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Entry #13: 'The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' by Stieg Larsson
*Attention Reader: Please don't read this unless you don't mind spoilers. I have really enjoyed this book series and want everyone else to enjoy it, but that typically means not knowing what is happening next. Okay, thanks.*
5/5
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the final book in the Millennium series and boy did it end with a big finish. The Girl who Played with Fire concluded with Zala being hunted down by Lisbeth and both of them being mortally wounded. This book begins with them both being rushed to the hospital while Blomkvist deals with the police. He tries to tell them that the blonde giant Niedermann has escaped and is on the run, but an incompetent police detective instead puts Blomkvist in cuffs and loses the mass murdering colossus.
We are introduced to a number of new characters, as well as a few returning members of this vast and complex cast. There is the doctor who operates on Salander and becomes her friend during her rehabilitation, a few members of the Swedish Secret Police (SAPO) that we realize have been the reason that Lisbeth has been a victim to so many injustices over the years, and we also get a reappearance of Blomkvist's sister who becomes Lisbeth's lawyer. The great thing that this book does is show everyone's perspective and what they see as good and evil. The members of SAPO that are systematically destroying lives think what they are doing is for the greater good, even if that means killing people in cold blood to get them to be quiet. One of these people even kills himself for the cause. Then there are people like Salander who don't care about anyone unless they have crossed her, and if they have done that, they are pretty much finished.
Personally I identify most with the journalist Blomkvist's character and his morality. He will do anything to expose horrible people for who they really are. He cares deeply about his friends like Salander, Berger, his sister, and others, but he also risks their safety at times for what he views as the greater good, in this case exposing the members of a corrupt organization. This morality makes people love and also try to kill him, but I think it is something that is pretty heroic in light of the situation presented in this book.
Over the course of this book series, there have been little historical inserts at the beginning of each section of the book. In the first book it was statistics on how poorly women have been treated over the years in Sweden. The second book explains abstract math problems, which Lisbeth herself is interested in. This final book tells stories of female warriors throughout history and how over the years they have been completely removed from an book about battles, even though in most cases the women were just as fierce, if not more so, of fighters than the men. This is very appropriate for this book especially because there are so many amazing female characters like Salander, Berger, Blomkvist's sister, and multiple police women who are taken less seriously than their male counterparts even though they are just as capable and strong.This is just another awesome element of this series that I really enjoyed.
My mind is rather scattered right now, but here is what I have a few things to say about this series as a whole. Lisbeth Salander might be one of my favorite protagonists of any fiction I have ever been entertained by. She is smart and will destroy you if you get in her way. At times she is very inconsiderate towards her friends, but with her background, you can hardly blame her. This whole story is very complex with a huge list of characters, but definitely a great story I think you should take the time to read. So if you like stories about very real, complex individuals and books that leave you wanting more and incapable of getting what you just read out of your head for the next week, I definitely recommend the Millennium series.
P. S. Dear David Fincher, please make the last 2 books into movies.
#Millennium series#NathanReadsBooks#nathan ellwood#the girl who kicked the hornet's nest#books#book review
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Just started a secondary blog for book reviews!
If you would go follow NathanReadsBooks.tumblr.com I would greatly appreciate it as that is where I will be posting reviews for all the books I read. I will also post them here for easy access, but don't feel shy to do both.
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Entry #12: A list of the Books I have read in the past 3 years.
So, I have been documenting every book I have read in the past 3 years, but not writing reviews on them. However, almost every book I have read in that time I would most likely recommend because they have all been at least somewhat enjoyable as reads. So, here is my list of books starting January 1st of 2012 to July 20 of 2014.
(I put '*' next to all of the books it took me a day or less to read, if you want shorter reads than the others.)
1. Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
2. The Fault in our Stars – John Green *
3. Radical – David Platt
4. I am not Serial Killer – Dan Wells
5. Zombie Survival Guide – Max Brooks
6. Mr. Monster – Dan Wells *
7. How do you kill 11 million people? - Andy Andrews *
8. Soft Spots – Clint Van Winkle
9. Start something that Matters – Blake Mycoskie *
10. A Day No Pigs Would Die – Robert Newton Peck
11. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green *
12. I am Second – Doug Bender
13. Paper Towns – John Green *
14. I Don’t Want to Kill You – Dan Wells *
15. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky *
16. It’s Kind of a Funny Story – Ned Vizzini*
17. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
18. Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman
19. Looking for Alaska – John Green *
20. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Jonathan Safran Foer *
21. The Traveler’s Gift – Andy Andrews
22. The Final Summit – Andy Andrews
23. Ender’s Shadow – Orson Scott Card
24. An Abundance of Katherines – John Green *
25. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger.
26. The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien
27. The Abolition of Man – C. S. Lewis *
28. Wall and Piece – Banksy *
29. Banksy’s Bristol: Home Sweet Home – Steve Wright *
30. The Four Loves – C. S. Lewis.
31. Galapagos – Kurt Vonnegut
32. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
33. Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
34. Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins *
35. Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk*
36. Will Grayson, Will Grayson – John Green & David Levithan*
37. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
38. The Smell of Sin, and the Fresh Air of Grace - Don Everts
39. Hope Transformed - Joy Cruse
40. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut*
41. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
42. The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket*
43. The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket*
44. The Wide Window - Lemony Snicket*
45. The Miserable Mill - Lemony Snicket*
46. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
47. The Weight of Glory - C. S. Lewis
48. This is a Book - Demetri Martin*
49. The Austere Academy - Lemony Snicket*
50. Crazy Love - Francis Chan
51. The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snicket*
52. Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
53. Nine Horses - Billy Collins*
54. The Vile Village - Lemony Snicket*
55. The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snicket*
56. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan*
57. The Carnivorous Carnival - Lemony Snicket*
58. The Slippery Slope - Lemony Snicket*
59. The Grim Grotto - Lemony Snicket*
60. The Penultimate Peril - Lemony Snicket*
61. The End - Lemony Snicket*
62. The Unauthorized Autobiography - Lemony Snicket*
63. Whistling Vivaldi - Claude M. Steele
64. Who could that be at this hour? - Lemony Snicket*
65. Let it Snow - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.
66. Exit Here - Jason Myers
67. Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis.
68. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
69. Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk
70. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
71. Pray Always - Anthony Lee Ash
72. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
73. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk*
74. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
75. Igknight - Kevin Bain
76. The Beatrice Letters - Lemony Snicket*
77. Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? - Michael J. Sandel
78. Armageddon in Retrospect - Kurt Vonnegut*
79. The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
80. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis*
81. Prince Caspian - C. S. Lewis*
82. Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life - Bryan Lee O'Malley*
83. Scott Pilgrim Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Bryan Lee O'Malley*
84. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C. S. Lewis
85. The Silver Chair - C. S. Lewis
86. The Horse and His Boy - C. S. Lewis
87. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis
88. The Last Battle - C. S. Lewis
89. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
90. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut*
91. Invisible Monsters - Chuck Palahniuk*
92. The Shining - Stephen King
93. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk*
94. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
95. World War Z - Max Brooks
96. Lullaby - Chuck Palahniuk*
97. Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk*
98. Surprised by Joy - C. S. Lewis
99. Taking Off Emily Dickinson's Clothes - Billy Collins
100. Player Piano - Kurt Vonnegut
101. Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk*
102. The Post-Church Christian - J. Paul Nyquist and Carson Nyquist
103. The Lump of Coal - Lemony Snicket*
104. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - F. Scott Fitzgerald*
105. The Composer is Dead - Lemony Snicket*
106. The Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess*
107. Pygmy - Chuck Palahniuk*
108. Holidays on Ice - David Seraris
109. Scott Pilgrim Volume 3: The Infinite Sadness - Bryan Lee O'Malley*
110. A Game of Thrones - Georgr R. R. Martin
111. Rant - Chuck Palahniuk
112. A Clash of Kings - George R. R. Martin
113. A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin
114. Stranger than Fiction - Chuck Palahniuk
115. A Feast for Crowd - George R. R. Martin
116. When did you last see her? - Lemony Snicket*
117. A Dance with Dragons - George R. R. Martin
118. The Lord of the Flies - William Golding*
119. Welcome to the Monkey House - Kurt Vonnegut
120. The Great Cases of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
121. V for Vendetta - Alan Moore ad David Lloyd*
122. The Trouble with Poetry - Billy Collins*
123. Diary - Chuck Palahniuk
124. American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
125. Scott Pilgrim Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Get's it Together - Bryan Lee O'Malley*
126. Divergent - Veronica Roth
127. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
128. Allegiant - Veronica Roth
129. Mother Night - Kurt Vonnegut
130. 180 More - Various Authors
131. Mylo Xyloto Comics - Coldplay*
132. Love Does - Bob Goff
133. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
134. Tell-All - Chuck Palahniuk
135. Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut
136. Egghead - Bo Burnham
137. The Buffalo Creek Disaster - Gerald M. Stern
138. Red Dragon - Thomas Harris
139. File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents*
140. The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
141. Hannibal - Thomas Harris
142. God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian - Kurt Vonnegut*
143. Hannibal Rising - Thomas Harris
144. The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
145. Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
146. Bossypants - Tina Fey
147. The Dark - Lemony Snicket*
148. Darwin - Kevin Bain
149. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
150. 13 Words - Lemony Snicket
151. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
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Entry #11: 'The Girl who Played with Fire' by Stieg Larsson.
Rating: 5/5
Salander was the girl who hated men who hated women.
So, book two in the Millennium series, and I am floored. I am so excited to read the 3rd book and will hopefully be writing about it soon. Before all of that, let me tell you about this book.
We start off with a prologue that is not necessarily about Salander, but a young girl who is being held captive somewhere. There are references to a fire and there is a man who comes in to check on her, who this girl lashes out at, even though she is restrained. The references to fire tie in with the title of the book, but not a lot more is said about her.
We find Salander enjoying her new exuberant amount of cash (spoilers) by traveling all around the world, staying for a few months in the Caribbean on different islands and enjoying her time doing nothing. She has a few acquaintances and an occasional lover, but other than that she spends her time walking on the beaches and observing the locals and tourists.
Blomkvist, however, has been busy since we last left him in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, having become a huge centerpiece in the scandal that he uncovered. He spends his time avoiding reports and is desperately trying to get his life back in order. The Millennium magazine is doing much better since his book sales went through the roof once it was released. He is the talk of Stockholm and has now added Harriet Vanger to his list of strong women that he often has sex with.
Most of the beginning of the book is just getting us caught up on these two lives, but we also get a peak at a few new and old characters. One that is introduce is a man only described by his enormous size and the fact that he is something of a gangster. Along with him, there are a few minor characters that are introduced which play parts later. However, there is an old friend we pick back up with that many of us would probably rather have forgotten. Salander's guardian, Bjurman, has slowly been building up quite a rage for Salander since she left him quite permanently screwed. He meets up with this giant of a man and they discuss how they can possibly work together to take care of Salander.
Soon enough, Salander gets bored with her travels and decides to come back to Sweden. When she does, she finds that she was somewhat selfish and left without saying goodbye to any of her friends. She has come to loathe Blomkvist, but still checks up on his computer that she has hacked into in order to keep up with him and see if anything piques her interest. She does go in to see Armansky and also gets back together with Miriam Wu, who she begins sleeping with. Other than those people, she stays unseen as always. She buys a new insanely expensive apartment and checks up on Bjurman to make sure he is staying out of trouble.
Over at Millennium, Blomkvist and the crew are working with a new journalist and his girlfriend to put together a themed issue coupled with a book release on the dangers of Sex trafficking and the sex trade in Sweden. This couple have been working for years on finding men in the police and government who have slept with underage girls brought to Stockholm against their will and who must be punished. Salander stumbles upon their work, which it seems obvious she would like because Salander is known to despise people like the men they are going after.
At this point, about halfway through the book, everything goes belly-up as the men from early try to attack Salander, but then she gets away. However, only a week or so later the journalist couple as well as Salander's own guardian turn up dead within twenty-four hours of each other and a gun is found with her prints. This point in the book was well written because even though you have come to love Lisbeth up until this point, you aren't sure exactly what she is capable of and for a long time the writer doesn't give you any clue as to where she is and what she is up to. As things unfold, we find out more about our dear Listbeth and her past, but I suggest you read the book yourself to find out more.
Overall, I would say this book was on par, if not better than the first book. The villains are just as despicable, only it is more personal this time. Not only that, but we also see that some of the 'good guys' are also total scum, when certain members of the police investigation team want to pin Salander and Wu just because of something so ridiculous as their sexual preference. I look forward to how the story concludes in The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, but until I get around to reading that monster of a book, goodnight.
#NathanReadsBooks#nathan ellwood#millennium series#the girl who played with fire#the girl with the dragon tattoo#books#reviews#essay
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Entry #10: 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson.
Rating: 5/5 Stars.
First of all I want to say that it has been far too long since I have done one of these blogs. I have been reading, in fact I have finished 12 books since my last post, I just haven't given the time to write down my thoughts on them.
Okay, on to this book. This stinkin' book. It would probably be in my top ten list of books, if I believed in such things. The original title for this novel was Män som hatar kvinnor, which is Swedish for "Men who hate women." To me, this is a much more appropriate title for the book than "The Girl with the Dragon tattoo." However, in the scope of the entire Millenium series (which I will be continuing and hopefully writing about) it makes more sense. I say this because there are moments in this book that make you sick because of the male characters and how they treat/speak of women.
Now for some background and synopsis of the story. At the beginning we are introduced to 3 important characters.
1: Henrik Vanger. A rich, old, man who formerly ran an immense empire built and owned by his family. He is no longer the CEO, his nephew Martin is, and he has no dedicated all of his time to finding out what happened to his niece Harriet, Martin's sister, who disappeared in 1966.
2: Mikael Blomkvist. We find Mikael at the end of a court room hearing where he is convicted of libel, sentenced to a few months in jail, and must pay a large fine for this offense. He was convicted after publishing a story about another well know business leader, even though he, as far as we know, didn't have any proof to back up his claims. When I was reading it, I pictured Blomkvist as far less attractive as Daniel Craig (who portrays him in the American film adaption of the book).
3. Lisbeth Salander. We find Lisbeth in a meeting for her employer, Milton Security, doing research on Blomkvist for a lawyer who we later find out is employed by Vanger. She is quiet, doesn't seem mentally sound, and wears black clothes to match her dark hair that is often in a mohawk. Oh, and she happens to have a tattoo of a dragon on her back.
At the beginning we follow each of there stories independently. None of them really have anything to do with each other until Vanger hires Blomkvist to investigate this mystery that has haunted him for over 40 years. Blomkvist accepts since he needs time off from the magazine that he helps run, which is called Millennium, and the fact that Vanger says he has dirt on the man who put Blomkvist in this situation. They are together basically from this point on, where as Salander is on her own for almost half the book.
Salander's storiy is a much sadder one. She is a ward of the state because of some juvenile crimes and the fact that her mother is in the hospital. Her guardian, who was the one man in her life that treated her with respect, had a stroke and could no longer take care of her. She meet her new guardian and he turns out to be everything that Lisbeth fears in men. He abuses her, sexually, mentally, and physically, and does so because he can. This was an incredibly hard passage to read and I would recommend if you plan on reading this book to prepare yourself or even skip this chapter. However, her revenge against this man is sweet and swift.
About halfway through the book, once you have start to see exactly what kind of character both Salander and Blomkvist are separate, the get together. She is recommended to him as a researcher, since she is one of the best in the business, by the lawyer from earlier, and soon they are on the trail of a serial killer that they had no idea they would find from investigating Harriet Vanger's disappearance. Neither of them really know how to handle the other, but eventually the find a place of mutual trust, mostly because Blomkvist is the first man Salander has met that didn't either A. try to have sex with her, B. try to tell her how to live her life. This pairing has many amazing dynamics and is entertaining to read.
Since I don't want to spoil anything, I will just say that things progressively get crazier and crazier. However, I think my favorite thing about this book is the character of Lisbeth Salander. First of all, the name Lisbeth is awesome. Second of all, she is a survivor of a horrible life and yet somehow she stays strong through it all. And thirdly, she doesn't sugarcoat anything and will do whatever she can to destroy all of these men who hate, kill, rape, or otherwise abuse women.
P. S. The American film adaption is directed by David Fincher, one of my favorite directors, and it is a good film. Rooney Mara is an excellent Lisbeth and I was pleasantly surprised by Daniel Craig as Blomkvist.
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Entry #9: 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris
Sorry it has been awhile since my last review. College has been very college-y lately so I haven't had as much time for reading books as I would like to. That said, I had a free day yesterday and sat down to read the entirety of 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris, the first in a series of books based around the character of Hannibal Lecter. I have recently been watching the TV show 'Hannibal' on NBC and wanted to know more back story. Before I move forward, here is a quick description of the book:
A second family has been massacred by the terrifying serial killer the press has christened 'The Tooth Fairy.' Special Agent Jack Crawford turns to the one man who can help restart a failed investigation, Will Graham. Graham is the greatest profiler the FBI ever had, but the physical and mental scars of capturing Hannibal Lecter have caused Graham to go into early retirement. Now, Graham must turn to Lecter for help.
Since my only exposure to the world of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham is through the show and it takes place before this, based on the characters but with a new story. Meaning, if you are worried about spoilers of the show, I don't think you need to worry because Bryan Fuller (the show's creator) is probably going to take it in a different direction.
Okay, so the book. It opens on Graham in his home in Florida with his new wife and her son, who Graham is still trying to relate to. Jack Crawford now appears on the scene with a story about two families who have been murdered by a serial killer who has left little trace for the police or FBI to follow. Will Graham is brought in, with much hesitation, because he is able to get inside the mind of a killer and find out what their design is and why they do it. As the book moves on we learn more and more about the killer, spending numerous chapters on his back story and the reason he has started killing and why he refers to himself as 'the Red Dragon.'
Without giving too many spoilers, things start getting crazy and Will must consult Hannibal Lecter in order to figure out exactly why this killer is doing what he's doing. Hannibal continues to mess with Will's mind, which was the reason for his early retirement, and is still a threat behind bars. I believe this is why everyone latches onto the character of Hannibal. He is ruthless, calculated, and worst of all, incredibly intelligent. People love smart villains and although the Dragon or 'Tooth Fairy' (as he is known due to his tendency to bite his victims) is interesting, we can relate to him because we see his steady dip into insanity, where with Hannibal there is no reason for his killing other than he likes it.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book and have already order Silence of the Lambs which is the next book in the series. If you enjoy crime novels and a look inside the head of someone that does things which are not easily explained. I love novels like this because it is unpredictable, dark, and shines light on the darkest parts of human nature. The reason we have books is to immerse ourselves in stories like this so that we don't have to face them in our own lives. We can set down a book if we need a break. I should report back soon with my review of Lambs soon, but until then, my challenge is to pick up a book and get lost this week.
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Entry #8: 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak
Over the last year or so I have been hearing a lot about this book and how amazing it is, especially when the movie came out near the end of 2013. So it has been on my list for quite awhile to read, and thanks to my loving mother I received it for Christmas. After reading it this past week I can definitely understand why everyone was talking about this book. Here is a brief description for those who are not aware of the story. (Spoilers will follow)
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
When I first started reading this book I was immediately hooked when you realize that the narrator is Death and he is telling you the story. This aspect of the book gives you an immediate feel for how the rest of the story is going to progress. Obviously it is not going to be a happy story if Death is the one telling it to you. That said, even Death seems to find the beauty in things.
It starts off with Liesel, our hero and resident book thief, on a train with her mother and brother. She is looking at her brother when she realizes that he has stopped breathing and they stop the train in order to help him, but it is too late. This is where Death first meets the book thief and he latches onto her from there as she seems to have Death follow her. After her brother's funeral, Liesel sees that the grave digger dropped a book on proper Gravedigging techniques and she is interested by it, so she takes it.
Soon her mother drops her off on Himmel Street, where most of the story takes places, and Liesel finds herself in a new home with new foster parents. There is Rosa, who hardly says a sentence in this book without swearing in German, who becomes Liesels 'mama' and there is Hans, who plays the accordion and becomes not only her 'papa' but her closest companion. It is Hans who teaches Liesel to read in the middle of the night when she has nightmares about her brother. Hans is an easily likable character because he takes Liesel in without hesitation and loves her like a true father would love his child, but he also disciplines her and makes sure she knows how to 'Heil Hitler' when she needs to, in order to stay out of trouble.
I personally have never been able to make it through Anne Frank's diary, but this time period of history fascinates me and The Book Thief offers a riveting story of fiction that still hits home on the major tragedy of World War 2 and the Holocaust. Around the middle of the book, we take a break from Liesel getting accustomed to her new surroundings, making friends with the local kids, and stealing books, to introduce the character of Max. When we come to him in the story he is hiding in a friends closest, as Max is Jewish, and waiting for his time to escape. One day he finally makes it and ends up at the front porch of Hans, Rosa, and Liesel. They take him in and he lives in their basement, hardly ever seeing the light of day, but remaining free. The rest of the book is about sacrifice, love, and the power of words, but I'll let you read the ending for yourself.
As I said before, Death is the narrator and this is not a happy story, but it is beautiful all the same. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I will give this the first 5/5 stars on this blog, because I could read it again and I definitely recommend it. I am excited to see how the movie compares sometime soon. I will leave you with this quote from the book that makes me think, and the more I think about it, the more I realize how much I relate.
"I am haunted by Humans."
#the book thief#Nathan Ellwood#NathanReadsBooks#books#words#haunted#humans#read#reading#review#book review
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Entry #7: 'Mother Night' by Kurt Vonnegut
After just finishing a series such as Divergent, I wanted to get back to my roots as far as what I usually read is concerned. With this in mind I looked at the stack of books I have to read and it currently is up to around 20 books I have bought/borrowed recently and intend to read soon. 6 of said books are written by Kurt Vonnegut, my personal favorite author and potentially one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century, in my opinion. That said, I knew I should try to knock out one of his books to reduce the number and I chose Mother Night because a) my girlfriend had recently finished it and said it was good, and b) the premise had to do with World War 2, one of my favorite topics to study. Before I talk more about it, here is a brief description.
Mother Night is a daring challenge to our moral sense. American Howard W. Campbell, Jr., a spy during World War II, is now on trial in Israel as a Nazi war criminal. But is he really guilty? In this brilliant book rife with true gallows humor, Vonnegut turns black and white into a chilling shade of gray with a verdict that will haunt us all.
The book is set up as if Campbell is writing his story out to be read by a jury from his prison cell. Chapters range from telling stories of his time before he was a spy, living in Germany during the war, his time spent in solitude after the war, and then when he was captured and put in jail. The chapters tell an captivating story about how he ended up in his current situation and jump all around the timeline while reading it, in true Vonnegut fashion.
Like the description says, the book tells a story that is morally gray although most of the characters in the book see the subject as very black and white. Campbell, our main character, although a spy for the U. S. also held the job as the main Nazi Propaganda specialist. He was responsible for numerous fliers, posters, and other literature praising what the Nazi's were doing. He even had a radio station where he spewed their message of hate to anyone who would listen. All of this, or so he says, was not truly what he believed, he only did the things he did so that his cover would not be blown. There are characters that Campbell meets in America that still believe in the Nazi cause and all the things he said, seeing him as this hero of modern times. Still there are others, normal Americans and former soldiers, who want to see him hung.
The interesting thing about the story is that Campbell is very passive about what is going to happen to him and what has already happened in his very unique and strange life. He, unlike almost all the other characters, knows when he is lying and knows because of this that he is innocent.
I had a wonderful time reading this book, finishing it in less than a day, and would definitely recommend it. I love Vonnegut's style of satirical, dark humor and this book is full of it. I also enjoy how he writes about war, a huge portion of his books deal with the subject, since he himself was captured in World War 2 by the Germans. If you want to read something similar, Slaughterhouse 5 is another personal favorite of mine I would definitely recommend. Overall I give this book 4 and a half stars.
I haven't decided what I will be reading next, but if you have any suggestions please send them to me, I would really appreciate any feedback you have to offer.
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Entry #6: 'Allegiant' by Veronica Roth
As promised, I have finished the Divergent series and now I can give a more comprehensive review since it's hard, especially with a book series like this, to judge it fully until you complete the entire trilogy. Once again, spoilers will follow.
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
Like the previous books, Allegiant is full of drama and dozens of plot twists that keep you reading. I am not knocking it, but with the main goal seeming to be only entertainment it lacks a certain ability to go into more depth. That said, the ending chapters of the book do provide some meaningful quotes about sacrifice.
Different than previous books is the split chapters between two characters. In the first two books, the narrator is Tris, our strong and independent hero. In this book, the chapters are split between Tris and her love interest, Tobias. This obviously changes the pacing and the ideas that are emphasized in this book. I personally like Tobias as a character, but it was an odd choice to change the style in the last book of the trilogy.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the peeling back of the layers of deception that the characters, and you as the reader, slowly uncover as the story progresses. In the first two books, you aren't sure (like the characters) that there is life outside of Chicago in the world anymore. You don't know if these are the last humans or not. In this book, however, you get to venture outside the fence to see what is really going on. It reminded me of The Giver and the protagonists escape from the heavy cover of deception that had been placed over the people in the community's lives.
Being a writer myself, I can understand how challenging writing a good ending can be. With that said, I was okay with the end of the series. It was definitely not what I expected, but I was happy that all the main loose ends I wanted tied up were brought to conclusion. That is what signifies a good ending to me, that there is closure and I definitely felt that with this book. Like I said, as a writer myself I am not super judgmental about books because I know what goes into writing, editing, and making sure everything fits and it is not easy whatsoever.
All in all I really enjoyed the series. It had it's ups and downs but overall it was enjoyable from start to finish, which is hard to do. I would definitely recommend reading this series if you enjoyed the Hunger Games books or similar dystopian novels. I look forward to how they portray the story in the movie coming out in March.
Personal favorite quote: “She taught me all about real sacrifice. That it should be done from love... That it should be done from necessity, not without exhausting all other options. That it should be done for people who need your strength because they don't have enough of their own.”
#spoilers#Nathan Ellwood#NathanReadsBooks#divergent#allegiant#books#review#book review#Tris#sacrifice
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Entry #5: 'Insurgent' by Veronica Roth
Thanks to a friend of mine I was able to acquire the 2nd book in the Divergent series quickly and read it this last weekend. I enjoyed this book as much if not more than I did the first one. Before I discuss it let me give the brief summary (warning: spoilers below)
Sixteen-year-old Tris lives in a society that has been divided into factions in order to extinguish undesirable human traits that lead to a world at war. Each faction is guided by one virtue: Amity values peace, Erudite values intelligence, Candor values truth, Abnegation values selflessness, and Dauntless values courage. But on the day of Tris' initiation into Dauntless, a coup leads to the very thing the establishment of the factions tried to prevent, and the factions find themselves on the brink of war with one another. Now, with Erudite trying to seize control, each faction is splintering into loyalists and traitors, and it's hard to know which is which. Tris must decide where her loyalties lie while grappling with unrelenting guilt and grief--emotions that affect both her choices and her relationships. With her Divergence fully exposed, Tris is not sure if she is more helpful or harmful to those she loves.
What I like about this book is similar to what I like about Catching Fire, in that we know the characters more and the things they do actually mean something. Like in Catching Fire, there is a revolution happening and so everything means more than it did in the previous book. Tris struggles with the loss of friends and family but has to keep moving forward to avoid imploding from guilt and sadness. A lot happens in this book and a lot of the people you thought you could trust turn out to be enemies. Once again, I am not saying it's my favorite book, but when almost every chapter ends with a cliff hanger it is easy to see why so many people can't put these books down and why they are so entertaining. This is why I have been comparing it to Hunger Games so much, since they have a similar feel, writing style, and audience.
One of things I do like about these books is how they have romantic subplots, as everything does, but they are not unhealthy relationships like in Twilight or similar YA novels. I root for the relationships in the book and am disappointed when they don't work out, but that is also just how life goes. Another complaint I have seen is that people are tired of YA novels having the main character be 'the chosen one,' which I can sort of understand. I believe the Divergent series so far has done a good job of this where not everything is up to Tris, but allows other characters to do things of importance.That said, a book where the main character isn't the central focus of the story would be kind of boring. If you are looking for such a book I would recommend Ender's Shadow, the story of Ender's Game but from the perspective of Bean, a minor character in the original story, but someone who you see actually plays a much bigger role. I enjoyed that book almost more than the original because it humbles the Ender character and shows that no one, not even heroes, can do it on their own.
I am excited to read the third one, although I have heard it struggles from Mockingjay syndrome, in that it drags on and does not end as people wanted. I didn't mind it that so much and I usually have a higher opinion of things than others, just because (not sure why) it's pretty hard to disappoint me. I should be back within the week with my next review, so see you then!
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Entry #4: 'Divergent' by Veronica Roth
This year it seems like there are numerous movies coming out that are adaptions of popular books, which I love because it encourages more people to read or at least exposes them to good stories. I have taken it upon myself to try and read as many of these as I can, even if I don't see the movie. Divergent was one I kept seeing previews for, but wasn't sure I would actually see. That said, the more I saw previews I got curious and even though the movie looks like a Hunger Games copy, the story seemed interesting so I thought I would pick up the book and see what the fuss was about. Here is a quick description of the book:
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
I am not gonna lie, I have a definite preference for novels about the future and dystopian/utopian societies, so I was interested by the premise. I really enjoyed the book and found it was an easy read, completing it in 2 sittings. The main focus of the story is how Tris, the main character, struggles with this want to be something other than the definition that this society has placed on her. She wants to be more than what these 'factions' have to offer and over time she understand what that means. It means she'll be called out, excluded, and put in the spotlight which might not be good as the leaders of this world hate people who oppose their way of thinking.
Like all good young adult novels there is a love interest, which was interesting but I was more into the struggle she must work through in herself. Although I will say that at least this book acknowledges that teenagers, even in the future, think about sex. Something that in books like the Hunger Games is not even mentioned. It's nothing explicit, but I was nice to see that the author didn't try to hide something so basic to young adults in general.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would definitely recommend it and will give it four stars. I am not saying its the best written book I have read by any stretch, or that it's my favorite book, but I was entertained and the story was unique enough to grab my attention. I usually view books like this like a view certain movies, it's fun and entertaining, but if it is going to be a favorite book (or movie), it has to make me think and will hold up to rereading (or rewatching).
Not sure what the next book I will read is, but I should be back soon with my next review regardless.
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Entry #3: 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis
Warning: I would not recommend this book if you do not like reading about gory images, violent ideas, intense scenes of horror, or cussing and other profanitie.
American Psycho tops the list of books that I have read for the most disturbing themes and ideas. I thought Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk would be forever at the top of that list but this book has beaten it out. I knew to expect this since unlike a lot of book/movie adaptions I have seen the movie version first. I enjoyed the movie, although it was also very intense and disturbing, but the book makes the movie seem far less so. If you have no notion of the plot of this book, here is a quick summary found on the back cover of the book.
Patrick Bateman is twenty-six and works on Wall Street; he is handsome, sophisticated, charming, and intelligent. He is also a psychopath. American Psycho is a bleak, bitter, black comedy about a world we all recognize but do not wish to face and it takes us on a head-on collision with America's greatest dream - and its worst nightmare.
First off, calling this a comedy, even a 'black comedy,' is misleading. Although there are moments that make you laugh, there are more that make you cringe. I realize this is not the type of book most people enjoy, but I myself had trouble putting it down. It was indeed hard to read and there were moments where I couldn't believe what I was reading, but at the same time, Ellis delivers this satire in such an interesting way you have to keep reading to see how it turns out.
At the beginning of the book, everything seems rather normal, he has a routine, a steady job, a beautiful fiancee, and more money than he needs. His world revolves around this idea of power and greed. He notices details of everyone around him and large portions of this book are dedicated to describing what designer clothes his colleagues are wearing. Reservations at the hippest clubs and restaurants is a constant thought in his brain. He watches the Patty Winters every morning and that sets the tone for his day. He is always looking for new music to listen to in his Walkman (as this is set in the late 80s) and entire chapters are dedicated to his music tastes. Patrick Bateman's life seems complex and yet, it all seems somewhat normal for someone on Wall Street obsessed with money.
What you realize as the story progresses is that all of it, and I mean all of it, is Patrick fighting off his homicidal instincts, and he slowly starts to slip. Over the course of the book we see him lose control on anyone and anything that might cause him to look stupid, embarrass himself, or make him seem less in any way. A famous scene from the movie is where he kills the character Paul Owen with an axe for having a better business card than him, and similar things happen in the book. Even the way he thinks and the author portrays his thoughts deteriorates throughout the book to where he is referring to himself in the third person and even says that although you can look at him and see a human being made of flesh, he is simply not there.
After awhile, our sad main character can't take it anymore and calls up a police investigator looking into the case of Paul Owen's death. He admits to the numerous murders that he has committed and feels like his reign of terror and his terrible life may come to an end soon. The thing is, everyone he is friends with, all the girls he dates, all the men he works with, they are all too obsessed with themselves to even care what he is saying when he literally tells them about killing innocent people. They either think he is joking or don't hear him. When he confronts the police investigator on why he hasn't been arrested, the man tells him it was a hilarious joke and then calls him the wrong name. In this world, everyone is trying to be the best and yet everyone looks the same, so we find him at the end of the book stuck in this world where he can't escape and yet he wants to so much so that he won't have to deal with the truth about what he is.
This is the reason I give this book a four star rating in my opinion. Although it is hard to read and contains very graphic images, it can show us things about our society that we should maybe pay attention to. Are we so self centered that if we had a friend who begged for help that we would just ignore them? Do we care enough about others and not our own greed to stop an injustice when we see one? I don't know. But like all great satires it leaves us wondering and I believe, although you may disagree, that using exaggerated themes like in this book is a great way to grab your attention and then show you a truth you may be missing.
P.S. There is a great essay by Chuck Palahniuk about how books are the last place we can be free to publish and say whatever we want because books aren't censored. You choose to pick them and read them and by doing so you start the process of learning things about the world, even dark and sinister things. I believe sometimes we must explore these darker areas through books, because pretending they don't exist is far worse.
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