Reflections on a Year of Reading British Literature
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Franklin and Winston An Intimate Portrait of An Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham
I have always been fascinated with England and the way their culture is presented in their everyday lives. The first place on my travel list is London and in all of the literature I read, London was a common ground for each of the characters. London to them is our downtown Boston. A nice place where you can meet up with people, and a fan favorite for tourists to explore and become educated on the historical things about what England has accomplished. In pictures and how it is described in the books I have read, it seems that London is beautiful and is somewhere that many people enjoy going to. A tradition that each book shared in England, was the everyday tea time. Tea was the main source of energy in the morning, drink for dessert, and a nice touch for when guests came over. I also noticed that there are many words that were used in England that we don’t usually say here; such as the word “fancy.” Characters in the books would say something like, “Would you fancy another cup of tea?” As anyone could tell by the context clues, the word fancy means “to want to have or do something.” Diction like this is quite interesting to pick up on, especially since it is apart of their everyday language and was even used in all three of the books read.
What I learned about life from Life After Life is that you should try and live your life to the fullest because you will never know what can really happen. Although the main character, Ursula, died and came back to life multiple times, you never really know if you are truly living. I also learned that sometimes if you are too careful it can lead you to a dull and boring lifestyle. You should not just settle because you are afraid. This book taught me in particular that being afraid to fail is okay, but not trying is worse and can lead you to plain old misery.
What I learned about life from Atonement is that not everything in life is going to go your way no matter how hard you try to control it. The main character, Briony, was always upset because nobody listened to her and she did not always get her way. Learning to compromise and understand that empathy can be just as important as sympathy is a crucial lesson learned from this book.
What I learned about life from Franklin and Winston is that in most cases it is best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. These two powerful men did not have much of a choice to have a business relationship and although they had their major differences, they made an interesting friendship out of it. What I also learned is that sometimes you have to suck it up and partner up with people you may not necessarily like, but have to deal with anyways for a variety of reasons.
What I learned about myself is that I actually do manage my time well. When I got into the book, especially the first one, I would occasionally read ahead and start the next week’s assignments. I enjoy reading and writing and I personally did not mind posting a quote and a blog weekly. It will definitely feel different not posting every night, but I am proud of myself and learned that when I manage my time wisely, it only benefits me in my favor.