Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Book 2 of 100: Check


On September: "The month when the great fish come. Anyone can be a fisherman in May"


Oh Santiago!! Where do I begin with this book. This book of 127 pages, of easily written genius. Where do I begin.


It is fantastic! I mean... come on its written by the great Ernest Hemingway, should I have expected anything less? The old mans drive and perseverance was inspiring.


Day 85 was indeed lucky old man.


The book creates a lifetime of struggles wrapped up in 4 days. Starvation, pain, exhaustion. His willingness to continue in a fight to the end when all seems lost. Along with his harpoon, knife and in the end his fish. Returning after 4 days with nothing but a story, and the bones of a once 1500 pound marlin that wouldn't fit in his boat. A marlin that pulled him out to sea for days until he finally prevailed and caught his fish. The journey home was difficult, but once there, you experience what life is all about. A roof over your head, and having someone to love you. That was all that mattered.


I enjoyed this book. It showed me that sometimes, regardless of the outcome, the fight is worth it.

1984 By George Orwell

Book 1 of 100: Check


WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH


I started with this book for a few reasons: first, my boyfriend had just finished reading it. Second, it was on my list. Yeah that is about it.


It took me about a week to get though the first 20 pages of this book. I would literally fall asleep somewhere between page 7 and 15. I didn't feel as though it was poorly written, but the book is definitely not my typical fiction novel. As a fan of Harry Potter and Twilight one could imagine a book about a cruel utopia, to be something rather different than my norm. But once I got through those first 20 pages. I was in. The use of language made the book is very vivid. He paints a picture of this disgusting world so well, you begin to look over your shoulder.


Here is my favorite example of this: after six days of this, when the great orgasm was quivering to its climax and the general hatred of Eurasia had boiled up into such delirium that if the crowd could have got their hands on the 2,000 Eurasian war-criminals who were to be publicly hanged on the last day of the proceedings, they would unquestionably have torn them to pieces -- at just this moment it had been announced that Oceania was not after all at war with Eurasia. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Eurasia was an ally. (chills)


The believable culture that George Orwell created felt vaguely familiar. In a world where we are watched, with our GPS enabled cell phones and traceable emails, I began to relate to the frustrations the main character, Winston, would experience. Winston, felt real. I worried for him. My heart would race at the thought of him being noticed as an outsider, or the thought of him being caught falling in love with a woman, a relationship that wasn't approved by the party. His false sense of security was astounding. For the first 1/4 of the book, he was overly careful; constantly watching his back and making sure he wasn't making any mistakes. And when you least expect it, a person he thought he could trust, turned out to be exactly what he feared. His guard was down--he made a mistake.


The Ministry of Love sequence left me on edge. I was (shit...am)so afraid of the mind fuck they were subjecting him to. Ripping him apart and reshaping him as a minion was mind boggling. The thought of a government reshaping the past in order to have control of the future was intense.


"He who controls the past, controls the future; and he who controls the present, controls the past."


I have to say that this book was amazing. A great lead into my exciting task of tackling some of the best literature ever written. If you haven't read this book. Do. Because. Big Brother is Watching. Indeed.

New Year Resolution

Every year I feel as though I always resolve to do the same thing. To get into better shape. To eat better. Blah blah.


This year I really thought about what I wanted, and I came up with many things.


1st: To read the list of 100 best books ever written I have stumbled upon. (I dont expect to get all 100 completed in one year)
2nd: To climb a 14er by the end of the Summer. 2 - 5 Preferred. (which is requiring me to train and eat healthier)
3rd: To make the most of my time with my kids.
4th: To always look for a positive resolution, even when everything feels impossible.


So there you have it. Those are the things I'd like to accomplish. :-)

Quotes

Write to be understood. Speak to be heard. Read to learn
 

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