Fragment Friday

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Memoirs)

At the end of the school year I decided to take a long trip back to Chicago and he East Coast to visit friends and people who had offered me jobs. I still wasn't sure what to do with my life. On the way to the airport, Bill and I passed a red brick house near the university with a "For Sale" sign out front. I casually mentioned that it was a sweet-looking little house and never gave it a second thought. After a few weeks of traveling and thinking, I decided I wanted to return to my life in Arkansas and to Bill. When Bill picked me up, he asked, "Do you remember that house you liked? Well, I bought it, so now you'd better marry me because I can't live in it by myself."

Bill proudly drove up the driveway and ushered me inside. The house had a screened in porch, a living room with a beamed cathedral ceiling, a fireplace, a big bay window, a good-sized bedroom and bathroom and a kitchen that needed a lot of work. Bill had already bought an old wrought-iron bed at a local antiques store and had been to WalMart for sheets and towels. 

This time I said "yes."

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

'Crime? What crime?... My killing a loathsome, harmful louse, a filthy old moneylender woman... and you call that a crime?

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer him the chance of redemption. 

-----------------------------------------------

Crime and Punishment begins with Raskolnikov, a down on his luck, former student as he is sneaking out of his 'cupboard' of a room without being seen by his landlady to whom he owes rent. What follows is the story of his decline into possible madness and definite criminal activity. A desperate man, he decides to kill a local loan shark in order to steal her money and in turn use it to improve his circumstances and those of others around him. At the time of the killing Raskolnikov feels no sense of regret but this slowly changes. As he grows remorseful his fear of being caught also increases this shows through his behavior as it becomes increasingly erratic.

This was my first big classic. I have read a few recently but this is the longest and hardest one I have read so far. I found it very enjoyable yet also taxing. At 650 pages it was a book that I had to read at a slower pace but I really enjoyed that. I took my time and it allowed me time to really digest the story. If I like a book I usually read through it very quickly, however that was impossible to do with this one. I had to take my time and read in shorter bursts. It helped me understand it fully and grasp the small details of the story.  

I really enjoyed the fact that the story was written from the point of view of the murderer. Usually in crime novels it is the opposite and the story concentrates on the investigation from the investigators view. It was interesting to find that although I disagreed with Raskolnikov's view that the murder of the loan shark was necessary and not really murder. I actually understood his reasoning and how he got to that point in his life. Throughout the book I found him hard to predict, his actions contradicted his needs. If he needed something he seemed unable to keep it for himself but would give it away.  I loved this element of his character and it really kept me on my toes. 

One thing I found hard to get to grips with was the Russian names. At certain times, such as during long conversations, I found myself reading out loud as pronouncing the names allowed me to grasp them better. I never really understood the need for some characters to go by two different names, it is something I found confusing at times. However as I read on I did eventually grasp who was who. All the lesser characters were entertaining, especially Raskolnikov's friend Razumikhin who provided some lighter and more humorous moments.

It was a great book which I really enjoyed.  I'd recommend it to anyone who likes crime and the narrating murderer was a fantastic touch to the book. It isn't a book to read when you are in the mood for light entertainment. It is a gripping and complicated story to be read overtime and when fully alert. 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

It was a fantastic story which contained allot of detailed narrative. I really liked the book and took my time reading it. The Russian names were confusing at times but this didn't hamper my enjoyment. 

 

 

 

Fragment Friday

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

MISS TEEN DREAM FUN FACTS PAGE!

Please fill in the following information and return to Jessie Jane, Miss Teen Dream Pageant administrative assistant, before Monday. Remember, this is a chance for the judges and the audience to get to know YOU. So make it interesting and fun, but please be appropriate. And don't forget to mention something you love about our sponsor, The Corporation. 

Name: Adina Greenberg
State: New Hampshire
Age:17
Height: I resent this question. 
Weight: I really resent this question. 
Hair: Brown. Obviously. 
Eyes: Also brown. Also obviously.
Best Feature: My Intellect. 

Fun Facts About Me:

• I hate high heels. Walking in high heels for eight hours a day should be forbidden by the Geneva Convention. 
• I am applying to Brown, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. 
• I was voted Most Likely to Figure Out Who Really Killed JFK. 
• My mum is married to Alan, aka, Stepfather #5. He is a complete tool. No, you have no idea. 
• My favourite Corporation TV show is the news. If you can call it that. 
• My platform is identifying Misogyny in American Culture. It's all about helping girls ID the objectification of women when they see it. You know, like girls are asked to parade around in bathing suits and heels and get scored on that. 
• The thing that scares me most is falling in love with some jerkwad, and ending up without an identity at all, just like my mum. 
• I intend to bring this pageant down.
• You will never see this. 

Fragment Friday

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Raskolnikov went out feeling decidedly confused. The confusion got worse and worse. As he descended the stairs he even stopped several times, as though he had been struck by some sudden thought. And, at last, when he was out on the street, he exclaimed:

'Oh God! How loathsome all this is! And could I really, could I really...No, it's nonsensical, it's obsurd!' he added, firmly. 'Could I really ever have contemplated such a monstrous act? It shows what filth my heart is capable of. though! Yes, that's what it is: filthy, mean, vile, vile!...And for a whole month I've been...'

But he could find neither words nor exclamations with which to give voice to his disturbed state of mind. The sense of infinite loathing that had begun to crush and sicken his heart even while he had only been on his way to the old woman had now attained such dimensions and become so vividly conscious that he was quite simply overwhelmed by his depression. He moved along the pavement like a drunkard, not noticing the passers-by and knocking into them, and only recovered himself when he reached the next street. Looking round he observed that he was standing beside a drinking den, the entrance to which lay down from the pavement, at the foot of some steps, in the basement. Just at that moment two drunks emerged from the doorway and began to clamber their way up to street-level, supporting each other and cursing. Without so much as a thought, Raskolnikov went down the steps. Never before had he been a visitor to the drinking dens, but now his head was spinning and, what was more, he was parched by a burning thirst. 

Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas

Bright Young Things wanted for Big Project.

They're in the prime of their lives but these bright young things are all burned out. Six sparkly twenty-somethings just past university and working dead-end jobs, they are bored to tears with their lives and looking for a way out. When a mysterious job is advertised in the newspaper, they all apply. 

What they least expect is to find themselves prisoners on a deserted island. There's food in the fridge and they have a bedroom each, but there's no telephone, no television - and no way to escape. 

--------------------------------------------------

I read Bright Young Things on the strength of  The End of Mr Y which was the first book I reviewed on this blog. The End of Mr Y was truly amazing and I instantly knew that I must read another novel by Scarlett Thomas. I liked the mystery surrounding the blurb and was intrigued how a job interview could lead to imprisonment. I also liked the idea of them having no telephones or television, and being completely cut off from the outside world. 

I loved the writing style, it flowed so fluidly that before I knew it I'd read twenty pages. I became completely immersed in the story and would lose all sense of time. The characters were all well written and I loved their strong individual personalities. Another element that I thought was a great addition was the fact that although they were all 'Bright Young Things'  none of them had it all together. They all had achieved the same stunning academic standards but none of them felt satisfied with the lives they had. It gave the book a great sense of realism which was a joy to read as many people feel you leave university and instantly land a dream job which is in fact rarely true. 

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the references it made to entertainment and life in the year 2000. I was eighteen at that time so a little younger than the characters in this book but it totally worked for me. I felt like I was talking to old friends, I knew exactly what they meant, who they were talking about, what song they loved or hated and which storylines they were discussing from Home and Away.  It really made the book for me. It was as if I had stepped back in time and returned to 2000.  The characters do spend a large portion of the book in conversation about television and lifestyle. It could cause a problem for readers who are to young to recollect this time and could possible age the book. However if, like me, you were a teenager or young adult in 2000 then this book is a great find and perfect for an afternoon of pleasant nostalgia. 

The storyline itself was interesting and fun. I liked the basic idea and the fact that the characters had been placed in a situation so far flung from normal society. The pace was like a gentle walk in the park for me, I was totally relaxed and immersed in the story and my own thoughts. The next thing I knew I couldn't believe how far I'd come (read). I liked the fact that the characters didn't feel threatened by the situation at first, it was like one big sleepover with good conversation and food. I loved that just as everyone was lulled into a sense of security that Thomas through a spanner in the works. It was a great addition and really made the book stand out for me. Overall it was a great book and I can't recommend it highly enough. 

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

A wonderful read which is perfect for people after a bit of nostalgia for the year 2000. After The End of Mr Y and now Bright Young Things, Scarlett Thomas is fast becoming one of my most loved authors. 

 

Book Haul!

Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas 

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 

Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

CD - Beautiful freak by The Eels

Nineteen Eight-Four by George Orwell

Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth. Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for the truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker, Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.

-------------------------------------

Nineteen Eighty-Four is an amazing book of dystopian fiction. Winston Smith is a man living within a world which makes him feel like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Everyone he lives and works with are devoted members of the Party. While Winston sits and ponders the difference between truth and lies, the other members blindly follow and obey every instruction given by Big Brother. Everything in Winston's life is controlled by the Party, his work, social life and even the food he eats are dictated to him. Anyone who goes against the wishes of the Party vanishes without a trace and their very existence is removed from history. Even disloyal thoughts are punishable and children are raised to watch and turn in their own parents. It is a cold and harsh world and a scary view of a controlled state. 

This book was frightening, not in a scary movie kind of way but in a way that shows the true strength of propaganda and powerful governments. It reminded me very much of North Korea and the current control that the state demands there. I believe they even have telescreens, similar to the ones mentioned in this book, in the homes of citizens there. It opened my eyes to the fact that if a government controls all information available to the public then anything is possible. A mind may be a sponge especially in the young but if everything they soak up is strictly monitored to adhere with party ideologies then it is natural for them to follow without question as they grow up. 

Winston was a complicated character, he was old enough to have vague memories of life before the Party took hold. These memories lead him to see cracks in the perfect image provided by the Party and question not only their policies but also the motivation behind them. it starts out as a private and personal journey of self discovery with its origins even taking him by surprise. However it soon snowballs and he gains a sense of freedom which makes him bolder as the story continues. The more Winston rebels he comes more fearful while strangely he also becomes happier. As I said before, Winston is a complicated man.  I loved how he thought although I doubt I would have been as brave or anywhere near strong enough to rebel in his situation. I expect I myself would have been a sheep and followed the party due to the lifetime of conditioning I'd received. 

It's a thrilling book which really keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved it and found Winston to be a very interesting and complex character that really kept me guessing. I liked his inner voice and really felt his confusion and struggles to find the truth.  The story pulls you in and I found it a very believable situation. A frightening prospect but any Government with to much power and long enough in office could in theory achieve this level of control. After finishing this book you continue to debate it and its resemblance to real life, the story and characters linger with you. You have to read it to really understand the meaning of my parting words which are that...
the ending left me literally torn in half. I didn't know whether I should be happy or sad. I still don't know!

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

I really liked it and I'm still left debating the ending, whether I am happy or sad about the outcome may be something I never decide on. Its a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. Gritty, frightening, tender and shocking this book keeps you guessing until the last page.