I finished reading the 1st Tarzan book last week. I had no idea that there was more than 2 when I picked it up from the library. And I only knew there were two because there was another one on the shelf.
It was pretty good. I can understand why it was so popular, and why he ended up writing more than one. Do you know how many Tarzan books there are? Well, if my memory serves me right, there were 22 written! Twenty-two!! Needless to say, I will not be reading them all.
Don't get me wrong - I liked the book, and am happy to say that I've read it. But it just wasn't superb enough to make me want to read more. Although it does kind of leave you hanging at the end, because he has come to America to get together with Jane, but she agrees to marry someone else (and the guy's even a relative of Tarzan's!).
I thought it was great. It explained things in an interesting way, as well as a believable way - so that it didn't seem to be too far of a stretch that a man raised by apes could teach himself to read, and be the perfect specimen of physical perfection.
I would recommend this book to any reader - there's a little bit of violence (he grew up in the jungle!), but it's not graphic.
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Book Review - Unbroken
This month I finished reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It is about Olympic medalist Louis Zamperini's experience during World War II, when his airplane was shot down and he ended up in a Japanses POW camp.
It is so good!! It is very detailed about the Japanese side of the war. I have read many books about World War II, but most of them talk about the circumstances in Germany; I can only remember one that talked about life in a Japanese POW camp. I found it really interesting in this book that it focused on the Japanese belief's of their superiority over the rest of the world, and how much they despised those who ended up being captured (it was their belief that anyone who surrendered or was captured were the worst of the worst - they would rather kill themselves than be taken captive). So they felt they could do anything to those they captured.
Louis was not put on the Red Cross registry, so no one knew that he survived. And he ended up being the most hated prisoner by one of the camp leaders, known as 'The Bird.' After reading the unthinkable things that they all endured, and many were able to survive, it's amazing to read about the way many of the former POWs were able to work through their trials and later forgive those who held them captive.
This book is incredible. And Laura Hillenbrand does a wonderful job of bringing the story to you. Read it. You'll love it.
It is so good!! It is very detailed about the Japanese side of the war. I have read many books about World War II, but most of them talk about the circumstances in Germany; I can only remember one that talked about life in a Japanese POW camp. I found it really interesting in this book that it focused on the Japanese belief's of their superiority over the rest of the world, and how much they despised those who ended up being captured (it was their belief that anyone who surrendered or was captured were the worst of the worst - they would rather kill themselves than be taken captive). So they felt they could do anything to those they captured.
Louis was not put on the Red Cross registry, so no one knew that he survived. And he ended up being the most hated prisoner by one of the camp leaders, known as 'The Bird.' After reading the unthinkable things that they all endured, and many were able to survive, it's amazing to read about the way many of the former POWs were able to work through their trials and later forgive those who held them captive.
This book is incredible. And Laura Hillenbrand does a wonderful job of bringing the story to you. Read it. You'll love it.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Scandal, Adultery, and Manipulation
Yesterday I (finally) finished Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, and I have decided that reviewing the books I read would be fun to include here. The book is divided into 3 sections. The first one is all about Charles Bovary (who marries the title character). It was really slow going; by slow I mean I had to renew the book from the library before I finished Part I. I found it interesting - Flaubert just includes SO many details about pretty much everything, so it took a little longer. But once I hit Part II, I pretty much sailed through it.
Flaubert had some really good insights. I really liked how we see Anne Bovary break down little by little, and her adultery and debt consume her. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't figure out how she would solve her problems, and the way she does really surprised me. I won't tell you how, but the blame she was hoping to lay did not end up where she had planned.
I found it very sad how very little she cared for her husband, who was such a good man and would have done anything for her. She 'knew' if she hadn't settled for Charles that a better man would have come along - which goes to show how foolish she is, since she is the daughter of a poor farmer. She was lucky to marry a doctor, let alone such a kind and loving man.
It was interesting to me how she changed her role in her second affair to be more like the man in her first - and how she got almost everything she wanted from anyone (until her first lover deserted her, that is).
I would recommend this book - I did enjoy it after I got through the first part. A line that really stood out to me as very insightful:
"...the more flowery a person's speech, he thought, the more suspect the feelings, or lack of feelings, it concealed. Whereas the truth is that fullness of soul can sometimes overflow in utter vapidity of language, for none of us can ever express the exact measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars."
Love it.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
Flaubert had some really good insights. I really liked how we see Anne Bovary break down little by little, and her adultery and debt consume her. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't figure out how she would solve her problems, and the way she does really surprised me. I won't tell you how, but the blame she was hoping to lay did not end up where she had planned.
I found it very sad how very little she cared for her husband, who was such a good man and would have done anything for her. She 'knew' if she hadn't settled for Charles that a better man would have come along - which goes to show how foolish she is, since she is the daughter of a poor farmer. She was lucky to marry a doctor, let alone such a kind and loving man.
It was interesting to me how she changed her role in her second affair to be more like the man in her first - and how she got almost everything she wanted from anyone (until her first lover deserted her, that is).
I would recommend this book - I did enjoy it after I got through the first part. A line that really stood out to me as very insightful:
"...the more flowery a person's speech, he thought, the more suspect the feelings, or lack of feelings, it concealed. Whereas the truth is that fullness of soul can sometimes overflow in utter vapidity of language, for none of us can ever express the exact measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars."
Love it.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
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