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The Giver (The Giver, #1)

Lois Lowry

Discussion: 2014-Jul-Aug-Sep

Why we're reading this: August 26, 2014
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2014-Jul-Aug-Sep

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* September 2014
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 26 views

last updated Oct 01, 2014 12:01PM

* August 2014
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 20 views

last updated Aug 29, 2014 01:36PM

What Members Thought

Sep 12, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, alternate-universe, conceit, philosophy, dimension-travel, mind-control

Having seen this book everywhere for the last twenty years, it had somehow seeped into my awareness that it was some kind of classic mid-century literature, like Catch-22, Night (invariably called "Elie Wiesel's "Night"), The Little Prince, 1984, The Phantom Tollbooth, or A Wrinkle in Time. So I finally broke down and read this, which I felt was part of the canon.

First of all, imagine my surprise to learn that it was written so recently! That's a really heavy amount of hype for a book that was w Having seen this book everywhere for the last twenty years, it had somehow seeped into my awareness that it was some kind of classic mid-century literature, like Catch-22, Night (invariably called "Elie Wiesel's "Night"), The Little Prince, 1984, The Phantom Tollbooth, or A Wrinkle in Time. So I finally broke down and read this, which I felt was part of the canon.

First of all, imagine my surprise to learn that it was written so recently! That's a really heavy amount of hype for a book that was written less than a drinking adult ago! But I tried to set aside my astonishment and incredulity to just experience it for itself. Aside from the ubiquity in every single "Best of" list ever composed, I knew nothing about the book, so that part was pretty easy.

The book is competently written in terms of sentence structure, but what really makes it shine is the gradual reveal of its conceit. In many ways, this book reminded me of The Book of Ember, as it involves describing an attempt at an isolated utopian society. But we don't realize that at first. The great thing about the book, for me, was that it very slowly reveals the weirdness of this fundamentally, horrifically different society. So at first the narrator just seems a little stilted, which for an American reader just makes it seem like any story out of the UK. But gradually we find that the families get together for encounter meetings every morning, to process their feelings...which is a little creepy, but not outside the realm of people who've gone too far into therapy. During this, we see the protagonist, a child who is approaching his last year of school (when he's somewhere between 11 and 13), apparently develop some kind of shape-changing powers, in what appears to be the Blossoming of a mutant power. But then we find that there is a limit to discord in the community: it never progresses beyond simple squabbling, which makes the people seem fairly robotic. Meanwhile the social structure of school is being developed, which resembles work study programs much more than our public schools and during which the kids are alarmingly closely monitored for interests and aptitude. Birthdays and holidays are not celebrated, except on New Year's Day (though it is called something else), when everyone is recognized as being a year older. That far, it could be something written by Asimov. But then it gets really weird, revealing only nearly halfway through the book that all of the people have been intensely, fundamentally modified to alter their perceptions in an astounding way. So what appeared at first to be the emergence of a vast mental mutant power is actually someone exhibiting normality...at least that's how it seems at first. But then we come to discover it is both normality AND a vast, frighteningly powerful mutant ability.

The book draws to a very Brazil-like ending, which is just as satisfying as the ending to that movie. If you liked the ambiguity of that film, you'll love the ending of The Giver. If you didn't, you'll find no satisfaction here.

I loved it, and my wife read it, too. The multiple ways of interpreting the ending led to long and animated discussion, which is always a good thing. ...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Jennifer W rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, ya

This is the first time I've read this book since college. Though I prefer her WWII book, Number the Stars, I'll have to make sure I reread this one more often. The longing for safety at the expence of losing the joys of life is one that I can relate to, for myself, for my clients, and for society at large. I love that the earliest memory is snow. Especially at this time of year, I can't imagine not having snow. Great book! ...more

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Oct 06, 2013 Liz Murray rated it it was ok

Shelves: middle-to-teen-readers

I was expecting so much more. I'd heard about this book for years and I'm a sci-fi fan, but this was unsatisfying to say the least. The first red flag was that there had been a female receiver but she wasn't up to the task. So of course a boy was then chosen and the Giver is also male. I didn't find it to be a very creative work and too much is told through dialogue. It is too didactic for my liking and tales of dystopian futures do much better, in my opinion, when action takes the upper hand. B ...more

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May 22, 2007 Letitia rated it it was amazing

So engaging I finished it in three days. Lowry is well deserving of the Newbery for this tenderly written novella. Clearly and concisely, yet beautifully written, you can't help but be caught up in Jonas' life and experience each new experience along with him. Nearly a flawless book. ...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, own, botns, den

What took me so long to read this one. I do feel that I want to actually read it, rather than listen to it again. Trey and Dan liked, too.

In a very riggedly structured society, Jonah reaches the twelves and has a future decided for him. He becomes a "receiver." The person who he receives from is "The Giver". The Giver imparts memories to Jonah - memories of things that society no longer knows - such as snow, sunburn, pain, joy. ...more

1 like · Like · see review