War of the Worlds

I would recommend this book to anyone.  It's a classic, and for good reason.  H.G. Wells did such a great job telling this epic story that although it seems far-fetched in a simple plot synopsis, anyone who reads the book through and thoroughly will understand that it seems almost believable.  Wells also portrays expression well, and through this "feature" the whole story is made to seem more intense.  In a movie based on this book, I would choose the song Chariots of Fire for the scene when the first few aliens are falling out of the sky.  I think that would be a good choice because, to me it simply suits what I pictured that scene to be as I read it.  I'm sure, though, that that could vary greatly from person to person.     

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (Adrian's Post)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time By Mark Haddon

3. If I were to cast one or two major characters from my book in a movie, I would choose the following actors for these reasons:

If a movie were to be created, based on the novel, one of the most interesting groups of all-time would be chosen to play the characters. Cast as the lead role of the autistic 15 year old, Christopher John Francis Boone, Hunter Parrish would be selected. Parrish is widely known for portraying Silas Botwin, Nancy Botwin’s teenage son in Showtime’s television series Weeds. This actor would be perfect as the protagonist mainly due to his versatility, ranging from the family classic RV, to the 2007 drama Atonement. Also, he has the youthful look necessary for a teen role, as well as one of misunderstanding and intelligence present in his eyes, which is needed in an autistic boy. As for Wellington, the dog murdered in the opening, Air Bud would do an excellent job. This is simply because he is unparalleled in the world of dog-acting, highlighted by eight lead roles in films. Eugene Levy, a veteran actor known for his work in American and Canadian movies and television series, would portray John Francis Boone’s father. In the book, Chris’ father, Ed, struggles to raise his mentally disabled child as a single parent. Levy has past experience playing father figures, mainly as Noah Levenstein from the American Pie films.

5. In a movie based on this book, I would choose this piece(s) of music played this way for a particularly significant moment (explain) and why.

In the novel, several important scenes were missing a key component, a soundtrack. One of the most pivotal passages of the story is when Christopher discovers letters proving that his mother is still alive, and that his father has been lying about her death for years. The perfect song for this moment would be Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, creating a ridiculously dramatic and somber effect, reducing most audience members to tears. In addition, Playground Love By Air would be played in context with Chris being finally reunited with his mother. The use of this song would create a surreal and joyous mood which would cause people in the audience to stand up and give each other a high-five in the middle of the film.

Lolita by V. Nabokov - Caroline Klimczuk

Question 1)

I very much enjoyed reading Vladimir Nabokov's infamous novel Lolita. The very name itself, Lolita, seems to suggest both alluring sensuality and sweet innocence - a fascinating duality that both intrigues and revolts. Lolita is truly a sensualists' paradise: the words seem to ripple and flow off the page, creating a compelling, disturbing mental picture. Nabokov's irony is like a subtle blade. It gives us a humorous, painfully insightful view of American society during the 5o's  - all innocence and apple pie - but with dark and deep undercurrents pulling swiftly towards the social revolution of the 60's. We all know the essential plot of Lolita: a distinguished older man has an intense sexual obsession with a prepubescent, sexually precocious girl. These characters are hardly flimsy cardboard or redundant cliches. Neither Humbert Humbert nor Dolores "Lolita" Haze are innocent in this tale of sexual obession and twisted deception. Humbert is both cruel and tyrannical, and weak and vulnerable in his passion for his highly idealized Lolita. He is, all in all, a despicable, pathetic human being. Lolita herself is no innocent angel; rather, she is a crude, selfish, wholly unpleasant little girl who uses sexual favors to gain power over Humbert. If you are interested in a graphic, darkly flamboyant story of sexual oppression and power games, I would highly suggest reading Lolita. 

Question 3) 

If I were to cast Humbert Humbert in a movie version of Lolita (although there have been two made already),  I would choose Daniel Day-Lewis because he a fine actor. In his most recent role in "There Will Be Blood", Day-Lewis played a cunning, ruthless, greedy man who eventually goes mad with guilt. He managed to portray this character very well - with controlled, intense emotions - and still brought a shred of humanity to an unsympathetic character. Humbert's own character requires the same type of acting skills. As for Lolita, I would cast Saoirse Ronan, best known for her portrayal of Briony in "Atonement". Briony was a cruel, spoiled, self-centered little girl who ruined the lives of those closest to her. I think Ronan could portray Lolita as the crass, corrupt creature she is, rather than the guileless victim of Humbert's amour. 

Timeline by Michael Crichton (Jon's post)

Timeline
by Michael Crichton
Science Fiction
Post by Jon


1. I recommend you read this book for these reasons:
I found it difficult to only give two reasons why I enjoyed this book. The first and foremost reason is the amazing portrayal of characters. The first two characters introduced are a bickering couple driving through the middle of the desert. This scene alone grabbed my interest right away. The couple was arguing about what road they took and should have taken, which is a typical topic and is usually not an interesting one to read. But right away the characters seemed as real as actual people. Crichton managed to take two characters who were never to be mentioned or seen again after page 22 and made them seem as important as the main characters. André, Chris, and Kate seemed like real people and were the most captivating characters I've ever read about. Another reason I liked this book is the descriptions; they were vivid and just the right length. After reading Into Thin Air by John Krakauer I was sick of lengthy descriptions with too much information. Crichton gave just enough to paint a mental picture but not too much to make the book boring. I also enjoyed how the plot was very similar to the movie but with many added scenes. Since I had seen the movie I knew the ending of the book. but I did not know what happened in some parts of the book. These scenes were blended so well into the parts that happened in the movie that I always felt that I was reading something completely different from the movie. This allowed me to really enjoy the book without having thoughts of "Oh yeah, I remember what happens to this character right here."


The next questions kind of fits both criteria. I will be writing the thoughts of Robert Doniger as a continuation of his last thoughts in the book.
8. Write a short dramatic monologue in the voice of the character in the novel, at a time when you wanted to hear their internal thoughts.
9. Pick up the story in the future and keep going; then explain the logic of your narrative.

Synopsis: The CEO of the company that sent the archaeologists back on time and got some of them killed is sent back himself by his employees. He stumbles upon a village in 1348 and sees many dead people with black lumps on their bodies: the Black Death. He falls down and begins to cough.

Continuation: This is it. I'm going to die. The Black Death can't be cured. I leaned in close to look at the dead guard and fleas jumped on me. I know they did. I felt them. They carried it. A third of the people here will die. 33%. I'm not part of that 33%. I can't be. I belong in the year 1999. I was sent here through a wormhole by my own damn technology. Maybe it will wear off... Maybe I'll be sent back... No, the others weren't sent back, we had to make them come back from the other end. The won't do that because they sent me here; they hate me. All my life I've had those worthless employees work under me. I should have gotten rid of them. but what does it matter now? I'm a goner. I have about an hour of life left then I'm going to die. Here... In the 13th century... No, the 14th century. 1348 in the 14th. Already I can't think straight. These people all around me don't know what's going to happen to them. I do. They have hope perhaps? It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters. It's over...

I personally enjoyed the ending moments of Doniger already in the book. It didn't need to be extended. But I would have loved to see his character suffer. So I wrote this.

Deanna: Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Question 1). I recommend you read this book for two reasons:

After reading Copper Sun by Sharon Draper, I would definitely recommend this book. I would recommend this because it tells you about the real life of slaves in a brutal but truthful way. I also think it is important to read because you learn about all the trade and life a slave endures. Draper exposes the true life and meaning of an African slave. Draper takes you on a journey from the eyes of a young teenage girl named Amari. Amari was a little girl that had a wonderful family, mom, dad, and little brother. The village they lived in was small and easy to commute from place to place. However, one day white men came forth from the Americas where they took most Africans as slaves. The remaining slaves withdraw on an atrocious excursion to the Americas. Amari is inflicted on many journeys both exciting yet terrifying. Another reason I would recommend you read this book would be because it is gripping and compels you to read on. This book combines the best of both worlds: the good and the bad part of life. It also enlightens your mind because Draper uses real feeling to create a certain mood and I find that she explains the cruelty one can do very accurately. I definitely recommend this book to all readers even if it is just to open your mind to the acts one can put on another.




Question 5). In a movie based on this book, I would choose this piece of music played this way for a particularly significant moment (explain) and why:

By the way this question is going to ruin the ending!!!!

(I would play quiet African music with some sentimental feeling)

Amari, Polly, Tidbit and the dog have finally reached hope, freedom. Their journeys have ended and are starting new ones in a life they will all enjoy and live as themselves for themselves. They have reached Spanish Territory, today know as Florida. Polly, Tidbit, and the dog stay at their new shelter while Amari and a woman, she has just met, go on a walk. The woman tells Amari of how many slaves come her to be free and of all the ways of the Spanish. Que music, Amari finds herself looking into the distance into the land she survived and traveled where the beautiful copper sun starts to set and where Amari's new journey know begins.

"The Power of One" - Marysia

The other book that I read this summer is called The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It was both a compelling and motivation story, about a young English boy who works to accomplish his dream of becoming the best welterweight champion of the world. But along the way he must over come the racism that has plagued South Africa and the struggles that anyone who is different must overcome.

Question 1

Although there are many reasons why I feel that you should read this book, there are two that stand out. This book is very informative and inspires a wide range of emotion in the reader. It was very informative regarding the events in South Africa during World War II which I had no idea had occurred. It gives you a very profound insight into the racial discrimination that has plagued South Africa. The Rooinek’s (the English) were in conflict with the Afrikaner’s (the Dutch) over the Rooinek’s taking over the Afrikaner’s ownership of South Africa. Meanwhile the indigenous Africans – called Kaffir’s by racists, have no rights, no ownership and no chance to succeed in the country. These Africans were forced to live apart from society in different groups. Another reason that I recommend that you read this book is because it stimulates a wide range of emotion. The author does a really good job of making the reader feel many different emotions. For example, I never felt one emotion, I felt many at the same time. Sadness due to the loss of an influential character, humor, fear, suspense, queasiness, happiness, and many more.

Question 5

If I were to make a beginning scene for a movie based on “The Power of One” it would go a little something like this:

(African tribe music playing, beautiful and strong mixing the songs of many tribes, quiet)

Moving shot of everlasting African Landscape, with a beautiful orange sunrise in the distance. Camera is speeding over all the different terrains of Africa, and turns to a small dirt road about 5 kilometers out of a shantytown. You see African people carrying water jugs above their head back to their homes. They turn as the camera moves along, with unconcerned expressions on their face. The camera comes to a dusty village, composed of one house and a series of different mud huts, chicken coops and fire pits. You see a shinning black car pull up; African people come out of their homes to see what is going on. Chickens squawk and flutter across the camera and then you see a large plump women with dark as night skin emerge from the one house carrying a small boy with sandy blond hair. Followed by two black maids carrying a small suitcase. The Nanny is crying, and the boy has attached himself firmly around her neck. The next shot is of someone pulling the boy out of the woman’s arms. With some difficulty because the boy does not want to let go. The other women that have now crowded around the woman, but the woman keeps strong allowing her tears to flow freely down her cheeks. You can see in the background and old man standing in the doorway of the house, with tanned skin and wispy white hair, taking a large drag from a wooden pipe. The last scene is of the boy looking out of the car window with white streaks were his tears have fallen. The door slams with a loud wham. The screen goes black, the music gets louder and in white letters you see the title “The Power of One”. And underneath a quote from the book, “The power of one - one idea, one heart, one mind, one plan, one determination”.

In this scene Peekay, the little boy, is being taken away from his beloved nanny to boarding school. The music is a mixture of all of the very separate African tribes because Peekay will soon be the one that will reunite them. I choose to make the Camera shoot between the big landscapes of Africa to the loving clutches of the nanny to create a contrast. And to symbolize that this little boy will soon become as powerful as the landscape through the power of one. The objective of a beginning like this is to leave a lasting impression on the people who are watching the movie.

Here is Barb's post:

Joanne's Blog on "To Kill A Mockingbird"

1. I recommend you read this book for these two reasons:
Personally really recommend this book even though everyone is going to read it later this year. "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee tells me the reality of social inequality. Back at that time people treated colour people differently than treating Caucasians. As well as it influences me that how amazing Atticus tried all he could do to help a black slave at that time. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote was written inside the story and was told by Atticus (protagonist) in chapter 3. This quote inspires me a lot that we should look inside of a person and then judges him or her, rather than judging the appearances of a person.

5. In a movie based on this book, I would choose this piece(s) of music played this way for a particularly significant moment (explain) and why:
At the end of the story when Scout (the protagonist and narrator) finally met the mysteries Boo Radley and went back home reunited with her family with peace and going to have a new start of everything. I would choose a song called “Dawn” by Dario Marianelli played at the end of “To Kill A Mockingbird”. “Dawn” was played in the movie “Pride and Prejudice” in 2005. The music “Dawn” shows joy and new fresh start. For me the word dawn represents a new start of everyday. In addition, the name of the music fits the end of the story which it indicated a new start for the Finch family.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Lauren's Blog on "The Book Thief"

  1)        I would highly recommend this book because I would have to say it is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. This book is written in such a way that it will hold your attention, and you won’t want to put it down. This is a unique piece of writing that depicts the importance of words and their power in such a dark time as Nazi Germany.  Zusak’s character development was exquisite, as you read this novel you will be compelled to laugh, cry, and fear with Liesel, Max, Rudy, and the Hubermann’s, as you emerge deep into their relationships, conflicts, and personalities.

Another interesting aspect of this book is the narrator. Death is the narrator of this novel and this provides a very interesting point of view and a different kind of insight into the events that occur on Himmel Street. Zusak's personification of Death allows one to see Death as being a job. He appears to be an intelligent and thoughtful being who goes about doing what needs to be done. As well, Death refers to the colours of situations rather than focusing on the people, this shows something familiar to human beings (us), a coping mechanism to deal with tragedy.

I would highly recommend this book for the symbolism of the colours alone. There is great value to “Death’s” colours as it is an amazingly creative way to describe emotions of a person and the feeling of an event. The colours are a means of escape and one can definitely relate to the need to cope and flee from such horrid events. This book is written based upon what Death has witnessed and what he has read in Leisel's book to tell this brilliant personalized account. Zusak's writing has beautiful fluidity, which allowed me to get lost in this book. AMAZING READ!!!!!

 

2)        The first scene I would choose a song for is the one in which Liesel finds the body of her best friend, Rudy.

There were shocked pajamas and torn faces. It was the boy’s hair she saw first.

…

“Rudy, please.” The tears grappled with her face. “Rudy, please, wake up, Goddamn it, wake up, I love you, wake up, wake up, wake up…”

But nothing cared.

The rubble just climbed higher. Concrete hills with caps of red. A beautiful, tear-stomped girl, shaking the dead.

…

She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchists suit collection.

…

She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground.

In this moment I would play the song “Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy because of the emotions I personally feel from reading this passage and from hearing this song. The connection between these two pieces of art are that in both, someone has lost a loved one but not only that but a ”lover” and though Liesel and Rudy were never together, as she kisses his dusty dead lips I would find it a perfect time to have the chorus begin as it says,

“Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?”

The song “Almost Lover” and this passage are both beautiful yet haunting. I believe this song is appropriate because in my opinion both are about a romance that never got the chance to begin. I believe the singer never took full advantage of her opportunities until it was too late just as Leisel did.

 

Almost Lover

Your fingertips across my skin

The palm trees swaying in the wind

Images

You sang me Spanish lullabies

The sweetest sadness in your eyes

Clever trick

 

Well, I never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

We walked along a crowded street

You took my hand and danced with me

Images

And when you left, you kissed my lips

You told me you would never, ever forget

These images

 

Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

I cannot go to the ocean

I cannot drive the streets at night

I cannot wake up in the morning

Without you on my mind

So you're gone and I'm haunted

And I bet you are just fine

 

Did I make it that easy

To walk right in and out of my life?

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

The second scene I would choose would be the last passage of the book in which Death says his final remarks.        

I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I ever just estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

            None of those things, however, came out of my mouth.

            All I was able to do was to turn to Leisel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book thief and I say it now to you.

            I am haunted by humans.

The song I would play for this passage would be “Going Going Gone” by Stars because I found a relationship between the two pieces to be very apparent. Various lines relate to the way Death ends this novel. First, in lines 5,6,7,and 8 in relation to this passage, it is talking about how death has continually followed Leisel and read her novel only to see the various things that happened to her hat weren’t right such as all the pain and heartache she endured. As well, this passage also refers back to the point that death has feelings as it says, “I watched in fear and doubt.” Also, the chorus is obviously talking about Leisel dying, and as it later comes up in lines 25, 26, 27 and 28 that Death has no where to move on, and he has to live with his job eternally, forever being “haunted by humans”. Finally, the last two lines “All I see, yeah yeah, is me everywhere, It's me” shows the fact that at this time in Germany as he says early on in the novel, he was literally everywhere picking up souls left and right, as if he was the only one still there/alive.

Going Going Gone

Going going going going going going going going

Going going going going going going going gone

 

Still hooked on cellophane,

Hanging 'round the mall, and all.

Each penny numbs the pain.

Sends you gently for the fall.

I followed you last night,

I saw you turn your lights out.

I know it wasn't right,

I watched in fear and doubt.

 

It's gotten to be that way,

(Going, going, gone.)

What did you do today?

(Going, going, gone.)

 

Look good in that red dress,

I bet the boyfriend's happy,

Your face is scarred with age,

You're twenty-three but, how can that be?

Still hooked on cellophane,

Killing time with Gin and lime.

Each second numbs the pain,

Love's just another rhyme.

 

It's gotten to be that way,

(Going, going, gone.)

I'm scared but I'm okay,

(Going, going, gone.)

 

There's nowhere,

To move on.

There's nowhere,

To move on.

 

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, is me everywhere,

It's me