She has a lot of patience and endurance even trying to make cereal in the kitchen she described let alone 500 pages of a cookbook from #%!@^.
I give he...moreShe has a lot of patience and endurance even trying to make cereal in the kitchen she described let alone 500 pages of a cookbook from #%!@^.
I give her a lot of credit for not only starting a project which is real easy to do but actually finishing a project which in near impossible to do. How long is your list of things to finish? But talking about reaping the rewards of your labor - a blog, a book, another book, and a movie starring Meryl Streep!
Now off to read her blog from those days and watch the movie. (less)
A father that loves his son so much he keeps a bullet in the gun just in case. Very little dialogue but none is needed. Very descriptive with how to s...moreA father that loves his son so much he keeps a bullet in the gun just in case. Very little dialogue but none is needed. Very descriptive with how to survive in a world with no sun, no warmth, no food, no shelter or society. Rules and law no long exist and the only plan you wake up to each moring in a plan to survive. This is not a happy book with an end that is upsetting but leaves one with hope.
I just have to say that I kept flipping to the dustjackets to re-read that this is a TRUE story. I couldn't believe all the stuff I was reading.
That b...moreI just have to say that I kept flipping to the dustjackets to re-read that this is a TRUE story. I couldn't believe all the stuff I was reading.
That being said, I can name two people off the top of my head that are psychiatrists and are probably more messed up than their patients. I think you have to be a bit off to deal with everyone's problems.
Let see, I think he was so obsessed with hair because it was something he could control unlike the rest of his life. He could make it blonde or orange he could make it look perfect like a Ken doll. And he was so obsessed with everyone else's hair because again it was the only thing he could control about everyone else.
And apparently this person never heard of Robert Frost when he said no one knows poets.
I did liked the book and I plan on looking at his other books and articles. If this was a fiction book it would bug me to not know what happened after he decided to move to New York but since it's a memoir I guess I can figure it out! :)(less)
I just kept thinking wahhhhhh the whole time. Poor woman wants out of her marriage so she leaves.... wahhhh. Poor woman is depressed so she whines wah...moreI just kept thinking wahhhhhh the whole time. Poor woman wants out of her marriage so she leaves.... wahhhh. Poor woman is depressed so she whines wahhhhh. Life is so unfair for the poor woman wahhhh.
Please, poor woman is completely lost so what does she do? Why she takes a year off and travels to Italy, India & Indonesia to try and find herself. I wish I could say that this was fiction but it isn't. She's lost! Join the club but at least you have the money and the lack of responsibility to travel for an entire year and not have to worry about family, money and I don't know life in general.
She finds herself by traveling to three parts of the world - Italy to find her body, India to find her spirit and Indonesia to find a balance between the two. OK, that part I get but I just had a real difficult time finding sympathy for a woman who is able to do all of that and still find time to whine about how hard life is for her.
And guess what there's going to be a sequel - she remarrying so you know soon she will be divorcing and traveling to New Zealand, Prague and the South Pole to enlighten herself even more.
Added to add - great now it's a movie. Soon they will make The Secret into a movie and we can all call it a day. (less)
I actually read this in school several times. I remember bits of it but when I saw this in a Library Book Sale I picked it up to read again.
I forgot...moreI actually read this in school several times. I remember bits of it but when I saw this in a Library Book Sale I picked it up to read again.
I forgot about the ending - I like how Devola showed them all that she wasn't just a pretty face but was capable of being something. (less)
**spoiler alert** Read it in four days, couldn't put it down. I had to keep remembering that it wasn't 100% true. But I think that it was as close as...more**spoiler alert** Read it in four days, couldn't put it down. I had to keep remembering that it wasn't 100% true. But I think that it was as close as we could have gotten. Mineko - The geisha that Golden interviewed did a great job on educating him on the way of a Geisha according to a lecture he gave.
I wasn't as shocked as everyone else seemed to be about the way things were in Japan. Women were not permitted to think or act for themselves. And just like everywhere else, there really wasn't any use for a daughter except to marry her off to a husband with money in hopes of securing future for the daughter's parents and family. There was also a strict code of honor and respect among geishas and the Japanese culture. That is what prevented Sayuri from acting out on Hatsumomo and why she couldn't reveal her feelings nor could the chairman disrespect his friend to be with Sayuri. I admired that about The Chairman and Sayuri, they did what they knew was right and did not follow their feelings. In the end, look where it got them. They were happy, growing old together, probably had a child, she lived peacefully and very well in New York taken care of until the day she died. I wonder what would have happened to Sayuri if she acted out and exchanged Hatsumomo's make-up with rat poison. More than likely, she would have been thrown out of the house and made into a prostitute until she died. In the end, Hatsumomo ended up suffering because she didn't follow the code of honor. Also, fate punished Sayuri for disobeying, when she tried to escape and fell off the roof and I'm sure that had an effect on her future decision makings.
I wish that Sayuri was able to reunite with her sister but in a way I'm glad that they didn't and avoided the typical Hollywood ending. Sayuri reminded me a lot of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She had her own way of seeing things but they were always clever and accurate. I loved the part when she says that her the back of her father's head was as old and his face but it was smooth like an egg, not deep set in wrinkles. There's living proof in every bald head of why stress and worry creates wrinkles in the face.
Other characters: The Doctor - warped and twisted at least he was useful in help Mameha win the bet against Mother and secured Sayuri place in the house.
The Baron - Hated that he hurt Mameha by going after Sayuri - His disrespectfulness got him in the end.
The Chairman - A man that believed in honor and respect above all. And he was rewarded for it until his death.
Nobu - Despite his rudeness and abruptness, he did care for Sayuri and made sure she was safe. I wish we learned what happened to him in the end but based on the pattern of the story those who lived with honor, died with honor.
Mameha - Loved her, she was smart, sweet, strong - she didn't let anyone push her around and her subtleness was just as effective in getting what she wants as any man. Actually it was better because no one realized that they helped her so they never came back to be repaid.
Pumpkin - Started out sweet and nice but finally acted out after years of betrayal. She was abused and used by Hatsumomo and the household, lied to about being adopted, forced to prostitution during the war. If Sayuri wasn't so wrapped up in her own issues she might have been able to see past herself and try to help Pumpkin more. Despite Pumpkin's betrayal to Sayuri, I hope she went against the pattern of the book and lived the rest of her years happily. Probably the smartest, after all, up until the end, Sayuri thought that Pumpkin made a mistake in bringing the Chairman to the theater instead of Nobu. Never thought that Pumpkin did it on purpose.
First, I had no idea that they made this book into a movie in 1997 (I know, I'm clueless). I thought that it would make a great movie with the four di...moreFirst, I had no idea that they made this book into a movie in 1997 (I know, I'm clueless). I thought that it would make a great movie with the four different perspectives each taking the story further down the road and narrated by each person. I hope that they didn't make a Hollywood ending out of it.
The first thing I liked about the book; each chapter took the story a little further but it was told from a different person and therefore a different point of view. You were in their heads seeing what they saw (or thought they saw) seeing their interpretations based on their life choices and their personalities. And it was completely one- sided. You never heard what the bus driver was doing after the accident up until the day of the fair unless she came into contact with the person who was telling their view. The same with the lawyer and Billy. But that left a lot of unanswered questions. How exactly did Billy go from the town hero to the town joke/embarrassment? Did people try to stop him?
The only thing that I didn't like about the book was when lawyer's crack-head daughter was introduced. I knew that she was there to show that the lawyer had a life outside of the accident but it never tied up that side-story. Did she lie and say she had aids to get money? If she did what did the lawyer do. I bet the movie doesn't even involve her.
In the end, not only did Nicole bring her family to the "sweet hereafter", she brought the whole town there based on a lie. I wanted to know how she felt when everyone was cheering the other cars to destroy Boomer. Did it bother her at all to know that she caused that hatred? And since it was the outsiders that helped Dolores down is she going to stay in Sam Dent or will she make herself an official outsider and leave? Of course knowing those answers would give it a Hollywood ending so I better off not knowing and deciding for myself.
Before I forget, did anyone else notice that the book was dedicated to Harper Lee?
So did the crime fit the punishment? Which character is worse? Perry...moreBefore I forget, did anyone else notice that the book was dedicated to Harper Lee?
So did the crime fit the punishment? Which character is worse? Perry who had an awful, disgusting childhood, was beaten, usually homeless, abused and treated like a "slave" but, according to him, killed 4 innocent people. Or Dick who had a standard childhood came from a good and strict family, played sports in high school, met the women of his dreams and married her. He didn't kill the family but he did instigate the crime and encouraged Perry to play it out until the end. Did they both deserve to die? Is Perry the worst of the two because he committed the actual murders or was Dick because there isn't any excuse to explain his life of crime? Is Perry better because he prevented Dick from committing rape before he shot Nancy's head off? (Don't mean to be crude but you get the idea) I'm curious to know what everyone thinks.
I liked how Capote started the book before the murders occurred. You were able to see how everyone was living and you could see the difference in people's attitude from the day before, to the day after the crime. One moment they looked after their neighbors, the next moment they were looking at them sideways trying to see if they were guilty. And I like how he wrote from the cop's point of view in the beginning (Nancy's purse in the hallway, her watch in the shoe, why the son looked like he did before he was shot) and then how Perry filled in the holes at the end. The only thing that made me question things was that is was so exact. Three months went by (or was it more) and he remembered everything right down to the emotions he felt when he was scurrying for the silver dollar that fell out of the purse. I have a good memory but lets face it, do you know any man who can remember the details that Perry did? How Dick was able to recite from memory the stores that he passed bad checks?
I was also surprised that the daughters weren't mentioned after the hurried wedding ceremony. And I don't understand why she felt the need to get married the week of her family's death, right after the funeral. I would have waited. But of course now-a-days people would just live together while they wait for a better time to get married. I guess they couldn't do that back then :) No one but the mother's brother showed up for the trial. And he asked for people to forgive the killers and let them have life in prison instead of death. I wonder how the other family members felt.
While I was exploring the site http://204.171.50.133/vhs/capotelesso... they had a "Six Degrees of Capote" area. This had emails from those that either knew the victims, the criminal or the city where they were from. There wasn't a lot but it was really interesting to read some of those. I think with a bit more exploring we could find other sites like that, that include witnesses' recaps of the incident. It did bother me to learn how writing about this affected Capote the way it did. How he felt bad for the killers who had hoped that he could save them. Did Truman ever say if he was for or against capital punishment? You can't tell from the book which shows what a great author he is, no biased opinions at all even though he talked with the killers and the victims for over 6 years.
And no I won't be renting this movie I don't need to be reminded that sometimes you are just at the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time. (less)
**spoiler alert** I looked up Harper Lee online this is her only published book. However, she did write a few articles that one can find and read onli...more**spoiler alert** I looked up Harper Lee online this is her only published book. However, she did write a few articles that one can find and read online: Love in other Words - Vogue Christmas to me - McCalls When Children Discover America Romance and High Adventure
Her full name is Nellie Harper Lee - I bet she dropped the Nellie part so publishers would mistakenly think she was a man and read her material. She is also still alive and living in Monroeville, Alabama. And once you read about her and her family, you will know that she is not the only amazing person in that family (guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree).
I was able to tell in the beginning that the book started in the 30's once Dill mentioned that he saw Dracula in the theaters. Dracula was in theaters in 1931-32 (don't ask how I know that), and they mentioned that they were in the Depression which started in 1929 (1927-28 for the farmers) and went on through out the 30's. Since they were openly drinking, Prohibition must have ended (1933). And, towards the end of the book, they were mentioning Hitler and what he was doing in Germany which took place in the late 30's. My history teachers would be so impressed that I retained all of that information. Too bad my head is so full of that information, I have to look up my own phone number.
I loved Scout. In fact, I get dibs on that name for a little girl- or did Bruce Willis and Demi Moore beat me to it? I loved that she wanted to be a person first and then a girl. And she supports the fact that little kids know the meaning of life and forget it as they get older. She had a great relationship with her brother and father and they encouraged her to be true to herself and not follow the stereotypes of ladies of that time. I loved her way of thinking especially how she drew the conclusion that if she starting swearing her dad would assume she picked up the bad habits from school and pull her out. And when she wanted to write a letter to Dill in invisible ink just to drive him crazy, I almost ruined the book because I was drinking a Diet Pepsi at the time.
I have a feeling that Harper Lee was just like Scout and have you noticed that all early 1900 female authors are tomboys? Louisa Mae Alcott was Jo in Little Women, Laura Wilder wrote about herself. It just goes to show you that the truly creative women were those that went against the stereotypes of the time.
I'm not sure I like the fact that Atticus allowed them to call him by his first name and not Dad, but aside from that he was the perfect role model. He talked to them, not at them, and he always listened. He firmly believed that it was important for his children to respect him and by NOT following the creed "Do as I say, not as I do", Scout and Jem would be able to look up to him. He wanted his children to look beyond the color of one's skin, therefore he did. He treated everyone as equal despite their race, family background, age or education and if more people did that, there wouldn't be as many problems today. His teaching methods worked. You can tell how much the children loved and looked up to him. Nothing hurt them more then having their father be ashamed of them. They didn't keep things from him because they thought he wouldn't understand. They kept things from him because they didn't want him to get hurt. And they always listened, because to disobey would hurt Atticus.
Atticus's brother was another one of my favorite characters even though he wasn't mentioned a lot. When he realized his error after punishing Scout for beating up her cousin and tried to make it right, it showed that he also strived to earn their respect just like Atticus. Nothing irates me more then when someone tells me I have to respect them because they are older than me. Whatever. Does that mean I have to respect Bob Ewall because he is older?
The court case. Wow, the sad thing is, is I can see that happening even today (i.e. the Rodney King trial). When I moved here the first time, just before the LA riots, there was a huge ordeal about a Korean, store-owner who shot and killed a 17-19 black, teenager girl, she claimed was stealing and attacking her. The security camera shows the tiff and it shows the teen putting down the item and walking towards the exit. The store owner shot her in the back and was found not-guilty, by reason of self-defense. When the book was published in 1960, discrimination was still a big problem. I did like how Harper Lee brought up Hitler's actions against the Jews. It was obvious that what was going on in America with African Americans was no different in her eyes than what Hitler was doing. I agree, we were just more discreet about it. Perhaps because deep inside, Americans knew it was wrong to treat African Americans as third class citizens so we tried to hide it more. Hitler was right out in the open with his actions.
I listed a few links that I discovered about To Kill A Mocking Bird: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS... The Student Survivor Guide. - This is amazing it has definitions of the harder words and references to the "Allusions and Idioms" that are used.
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