MSGoliath

AHHHHHH! I just finished the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. OH MY GOSH!! I have never read a book that I have been pulled so far into before! AH! I just want to scream or something! Ok, phew, calm down...

Well, it was an amazing read, and once I hit within 20 pages of the end, I couldn't put the book down. It was just...an amazing ending. I can't say that it was happy, or particularly sad, but it left a Catharsis. (haha! vocab!) I would love to talk all about what actually happened in the end, but I think that each and every one of you reading this blog should go out and buy the book. Right now. Buy it.

So, I guess I'll talk about me overall feelings towards the book. Here, I'll split it up for you so it's easier to comprehend.

Beginning: Interesting, but being from the viewpoint of a man who never talks, only listens, and obviously has some hallucinating problems, can be incredibly confusing. However, once you realize that all the things he is seeing actually represent his emotional reaction to them, it not only becomes easier to understand, but amazing to read.

Middle: Action is interesting, although perhaps a tiny bit repetitive. With McMurphy bein' all high and mighty, it has a comedic effect, and the entire situation is interesting to watch at times. The situation changes near the end of this middle part, but then rises back up again at the end of this part. (I know, that last sentence wasn't confusing at all)

End: WOW! Seriously, I am at the risk of going into a coma due to an overdose of Crazy-Amazing. Like I said before, I'd love to tell you what happened, and hopefully Trent didn't ruin it for you in his blog (Gives Trent evil eye), but I really really REALLY recommend you read this book for yourself. Ken Kesey has proven himself to be an amazing author, and this is one of the best books I have ever read in my life.

Overall grade for the book? 99/100  A+!!!!!!

 PS: If you would like to see my specific reaction to the book's ending, you can look at the comment I made on Trent's final blog. DON'T LOOK IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ THE BOOK THOUGH! And I know all of you are going to read the book; so basically, the only people who can read the comment are those who have already read the book!

Well, finally onto my 3rd blog. Almost done with the book! yay!

It's been incredibly interesting, and is starting to reveal what's going to happen. My hypothesis? I think Bromden is going to do exactly as McMurphy said, and one day just scream out at the big nurse, or perhaps something similar to that. She'll totally be defeated then.

For a while, it seemed like McMurphy seemed to be losing this fight against the big nurse, as he realized that he was committed, and she controlled his sentence. However, I think he found it in the greater good to stop this oppression, and continued to fight out against her. He broke her window 3 times! That was quite funny in my opinion. Even on the third time, when he had to excuse, one of the acutes threw the basketball at the window to shatter it! Ha!

Also, Bromden has started to talk to McMurphy!! AHHH! CRAZYNESS!! He's the only person he's ever talked to! Wow. Interesting. He's apparently had a big effect on him. I find it funny how he feels so small, and yet he towers at 6'11" or something like that. He's literally a giant, and is afraid of upsetting anyone.

What's gunna happen next?! Well, a fishing trip for now.

So wow, it's over. I was really glad to see Vladek get out alive, even though we all already knew he did. The way the last part was written was really powerful too. I'm not even totally sure what to say, I mean, I really liked the book, and yet I'm pretty speechless on what to actually say. It's interesting.

Well, Vladek got out alive, after much hardship, and it was nice to see him get back together with Anja as well, and he got back together with Mala in real life. However, ending the book on a picture of a gravestone is never a really happy thing. It was a sad book, and even though comedic stuff was sprinkled throughout it, I didn't feel as if that was the main point of the book. Art wanted to tell his father's story, and I believe that's what he eventually achieved. The reader connects with Vladek, and the hardships he went through, not only because of the pictures given, but because of the sort-of non-chalant way he talked about it. He would seamlessly transition between the camps and his present worries, mostly about groceries.

Overall, I thought it was a very good book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It's definitely an interesting read, and gives an entirely different view of the holocaust.

I know, cutting the due time a little close, but here's my blog (still technically on time mind you)!

 So, I thought it was interesting how the Spiegelman brought himself into the comic strip in the second chapter. That was a very interesting effect. I liked seeing how he viewed the whole situation, as well as getting some background info as to how all the characters were related and how they ended up. Also, having each character in this little human part still wearing animal masks was pretty cool as well.

The first chapter also brought to light some more interesting dilemmas, like Mala leaving Vladek. These little key bits of information are interesting and are a nice change of pace as well. These two chapters have contained the most background info we've seen to date, and I think that's been pretty helpful. Overall, I'm interested to see what's going to go on next!

Well, I've read past part 2 of my choice novel now (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), and I have to say, I'm really really impressed. I can easily see why this is considered a classic American novel. The images that Ken Kesey paints are so amazingly vivid; it's beyond words at times.

Many times so far throughout the book, Bromden speaks of a fog that rolls through the institution. It covers up his eyes and makes it so he can't see anything except that which is very close. At first, the fog confused me, but now I understand that the fog is actually a symbol for the atmosphere of the hospital with McMurphy's influence. When he started to get all of the Acutes banded together, Bromden noticed that the following days, the fog machine 'must have been broken'. And he has also said that 'McMurphy seems to be unaffected by the fog.'

McMurphy starting to lead the Acutes and others is incredibly important. It not only symbolizes him vs. the Big Nurse, but all of them vs. the hospital.

"and we're all sitting there lined up in front of that blanked-out TV set, watching the gray screen just like we could see the baseball game clear as day, and she's ranting and screaming behind us." (144)

This talks about an incident when McMurphy wanted to watch the World Series, but the big nurse forced him to call a vote, in which even the vegetables and chronics votes were counted. It was obviously unfair, but Bromden raised his hand at the very last second, but the big nurse simply said that the vote was over and it was too late.

He's definitely taking a foothold in the society at the hospital, and it will be interesting to see what he does with it.

So, we've gone through book one, at breakneck speed if I may be quite blunt. I know it's the end of the year and all, but I wish I had a little more time to read this book more slowly, and take in all of the drawings, rather than trying to cram 80 pages worth of drawn panels into 2 days of reading. That, in addition to my free choice novel reading, is a challenge to keep up with.

However, this is not a declaration of my grievances, and I would like to talk about the book so far.

I think it's been pretty good, though I noticed in some people blog posts they specifically mentioned the fact that it's rather difficult to keep up with all of the places and names. I think in a normal English situation it would difficult to remember all of these things, but with these sort of Jewish names and German cities, (besides well known ones like Auschwitz) it becomes very difficult to remember where is where. I noted many specific times when Vladek finds someone we met a long time ago, and I'm just staring at the page confused because I don't recognize the names.

Overall though, it's rather interesting, especially the very last pages of the first book. We see a side of the father that goes against everything that he's shown us so far, and that goes the same for his son Artie. The book has shown us a very different sort of perspective on the war, from the viewpoint of these mice, and I think that it has worked quite well so far. I'm interested to see what the 2nd book will contain.

So, with AP exams and all that, it's been tough for me to actually get some reading in for my book, especially in the beginning. If you've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest you may know what I'm talking about. Well, the book is from the perspective of a clinically insane man, and is written wonderfully as such. However, it does make it a little hard to understand what is real and what is imaginary. At times, this is an amazing effect, adding even more emphasis to the scene. Other times, it's confusing as to what is really happening.

So far, McMurphy has come up with an inner desire to overthrow the Big Nurse's power and control over the entire ward. So far, it seems to be moving along quite well, showing his authority in not bowing to her. Bromden, our lovely gigantic narrator, is following McMurphy quite closely, but has still yet to say a single word, to anyone. He's put on the appearance that he's deaf, but McMurphy has actually found out that he's faking it! GASP!

 For my quote though, I really wanted to include this little tidbit, and even though it's sort of past the first 4th of the book, I found it so funny I actually laughed out loud. to give you a small bit of information on the scene, McMurphy, being the gambler he is, bet some people that he could hit the clock on the wall with a bit of butter. So he throws it, misses, and then the entire room is worried on whether the 'aides' will notice and get them in trouble. Of course, one military patient can't contain the urge mentally to hold himself back, points to is and says,

"The but-ter . . . is the Re-pub-li-can party. . . ."

It's just little things like this that make the whole depressing aspect of the institution come back to a more lighthearted and spirited tone. Another time like this included some mental patients playing monopoly, except one kept losing all of his money because he was hallucinating extra pieces on the board!

It's a very good book so far, and though difficult at times to read, should be very interesting as it continues.

Well, being the first graphic novel that I've ever read, I have to say that I'm not too disappointed. It's rather interesting. However, trying to pass off the accent through the book can get a little confusing at times.

Personally, I like the whole metaphor with rats and cats, (Ha! I rhymed!) It's original, while still letting the original message pervade. Since we've only read the first 3 chapters, it's a little difficult to talk about the book as a whole, but it seems to be quite good. However, there is always the fact that the father figure, the main character in the action, is still alive, and so we're left with the fact that no matter what he comes into contact with, he'll still survive. It makes me wonder what the second book could be about, because unless the father leaves some part of his story open about the war, I can't fathom what else they would talk about.

So far though, again, I say it's good.

 PS. we didn't talk in class yet about what is supposed to be in these blogs, but I just put a general reaction. I also didn't put a quote because I wasn't sure if we needed one, it being a graphic novel and not an actual book.

TOM

• In the beginning Tom is unsatisfied with his life. He feels that his mother is oppressing him. He likes to get out of the house, most of the time to the movies. He doesn't hate Laura, he is rather friendly with her, though wishes her to be more social as well.
• He doesn't like his mother. He thinks she's annoying and that she's ruining his young life. She expects him to provide for the family, while she makes Laura into the person that she wants her to become.
• Tom apologizes to his mother, and actually means it. He exhibits his displeasure with his situation, and comes up with a compromise with his mother. The deal is, if he can get a man to marry Laura, Amanda will allow Tom to leave.

• To Tom, Jim acts as living proof of what will happen to him if he does not get out of his house. Jim was set on the road to be successful, but somehow he became a mundane factory worker.

Wow, so it's actually over.

Well, Gatsby's dead (All of you just scrolling by on the homepage looking at this might be screaming "NOOO! I HAVEN'T READ THE CHAPTER YET!!! YOU RUINED IT FOR ME!" But hey, you shouldn't be on the blog about the book before you've finished the book....that's just ridiculous). I know, sad huh? But, I have to say, it was extremely weird just while reading it, because in my opinion, Fitzgerald COMPLETELY messed up the most important part of the end of the book. Don't know what I'm talking about, or perhaps were confused yourself? Well, here it is,

"It was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete." (162)

Now, an incredibly small number of you are probably saying, 'what? What's so complicated about that?' Well, that's what I thought at first, until I hit the next chapter and found out with a shock that GATSBY WAS DEAD! Why was I shocked you curiously inquire? It's because Fitzgerald never actually says what he should have said; something that would have been better is this: 'It was after we started with Gatsby's BODY toward the house...' Fitzgerald makes it sound as if Gatsby is just strolling right along beside them; giving me the image that he'd stopped Wilson, and then shot him. First of all, 'started' is not a very common word to be used in place of 'carried'. That's the prime reason. Secondly, Fitzgerald never comes out and says the word 'dead' until the next chapter. He gives this pretty picture of a pool with leaves, and unless you specifically read 'accidental burden' and understand that THAT'S Gatsby, then you would have no idea he's dead. Leaving such an important point in the Plot resting down on one or two words, isn't what I would call wise.

So here's the summarized version of it all: Wilson gets angry. Wilson grabs gun. Wilson threatens tom to say whose car was the yellow one. Tom tells him. Wilson eventually reaches Gatsby's house. Wilson shoots Gatsby. Gatsby floats around, just chilling. Wilson runs onto lawn, and...Well...feels the world's just not worth his time anymore.

Kind of a depressing ending, I'll admit it, but not the one I was expecting. To be honest, I thought Fitzgerald was going to put more of Daisy in here with the last chapters of the book, but he kind of just leaves her flying in the wind. We never really know what happens to her. In fact, the only people we DO know what happens to are Jordan and Tom, and personally, I couldn't really care less. It's not that I didn't like Jordan as a character, it's just that Fitzgerald never progressed her and Nick past a B-grade plot. It wasn't really interesting.

As for the Ending as a whole, I personally thought that a BIG chunk of that whole last chapter could have just been sheared off. I know it's important to see how people react to Gatsby's death, but the thing is, no one we cared about was around to actually REACT to it. Nick was the only one there, and this was when he showed the most emotion towards Gatsby...and that's not saying much. EVERYONE else was gone, and they couldn't have their desired reactions to this death. Perhaps it was to show that Gatsby was really destined to end up all alone, without Daisy, or something like that. In the end though, it just left a bitter taste in my mouth. It's like when you bite into a REALLY good apple, and then you keep going, saving this one shiny part for last, and then when you finally bite into it for that grand finale, it's all bruised and covered in sticky wax.

Overall, it was a good book, but it could have done without all that extra FLOOF at the end. As a whole, I would rate this book a good, solid, regularly exciting and occasionally disappointing 93, an A.

Vocab

-incorruptible (154)

-Incapable of being morally inferior or tainted

- the alchemist's dream was as incorruptible as the lead he worked with.

-stratum (149)

-a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers one upon another

-the stratum of the blanket enclosed the man with a warm embrace.