Jane Austen Book Club movie

I was unfortunately not here to see the The Jane Austen Book Club movie completely, since I was sick. But, from the parts that I did see I can say I enjoyed the movie. I like how they had all different characters with different personalities. I also think that it is cool that each character in the movie reflects a Jane Austen book character. To be honest, I'm still interested in finishing the movie and might possibly finish it over the summer. I could not find a weakness in the parts that I saw, which is  a bonus and makes me more excited to finish.

An imitation of art in the real world today is the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You. This movie is a modern version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. This movie is about a female lead writing a poem and story about her bittersweet romance with the bad boy protagonist. This models art because Shakespeare's influence of wiring is clear in the writing of the main characters. This movie is able to explain the plot of The Taming of the Shrew to an audience that might not particular understand Shakespeare (like myself), which is also the case with a lot of the other examples of life imitating art. It offers the experience to a  broader audience and makes it easier to understand for others
 

I have seen 10 Things I Hate About You and have enjoyed it. Usually, I am not a fan of Shakespeare's writing, but this modern version was interesting and easier to follow. It does have a love story, so I would most likely recommended this movie to girls, but I'm sure anyone would enjoy watching and could possible benefit from it.

Out Of Comfort Zone

Neil Gaiman's style of writing consists of short fiction novels, comic novels, and graphic novels. His novel, The Graveyard Book won both the Newbery and Carnegie award. I decided to read The Graveyard Book mostly because I have heard of it before. It seemed like an easier out of comfort zone book than other books in the genre. This novel has components of supernatural, sci-fi, and history all in one. Usually, I hate anything supernatural and creepy, so from the start I was not too excited to read.  Reading this book was a negative experience for me, I didn't benefit from it and I hated every chapter. Even though I ended up disliking the book, being able to get out of my comfort zone and read something that I wouldn't normally read was a huge step. I usually am scared to travel outside of the norm and stick to reading what I am comfortable with. If I had the option of reading this book again, I would probably turn it down, I'm sure someone out there would enjoy this book and benefit from it better 100% more than I would.

The Graveyard Book is about Nobody Owens. As a newborn, Bod's family is murdered by Jack Frost. Somehow, Nobody is able to escape out of his crib, climb down the stairs, and leave his home without being caught by the killer (which to me, seemed totally unrealistic). The young boy manages to crawl his way into a graveyard, where he is adopted by the Owens, a dead couple who lived many years prior (once again, unrealistic). Bod is given the power of the graveyard, so he is able to see and hear the ghosts around him when nobody else can; the one negative is Bod cannot leave the graveyard until he is completely grown. The killer who killed Bod's family is still on the look for him, and Bod is only safe in the graveyard.

The plot of this novel alone is creepy and unrealistic. I would most likely never read this book again, but I would recommend it to someone who is in to ghosts and supernatural, unrealistic stories. Another Neil Gaiman book is 100% NOT on my must read book list for the future.

Oprhan Train

Orphan Train: Author Visit 

 

 

 

Before I write about the author, I just want to say I personally, I really enjoyed this novel. While reading, I was able to read more pages than I was assigned to each night, so I ended up being ahead of the class. Something about the two story plot and the historical aspects made me hooked. I liked Vivian's chapters more than Molly's. Having the author come in and talk to us was a special bonus to a book I already enjoyed from the start. Her presentation surprised me, though, it surprised me and it ended up not being what I expected. I'll be honest, I actually didn't know what to expect of the visit. A part of me thought she would just talk about the book and the concept of the book, not her personal connection and influence for the book. Baker Kline started off talking about her three sons and how they are all red heads, which confused me. I didn't understand why she was talking about her family and not her best selling novel. The more she discussed her work and powerpoint, the more it made sense to me. I was now able to see how everything connected together and helped her process of writing.

 

 

As a reader, having an author come in helps you feel more connected. For me, at least, I now feel like I have a behind the scenes advantage that not all readers have. You are able to learn about the author's inspiration for the book and you hear the author's personal opinions and thoughts about the book. Christina Baker Kline was able to explain parts of her novel and make some parts more clear.

 

The author's visit was not what I expected it to be, which surprised me. But, I am glad we had the oppurtunity to hear her talk. It is a special advantage that not all schools that read this novel are given.