The BFG- Roald Dahl. This is the first book I can remember not being able to put down once I started reading.
Bridge to Terabithia- Katherine Paterson. This was the first book to make me cry!
Night- Elie Wiesel. This book shocked me and made me realize that events in history are never quite as straightforward and as simple as history text books present them to be.
The Bread Givers- Anzia Yezierska. Again, this book helped me personalize historical events and see life through another point of view.
The Prince- Machiavelli. This was the most BORING book I have ever been forced to read. But, for some reason I still haven't forgotten certain details from the text.
The Odyssey- Homer. Fate Fate Fate. Hospitality Hospitality. Epic.
Othello- Shakespeare. The most ridiculous tragedy, everyone dies! Finally Shakespeare that made sense to me!
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald. Still, every time I think about Gatsby I feel sad and pitiful. For me, he is probably the most memorable and well-developed character of any book I've ever read.
Beloved- Toni Morrison. This book made a lasting impression on me because it is strikingly different than any book I have ever read.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon. Even though I have only recently read this, I am positive its message will stick with me for a very long time.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Self-Revelation
Books I read this summer:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is undoubtedly a moving book. For me, the book went beyond simply moving and facilitated a self-realization. Before I dove into the text, I decided to explore the front and back covers as well as the introductory pages. I noticed a few pages of quotes describing the novel. One in particular stuck with me as I read. The New Yorker describes the novel as “triumph of empathy.” As I read the first few pages and got to know the main character Christopher a bit, I admit I automatically made a dangerous assumption. Immediately, it became evident that he is a remarkably intelligent boy when it comes to math, memorization, and logic. However, it also became evident that Christopher lacks the ability to understand people on an emotional level. Despite his immense knowledge of logic, he is incapable of understanding the feelings of even the closest people to him. This makes what would generally be described as normal everyday interactions much more complicated for Christopher. The book is narrated by Christopher and follows him through a difficult and confusing period of his life.
The assumption I almost automatically made was one that the rest of the novel thankfully helped me recognize and prove wrong. I assumed that because Christopher is “different,” the “empathy” alluded to in the previous quote must be referring to empathy for Christopher. I falsely assumed that he is the only possible character I might be lacking a complete understanding of. The novel definitely helped me relate to him and understand his point of view better. I was able to feel immense empathy for Christopher. However, it failed to occur to me that perhaps empathy for other characters might be key as well. For the majority of the text I was convinced that its purpose was to help me relate to and begin to comprehend the complex main character. My preconceived notions ruled out any other possibilities.
By the end of the novel, I had realized that the insight I had gained into the minds of his parents and those who interact with him throughout the novel was just as significant as the insight I had gained into Christopher’s mind. I was able to feel empathy for Christopher’s parents and I learned not to judge them for their lack of patience and quickness to get angry. I was also able to relate to the characters that only briefly interacted with Christopher. I realized that I might have inappropriately reacted in the same way the characters do, had I not been exposed to the workings of his mind. One central theme I believe Haddon attempts (successfully I might add) to convey is that of human susceptibility to making false assumptions and judgments. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was a reality check for me. It was a reminder that I am not necessarily immune to the human inclination to judge. Thus the novel actually became beneficial to me in two ways. It not only allowed me to view and understand life from another point of view but also allowed me to realize the danger of automatic assumptions and prejudice on a highly personal level (551).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime- Mark Haddon
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is undoubtedly a moving book. For me, the book went beyond simply moving and facilitated a self-realization. Before I dove into the text, I decided to explore the front and back covers as well as the introductory pages. I noticed a few pages of quotes describing the novel. One in particular stuck with me as I read. The New Yorker describes the novel as “triumph of empathy.” As I read the first few pages and got to know the main character Christopher a bit, I admit I automatically made a dangerous assumption. Immediately, it became evident that he is a remarkably intelligent boy when it comes to math, memorization, and logic. However, it also became evident that Christopher lacks the ability to understand people on an emotional level. Despite his immense knowledge of logic, he is incapable of understanding the feelings of even the closest people to him. This makes what would generally be described as normal everyday interactions much more complicated for Christopher. The book is narrated by Christopher and follows him through a difficult and confusing period of his life.
The assumption I almost automatically made was one that the rest of the novel thankfully helped me recognize and prove wrong. I assumed that because Christopher is “different,” the “empathy” alluded to in the previous quote must be referring to empathy for Christopher. I falsely assumed that he is the only possible character I might be lacking a complete understanding of. The novel definitely helped me relate to him and understand his point of view better. I was able to feel immense empathy for Christopher. However, it failed to occur to me that perhaps empathy for other characters might be key as well. For the majority of the text I was convinced that its purpose was to help me relate to and begin to comprehend the complex main character. My preconceived notions ruled out any other possibilities.
By the end of the novel, I had realized that the insight I had gained into the minds of his parents and those who interact with him throughout the novel was just as significant as the insight I had gained into Christopher’s mind. I was able to feel empathy for Christopher’s parents and I learned not to judge them for their lack of patience and quickness to get angry. I was also able to relate to the characters that only briefly interacted with Christopher. I realized that I might have inappropriately reacted in the same way the characters do, had I not been exposed to the workings of his mind. One central theme I believe Haddon attempts (successfully I might add) to convey is that of human susceptibility to making false assumptions and judgments. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was a reality check for me. It was a reminder that I am not necessarily immune to the human inclination to judge. Thus the novel actually became beneficial to me in two ways. It not only allowed me to view and understand life from another point of view but also allowed me to realize the danger of automatic assumptions and prejudice on a highly personal level (551).
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