Book 67: Finished.

Wow. That was a doozy of a book. Well, 55 pages.

Gregor wakes up to find himself transformed into a hideous bug. This causes a lot of a problems since Gregor is the sole breadwinner in his family and now cannot leave the house for work.

His family's reaction varies. At some points they are disgusted with what he has become. At others, I saw that they felt sympathy. And anger.

As the only individual in a family with a large and heavy weight on his shoulders, Gregor has long taken care of the people in his house. Now, with him locked in his bedroom, he must watch to see how they will survive.

Imagine how it must feel to work hard every day to survive and support your family, but suddenly become incapacitated, unable to help any longer. Now imagine how it must feel to watch that same struggling family, unable to work before, thrive without you there.

That is what Gregor faces as he wastes his life away in his bedroom and watches. His family, not under his care and devotion any longer, seem to do better without him. What kind of life is that?

This story, while downright weird at points, is incredibly touching. From Gregor's point of view we see him go from the cherished hero of the household, to a disturbance and embarrassment, to a being who wastes space. You feel for him and he realizes the hurt and anger he is causing his family. But there is nothing that can be done for him.

You have to wonder though, why the family never helped him before. If they were struggling so much under Gregor's care, why didn't they go back to work sooner? I am sure that is the one question that will always be debated and it offers a lot to think about.

In all, I was surprised at how much I truly enjoyed this little novella. It was weird, quirky, but emotionally powerful. I cannot wait to tackle more Kafka.

Book 67: Book Stats and The Metamorphosis.

Title: The Metamorphosis

Author: Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

First Published: 1915

My Edition: Bantam Classic (seen at left)

Pages: The novella is 55 pages, but supplemental material brings the book up to 194 pages

Other Works Include: The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926), Amerika (1927), and many essays, etc.

I am slightly intimidated by anything that has its own label (I am speaking of the term "Kafkaesque"). That's intimidating and tells me that I might not get all out of the writing that I should (says some scholars).

But this story has always intrigued me and the little I know sounds like a cheesy 80's horror flick. A man wakes up to find himself transformed into a bug of all things. How can this be literary genius?

I suppose that is what I will find out. I should point out that at some point in the future I am also reading The Trial, which I hope is not about insects.

Penguin Clothbound Winners!

Wow! I was so excited to see that so many of you wanted to win one of the lovely Penguin clothbounds I put up for grabs! There were 66 entries, which is far more than any other giveaway I've hosted. And I know I said that once I hit 25 entries I would select another winner. And I mean to.

But I got to talking to Matt (the husband) and since I was so astonished that there was so much interest, I'm tacking on another winner. So yes, you read that right, I am going to buy three lucky winners the Penguin clothbound of their choice!

Here are the winners! (Again, all three numbers were taken from random.org)

Entry #28: Adam from Roof Beam Reader

Entry # 55: Jessica from Firefly Book Loft

Entry #18: Christina from Reading Thru The Night

I am so excited to be sending the three of you your lovely Penguin clothbound from Bookdepository.com. Look for an e-mail in your inbox from yours truly so I can get these lovelies to you as soon as possible!

For the rest of you, thank you for entering. I will be hosting another (similar) giveaway in the very near future, so please enter again!

Book 64: Finished.

I have very mixed feelings about this novel. A large part of me remembers the first time I read this a few summers ago. I was working in the concession stand at the park, and it was one of those hot lazy days, so I spent almost my entire shift parked in front of the AC unit reading this novel. I remember loving it, and I am not sure why.

Now, after reading it for the second time, I am not sure how I feel. I suppose, on one hand, that this book was a big deal, and can be a big deal if you think about it in a certain way. I'm just not sure that the message and power of this book compares to the other 63 books I've read off my list so far (if that makes sense).

For those unfamiliar with the story, Gene and his roommate Phineas are in a New England boarding school for boys during WWII. Gene is a lonely, intellectual kind of boy. He studies and takes things far more seriously than Phineas. Phineas is an athlete and joker. Rooming together, they become friends.

Eventually Gene feels like there is competition between them and begins to pull away. A semi-tragic event happens and Gene must make amends with Phineas. It all spirals from there into eventual tragedy.

I get it. That whole boy rivalry thing. I don't understand it on some level, so I asked Matt about whether he competed with his friends. He said that its normal for men-folk to feel competitive, like a "look how macho I can be" kind of thing, but I don't get it. I don't think I was ever really like that.

But on another hand, I can see where the tragedy of this story is what drives it. A healthy young male in the prime of his life is hurt and will never what he once was. You can take it farther and compare it to the time period the story is set in. During all wars, not just WWII, young men were sent away and didn't come back the same. Something changed them, their lives were different and they were never the same person they once were. In that case you could almost view Gene and Phineas' story as an anti-war story.

"The war was and is a reality for me. I still instinctively live and think in its atmosphere," (40).

"When you are sixteen, adults are slightly impressed and almost intimidated by you. This is a puzzle, finally solved by the realization that they foresee your military future, fighting for them. You do not foresee it," (41).

I think that it is instead a story of change and growth. We all must go through significant moments of change and trial in our lives to become new, and hopefully better, individuals. We cannot contribute to society unless we adapt and change to the circumstances we find ourselves in. In the cases of Gene and Phineas, they suffer from more trials in a smaller period of time. Its just life and why this novel is often labeled as a "coming-of-age" novel.

I hope that all made sense. Since my feelings are mixed about how I felt about this, I'm not sure how to approach writing about them. I will say that if you haven't read this, it is worth a read. Even knowing what was going to happen in the end, I still found myself hooked.

Weekly Wrap-up for January 2, 2011: The New Year, Reading, and School.

Happy 2011 everyone!

I know that I am happy to be a in a new year, with new possibilities and opportunities out there. 2010 was a rough year for me, and my husband, so we are both glad that it is over and done with. We're hoping we have better luck in 2011!

We spent New Year's Eve with my older brother, younger sister, Matt's sister and husband, and a couple close friends. We sat around my kitchen table and played board games, before bringing in 2011 with a small champagne toast. It was fun, nerdy, and what I wanted. I like low-key nights and the last couple of years have been just that.

Everyone around the blogosphere is gearing up with their first reads for 2011. I am in the middle of each of the three books I am hosting in January's readalongs. I'm kind of regretting hosting three readalongs in one month, but I will persevere and all will be fine. I want to get these first posts written as soon as possible so I can pick something else up!

If you are still interested in sign-up, here are the links one more time so you can do so:

• War and Peace
• Rebecca
• The Woman in White

If any of these titles are on your shelf, consider joining in! Remember, everyone who finishes and posts gets a surprise sent to them in the mail!

I should also point out that you have until midnight to enter my New Year Classic Giveaway. I am giving away some beautiful Penguin clothbound classics. Make sure you enter!

I am gearing up for the first day back tomorrow at school. I will be busting my butt the rest of the day to get my lessons solidified for the week and everything ready to copy in the morning. I am hoping that I can spend a few hours each weekend doing lessons so I can have my weeknights to grade and have reading time. I am sure it will take a week or two to get into the schedule, but it should be good, right?

Anyway, I have lots to do today, so I am cutting this short. I hope you all have a wonderful week of reading!