Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Road
Last night Justin and I watched The Road. Quite frankly, it was pretty frightening. I would say it was a cross between The Happening and The Carriers, and definitely over the edge on the gory side. When I say that, I mean never show it to kids, because earth had just been through an apocalypse, and people were starving so much they would eat each other. Pretty gross, I know, and I'm not quite sure how a book like this could win awards and be considered so great.
When I see a movie like that, I just think about man's depravity and utter hopelessness without God.
True, a positive point was the father and son's relationship and hanging on to each other no matter what. And another family accepting the son when the father finally died. Beyond that, it's utter hopelessness.
One review said that this book was a testament to what could happen if we don't start to take care of the earth. However, in watching the movie, I saw no pointers to anything environmental- just a decaying, horrid place that the father and son were wandering through as they tried to make it to the coast and go south.
At the end of it all, I just had nightmares about cannibalism. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (I hate it when I waste my time like that!)
When I see a movie like that, I just think about man's depravity and utter hopelessness without God.
True, a positive point was the father and son's relationship and hanging on to each other no matter what. And another family accepting the son when the father finally died. Beyond that, it's utter hopelessness.
One review said that this book was a testament to what could happen if we don't start to take care of the earth. However, in watching the movie, I saw no pointers to anything environmental- just a decaying, horrid place that the father and son were wandering through as they tried to make it to the coast and go south.
At the end of it all, I just had nightmares about cannibalism. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (I hate it when I waste my time like that!)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Resolution...
So, them books are crazy. I mean, really. They leave you thinking for days. The Hunger Games is phenomenal. I know I was still sorting through things in the last post, but I really, really enjoyed them. So, so much deeper than many books I have read recently. I would recommend them to anyone. In the next few weekends, when I get more time, I am going to read them again.
School (teaching) and school (my master's) is super duper busy. I'm just running around crazy. I tell myself it's only for a year, and then things will be better. And I will have time for my husband, my family, and my friends.
I just have such a desire to be a positive difference, and this keeps pushing me on. I hope that I can do it one day. I hope I am doing it now, in some capacity, for my church, my students, my coworkers.
Tomorrow I offered my room at school for prayer in the morning. I hope a few people come. I think it could be a great thing.
That's all I got for now....
School (teaching) and school (my master's) is super duper busy. I'm just running around crazy. I tell myself it's only for a year, and then things will be better. And I will have time for my husband, my family, and my friends.
I just have such a desire to be a positive difference, and this keeps pushing me on. I hope that I can do it one day. I hope I am doing it now, in some capacity, for my church, my students, my coworkers.
Tomorrow I offered my room at school for prayer in the morning. I hope a few people come. I think it could be a great thing.
That's all I got for now....
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mocking Jay
SPOILER WARNING
So, finished Mockingjay last night. Close the book and felt like sobbing for hours. At the fact that Collins, the author, did such a great job or portraying evil and showing that it effects are never over, no matter how distant the trauma. I curled up beside my husband in bed and just wanted him to hold me.
I'm not going to lie, I don't know if I liked it (the ending). I already predicted that it wasn't going to turn out happy. I mean, whenever you have a three-sided romance, someone gets the bad end of the deal. But like a reviewist said, Katniss was in it to survive. And like Gale said, she would chose the one who she needs to survive. But my question was, did she really choose Peeta? Because that is who she ended up with. I guess when they returned to live in 12 after the whole mess, she didn't have to marry and have kids. So that was a choice. But still, for Gale to just stay away.... was that noble of him? I'm not sure I can call him noble when it could have been his fault that Prim died. He could think like the killers. And isn't that a little scary? Even after Katniss had been through the Games, she still had compassion and restraint. Perhaps that is why Gale didn't- because he had never been through the Games. Either way, I'm left so conflicted. Like Gale didn't live up to what I wanted him to... that perfect friend. If he was the perfect friend, would he have confused Katniss with the kisses? And to take a job in another district- is this what a friend would do? I guess I wanted him to watch out for her. But then again, even in the days before Katniss went to the games, they were partners, not lovers. So why did she still felt guilty about him seeing her kiss Peeta in the Games?
Peeta was always protecting Katniss in a selfless manner. At the Games and after. He did really care about her when he first said so in the interviews before the first Games. But even back when he gave her the bread, Katniss didn't seem to love him. It was just gratitude for survival. I think I am seeing what Katniss needs. To survive. Is this it? She does truly care for him.
In Catching Fire, I had started to really think Peeta and her would be together. I knew something drastic would have to happen to break the tension for Katniss between Peeta and Gale. So when Peeta was tortured beyond recognizing the real Katniss, I started to separate and think that Katniss would be with Gale, even with her devotion and care about Peeta. With the ending, I guess it just shows that evil affects everyone in a multitude of ways- no one can escape it. Maybe Gale wishes he would have volunteered for Peeta in the beginning, and been with Katniss the whole time. Since he didn't, does he regret it and feel that staying away is the best thing for her? Is he a minor character that I'm blowing out of proportion? Yet isn't he important to Katniss? (Maybe my personal experiences are clouding over with things that are happening to the characters, and I'm taking all of this too seriously. But I still have nagging questions in my head!)
Gale makes an interesting point about Katniss being drawn to pain- and since Peeta has more, Gale feels that he never has a chance.
Now, I went back and read the ending. The justification for being with Peeta is that Gale has fire, and Katniss doesn't need any more. Peeta is the dandelion, the rebirth. I think I can settle with this.
I can barely stand the fact that Prim dies. It's the ultimate horror- the sister she volunteered for in the Games ends up being killed in the Capitol, the people who would have sacrificed her for entertainment in the first place. Of course this is what drives Katniss insane, plus the fact that it could have been Gale, which seems to him the breaking point of pursuing Katniss any more.
I was glad that she killed Coin. I never liked her, really.
The blood smell and roses was sickening to read, which is probably why Snow seems so evil.
I'm really sad that Cinna died, but I suppose he lives on in the mockingjay suit.
One great part was Finnick telling all of the Capitol secrets. But I wish he never would have been put through the things that he did to know them. And somehow, the fact that Annie has a child doesn't right the fact that Finnick is gone and will never see it.
But this is Collins point, I think. To make readers see evil, and turn away from it. No one ever really wins in the end. Someone always loses something.
So, finished Mockingjay last night. Close the book and felt like sobbing for hours. At the fact that Collins, the author, did such a great job or portraying evil and showing that it effects are never over, no matter how distant the trauma. I curled up beside my husband in bed and just wanted him to hold me.
I'm not going to lie, I don't know if I liked it (the ending). I already predicted that it wasn't going to turn out happy. I mean, whenever you have a three-sided romance, someone gets the bad end of the deal. But like a reviewist said, Katniss was in it to survive. And like Gale said, she would chose the one who she needs to survive. But my question was, did she really choose Peeta? Because that is who she ended up with. I guess when they returned to live in 12 after the whole mess, she didn't have to marry and have kids. So that was a choice. But still, for Gale to just stay away.... was that noble of him? I'm not sure I can call him noble when it could have been his fault that Prim died. He could think like the killers. And isn't that a little scary? Even after Katniss had been through the Games, she still had compassion and restraint. Perhaps that is why Gale didn't- because he had never been through the Games. Either way, I'm left so conflicted. Like Gale didn't live up to what I wanted him to... that perfect friend. If he was the perfect friend, would he have confused Katniss with the kisses? And to take a job in another district- is this what a friend would do? I guess I wanted him to watch out for her. But then again, even in the days before Katniss went to the games, they were partners, not lovers. So why did she still felt guilty about him seeing her kiss Peeta in the Games?
Peeta was always protecting Katniss in a selfless manner. At the Games and after. He did really care about her when he first said so in the interviews before the first Games. But even back when he gave her the bread, Katniss didn't seem to love him. It was just gratitude for survival. I think I am seeing what Katniss needs. To survive. Is this it? She does truly care for him.
In Catching Fire, I had started to really think Peeta and her would be together. I knew something drastic would have to happen to break the tension for Katniss between Peeta and Gale. So when Peeta was tortured beyond recognizing the real Katniss, I started to separate and think that Katniss would be with Gale, even with her devotion and care about Peeta. With the ending, I guess it just shows that evil affects everyone in a multitude of ways- no one can escape it. Maybe Gale wishes he would have volunteered for Peeta in the beginning, and been with Katniss the whole time. Since he didn't, does he regret it and feel that staying away is the best thing for her? Is he a minor character that I'm blowing out of proportion? Yet isn't he important to Katniss? (Maybe my personal experiences are clouding over with things that are happening to the characters, and I'm taking all of this too seriously. But I still have nagging questions in my head!)
Gale makes an interesting point about Katniss being drawn to pain- and since Peeta has more, Gale feels that he never has a chance.
Now, I went back and read the ending. The justification for being with Peeta is that Gale has fire, and Katniss doesn't need any more. Peeta is the dandelion, the rebirth. I think I can settle with this.
I can barely stand the fact that Prim dies. It's the ultimate horror- the sister she volunteered for in the Games ends up being killed in the Capitol, the people who would have sacrificed her for entertainment in the first place. Of course this is what drives Katniss insane, plus the fact that it could have been Gale, which seems to him the breaking point of pursuing Katniss any more.
I was glad that she killed Coin. I never liked her, really.
The blood smell and roses was sickening to read, which is probably why Snow seems so evil.
I'm really sad that Cinna died, but I suppose he lives on in the mockingjay suit.
One great part was Finnick telling all of the Capitol secrets. But I wish he never would have been put through the things that he did to know them. And somehow, the fact that Annie has a child doesn't right the fact that Finnick is gone and will never see it.
But this is Collins point, I think. To make readers see evil, and turn away from it. No one ever really wins in the end. Someone always loses something.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Hunger Games
Last night I read The Hunger Games. Then today, I made Justin get Catching Fire, the second book, when he was out doing errands. And I finished it too! One of my students was reading it before class started, and it looked so good that I asked if I could borrow it. He graciously let me.
Oh, it was sooooooo good. Look, you read Twilight and you're hooked, but there isn't a whole lot of redeeming character qualities or themes from the books. Sure you read them because you relate to some part of the love triangle, but it stops there. I don't think they will be a classic or anything. Back to The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. The characters have depth, history, and real reasons to fight. Noble ones, like home and family. And unlike Bella, Katniss is willing to sacrifice for the good of others, not herself.
The whole scope of the story to me really illuminates our desensitization to violence. I can actually imagine this happening in the future, but of course I hope that the world never comes to this. But the hope, the perseverance, and the selflessness of the characters are what is so astounding about the story. It's not contrived and silly. It's real, in-your-face situations that tests what is right. Since we see the clear and noble choice of right triumph over the odds, it's worth the read.
I'll be recommending it to all my classes on Monday. The paperback starts at $6 at Walmart. Go get it!!!!
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/
Oh, it was sooooooo good. Look, you read Twilight and you're hooked, but there isn't a whole lot of redeeming character qualities or themes from the books. Sure you read them because you relate to some part of the love triangle, but it stops there. I don't think they will be a classic or anything. Back to The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. The characters have depth, history, and real reasons to fight. Noble ones, like home and family. And unlike Bella, Katniss is willing to sacrifice for the good of others, not herself.
The whole scope of the story to me really illuminates our desensitization to violence. I can actually imagine this happening in the future, but of course I hope that the world never comes to this. But the hope, the perseverance, and the selflessness of the characters are what is so astounding about the story. It's not contrived and silly. It's real, in-your-face situations that tests what is right. Since we see the clear and noble choice of right triumph over the odds, it's worth the read.
I'll be recommending it to all my classes on Monday. The paperback starts at $6 at Walmart. Go get it!!!!
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/
Thursday, September 2, 2010
One of those days...
Every have those days, when at the end of it all, you say,
"I wish I had a job where I didn't have to work with people!"
My hubby said that last night. I love him, and I know what he really meant. And I know that though life can be frustrating, it's all in God's hands and will eventually turn out. It might not turn out how we expected or want...but it will be God's way, which is ultimately best.
I wanted to blog to remember this moment, so when things "turn out" later on, we can look back and remember that it was God's hand in it.
"I wish I had a job where I didn't have to work with people!"
My hubby said that last night. I love him, and I know what he really meant. And I know that though life can be frustrating, it's all in God's hands and will eventually turn out. It might not turn out how we expected or want...but it will be God's way, which is ultimately best.
I wanted to blog to remember this moment, so when things "turn out" later on, we can look back and remember that it was God's hand in it.
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