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JennGM
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| Brave New World (this is just *awful*!) |
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Oh, you had me LOL. My son wanted to know what was so funny. Thanks, I won't add that one to my list right now. 
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Bookswithtea
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Yeah, and I don't think I'll be adding it to my ds's list right now, either. Maybe when he's older. Its just soooooooooooooo opposed to the sacredness of life. I know its satire and that's the whole point, but its really hard to read. 
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Karen T
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Bookswithtea wrote:
What a fun thread! My reading list this summer is weird because I'm prereading books for ds's 20th C world history year.
Fallen Angels (Vietnam era fiction) Excellent but raw
The Road From Home (Armenian Massacre) Beautiful
Brave New World (this is just *awful*!)
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Books, you must be doing SL Core 300? I am doing that for my ds, too, and am about to start pre-reading his books soon (we won't start school until after Labor day). I remember Brave New World being horrible when *I* read it in high school (didn't everyone have to read it?) - along with Lord of the Flies, another awful one. But I was hoping there was some good reason for high schoolers having to read it - the message that we need to be careful about accepting/embracing "progress" maybe?
Karen T
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MacBeth
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JennGM wrote:
This is on my "next" list. Too many things on my next list. 
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Just reviewed it on my blog.
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MacBeth in NY
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Bookswithtea
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Karen T wrote:
[
Books, you must be doing SL Core 300? I am doing that for my ds, too, and am about to start pre-reading his books soon (we won't start school until after Labor day). I remember Brave New World being horrible when *I* read it in high school (didn't everyone have to read it?) - along with Lord of the Flies, another awful one. But I was hoping there was some good reason for high schoolers having to read it - the message that we need to be careful about accepting/embracing "progress" maybe?
Karen T |
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Yes, I'm modifying core 300 here and there. Maybe we could split up the prereading to save some time? PM me if you want...
I am still working my way through the end of Brave New World. Its still just horrible. I don't know if I will include it at all on my kid's reading list. Maybe I will just tell them about it since it does come up on those cultural literacy lists. Lord of the Flies doesn't bother me near as much as this book.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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MacBeth
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I am still working my way through the end of Brave New World. Its still just horrible. I don't know if I will include it at all on my kid's reading list. Maybe I will just tell them about it since it does come up on those cultural literacy lists. Lord of the Flies doesn't bother me near as much as this book. |
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That's so interesting. I found LotF to be much more disturbing. I think it's because I have way more faith in human nature than I do in government and science. BNW is such a satire that it actually makes me laugh. It is a cautionary tale, to be sure. Here, the author warns us of the power of government and science, unchecked. LotF reflects the author's true belief that human society is corrupt by nature, not by science or government. Way worse, I think .
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MacBeth in NY
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lapazfarm
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MacBeth wrote:
Bookswithtea wrote:
I am still working my way through the end of Brave New World. Its still just horrible. I don't know if I will include it at all on my kid's reading list. Maybe I will just tell them about it since it does come up on those cultural literacy lists. Lord of the Flies doesn't bother me near as much as this book. |
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That's so interesting. I found LotF to be much more disturbing. I think it's because I have way more faith in human nature than I do in government and science. BNW is such a satire that it actually makes me laugh. It is a cautionary tale, to be sure. Here, the author warns us of the power of government and science, unchecked. LotF reflects the author's true belief that human society is corrupt by nature, not by science or government. Way worse, I think . |
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That's my take, as well. I found Lord of the Flies horriffic, while BNW was just ludicrous.
Instead of Brave New World, you might substitute 1984. I think it is a bit less offensive but with a similar sort of message. Perhaps it will be a gentler way to introduce the genre.
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us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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Bookswithtea
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Maybe I'm not just remembering it right. I haven't read LoTF since high school, but I remembered the message being more similar to Heart of Darkness...without structures and civilization (like the Church, gov't and family), people devolve into less than human behavior.
I'm not sure a youngish teen will even get the meaning of BNW. They are more likely to think its weird science fiction, and there are a lot of sexual references and mechanical sexual things in that world that are just bizarre (things we would consider pornography). Not necessarily explicit, but does a 15 yr old boy really need to be reading such things???
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Angie Mc
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Karen T wrote:
I have this book and read about 1/2 of it I think,
then put it down for something else. I'd love to hear how you like it. I do intend to finish it one of these days :)
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Karen, I'm about 1/2 way into the book and I'm most interested, at this point, in the repetition of her resolutions. I can't say that the repetition makes for fascinating reading but it touches my heart to see this faithful woman reaffirming time and time again her goals. I am encouraged to keep trying, and trying, and trying to reach my goals, too, seeing this as a normal part of "growing a soul" instead of feeling like a constant failure when I don't keep a resolution.
I'm reading this slowly so it may take time before I finish it, but when I do, I'll let you know!
Love,
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Angie Mc
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stefoodie wrote:
| North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell |
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I have a sneaky suspicion that my Devin is behind this one  . I just finished *Pride and Prejudice* and have asked Devin for a break before she insists that I read *North and South*  . But...I have enjoyed the mini-series  .
Love,
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MacBeth
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| Posted: July 22 2008 at 7:43pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| Maybe I'm not just remembering it right. I haven't read LoTF since high school, but I remembered the message being more similar to Heart of Darkness...without structures and civilization (like the Church, gov't and family), people devolve into less than human behavior. |
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That's it. The big issue I had was that the boys had all that (church, family, etc.) and when it was taken away there was no hope. Nothing of what they had stayed with them in their hearts, thus their very humanity, not just their civilization, was completely dependent on external influence. What they had been taught, what they had learned, dissolved as though it were never real at all. I think people are better than that. At least, I hope they are. 
Bookswithtea wrote:
I'm not sure a youngish teen will even get the meaning of BNW. They are more likely to think its weird science fiction, and there are a lot of sexual references and mechanical sexual things in that world that are just bizarre (things we would consider pornography). Not necessarily explicit, but does a 15 yr old boy really need to be reading such things??? |
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Oh, I think it's way better for an older teen...I would not give it to my 16yo yet.
lapazfarm wrote:
Instead of Brave New World, you might substitute 1984. I think it is a bit less offensive but with a similar sort of message. Perhaps it will be a gentler way to introduce the genre. |
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I'd suggest just the opposite . I thought 1984 was so grim...but all three are worth reading thoughtfully.
(This is such a fun discussion! Wish you were all here!)
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MacBeth in NY
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With all our moving around I haven't actually read Brave New World or 1984.. but if I'm understanding the topic correctly you might find "Among the Hidden" (there's a whole series) to address similar topics in a less offensive way.. the "Hidden" are the illegal children.. but it talks about the gov't being able to tell farmers what to grow/raise.. taking land and doing what they want with it.. let me get the author and link..
Ah here we go.. never depend on my memory for names
The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Hidden
Among the Imposters
Among the Betrayed
Among the Barons
Among the Brave
Among the Enemy
Among the Free
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As far as what I'm reading now.. I'm not.. but I have several books that I've been picking away at.. but I haven't been able to stick with anything for very long..
Noise: How our media-saturated culture dominates lives and dismantles families by Teresa Tomeo
Prince Caspian
Real Love by Mary Beth Bonacci
The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband (with some reference to the choosing a good wife book) by Steve Wood
The last two for food for my brain on the courtship topic..
The first because it sounded very interesting
Prince Caspian because we just saw the movie and a book I can't recall the title of (and the book itself is "gone") because they were light
Oh and the Phantom Tollbooth.. partly to see if my daughter would like it and partly because a friend recommended it for my daughter in such glowing terms that I wanted to read it myself.. of course it disappeared on me as well  so I haven't finished it either.
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G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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MacBeth
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JodieLyn wrote:
As far as what I'm reading now.. I'm not.. but I have several books that I've been picking away at.. but I haven't been able to stick with anything for very long..
Noise: How our media-saturated culture dominates lives and dismantles families by Teresa Tomeo
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Must be because that cat keeps sitting on your books. It's so hard to read like that.
I'd love to read your review of the Tomeo book, when you finish! I enjoy her show when I can listen, so I'm betting the book is good, too. So little time...
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teachingmyown wrote:
teachingmom wrote:
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
I got it from the library for one of my girls to read this summer, and then proceeded to read the first few pages and am now hooked. What a great book!
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Isn't is a wonderful book?! I had never even heard of it and some list had it as a recommendation so my dd12 and I both read it. She would come in every morning and ask me how far I had gotten. |
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I can identify! I was telling my 12yo dd about the book. I told her that I was enjoying it tremendously and that it reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables series and the Betsy-Tacy series, which were both set in the same time period. Well, I must have sold her on it because when I went to look for the book late last night, it was nowhere to be found. When I asked her about it this morning, she admitted that she had taken it to bed with her. I told that that was no fair until I had finished it!
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I am reading mysteries by Dorothy Sayers and I have recently discovered Rumer Godden. I just finished "In this House of Brede"...a life-changing book and a must read...simply beautiful and I finished "An Episode of Sparrows" at about 2:00am when I couldn't sleep. I am going to be hunting down more of her books...the next on my list is "Five for Sorrow and Ten for Joy" (a reference to the Rosary.)
I am amazed at how many books some of you have going all at once. I almost never have more than one book going at a time.
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stefoodie
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Angie Mc wrote:
stefoodie wrote:
| North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell |
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I have a sneaky suspicion that my Devin is behind this one . I just finished *Pride and Prejudice* and have asked Devin for a break before she insists that I read *North and South* . But...I have enjoyed the mini-series .
Love, |
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Yup. Devin and Aisa have been tag-teaming us! Aisa read and watched North and South and has been bugging me about reading N&S. (Hah! I beat her and read all the Jane Austen books before her though, she didn't finish Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey.) I love our girls! 
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Bookswithtea
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MacBeth wrote:
The big issue I had was that the boys had all that (church, family, etc.) and when it was taken away there was no hope. Nothing of what they had stayed with them in their hearts, thus their very humanity, not just their civilization, was completely dependent on external influence. What they had been taught, what they had learned, dissolved as though it were never real at all. I think people are better than that. At least, I hope they are. |
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I wasn't raised in a Christian home, so this thought would have never occurred to me when I read LoTF. But when I was reading your thoughts, it struck a chord with me about the Catholic Church. Having been a protestant first, once you are outside of civilization, it really *is* easy to forget to trust in the Lord's ways and forget to "lean not on your own understanding." The Church is like this huge immoveable force that keeps us on the straight and narrow, even when our own brains think differently. In a prot. church, it was easy to just disagree with your local pastor and then move on (very easily into heresy...I've seen it more than once). So while I don't think that all human nature is bound to devolve in something as low as LoTF, I do think that without those structures, everyone is capable of becoming more base. So the message for me is that there is a danger in moving away from the Church, the family, and basic community/gov't structures. Its asking for trouble.
MacBeth wrote:
| (This is such a fun discussion! Wish you were all here!) |
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I agree. I miss talking about grown up books.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Bookswithtea
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MacBeth wrote:
Noise: How our media-saturated culture dominates lives and dismantles families by Teresa Tomeo
I'd love to read your review of the Tomeo book, when you finish! |
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Me too. This sounds really interesting (no pun intended )
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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MacBeth
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Bookswithtea wrote:
Having been a protestant first, once you are outside of civilization, it really *is* easy to forget to trust in the Lord's ways and forget to "lean not on your own understanding." The Church is like this huge immoveable force that keeps us on the straight and narrow, even when our own brains think differently. |
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Great insight here, Books. I'm going to see if there's a good lit crit of Golding, and see what it says about the book. So good to hear articulate adult thoughts !
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MacBeth in NY
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4Real Forums : Book Club
Topic: What Are You Reading Right Now?
