Night by Elie Wiesel

     The picture to the left is the cover of a 3-in-1 collection of Elie Wiesel’s Night Trilogy. Night, the first of the trilogy, is a memoir. Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor, tells of his time at Auschwitz. From his home, to the ghetto, to the camps and the separation of his family… he and his father had only each other to help each other survive.

I will never understand the depths of human cruelty. Wiesel’s account will leave you feeling almost as if you were there. His words are simple and straightforward, but they have such an impact. I have no words to even begin to express my feelings when reading this. Is this a classic? Most definitely. This book captures a moment in time when men showed ultimate evil, and yet others showed ultimate strength – surrounded by death, knowing that the same fate would soon be their own. It is most definitely a classic, though I (and I’m sure Elie Wiesel) wish history had never given it the opportunity to be so. I will always consider this to be one of my top five, must read books.

I have removed accuracy from the rating. As Wiesel’s personal account I have no way to verify, yet absolutely no reason to doubt, that his words are true.

1) Is it understandable? = 5
2) Presentation of Information = 5
3) Accuracy
4) Quality of Writing = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 5

Average of  score 5
Overall grade = A

For more on Elie Wiesel and his humanitarian work, please go to his foundation’s website.

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

This was book 52 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 12 in my Classics challenge.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

     In what is probably Charles Dickens’ best known work we meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a rich old miser who loves money more than anything else. One Christmas Eve night he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who has been dead for seven years. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits in hopes that he will not be doomed in death. Scrooge is taken on a journey through past, present, and future Christmases… but will he learn anything?

This is what a true classic looks like. The ideas of this story stand against the test of time. They are as true today as they where when they were written over a century ago. This story is so effective in its telling that film after film has been made of this story, the most recent being Disney’s animated version (which I highly recommend, by the way). Every home should have a copy of this book.

1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 5

Average of  score 5
Overall grade = A

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

This was book 50 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 11 in my Classics challenge.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

     In the middle of World War II, Gene and Phineas are coming into their last year of high school. Roommates, away at boarding school, they find themselves growing closer over the summer session. As Gene tries to find himself, he also senses a rivalry building between him and his friend. After a serious accident (or was it an accident after all?) neither of the boys will ever be the same.

This is an interesting read; seeing how the idea of being drafted or the decision to enlist into the military affects these boys. Especially since we no longer have the draft here, even in times of war most people don’t think about the military very often. Gene’s journey is interesting as well. He’s telling this story, so we understand everything from his perspective. You get to see his inner struggles and get insight into his reactions, which you sometimes want to smack him for… or maybe that’s just me. Overall, it’s pretty good. I would suggest reading it at least once.

1) Overall Plot = 4
2) Characters = 4
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 4
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 4.5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 3.5

Average of  score 4
Overall grade = B

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

This was book 49 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 10 in my Classics challenge.

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines

     This story takes place in Louisiana in the 1970′s. Times have changed and across the country the black community has started to see civil rights, but deep in Cajun country there are people who don’t like that change. When a white man is killed it seems evident that a Mathu, a black man, has done it, but when the sheriff arrives he finds not only Mathu and Candy, a young white woman, but 18 old black men with shotguns… each one claiming they’ve killed the white man. The sheriff tries to get it all sorted out, but the lynch mob everyone expects to be on the way could take care of that for him.

I wouldn’t say this is one of the best novels I’ve ever read, but it definitely has its good points. What really makes it stand out is the way the story is told. The entire novel is written in first person, but the point of view changes with each chapter. You are hearing each piece of the story from a character who was a witness. We don’t get each character’s point of view (characters like Mathu, Candy, and Fix are only seen from outside perspectives), but there are several (both black and white) who get to tell a piece of the story, some more than once. This makes the story a bit more interesting as you get to see it from both sides. There are times I felt like we were given information that slowed the story a bit, and the language in the last couple of chapters gets harsh as the situation intensifies, but that’s the only thing really wrong with this one (if you don’t like bad language).

1) Overall Plot = 3
2) Characters = 4
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 4
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 4.5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 3

Average of  score 3.7
Overall grade = C

Where to buy the book: Amazon | B&N

This was book 48 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 9 in my Classics challenge.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

     Esther is a college student who has won an internship in New York city working for fashion magazine. The story follows the events of this trip, told by Esther herself. A few highs, lots of lows, and everything in between.

What’s funny about this novel, for me, is that I remembered liking it a lot more when I read it in highschool… I guess I was going through my deep, introspective, “Do we really exist, or is this all in our minds?” phase. I can’t say I enjoyed it at all this time around. This is an autobiographical novel, and though it is a fictional work it does chronicle the author’s own mental breakdown and suicide attempt. It is mostly dark and Esther’s behavior is sometimes manic. She is also somewhat obsessed with the idea of sex (and men) though she has never been intimate with anyone. There is no real plot to the story, it’s mostly just a retelling of events which jumps back and forth in time, as events cause Esther to remember things from the past. This may be a good novel to read as a study of a depressed, suicidal mind (Sylvia Plath did eventually succeed in killing herself), but I wouldn’t say that it has the entertainment value a novel should have.

1) Overall Plot = 1
2) Characters = 2
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 2
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 3.5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 1

Average of  score 1.9
Overall grade = D

Where to buy the book: Amazon | B&N

This was book 46 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 8 in my Classics challenge.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

     The story of Oliver Twist tells of the struggles of a young orphan boy in the streets of London. It follows him from his birth, to his labeling as a trouble-maker when he dares to ask for more food, being sold as an apprentice, accused of attempted murder, running away and getting caught up with a gang of thieves, and to what could be his salvation if his old life doesn’t follow him. Dickens explores both sides of the human spectrum, from ultimate kindness to ultimate cruelty.

The characters in this story are vivid, making the horrors of the tale even more terrible. Dickens probably didn’t realize when he wrote this almost two centuries ago that it would capture the human condition in such an honest way that Oliver Twist would become a classic to be read again and again. Being set in England in the 1800′s, the language is very different from modern novels, especially during pieces of longer narration. The dialog, however, even with its old english slang, is easily understood.

1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 4
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 4.5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5

Average of  score 4.6
Overall grade = A

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

This was book 44 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 6 in my Classics challenge.

 

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

     After Margaret Murray and her baby brother encounter a strange visitor in their kitchen one night during a storm, they are whisked away on an incredible journey to find their missing father. Along the way, they will help fight a growing evil that threatens the entire universe. Some planets have already given in. Earth is in the middle of the struggle, though no one may realize it.

     It’s no wonder that this is a classic. A wonderful blend of sci-fi and fantasy with overt Christian themes. There’s no hiding the Christian message in this one. L’Engle’s descriptiveness is just enough to help you imagine her world, but not overdone to the point that it slows the story. The characters are excellent, and the story keeps you engaged. This one is no doubt intended for children, but I think anyone can enjoy it at any age.

1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 5

Average of  score 5
Overall grade = A

Where to buy the book: CBD | Amazon | B&N

This was book 43 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 5 in my Classics challenge.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

     It’s a classic tale of two unlikely friends. George is small and resourceful. Lennie is very large, and very strong, but short on brains. Lennie’s strength, coupled with his pure innocence, often gets him into trouble that George has to get him out of. They travel from job to job, but they have a plan. They’re going to save their money and buy their own piece of land. That’s if they can make it through their newest job on a ranch where a the flirtatious wife of the boss’ son makes life hard.

     The characters in this book are common, and their language reflects it. Lots of cursing in this one, but there’s something about the story that makes pushing through the language worth it. At a little over 100 pages it is not a long novel, but it has a large impact. Steinbeck was great at telling a simple story in a profound way. His characters are believable and identifiable, and you feel for them greatly, even in the span of just one hundred pages. This is a shining example of great storytelling.

1) Overall Plot = 4
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5

Average of  score 4.7
Overall grade = A-

Where to buy the book: Amazon | B&N

This was book 42 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 4 in my Classics challenge.

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

     A nameless narrator tells us about his life. “I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. An unattractive man. I think that my liver hurts.” As he continues we find that he is cynical and bitter. Today he might be diagnosed as bipolar. In the first part of the novel we find out the narrator’s views of himself and the world. The second part of the novel consists of ”notes” from the narrator that describe certain events of his life. Throughout his tales there are times you may feel draw to him or feel sorry for him, but then he’ll do or say something mean or spiteful (as he himself claims to be) and all pity washes away for a bit.

     The entire novel is one big contradiction. The narrator himself is a giant paradox. He claims to feel superior to everyone, and sometimes even acts the part, but most often we can see that he feels largely inferior to everyone around him… and he hates everyone for it. He despises himself, but punishes everyone else for his shortcomings. He speaks certainly that he is writing only for himself and that no one will ever read his notes, yet he constantly addresses the readers directly. I think there have been many interpretations of this novel, and all will have a hint of truth to them. I believe that what you pull away from this novel will depend on the type of person you are, and where you are in your own life.  You may see pieces of yourself in the man from underground. You will definitely see things in him you hope to never see in yourself. But I think everyone will come away with something different, and everyone should read this one… at least once.

1) Overall Plot = 4
2) Characters = 4
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 4
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 4
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5

Average score of  4.1

Overall grade = B

You can buy the book here:  Amazon | B&N

This was book 20 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 3 in my Classics challenge.

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

      This allegory tells the tale of Christian, a man who sets out from his home in the City of Destruction to find eternal life in the Celestial City. After reading a certain book, Christian realizes that his some town is going to be destroyed by fire from Heaven, but he can’t figure out how to save himself or his family or friends. This puts  a heavy burden on Christian’s back, that he can’t get off. He soon meets a man named Evangelist who tells Christian where he must go to be freed of his burden and points him on the road to the Celestial City. Along the way, Christian meets several characters. Some help him on his journey, while others hinder him. Some try to kill him! He also comes to some interesting places, including the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

This is a timeless classic that still touches the lives of many today, though it was written in the 1600′s. Every Christian will recognize the places and people along the main character’s journey. This book should be read by everyone, especially those who have been disillusioned into thinking that the Bible promises an easy road to Christians. The imagery of the burden on Christian’s back is beautiful. The presentation of fellowship along the journey is beautiful as well. The symbolism of the law through Moses is wonderful. I could go on and on. Truly a must read!

1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 5

Average score of 5

Overall grade = A

This was book 16 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was book 2 in my Classics challenge.