Reviews read: Dead to You,CHOMP, Cinder:Book One in the Lunar Chronicles
Components of a Review:
(1) opening paragraph about the nature of the work
(2)general summary or synopsis of the events in the novel
(3)what worked well in the novel and what did not
(4)Comparison/Contrast between prequels
(5)Discussion of themes, motifs, etc.
(6) Open ended conclusion leaving room for evaluation of possible sequel
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Note #1
All The Pretty Horses-Country Life
Cormac McCarthy's, in his famous novel All The Pretty Horses, strays away from the typical style Western. McCarthy's uses long and prolix passages to describe the beauty of the Mexican countryside as if the country is the only thing that exists. His passages of the countryside exude senses of calm beauty and a cool formality, almost placing nature and the boundless mountains and prairies on a pedestal- putting to shame the common conveniences of towns and cities. As the main characters ride into Mexico for the first time they notice that "the sun to the west lay blood red among the shelving clouds" while "the terminals of the sky to fade from pale to pale blue." His romantic description their surroundings is a testament to his aberration of the typical western, centered around action and movement. His highly stylized description of the mountains and ranges lead the characters to be filled with a sense of boundless imagination as they ponder and try to think of all that they could do in this new land. Rawlins, one of the main characters, says "where do you reckon that paradise is at?" These boys are cattle ranchers by heart, and entering this lands fills them with immense gaiety bliss; these boys are in a state of beatitude.He sees this beautiful land around him and thinks that its paradise and his friend, John Grady, agrees. McCarthy's very stylized and poetic diction allows for an effect like none other, as he describes the surroundings, each description flowing along with the rolling hills of the land. Even the wildlife is depicted in great detail, as "a hawk set forth below them and circled in the deepening haze." The sense of limitless comes to mind as these boys keep on riding through the country, and as the country descriptions become deeper and more thoughtful. McCarthy puts much more emphasis on nature, a theme of Romantic writers, than on action, although there is some good action in the novel. This becomes one of McCarthy's central themes as he provides contrast between the country and towns by his short abrupt descriptions of towns and cities in contras tohis long prolix passages about the country. His stylized diction allows the words to flow and roll like the mountains and allows the animals, like the hawk, to become real and tangible.
Cormac McCarthy's, in his famous novel All The Pretty Horses, strays away from the typical style Western. McCarthy's uses long and prolix passages to describe the beauty of the Mexican countryside as if the country is the only thing that exists. His passages of the countryside exude senses of calm beauty and a cool formality, almost placing nature and the boundless mountains and prairies on a pedestal- putting to shame the common conveniences of towns and cities. As the main characters ride into Mexico for the first time they notice that "the sun to the west lay blood red among the shelving clouds" while "the terminals of the sky to fade from pale to pale blue." His romantic description their surroundings is a testament to his aberration of the typical western, centered around action and movement. His highly stylized description of the mountains and ranges lead the characters to be filled with a sense of boundless imagination as they ponder and try to think of all that they could do in this new land. Rawlins, one of the main characters, says "where do you reckon that paradise is at?" These boys are cattle ranchers by heart, and entering this lands fills them with immense gaiety bliss; these boys are in a state of beatitude.He sees this beautiful land around him and thinks that its paradise and his friend, John Grady, agrees. McCarthy's very stylized and poetic diction allows for an effect like none other, as he describes the surroundings, each description flowing along with the rolling hills of the land. Even the wildlife is depicted in great detail, as "a hawk set forth below them and circled in the deepening haze." The sense of limitless comes to mind as these boys keep on riding through the country, and as the country descriptions become deeper and more thoughtful. McCarthy puts much more emphasis on nature, a theme of Romantic writers, than on action, although there is some good action in the novel. This becomes one of McCarthy's central themes as he provides contrast between the country and towns by his short abrupt descriptions of towns and cities in contras tohis long prolix passages about the country. His stylized diction allows the words to flow and roll like the mountains and allows the animals, like the hawk, to become real and tangible.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Exercise 2
Weaknesses
(2)"Grey and tall and stocky as the granite outcrop their town was built upon" are the inhabitants described in an unvarnished plain-dealing diction.
(4) Gaiman's diction has a reminiscent feel that exudes feelings of an ill fated fairy tale, or perhaps just a morose moral story. The description of the neutral town and it's similar inhabitants is enough to leave a optimistic reader pessimistic.
Good Post- Books for Dummies(like me)
(2)"Grey and tall and stocky as the granite outcrop their town was built upon" are the inhabitants described in an unvarnished plain-dealing diction.
(4) Gaiman's diction has a reminiscent feel that exudes feelings of an ill fated fairy tale, or perhaps just a morose moral story. The description of the neutral town and it's similar inhabitants is enough to leave a optimistic reader pessimistic.
Good Post- Books for Dummies(like me)
Paragraph:Stardust
This is a sample paragraph for Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
In this scene of Stardust, Gaiman utilizes a bold, pedantic style language along with lyrical description to evoke a sense of monumental immaculateness which surrounds the town. The town of Wall sits comfortably "on a high jut of granite amidst a small forest woodland." The houses in the town "are square and old, build of grey stone." These solid images of the town suggest a sense of foreverness. The houses are made of stone and are the walls that protect it. As if nothing can harm the town but nature itself. There is a sense of peace that surrounds it though, a perfect little town jutting out toward the sky. Gaiman continues this very pedantic style language as he describes the roads leading way from Wall. The road is "lined with rocks and small stones" and it evolves to a road "paved with asphalt; followed further the road gets larger." This indicates that the town is actually small in size contrasting with the big imagery he depicted earlier. He evokes a sense of secure solitude, that maybe some travelers will find refuge, and the people in it find refuge from the real world.
In this scene of Stardust, Gaiman utilizes a bold, pedantic style language along with lyrical description to evoke a sense of monumental immaculateness which surrounds the town. The town of Wall sits comfortably "on a high jut of granite amidst a small forest woodland." The houses in the town "are square and old, build of grey stone." These solid images of the town suggest a sense of foreverness. The houses are made of stone and are the walls that protect it. As if nothing can harm the town but nature itself. There is a sense of peace that surrounds it though, a perfect little town jutting out toward the sky. Gaiman continues this very pedantic style language as he describes the roads leading way from Wall. The road is "lined with rocks and small stones" and it evolves to a road "paved with asphalt; followed further the road gets larger." This indicates that the town is actually small in size contrasting with the big imagery he depicted earlier. He evokes a sense of secure solitude, that maybe some travelers will find refuge, and the people in it find refuge from the real world.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Reading Goals
Here are my reading goals for this quarter:
1)Read in 4 odd places
2)read at leas 1500 pages or 7 novels/plays/short stories
3)Read at least 2 collections of contemporary poetry
4) Read out loud to my dog at least once a week.
1)Read in 4 odd places
2)read at leas 1500 pages or 7 novels/plays/short stories
3)Read at least 2 collections of contemporary poetry
4) Read out loud to my dog at least once a week.
Anthology Themes
For our combined anthology project, we have selected the contrasting themes of city and country.
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