Review of Catch-22

Title: Catch-22 Author: Joseph Heller

Genre: 20^th Century Classic  Literature                       

Pages: 547

Drake Library? Yes

Reviewer Name: Adam Sownie Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating: 

Premise: A satirical book that follows the story of Yossarian and other members of the Fighting 256^th Squadron located in Italy during World War II. Catch-22 was written during Vietnam and has some radical ideas from the time. Some things within the book seem ridiculous at first, but given enough time to think, it begins to make sense.

Brief Quotation: “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn’t want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle” (Heller 63).

Review: I enjoyed this book because it not only had a style of humor that I enjoy, but there was also a deeper plot beneath the satire. Yossarian is involved in a war he doesn’t want to fight, and it is a war that most believed was the right war to fight in. He doesn’t care who wins or looses anymore, he just wants to go home. Whenever he is about to be sent back home for completing the required number of missions, the number is raised. Therefore the book follows his exploits and what his friends do during his stay at the squadron. One of these people is named Milo, and Milo runs the mess hall.

Milo is the embodiment of modern business. He does everything he can to expand his business, regardless of which side pays him. He does it all in the name of the “syndicate” which everybody owns a part of, even if they never receive any money from the syndicate. Wherever business is done Milo is there to turn a profit, whether it be bombing his own squadron, or even tricking people into getting paid to accomplish nothing. This seems to pointing to the fact that bureaucracy is inefficient and corrupt.

Catch-22 also focuses on moral dilemmas, as in what is right in certain situations. Men beat their dogs, and perhaps one person stands up to him. When people beat their kids most don’t do anything about it, because they don’t want to be involved. Certain dilemmas pop up throughout the book, some of them may seem trivial, but they are all important. In the end, it leaves you wondering just what exactly you have read.

If you liked this book try: Something Happened, Good as Gold, God Knows, Closing Time

1984 for Pleasure?

Title: 1984         Author: George Orwell

Genre: Science Fiction , Classic Literature                                  

Pages: 252

Drake Library? Yes   

Reviewer Name: Mika Weinstein     Date: 6/3/09

Smile Rating:

Premise: In 1949, when 1984 was a distant future, Orwell authored a classic novel about totalitarian government. Winston Smith, a member of the inner party, is requisitioned to spending his days editing past prints in order to make them congruent with the party’s current propaganda needs. But under his conditioning he knows something isn’t quite right, and searches for a way to join the resistance. In spite of pressing social expectations and the ever-present cameras and thought police, Winston must find a way to do what he knows is right. 

Brief Quotation: “The thought police would get him just the same. He had committed–would have committed, even if he had never set pen to paper–the essential crime that contained all others in itself. Thoughtcrime, they called it. Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you” (p.19).

Review: If you haven’t already had the opportunity to read it, 1984 is a classic story about dystopia that everyone should know. Besides the multitudes of references made to it constantly in the media, 1984 represents an eerie foreshadowing of life without liberty, helping to shape the reader’s political ideals. The exaggerated circumstance makes you cringe at every new introduction of the heavily censored and policed society. These people’s values and priorities are completely different, which is disturbing, albeit fascinating. Simply the content of the book makes it worth reading; it raises questions in your mind that could not be brought about through other means.

However, other factors draw readers to this novel as well. Despite the complicated topic, Orwell’s writing style is clear and simple. It retains an immense amount of intelligence while remaining available to a wide range of readers. His prose lends to the impossibility of reading without constantly putting yourself in the place of his characters. The situation is so bizarre, and the writing so riveting, that one must imagine the choices they would make, had they the opportunity. The characters themselves are likable and dynamic.

If you’re looking for a book for school that you’ll have to write about, this is a perfect choice. It allows for a kind of natural thought and analysis. The ideas presented are complex but are not presented as so tangled that they require in-depth interpretation. Because of the uniqueness of Winston’s situation, it is easy to write about without feeling as though you’ve already written that CCQC a hundred times. There is a good reason why many teachers assign this book for their class. (Editors note: 1984 is often assigned to sophomore English classes.) Even just for enjoyment (as I read it), 1984 is a fantastic and thought-provoking novel. I recommend it for everyone.

If you liked this book try: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

East of Eden

Title: East of Eden Author: John Steinbeck

Genre : Classic Literature                            

Pages: 602

Drake Library? Maybe?   

Reviewer Name: Jessica Daniel      Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise: A symbolic classic novel about every human’s inner battle between good and evil and the continuous cycle of sibling rivalry. An extended biblical allusion of three generations of two families set in the farmland of California’s Salinas Valley.

Brief Quotation: “I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?” (chapter 34)

Review: The Novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck is an immensely descriptive and reflective novel about life’s perils and its’ continuous cycles, set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley. The novel follows two contrasting families; the Hamilton’s, A poor family originally from Ireland that represents purity and good, and the Trask’s, a rich family originally from New England that represents the vicious evil side of humans.  The novel spans a period of nearly sixty years, from about 1860 to 1918 in which it tells the story of three generations of the Hamilton and Trask family.

The novel was so intriguing to read because of its vivid language and description. Steinbeck has the ability to intertwine a biblical story of Cain and Abel into the two main characters plotlines. Steinbeck’s writing includes many symbolic meanings and many life lessons along the way. East of Eden centers around the meaning of the Hebrew word; Timshel, meaning ‘thou mayest’. Steinbeck believes humans posses free will and can triumph over sin if they choose to do so. The novel is an uplifting tale about being yourself and choosing your own path, yet is an intense melodrama involving evil and backstabbing.

The novel is long, and at times Steinbeck’s inner meaning can be hard to pull out. However, many of his passages are worth reading multiple times to understand the full effect. Despite the length, and at times intimidating biblical allusion, it has to be one of my favorite novels to date and one that I find myself continuously thinking about.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, by Kurt Vonnegut Review

Title: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Genre: Satirical Fiction

Pages: 275

Drake Library? Yessir.

Reviewer Name: Katherine Charlotte Siembieda

Date: June 3^rd, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise: This comedic and satiric story chronicles the life of Eliot Rosewater, heir to the multi-million dollar Rosewater fortune, and hopeless alcoholic. He starts out as the spitting image of his businessman father; a very pro-business law graduate with a beautiful wife and beautiful things. Then, as his life goes on, Eliot starts to question the ethics of a wealthy lifestyle and doubts the benefits of capitalism in a society so devastated by the poor. Kilgore Trout, a science fiction author who Kurt Vonnegut often inserts into his stories, also plays a role in this one.

Brief Quotation: “A sum of money is a leading character in this tale about people, just as a sum of honey might properly be a leading character in a tale about bees.” (Vonnegut, 1)

Review:

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut was written 44 years ago, and yet there is not one dated or irrelevant line within the book. In true Vonnegut style, the book contains some hopelessly ironic and exaggerated situations, but they always manage to address and exploit the issue at hand perfectly. The book is an easy read, it often states the obvious with very non-complex sentences, but because of the subject matter and the complicated relationships between the characters, the book’s simplicity is also a demonstration of its intellectuality.

It steps outside of Vonnegut’s usual science-fiction realm and instead focuses more on the social issues of poverty, greed, alcoholism, and how to find one’s own purpose in a world that values material things and wealth. Now, a book that deals with all that seems like it would be really heavy and verge on maybe being boring, but because of Vonnegut’s aforementioned simple and witty writing style, the book stays light and breezy.

If you have read and enjoyed any of Vonnegut’s other books, you will like (or maybe even love) this one as well. One of the great things about this book is that it never delves too long into the storyline of one character- it jumps around to other characters, other moments in time, and sometimes even switches to excerpts of science-fiction books by Vonnegut’s invented science-fiction writer, Kilgore Trout. The only thing I would like to warn potential readers about is that although (in my humble opinion) the ending is fantastic, it is anything but climactic or well-resolved, so if you’re looking for a fairy-tale satisfactory type ending, maybe this book is not for you.

If you liked this book try: Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut and Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

Candide Re-viewed

Title: Candide

Author: Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)

Pages: 93

Drake Library: Yes

Reviewer Name: Michael Beuttler

Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise: Candide is an eloquent, yet satirical story about a traveling philosopher who tries to see the “perfection” and optimism in everything around him, though his experiences in the tale prove otherwise. His tumultuous adventure, at times, leaves him bloody and maimed as he searches for his true love Cunégonde during a war with Bulgars. Candide, once thrown in the real world, away from his philosophy mentor Pangloss, attempts to convince himself of his mentor’s philosophy, that the world is perfect, everything happens for a reason, and it’s best to be optimistic, even when man loses any and all morality.

Quote: “It was decided by the University of Coimbra that the spectacle of a few people being ceremonially burnt over a low flame is the infallible secret of preventing earthquakes.”(Voltaire, p.13-14)

Review: Candide is a great book. The story is incredibly short, but his adventure is epic. Voltaire wrote Candide in 1759, so his language differs greatly from any modern reading. However, Voltaire, in his thinking and writing style, was way ahead of his time. His satire of those who hold optimism is what makes the story of Candide so funny, yet so true.

Voltaire portrays his philosophy by putting Candide in the utmost despairing situations. He is robbed, flogged, and without his love. You can’t understand why Candide wants to hold on to his optimism, but the frustration for Candide’s benignant behavior, besides the time his lover is threatened, is what encourages you to read more. Voltaire’s satire is frustrating at times. Candide’s experiences, like having his riches stolen, are so extreme, and with Candide’s cemented philosophy of optimism, you truly begin to resent Candide. However, the moments in which Candide denounces his mentor’s ideas are satisfying

You leave the book feeling the importance of pursuing greatness in the midst of such horrible truths; truths that would contradict any reasoning for optimism. Voltaire portrays a fantastical, yet despondent world, in a light-hearted, comical way. It’s truly a great book.

Others You’ll Like: books by Kurt Vonnegut and Micromegas by Volataire.

Lucky by: Alice Sebold

Title: Lucky Author: Alice Sebold

Genre: Non-Fiction: Memoir                       

Pages: 251

Drake Library? Yes

Reviewer Name: Natalie Croter   Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise: Lucky by Alice Sebold, is the true story about her experience being brutally beaten and raped on the gravel ground in a run down tunnel. The cops later told her that a girl had recently been raped before her but was killed and dismembered. They considered Alice’s case “lucky”.

Brief Quotation: “This is what I remember. My lips were cut. I but down on them when he grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth. He said these words: “I’ll kill you if you scream.” I remained motionless. “Do you understand? If you scream you’re dead.” I nodded my head. My arms were pinned to my sides by his right arm wrapped around me and my mouth was covered with his left…He released his grip on my mouth again and I fell, screaming, on the brick path.” (Chapter one, Page 13)

Review:  “In the tunnel where I was raped, a tunnel that was once an underground entry to an amphitheater, a place where actors burst forth from underneath the seats of a crowd, a girl had been murdered and dismembered. I was told this story by the police.  In comparison, they said, I was lucky.”

Written and experienced by Alice Sebold, Lucky takes the reader into a dark and important issue that many find hard to talk about. At the tender age of 18, Alice was brutally beaten and raped in the tunnel of a park on her way back from a party. She recalls her story in Lucky by explaining what life was like before and after the rape.

It’s hard not to judge this book by its cover when the suspense is plastered on the front page. The first chapter keeps you engaged and wanting to read more; with all the enticing details and gory facts behind her rape, time seems to stand still as the pages in “Lucky” fly by.

Of course, in most non-fiction books, the attention-grabbing events have to simmer down and reality must kick in. What could bug the reader the most about Lucky is the fact that the climax is in the first chapter of the book whereas in other novels the climax starts in the middle and everything else is like a ladder leading up to it.

After Sebold goes back to her bookish family to repair herself, her household becomes an odd but dramatically rich place to begin to heal. The first thing her father asks her when she gets back home is whether she’d like something to eat. “That would be nice,” she says, “considering the only thing I’ve had in my mouth in the last twenty-four hours is a cracker and a cock.” (Lucky, 59) Humor is sometimes an easier way to deal with the things that are breaking you down the most in life.

Alice Sebold’s Lucky, pulls you in the first five pages, and then you are stuck for the ride. No matter how dull or anxious it may make you feel at times, you just can’t put it down. After her return to Syracuse, and the catching of her rapist, Alice Sebold starts to grow out of her huddled phase and progresses through school successfully. Her motto made apparent in the beginning of the book was, “My life was over; my life had just begun.” (Lucky, 41)

Lucky illustrates the strength and courage of a young woman who is dealing with one of life’s hardest experiences. The loss of innocence and the beginning of a life after, tests anyone’s ability to actually be able to move on. Alice Sebold will never forget this experience, but it has stopped dragging her down.

If you liked this book try: The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold). A girl gets raped and murdered. She watches down on her family and goes through the reasons as to why she was murdered. The book is this girl, Susie Salmon, weighing her desire to get back at her murderer or desire to let her family heal.

Timeline Review

Title: Timeline Author: Michael Crichton
Genre: Science-Fiction
Pages: 441
Drake Library? Yes
Reviewer Name: Niles Cottrell               Date: 6/3/09

Smile Rating:

Premise: A group of archeologists in France hadn’t seen “The Professor,” their lead expert, in quite some time discover a scroll from the 14th century with a message that says help with the professor’s hand writing on it. They go to the company that funds their digs ITC, the largest technological company in the world, because the professor had recently gone to their headquarters. It is their they learn that the scientists at ITC have discovered worm holes allowing them to send people back in time but through complications the professor is trapped somewhere in 14th century France in the middle of a war and the group of archeologists must go back to try and save him before time runs out.

Brief Quotation: “He slammed down on the shelf, landing on his side, the impact blasting the air from his lungs. Immediately, he began rolling helplessly toward the edge. He tried to stop the roll, clutching desperately at underbrush, but it was all too weak, and it tore away in his hands. As he tumbled toward the edge, he was aware of the boy reaching for him, but Chris missed his outstretched arms. He continued to roll, his world spinning out of control. Now the boy was behind him, with a horrified look on his face. Chris knew he was going to go over the edge; he was going to fall”(Crichton 187).

Review: This is an amazing book that any reader will enjoy because of Michael Chrichton’s ability to engage the reader with his thrilling writing and brilliant storylines. It only takes reading one of one Michael Chrichton’s books to experience his outstanding gift to mix the technological writing with the exciting action and dialogue. Timeline is one of Crichton’s most suspenseful novels and the readers are always finding themselves imagining themselves immersed into his wonderfully scary adaptation of how technology may lead humans into more trouble rather than being as beneficial, as some naïve scientists may be to caught up in their work to realize. If you’re looking for a book to look back on and find yourself wanting more then this is the book for you and with Chrichton’s extensive list of thrillers you can have more.

If you liked this book try: Jurassic Park, Sphere, Prey

Slaughterhouse-Five

Title: Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)    Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Genre: Science-Fiction

Pages:   215

Drake Library? Yes  

Reviewer Name: Lizzie Baumsteiger                   Date: June 8, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise:

Billy Pilgrim, a World War II soldier, is captured by the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge and imprisoned in a slaughterhouse with other POWs. Billy is kidnapped by the Tralfamadorians, extraterrestrial aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. He travels through time and visits different events that have already occurred or are going to occur throughout his own life. He relives these events, knowing that he cannot change what has occurred, but is able to focus on their importance. Through his reoccurrence of events, or the experiences of new ones, he knows his fate and every specific aspect of his death. Billy becomes convinced that everything happens at the same time, so no one dies as they are alive in their past.

Brief Quotation:

“If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still–if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I’m grateful that so many of those moments are nice” (Vonnegut, pg. 211).

Review:

This is one of the most creative books I have ever read, as the author plays with new ideas on time, and one’s reaction when they know their fate and can re-live their past. If someone is interested in science-fiction, this book has all the qualities one could ask for. The book has no chronological order of the main character’s events, but is easy to follow even when the author switches between the present and Billy’s time travel life. Not only is the story ingenious, but also imaginable as the author uses sophisticated vocabulary, emphasizes description, and includes the Tralfamadorians.

Although the author switches back and forth between Billy’s events throughout his life, the reader is able to connect with him as he is part of historical events. The first event that shows up is the bombing of Dresden in 1945. After Billy is captured in the Battle of the Bulge, he and other POWs travel to Dresden where allied aircraft drop bombs that turn the area into a burning city. Billy and his fellow POWs survive though, in a meat locker as they were at a slaughterhouse. Most of the book covers World War II, but there are references to the Vietnam War that took place after. These historical events add to the overall realistic implications of the book, along with the theme’s message.

The author really digs deep into his central theme that the Tralfamadorians explain: all events happen at the same time and repeat themselves over and over again. Therefore, they have accepted their fate knowing that they cannot change it. Billy soon learns this, and realizes that time does not start and finish, as his free will is constantly deteriorated. The reader begins to understand this more and more as Billy’s character develops and the reader re-lives his life. This book allows the reader to relate their own life to the theme, in thinking about the circumstances in which they truly did not have free will.

If you liked this book try:

The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien: a collection of stories about Vietnam soldiers, very similar to Slaughterhouse-Five’s structure of switching between time periods and events

Poisonwood Bible Review

Title: The Poisonwood Bible Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Dramatic Literature                     Pages: 543
Drake Library? Yes
Reviewer Name: Aki Neumann          Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating:

Premise: The Poisonwood Bible chronicles the life of Nathan Price, a Baptist Reverend, and his family who moves to the Congo for a year to spread the word of God to the “hedonistic” native people of the Congo. The narration of the novel switches back and forth from the perspective of Nathan’s wife, Orleanna, and her four daughters, Ruth May, Leah, Adah, and Rachel. Almost immediately upon arrival, the Price family finds itself to be subject to the power of the Congo and its ability to destroy the roots that once held this family together.

Brief Quotation: “Vines strangling their own kin in the everlasting wrestle for sunlight. The breathing of monkeys. A glide of snake belly on branch. A single-file army of ants biting a mammoth tree into uniform grains and hauling it down to the dark for their ravenous queen. And, in reply, a choir of seedlings arching their necks out of rotted tree stumps, sucking life out of death. This forest eats itself and lives forever.”  (Kinsolver          )

Review: Within the Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver displays a remarkable ability to combine poetic language with a writing style that can be understood by all. Contrary to authors like Shakespeare whose literature often seems like an undecipherable, foreign language, The Poisonwood Bible portrays a type of poetic language that both engages and communicates to the reader. Kingsolver’s use of metaphors, allusions, and imagery illustrate the nature of the Congo and all those within it, including the obscure natives and the Price family who sticks out like a sore thumb.

Though centered around the Baptist Missionary works of the Price family, the Poisonwood Bible is far from preachy. The switch between the different perspectives of the four daughters and the mother allows the reader to see the often contradicting opinions of all five narrators. While the narrations of the two youngest daughters, Leah and Ruth May display an unwavering devotion to both their father and to God, the narrations of Adah, Rachel, and their mother, Orleanna, display different levels of doubt in their father, in God, and in their mission as a whole.

While I felt that reading this book, in all its five hundred and forty three pages of glory, was a great way to spend my time, if you have trouble reading long books with heavy literature, I would not recommend it. Though captivating, interesting, and completely engaging, the Poisonwood Bible is a hard book to read. Prior to just recently reading it, I attempted reading this book when my schedule was a bit fuller and was not able to finish this book. The poetic language within the Poisonwood Bible is infused with so many analogies and allusions that skimming through the words wouldn’t come close to giving this book justice. Basically, it’s a hard read, but it is so worth it.

If you liked this book try:

-All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
- I felt that the Poisonwood Bible was the best out of all of Barbara Kingsolver’s books.   However, if you would like to read others, I would recommended:
o Animal Dreams
o Prodigal Summer

SOLD Book Review

Title: SOLD Author: Patricia McCormick

Genre: Drama

Pages: 263

Drake Library? Yes

Reviewer Name: Rachel Cross Date: June 3, 2009

Smile Rating (1-5):

Premise: Sold tells the story of Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl who lives in the mountains of Nepal. Lakshmi’s family loses all of their rice crops in a rainy storm and has no other choice than to be sold by her stepfather so that she can help make money to restore what they lost in the storm. Lakshmi is told that she will be working in a city being a maid, yet she is completely surprised to find that she has been sold into the prostitution industry in India. The book follows Lakshmi’s terrorizing experiences as a prostitute and her courage as she learns on her own how to deal with the situation that she has been forced into.

Brief Quotation: Sold is written through the perspective of Lakshmi, the main character. Her voice is portrayed in the form of a journal.

“Auntie names another figure. The turnip-nose man answers with a smaller amount. Auntie goes high. The man goes low. Eventually they agree and the man gives Auntie a roll of rupee notes. I do not know what they have agreed to. But I do know this: he gives her nearly enough money to buy a water buffalo.” (McCormick, page 75)

McCormick uses short sentences and writes in a structure similar to poetry which allows Lakshmi to seem young and simple, which is a large part of her character.

Review:

Sold is one of the most intense books that I have read and although it is a simple read, it is one that is just as interesting, if not more, as a long book. It is both exciting and terrifying.  Sold reveals a story, although fictitious, that is based on the true events of prostitution that young girls in foreign countries are forced into. Patricia McCormick, the author of Sold, traveled to Nepal and India (the settings of the book) to interview prostitutes in the brothels there, and also those who had survived the brothels. This hands-on research allowed for great preparation for the book and made each word seem as though it were non-fiction. While the storyline of the main character is fiction, the experiences and pain that is shown in the novel are completely real:

“My head is spinning now, but I see only one thing: the number in her book. It warps and blurs, then fractures into bits that swim before your eyes. I fight back tears and find my voice.” (McCormick, pg. 106)

With the knowledge that McCormick received while traveling to Nepal and India, she was able to create sentences such as these which create a masterpiece that shows what really happens and what it feels like. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and although the beginning is a bit bland because she is an average girl taking care of her stepfather and following daily routines, the amount of detail that is involved once Lakshmi is sold, is so tremendously more powerful that the simplicity at the beginning that it enhances the terror of the events in the brothel.

If you are looking for a book that is similar to many movies, that are based on true events but are meshed into a story for the sense of entertainment, than you will most likely enjoy this book. This book is one that would either be hard to put down because the story and events are so intriguing, or one where you can barely read it because the images are too much for you to handle. Overall, the book gives a great sense of knowledge on the topic and is educational, while still being entertaining. There is not as much of a focus on the events as much as the emotions that they bring, which I liked because I get disgusted easily by graphic detail. With the emotions being more revealed, I found it easier to understand the horror of being forced into prostitution rather than being so disgusted with the detail that I couldn’t become informed about the problem. I think the lack of gory details was a good choice. I definitely recommend the book; it’s one that is very eye-opening.

If you liked this book try:

All by Patricia McCormick:

-          Purple Heart

-          My Brother’s Keeper