I finished reading Catching Fire, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, a while ago, but I was too busy to write a review until recently. As I just finished reading the last book, Mockingjay, I decided to do two reviews in one, for a number of reasons. To be frank, one of those reasons was that I wasn't really willing to write a whole review for either book, especially Mockingjay.
I began reading Catching Fire eagerly, since I had really enjoyed The Hunger Games. But my enthusiasm swiftly began to ebb. The Hunger Games had had a good plot. Sure, it wasn't Tolkien, but the story seemed to be carefully thought out and written. Catching Fire, on the other hand, was, well . . . not the same. It just seemed like an assortment of ideas thrown together and somehow tied into a story. Maybe that's not entirely fair - once the story finally got going, it was pretty good. But Collins took far too long, I think, to set the stage. The book didn't really get exciting until halfway through.
Other things in Catching Fire bugged me, too. These were mostly annoying writing details; for example, there are two characters who seem to be awkwardly crammed into the story for almost no reason at all. In my opinion, Collins should have just written them out - it would have been pretty easy to do. I wasn't too keen on the whole "love triangle" thing, either (for those of you who have only read The Hunger Games - you knew it was bound to happen. Peeta. Gale. Oh, which will Katniss choose? *rolls eyes*). It gets a bit old after the first two or three chapters.
And then Mockingjay. Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed the epilogue. It was a sweet and somewhat satisfying ending to the series. But I really wish that the rest of the book had been as good.
Okay, the epilogue wasn't the only good part of Mockingjay - as I read the beginning, I had hopes that Catching Fire was just an awkward transition. Sadly, it wasn't. The writing, again, wasn't nearly as good as the first book, and the plot was not too great either, and I didn't like any of the main characters any more. They had all changed too much, and I couldn't relate to any of them. Another downer was that Suzanne Collins kept on killing off characters. Lots of characters. Including the ones who were still likeable. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that it's a good idea not to get very attached to any of the characters.
In conclusion, I wan't impressed by the last two books in The Hunger Games trilogy. I don't think I'll read them again, and I wouldn't really recommend them to anyone. If you really want to find out how the story ends, then go ahead and read them, but I wouldn't buy them - just borrow the books from the library. And if you're really busy and don't want to read any books that won't be really enjoyable and worth your while - Cliff's Notes, anyone?
19 May, 2013
25 April, 2013
Portland's Lost Waterfront
I apologize for taking so long to write another review. I have been very busy lately, and have had little enough time to read, much less to blog. With that said, I shall proceed share my thoughts on Portland's Lost Waterfront: Tall Ships, Steam Mills, and Sailors' Boardinghouses, by Barney Blalock.
My godfather, Barney Blalock, is a well-spring of information on many things, but especially on Portland, Oregon. When it comes to Portland's history, he is literally a walking encyclopedia. So when he wrote a book on the subject, I was quite excited. I have already read numerous children's books written by him (all of which are wonderful), and I looked forward very much to a history of the Portland waterfront by such a knowledgeable and talented writer.
Portland's Lost Waterfront exceeded my expectations. It was an excellent, highly informing, and very enjoyable book. (I'm usually not the kind of person who likes to sit down and read non-fiction for fun, so this is high praise indeed.) I learned so much about the Willamette River, the shipping and grain industry in Portland, bridges, shanghaiing, and of course the infamous (and non-existent) shanghai tunnels of Portland.
I also learned a great deal about the origins of Portland. Before reading the book, I had only a very fuzzy idea of how the city came to be what it is today. After reading the book, I felt completely different! I now know about the little troubles faced by the little village of Portland in its early days, the "Can't Get Away Club" that stayed in Portland during the California gold rush, and rapid growth of the little town into an inland seaport. It is a really fascinating story, and I was glad to learn about it.
Then, of course, there are the infamous sailors' boardinghouse masters: Jim Turk, Bunco Kelly, "Mysterious" Billy Smith, and the like. The stories of these scoundrels, who are now the stuff of legends, were fascinating.
Barney Blalock is an excellent writer, and his book was a joy to read. He has thoroughly researched his topic, and he shares a wealth of knowledge with the reader. Portland's Lost Waterfront was a very enjoyable and educational read from a wonderful author, and I highly recommend it.
Note: For those who would like to know even more about the Portland waterfront, I recommend Barney Blalock's blog: The Portland Waterfront History Blog. He is frequently adding more interesting information on the city of Portland--almost enough to write another book--there.
My godfather, Barney Blalock, is a well-spring of information on many things, but especially on Portland, Oregon. When it comes to Portland's history, he is literally a walking encyclopedia. So when he wrote a book on the subject, I was quite excited. I have already read numerous children's books written by him (all of which are wonderful), and I looked forward very much to a history of the Portland waterfront by such a knowledgeable and talented writer.
Portland's Lost Waterfront exceeded my expectations. It was an excellent, highly informing, and very enjoyable book. (I'm usually not the kind of person who likes to sit down and read non-fiction for fun, so this is high praise indeed.) I learned so much about the Willamette River, the shipping and grain industry in Portland, bridges, shanghaiing, and of course the infamous (and non-existent) shanghai tunnels of Portland.
I also learned a great deal about the origins of Portland. Before reading the book, I had only a very fuzzy idea of how the city came to be what it is today. After reading the book, I felt completely different! I now know about the little troubles faced by the little village of Portland in its early days, the "Can't Get Away Club" that stayed in Portland during the California gold rush, and rapid growth of the little town into an inland seaport. It is a really fascinating story, and I was glad to learn about it.
Then, of course, there are the infamous sailors' boardinghouse masters: Jim Turk, Bunco Kelly, "Mysterious" Billy Smith, and the like. The stories of these scoundrels, who are now the stuff of legends, were fascinating.
Barney Blalock is an excellent writer, and his book was a joy to read. He has thoroughly researched his topic, and he shares a wealth of knowledge with the reader. Portland's Lost Waterfront was a very enjoyable and educational read from a wonderful author, and I highly recommend it.
Note: For those who would like to know even more about the Portland waterfront, I recommend Barney Blalock's blog: The Portland Waterfront History Blog. He is frequently adding more interesting information on the city of Portland--almost enough to write another book--there.
11 March, 2013
The Hunger Games
I usually don't read popular modern fiction. It just doesn't appeal to me. I tried, a couple of years ago, to read the Harry Potter books, but I only got a few chapters into the first one before I stopped. It was just, in my opinion, too boring and badly written. I think that's actually the only popular fiction I've read; the kind of books that fall in that category hold no interest for me.
When I heard about The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, I must admit that I thought to myself, "Here we go again. Yet another badly written book that everybody's going crazy about." But then friends started to recommend the book to me. Oh, no, they said, it's not badly written. The idea is really interesting, and it's actually a very good book. So I decided last week that it was time I read The Hunger Games.
When I started reading, I was really quite surprised. The book was actually good! Well-written, interesting plot, much more unpredictable than I thought it would be.... I ended up devouring it in three days. Now I can't wait to read the other two books in the trilogy!
The first thing that surprised me about The Hunger Games was the writing. Collins skillfully uses an unusual writing style--the book is written in the first person and present tense, with frequent flashbacks--that quickly drew me into the story. Which brings me to the next thing: the plot. When I first heard what the book was about*, I was sure that it would be very predictable. There were certain things that would inevitably happen. How wrong I was! From the very first few chapters, I found that the plot had all sorts of twists and turns, some minor, some not so much. All of them were good. The book was also not quite as bloody and violent as I expected. Collins, in my opinion, handled the fight-to-the-death part of the story well.
The characters were also very compelling. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, is very complex and interesting. The supporting characters, too, are quite appealing. From Prim to Cinna to Effie Trinket, I can't imagine the book without any of them.
Another thing I really liked about The Hunger Games was the Roman and mythological influence. The idea of tributes is very similar to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. And the Hunger Games themselves are simply modern gladiator fights. I've always loved Greek and Roman mythology, and I loved the way Collins wove this into her story.
In conclusion, The Hunger Games was very good--much better than I expected them to be. I enjoyed it very much indeed, and I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series!
*For those of you who don't know what The Hunger Games is about, here's a brief synopsis.
Once, North America was a continent. But now, after the oceans have swallowed up so much of the land, all that's left is Panem--a country ruled by the Capitol, a city of wealth and plenty, where the people look on while the inhabitants of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol starve to death. Years ago, the districts rose up in rebellion. But the Capitol defeated them, and now they are worse off than before. For now, on top of the poverty and hunger, they have the Hunger Games: the Capitol's form of punishment for the rebellion. The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. Two "tributes", one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, are selected from each district. They are taken to the Capitol and forced to fight to the death in an enormous arena, while camera crews film every minute for the inhabitants of the Capitol to watch for entertainment.
Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen-year-old from District Twelve, one of the poorest districts. She's already a survivor--the death of her father when she was eleven has forced her to be--but when she finds herself in the Hunger Games, surviving becomes a lot harder. She's going to have to use every one of her skills if she wants to stay alive. And even that might not be enough. Because this is, after all, the Hunger Games, and the odds are not always in your favour.
When I heard about The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, I must admit that I thought to myself, "Here we go again. Yet another badly written book that everybody's going crazy about." But then friends started to recommend the book to me. Oh, no, they said, it's not badly written. The idea is really interesting, and it's actually a very good book. So I decided last week that it was time I read The Hunger Games.
When I started reading, I was really quite surprised. The book was actually good! Well-written, interesting plot, much more unpredictable than I thought it would be.... I ended up devouring it in three days. Now I can't wait to read the other two books in the trilogy!
The first thing that surprised me about The Hunger Games was the writing. Collins skillfully uses an unusual writing style--the book is written in the first person and present tense, with frequent flashbacks--that quickly drew me into the story. Which brings me to the next thing: the plot. When I first heard what the book was about*, I was sure that it would be very predictable. There were certain things that would inevitably happen. How wrong I was! From the very first few chapters, I found that the plot had all sorts of twists and turns, some minor, some not so much. All of them were good. The book was also not quite as bloody and violent as I expected. Collins, in my opinion, handled the fight-to-the-death part of the story well.
The characters were also very compelling. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, is very complex and interesting. The supporting characters, too, are quite appealing. From Prim to Cinna to Effie Trinket, I can't imagine the book without any of them.
Another thing I really liked about The Hunger Games was the Roman and mythological influence. The idea of tributes is very similar to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. And the Hunger Games themselves are simply modern gladiator fights. I've always loved Greek and Roman mythology, and I loved the way Collins wove this into her story.
In conclusion, The Hunger Games was very good--much better than I expected them to be. I enjoyed it very much indeed, and I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series!
*For those of you who don't know what The Hunger Games is about, here's a brief synopsis.
Once, North America was a continent. But now, after the oceans have swallowed up so much of the land, all that's left is Panem--a country ruled by the Capitol, a city of wealth and plenty, where the people look on while the inhabitants of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol starve to death. Years ago, the districts rose up in rebellion. But the Capitol defeated them, and now they are worse off than before. For now, on top of the poverty and hunger, they have the Hunger Games: the Capitol's form of punishment for the rebellion. The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. Two "tributes", one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, are selected from each district. They are taken to the Capitol and forced to fight to the death in an enormous arena, while camera crews film every minute for the inhabitants of the Capitol to watch for entertainment.
Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen-year-old from District Twelve, one of the poorest districts. She's already a survivor--the death of her father when she was eleven has forced her to be--but when she finds herself in the Hunger Games, surviving becomes a lot harder. She's going to have to use every one of her skills if she wants to stay alive. And even that might not be enough. Because this is, after all, the Hunger Games, and the odds are not always in your favour.
04 February, 2013
The Poetry of Robert Burns
I fear I have not posted anything in quite some time; the reason for this is that I have been busy of late, and have not made much progress in the books that I am reading. However, I thought that it was high time I posted something, so I shall give a brief review of some of the poetry of Romantic poet Robert Burns.
I'm not very fond of poetry; some of it is tolerable, but in most cases I'd much rather have a good novel than the best poem ever written. I do enjoy "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", Dante's "Inferno"(translation by Robert Pinsky), and the Tolkien translations of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Sir Orfeo" (all of which are stories, and good ones, which doubtless has something to do with my enjoyment of them), as well as most of the alliterative verse that I have seen, but most other poetry is frankly not my cup of tea. However, when I first came across some the poetry of Robert Burns, I found myself, quite to my surprise, enjoying it immensely.
The vast majority of Burns' poems are written in the Scottish Dialect, as he called it. It is rather hard to understand, and I highly recommend finding an edition of his poetry that includes a glossary if you intend to read much of it. Yet it has a certain kind of simple, quaint, charming beauty to it; it seems to be a remnant of a forgotten time. Indeed, at times it seems almost to be another language, not unlike English, but certainly not the same language that most of us speak on a day-to-day basis.
Burns also wrote most of his poems using traditional rhyming. I usually tire easily of this kind of rhyme in poetry (excepting, of course, poetry written for children), but in Burns' work it fits perfectly. Together with the Scottish dialect that is used, it gives the poetry a certain charm and appeal.
In conclusion, I have very much enjoyed all of the Robert Burns poetry that I have read so far, and I recommend highly. Burns is a highly versatile poet, and he is able to lend to all his poetry the very essence of Scotland and all its traditions and charms; every poem has this feel, whether it be a letter, a song, a lament, an epitaph, or an Address to a Haggis.
I'm not very fond of poetry; some of it is tolerable, but in most cases I'd much rather have a good novel than the best poem ever written. I do enjoy "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", Dante's "Inferno"(translation by Robert Pinsky), and the Tolkien translations of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Sir Orfeo" (all of which are stories, and good ones, which doubtless has something to do with my enjoyment of them), as well as most of the alliterative verse that I have seen, but most other poetry is frankly not my cup of tea. However, when I first came across some the poetry of Robert Burns, I found myself, quite to my surprise, enjoying it immensely.
The vast majority of Burns' poems are written in the Scottish Dialect, as he called it. It is rather hard to understand, and I highly recommend finding an edition of his poetry that includes a glossary if you intend to read much of it. Yet it has a certain kind of simple, quaint, charming beauty to it; it seems to be a remnant of a forgotten time. Indeed, at times it seems almost to be another language, not unlike English, but certainly not the same language that most of us speak on a day-to-day basis.
Burns also wrote most of his poems using traditional rhyming. I usually tire easily of this kind of rhyme in poetry (excepting, of course, poetry written for children), but in Burns' work it fits perfectly. Together with the Scottish dialect that is used, it gives the poetry a certain charm and appeal.
In conclusion, I have very much enjoyed all of the Robert Burns poetry that I have read so far, and I recommend highly. Burns is a highly versatile poet, and he is able to lend to all his poetry the very essence of Scotland and all its traditions and charms; every poem has this feel, whether it be a letter, a song, a lament, an epitaph, or an Address to a Haggis.
15 December, 2012
Jack and Jill
A while ago, I was at my grandparents' house, when I noticed on a bookshelf an old book. I naturally picked it up, since I love any and all old books. The title was Jack and Jill: A Village Story, and the author, Louisa May Alcott. I have read and greatly enjoyed all the books in the Little Women series, but I had never heard of this Alcott book. Curious, I began to read.
I found the first chapter very fast-moving, and intrigued, I read on. The book is a relatively light read, so ever since, I have been reading it in spare moments when I am tired, but not in the mood for Sherlock Holmes. I recently finished it and decided to share what I thought of it.
Jack and Jill begins with a sledding accident, in which the two main characters, Jack Minot and Janey Pecq (nicknamed Jill for her friendship with Jack) are injured. Jack suffers a broken leg, but Jill's back is seriously injured, leaving her bed-ridden for a much longer time than Jack.
In the months after the accident, Jack and Jill, with their many friends, learn many important life lessons. Jill learns to accept the fact that it will be a long time before she is able to walk again, though very unwillingly at first. Jack learns patience, when his hurt leg, even when nearly healed, prevents him from living the very active life he was accustomed to. The other children also learn many similar things, and experience happiness, grief, fear, and courage, among other things.
Jack and Jill is, for lack of a better term, "very Louisa May Alcott". It is almost preachy in parts, but is delightfully charming. I thought it quite a good book, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
I found the first chapter very fast-moving, and intrigued, I read on. The book is a relatively light read, so ever since, I have been reading it in spare moments when I am tired, but not in the mood for Sherlock Holmes. I recently finished it and decided to share what I thought of it.
Jack and Jill begins with a sledding accident, in which the two main characters, Jack Minot and Janey Pecq (nicknamed Jill for her friendship with Jack) are injured. Jack suffers a broken leg, but Jill's back is seriously injured, leaving her bed-ridden for a much longer time than Jack.
In the months after the accident, Jack and Jill, with their many friends, learn many important life lessons. Jill learns to accept the fact that it will be a long time before she is able to walk again, though very unwillingly at first. Jack learns patience, when his hurt leg, even when nearly healed, prevents him from living the very active life he was accustomed to. The other children also learn many similar things, and experience happiness, grief, fear, and courage, among other things.
Jack and Jill is, for lack of a better term, "very Louisa May Alcott". It is almost preachy in parts, but is delightfully charming. I thought it quite a good book, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
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