Book Review - Jane Eyre by

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

Rating ***** (5 stars)

It has been a very long time since I had first read Jane Eyre. I mean I think I was about twelve at the time. I only had vague memories of the book, but I remembered it as a idealistic romance.

Wow was I a young naïve soul.

Jane Eyre is depressing. It was an updated (well for the time) version of Romeo and Juliet. Except for opposing families, there were different social classes.

I suppose in truth Jane Eyre ended on a less depressing not then Romeo and Juliet. There still left the hopeless romantic reader hope for a happy ever after to their young idealistic love. How young it was - Jane is only eighteen during most the main plot.

There are a lot of classics that you wonder why they ever were turned into classics. Jane Eyre is not one of these. It is a masterpiece that drags emotions from the reader and leaves you holding on for the end.

 

Book Review - The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

By Frances Hadgson Burnett

Rating **** (4 stars)

This is another finished book in my quest to devour the BBC 100 Big Reads List. I last remember reading  The Secret Garden when I was in elementary school. I remember finding the story delightful, even though I much preferred science fiction at the time. As I read I was fascinated to remember bits of the story before I read to the part. I was amazed how easily the story came back to me.

The Secret Garden is a simple children's story. It has a beginning with an awful event and ends with a spectacular happy ending. In the middle there is a lot of growing up going on in between. It is simple and sweet. Although nearly every character is ornery, they are all at their core good people.

There is one aspect worth noting. This is an older novel, and the language is not politically correct when it comes to diversity, both about race and physical disability.

That being said, I can not wait for S to read (listen) to this book. I think she will enjoy it a lot.

Book Review - Brave New World

Brave New World 

by Aldous Huxley

 

Rating ***(3 Stars)

**Warning Spoilers - I know but I can not help it this time.**

Currently dystopian literature line the shelves of the teen racks in bookstores. Novels of brave and courageous youth who overturn society are all the current rage. Yet, dystopian literature did not start with the fame of The Hunger Games. Literature which as analyzed, and criticized, the system of government and current society has been around much longer. 

One such novel is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. This is not your granddaughter's dystopian fiction. For one thing, there is not one agreeable characters. Even the characters who go against the norm of society have no substance that truly allows you to feel for them. The arguably main character, Bernard, is disagreeable because he would, and does, conform to society when ever given the chance to. John, the savage who was actually BORN, may disagree with society, but after his one attempt to actually change things fails he leaves society instead. Then when society finds him again - he kills himself. Even Helmholtz has no desire to change society. He may enjoy seeing the effects of a poem. Yet, he is more then happy to be shipped off to an island then actually change the effect of society.

This is why I find the novel disagreeable. There is no hope. One could argue that our society is very much progressed along the lines of Huxley's brave new world. People would rather become sheep having their fix of reality television shows, sports cars, and video games (not that any of these are disagreeable in themselves) then fight to make a change in our society. Yet, in many ways our world is nothing like Huxley's brave new world. There is no happiness without misery. No one in Huxley's world is truly happy. Yet in our world there is happiness, and sorrow, and the ability to choose between the two. There are people who fight to make a change. There people who continue work at bettering themselves and inso helping better society as a whole. The one aspect that our world has that is missing from Huxley's world is HOPE.

And this lack of belief in human beings is why Brave New World only received three stars. The writing is excellent. The characters (although disagreeable, are real in their disagreeableness), and the world is well created. Should you read this book? Yes, but there are many others who are better and should be read first. In a way, this novel is brave in the fact that it did view humanity without hope. The uniqueness is of value in itself.

Book Review - A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

 

Rating *****(5 stars)

I adore Charles Dickens. His writing is beautiful, and his characters are enchanting. Even if I do not prefer the plot I am always still engaged simply by his writing. When I first picked up A Tale of Two Cities I had no idea that it was about the French revolution. However, even if I had it would not have made much of an impact on my first impression. By the end of the first chapter I was bored. I trudged my way through the second chapter. I felt for sure that this was one of his overhyped novels that I would abhor. I continued, but only after putting the book down several times first.

By the end of the first book I was hooked, although I admit, I was thoroughly confused as to the connectedness of the main characters. By the end of the first book I was completely engrossed in the novel and could not wait to finish. By the end of the novel I was invested heart mind and soul in the plight of the main characters. Wow, what an ending it was.

A Tale of Two Cities is hands down amazing. It is amazing how characters that I adored at the beginning of the book I became completely disgusted with, and characters I did not enjoy at first caused me to laugh out loud. The most impactful part of the book for me was the description of the French Revolution. Dickens described it in such depth that I felt like I was walking on the streets in fear for my own life. The oppression prior to the revolution was sever, but the goriness after the revolution was discussing.

There is so much more that I could write about this book. However, it would go from being a review to being an English essay instead. It would also give away all of the plot, most especially the ending. That is something that I attempt not to do.

What I will say is that if you have never ventured to read A Tale of Two Cities I would emphatically suggest that you do so.

Book Review - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island

by. Robert Louis Stevenson

Rating: ****(4 stars)

It surprised me that I have never read Treasure Island. That is why it is one of the first books I picked up for my BBC List Challenge. The fact that is also a free Kindle book doesn't help any at all. I was afraid that the book was going to be written in the fashion of long drawn out narration that has nothing to do with the actual plot of the novel. I had no reason to worry. Treasure Island is not too far off from a modern male coming of age story. 

The main character is Jim Hawkings. While is age is not specified I pictured him to be around 13 years old - probably because that is J's age. He could easily be 13-16 years of age. In the beginning of the story Jim is just an inn keepers son. While his inn is playing host to a rough sailor, who is in hiding, Jim's father dies. The sailor is found and subsequently dies. It is during this period that Jim finds a treasure map to a fortune left by a dead pirate. With the help of the doctor and a Squire they take off to discover the treasure, then all the adventuring truly begins. 

Treasure Island is the ultimate adolescent fantasy novel. Every time the boy makes a wrong turn he ends up saving the day. He ends up, nearly by himself, besting over eleven sea worn sailors. It is truly fantasy at its finest.

Why did I not give Treasure Island five stars? The feminist in me can not overlook how the one woman in the novel, Jim's mother, is portrayed. After the sailor dies in their inn both Jim and his mother run away to the village to get help. None of the villagers will come do their aid. So, Jim's mother bravely goes back to the inn to collect the money that is owed them by the sailor. She is risking her neck to provide for her family! Yet, it is all turned around on her. While they are at the inn the bad sailors come back and the mother is cursed for her greed. Once Jim and his mother run out of the inn the mother faints away and Jim has to get them to safety. To make it worse the doctor and the Squire basically kidnap Jim to accompany them on this voyage, and their is not one word of asking the mother for her permission. This alone looses this classic one star.

Overall, if you haven't picked up Treasure Island you should. It is well written and fast paced. Since it is an adolescent novel you don't have to worry about getting to lost in dialogue if you are not big on reading older novels. Their is a reason why this novel has been recreated in so many different fashions.