Today's Document
tannertan36
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ellievsbear
roma★
Kiana Khansmith
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Product Placement
Sade Olutola
sheepfilms
PR's Tumblrdome
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
almost home
Love Begins
Discoholic 🪩
cherry valley forever
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ojovivo
Peter Solarz
@theartofmadeline
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@starespera
Au revoir!
This was a fun class :) I really did enjoy the books, and some of the stories from the PAF (except for the Great Expectations. Bleh). The tumblr was also a great idea. Having that creative space was pretty neat. Overall, I had a good semester. Good luck guys :)
2,100 words, one suicidal closet gay guy and a razorblade later, I feel like a postmodernist writer. HARD. CORE.
Moving on… Even though I think I can say that A Visit From the Goon Squad is actually my favorite out of all we’ve read this year…
The movie version of the Road is actually REALLY...
I think the movie was pretty accurate. I know they left some horrible parts like the roasted baby, but other than that, the movie did not make me go “THAT’S NOT RIGHT!” I think if they added the roasted baby scene, it would have been too much for the audience. The naked starving people was gruesome enough. Other movies that I believed were also accurate to the books are the Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice (BBC version), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Kite Runner. However, no matter how accurate the movies are to the books, I will always prefer reading the books.
I finished The Road on the 25th ( I know, I was little late) and finally saw the whole movie two days ago.
When I read one of the blogs stating that The Road was like a long poem, I literally cringed. However, this book turned out to be one of the best books I have read. From the plot, to the setting, McCarthy really stitched the book with so much detail and meaning. Even the ethical questions remain in the clouds to haunt me. What really struck me was the choice of symbolism that was played throughout the book, and how the symbols really helped pushed the theme further more. McCarthy’s choice of words were also brilliant, because even though the environmental description was limited (dark and cold), the author was still able to paint the setting with different layers.
I think the book and the movie were closely knitted together. I did not really find a difference; it was pretty much what I imagined. It was just as dark as the book (literally).
In a matter of hours on Friday, Typhoon Haiyan completely devastated parts of the central Philippines. It was one of the strongest storms ever recorded. The death toll is estimated up to 10,000 with hundreds of thousands more displaced. The country has declared a “state of calamity.”
To all our...
After finishing the book I can say that it wasn’t my favorite that we have read. I really liked “The Things They Carried”. I thought it made a little more sense than this book did. I can’t say that I disliked this book but I found it a bit more confusing than the others that we have read. I also...
I agree with you. I wanted to read more about the characters, especially the other band members. I honestly loved Rhea. She was definitely my favorite and wanted to know so much more. I was just getting attached to her character when suddenly she disappears and now I am introduced to a new character. I honestly did not care about La Doll, kitty and Lulu. I did enjoy Sasha and Rob’s story though. It was heartbreaking, but their so-called fake relationship felt more real than Sasha and Drew’s relationship. It was for the fact that Sasha and Rob had all their cards laid on the table.
A Visit From The Goon Squad
Egan’s style of writing was definitely different. The change of perspective and the jump of time were unique; however, I wanted to know more about Scotty, Jocelyn, Rhea and Alice. I have finished the book, and I honestly do not know what I really think or feel about it. The way Egan structured the book was definitely postmodern, like how she would focus on the less important things, and then bombard you with the most important event in just a couple of sentences. I thought that was quite intense, especially the part when Rolph committed suicide. It almost felt like I was getting hit on the face, and I guess she wanted that effect. If I knew more about the characters, then maybe I would not have this mix feeling..or maybe I just had a different expectation.
The story Generation X is a good story. It is fairly easy to understand and the author keeps the reader interested in what is happening throughout the story. Coupland uses good detail and creativity in his story, like coming up with the name Texlahoma. Buck is an interesting guy. He asks people to...
I really enjoyed Generation X too. It was relatable, it was fun and it definitely made me want to watch Disney movies again. Even though Buck was such a jerk, he was also the catalyst for Selena. He was the way out for her. The word choice for the setting was simple and it was quiet brilliant too for mixing Texas and Oklahoma; it quickly laid out the picture for us. By doing so, it mirrored that simple introduction from our old fairytale books of “once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in the woods.” Generation X was definitely a piece where I did not scratch my head, and said “what in the world did I just read?”
X
My father always told me that magic starts when you step out from your comfort zone, and that’s exactly what Selena did. She almost reminded me of Mulan and Pocahontas. She had that curiosity and daring attitude that her other two sisters lacked. I do not know if she died or not, but what made this piece one of my favorite is for the simple fact that she was willing to step to the unknown. We all have built this little comfort zone, and sometimes we need to be reminded that there’s so much more out there, so much more.
After reading “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” I began to realize that the style of writing and the pictures were more intriguing and had more impact than the story itself. I do not know if it was because the ending had no conclusion, but I think it was because the book had a lot of artistic qualities. It was creative, fresh and it somehow linked to my favorite hobby: photography. In photography, there’s so much more to it than just the point and shoot, it is far more complex. There’s perspective, angles, lighting etc. that one has to consider. I can link photography to the novel for the simple fact that the author had taken a story and shot (wrote) it in different perspectives. The author was also flexible with the style of writing and used different techniques, and like in photography, one can use different techniques to paint a specific scene or express a certain emotion. The pictures were just as intriguing as the style of writing. I am a very visual person so being able to see what Oskar was seeing was almost fortunate. The last pictures were the ones that had the greatest effect on me. Even though I was witnessing a man falling, the author’s twist of putting it backwards made the book even more beautiful. It looked like the man was going up to heaven, and that’s definitely comforting.
I think one of the most interesting parts of this book is the photos that are used throughout, not only because they take up a LOT of space, but also because the kind of give us a look at everything Oskar is seeing and experiencing so we can feel as though we are right there with him. The...
I thought the pictures were very interesting too. When I kept seeing the door knob picture, I started assuming that this must be really important, and I so I kept telling myself to keep close attention. However, towards the end of the book, I realized that the key didn't even belong to the father or to anyone that would connect the dots. Then I realized that I was trying to connect the dots that were never there, just like what Oskar have been trying to do for eight months. It was the chaos, the tangles, and the scribbles between the start of his mission to the end that had more relevance. I believe life is exactly like that. We often have this goal, this mission to finish something, that we often forget to just stop, and just breathe and tend to the people who are lost, afraid and hurt.
I believe the author had more to offer to us than just the story. From the style of writing to the pictures, the author intricately placed each thread in such a place to portray the underlying purpose and meaning. If you haven’t already noticed, each character has their unique style of writing. For instance, for the grandmother’s part, it consist a lot of short sentences, whereby the grandfather almost had run-on sentences. I think the author was trying to convey their characters through their writing. Short sentences are often blunt, and somehow create suspension. So by using this technique, it gives off the grandmother’s aura, which could portray her as someone who has a pretty wrapper but a dark package. The grandfather on the other hand, had a lot of commas, long sentences and not enough periods. By using this technique, I think the author was trying to portray him as someone who has not quite found himself and is still trying to find the meaning of things.
With this book being in the perspective of a child who just lost his mother is very biased. I feel terrible for the mother because all she has now is Oskar and he has convinced himself that his mother is distancing herself from him. Saying stuff like she would feel better if she were going to...
I feel really sorry for the mom too. It must be such a burden to carry when your child does not want you to move on. For instance, Oskar forced his mom to promise not to fall in love again. Oskar basically threw her under the bus. I am sure Oskar knows that his mom loves him unconditionally; however, he is also taking her for granted. I don’t know if he realizes that he is taking advantage of her, but I believe that because he is so broken and hurt, he wants his mother to mirror what he is feeling inside.
Oskar is a really cool kid in my opinion. While he may come off as annoying to some people I think this is just because he he is to smart for such a young kid and his general openness is misunderstood. He may not be more mature than many adults but he does know quite alot that most people do not know. His overwhelming knowledge and his natural intelligence are expressed in weird ways as his innocence seems to get in the way. This overall gives him a unique perspective that is entertaining to behold especially coming from one so young.
I agree with you. I like him, he is pretty cool. Maybe people get annoyed with him because he seems to be all over the place, almost like you can’t even take a break or something. He is so intelligent that it throws me out a little, but then we get this tension break when his feet touches the earth again and starts acting like his age. Since his emotional and mental side is constantly playing tug-of-war, I feel like towards the end he is just going to snap. I am quite excited how his character is going to develop.
Oskar: Divine Spear
My friend has read Extremely loud and Incredibly Close, and I asked her what she thought about Oskar.
Friend: I honestly don't like him. I'm not being mean or anything, but he's kind of annoying.
Me: I like him. He's interesting.
Friend: But can you imagine babysitting him? He would ask a lot of questions. That would drive me insane.
I could understand why some people don't like Oskar; maybe because he uses a lot of hyperbole, or maybe because he is just too much to handle. I like him though. He’s like that quirky, twisted character that could potentially grow into something beautiful. He reminds of a quote from Alice In Wonderland:
The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
Alice: I’m afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.
The grandmother and grandfather’s “love” story made me think of the few books I've read where people marry for the wrong reasons. For instance, in The Great Gatsby, we have Daisy who marries Tom out of status and money, and then in the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, the protagonist marries someone for security. This whole I-don’t-love-you-but-I’m-going-to-marry-you-anyway is very common. We could point our finger at the grandfather for being selfish, but if you shift your view to the grandmother, you might also want to ask why she married someone who does not even love her. I’m sure the number one reason is because she was madly in love with him, but could there be deeper reasons? Maybe it could be fear, or settling for less, or maybe she craves that hollow feeling. I mean, could you ever marry someone who does not even love you? Imagine that dark cloud that would brood over you every morning, reminding you that the person next to you is not in love with you. That’s depressing, but like they always say, “When love is not madness, it is not love.”
"Loving someone who does not love you, is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold on, the more it's going to hurt."
I have begun reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close already for the second time in my life. The child who narrates this story is so sadly hilarious in this novel. That kind of makes sense right? I don’t know how else to describe it. I mean the entire situation that he’s in is just sad. But...
I started reading it yesterday, and I already love Oskar! He’s such an animated character, so full of life and just good vibes. I agree with you that some people may find it disrespectful and even annoying, but somehow his positivity is what keeps him different. He’s incredibly curious and so full of imagination. When I read the first or second paragraph, my first thought was, “WOW! Who could have imagined such a thing?” I laughed a little, and then as I read more, I see bits and pieces of tragedy. Then I got curious, and was a bit shocked when I saw the drawings and the pictures, but it was actually pretty interesting.
This is my niece. I took this photo a couple years ago. I remember asking her what she considers beautiful. She said:
"Things I cannot see"
"Kinda like what Helen Keller said"
She reminds me of Maybonne from Come Over Come Over. Young, but intelligent.
