April 28, 2013 • 1 note • cassie-nagel

Untitled: The End

cassie-nagel:

I have always preferred movies over books, just because I can enjoy it by sitting back and relaxing. The book, just like the movie portrayed, was dark. I felt as though the director of the movie did a very good job in creating an accurate portrayal of the Road as it was in the book. The…

I prefer the book to the movie any time. I feel like I am able to create my own world with my own characters as described in the book. The characters used in the movie are almost never what I pictured. similar to you, I woiuld not have read any of these books because they are way outside the genre I tend to read. I did like most of them. I disliked A Visit From The Goon Squad was the worst book I have read. I just really disliked it. I am happy that I got out of my comfort zone and read these books because I enjoyed some of them.

April 28, 2013

Comparisons

After reading all of these books, I have noticed some similarities. A Visit From The Goon Squad, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and The Things They Carried all dealt with time. In AVFTGS the message that time passes and causes many changes is very clear. The goon referred to in the title is time. In ELIC the passage of time and the regret of not being able to take back time lost is a theme.The “renter” regeted not being in his sons life and tried to make up time by getting to know his grandson.  In TTTC the passage of time and how time brings many changes is one of the many themes. Many of the soldiers that entered the Vietnam war had changed tremendously after time. Time is a reoccurring theme in these books. 

March 16, 2013 • 2 notes • johnnycurnin

Untitled: Post #8

johnnycurnin:

With our class not having to read anything from the remaining novels or from our PAF I have found it difficult to come up with something to post about. It may be difficult to come back from Spring Break and have to get back in the routine of things. The only thing I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed in…

I also dislike most of the Postmodern American Fiction readings. I believe it is because I do not have a full story to get all the information on characters, settings, etc.  My favorite PAF reading was Shiloh probably because it was the one that I could piece together and understand the most. Although each reading was interesting oin its own way.

March 16, 2013

Lituraure

The class so far has been fairly enjoyable. I noticed that The Things They Carried and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close both had a similar theme. Both show how people cope with trials in life. I noticed that many people search for closure with different copping methods. However, not all who searched for closure gained it. It’s sad but it is reality, and that is what contemporary literature is all about.

March 3, 2013 • 3 notes
cloud-walker: I haven’t quite gotten to the end of the novel yet but I just came to this little revelation and thought that I should share it.  Whether or not Oskar does find the lock that the key opens is no longer important to me to be satisfied with the novel. Thanks to this key that he has found Oskar has been able to open so many different things. He opens up many new friendships, like the one he shares with Mr. Black and he seems to open things in the people that he meets that they have tried to close up inside of themselves. Not to mention that this little key of his opens countless doors of the people that he seeks out throughout the novel.  I feel that even if he can’t open the lock that the key really goes to it is thanks to this key that so many other locks are open.  I have not thought about the key in the way that you explained before, but I agree with you.because of the key, Oskar was able to cope in a different way than many others because of he key. He was able to create wonderful friendships . He was able to connect with his father one more time, before the key’s owner was found. Contrary to what you have said,  I do think that finding the keys owner was an important. I the owner was never found, who knows how long it would have taken Oskar to come to terms with his father’s death. Oskar would have kept searching and searching for nothing beneficial to him, and if he did not find what the key belonged to Oskar would have always had to wonder what, and why.

cloud-walker:

I haven’t quite gotten to the end of the novel yet but I just came to this little revelation and thought that I should share it. 

Whether or not Oskar does find the lock that the key opens is no longer important to me to be satisfied with the novel. Thanks to this key that he has found Oskar has been able to open so many different things. He opens up many new friendships, like the one he shares with Mr. Black and he seems to open things in the people that he meets that they have tried to close up inside of themselves. Not to mention that this little key of his opens countless doors of the people that he seeks out throughout the novel. 

I feel that even if he can’t open the lock that the key really goes to it is thanks to this key that so many other locks are open. 

I have not thought about the key in the way that you explained before, but I agree with you.because of the key, Oskar was able to cope in a different way than many others because of he key. He was able to create wonderful friendships . He was able to connect with his father one more time, before the key’s owner was found.

Contrary to what you have said,  I do think that finding the keys owner was an important. I the owner was never found, who knows how long it would have taken Oskar to come to terms with his father’s death. Oskar would have kept searching and searching for nothing beneficial to him, and if he did not find what the key belonged to Oskar would have always had to wonder what, and why.

(via cloud-walker-deactivated2013051)

March 3, 2013 • 3 notes • soniapham21

And There She Was.: Mid Semester.I wish I could have some awe inspiring commentary about...

soniapham21:

Mid Semester.

I wish I could have some awe inspiring commentary about how I’m enjoying this class so far. But alas, I do not have one to give.

I was both scared and excited about this class. Thrilled at the fact that I would have the chance to read books I would not normally have the chance…

I sort of understand how you feel. I basically thought this class was going to require a bit of work when I registered for it. Once I finished my first week I thought it was going to be a big book club but with a bit more work and effort required. I was actually looking forward to reading new types and styles of books because I usually stick to the same genre. Although I was afraid that the books would be too out there I have liked reading most of the books. I have learned a lot and am looking forward to learning more next half.

March 3, 2013 • 1 note

OOOOOHHHH We’re Half Way Thereeee!!

This semester I have read some books and short stories that I would have probably never read otherwise. I found a majority of them to be pretty good reads! Surprisingly,  the award for my favorite of all the reads goes toThe Things They Carried. The Funniest award goes to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close  because of Oskar’s intelligence and innocence at the same time. The …most unique was Laurie Anderson’s reads(although all of them were pretty unique). I thought this class would be a breeze and basically a book club with a grade. I now know that it is much more. To learn something from this class I have put in effort and it has paid off!I have learned a lot from the reads and have indirectly understood a bit of how others felt  when experiencing hardships in life, through books, that I would not have understood otherwise. 

March 3, 2013

A Child’s Ambitions

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Review (book and movie!) 

In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar had a Business card, in which he listed all of his jobs and interests. This reminded me of myself when I was younger as well as other children at that age. Of course, I was no where near as educated at eight as Oskar is in this book, but the business card reminded me of the many different careers and interests I had as a child and teenager. I have wanted to be a doctor, a chef, a bus driver, the president of the United States, a disney star,  a professional trumpet player, and Oprah(in no particular order). I wish I would have thought of making a business card when I was younger because it would have been a lot easier to keep track of my dream jobs. There is no say on what happened to Oskar in his later years but I like to imagine him doing a majority of the things he states in his business card and continuing to be ambitions. 

February 15, 2013 • 2 notes • anna-webber
anna-webber: My first impression of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is that it’s a little boring. Maybe I feel bored because I did see the movie when it came out so I already have an idea of what’s going to happen. As I read the story I find myself missing more of Oskar’s childhood innocence. Although he does have some immature tendencies, I feel like he knows too much about adult life. I love how he questions the world around him though and has been taught by his father how to entertain himself and not take things for face value. I feel like more kids should have the same passion for discovery. The grandfather is a very interesting character to me. I can’t imagine going through life not being able to speak and just having to write down anything you want to say. I also wonder how the grandfather’s role in this book is going to evolve.  I found the opening of the book really funny. It was a bit scattered, but that is how a child thinks. Oskar’s childhood innocence is quite funny, especially the story of his first and last jujitsu class. I also liked the fact that he questioned life around him, and the sarcastic and best friend relationship Oskar had with his father. Osker  knows a lot for his age probably because of his best friend relationship with his father. I have not read this book, or watched the movie before, so I did not realize that this book was about September eleventh until the end of the first chapter and understood that his father died in one of the towers.I am also looking forward to seeing how everything that has been written fits within the book as a whole. 

anna-webber:

My first impression of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is that it’s a little boring. Maybe I feel bored because I did see the movie when it came out so I already have an idea of what’s going to happen. As I read the story I find myself missing more of Oskar’s childhood innocence. Although he does have some immature tendencies, I feel like he knows too much about adult life. I love how he questions the world around him though and has been taught by his father how to entertain himself and not take things for face value. I feel like more kids should have the same passion for discovery.

The grandfather is a very interesting character to me. I can’t imagine going through life not being able to speak and just having to write down anything you want to say. I also wonder how the grandfather’s role in this book is going to evolve. 

I found the opening of the book really funny. It was a bit scattered, but that is how a child thinks. Oskar’s childhood innocence is quite funny, especially the story of his first and last jujitsu class. I also liked the fact that he questioned life around him, and the sarcastic and best friend relationship Oskar had with his father. Osker  knows a lot for his age probably because of his best friend relationship with his father. I have not read this book, or watched the movie before, so I did not realize that this book was about September eleventh until the end of the first chapter and understood that his father died in one of the towers.I am also looking forward to seeing how everything that has been written fits within the book as a whole. 

February 15, 2013 • 1 note

Gender Roles

 Bobbie Ann Mason did a great job of showing the slow deterioration of Leroy and Norma Jeans Marriage. I believe that Mabel  Norma Jean;s mother, signified societies traditional beliefs of gender roles. Similar to much of society, Mabel always urged Leroy to stop doing activities generally reserved for women. Gender roles can be a touchy subject for some people. There are many people in the united states who believe that   men and women have specific roles. There are also many people who believe couples make their own roles in the relationship. As long as the couple is happy I do not believe there is an issue with which perception of gender roles you choose. Leroy decided to stay at home while Norma Jean worked as many men do these days, but Norma Jean did not like his decision. In a survey I found, About 42 percent of men surveyed and 39 percent of women surveyed agreed with the statement that it’s better for everyone “if the man earns the money and the woman takes care of the home and children.”  Traditional gender roles are still preferred about the same amount as nontraditional roles. 

 I though this funny cartoon could lighten up the subject of gender roles!