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.

Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut 2

Jailbird was an excellent book. I was very surprised to see how great this book was. So far one of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut Jr. books, for right now. Ill be doing my book talk today about this book and I am very excited. I hope my peers in my English class try out a Kurt Vonnegut Jr. book. His books are great and funny, and the best part is that you can never put it down. I look foreword to reading more but I don't want to say anything about my book before I can tell my classmates all about it. Looking foreword to next time.

Jailbird By Kurt Vonnegut

This is like my one-thousandth Kurt Vonnegut book but I plan to keep on reading them. This story so far is about a young buy,Starbuck, who works for a Cleavland millionaire, Alexander Hamilton McCone, who happens to be the nicest member of the McCone family. He tries to help Starbuck and his family every way he can. He plans to send Starbuck to Harvard, where Starbuck is eventually accepted.
He then meets a Jewish woman who survived a concentration camp, who inspires him to go into politics to try and help people. He begins his work in the Nixon Administration, around the time of the Watergate scandal, which ends him up in jail.
That is all I read so far, until next time.