Cameron Elliott (4 books)

Cameron Elliott is now friends with Megan Shadrick

Cameron Elliott is on page 195 of 642 of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie

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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce

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The Age of Miracles
by Karen Thompson Walker (Goodreads Author)

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Cameron Elliott is currently reading

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie

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Cameron Elliott rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Red House
by Mark Haddon

read in June, 2012

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The Red House is actually my first introduction to the writing of Mark Haddon, and as previous readers have written, it lacked a little something special for me.

Perhaps the easiest connection for any reader to make with The Red House is the fact that...more The Red House is actually my first introduction to the writing of Mark Haddon, and as previous readers have written, it lacked a little something special for me.

Perhaps the easiest connection for any reader to make with The Red House is the fact that interacting with and understanding one's own family is never easy. Much like the central character siblings Angela and Richard, it's very easy to realize that while you may have grown up together, you are not the same as your sibling–you viewed your upbringing with two very different sets of eyes, and blood does not guarantee or create an intimate connection. The focus is largely based on the friction between the two; however, friction exists amongst the two characters' own individual families as well.

Much like the reader, Richard is still learning about the character of his new wife, Louisa, and her teenage daughter, Melissa. Alternatively, Angela at times mistakenly believes too firmly that she knows her family (a husband, Dominic, two teenage children, Alex and Daisy, and eight year old Benjamin, or Benjy), they do not know her. However, the reader soon finds that Angela's family is more insightful than she initially believes, and that even Angela does not quite understand herself.

Often, the book read more like a work of literature to be studied rather than simply enjoyed. While reading, I could easily see myself returning just a few years back to high school, where my class might dissect a chapter or two of the book to elaborate upon its meaning.

Obviously, Mr. Haddon has worked very hard to emphasize the character over the plot–we are fully immersed into what a character may be thinking, feeling, seeing, reading, or even listening to on an iPod. Unfortunately, what actually allowed me to gain insight into a character, or even feel a slight connection to them, was the limited dialogue between them.

To me, some of the most diverse, and thereby interesting, characters include Louisa, Benjy, and Daisy; however, we receive less character information about the first, and more information about what the latter two are reading, dreaming, or seeing opposed to truly feeling or believing.

True to its realism, the climax and closing of the book leaves the reader and its characters not quite on stable ground. A short holiday is not enough to mend all fences or truly understand what lies beneath the surface of each character.(less)

Cameron Elliott has entered to read 6 books in the 2012 Reading Challenge

Cameron Elliott has read 1 book toward a goal of 6 books.

1 of 6 (17%)

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Cameron Elliott is now friends with Megan Shadrick
May 23, 2013 08:21am · like
Cameron Elliott is on page 195 of 642 of Catherine the Great Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 19, 2012 11:47pm · like · see status
Cameron Elliott added the Goodreads iOS app
Jun 19, 2012 07:22pm
Cameron Elliott wants to read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 18, 2012 09:33pm
Cameron Elliott wants to read The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 18, 2012 09:33pm
Cameron Elliott is currently reading Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 17, 2012 10:03pm
Cameron Elliott rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Red House by Mark Haddon read in June, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Red House is actually my first introduction to the writing of Mark Haddon, and as previous readers have written, it lacked a little something special for me. Perhaps the easiest connection for any reader to make with The Red House is the fact that...more
Jun 17, 2012 09:51pm · see review
Cameron Elliott has entered to read 6 books in the 2012 Reading Challenge Cameron Elliott has read 1 book toward a goal of 6 books. 1 of 6 (17%) Create your own 2012 Reading Challenge »
Jun 13, 2012 07:52pm · like · view books
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Jun 10, 2012 09:33pm

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