Book 139: A Clockwork Orange and Book Stats.

Title: A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess (1917-1993)

First Published: 1962

My Edition: Norton Paperback (seen at left)

Pages: 212

Other Works Include: Time for a Tiger (1956), The Enemy in the Blanket (1958), Beds in the East (1959), The Worm and the Ring (1960), Honey for the Bears (1963), A Vision of Battlements (1965), Abba Abba (1977), Earthly Powers (1980)

I decided that while I am chugging slowly along in Nicholas Nickleby I should start something a little smaller for Adam's Magical March Event. After looking at the titles I had on my list, this one seemed to jump out at me as being one that would suck me in.

I don't know too much about this one, beyond that fact that it is a dystopian and that it is on the weird side. I remember a friend in high school reading this for AP English, and he said it was crazy! I think I've also heard that there is some crazy slang and such. That's about it. But since I like dystopia and weird, I'm sure I'll find something to like in this one. :)

Anyone read this one before? Any advice for me as I tackle it?

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

When I first heard about this title, I was so excited to get my hands on it. Perhaps it was the idea of a dystopian society where love is outlawed, or the hype, but I felt this was a contemporary book that I would sink my teeth into and love.

I ended up getting a copy from my husband and I read the novel this weekend during my "Outta the Rut Readathon." And to give you a first impression of what I thought, let me tell you the following: I read the first half and set the book down for a lunch break. And then I didn't want to pick the book back up again. I just didn't want to finish it.

But I did finish it. I wanted to be able to say that I had so I can explain why I didn't like it.

I feel I should first say that there was no problem with the actual writing. Oliver is good at her craft and writes in a way that immediately draws in her reader. I was sucked in for the first few chapters. And, it was only the writing ability that kept me engaged. Otherwise I never would have finished the book.

So why didn't I like it?

I think it all comes down to two points. First, the story was incredibly predictable. I knew where Oliver was headed and guessed the ending halfway through. There was only one direction that Oliver could have taken it...and that's where she went. In addition, we could guess what Lena (the MC) was going to do. Oh, her friend who she hasn't talked to in a month is in trouble? OF COURSE she's going to go after her. Like I said, predictable.

The "twists" were also predictable. The fact is, so many authors use "twists" to "shock" their readers that they are worn out and ill-used. There must be some school of thought where authors say, "I know that my readers won't expect this!" so they do it. The problem is, every author, particularly in dystopians, uses these twists. They don't surprise us anymore.

When I finished, I felt like I had read a novel that I had read before. There were the same basic plot conventions, the same quirks, and the same outcome. I was not impressed.

My other big problem with the novel was the pacing. It felt off to me. At times there was too much description, and other times, not enough. Sometimes the action was heavy and intense, and other portions seemed to crawl forward. It annoyed me. A more specific example is the end of the book. The last few scenes exploded and only lasted a few pages. When I finished I couldn't help thinking, "Ummm, what happened? Did I miss something?" Oliver sped too quickly through the action.

I want you all to know that I have nothing against Oliver, YA, or dystopians. I don't review YA here regularly, and I haven't read a great deal of it recently because of my own classics project. But I have read a LOT of YA and dystopian novels in the past, and before this current stream of them has come out. But I find they are getting tired. There are too many and they seem to be recycling the same plot points and conventions-just like paranormal YA titles. It is what happens-there is a cycle.

Why do you think stream-of-consciousness writing done by Faulkner and Woolf died out? Partly because it is a difficult technique to master, but also because as a genre, the market was saturated in their lifetime. Think of cheesy horror films-they have had a heyday but gradually they are dying out. The point is, after a number of years and MANY versions of the same basic plot, audiences get tired of it and move on to the next thing.

I think the whole dystopian genre is on its way out. But, that's my opinion and I can be completely wrong.

Going back to Delirium, I think I might read the sequel, even with all this being said. I am curious to see where Oliver takes it (and to see if I'm right), but I'm not sure. I think I may just be jaded in regards to contemporary literature and YA (similar to Jillian's recent experience). Don't let my biased and grumptastic opinion deter you from reading this. After all, I read this shortly after reading Oliver Twist and Siddhartha. Perhaps not a good mix?

What did you think of this one if you read it? For those of you who read "heavy" fiction a lot, how has is "spoiled" escapist reading for you?

Book List Meme: February 2, 2010.

Okay, it is time for a weekly book Meme hosted by Rebecca at Lost in Books. Each week a topic is posted that must be answered by the titles and pictures of 3 books.

This week's topic?

3 Books I Read When I Need a Good Cry

I found this to be a real difficult topic because I am not a big crier! But, I looked and decided on these three! Enjoy!

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: I have a lot of love for this book. I purchased it on a whim and ended up reading it during one shift at the park (I was sitting in the permit booth all day). By the end of the day and the end of my shift, I was teary eyed and stuck in Zusak's world. It is about a girl living in Germany in World War II and the lives of the people around her. What makes this book so outstanding is that it is narrated by Death.




2. The Giver by Lois Lowry: I read this in school in the fifth grade and I fell in love. For me, this is the ultimate dystopian novel and no other can stand up to this. Jonas lives in a world with no color, no music, and no memories beyond his own life. At his 12 year ceremony, Jonas is told he will be the next Receiver of Memories. He then learns about the past through the reception of memories and is forever changed.




3. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman: This had to be included on my list. I love Whitman and his use of language. It is always inspiring and sad. This volume of poems got me through both of my grandparents' deaths and it is something I always turn to in times of need. I am not always such a huge fan of poetry, but Whitman's words really touch my heart.

Thursday Treat #6: Feed by M.T. Anderson

For this week's "Thursday Treat," I decided to continue with the focus I had last week on literature for teenage boys. Like I said in last week's post, finding good young adult literature geared towards boys is very difficult. Book shelves are stocked with interesting things for girls and the variety is very good, but not so much for boys. In their teenage years, most boys pull away from reading. I think a large part of that is a lack of suitable reading material.

I read Feed by M.T. Anderson as an assignment for a teacher education class at Michigan State. For this assignment, we all picked a book from a list based on a description, then worked in small groups to create lessons. Since Feed is science-fiction and most of the girls (okay, all except me) in my section hated Sci-fi, I was the only girl in my group with 4 guys. We all loved the book and when it came time to create lessons, we really talked about the two things we all loved: the technology and the fact that it seemed like something teenage boys would like.

But, I also really liked the novel. At first I was kind of afraid of the depth of Anderson's world. Right from the beginning the reader is thrown into this dystopian society where lesions are the height of fashion and slang is overly abundant. Right away action hits and the reader is hooked.

The "Feed" is actually a device that almost every individual has implanted at a young age. The feed is essentially a technological device that allows the person who has it to have the internet directly in their head. In this world, you don't even necessarily have to talk to another individual, you can simply chat via the feed. Schools are owned by corporations and since the students have total access to any information they want at any moment, schools don't teach anything, but gear products towards their students. Ads flash up in front of the feeds and direct themselves to the things you talk about in chat mode, or what you search.

It is a world dominated by technology.

Titus, the main character, shows us this world through his observations of the events of him and his friends. None of them seem to care that the corporations have control over their lives and can hack into their brains to target them for products.

This all changes when Titus meets Violet, a girl who thinks about things a little differently.

The result is a book that challenges the reader to think hard about the impact of technology as well as consumerism. When we were creating our lessons in that class project, we focused a lot on those two themes. All of us were deeply moved by the story and the ending and hoped that we could one day teach the novel.

To give you a small taste of Feed, here are some favorite lines;

"We Americans are interested only in the consumption of our products. We have no interest in how they are produced, or what happens to them once we discard them, once we throw them away."

"The natural world is so adaptable...So adaptable you wonder what's natural."

"I am messaging you to say that I love you, and that you're completely wrong about me thinking you're stupid. I always thought you could teach me things. I was always waiting. You're not like the others. You say things that no one expects you to. You think you're stupid. You want to be stupid. But you're someone people could learn from."

If you like YA fiction, dystopian worlds, or science fiction, this is the novel for you.



I will warn you, however, that there is a lot of language in this novel. Be prepared for it because it'll surprise you.