So, I have been pretty busy with projects and actually one of my AP classes decided to have an early final exam. My reading has slowed to barely 10 pages a day due to my constant studying and projects I have to get done. However, I have made some great headway in about, believe it or not, 4 books. Here is really my combined reading log for the past 4 weeks.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: 0-50
The Name of the Rose: pages 50-120
Tweak( a new book): 0-56
The Prague Cemetery: 30-71
Jack Kennedy: 0-100
This is all the reading I have gotten done in the past 4 weeks, So I will try to break up and talk about these books separately, in different posts. Today, I will talk about two books, Tweak and Prague Cemetery.
Tweak
Tweak is really an outstanding novel. The writing is, to me anyway, a fresh of breath air and it comes from deep within the person who is writing it. This book is about Nic Sheff, a kid who, at the age of 12 got addicted to smoking marijuana. At age 16, Nic tried and got addicted to crystal methamphetamine. At 18 he started experimenting with heroin and ended up in a Rehab clinic. This book is no ordinary novel, its a popular biography. This book is a memoir of his life during his heavy drug years. I call this "popular" because its focused a lot around what happens to Nic throughout his life, but also contains other elements fiction. Its also a character study and how Nic changes throughout his life. In the beginning of the memoirs, Nic has already dropped out of high school and has just relapsed after being 18 months sober. Even after knowing this information, one might question why? Why does someone relapse after already being 18 months sober? Perhaps his relapse is a reminder of how, has humans, there's a center of weakness in all of us. A voice in us that tells us to do certain things, when we know in our minds that its not what we really want to do. Perhaps this biography is more to expose the dangers of heavy drug addiction and to shed light on this weakness. According to Nic, there's no hope for him because he's already hit rock bottom. He questions himself and actually makes himself believe that he can live his life anyway he wants because its simply his life. I will elaborate more on this as I dive deeper into this novel. So far, this biography is extremely well written and a must read for others when I put it down.
Prague Cemetery
This book, is an odd one, to put it simply. The Prague Cemetery is one of those rare books that has you re-reading pages because you didnt understand them the first time. Whats even more astounding about this book is the fact that it has you re-re-reading those very same pages. This book takes place in 18-19 century France. A man wakes up in a bed and has no recollection of where he is or who he is. Interestingly enough, this book is more a diary than a 3rd person fiction novel. Everything we learn, we learn through Simonini's writing(the main character in the play). I will go as far as to say that this book is somewhat offensive, but in no way does it reflect the author's actual thoughts; although some critics believe that the views of Simonini himself are the views of Umberto Eco himself. This book talks about "dirty Jews" and how their main mission is to "steal and kill christian children". Yet, I cannot seem to put this book down. I do not have anything against this book because its simply literature. Where would the world be if we simply stopped reading or put things down because we did not like what was expressed in the book? Who knows? All I know is, is that this book is definitely one to read and go pick up at Barnes and Noble somewhere. This popular fiction novel is one of great interest to me, combining the political unrest of the age, with his own characters and his own story line. Now, continuing to the actual story, Simonini reflects on his life through his writing, and occasionally has to "stop because my hand is tired" All the information and story line is seen through the writing of the main character himself. As an analyzer of literature I'm going to break the rules and be completely evaluative, I think this is a perfect way to express this book. Umberto Eco, who also wrote, The Name of The Rose writes a masterpiece of fiction. One to pick up and read. More on the way and more books to analyze.
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