Empire Falls by Richard Russo

In a dying town with no hope left, those at the Empire Grill still have faith. Miles Roby is a nobody fry cook with a deteriorating family and a failing business. HE and his friends get by on barley making ends meet but its the company of each other that keep them together. While reading this book I felt like I too was in the conversation. This book felt very "homey" and had a very relaxed feeling about it. The immense character portrayals bring them to life while the author puts them in everyday scenarios. This book was filled with thought and meaning; a quote that really spoke to me was, "Who, after all, arrives at his heart's home at the end of the day? Even this day, who can say that the next will bring joy?... or comfort?... or justice?... or release?... or an end to care? Lives are like rivers... eventually they go where they must... not where we want them to". I feel like this quote closely sums up American Literature in my eyes. It speaks of destiny, fate and the choices you make in life and how they effect your future. It makes you think if we do have the power to change the future, and if so how. The author throws these thought provoking questions at you that actually apply to your life in a way no book has done before, for me at least. This book goes up there for one of my favorite books of all time.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This book follows the journey of Jacob Jankowski using alternating memories between his past life and his current 93 year-old self. After learning of his parents deaths, Jacob "accidentally" joins the circus; by jumping on a random train in the middle of the night. He feels as if he had caused all the hardships hi family was going through but it still does not explain this strange nature. Right before he gets on he states, "When I first submerged my feet into frigid water, they hurt so badly I yanked them out again. I persisted, dunking them for longer and longer periods, until the cold finally blistered". Jacob is almost "purifying himself before he enters the train, but not realizing it he sees the pain as good, that maybe now he can make something of his life. The story follows Jacob and the other members on the circus train on all of their exploits and adventures. Even at the end of the book, Jacob is still drawn to the circus life.

rabbit, run by John Updike

I can now understand why this book is considered such a great American novel. This book conveyed a very powerful message to me, in an exciting and thought-provoking manor, that running away might make you happy, but what about everyone else. Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is bored with his life, like many other Americans, and wants to throw it all away, start new. Updike takes an average American household and rips it apart. A husband leaving his despondent wife and two year-old child behind does not sound like the American dream we all strive for. This book brings out the other, other side of America. A side of America that we know about but choose to ignore. I almost cried reading this book and would recommend it to everybody. I wish to read all the sequels which include :Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich, Rabbit at Rest and the final book that is about after Rabbit's time, Rabbit Remembered.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

After reading this fine work of non-American literature, I realized that not only can I now vaguely talk old English slag, but also the way our generation behaves compared to the heartless marauders in A Clockwork Orange. Alex and his gang of droogs, consisting of Dim, Georgie and Pete, terrorize and plunder the streets at night, drinking and brawling with rival gangs, but these streets are not as "safe" as Alex wants them to be. One brake-in by Alex turns into a trip to a very "special" detention center and total abandonment by his minions. Here he is changed into a kind and heartfelt person, but only for a short period of time when he realizes that the entire world turned on him and the only escape is to end it all, which fails. I can obscurely sympathize with Alex on the thought that the world is against you but there are other means of escape. In his situation of a home that was sold out by his parents, corrupt police officers (one being a former droog, Dim), and crazy politicians who want to "use" Alex as an example to how they treated him in the correctional facility; so I can understand that in his situation your options are small and compared to our time and age we would believe that Alex has so many choices, but the only is to end it all. Something special about the copy I had was that it had an extra chapter that comes after Alex comes out of the hospital and creates a new gang with new droogs where he runs into an old buddy, Pete. Pete informs Alex that he is about to get married; now to Alex this comes as a shock because he is so young, but Pete replies that he is twenty years old, only two years older than Alex himself, and that he to must think about settling down and starting a family. Alex can not cope with the fact that youth has come and gone, he is not the little chelloveck he used to be. The idea of growing up is so distant and far away to him, maybe because he had been locked up and "corrected" or maybe it was something else. Something we can not explain that drives people to the edge, lets them jump, and then allows them to tell their story.

Friday, April 9th

I do not exactly know what genre i have left to read for the fourth and final corner, but I do know that I am looking forward to it. I feel like having us read cretin genres broadened my horizons on reading. I liked having choice in my books but being able to read other types was great. I have realized that I enjoy books with a darker sense of humor but still has that human touch, if you know what I mean. One of my favorite books this quarter was Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. It was a sarcastic comedy about a doctor with mob connections. It was hilarious! I am serious, on every single page I laughed. Those are the kind of books I like, funny ones. I also found a new author, Kurt Vonnegut. His sarcastic and dark comedy make and excellent story. I have read so many of his books and I am about to finish another. I look forward to the fourth quarter and what new reading adventures it holds in store for me.

March 26 Blog

I have recently completed the book Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazzell. It was about a doctor with a dasrk past relating to the mafia. Each chapter switches off between the present and the past until they meet up in the final two chapters. This book is very violent and has vulgar language. It was an excellent read because it was very fast paced and exciting, I wanted meto read more after every page. The best part of the book is how it can be serious at some points but then be flat out hilarious at other times. I will recommend this book to older readers due to the nature of this book, but it is a must read at some point in your life. I always look forwward to my next book but I won't be forgetting this one for a while.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Just began reading the Road last week and I am blown away. I was not expecting this in a book ever. It is written with a very unique writing style I have never seen before. The book its self is amazing. The story of a father-son, I think, group traveling and trying to stay alive just blows me away. I am always looking foreword to the next time I read the book or even turn the page. It is exciting and sad but overall a great read so far.