lmskipper, You mentioned in your post of, 27 October 2005 on this thread that “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is Bradburyesque but hadn’t figured out why yet. I think the answer (for me anyway) is that one of the characters is, with reservations, very much like Ray himself.
Posts: 861 | Location: Manchester CT | Registered: 13 August 2005
I am not sure how the mehanics of placing an article that Ray might write on the web site. Obviously it has been done before and someone must know how to do it.
With many things going on at work I have not had a chance to fax them to him. When I do I will follow up with aphone call. Of course, it was Ray, when I said that I would mail them to him, said no, don't mail them, fax them. So I will report on what happens.
Posts: 1525 | Location: Sunrise, FL, USA | Registered: 28 June 2004
Chapter 31--Would that be Francie? I can see that, but I think for me it was more the language, the descriptions, the way the author made the story come alive right before my eyes. There was kind of a poetry or lyricism (is that a word?) to the novel, just like with most of Ray's stories. It was truly a beautiful book, and I just went to the book club meeting on it last night and met many other people who also loved the book. It was a fun evening, and my first shot at an adult book club. Prior to this, I had only been involved with my own book club at the middle school where I work. By the way, with that club I am reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," and then we are going on a field trip to see the movie. I have read the book to many clases over the years, and have heard great things about the movie.
Still haven't read Chronicles of Narnia, but definitely need to. Just watched the new Harry Potter movie--which was good, but disjointed, I thought.
I've done an on-line book club with a bunch of HS alumni. It started after a 30 year reunion (am I that old???). We set up a chat room and "talked" about the books we read on-line. It was really fun and we did some good books--starting with F451.
No, not Francie, but Johnny. He makes me think of Ray because of his bright and selfless nature. But, that not withstanding, I agree with everything you say about the book.
Regarding the class reading. I remember fondly the teacher who, in the sixth grade, read us “Tom Sawyer”. This had a very positive and profound affect on me. Happy to make your acquaintance, Reader-of-books-to-students.
Posts: 861 | Location: Manchester CT | Registered: 13 August 2005
Just watched the new Harry Potter movie--which was good, but disjointed, I thought.
The Harry Potter movie was a little disjointed, but considering how much they had to cut out, I thought Steve Kloves, the screenwriter, did a very good job. However, I think that since it got a PG-13 rating and is aimed at a more mature audience they could have made it 15 - 30 minutes longer and less disjointed.
"We burn them to ashes and then burn the ashes That's our official motto."
On the new Potter movie: If you're a fan of the books/movies, this is a good show. I definitely recommend it. I also agree with your comment on how much they had to cut. With you, I think they did a pretty good job. Still think some plot line connections were a bit weak. But I definitely recommend the movie. In our theater, there was applause when it came on and plenty of applause when it was over.
Had the pleasure of seeing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, (aka Sketches by Rowling) and experienced the same before and after applause that Mr. Dark described. Harry shows a new maturity (especially in aquatics and hedge work), Hagrid is willin’, the Billy Idol sound (I prefer Gershwin myself) still rocks and Mad-Eye Moody is the Rooster Cogburn of the magical world. It may even evoke some laughs and a tear or two.
Posts: 861 | Location: Manchester CT | Registered: 13 August 2005
I've been reading each Harry Potter book only before the movie comes out. Let a whole bunch of stuff pile up on me so am rushing to finish "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (published five years ago, I know!) before the movie (which is out, I know!) but my local theater gets things later as it is, and in this case later still as we're doing a live show through at least the first week of December, so if I really apply myself may just make it!
Posts: 7332 | Location: Dayton, Washington, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
I have just finished a most wonderful yet most devastating book that I would like to recommend to all of you. It is called My Sister's Keeper, and it is written by Jodi Picoult. I had been hearing all kinds of good things about her, but hadn't gotten around to reading her when my adult book club (as opposed to my middle school club) decided to read this book. It is about a young girl whose birth was genetically engineered so she would be the perfect donor for her older sister, who is dying of leukemia. The younger girl gets tired of always being expected to donate blood and marrow and leukocytes and now a kidney, so she decides to hire an attorney and fight for medical emancipation from her parents. Every chapter switches around and is told from a different viewpoint--sometimes the girl, sometimes her lawyer, sometimes her mother, sometimes her father, etc. It really makes you think about this issue from every possible angle. Just when I'd think I had my mind made up, I'd read another chapter and see it in another light. I don't want to give any more away, but I would really like to recommend it. It's really hard to adequately summarize this book for you; my words fall far short of what I'm trying to say. It made me cry several times, but it also occasionally made me laugh. Most of all though, it made me think; in fact it's haunting me. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I put it down. Now I must find more of Picoult's books and try them out. Have any of you read any of her books? I've heard they're all great, but each very different from the others.
lmskipper, Just finished "My Sister's Keeper". Very intense. I'm impressed with Picoult's insight and detail. She must have gone through some similar experience, or practically lived at a hospital to research for this book! Her writing style is what I might call journalistic, though she does develop the characters and make you care about them. I "read" the Recorded Books performance (unabridged, of course) which uses different narrators for each character. Very effective. I may check out more of her work.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Braling II,
Posts: 3167 | Location: Box in Braling I's cellar | Registered: 02 July 2004
Braling II--Thanks for responding. Her son spent a long period in the hospital and had something like 12 surgeries, although I'm not sure what for, but he's doing well today. She has said in interviews that this is the closest to autobiographical of all her novels, and that she learned from that experience that she would do absolutely anything to save or prolong the life of her child. She is coming to my town in a couple of months for a series of author appearances because this book was chosen as the book of the year here. (The "One City, One Book" program, or something to that effect.) Anyway, I am hoping to meet her then, and I will definitely read more of her books soon. This one still haunts me, and it's been weeks since I finished it. Our library book club couldn't stop talking about it, and we were finally kicked out of the library (gently) because they were trying to close that night!
a Friend gave me "Kite Runner" for Christmas. It's a suspense-like story that takes place in moder Afghanistan. I've only read one other book by a Moslem author, Salman Rushdie. I can see similarities in the writing style. It's a very good book, one of those books you can't put down, and gives an insight into Moslem culture, if you don't already have one. It's beautiful, frank, haunting and poetic.
