By way of introduction, please share some brief thoughts about what you read this summer. Include not only mention of the "literary" novel you read for class, but also any other reading you might have done, both literary and "commercial," both print and electronic.
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Despite any frustration I had with the novel's rather unexciting introductory chapters, I actually quite enjoyed Charles Frazier's, 'Cold Mountain.' Frazier's unique chapter structure paralleled the intersecting stories of Inman and Ada in a manner that I have never previously seen in a fictional novel.
I must admit, I also fell victim to the Twilight series trend this summer and was quite sleep deprived after finishing the series in under a week's time. Along with Meyer's series, I read a handful of C.S. Lewis' pieces ('Great Divorce', 'Problem of Pain', 'Surprised by Joy') and, as I most often am, was impressed with his incredible insight into the human struggle and Christian religion.
The book, or in this case, play I chose to read this summer was Shakespeare's The Tempest. I found this to be a short, interesting and enjoyable read - the tale is enthralling and periodically quite funny.
When I began reading the play, I instantly drew connections between Prospero and the title character in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. As I progressed through the work however, I became much more fascinated by the ironies Shakespeare illuminates between the worlds of the 'natural' and the 'rational'. This contrast is something I hope to explore in our independent study essay.
Like Sarah, I also read Shakespeare's The Tempest this summer. Compared to some of his other works I have read, it was not my favorite as it did not have the most engaging plot in my opinion. That said, I still greatly enjoyed the play, mainly by virtue of the writing. So many of the lines were absolutely brilliant, and the monologues echoed deep, universal truths. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters and their tangled relationships.
I didn't do a ton of reading this summer, but I read Slam by Nick Hornby, which was pretty solid. I read a bit of Demian and The Secret History as well.
Over the summer, I read Kite Runner, and despite having seen the movie before reading the book (which definently ruined any sense of suspense I would otherwise have encountered)I truly enjoyed the book. I thought the struggles of the main character, Amir, were engaging and interesting. I also particularly liked Hosseini's clever use of imagery throughout the book.
Lately I've become frustrated with books found in the "young adult" section of the book store; they're too predictable and too petty. However, I did find one new book from the young adult section that proved to be a very interesting read. I picked Sold off the shelves ( mostly because it had a bright yellow cover, and judging a book by its cover is a tried and tested method) and was surprised to find that it was both powerful and haunting- a great read.
Over the summer I read "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf and I found the novel to be very exciting. I really enjoyed the way that Haruf interweaves stories of various members of the community to reveal the society in general.
I also read "Double Play" by Robert B. Parker, "A Short HIstory of nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson and "The scorpion King" by Nancy Farmer
Swept up in the storm as several others, I read Shakespeare’s play 'The Tempest.' What I found most interesting was that the tempest was not only present in the novel as a big storm which seemingly destroys a ship, but also acts as a recurring symbol throughout the play. Many of the conflicts and tensions have a tumultuous underlying mood that boils into one big bang and then quickly subsides without harming anyone. The most intriguing parallel between the actual tempest and its use as a symbol is that they all seem to be controlled by one character, Prospero. While it is not my “favorite book/play of all time,” I definitely enjoyed reading the play.
Other than the required reading, the most I read over the summer would be the loads of college information and packets from visiting colleges (what a joy that was, let me tell you).
This summer, I chose to read Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is the first of Shakespeare’s comedies that I’ve read. Familiar with his other plays, his tragedies, the sense of absurdity in the play that surrounded not only one of the characters or a small fraction – ala Juliet’s comedic nurse or the strange bumbling of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – surprised me. I liked how, for me, it was type of escape literature. At least, it could be read that way, ignoring the deeper implications in the symbolism. But, then, the reader desiring something more substantial could dig deeper into the literature.
Besides the required reading, I also read some C.S. Lewis, particularly Miracles. But, I spent the majority of this summer sifting through screenplays, as opposed to novels.
This summer I read Plainsong by Kent Haruf. I liked the book because Haruf connected a mix of different characters together. I also enjoyed his writing style because it was different from anything I have ever read.
Some other books I read this summer included The Floor of the Sky by Pamela Carter Joern, Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport, and Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. I really enjoyed The Floor of the Sky and Water For Elephants is now one of my favorite books.
I read Vanity Fair this summer as reading. The characters created by Thackery became the most human I have encountered in a book. They are not predictable mannequins foisted along by the author to get his point across. Yet it is driven all the harder for it.
I read apart from the required reading the Dirk Gently series by Adams, Most of the Sharpe series by Cornwall, The Potter heptilogy, and America (the Book) by the Daily Show which was quite funny.
Reading John Fowles' The Magus gave me a headache, especially the last 200 pages. However, there were some scenes in the novel that intrigued me that I think stand out on their own. Fowles reveals the interconnectedness of the human existence splendidly, wrapping mystery around characters' identities and yet still portraying them as humans the reader can connect to. I cannot say I enjoyed the book so much as I was both fascinated and very confused by it.
I read a number of other books this summer, Meyer's Breaking Dawn among them. The most notable besides that was Jane Austen's Emma, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the comics most Sundays, and sometimes the editorial section. I also read quite a bit of college literature. I enjoy reading immensely and I am sad to say I did not do as much of it as I would have liked this past summer.
I read so many books over the summer that I cannot possibly remember them all. I know that I delved into mystery, read some fiction, some non-fiction, some biographies.
For my summer reading, I read Kiterunner I thought it was a good book, but from the praise that it had been recieving I expected it to be much better. It was written well enough for me to read it quite quickly.
I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and I loved it! The one downside is that the book is pretty long, but besides that, it's a brilliant story line and Chabon creates the most engaging, authentic characters. If you're a big comic book fan, you have to read this!
I read a few other books over the summer but my favorite was Bee Season by Myla Goldberg.
I read A Midsummer Night's Dream this summer. Like Ashley, I had only read Shakespearean tragedies up to this point and found his comedy to be quite different form what I'd previously read. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. I didn't really care for the plot and overall, I felt it lacked the depth and complexity of his other plays, as well as the literary brilliance I have come to expect from Shakespeare.
I am also guilty of reading Breaking Dawn and The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I also need to finish Wuthering Heights, which I started (and temporarily abandoned) in early August. I too am disappointed that I did not read more this summer.
Like several others in the class, I read Shakespeare's The Tempest this summer. Although it isn't as captivating as some of Shakespeare's other works, I did enjoy this play. I believe the plot is somewhat bland, but several of the characters are highly intriguing. Minor characters such as Trinculo and Stephano provide an entertaining contrast to Prospero, the protagonist. For being a comedy, though, this play provides great insight into everday problems, especially the concepts of reconciliation and forgiveness.
I knew a handful of people who had to read The Kite Runner last year for school and one among them-a complete book skeptic- absolutely loved it so I figured I had to read it. It really only took me a few days to get the whole thing done, I absolutely loved it! Amir's personal battle with guilt was one I felt I could really connect with. Hosseini had great descriptions throughout the novel that were engaging but not over-wordy or confusing. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone.
I also picked up a few Jodi Picoult novels this summer, which were very intense reads due to their subject matters (19 Minutes is about a school shooting) but yet very engaging.
well lets see for this class I read Plainsong by Haruf. I thought it was a good story, nothing really exciting happened but it was a good relaxing "escape" book.
In addition to that i read "The Other Boelyn Girl" which i loved maybe only because i have this major fascination for that time period and Henry VIII. I also read "the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" which everyone always talks about how great it is and i finally had time to read it. "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" just proved to be an easy relaxing read while on the airplane this summer. And i am proud to admit i read the last book in the Twilight series "Breaking Dawn" and i didn't like it as much as the others, but it was a good end to the series.
This summer I read Plainsong by Kent Haruf and really enjoyed it. I thought Haruf's way of bringing together different members of society was interesting and enticing. I found it really easy to get through and was never bored with it.
Along with Plainsong, I read Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
The size of East of Eden intimidated me, but I am a fan of Steinbeck so I had no choice but to read it. Judging from the title itself, I expected this novel to be a partial, if not direct parallel to the book of Genesis. And without any surprise, I enjoyed yet another novel by Steinbeck. The characters were unique compared to other books I've read in the past and insightful once decrypting their persona.
Besides our reading assignment, I read probably six books. The most memorable were The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil, A Thousand Splendid Suns y Khaled Hosseini, and select portions of The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
Having heard numerous people praise The Kite Runner, I read Hosseini’s work this summer. It was a wonderful book—captivating throughout, haunting in some places, humorous in others. I’ll admit that literary symbolism took a backseat to pure reading enjoyment, but there is a depth to Kite Runner that kept me pondering the novel after it ended. Definitely a must-read. (I’ve heard that A Thousand Splendid Suns, also by Hosseini, is also a good book.)
Other reading this summer was devoted to Agatha Christie—my perennial summertime author. She is the best mystery author I’ve found—her insight into human nature is phenomenal, and her plot lines are near impossible to figure out before the denouement. I highly recommend her!
The rest of my reading was purely of the musical type.
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