Dune

Ok, before I divulge into this novel I must say that I knew the story before reading it. I have seen most, if not all of the movies that have been made out of this novel. And to be honest, I actually liked them. I was really excited to read this novel because of that. It is not often that I see a movie before I read it's book and I was interested in seeing how they changed the events. The most recent one that was actually made into a TV series was pretty close. Some of the characters do not look like the book describes them but what movie is perfect? 

As I was looking for pictures to post on the blog Google Images kept pooping up with one of Robert Pattinson or Edward. I clicked because I was curious as to what he has to do with Dune. The answer is a little startling, rumor has it that Dune will again be released in 2014 and guess who is going to play Paul. A vampire (yeah, yeah, I know he is not really a vampire but be honest with yourself, when you hear his name, what do you think of? That is what I thought.) All of this is pure rumor of course. 

Why in the world would they remake it again? The answer is that the movie is still relevant. The political and social satire is still relevant and truthful today. The oil is the spice, whomever can destroy it, truly controls it. Sad and scary but true. In the novel there is only one planet that is terrible enough to support spice production, which in turn fuels all space travel (hint) and is more expensive and valuable than other resources available. Very important people rely on the spice as a way of life and will kill in order to control it. Since, "he that controls the spice, controls the universe." It is still amazing to me how authors can recognize the truth and place it into a novel to prove their point. I am not going to get into a debate about oil and gas and our culture but I am asking that you take a step back and see how the author does it. Identifies his or her belief and creates this world where he can make his beliefs paramount. Just look how it is done, and give it the respect it deserves even if you do not agree with it.

Religion is a very important part of this story. Are leaders made, bred or is it all one long and complicated lie? In the novel there it is a blend of it all. There have been people spreading rumors and making the planet of Arrakis ready for Paul and his mother. Both of them knew about the legend and allowed themselves to fit the profile. But along with that, both of them perform some amazing feats. So one has to wonder, are they really what they say they are? Or are they big fat liars? As for me, I am convinced, just because a way has been prepared for you does not mean that they are liars, maybe I am naive, wouldn't be the first time.

The character development is a big part of this story. The author goes so far as to describe the voices of each individual character. The idea is to pick your favorite and here are a few of mine. 

Well of course there is Paul. Who despite being a whiny child in the beginning and a little bit of a jerk as he grows up, still needs the respect and the cheers of the reader. Paul is only 15 at the beginning of the book and about 18 when it ends. That is very young to be taking on the desires, wishes and not to mention the future of an entire population. He becomes their leader, in more than just a Duke as his father was, he blends the line between religion and politics and becomes something more. He has a lot of power and he is a good and fair leader, depending on what side you are on. 

 

Chani. Chani is my personal favorite. She is the daughter of a leader, Liet. She is smart, and poised. She takes on the challengers of Paul and kicks some major butt. She stands by, for and with her man no matter what. She even allows him to marry the Princess so that he can be on the throne, knowing that he doesn't love the princess and by all rights, she is his wife. This brings up an interesting point. Is that strength? Or is it folly? I don't think that I could share my husband but then again, I don't share well. She was raised in a culture where strong and important men had many wives.I think it is important what the Lady Jessica says to her, that even though she must bear the name of concubine, history will call her wife. She knows her duty both as partner and member of the tribe and she stands and fights for what she wants.  She is at Paul's side through the uprising and stands next to him when he goes through his most dangerous trials. Isn't that what you do for your mate? Give them support no matter how bleak the outcome appears? Chani will kick your butt if you mess with her people and most importantly her "beloved." You go girl. 

The rest of the characters are so in depth that they become real people. The father, the mother, and their mortal enemy, Baron Harkonnen. I think Science Fiction  is a difficult genre to excel in. Your reader had to believe that the world that is being created is real. The author adds a sense of comfort when they make their characters so real that there is one thing that you can trust and almost take for granted. There are so many other things for the mind to wrap around, the setting and what is possible. When the characters are so real, it eliminates a potential problem. So there you go, if you are thinking about writing a Science Fiction  novel, make your characters real. 

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see it's path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." 

I like this. I think it is important to find a way to face and defeat your fear. As I say this, there is a spider walking across the wall and my husband gets up to kill it because I can't. So I guess that it has it's limitations. 

What else it there to say.. I read this book during a heatwave here in town which seemed fitting. I always felt a little guilty when I took a big swig of my water and the characters talk about how precious water is. So you want to read this book when it is really hot and you have a lot of water. 

My blog on Dune ends on

I couldn't resist. 

Now back to Anna Karenina

Summer Resolutions

Everyone makes New Year's Resolutions but it takes a unique person to create a Summer Resolution. As a new teacher, a new wife and new responsibilities, I have realized that there are more things to do during the day then there are hours to do them. By the end of the year, my schoolwork was done, my classroom clean, the work for my masters class was finished but my house and car were in a sad state of being. 

So I am making some new resolutions for what is left of this summer and this school year. These are things that I can improve on and I am putting them on here for the pressure that it will put on me to keep up with them. 

1. I will be more careful with my grocery shopping. 

2. I will clean my house once a week, no exceptions. 

3. I will wash and wax and keep the inside of my car clean and vacuumed. (yeah Mom, I know)

Ok, there it is. I will try... I want to say that my house isn't gross, it is just in need of a little more consistency. It gets clean now just not every week. I want it to be clean every week. 

Now back to Dune, good book by the way... 

In a creepy whispering voice, "The spice controls the universe."

Thoughts on Anna

I have read this book before and I really liked it. I enjoy reading things over again because I miss things the first time. I have tried that with this novel and couldn't do it. It is so long! Once again I am going to have to stop reading once I have begun. The reason for this is that Dune came in from the library. I have been looking forward to reading it and when I went to go check it out, they were all gone. This morning I received the e-mail giving me the news that it was ready. Since they were only going to hold it for a short time I had to abandon Anna for the time being and pick it up later. But not before I have a few things to say. 

First I think that when reading a novel written in another language you find a good translation. That can make all the difference. True, a lot of the Russian writers like Tolstoy are a little long-winded, just look at the size of their novels. The understanding of the novel and a lot of the enjoyment can come from the translation and how the book flows in English. The version that I have of Anna Karenina was featured on Opera's Book Club and I really like it. Pevear and Volokhhonsky are the names of the translators. Since I have a copy of Crime and Punishment but can't seem to get through it, I was overjoyed to find that they also have done a translation of that work. What I find really helpful is the list of characters at the beginning that list their family and all their nicknames. So many characters have nicknames that are common in Russia but don't mean a lot to a modern American reader. The list helps. So a Top Reader Top Tip, if you are going to read a foreign novel, it is all about translation, translation, translation.

So there, I will now put down Anna Karenina, hop on my scooter and get Dune. There is a pause in the action but it will resume shortly. 

The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

It is amazing what time can do. I read this book when I was in high school and I will admit that I didn't really get it but I read it because I said that I was going to. Surprise, I did not like it at all. I finished it by a sheer act of will and I was really glad when it was over. 

The only reason I decided to read it again was that it hitched a ride in my bag on my trip to Colorado and I finished my other book sooner than I had thought and I needed something to read. Pretty interesting that the book hitched a ride and the book is about hitchhikers. I took it as a good sign and opened the book again. 

This book is a lot funnier with age. I am still not going to be praising this book to the skies but I did find myself laughing at some of the events. For example, the destruction of the house vs the destruction of the planet. Now, don't misunderstand me and think "this chick thinks that the destruction of the planet is funny! Bitch!!" I just saw the parallelism in the two events. Arthur did not know that his house was going to be demolished and the gentlemen that were there to tear it down couldn't understand how he didn't know! The orders were located in the city hall, in the basement!! Duh!! The same thing happens when the Vogons are there to demolish Earth, the orders were there on another planet, there to be viewed by anyone. I feel that way a lot with governmental things, the information is there but no one will help you out if you are having trouble finding it. "Oh, you didn't see it? Too bad, the information was there for you to see. Oh you didn't know where to look? Too bad, you should have known, Now, give me your house!" 

So, are human beings the most intelligent being on this planet? According to the novel, no. Human beings are not even the second most intelligent being on this planet. The second smartest are the dolphins, "so long and thanks for the fish!!" The most intelligent beings are the mice. The interesting thing about this is that so many experiments are made on mice, especially when it comes to behavior. Arthur even says that so many scientists have learned so much from studying the mice. What if the mice were actually using humans for experiments? Interesting thought. I like things like that, when an author takes a popular idea and turns it on its head. Something to think about... 

In the end, the book is entertaining but not my favorite. I read it in a car going across western Kansas, not the most exciting. This is definitely a book to enjoy with a beer underneath a night sky. Glad I gave it another chance. 

Next up is Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

Persuasion

I have not one but two massive complete volumes of Jane Austen's work. I have been meaning to read Persuasion a few times but I can never seem to get to the end of the book since that would meaning moving past Pride and Prejudice, and that is just wrong. This gave me the perfect excuse to move past that novel (shock!!) and on to one that I have not read. 

Let me just say that I am a Jane Austen fan, my mother showed me the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and it was all over. I quickly got my hands on her novels and then bought the huge collection of all her novels. One is now water-damaged and coffee stained (which just shows that it is loved) and the other I am determined to keep nice. 

Persuasion was very good, I read it faster then I thought that I would. Of course it helped having an 8 hour car ride to Colorado to help me out. I was drawn into the story. You can tell that this was one of the last novels she wrote because her heroine is an unmarried "older" woman. Older in this case being 27 or 28, which then was considered pretty old to still not be married. The story follows Anne, a quiet, smart and gracious woman, her family is proud and pompous and pretty rude on most occasions. She is really the only member of the family that is truly respected. She is not drop-dead gorgeous, however she is smart and witty and gracious and a good person to know. As the second sister in the "rich family" of the neighborhood she is expected to marry for money partly because her older sister has not married and since the family may have a good name but not enough money. At the age of 20 she meets and agrees to marry a man that her family does not approve of because he has neither money or a good name. She is persuaded to break the engagement and he leaves, declaring that he will make his fortune and leaving behind hurt feelings. When Anne is 28 and her families situation is so bad that they have to rent out their house, he comes back. A Captain and he has made his fortune. He does not seem interested in Anne but it is Austen and happy ending abound for all.

I love the way Austen titles her books. They all have something to do with emotions that are prevalent in the  novel itself. Pride and Prejudice was named because of the two characteristics that are displayed by the hero and heroine. Sense and Sensibility describes the attributes needed to make good informed decisions. Persuasion was named because Anne was persuaded by those around her to not marry the man that she loved when she had the first chance and because of this, was unhappy for several years. Austen's characters are always so well developed and their actions actually go along with their personality. While reading, I see many people that I know represented in the characters of the book. I also love the language, it flows. A Jane Austen novel has its own feel to the writing and the vocabulary that is used. Her stories are always critiquing society or presenting a message for the reader. The message that I get from this novel is to be yourself, love the person you love and if your family doesn't agree, that is not always a bad thing. I could go on with all the different lessons and social critiques that I found in this novel because I am a really big nerd, but I am going to leave it, and you should go read it yourself.

This was the last novel that Austen fully completed, and it is worth reading! 

Next up is The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe because I was still in Colorado and it hitched a ride in my bag without my knowledge.

Harry Potter, the Book That Began it ALL!

What can I say about this book? I haven't read it since high school when I became obsessed with Harry. 

This book is so brilliant. It sucks you in. I read it in a day simply because I could not stop reading. I have to give respect where respect is due and J.K. Rowling deserves a lot of respect for this book. I am a reading teacher and it is incredibly frustrating when students do not read. They complain about not being able to read well but don't read so they can improve their skills. J.K. Rowling gave students something they can read and be interested in, which is a big part. Where this book really excels is it's ability to interest not only the younger readers but others as well. Sure, Harry is meant to be a children's book but many others can read it and become drawn in to this world all the same. 

 

The movie came out one day after my 16th birthday. Where do you think I spent my evening? They were having a ticket give-a-way at my school to raise money. Needless to say, I entered. I did not win the tickets but a teacher that I had did. She sent me the tickets so that I could go for my birthday. She was a great teacher, I was her teacher assistant for several semesters. So Mrs. Chambers, science teacher at East High, you rock and I am still grateful for those tickets. Isn't it amazing how one little act of kindness can really leave a mark on a person? 

This book teaches you to dream, it doesn't work if you can't allow yourself to believe that there may actually be wizards and witches out there in the world. It allows you to take a break from your life and live in a world of fantasy. This story will persevere but I wonder if it is the books that will live or the movies. I hope it is the books, they began it all. The movies are pretty good but the books are better. I love that four of the Harry Potter books have made it to BBC's list. Children's books? Yes, but great stories that are worth reading. I like to read this book anywhere but it helps to have some root beer to drink with it as well. Great story. 

Next up is a Jane Austen novel I have not read, Persuasion.

Catch 22 The Final Thoughts

I have finished and I have come to the realization that I was wrong. This book isn't about war. It is about humans. It is about human nature. There are two camps. One, Yossarian, Nately, the Chaplain, Orr and others. They are crazy, many people would choose not to be around them. Yet they are there, trying to complete their time so they can serve their country and go home. Two, Milo, Colonel Cathcart, Colonel Korn and others. They simply are working to make themselves look good. They are looking out for Number One and everyone else is getting in their way. Colonel Cathcart is trying so hard to make himself look good, that he cannot make any decisions for himself. Colonel Korn is concerned about making Cathcart look bad so that he will in turn look good. Milo, Milo is out for himself. He doesn't give a damn about anyone else. He runs his syndicate and makes his money, taking medical supplies from wounded soldiers, bombing his own unit to make money.  He is rewarded too, he is seen as a hero. This novel is less about war and more about humans. No character in this book is perfect, they are all human. Some are worse and more odious then others, but in the end, they are all human.  
Truth is that I have nothing deep and meaningful to say about this book. It is beautiful and terrible. It is hilarious and heartbreaking.  The idiocy of the commanding officers and the blatant disregard for human life and the all-consuming quest for money is something that may take place in a war and on a street. Heller is bashing people and their weaknesses. Chances are that a reader can see themselves in one of the characters and in their weaknesses and follies. Yet through all of this, I can still say that I look to see the good in people. If you walk around believing that people are evil then you never give them a chance to prove you wrong. In this case, isn't it good when you are proven wrong? When people prove that they can be kind and good?
Yossarian is forced to continue flying missions and watching the men around him die. Can you imagine? This book gives me a deeper respect for the people that put their life on the line for their country. They reach down deep and pull it out of themselves. Amazing. Such strong people. Yossarian says that he is against the Colonel's who were not treating him like a human being who's life matters, not against his country, I thought that was well put.
Let me intrude by saying that I have nothing but deep respect for the people that stand up and fight for what they believe in. Everyone is viewed in a gray area, but no more than the men and women that take up arms for their country. There are people that will hate you and people that will like you, there is nothing you can do to change that. However that does not mean that you should change yourself to be who they want you to be. Yossarian was given a choice, be who you are or be who we want you to be. Being who they wanted him to be was going to give him riches and fame. Being who he was would probably bring jail. He chose to be himself. So in the end, he was looking out for Number One, just like those he was rebelling against. The only lesson I took was that life is frail, life is precious and humans are imperfect. Happy thought indeed.
Ok, I rambled a bit, hope you followed. If not, disregard last paragraph. My thoughts are still not settled.
This book will make you smile then it will make your head explode with anger. There are times that you will need a good strong drink. I love it and I completely hate it.
There is always a catch, and it is Catch 22





I need a pick-me-up. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone it is! 

Catch 22 Musings of Today

 

Who can you trust when the entire world seems to be trying to kill you?

I can only imagine what it would be like to be a bomber in WW2. What kept happening to the men in the book is that the men at the top kept raising the amount of missions that the flyers have to fly. Some of the other men had hit their missions, packed their bags, ready to go home and then learn that they now have to fly more. What is pure genius in this book is something that we hear a lot of today. World War Two was considered an honorable war. Everyone was supposed to work for it, there was the home-front war-effort and the men out fighting. No one was supposed to criticize the war or the people running the war. We have all of this today with satires of news shows and novels. Catch 22 does all of this, without coming right out right and saying it. Catch 22 made the situations so ridiculous that it made it real. 

I used to wish that wars and conflicts were really black and white, no gray area. It seemed so nice and neat in school when we learned about WW2 and how the United States was fighting against Hitler to save people and the world. Good and bad, right? There seemed to be a clear good and bad side. Truth is that life is not black and white. It is FILLED with gray areas. It was naive to think that something like WAR would be any different. 

My confession about this book is that I didn't get it. I have never been in a fight, I have never gone off to fight in a war. I didn't get it. Yossarian seems so crazy and so strange that I didn't put myself in his shoes. Once I did though, the book worked for me. And I hate it. It is wonderful. 

Ever had to argue with someone and you knew from the very beginning that it wasn't going to do any good? One man from the novel found himself arguing with an Italian man about the virtues of country and if winning a war is really a good thing. The man, Nately finds himself arguing with a man over something he had never really thought about. Of COURSE winning a war is a good thing? Why would men on both sides be dying for it? Then the man says this which, I admit, blew my mind: 

"You put so much stock in winning wars," the grubby iniquitous old man scoffed. "The real trick lies in losing wars, in knowing which wars can be lost. Italy has been losing wars for centuries, and just see how splendidly we've done nonetheless. France wins wars and is in a continual state of crisis. Germany loses and prospers. Look at our own recent history. Italy won a war in Ethiopia and promptly stumbled into serious trouble. Victory gave us such insane delusions or grandeur that we helped start a world war we hadn't a chance of winning. But now that we are losing again, everything has taken a turn for the better, and we will certainly come out on top again if we succeed in being defeated." ... 

"But," Nately cried out is disbelief, "you're a turncoat! A timeserver! A shameful, unscrupulous opportunist!"

"I am a hundred and seven years old," the old man reminded him suavely. 

"Don't you have any principles?" 

"Of course not." 

-Joseph Heller Catch 22

There are people in this world that cannot be argued with, the believe what they believe and by goodness, they are not going to give it up for you or anyone else. This is a showcase of two very different people in the world. People who are out to serve themselves, like the old Italian man. And people who feel that there are things in life that are worth fighting and dying for, like Nately. Then there are people who are caught in the middle. Question is, who is the better man? My personal vote is for the young man, who may not be able to articulate why is is fighting, but even after a conversation like this, does not stop. It may be naive. And it may all be for nothing, but I like to think that it isn't.

There is so much that can be said for this book and I am almost finished with it. I was having trouble sorting out my feelings for this book until my father asked me one simple question. "Are you mad yet?" That simple question made me realize that YES!!! I AM MAD!!! This book is amazing. Horrible.Wonderful. Infuriating.