A Wrinkle In Time

I can't believe that in all my years, I have not read AWIT until now. I thought it was a wonderful book about how love conquers all, and I can certainly see how young children can be taught that everyone has a special gift. When Calvin, Charles Wallace and Meg go on their adventure to find Mr. Murray, Mrs. Whatsit gives each of them "a little talisman" to help them accomplish their task. I would think that from a child's point of view, figuring out how to use their special gift or even figuring out what their gift is, would be the adventure in itself.

Unfortunately, I still don't understand why the book was banned due to the religious undertones. This reason being that I did not grow up in a Christian household and am a little embarrassed to say it, but I know very little about the bible. Perhaps as I continue with my studies and take more English courses, I will begin to notice it more. (As someone had mentioned in last weeks lecture that once you're "trained" to look for certain things, you can find it a lot quicker and make the connection).

I would also think that the kids reading the book are not looking at it the same way that adults would. Sure it's a little on the science side, but I think it has more of a fantasy element to it. I wish I would've read it when I was younger as it would be interesting to compare my thoughts on it different points. Still, I'm always going to be a kid at heart and think that I will always enjoy such books and go along for the ride, no matter what my age. I'm also looking forward to the movie because as I said before, it always excites me to see how books have been adapted to a film. I love being a critic!

Some thoughts on NLMG

I was just thinking about the movie trailer again for NLMG and hope that the movie will not leave me feeling as disappointed as the book has. Don't get me wrong - I actually enjoyed the book a great deal, but I had so many questions that will never be answered. I know it's fiction and all, but I like everything to be wrapped up so I'm not left wondering.

Things I wonder about are really insignificant though. For example, when they go to the Cottages for the two or three years, what are they doing there exactly? It seemed to me that all they did was hang out in the old farmhouses, barns, outhouses, stables that had been converted for them to live in that were virtually falling apart (pg. 106). Is it just me, or did the Cottages sound depressing? It was always cold, and they used old pieces of carpet to stay warm. Sure, they went on the occasional day trips, and got to have sex freely (compared to when they were at Hailsham) and just enjoy being there until they left for training to be a carer. I felt that the Cottages didn't make sense. Why couldn't all the students stay at Hailsham for an extra two years and then leave from there to start their training? The only explanation I could come up with was that the Cottages allowed them the freedom to do as they choose that Hailsham didn't provide.

I was also curious about where the students got their money. It's never mentioned and I think it's kind of important, especially when they're at the Cottages. When they went to Norfolk and had lunch, Kathy was in charge of the money, but where does the money come from? I know it's not important, but when they become carers, do they get paid? It's not like they need money as they don't exist/interact in the real world as norms do, but I still wonder. When the carers are traveling from different centers to care for donors and stop at gas stations - where's the money coming from for the gas and the vehicles they are driving?

The students all have first names and a last initial. Am I the only one who wonders why the students never questioned what their initials meant? What they were for? Why they only have an initial?

Anyway, those were just a few questions I had that I know aren't important to the book.

A coupe of things I noted upon finishing the book:

I thought it was interesting that Tommy's recovery centre , Kingsfield, "falls way short of a place like Ruth's center in Dover." When I read that part, I wondered if it was deliberate, depending how you were at Hailsham, if you got put into a better facility. Even though it's not connected in any way, it's still interesting that those considered had souls would end up in a better care centre, than those who weren't artistic.

By the time Tom and Ruth became donors, I was intrigued by the change in their character development. Ruth more than Tommy, because she became so vulnerable. I suppose any one would given their state, but I felt sad for Ruth's character because she became so vulnerable. She always had such a strong personality, but after her first donation, there seemed to be a role reversal between her and Kathy. On pg. 203, Tommy and Kathy "ganged" up on Ruth when they both agreed that Ruth should stop telling her story about another donor. The first sign of her vulnerability as the old Ruth would never shut down like that, but also that the old Tommy and Kathy would never have interrupted Ruth like that.

A movie!!

I'm sure some of you already know this, but there's going to be movie based on Never Let Me Go, starring Keira Knightly and Carey Mulligan. I have yet to finish the book, but love it so far and as with all books I love, I start thinking about how great it would be if a movie was made based on it. I shall write more once I finish the book.

I'm really enjoying the writing style and how it's easy to follow. I'm eager to get to the end because I want all the questions I have answered!! Like what is the role of a "carer", what kind of donations are they making and for what purpose, does "completion" mean death??

All You Need is Love

I must have read the first few pages at least half a dozen times before I was finally able to continue further. I'm used to reading books with very simple, straightforward text, but I was getting discouraged since Dunn's writing style is so different and laced with a lot of vocabulary I had difficulty understanding.

The book got better and I found myself unable to put it down because I needed to know what happened next, or rather what happened before. Though confusing at first, jumping back and forth from the past and present, I do enjoy books that are written with two time periods. Having said that though, I've complained a lot to anyone who asked, that I hated the book. All the characters, with the exception of Chick, made me angry! I can't even fully explain all the reasons for my dislikes for the characters, but I was surprised with myself that I developed an aversion to begin with.

I had an extremely difficult time understanding how at such a young age, Arty was able to command control over everyone. He was so mean to his siblings and thought very little of the "norms" even though he had limited contact with them earlier on. His crazy jealousy and the need to always be in the spotlight irked me because it made him selfish. It bothered me that he was able to love his siblings the way that they loved him.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I didn't hate the book, but actually loved it. I loved it because this book is really about love and anyone who knows me, knows that I love love. Albeit, it shows love in an unconventional way, but it's about love nonetheless. I think every character wants love and Dunn's done an exceptional job and presented it from every different angle.