Quick Update for Sunday April 8, 2012.

This will be a quick post-mainly because I have a large pile of papers to grade tonight (thankfully I don't have school tomorrow, but I want to have some "me" time tomorrow).

I had intentions of posting more this week, but we were busy, and time got away from me. I have quite a few things I will be writing about this week-more thoughts on Clarissa, a review of Shusaku Endo's Volcano, thoughts on Ender's Game (the next book I am reading with my lower-level kids), and some other bits and pieces.

I hope you all had a great week, and another one coming up. :)

Book 140: Finished.

“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” 

It starts with the finding of a journal by an old scientist, which inspires our narrator's uncle to go on a journey in search of whether it is possible to reach the center of the Earth.

I was really excited when I started this. I had loved Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea when I read it this summer, so I knew I was going to be in for a Vernian treat. I've also been teaching a small science-fiction unit in my sophomore English class, and since I talk a lot about Verne, it was fitting that I read one of his novels.

But...

I had to force myself to read this one. Perhaps it was the timing-with school stuff piling up, random drama elsewhere, me being distracted from reading-but I really didn't feel this book calling to me from my nightstand. By the time I finally finished it, I realized that there were a lot of things that I wanted to happen in the book that didn't. I expected the narrator to be like the narrator in Leagues, smart, educated, and determined. Instead, I had a whiny boy who complained almost the entire time they were on the journey. Say what you will, but if the main protagonist isn't interesting, then the book won't call to you.

I also struggled with the believability of this one. I was fine with all the science, etc that was presented in Leagues. It made sense, and it translated well to modern time. Everything here, didn't. I didn't buy that they could climb down miles into the Earth with no change in temperature, or that there would be a cavern in the middle of the earth with a sea-complete with sea monsters. I think that when this was published, people would have bought into that aspect of the book. It just didn't come across as powerful or as magical in modern times. We know that the middle of the Earth is molten and extremely hot, so that logical sense of myself couldn't buy into the magical qualities of the land below ours.

I also felt the book lacked just a little something to draw me in. There was a great sense of wonder in Leagues that wasn't here. This might connect to the horrid narrator, but nothing was presented in that mystical sense that I so admired in Verne's other book.

By the time I finished, I was just grateful to be done with it. This is just a book that didn't come across right to me as a modern reader, but I do see how it could have inspired many when it was first published. I think that acknowledging there might be other worlds out there would have drawn people in.

It just didn't work for me.

“We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.”

Clarissa Update #1:

I figured I would stop in with a small update on how the first two days' reading of Clarissa has gone.

I started the behemoth yesterday while we were waiting in the airport for our flight. I managed a good 20 or so pages before we boarded the plane, and then I attempted to read some more during the flight. The problem was trying to keep the book open while we were flying. The book is HEAVY, so it kept slipping out of my grasp and slamming onto my tray table. Not a good experience.

I picked it up again this afternoon before I took a nap (haven't been sleeping well). I was on my back reading, with the book propped up on my stomach/chest. It was fine until the book slipped, slammed forward, and hit me on the face and nose. I yelped a little, since it hurt. Then I got a headache and now I am eying it warily from where I am sitting at the table in our hotel room. I think the book is best read while I am sitting up, since my hands can't seem to hold a grip on 1450 pages on one side and a mere 50 on the other. Perhaps when that evens out I'll be a bit better.

Anyway, I'm starting to doubt my ability to read the whole thing in 30 days, but I am going to keep pushing forward. I actually really like what I've read so far, so at least the content is engaging. I'm just intimidated by the size, you know?

My two main counterparts seem to be doing okay based on their Goodreads status, so maybe they'll have better luck. ;)

Reading Check-In (March and Plans for April):

I wanted to briefly check-in on my (lack of) accomplishments in reading for the month of March. I had high hopes going into the month, especially with regards to Adam's Magical March Event. But with starting a new job the first week of the month to other chaotic events, I really didn't get through as many classics as I had hoped.

I was fairly successful in reading things related to school, as you'll see by the list. My juniors in my Exploring Literature class want to read Catching Fire once the seniors leave halfway through May, so I decided to read through once more to be a little more familiar with it. Then I had to finish out the story, so I crammed a reread of Mockingjay in on Saturday.

Anyway, here is what I read in March:

1. The Girl who was on Fire edited by Leah Wilson (Read to plan for The Hunger Games unit I'm teaching) 
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
3. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 
4. Journey to the Center of the Earth  by Jules Verne
5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
6. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Yep, a month dominated by books not on my classics reading list. And while normally I would beat myself up for it, I know that it was for a good purpose. :)

Anyway, in April I have a few more plans. I am tackling Clarissa for a month-long readalong. I am also reading Ender's Game, The Color of Water, and The Crucible for my classes, so I need to reread them as well. I've also accepted a couple of books from publishing houses (I know, out of character for me), so I'll get to those as well.

I'm aware that the above probably sounds crazy to you. I'm going to be incredibly busy and all over the place this month. But, I feel like I finally have a handle on school and what I need to do there to be productive with my kids. I'm hoping that I'll have a solid balance between home and school once we go back in a week.

Anyway, nothing is official, and I'm not sure I'll even stick to these plans. I'm debating ignoring all the challenges I signed up for at the end of last year and just reading what grabs me for the next few months, but I'll have to see. I'm still working through what I want my blog to be.

Let me know what your plans are for the month!

April 1: Starting Clarissa.

Today is April 1, and you know what that means (and no, I'm not talking about April Fool's Day). Today I begin reading Samuel Richardson's Clarissa with Jillian and Adam.

I have been excited about reading this since Jillian and I talked about it last fall. There is something a little daunting about reading one of the longest books in the English language in 30 days (the book is close to a million words. To put it in perspective, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is about 565,000 words, War and Peace is about 587,000 words, and Les Miserables is about 530,000 words). But, I think we can all handle it, as long as we get lots of cheering on.

I know there are a few others who are also going to tackle this one with us (you can go to this post to see who else is jumping on board). I'm not sure when I'll be posting. We all decided to tackle this one on our own and see how we do. I'm sure I'll update every few days. ;)

If you want to join in, you can download all 12 files of the book on Project Gutenberg, or order the 5 lb. Penguin edition. ;) That makes it sound more exciting, doesn't it?

Wish us luck!