Holiday Reading

This week, although it may have been Christmas, I still managed to read! (And not just gift tags, either) I managed to find that Seekers series by 'Erin Hunter'. Somehow or other, at around the end of 5th grade, my friend managed to get me to borrow the first book, which she owned (It was hardcover and very nice, now that I think of it) and so I read it, because it's sort of pointless to borrow someone's book and not read it. So then it left you not knowing basically anything at all, which was extremely frustrating at the time. That probably happens a lot when you take one story and break it into six books. Anyway, I read the next and the next. Then I waited for book #4 came out, because I still didn't know what would happen, and I honestly thought I could be done once I finished book four. Then I, more or less, forgot about it while waiting for this book, Seekers: Fire in the Sky to come out. How do you forget about a book you're waiting for? I don't know. So anyway, I like to scan through the 'New' books at the library and it was there. (This book came out half a year ago) And now I am waiting for what is hopefully the last book so I really can be done!
     In this book, Fire in the Sky we find our four heroes, Lusa (black bear), Kallik (white/polar bear), Toklo (grizzly/brown bear) and Ujurak (magical transforming grizzly) in what they hope is 'The Place of Everlasting Ice'. (Aka: somewhere way up in Canada, right around the arctic circle) Anyway, this Ujurak is  leading them all to save bear-kind from the 'flat-faces/no-claws/humans' which has pretty much happened since book one. So he leads them all up north and they are currently on some frozen sea. He follows 'signs' to lead them through there, but it turns out to be a very difficult journey. Kallik has to take care and hunt for everyone, Lusa is (uncontrollably) trying to hibernate, and both she and Toklo are struggling to adapt well to the ice. They are encourages by a gigantic bear, who is really a star, who is really, as they find out, Ujurak's mother. Every bear species has their own name and story about the star/bear, but she really is just his mother. Anyway, she visits them in their dreams, and encourages everyone, except Toklo, who believes that one of them will die in the journey. They still split up because Lusa is sick and Toklo is sick of the ice, but Kallik can live and Ujurak believes he should save the bears more than anything. I will not include the ending because that would spoil it, but it is fairly happy and nothing really gets done other than the fact they still aren't done with their journey. It's frustrating.

Hope everyone had a good break so far!

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds (Overall)

     I don't really like the acronym for the title of this book, and it's much more fun to write all the way out, so that's what I did. Let me get this straight, because it seems to be confusing: I really don't think this is a depressing play. I originally thought it looked that way, but once I really read it, I realized it wasn't.
     Anyway, the ending seemed really short. I felt like it was just "Oh, I won, she killed the rabbit, and we're finally opening the shop". It was all just sort of weird, especially with the whole 'boil the skin off the cat' and all. Everything just seemed to move really fast. There's the whole frantic thing before the taxi and while it's waiting. I hate that, when the driver honks the horn over and over. It drives me crazy! What is he accomplishing by honking over and over? It annoys everyone, and it only makes them feel really rushed to get there. It's terrible!
      Next, Ruth has to make the comment to Beatrice, and she gets all crazy about it, so Ruth goes with her instead to the science fair. Then we listen to this terrible girl talk about how much she (evidently) enjoyed using the cat for her project. Then she suggested that she would use a dog another year! I can't believe she did well with that!
    Meanwhile, of course, Beatrice is going crazy back at home, but I thought it was an important and possibly sort of symbolistic when she pulled the paper down off the window or shop window. It just sort of showed everything was going to change, or that it all finally made Beatrice break, if they never did end up having the tea shop.
     That's the other thing I'm not sure about - Is it a happy ending? I think the ending is definitely one of my favorite parts of this short play, but I'm not sure whether to be happy or not. It would make me really happy if they did open up the tea shop, and she did just win the science fair, but then Beatrice did kill the rabbit. So I'm still not sure if it's happy. I guess it all goes with that theme of 'growing a flower (Tillie) out of an unhealthy environment (Her mother and sister)' So maybe it is supposed to be a sort of happy ending. It seems like it might really be happy for them after that. I also liked how she brought back again the idea of the atoms.  I liked this play a lot, actually, and, I'm not sure yet, but I think better than The Catcher in the Rye.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds Act 1

Well, I have a story to tell. I read the back of the book and thought "Oh, great." Then I read the introductions thing and thought "Oh, great." again. It was exactly the sort of story I really, really, didn't want to hear. It sounded depressing, it looked depressing, it just was saturated in depressing. I guess the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" really follows through, because the cover makes it look much happier than it seems. (This is my thinking after only reading a summary and an introduction). Well, I somehow imagined to myself that I only needed to read this introduction (I don't know why). Anyway, I was bored and thought I'd see what the book was like. So I read a little less than half way through the first act and decided to stop. At this point, I was really sure it was going to be very depressing and something terrible would happen. Then I looked at our assignment sheet again because I forgot the name of the website (figment.com) and I wasn't entirely sure about everything. Then I realized we had to read more than just the introduction. So I started from the beginning and read all the way to Act II. Already in the first three or so pages, I liked it better. I don't know why, but it didn't seem nearly as depressing and I actually think Beatrice is sort of funny. Not when she's trying to be funny, but just the weird things she says. Like when Tillie is trying to tell her about the experiment with radiation and she keeps saying different things about what she's saying. First she says "You better go to school" and then at the end she says "There's no way you're going to school" She just says the strangest things. Ruth is, well I don't know what Ruth is. She seems pretty sneaky, but she doesn't really like her sister. But then there' s the science fair where she comes home super excited about her doing well. I don't really like Ruth. The thing I don't like about this is that it's a play. I keep trying to think of it as a book, but it seems like I would see the whole thing differently if it was just a book. The only nice thing is that you always know who's talking, because the large names before every new speaker.

So my overall opinion is that it actually will turn out to be a better book than I thought. I still think something depressing is going to happen, the sadness ranging from being slightly sad because it happens earlier on, to very sad because it's right at the very end or something. I hope I'm wrong, though, because it seems like a nice story, and Tillie seems so nice.

I really liked the beginning because I can picture it very well. I can see her standing there, talking about atoms and herself. I also like Nanny, although I sort of feel bad for her because she seems so out of everything/why is she still alive. I have this suspicion that Beatrice is really jealous of her, first of all because she's so mean to her, and second of all, she doesn't have to do anything for herself, or others. That's exactly what Beatrice seems to want, to do absolutely nothing and worry about absolutely nothing (even if it means you're blind, deaf, and basically incapable to do anything at all). I also really liked the last few pages of Act I, it makes you think about how they live all the time, and what each person wants most. Although I really didn't want to like this book, I think I do.

Reading (In the Snow)

Well, as we all know, it snowed and is still snowing quite a bit at this very second. It was sort of strange and cool that it snowed (and stuck) on December 1! So this week I have been reading 'in the snow'. I wandered around the school library and randomly (I can't believe it, but it was actually completely random) picked up a book called 'Interface Masque'. I'm not quite sure if I like it yet, but it's okay. Has anyone read it? (It's not really new, it was published in 1997). Anyway, it's about a girl named Cecile who lives in a very modern Venice. She is ready to start her life as a Sept, but she has to graduate to become one, which means passing a test. Sept-Fortune creates security systems, and, for her test, she has to break through them. This is extremely dangerous, because if she's caught, then she can die, but if she passes, then her life is much more secure. There is also a question of morals, is it right to break into something, what would her parents say? Etc, etc. So anyway, that's about the first chapter, and then she decides to go through and take the test and she breaks through really easily (which isn't really a spoiler because it's still at the beginning) and passes. But as she's taking the information back, she runs into David, who you learn is working to take down the Septs. It's really weird to explain, but basically they have weaved music so tightly into everyday life that certain kinds are unacceptable, but not totally illegal. Mozart is played/sung in the morning, and everyone is calmed by music at night, but no one accepts jazz or rock and roll. So this David guy just happens to be in a jazz band, and he wants Cecile to join him in his quest to tear down Septs and to rule the world himself, except he wants Cecile, like I said. The whole plot and everything is sort of interesting, I guess. The weird thing is the science fiction part of it. Because she's in a futuristic Venice, there are weird ways of getting places and information that is hard for me to completely grasp. The cool thing about the future is that they wear costumes to protect their identity, so you never know who anyone else is unless they take off their mask, or if, by their job, they are required, not to wear masks, or they choose not to. So everyone has their own masks and costumes that they wear, that can define where they are in society, or not at all. It's pretty interesting I guess. (I looked up a picture of the author, she's sort of creepy looking) It was nice to choose what book to read, even if I didn't choose very carefully.

The End of the Catcher In the Rye

The ending, in my opinion, was the best part of the book, particularly the last two chapters-ish. I'd like to write about the book without having it right with me, so here's my best attempt.

The beginning of the ending was a little hard to get into. He's still depressed, he drops her

record, and he goes to the little pond, I was afraid he was going to freeze to death and that would be the end of the book. But then he goes home, and it made me so glad he finally went home because it was about time! He goes home and talks to Phoebe, and then Mr. Antolini, and then Phoebe again. Mr. Antolini was an interesting man. It's too bad he got his wife up just to make coffee, why can't the lazy man make it himself? They had a long talk, (that oral expression class sounded sort of strange) and then eventually he falls asleep there. Then he wakes up to find him petting him on the head, or something like that, and runs away because he's afraid of him. I think Mr. Antolini was just concerned about Holden, especially with all the careful advice he gives him.

Phoebe - I was so happy to meet her!! She just seems so realistic, not that the other characters weren't, but of all the people in the book, I could picture Phoebe the most. The way she is totally awake only a few seconds after he wakes her up, and she is so excited to see her brother. I mean, she doesn't even worry about why he's home early for a while, she only cares that he's back home. I wonder if she knows that she is the only person alive that he really likes. Who else is there? When she asks him that question, I think he should have said, "You," but he didn't! Oh, that made me so sad! Even Jane isn't really quite the same to him as his sister. He goes and buys a record for his sister, not Jane. I guess that's just bad reasoning, but I if I had to choose one over the other, I'd pick Phoebe. One thing that I appreciate about Phoebe is that she seems so sensible! Instead of just accepting her brother's life, she wants him to grow up. I love that about her, she already gets things when she's so young. I still feel like she's realistic though, because she doesn't always act sensible. She has the crying fit after she finds out he got kicked out, and doesn't talk to him. But at the same time, she saw it coming, she is smart enough to figure things like that out ahead of time. She is just the best.

Another thing about Phoebe is that not only can she understand and stand up to Holden, she also has some power over him. They both obviously care for each other, but Holden probably would only say no to her if she could get hurt. And that's where her power comes in. If Phoebe wasn't there, Holden would probably be dead or really really depressed. Whether she planned it or not, she sure did stop Holden from making a bad mistake by running off to wherever. So the question is, was she just being stubborn and childish by trying to get Holden to let her come with him, or was it her plan to get him to stay? Why can't she be smart enough to know she could stop him? I sure don't know why.

Other things that made me smile that Phoebe did? When she wore his hat, when she put his hat on his head for him, when she saved the pieces of his record, and when she lends him money. It just seems so sweet of her, with this truly unconditional love she has for her brother. She forgives him for getting kicked out (kind of), and for dropping the record, but she still has this way of pushing him on.

Then there's the carrousel. Phoebe is still mad at Holden, and it supposed to be closed, and Phoebe thinks she's too old, but she rides it anyway. Holden just watches her, and then it ends, and it starts to rain, and then she puts his hat on his head. Even when it starts pouring, he stands and watches her go up and down on the carrousel. I love it! It's not really a happy ending, but it's still good. You know what I think would be cool? If it was written from Phoebe's perspective. That would just be great. Then you're left, in chapter 26, with this feeling that it could happen all over again, but somehow he might do better, or something good might happen to make it a little better. It gave a hint that, maybe, he possibly could have a better life. He really could.

Catcher Chapters 13-19

I was so excited at the beginning of these chapters when he put his hunting cap on! I decided that it would be a good chapter. Unfortunately, the whole seven chapters (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19) ended up making me sad and more annoyed. It started okay, I liked the whole thing with the gloves at the beginning, and the ice skating with Sally, and looking for Phoebe/talking about the museum. I thought it was sort of cool how he described the museum, every person behind the glass, and how they went all the time. At least it wasn't a very depressing topic. Although it was a little weird when he asks the little girl if she knows Phoebe Caulfield. The girl first is confused, and she asks "Who?" and then he just says "Phoebe Caulfield" and explains she's in fourth grade, and she automatically knows exactly who. How does that work? If someone asked who someone was, then I would say 'yes' or 'no', not something like, 'maybe'. It was like repeating it a second time would clear any confusion. And then she wasn't very helpful, anyway. But I still liked it better than him wandering around and being so pitiful.

Unfortunately, I found the rest of it really depressing, probably because he kept saying he was depressed. Sunny was also sort of depressing, with the whole 'You owe me ten dollars not five' thing, and then Maurice getting all mad. He has that 'big, fat, hairy, crumby, stomach' and then they just take the money out of his wallet. I hope he doesn't go back there. He can go back to Pencey, but not there.

I also liked the nuns, which I sort of forgot about, but he seemed happier talking to them, and like I said, any time he wasn't talking about how depressed he was, I was happy. Then he had that whole talk about Catholics, which I thought was sort of funny.

Personally, I think that everything after the skating with Sally is uninteresting and fairly depressing as a whole. I'm serious, it reminds you how strange Holden is, and it isn't very comforting for me to think he might be sort of crazy. When he's talking to Sally, she keeps saying things like "Stop yelling!" which make you think he is sort of crazy, because he doesn't think he's yelling. I think it's sort of weird that he calls up random people that he knows from something or other and says, "Hey, let's hang out!" when the people hardly even know him. I found that I really was just feeling really sick of the story by the end of these chapters. Even with all that other stuff that I really liked, it just had this overall depressing feeling. Someone please tell me it gets somewhat better, whether Holden is crazy or not.

The Catcher in the Rye 7-12

So, I thought I would take part of Wednesday to read The Catcher. The thing is, I kind of got annoyed by the end of it. He doesn't accomplish anything, he just wanders a lot. Does anyone really care that he leaves early? His roommate is mad, Ackley is annoyed with him, and the guy with the typewriter is mad, and so no one really cares he's leaving, which was kind of sad. He doesn't say goodbye, or feel sad, but it was really nice to get him out of there. It was unbearable for him to sit there all the time, so it was time he got away. Unfortunately, he doesn't do much afterwards, either. It's not that I didn't enjoy reading it, it's just frustrating because it feels like the same thing happens: he goes somewhere, talks to someone and ends up sad and goes somewhere else.

I really liked when he kept asking about the ducks, and the argument about the fish in the pond with the taxi guy, when he talks about Phoebe and I liked the chapter devoted to Jane. I think Jane is the kind of person who would make you feel really good about yourself without you knowing it. He talks about how he taught her how to golf, and he always seemed comfortable with her, she made him feel good about himself, but she still had her own life. He never is mad at Jane for dating Stradlater, he's mad at Stradlater for dating Jane. It kind of makes you wonder what Holden is really like. He's surrounded by people he hates, going to a school which he hates, so what would he be like if he was actually happy? Say if Jane were to pop out, would he be any different? Does he act the way he does because he's unhappy and not because he's crazy? I'm still convinced he's not crazy.

What else, Bernice was a little weird. How could she be dancing and so spaced out? Of course, I know a few Bernices, always spaced out, or not paying any attention. Which reminds me, I really hate it when someone is trying to talk to you and you have absolutely no idea what they're saying. And it's horrible because everything they say you have to ask them to repeat four times and when you're on the other end, it's terribly annoying to repeat something multiple times. Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe I'm just going deaf...

Anyway, that's pretty much all I have to say about The Catcher in the Rye. It was interesting to read, but the overall story during this part was a bit dull. So where will Holden go next?

The Catcher in the Rye 1-6

Well, Holden is a little strange, and that is something I'm sure about. I wonder how the author created this character, it just seem like such a weird idea. Do I like Holden? Well, I guess so. I really don't want to like him, but I do. In real life I would probably hate him, I think that's why I don't want to like this character. He is really really opinionated about most things, and for every thing that happens, he has to say something about it. Why doesn't he like school? Because he's surrounded by a bunch of phonies!! Actually I think he just has a hard time socially, so school isn't exactly for him, especially when everyone around him seems to disagree with his ideas about life. Is he dumb? No, no, no. He really isn't dumb. He remembers things he wants to, and if he was curious or cared about anything in school, he would learn it, but he doesn't. He also appears to be really good at writing, which seems like a funny thing, when he gets every comma right, but he doesn't stand any other learning. I do (as of now) trust he is telling mostly the truth. He does say quite proudly that he is a good liar, so maybe he's lying (he is a good writer). There are a lot of times where I have no idea if he's telling the truth, and then there are times where he doesn't seem to know about what's going on, but what he says is the only story we get. Oh yes, and I really like his hat. At first I imagined if sort of like an elf hat, and I still like it better when I imagine it that way. It's sort of like him, it's so weird and unique that I like it!
What else? I flat out hate Ackley, I think I would put my dresser in front of the space between the rooms, or something like that. He's the sort of person you'd want to shove into a closet and lock him in there forever. How does he choose to cut his toenails right then? Why does he even bother to come and talk to Holden, he can't be stupid enough not to see he doesn't like him. He goes over to talk to him, and then one of them (or both) end up annoyed. What does he do with himself all day?
Stradlater is just kind of blah. He just takes things and asks for things without any sort of gratitude or anything. He makes Holden do his homework, and takes his stuff, and then he is in no way grateful for any of it. If I were Holden I would probably drop out, too, because the people there would drive me insane. I am not so sure I believe he is really that generous with his stuff, (when Holden is giving that example with the tie) I don't see him being quite like that.

Other than that I thought the baseball glove was really interesting, because it led to this whole story about his brother and how different he had been. I can imagine a baseball glove like that, with green poems all over. I think he was right when he said that I would like Allie, I wish he was still alive. It seems like it would be hard to write about something so meaningful, because Allie was definitely important to him, but he didn't seem to get too upset about it. Maybe he really is crazy, then. Or maybe he isn't really crazy, and he is just normal. How can you tell? How would you feel if you knew you would never see someone so special to you again?

NaNoWriMo

It's almost November! And although I've been trying to get along with creating characters, it is just a little hard to develop even one character without a specific idea for the story in mind. I'm still not sure how to get this inner editor to be quiet because it's so darn sneaky! I have such a hard time ignoring myself. Anyways, I'm trying to remember all the books I liked and why I liked them, but it's a little hard because I seem to only remember reading Redwall and all the other twenty books that go along with it.

I really like the dare machine thing on the website, and I hope that by reading some of the 'dares' I might be able to keep my story more fun and alive than creepy or sad. As I remember some of my favorite books, I can certainly say they were more creative and fun ideas than freaky.

Also, I'm a little torn about the antagonist, I guess I don't know how to create a character like that. But I am still really excited to be writing a novel, because it just seems so ridiculous! (Hopefully it will not be so...)

To Build A Fire

Did we have to do this? I don't remember but I'll talk about it anyway. I actually was not that unhappy with 'To Build A Fire'. By the end of the story, I was very cold, either because the librarian had been playing with the thermostat, or because I was feeling the cold. My ears were sort of aching and my nose was freezing!

I was absolutely delighted with the whole dog thing. It would have been really depressing if he was all by himself and died, but then you had this nice little pup tag along. (I generally dislike Huskies, but I imagined it slightly differently) I don't know what it was about it, but I really liked it whenever you heard about the dog or what he was thinking. The man was a little bit mean to him, but hopefully he ended up with a nice owner. I could imagine the dog so well! (Except for when I changed him from a husky to a sort or cross between a shiba inu and a husky) But anyway, I was always sort of both happy and attentive whenever I heard what the dog was thinking or what it was doing. I don't think that it should have had to take that dangerous journey, but it seemed to know a lot better than the man did. It was just sort of cool the way the dog knew instinctively to do things.

The man really should have been traveling with someone, but I can't think of someone he could have gone with to get there. It was a bit painful to read about him trying to make a second fire after the first was put out by snow. There's just no way he should be able to start another one. Then he does and puts it out again! It was really frustrating. By this time everything is numb, and he tries to run to get to camp, and he keeps falling until he eventually gives up and dies. It does make the title make a little more sense. (Just a little)

At the beginning of the story, I was sort of lost because the author gives you so little information. It was also sort of strange (and cool) when his spit crackled in the air. But other than that it looked like it was cold and dreary.

What else? I thought the biscuits 'sopped in bacon grease, and each enclosing a generous slice of fried bacon' sounded pretty nasty, especially when he thinks of them so much. Does this sound good to anyone? Honestly, why would you want bacon grease??

And so I get back to him building a fire to unfreeze his feet. It seems so hopeful, it's getting larger, stronger, and then boom! A lot of snow falls down on him. It seems like one of the first things you'd watch out for if you were that experienced. After that it seemed hopeless, then he magically gets it to start again, but it goes back out after he suffocates it with too much. Then it's all over, any hope is gone, he's dead. Then he tries to kill the poor dog, and I was really afraid he would, but he can't do it. The husky has already been pushed into the water and is obviously scared of the man, because of this 'whiplash' sound he makes. Anyway, I would have been more sad it he had killed the dog than if he had just died by himself. The husky had two sides, one was of internal, instinctive knowledge, and this great understanding of things and the other was a sort of helpless, uneasy, dog. He couldn't start a fire to keep warm, or have an extra coat, but he also knew how to keep himself alive, like by picking the ice out of his paws. But the man never gave him any food! Anyway, I liked how he made the dog seem realistic. I was almost happy when he trotted away from the man in the end. He had been loyal to him, sitting there patiently before he knew the man was dead, running with him, and just staying with the man, but when he was dead it was sort of like "Oh, he's dead. Time to go."

Anyway, I actually liked this story better than some of the others, and I thought it was very easy to see and feel everything that the man and his dog were going through. It was a lot nicer without the comments and questions on the sides. It was sort of like this overall theme that people shouldn't try to out-smart nature or something, because the dog kept thinking 'This is a terrible idea, we should be warm and safe!' and the man kept trying to go on, even though it was a bad idea. Anyway, I thought it was a sort of cool story (especially because it's been so cold this week!).

The End of the Odyssey

We've finally come to the end of the Odyssey! (It's about time, too) He kills off every last suitor and all the disobedient maids (AND Antinous's father, What's-His-Face) Then he reveals who he is and Penelope doesn't believe him until he starts talking about his bed. Then the townspeople get really mad and want to kill him then at the very very end it's all over and only Antinous's father died, and everything is peaceful and happy. It really makes me realize how long you have to wait for him to finish off all the suitors.

It starts with the fight against Irus, where I actually felt a little bad for Irus because he got beat so badly. (By an old man, too) The suitors all think it's hilarious, especially when Irus is beaten, which makes me even more mad, because it seems like it would be sad to watch beggars fight. Those suitors should have suffered longer.

I liked hearing about the gifts Penelope tricked the suitors into giving her, which wasn't really a trick, but I imagine they kept everything (after all, the suitors were dead after that). I also thought it was funny when he tell Euryclea (or Eurycleia) to go and lock the maids in the rooms. "Well you see, there's going to be this big fight downstairs, so excuse me a moment while I lock you in your room." But it probably was a good idea after all.

It was sort of nice to finally let Odysseus see his wife, after all that time he had been away, even if he was in disguise. Personally, I was very happy, because he had been sitting in Ithaca for so long, and he didn't even get to see his wife.

I also enjoyed listening to the story about how Odysseus was named and how he got the scar from the boar, although it seemed to be the best reason he had for being himself. As smart as he was, you'd think he would remember a big scar that would identify him, especially when he asked to be washed by a nurse. Were people really so good that they couldn't wash their own feet? Anyway, she recognizes him and drops his leg (Ow) and spills all the water. Very luckily, I suppose, Athena diverted her attention. I still don't think it was that necessary to keep it a secret from his wife. What would she do? If you locked her in like all the maids, she couldn't have done much, and if they had all died in the battle, how could the maid tell Penelope that it was her husband who had died and not told her? At least if she had known who he was, if he died, then she would know to remarry again, and that he got home safely. I just think I would be annoyed not to be in on a secret that my husband was home, even after the battle and everything.

I was always amazed at how much they seemed to revolve around Odysseus. Someone is always stopping to say something like, "I wish he would come home soon!" or praying to the gods that he would return. I'd think that after 20 years they'd be a little used to it, and they wouldn't still do that too much, but I guess it makes a better story.

I thought it was sort of weird when Ctesippus picks up a cow foot and chucks it at him, honestly, a heifer's foot? I guess it was the closest thing, but it just seems weird. Then he insults him, which is just a terrible idea. (We all saw what happened when the Phaeacians did that) I thought he might explode, because he didn't really seem controlled when he was challenged like that before.

Let's see, next Penelope decided to take out the "deadly bow and arrows" for a game. When she opens the door it makes a noise like a bull bellowing. That's some noisy door! What's the deal with that? I wouldn't open that door ever. Our teacher once let go of one of those pull out maps that roll up when you let them go and it went 'BANG' and I jumped because it scared me so you can imagine how much I would really hate to have to open that door.

Not a lot struck me for a while, except for when one of the suitors admits how inferior they are to Odysseus during the bow-stringing and shooting game. And when Penelope embarrasses Eurymachus. Then she has to go back upstairs and she cries again, which sort of makes Telemachus mean. :(

Then he strings the bow, and it made me feel sort of happy for some reason, even though we already knew he would. Then he shoots Antinous, which was way too quick of an end for being so evil. Then he goes on and kills a lot of them, saves the bard and Medon, and continues on to kill everyone else. When Leiodes, the sacrificing priest, comes and begs for his life, I don't think I even felt bad for him. He seems so sad, but somehow I never was even the tiniest bit sorry for him.

After that I was a tiny bit bored. Penelope doesn't want to believe it's really Odysseus, and you hear the ghosts talk amongst themselves. Then Odysseus is kind of mean in playing games with his dad, who has been waiting so long for him to come home and pretty much breaks down. Then the townspeople go to kill him for him killing all the people, and suddenly they all decide in peace.

Overall, it was very relieving to be finished and wrapped up, although it was a long time to get there. I thought he might punish the suitors some more, he was so mad, after all. I guess killing them was pretty harsh in the first place, but he seemed to punish his servants more than the suitors in the end. I thought he might be a little to hard on the maids. I would have just fired them and make sure they never got another job or ship them off somewhere terrible. Telemachus never really stepped up to head of the household, but he could have done more to discipline them, I think. I just think they might have done a better job if there had been more effort to make them do their job. Why put up with them if they won't agree? Why couldn't they just get rid of them years before to save a lot of problems?

The end sort of leaves me to wonder what life is like for the future. What does he do for all these years? When does he go and get the treasure from the cave? Did he even have anything to do? It must seem dull for him not to have to get anywhere or do anything or fight anyone. He also must have nightmares or occasionally feel bad for killing all those people, it seems like you would be. Thinking you were still stuck on an island or attacked by some monster or something. I guess that's not part of his journey home. I still have to wonder who had the patience to tell that whole story, really. I found I really didn't care about 'Rosy-fingered Dawn'. I actually liked all the epithets, they were almost comforting to read I think. I think I liked the beginning and the storytelling by Odysseus the best. I don't like all the time it takes to finish the story, but I guess it had to finish. In the end, I think I liked all the characters a little less. It was weird to see Odysseus fighting, to see Telemachus bossing his mom around, Penelope constantly crying, etc. It sort of makes you wonder what great huge adventure Telemachus gets to go on one day.

Do we get to finish O Brother Where Art Thou? now? (I don't think I'll be happy until it's done)

The Most Dangerous Game

I have just read another creepy short story. I actually found that I was enjoying this, maybe because we just read two other unsettling stories, maybe because there's a guy who lives on an island in a giant mansion/castle-or should I say palatial chateau? As soon as he meets General Zaroff, you know he's evil, whether you read the summary at the beginning or not. Although it seems like you're supposed to like him, I wrote "He's creepy" and then I wrote it again after it pointed out he had sharp and pointy teeth. (All those questions on the side were distracting) Ivan just disappointed me. It seems he should have been nice or something, but he quite obviously wasn't. Then he just suddenly dies in a trap, which makes you feel worse, because it should have been Zaroff, but of course, it wasn't.

Rainsford was just strange, because at the beginning I thought he was just a real jerk who liked to kill animals. Then I slowly felt like he wasn't so bad, when he does reasonable things (tells the time from the sun, deals so well with a big scary guy with a gun, etc.) He also seems pretty observant, all of which probably come with a lot of hunting. Personally, I was pretty mad when he was talking on the ship with his fellow hunter, all he was saying about hunting, but he certainly drew the line when it came to hunting people, so he clearly thinks there's some huge difference or something.

He does come up with some good plans for killing Zaroff, but I'm a little curious about why Zaroff left him alive. I mean, he follows this almost invisible trail right to the tree where he's hiding, it seems like it wouldn't be hard to find him after that point. So he concludes it's cat and mouse, but he seemed awfully quick about killing the first guy (the one where you hear the gunshots before he knows where he is). But I almost feel like he doesn't really want to kill Rainsford at all. At the 'tiger pit' he pops out of hiding, obvious and unprotected because he thinks he has finally killed Zaroff. He really could have killed him right there, but no, he lets him go again. After all of the ways he seems so good at his 'game', he still seems pretty darn scared when he jumps out from behind the curtains. I feel a little like the creepy smiles and the yelling were fake, like he had no idea if he was there or not, but he figured Rainsford would feel more frightened if he happened to be there and listening. If he wasn't what was he going to lose? He obviously wasn't afraid of anyone else thinking he was stupid for randomly yelling and smiling to no one, because no one else was there to care. Of course, then the author does sort of make it clear he's playing a game with him, so maybe he really did know he was there.

Zaroff, the creepy pointy-toothed, hunter Cossack man, hunts people. I have to wonder how much you'd have to hunt to want to start getting more intelligent animals. He says his life is hunting (which we didn't really need him to say) but I think there's a point where you would think about the lives of all these animals. For example, today (and this is a very real example in case you were wondering) in social studies about five girls screamed as they spotted a spider which was probably only more than a quarter inch long and some people ran to get a piece of paper to put it out the window (which was probably how it got in) when a large tennis shoe squished it right into the carpet. I was impressed because it normally gets stomped right away, but there were people trying to save it! Anyway, our teacher said, "The poor little spider just wanted to get a history lesson, you could have just put him out the window!" and that got me thinking that the poor little spider probably was trying to get somewhere, or do something, which always makes you feel bad it dies and is now practically inside out all over the carpet. What I'm saying is that it seems like there would be a point where he accidentally killed something meaningful to him, like his dog, but that didn't seem to bother him. I just think that after so much hunting you'd eventually stop and think about the animal you killed. I can hardly get down to the 'mouse' level of killing things. I couldn't kill a bird, or and the worst I've done is put a spider in a jar and starve it (accidentally) The scary part was when he offered to show his 'newer' collection of heads, no doubt human. Personally, all the cut off buffalo heads and deer heads make me quite ill, and I'm always afraid they'll fall off the wall and squish me, and it's just not pleasant to look up at it. But to cut off a human head? Can you imagine mounting those on the wall? If you tried to put it on like and animals head, it would always be staring down at you, which would be WAY too much for me. So then what do you do? Put it in a glass case on a peg or something? I think it's slightly scary to be stared at by a person, especially if they're dead.

The ending was sort of disappointing. I got excited when he screamed, but then the hunted kills the hunter and you have to wonder if he ever learned his lesson (either of them) Did Rainsford stop hunting forever? Did he even get back home? Did he free all the trapped people? It's just seems weird that he could ever hunt again and not be disturbed by thoughts of this creepy guy with pointy teeth. (Plus the whole white hair but black eyebrows thing) I feel like he might have been punished some way else, but I can't think of a good way.

Where does this fall in overall creepiness? It depends on how much time you take to imagine the thought of making a game of hunting people. I think Zaroff himself would top off as the creepiest character so far. I even gave up calling him Zaroff after I said Zar-zoff too many times, so I remember him as Zarzoff, not Zaroff. He does however, back up murdering people pretty well for it otherwise seeming so absolutely terrible. When I listened to him reason, it was almost to a point where I could see what he saw in needing a more intelligent being to outsmart. But the whole time I remembered how strange and absolutely crazy he must be to want to do that, so it was never to a point where he made absolute sense. I honestly still think the castle was really amazing, and although it seemed slightly random, it made the story more interesting.

Another question, what 'game' is it when it says The Most Dangerous Game? Are we talking game as in the game the two men played, or game as in the man being the most dangerous game? The author puts it in both ways, but I think either way it is a very fitting title. It's kind of cool how it provokes so many thoughts, though. How many more creepy stories are we going to read? Does anyone have the patience to read all this? Do we have to fill out all the information in the back? And more importantly, how long will I remember what 'palatial chateau' means?

The Rest of My Reading Oct. 5-12

Yes, so now that I'm done writing about the short story, I think I'll write about 'The Odyssey'. A lot happened in these few books. Yes, Odysseus goes home with all his riches and Poseidon punishes them by turning the boat to a rock and are going to escape because there is a prophecy that he will also want to squish them under a huge mountain. That's when you get to Odysseus who is confused until Athena pops out and fills him in, hides his stuff, and brings him to his swineherd's house. He makes up a story, and Telemachus, meanwhile is rushing to get home because Athena has warned him about the evil suitors. He gets home fine, and eventually meets his father, who has been talking to the swineherd for a really really long time and eating his food. Together, they hatch a plan to kill the suitors, and eventually they go to back to Odysseus's house and he meets all the suitors. Then you come to a stop, after waiting for a really long time to see all the suitors get what they deserved. Anyway, there were a few things I'd like to mention. First of all is when they give Odysseus a tripod and a cauldron. It's funny, because he quite literally said that because he had a long and difficult journey home, he wanted to give him a cauldron, which would seem like a weird thing to say. I don't think the gift itself is strange, it's just that it seems funny to want to give him all that stuff because he had a hard time getting there. It seems like it would be hospitable enough to let the guy have some food and a warm bed, but I guess it's only truly kind if you also give them a lot of presents. I was very relieved when they said he could go, and also when he got to sleep the whole way home! (That would be so nice) I was really looking forward to his ship crashing or something, though. It seems to easy that he just gets home, but I'm am really glad he did, because it was about time! I think he just could have gotten home in a more exciting way, like a giant sea monster pops out and ruins the ship, and he is saved by a passing boat who takes him home and he gets to keep one of his gifts. Except that probably wouldn't happen, and then some people would be disappointed because he never got his gifts. I also noticed that he keeps getting clean shirts and cloaks. I don't know why, but he just can't seem to keep all the ones he gets. He always gets them dirty or watery or just loses them somewhere. It just seems crazy

I feel pretty bad for the Phaeacians, they get punished for being really nice to someone. It made me curious, though, if he turned the boat to rock, does that mean the boat turns to stone, or the boat and everyone on it turns to stone. That is definitely two different things. I just think it would be mean to ruin it for these people who were trying to do what was right and happened to help someone that a god was angry at. It seems like there should be no one to punish, because no one did anything wrong! (Although it was fun to imagine a boat suddenly turning to stone.) Personally, I would have gotten off that island as fast as I could, but it's probably good they made a sacrifice first. I just hope everyone turned out okay! I'm trying to go in order of notes I made!

There were a few things that I thought were funny. One is the word 'bespatter', which Athena uses to describe what will happen to the brains of the suitors. The second is when one of the servants says 'Dinner is good at dinner time' which I just think is funny. I also thought it was funny how they talked so much about Odysseus when he was right there. Really, right there. IF only Odysseus could come back. IF only he would rid of those terrible suitors. IF Odysseus was here he could stand up and save the day. It was just hilarious how much everyone talked about him. He seemed to always be right there to hear about how much everyone loved him! Telemachus must have felt dumb when he found out his dad was right there, but it was nice to know how happy they were.

I think sometimes the way they talk is funny, too. (Well duh) Anyway, it seems like they are sometimes being rude to one another without meaning to. Like when the swineherd tells him that he has found the story of his misfortune 'interesting'. It seems like a mean thing to say, but I don't know. I found it very interesting to listen to the swineherd's story, and Odysseus's made-up one.

I also find it interesting that the one man, Theoclymenus, that shows up and has Telemachus take him to Ithaca with them. It seems sort of random, but I hope it turns out to be a good thing! I was also really excited when Penelope stood up to Antinous, but then she basically was quiet and never said anything again. That was just flat-out disappointing! She really should just send them all out because she doesn't want to marry any of them and hates them all. I think Penelope has been one of the most disappointing characters.

I was really sad when his dog dies, especially after it describes what a great dog he was. I just wrote 'NOOOOO' where it says ...'but Argos died as soon as he had recognized his master.' That's so sad! That poor dog was just left to die (although you think it might have been more resourceful for a hunting dog).

I think it was a really good idea to go and beg from them to see their personalities, even if it was technically not Odysseus's. It was a perfect way for him to stay in his character and be able to see what all the suitors were like. I was a little confuse about how Antinous would have the power to throw him out, though. (He says that if Odysseus doesn't go away he'll make the servants drag him out) It seems strange that he would suddenly have that power, but I guess he was be a 'guest' and if something was disturbing him, then he could have it removed, but it still seems like a lot of power.

That takes us to the end of the reading! I really want to get to the end, and I'm so glad that we have both Telemachus and Odysseus together, because I've been waiting for that and I really like them both! Hopefully, we will see the suitors being 'bespattered' on the pavement (Ha ha) Also, hopefully, there won't be any more really long stories in it, because the stories are interesting, but always so long! Anyway, I thinking we're pretty close to the end and I am hoping it turns out to have a good ending!

The Lottery

This week I read 'The Lottery'. 'The Lottery' is a short story, as we can tell, about a lottery of sorts. I was told that if I found that 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find' was creepy, I'd think that this one was much more unsettling. I actually didn't find it nearly so much as 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find' and I'm sure that some of you who read this disagree. It's just that with this short story, you get to the point where you know something bad is going to happen, and you just are bored or don't want to wait to know whose name is going to be picked. (And I found it slightly distracting that the last name Dunbar sounded a lot like Delmar while I was reading, and so I kept thinking of Delmar in that place instead of someone else.)

Anyway, I think I didn't find this story quite as disturbing because, although you were still left with the image of her dying, there wasn't as much of a sense of surprise and horror. I don't know how to describe what I mean! In 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' there is one murderer and a conversation where you learn about his past and one by one, he goes and kills the family. In this story, a whole group of people kills one person, and I find it less creepy because instead of being a crazy killer, it's a group of people who just feel obligated to kill.

When I read it, I felt terrible for the lady, picturing her being stoned by her friends and even her little son, but instead of feeling horrified of her death, I felt angry at the people who killed her. It's just that I wanted to tell them that they were being stupid and unfair and that if no one liked it then they shouldn't kill anyone. The author just doesn't put in anything to make you feel horrified. In 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find' you have a conversation between the killer and his victim about it, which makes it super creepy and unsettling, but in The Lottery' you aren't given that kind of information. You don't know that much about the woman who dies, you don't know much about the people who kill her, she doesn't include what it's like for someone to stone another person who they knew. Even though they have been doing this for years and years, I just don't feel like a person could kill another without the reader being able to see some hesitation or regret. They say they want to get it over quickly, but that only makes them seem more heartless. I guess I don't feel like the people are as realistic.

I think anyone could look at it and say 'This is great writing and it's very haunting," because I think the author is a good one, and it's extremely haunting to think that these people think it's the right thing to do, but I feel like there's more to it than that. Maybe if I had read this before the other short stories I would think differently, but it's very difficult not to compare them. One thing that might make one 'darker' than the other is that in one it starts out like a normal day. A family is going on a trip, but after that, everything spirals down. The other starts with a way too cheery day feel, and ends in a depressing way which for me, made them very different.

I'm trying to find a better way to phrase what I mean, but it's not going so well! One thing is that you feel like by the end of 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find' that it's hopeless and that she has to die, but you still find it creepy. In this one, instead of feeling the same hopelessness, you instead feel like it's the people's fault. They don't have to stone her, and it's their own major decision to kill this defenseless woman. It just doesn't make you feel unhappy in the same way the other story does. I also think that it might be because in 'The Lottery' they have a reason to kill her. I think that's part of it! It's not so unsettling to think they think they have a reason to stone someone to death, whereas to think some innocent woman is picked off of the street and stoned for no reason would, to me, be much more frightening.

With what I was saying with some of the people being 'unrealistic' it wasn't that they were fake characters, it just seemed like no one could actually do such a thing. What makes one scary and the other not might have to do with how realistic the whole idea is. Both stories obviously seem crazy and unsettling, but when I think about it, I feel like our car flipping over and being killed by a crazy person is more likely to happen then me living in a small village where people get stoned.

However much I have said it wasn't that dark, I think it was a hard comparison, because by itself, it does trouble me to think of someone creating such a story. To think that they are raising children to think this was right and that they must do it, is just scary. At the end, it says that someone gave her tiny son a few pebbles to throw, and I found that that was also a little scary for me. They are making someone do something without him knowing it is a bad thing to do or that he is killing the person who raised him. If such a tradition were to happen, it would be both terrifying and disastrous, every year. You would be taking someone who meant a lot to someone, and throwing them away, imagine how many kids would end up orphans! Which also confuses me because it seems like you might run out of people. I guess that might not actually happen.

For whatever reason, it was very easy to imagine this story. It might not have seemed real, but I could see all the characters when I read it. I ended up thinking about how the next generation might be able to stop it, or even the one after that, because when it says they don't know why it happens, it seems like the parents might secretly tell their children that one day they should stand up against it and stop such a terrible tradition. It also left me thinking, could I do that to a friend, a parent, a sibling? I just have this terrible image of a group of people throwing rocks at a tiny crying baby. How much would it break a mother's heart to see her tiny child die?

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Watching the movie was sort of weird when you were thinking about things like names and events that were similar. I was talking about it to my mom, and she was saying that most people, even who The Odyssey, too. I wrote down some things, and some of them I didn't connect them to anything in The Odyssey, but here are some of the ones I have found.

One is just characters. Ulysses/Odysseus obviously shares his name with Ulysses Everett McGill, and I know I heard 'Menelaus' in the movie, I'm pretty sure it was 'Gov. Menelaus'. I was sort of thinking that his two friends were like Odysseus's unintelligent crew. There is also the one eyed man (and I can't think of his name) that is pretty much evil and squashes their amphibian friend, like the cyclopes. (Particularly when the cyclopes eats their friends.

I also have put together that his journey to get that money, is sort of like Odysseus's journey home from the war. The old guy on the train tracks is like the dead prophet Odysseus meets, and the last thing was that Ulysses comes back home to find his wife is going to be married, sort of like Odysseus comes home to find all the suitors in his house, except sort of the opposite because one wife wants to be remarried, and the other really doesn't.

That wasn't really three, but I didn't know how much recognizing peoples' names counted as connections, so I just threw in an extra one, trying not to say the same things other people have said. I hope we get to see the rest of the movie next week!!

Reading, Odyssey Books IX-XII

Reading this week, has been a lot like other weeks. I'm still reading The Glass Castle, only a chapter or two a day. A lot happens fast, but the little girl, Jeanette, is still pretty little. Most of the time she was on the move with her family, but she stayed for almost a year in one place, but then her dad decided it was time to move. Then she moves on to Phoenix, where her grandma left them a house, and she's still exploring around there now. Each chapter is a different adventure, a different problem that crops up (or doesn't).
I also read A Good Man Is Hard to Find, I already wrote about that. I gave it to my mom to read. I still think it's pretty creepy.
The Odyssey was (I think) the last thing I read this week. I don't think I forgot anything. Anyway, I think Odysseus just got to talk a lot! It was time we heard his story, but it was a LONG story. Yup, I think I would actually be happier if there was more suspense, like it jumps from Telemachus to Odysseus' story and back again. I got a little bored when he just kept talking on and on, but I guess it might also be easier to keep the story going. I just don't like how you can freeze one story and go on with the other. I feel like then you just keep having to catch up on one story and the next, and you never get both in the present. Anyway, it wasn't that bad, and we got to the stuff I recognized a little more, (Come on, who hasn't seen the Arthur or Wishbone version on TV?) like the Cyclopes. He was really crazy, and that's just about it! I probably would have died in there, if I was him. Of course, I probably wouldn't be even fighting in a war, or on a ship back from a war. The whole hiding under sheep thing was a good idea, but it seems like a lot depended on that they poked his eye out. And if there had been some weird problem where they couldn't poke his eye, they probably wouldn't have escaped. It's sort of funny how they don't seem to care that he eats their friends while it's happening, but when they get back, they start to cry. It seems like you would look away while a giant cyclopes ate your friend, really. There's not much suspense because you know he gets out alive, but I guess it's all part of the story. I'm glad they escape, but what if his friends had sailed away without him? What would they do? There would be a cyclopes on the island looking for them, which might take a while, but it's still sort of strange to think about what might have happened to them. I'm glad they finally get away, because eventually he was going to run out of people to eat. They sail away, and are treated well for a while, but then they eventually come to Circe. She's just sort of strange. How would it be fun to turn people into pigs and lions and wolves? I also am curious why exactly Hermes wanted to help him out, because he couldn't have done much without him. She was sort of crazy, suddenly screaming and all sorts of weird things. He really should have left sooner, a year is way too long. I don't know why he had to go and visit the dead when she could have just told him. She told him a lot of what the prophet/seer already said. It was interesting to hear him talk to all the ghosts. The fact he couldn't hug his mom was sad, and all the stories of how people died were also pretty sad. It's funny how he talks to the guy who falls off the roof first, because he doesn't seem that important, but I guess it's a good reason to go back to Circe's island. I want to know why the other people who died, for example, in the Cyclopes' cave, don't get to come back and talk to him when the other people do. The people who are sitting on the ship must either be really bored or listening in, because he talked to a lot of people. Anyway, he goes back, and then goes off on his journey, more people get eaten by one of the monsters, and it gets bad again. The Sirens didn't really get to sing a lot. I wish we could hear them sing more, but I'm also glad it kept moving. Then they get to the place where the cattle and sheep are kept. That's just sort of frustrating because they ran out of food and there was only a little to eat. They couldn't go anywhere, what are they supposed to do? Of course, they definitely shouldn't have eaten the cows, and it was really creepy when they said that the bones were making cow noises and the legs were walking around. Then he with himself on Calypso's island after floating on a raft of sorts. It only took four books to tell! (That actually isn't that sarcasm) You'd think after all that stuff that happened to him, it would take longer to tell, but I like it wasn't super long. It's sort of mean that even though he wanted to go to bed, the king wouldn't let him. I'm surprised he didn't fall asleep in the middle, although I am pretty happy that he kept talking. They really should have let Nausicaa hear this story, just so it made sense to her. I would have been pretty excited if someone had come in and started talking about this long and really terrifying journey they had. (Forget the singing bard) I still would be a little afraid to think he had done all this, and I don't know if they would believe him, because it seems like a pretty crazy story. Now I want to know about Telemachus, and all the people at home, and even about what happens next. I am feeling tempted to read ahead! (But I won't)

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Today I read 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O'Conner. I don't (usually) cry at stories, especially ones that are only about eleven pages long. And don't get me wrong, I didn't cry, I just sat there for a really long time thinking about it. I cry over stupid things, like 'I don't get this' and 'I can't believe I did something so stupid' and some not-so-stupid things. I cried at my grandma's funeral, and over a documentary about blood diamonds. But I just didn't cry. It was weird, because when I started, I picked up my pencil and wrote down things like 'These kids are really acting badly' and that the grandmother was a little crazy. As I got to the end I completely stopped taking notes, thinking about writing down my thoughts. I wasn't writing that much before, but I completely stopped after they met him. I don't even like calling him 'The Misfit'. I don't know. I sometimes, in the Odyssey, underline whole paragraphs and then feel stupid and erase some of the underlined stuff, but I just sort of underlined everything at the very end. It was all sort of sweet, the way the grandmother wanted to earn the love and respect of her grandchildren, and she misses the way it was, and an evil part of you says that her son, Bailey, really was being a jerk. I looked back at what I wrote at the beginning and it didn't even matter to me anymore after that. I don't care where they are, why they're going, why her son was so mean. I still sort of wonder how it might have been better if she hadn't recognized him, if she hadn't smuggled the cat in, if she hadn't tried to impress her grandchildren, if she had stayed at home, or gone to 'east Tennessee'. I normally hate stories where things are so dependent on what happened before them. There were thousands of ways they could have avoided the ending, it's just upsetting that it had to be this way. It's disappointing the mother/wife never really got a part. It's sad he couldn't have even spared the baby. It's just upsetting to think there is someone who would do that to their mother, or brother. Anyone. I don't get how it can say Bailey is her only son who she lives with when it's true that there was another. Maybe she just lost him somewhere, maybe he never came back to her by choice. I don't know, but she would be the only person to know his story. Just to know that the kids might have grown up, the baby might have grown up, it's a story, but the fact that it can make you wonder about all this stuff. Over and over I've been saying to myself I don't know, I don't know. I've written it many times, and deleted a few because it's probably frustrating to read.
I could go through and highlight all the things I thought were really great ways of description, but I can't do it. I don't want to go past the first page anymore. I loved the grandma's fight, her character that tried to get away with things (like some elderly people do sometimes). I loved to hear him talk, to hesitate to think about himself. I loved the whole last half. I loved the whole story. Each time I look at what I wrote (and am writing now), I feel stupid, over and over. But I don't really want to think about it. I made it easy to forget about, I made it easy to think of something else, but I can't not think about it when I look at it. It's scary someone could write this, in a way. It's so simple. They go on a car trip and there's an accident, and a murderer on the loose who happens to be her son and kills them. The author was so careful to explain the characters that with every thing they say it makes it harder for me to think of them suddenly torn to bits by this author. I guess that's why I don't miss the mom so much. She had no name, she had nothing to say, she sat a lot, but then why do I miss the baby so much more? I keep feeling stupid I feel this way about a little made-up story, feeling stupid that I couldn't ever write like that, stupid that I don't even know what to say about this story. It's such a creepy story! How would it feel to look back and see that you created this?

Odyssey Reading, Books 5-8

It's time to talk about The Odyssey! This week I was pretty excited to get to Odysseus instead of Telemachus, Telemachus, Telemachus, (It's like Duck Duck Goose...). In the end of this reading, I feel like he's not that special. Yup, and there's still a lot of crying. Just let the guy go home!!

Calypso is just strange. She seems to be plotting something, and then she seems to want to help him. I don't know, she's obviously upset to have to send him away, and she wants to get him there safely, but is it just so he'll like her better? That's the one thing about this book, you never really know when someone is acting or not. (I think I've said this before, so no more!) She definitely makes it easier for him to get somewhere, and he probably would have gotten home if Neptune would just let him go! He is stubborn! Really, you kept him on the island, he has suffered for a long time, and now you make this huge storm just because he poked an eye out! (Really, you'd think he might just poke his eye out, too and call it an eye for an eye) Then you try and bash him against the rocks, it's not even his fault he's free! His fellow gods decided, so shouldn't he be mad at them, not Odysseus?

I'm a little confused how he got on the island, he was just brought to a river suddenly, why didn't he see it before? If Neptune was angry enough to smash him against the rocks, he sure seems to forget about it quickly when he asked for help. He just calmed everything down and let him float to safety. It seems like if he came to such a big sailing town, he might have seen someone sailing or fishing somewhere nearby, but I guess not! I'm not sure what to think of Nausicaa, she seems smart and brave for standing up to the crazy person who popped out of the bushes, but then again Athena was there to help her. She, of course, helps him, which I suppose most people would do in that situation, and offers to take him home, which seems nice, but how much is just what she was taught to do? (Besides 'Never talk to strangers') It's sort of frustrating he always stays with the rich people, I think he should stay with a friendly family or something. Which reminds me, there are no small children in this book so far! I guess it's not really important, but they just aren't. Telemachus is supposed to be kind of young (which confuses me, because he acts older and his dad is supposed to seem young, too). It's funny how Athena pops up to lead him to their home, and you'd think he might at least think she was strange or something, because she tells him a lot about the king and queen that not everyone might know, and really helps him on how to act. I think she sometimes helps him too much.

Anyway, I like how the queen is well respected, but she gets left out a lot after he meets her. The king is friendly, hospitable, rich, and a lot like the other kings he meets. It's sort of weird and nice of him to give him a feast for suddenly appearing at his door, and it's also weird how he doesn't ask who he is or why he is there until after he feeds him multiple times. It's also strange how he has the blind musical guy, Demodocus, come back after he sees that it makes him cry the first time. I think it's weird he wants him to sing about it when it makes him cry so much. So basically I thought most of the feast was abnormal. The first time Odysseus hides his crying, but the second time, as it is so carefully described, he doesn't bother. He sure gets mad about the guy who said he probably couldn't play any sports, which was really mean to say to the guy, but I was afraid he would hurt someone! (It was on and on and on about all the stuff he could do) Then the king got into it and started talking about what all the people in his town were good at and what they liked and somehow calmed Odysseus down with that. Then they went back and watched more people dance, which made him happy, and then he got really upset, so it doesn't sound like a good day. Finally, the king asks who he is (Using a whole page to say 'Who are you?') and now we have to wait for him to answer.

I liked books five, six, and seven. Eight was all over, now he's mad, now he's crying, now he's laughing, He was spoiled with the fifty-two sailors and brand new boat, and with the whole feast, but I guess he had a long journey. I sort of wish instead of spending so much time there, he would just leave and get home, because that's all he seems to care about. I have a bad feeling about him telling the king about his story, it will probably be really long, but I hope he starts sailing home soon!!

The Odyssey, Books 2-4

I hope I did this right, I read books 2,3, and 4. I'm not sure if I was supposed to read to four, or through for, but I guess it doesn't matter now, because the damage has been done. I am actually really liking this book so far! This 'active reading' thing sometimes seems annoying, but it helps me to pay attention, especially when I realize that I've been writing the strangest things on the paper. Sometimes I would look back and have no idea why I underlined what I did, but I would remember what I read really well. I also wrote notes to myself that, although I felt stupid writing, made sense, kind of. I wrote connections that I made like 'Wait, if the man-servant tells Penelope that the suitors are planning to kill her son who's in another city far away, then that means that she will know her son is/was at sea!' and then less than a paragraph later it says the same thing and I feel stupid that I took time to point that out to myself. Another weird thing I do is when I write things to myself, after a while of reading, I start to write them like the people talk, so 'old English' I guess. I guess it feels sort of harsh to say 'The guy is sad'. I don't know why I like the story so much, but I'm feeling pretty confident that the beginning is the worst of it. The one thing I noticed that I don't like is that it seems like he is only liked because of his father. Even Athena (or Minerva) although she seems to like him, seems to only be helping him because it means getting Odysseus back. I also don't like, now that I think about it, how I can't always tell why the people do or say something, or if they know something. For example, when Athena disguises herself as 'Mentor' does Telemachus know it's her? It seems like he doesn't, but he also hinted that he could tell it was her before, and then when she turns into an eagle and flies away, is he paying attention? It seems obvious that he would see, since it seems like he should still be there (how far could he have gotten in a few lines? But how do I know? I also can't always tell (and it might be my stupidity) when Telemachus is acting and when he sincerely is thinking something. To a degree, he is always acting, and so in Athena (yes, I know I'm referring to one in a Roman name and one Greek, but that's how I think), but how do I know when he seriously is thinking that he will never find Odysseus and when he is acting for someone. I guess sometimes it doesn't matter, but I want to know. I don't know whether or not I like not knowing what he looks like, other than once being referred to as 'tall and strong'.

People I don't like: the suitors, of course! They are hogs, and I can see what can sparks their greed of money, because Penelope obviously has a lot of riches in her house, but they are definitely a little crazy. I love how they can't be pushed in their greed and they can seem so stupid, because then I can picture them better. I somehow felt that they would come to be a stronger problem, although I didn't think they would try to sail after him. It seems too easy, I guess. I just thought they would stay and be more trouble to his mom, which they would have been, and still are, except now I don't know why she would marry any of them after they plot to kill her son. Which brings me to my other point, I don't like Penelope, for many reasons. She seems to not think much of her son. There are many times when she says something like 'he's not strong enough' or things like that. This especially bothers me when she seems to prize her husband so much. I realize that she loves him to bits, but she regards him as stupid in his decisions and weak and small, like he's still an infant. He doesn't even score as heroic in her mind when he goes off to find his father, which makes me even angrier. Of course, we could give her the excuse of being overcome by grief and suitors who are jerks, and her son can be a little pushy and mean to his mom, but you'd think she might think something of him. Penelope's character also seems to change a lot. At first she seems to be the poor women who lost her husband, and they we're told stories about how she tricked the suitors, so maybe she's smart. Then she seems to be helpless again and cry a lot. She's almost like a baby, in a way. Of course, I'm probably being hard on her, but I can't help thinking badly of her.
One of the people I do like, even though she has a tiny part, is the nurse, whose name I can't think of, who helps get Telemachus supplies and has to tell Penelope about him leaving. Although at first I though she would tell of him leaving, she seemed to really care about and know Telemachus. She was obedient, and loved him, then she also proved to be intelligent. She covered his story and when the word got out he sailed away, she even took responsibility for his departure. "Then the dear old nurse Euryclea said, "You may kill me, Madam, or let me live on in your house, whichever you please, but I will tell you the real truth." This woman is so loyal, and she tells the truth even when it could, as she knows, get her killed. Not only this, but then she has either thought out, or comes up with a perfect way to do three things: relax, even slightly, Penelope, get her to stop crying, and keep her busy and not crying. Although she still cries later, Penelope seems to really listen to what she advises, and what she says has good reason to it.
The people Telemachus visits and stays with Nestor (who is preparing dinner at sunrise) and Menelaus are just okay. They seem similar, and are both long-winded about their past. They both seem to only like him because of his dad, and both seem kind and generous, and although they tell interesting stories of their past, they seem a little dull. I liked the story about Proteus, but it seems like it only told us what we already knew for the seventh time.
Even though I talked a lot and said a lot of things I didn't like, I think it just means that it was written well, because I think people should feel like that about the characters in the story. I can't wait to keep reading, (but I have to admit I spent a long time reading)!

What I am Reading

I just finished an Enola Holmes mystery, which is just a book about Sherlock's little sister. It's a series and the books have slowly been coming out, so I just wait. It was sort of a 'just because' thing, because a long time ago I read a book by the same author, Nancy Springer, caller Rowan Hood which was, unless I am mistaken, a book about Robin Hood's daughter, named after a tree. I loved it and read the other books in the series. Then, some time later, I found out she also wrote the 'Enola Holmes' mysteries. Enola's mother left her when she was little, and no one knows where to. Over the whole series, she does three things: snoop around to solve mysteries, avoid her brothers, who she ran away from, and try to find her mom. Of course, that's not it, but I can't tell you the whole story now, can I?
I started (after finishing the book I just mentioned) a book called 'The Glass Castle' my mom basically forced me to start it. Although I don't regret it, it was weird because I don't think my mom has ever made me read any book, ever. I'm not very far, but I love the way the author writes and I think it will be both depressing and beautiful. It is about a girl growing up in an extremely poor family that travels escaping debt collectors. It is a true story, which makes it all the more amazing. Her first memory is when, at three, her dress went up in flames when cooking hot dogs. Her mother was painting in the nest room, and she wouldn't have even got to the hospital if the neighbor hadn't lent them her car. After a number of weeks there, her father is sick of the people and just carries her away. At home, she becomes even more amazed by fire, and plays with matches and wonders about fire constantly. Needless to say, this girl is toughened by experiences that only get worse. I love how the author writes it like a three year old might think, and how normal for her was a complete shock to others. I'm a little scared to find out what will happen to her, but I'm also really excited. I think the 'reading post' was supposed to be about The Odyssey, but it's too late, so maybe I'll post another one about it.

Odyssey Reading

Hopefully I will be able to say what I think of the Odyssey so far, but I'm not sure how well I will be able to do that, because I am somewhat unsure of what to think of it! I think it's very interesting how it's just a long poem, and I also am interested in the way the author writes. I can't say I really like it or don't like it so far. I enjoyed reading it, I felt like it was hard to soak up all the first time, so I reread the first part, which helped. I think the whole idea of the story is kind of interesting, especially since there are all sorts of gods and creatures to make it different.

I like how everything has to do with something else. You aren't ever told anything unless it's at least somewhat important, of course, this isn't so good if you sometimes forget facts, because then you get lost and confused, which has definitely happened to me before. Hopefully I won't forget anything. I haven't read a lot of Greek myths, but I remember some things, so hopefully it will help. It does sort of make me wonder what it would be like to actually be in a myth, or go on an adventure with everything considered so differently. If you had someone powerful against you, or on your side, or even what it would be like to meet some of the creatures. I always sort of ignore picturing specific monsters in my head, but it would be terrifying to meet one of them.

Right now I have a good feeling I'll like it, but I guess I won't know for sure for a while. I think I will enjoy the plot the most, but again, I can't tell. Sometimes the names get me confused, but that happens to me in a lot of books, so I'm not too worried! I can't wait to keep reading!

Summer Reading

Summer always seems to be spent in little pieces. I guess that there was a fair amount of time spent reading, in my case, so here's some of what I read. All the books are a little different, some were some I chose, and some were ones that were suggested, so here it is! One of the first books I read was The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Although it was a pain to get from the library, it was an interesting Sherlock Holmes mystery, and worth the time I waited for it.
I also read two books that were not in print when I got them. One is called Flora Segunda which is a fantasy book about a girl who lives in a broken down world, full of magic and other weird stuff. She lives in a broken house, and in a pretty broken family, and her life is changed when the elevator in her magical house takes her somewhere where she's never been. It was a little strange, but not too bad. The other book was called Runemarks, which was about a girl who lives possesses a magic power to cast runes, which allow her to do things that would be more difficult with just her hands. This was a little like the other book in that everything was so weird and different that sometimes it was too much. I did choose to read 'The Hunger Games' and its sequel, 'Catching Fire' because I had read the 'Underland Chronicles' by the same author. I will always enjoy Suzanne Collins, and her newer books aren't an exception, but I somehow didn't enjoy them as much as her previous series. I think I'll still read her last book.
I had a list of books I should read, so I also made my way through The Comedy Of Errors, (William Shakespeare) A Journey to the Center of the Earth, (Jules Verne) Kim (Rudyard Kipling) and Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens). All of them were interesting, but each were challenging in their own way. Oliver Twist felt very wordy, The Comedy of Errors was, well a Shakespeare play, Kim was sometimes confusing and A Journey to the Center of the Earth was just a little too much science fiction sometimes. Once I got over these small issues, I really liked these books. I also read a few books for fun (and old habits) like The Sable Quean, This Book is Not Good For You and Crispin:The End of Time which were all by authors who I started reading books by a while ago, and wanted to read some newer books from.
I don't remember all the books I read, and I don't have any special favorites, but these were some of the ones I wanted to write about. I hope this was at least sort of interesting to read!