Jessica’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2013)

Jessica’s comments from the Classics Without All the Class group.

Gas

YouTube

Call me maybe!?

Wine list

Lace

Blush

Godfather

sunflower

Kim Kardashian

Bed

This is a book that will have a nice happy home on my kindle bookshelf (for now) until I get a physical copy. I feel the need to share this book with my future children and even friends/family. I agree with @Poiema the pursuit of happiness throughout the book and contrasted with self-gratification...This provides a lesson in happiness one is not often taught but should be learned. This book showed me what life would be like without the things that make me happy (family, friends, husband, childbirth). These are things that can, easily, be taken for granted. Huxley provided a healthy dose of thankful medicine for me...If that makes sense.

Travis of NNY wrote: "I never knew Shrek was a book"

Who wrote the book? Shrek, or the first of the movies, is the only one I really like. I will have to look into that. Have you read the book?

Two years ago I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. At the time, I did not know it was based on the short story by Fitzgerald. I finished the story this week and loved it. I actually liked both but for different reasons. I found out the story was written inspired by something Mark Twain said...It is a pity that the best part of life is at the beginning and the saddest part comes at the end.

The movie is provides a happy love story and an examination of Benjamin Button's life as he goes from elderly to a baby in his lifespan. It is interesting and filled with some happy/touching moments. The story takes a more blunt and honest approach to what the life would be like from the perspective of Benjamin.

For me, both provided such a beautiful look at what life could be if in reverse. At the same time I question if it is better to leave the planet without memories or with? Both are worth the time though. :)

Jenn wrote: "Doesn't your perception depend on whether you saw the film first or read the book? For instance The Hobbit is coming out soon, I read that as a child, and read it to my own children, so we've mo..."

I used to be of this opinion until I had an epiphany due to Game of Thrones and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Perks of Being a Wallflower was one of the first movies/stories I experienced and felt the movie version served better for the story being told. But to each and their own. :)

I realized, one has to consider certain aspects about a book vs the movie of the same story. In a story we get to read opinions and intimate thoughts from various characters or we may only get one. That is the beauty of a book. However, a movie cannot convey that as well. It is up to the actor/s and casting crew. The actor has to express these thoughts in a visual way, which can be difficult and many things can get lost in translation. If the actor is a good one (Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion), you have a great opportunity to understand that character on a different level. I will admit I have been burned on numerous occasions, which can make it hard to watch a movie based off of a book (Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince was a terrible movie moment for me).

In the case of The Hobbit, I think it is well-worth watching. It is long but it comes with the territory of the story and the diretor. Peter Jackson and the design crew do an amazing job taking Tolkien's description and bringing it to life. The set they create for the Dwarven city was...epic in my opinion. The cinamentography (if you are a visual person) is worth giving it a try. Hopefully, if you do, you will not be disappointed.

I recently watched the 2011 version of Jane Eyre. It is a great movie!! A must see for those who are fans of the book. They stay pretty close to the book and the casting crew was spot on. Judy Dench plays Miss Fairfax...When I saw she was playing that part I was sold on seeing it (I love that woman).

Mad Men started a couple of weeks ago. Anyone else watching this?

I am a huge Deadliest Catch fan too. April is my favorite month due to this, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones. Best time of year for tv!!!

Game of Thrones is becoming a great season thus far. I can't wait for this week's episode. Get to see one of my favorite Dany scenes!

Dubliners

I am only a few chapters into it. I am liking it so far. I need to make a plan/figure out what my chapter goal should be for the week. I feel as though I haven't put much of a dent in it.

Hmmmm the best, well that's a hard one.
Jane Eyre is a favorite of mine...but I won't count that one because I have read it before. I will always love that book.

I will say a tie between Looking for Alaska and
The Great Gatsby

Both were much better than expected. Close second would be The Grapes of Wrath.

The worst: Wuthering Heights
Now before I could strung up by my toes, let me explain.
I liked this book, but it was the most depressing and sad story I have ever read. Beats Shakespeare's R+J by a long shot. Now I tend to like stories that torture me in the emotional category. But it was almost too much for me. I applaud Charlotte for writing the themes she did at the period she was alive. I am impressed by her writing and will read more of her work. It was just too much of a downer for me, at the time I read it.

Angie wrote: "I'm hiding my answer as it may contain spoilers. [spoilers removed]"

I like this option. I am still going back and forth on having the knowledge that the society is controlled or being so happy I don't care. While it would be painful, I think I would rather have the knowledge. It's not the happiest of options, but I would have a sense of freedom. They can control certain things but they cannot control how one's brain processes things. In a sense, it will make me feel as though I had won.

I would like the option of moving to an island as well. That would be icing on the cake.