Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead
by Orson Scott Card

So, I've read two of Orson Scott Card's books now, and I must say, they are simply amazing! Speaker for the Dead picks up 3000 years after Ender's Game. How is this possible? Well, with some near-light-speed space travel and a penchant for planet hopping, Ender, our hero, has been able to survive thus far. (If this sort of thing interests you, I'd suggest The Forever War, another lovely science fiction novel).

This time, there's trouble with aliens again. Another sentient species has been discovered on one of the colony worlds, and when deaths occur again, all the worlds are thrown into an uproar. Ender is pulled into this from his new role as a "Speaker for the Dead," one who tells the story of a deceased's life, telling the triumphs and downfalls of a person without judging, revealing the full truth of a person's life upon request.

Again, the issue with human nature and the ability to communicate is raised in this book. When is violence the appropriate response? Is it ever the appropriate response? With these new aliens and their strange customs, humans are quick to jump to violence when these other beings do something foreign and frightening. Apparently they haven't learned in the 3000 years after the war with the Buggers. I really love Orson Scott Card's books because they really appeal to the reader intellectually about different ethical issues that just might be applicable to our lives today.

My rating: 10/10

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card

"'Tell me why you kept on kicking him. You had already won.' 'Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone.'" (14).

With these words, Ender Wiggen explains a main fallacy of humans that binds the events of the whole book together. It's really quite understandable, the circumstances for this conversation. Ender has just beaten a bully, one that had him cornered with his gang to possibly beat up Ender. But the bully ends up in such a terrible condition after Ender is done that he has put him in the hospital. Ender couldn't reason with the other, and he felt endangered by the situation, so he resorted to viciously decimating his opponent's will to ever fight him again.

The plot of the story revolves around an Earth united under one government to support the International Fleet to combat the threat of aliens with whom the humans have had two wars with already. In one of these, the "Buggers," as the humans call the aliens, invaded Earth and inflicted much damage on the whole world. The humans decide that a third war is needed, where a fleet will be created to invade the Buggers' own home world to destroy the alien threat. Not once is it considered whether or not there should be greater efforts in attempting to communicate with these Buggers, and the humans have just decided that the best thing to do would be to completely destroy another form of life. Ender's reasoning for beating up the bully is clearly echoed in the adult's thinking, and this line of thought seems perfectly reasonable to us. However, this is exactly the downfall of the human race. This jump to brutality in the face of a perceived threat. True, Ender is a young child when this happens and he proves the purity of his character in the entirety of the book, but does this make the world any less responsible if it succeeds in fulfilling this line of thought and decimating the alien population? It's an interesting moral issue that is brought up in this novel.

Well, the book isn't all about the issue that I mentioned above. I absolutely loved it because it recounts Ender's experiences in Battle School which trains children in combat in ways that we probably have not thought of before. The students at the school are organized into armies upon promotion from being fresh "Launchies" just sent up to the school which is in orbit around the Earth. These armies have commanders and they fight each other in active combat to test the tactical skills of the commanders as well as train the students in how to fight in null gravity. Ender turns out to be a genius, the best tactical mind that the School, and world has ever seen before. His story as he rises up in the School and is trained further is extremely interesting. The world that Card creates and the characters introduced become very real to the reader.

This is clearly a science fiction novel, and I'm clearly a bit biased in judging this book in that science fiction and fantasy are my two favorite genres. However, I believe that many people would enjoy this book, whether or not they read science fiction normally or not. Ender is a character who is easy to relate to and the issues on human nature and moral accountability are very interesting. This was, I think, the best science fiction/fantasy book that I have read all year and the best that I have read in a long time.

My rating of the book: a definite 10/10

The Wind Singer by William Nicholson

The Wind Singer
by William Nicholson

341 pages

"The tussle was short but intense. During it, much of the mud on Kestrel's legs was wiped on to the Chief Examiner's clothing. When at last he got a grip on her and tore her off, she let go, and he threw her farther than he intended. At once she sprang to her feet and ran. he made no attempt to chase her. he was too shocked at the sight of his muddy clothes. 'My whites!'' he said. 'The little witch!'" (59).

I absolutely love this book. The characters are wonderfully colorful and have so much personality. The main characters, Bowman and Kestrel Hath and Mumpo all have very well developed characterizations. The book is very clearly fantasy, but the fantastical elements are woven in so naturally, and the world is introduced so well that the reader slips right in to the story comfortably from the very beginning.

The plot follows three children as they oppose the system in the city of Aramanth. In Aramanth, everybody's status is determined by a battery of tests, starting when a child is still in its diapers. Everything depends on the tests, and the color of one's clothing reflects the level of society one is at. White robes signify the highest level possible to be attained. The children run away to try to find the key to bringing back the life of the city, to free the people from the oppressive control of the tests. To do this, they go in search for the voice of the Wind Singer, a mysterious structure at the center of Aramanth which nobody really knows the purpose of.

Although it seems to be a simple book, a smooth read, it leaves much to be thought about. The different aspects of the world created in The Wind Singer prompt the reader to think about how our own world works and gently points out the fallacies of our current mindsets. In the quote above, the Chief Examiner demonstrates that his highest priority is his status, which is symbolically dirtied by Kestrel. She shows a complete disregard for the very thing that the Chief Examiner holds dear, which on further thought is more twisted than it seems. Knowledge and the journey of finding it (learning) has been twisted until it is a mere rat race, a perverse mockery of what it really should be. And we see this in our own lives, the constant preoccupation with grades, people sacrificing their whole lives to try to attain what really isn't that important on further examination.

I would definitely give The Wind Singer a 10/10!

Quarter 3 Final Blog

The genre that remains for fourth quarter: Nonfiction/Memoir

I've read quite a few genres this year. I even read a mystery (And Then There Were None), something I haven't done in a very long time. Honestly though, my preferences haven't changed. I still really like Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I mean I read The Silmarillion which stifled the overwhelming need to read fantasy for a while, and I read some other books (The Purgatorio and The Paradiso). The Paradiso was really a bore, though. I felt like the entire time, Dante was just giving a lecture on Church beliefs and being righteous and ho hum blahblahblah. I think I tuned out more times while reading that book than any other book I've read before.
Well, after that, I read The Three Musketeers which was really good fun, but I felt like I hadn't read fantasy in AGES. I actually read The Prophecy of the Sisters when I was on vacation, which was slightly milder fantasy. When I got back, I found Silver Phoenix as a new book while I was shelving in the library. I was dying to feed my fantasy fix, so I read through it relatively quickly. I mean Silver Phoenix was really just a normal, iffy quality debut fantasy novel by an author. Wasn't so great, but it did the job.

So, favorite book of the quarter. I think The Three Musketeers wins this title. Apart from fantasy/sci-fi, I think next in line in my favorite genres is Classics. I just love the language and the style they're written in. Just the way the story unfolds is different too. I love it, and unlike The Count of Monte Cristo which I enjoyed very much too, The Three Musketeers is, like I said before, a much lighter story. I really enjoy Dumas' style, and reading The Three Musketeers was a wonderful experience.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (End!)

So yeah, I finished my first mystery in a very long time! Alright, so that wasn't so bad, I guess. I think that this book was quite suspenseful because of the Little Indian Boy nursery rhyme. I thought Agatha Christie did a pretty good job of keeping it interesting with the twists on how each verse was fulfilled. But, no spoilers right now!

The ending, I thought, was quite good, and ironic. I thought that there was something fishy with the suspects, and I knew it wasn't the last few people left on the island. I just didn't know that it turned out to actually b-oh yeah, no spoilers. ;) I'm not exactly sure if I really like the explanation though. It seemed a little out there, but I didn't think it was terrible out there. It did make some morbid kind of sense, I guess.

Well, then. Here's my final rating of the book then: 9/10 (Yes, I'm still not exactly in love with mysteries. Stubborn ole me)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (#1)

Pages: 1-108

Wow! I'm actually enjoying a mystery. It's a mystery to me (haha, ok that was a bad joke, I get it) how I've been reading for so long without ever picking up an Agatha Christie novel. I think that this one is very interesting, and I like the style of writing.

So, first off, I really like how it's switching between the different characters' perspectives. With 10 characters, it is a little confusing at first, but a little bit into the book, I had already caught on. With so many different perspectives, the plot really unfolds beautifully. We get a little bit of information revealed at a time, and it's a lot of fun to read.

Next, I do enjoy her writing style. It's easy to read, and a bit of a departure from the kind of language I encountered in The Paradiso and The Three Musketeers. It's much cleaner, and although I hesitate to say that it's modern, it is a bit more up to our time's way of speaking and writing. It's refreshing to read this type of style again, since Silver Phoenix seemed to be just a bit of a stand-in filler between the books I really wanted to read. Silver Phoenix was a bit of a train wreck from the beginning, so I didn't pay too much attention to the author's writing style. I admit that I kind of wanted it to just be over and read it for the story. I'm finding that this isn't the case for And Then There Were None at all. I'm really into the story, and although I do usually bow to the strain of the suspense, I'm doing alright so far!

I'm enjoying this novel, and can't wait to read more!

My rating of the book so far: 9.5/10 (I don't know, but I'm not sure if it's a perfect 10?)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Begin!)

And Then There Were None
by Agatha Christie

So, one of my goals this quarter is to to read a bit more mystery. If it isn't apparent already, I'm really into fantasy/sci-fi (so much that I was half-contemplating picking up this Star Wars novel I had before I remembered my goal). I honestly can't remember the last time I read a mystery novel. Well, that might be because I always cave in and take a peek (alright, maybe not just a peek) at the end. My willpower can't stand up to the suspense! Anyway, I decided the time for me to read a mystery is long overdue, and I've picked up And Then There Were None. I'm thinking it's a little hard to go wrong with such a famous mystery author (Agatha Christie!) and such a famous work of hers. Well then, let's see how it goes!

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Silver Phoenix
by Cindy Pon

I'd been on some pretty classical material for a bit (The Three Musketeers), and I was hankering for some fantasy again. So, of course I picked up one of those...wait for it...yes one of those generic "Young Adult Fantasy" books. They tend to be about an inch thick, same size, hardcover, colorful cover, and the same "rebellious heroine" plot lines. Alright, I know, I was desperate, and I took it on an impulse. However, when I started reading, I discovered that this was no ordinary generic fantasy book. In fact, it was a bit of a not-up-to par generic fantasy book. The author failed to develop the plot and characters at consistent rates. So, one section would have a bit of a dull length of character development, and in a mad rush to catch up with the characters, the plot would come roaring back and ended up half-baked and introduced in the wrong place. It was an...interesting experience. Maybe not in a good way. The ending wasn't exactly up to par either, with loose ends that I had been expecting to be tied up, as they usually are in others of this generic fantasy variety. Oh well, it did stave away the blind hunger for some fantasy, though and I'm moving on to something new! So...that's how it went.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (Begin! ...Middle...and the End?)

The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas

I read The Count of Monte Cristo last year and really loved it, so I thought that reading more Dumas would be enjoyable. I picked up a copy of The Three Musketeers that I had around and started reading it. It didn't disappoint! I actually enjoyed The Three Musketeers even more than The Count of Monte Cristo. It was a bit lighter fare and didn't have such a somber, dark tone that The Count had. I really enjoyed The Three Musketeers, so...that's how it went!

The Paradiso (#1)

Cantos: (the whole book, but this week): XV-XXXIII

So, Divine Comedy: Finished. Whoohoo! It feels satisfying, I admit. But...I also have to say The Paradiso is just really boring. There's no other way to say it. I'm glad that the Cantos are pretty short, but maybe not even short enough! In The Inferno, there was a lot of Christian morality and ideology being imposed on the reader, but it was actually interesting. The divine retribution made you stop and think and say "Oh! I get it! You're pretty clever, aren't you Dante?" In The Purgatorio, it seemed like there was more Christian ideals being impressed on the reader, but the plot wasn't as enjoyable. Everyone knew that they were going to go to Heaven eventually. But, it's still a pretty good read. However, then next up in the Divine Comedy is The Paradiso. Here, we're hit with full on Christian preaching. I'm Christian myself, but even I admit that this is a bit much...especially since I don't agree with everything that Dante believes in. Every Canto pretty much contains descriptions of the next circle, how wonderful it is, and someone who speaks to Dante about morals. Yeah, Bo-Ring. There's just something about evil and darker topics that makes them just so much more riveting. It's a little strange actually, but that's just how it is, and why The Paradiso really wasn't the greatest book choice. I'm ready to move onto something more exciting.

The Paradiso by Dante Alighieri (Begin!) Kind of

The Paradiso
by Dante Alighieri

So, I've made it through The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso, hence the "Kind of" after the Begin! in the title of this post. I always like putting in a picture of the book...so I decided to make this post. Anyway, I thought The Purgatorio wasn't too bad, and since I've read and finished The Inferno, I thought it might be nice to just round off the Divine Comedy and go ahead with The Paradiso.

The Purgatorio (#1)

Cantos: I-XIV

I'm actually enjoying this quite a bit. But, I like The Inferno a bit more because The Purgatorio just seems to take longer to get to the point. Also, the various ordeals of the sinners striving to reach Paradise are quite creative, but there was just something about the punishments in The Inferno that made it more interesting. I think it's because The Inferno was more extreme, and it was more interesting because we like to read about things that are more brutal, delving into the darker side of things. The Purgatorio is kind of like a normality. The people in Purgatory have to go through ordeals too, but they're eventually going to get to Heaven. They aren't really being punished, but, rather, taught. The prideful must carry heavy stones pressing them down and look at carvings on the floor as they walk to learn how pride is a burden on their souls. It's like divine retribution, but softer. Ehh, I think I like The Inferno better.

I'm also reading a different translation of the work. I borrowed it form the school library, and it is ANCIENT. Well, 40 years old, but the translation is by Henry F. Cary. I think I like the Ciardi translation more. This one doesn't really rhyme and sometimes, the attempt to keep with iambic pentameter seems forced. His word choice isn't quite as striking as Ciardi's. Additionally, the book is set up so that the lines are not broken up into groups of three. I think this is both good and bad. It is good in that the Cantos seem to possess more continuity and don't feel too broken up. However, with all of the line stuck together, I think that it's just a lot for the eye to look through. It's just a block of lines in the middle of the page, and it's a little harder to read.

Overall, though, I'm enjoying The Purgatorio somewhat.

The Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri (Begin!)

The Purgatorio
by Dante Alighieri

First Thoughts: I thought that The Inferno was rather interesting, so I decided that reading the rest of the Diving Comedy would be nice. Well, at least maybe The Purgatorio might be interesting at least. Let's see how it goes!

The Inferno (#1)

Cantos: VI, X, XI, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXV

Wow. Some of these Cantos were actually really interesting. Although some of the ones in the Bolgias are quite creative, like the divine retribution of the fortune tellers, I really thought that the punishments for the Violent against God, Nature, and Art were the most painful sounding. Raining fire and burning sands? That's some really strong violence. They literally feel the burn for their crimes.

However, I don't necessarily agree that some groups should be punished. Usurers and moneylenders don't seem to me like a group that deserves their punishment, but Dante's principles are slightly different from our own, so it's understandable.

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri (Begin!--well, kind of)

The Inferno
by Dante Alighieri

First-ish Thoughts: We've read bits and pieces of The Inferno in class, and I thought it was pretty interesting. Dante's logic is quite intriguing, and I thought I'd go back and read the Cantos we skipped. Let's see how it goes! :)

The Silmarillion (#2)

Pages: 102-197

Favorite Quote: "For from his first days in Gondolin he had borne a grief, ever worsening, that robbed him of all joy: he loved the beauty of Idril and desired her, without hope. [...] And however that might be, Idril loved Maeglin not at all [...] But as the years passed still Maeglin watched Idril, and waited , and his love turned to darkness ain his heart. [...] Thus it was in Gondolin; and amid all the bliss of that realm, while its glory lasted, a dark seed of evil was sown" (139).

I think that this idea of unrequited love is something that many people can connect to. Maeglin's feelings are not returned and it causes him much pain. It is intriguing to see that out of something so good and pure, Love, such maliciousness and evil can spring forth. I think that Tolkien uses this situation to show the connection between good and bad. It runs much deeper than anyone thinks it does, so that out of pure, or thought to be pure, goodness, evil can grow. Tolkien personifies this drive to harm and corrupt as Morgoth, a being of power which constantly withstands the assaults of the other powerful beings, or Valar, attempting to stop his evil.

Although there is a very distinct separation between what the Elves, or Eldar, are and the race of Man, the Elves seem all too suceptable to the same faults of humanity. Their feelings are the same: jealousy, vengeance, animosity. The Elves seem very "human" in their own right, behaving much like us and differing in their immortality and physical forms. They are more advanced than the Men in the book, but this is only because they were created first. It's rather interesting to see how the Elves regard Men as inferior and lower life forms, even though they themselves act like Men do too!

I'm not going to lie. The Silmarillion is a very intricate book, and it's taking me a while to get through it. There's many different people, places, and events which get tangled up a bit in my head sometimes, so I need to go back and reread sections quite frequently. However, I am enjoying the book quite thoroughly, and the stories are just fascinating.

My rating of the book so far: 10/10

(the Mist sent by Morgoth poisoned some mountains, evil tainting pure nature)

The Silmarillion (#1)

Pages: 1-102

Favorite Quote: "But the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests, or the strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Iluvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy" (42).

This isn't such a major quote, as it is only mentioned as Iluvatar makes his Children, the Elves and the Men. However, I think it's quite profound. People usually think of Death as a bad thing, something to be feared, nit jere. it is spoken of as a gift. As you read on, the fate of te Elves is discussed, and among them is Miriel who grows tired of living. Humans don't live all that long, so we don't know just how weary living can get. It demonstrates the need for a balance between silence and noise, peace and vigorous action.

The Silmarillion is a very enjoyable book for those who love mythology and stories of a more classical style. The language Tolkien uses flows so well, it's almost like poetry in prose. I do like to read novels written in this kind of style because it just seems so much more fluid and flowing. It's hard to explain, but like Watership Down, the writing style seems "old-fashioned" in a way. It uses more words to express an idea, but it's in a good way. I love getting back into this deep fantasy. The story is so enchanting, and mixed with Tolkien's writing, it's really fun to read.

The only difficulty I'm coming across is that there are so many different characters! Of the Valar, there are already so many, but when I read about the history of the Elves and how they are split into so many different groups and have different leaders, it does get confusing! I do have to reread parts at times just to figure out who is who. What I really like, though, is encountering characters that appear in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and finding out their backstories. So fascinating! Tolkien's world is very elaborate and well thought out, making it exceptionally interesting to read about.

My Rating of the Book so Far: 10/10

(Valinor!)

The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien (Begin!)

The Silmarillion
by J.R.R. Tolkien

First thoughts:

I really love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, so picking up The Silmarillion only seems natural. I read Tolkien's other books years ago, but I never got around to reading this one. This is actually the first Fantasy book I'm blogging about here, even though I usually read a lot of fantasy. Can't wait to get back into it. Let's see how it goes!

A Thousand Splendid Suns (End!)

Pages: 94-367 (Wow! I'm so happy that I got to read so much already. )

Favorite Quote: "Mariam is never very far. She is here, in these walls they've repainted, in the walls they've repainted, in the trees they've planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. She is in the children's laughter. She is in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters when she bows westward. But, mostly, Mariam is in Laila's own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns" (366).

Many people can probably relate to this quote. We all feel loss at some point, and Laila's feelings here express a kind of peace that we all want to feel afterwords someone disappears from our life. Laila's learned the best way to cope, to calmly accept and "endure" just as Mariam's mother advised. However, Mariam's mother, Nana's enduring had a different feel, a sullen stubbornness to stick to self-righteousness. Laila, like Mariam, has learned how to "endure" with grace, to accept what happens and to gain peace at heart. They're both better people for it.

In fact, Laila and Mariam both had examples of the first type of enduring. Both their mothers, Fariba and Nana rejected happiness in favor of wallowing in the past tragedies. Perhaps, the experiences with such defunct mothers is what steered Laila and Mariam to eventually change their own lives to better forms. The message of hope and eventual peace pervades the book even in its darkest moments, but I think that Hosseini may have overdone it a bit.

Although A Thousand Splendid Suns is a wonderful story, it seems a little too unlikely. Events happen that don't seem to be very probable to happen in the way they did. Maybe all the tragedy is overplayed, a missile exploding in Laila's house and killing her parents right before they are all about to leave war-torn Afghanistan. It's very dramatic, but more of these kinds of events make them seem cheesy. On the other hand, the book seems to have some very good intentions, detailing on how relationships change between people over time, how people are brought together or torn apart. Like The Kite Runner, this novel really focuses on the characters, the human aspect of stories. The extensive and vivid cast of characters is what really makes the reader feel like he/she is in the story, right alongside Mariam and Laila.

Rating of the book: 8/10 (The difference between this and The Kite Runner is just how real the book feels, other than that, it's a wonderful read.)

A Thousand Splendid Suns (#1)

Pages: 1-94 (Part 1)

Although it is told in third person, the main character of Part 1, Mariam, feels very much alive. The clarity of the way her thoughts and emotions are illustrated is striking when the slightly detached air of the story is taken into consideration. Even though there really aren't too many scenes described in the stretch of time Part 1 encompasses, the ones Hosseini does pick to elaborate on are vividly painted to make it seem like the reader has lived through it all and has really connected to the characters. Khaled Hosseini proves again that he is a master story teller.

A Thousand Splendid Suns seems to be a study in perspectives. Mariam's thought processes shift as she goes through many different experiences, from living on the outskirts of society as a bastard child to being forced into a marriage with a man 30 years older than her. We see her originally clinging to believing that her father is a good man, truly caring for her and rejecting the cynical pessimism of her mother. But then, she realizes the truth and her viewpoints completely turn around, now scrutinizing people's actions through the lens of her mother's attitude. Mariam's relationship with her husband also changes beginning in fear and uncertainty to care and tenderness to abuse and growing farther apart after several miscarriages.

The tragedy seems a little veiled though. It feels as if a few scenes were rushed, not pumping out all the potential feeling, but every where else, it's phenomenal. Although the book's plot doesn't seem to really go anywhere, it's greatest strength is the connection it forms with the reader, the bridge for emotions, feelings, the ups and downs of the characters to really flow. It's a nice change from all the plot-driven, not really in depth books that are really popular today.

Rating of the book so far: 9/10 (It's good, but I'm a little iffy about it)

(Mariam means white tuberose--the flower above)