of the adults in this novel. It's a beautiful commentary of the coexistence of good and evil and how our perspectives on life can make all the difference in the world. It's truly an inspirational classic. A+.

29 down, 972 to go!

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view." (Harper Lee)

Through Error You Come To the Truth

For a while now, Criminal Minds has been one of my favorite shows on television. I find watching profilers asses the mental conditions of various sadistic criminals absolutely fascinating. In essence, Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment is such an examination. My senior classmates and I had a difficult time keeping all the Russian names straight, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Like the ever changing mental anguish of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter, Raskolnikov's true punishment comes from himself rather than the law. His relationships with the outside world become schizophrenic after he commits his intended murders and Raskolnikov is forced to alienate himself as a result. Being alone with one's sins can be a horrible experience and only makes Raskolnikov's self scrutiny worse. It's a wonderful study of the power of the human mind and is worth sorting out the Russian names to read. I give it a solid B+.

28 down 973 to go!

"Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man." (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

He's So Dumb He Doesn't Know He's Alive

The Great Gatsby has been hailed by most of the literary world as "the great American novel". However, when I read it my junior year of high school I didn't like it. Like Ethan Frome I appreciated the plot and themes, but the characters and setting weren't my cup of tea. I don't deny that it's a good book, it just didn't interest me that much. Unlike many of my friends, I'm not that intrigued by the roaring 20's. I think that my general dislike for the characters of Daisy and Tom tainted my views on the entire novel, and I should probably give it a second chance. I did however, enjoy the character of Gatsby and the description of his estate. Regardless, for the time being I give it a C+ and I look forward to reading Fitzgerald's other work featured on the list.

27 to go 974 to go!

"Genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind." (F. Scott Fitzgerald)