Girl with the Pearl Earring Interpretations

The reviews of Tracy Chevalier's Girl with the Pearl Earring were very interesting. Most wrote that they enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the town and the ongoings of the house. I wholeheartedly agree; I really enjoyed the descriptions I could really see what was happening at almost every moment. The one thing with which I did disagree was in regards to the ending. Many reviewers like the "twist" ending; I feel this wasn't a twist in any sort of way. I feel it did not really add anything to the story and did not seem to be in the character of the painter. It seemed all rather sentimental hogwash for no real reason. In fact, I cannot believe the reviewers seemed to ignore the fact that this is a story about a woman who has the possibility to do great things but settles completely and full.

Girl with the Pearl Earring Review

I just finished Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. I can understand why the movie based on this book was so bad. The story is interesting enough but would not translate well to the big screen. The majority of the story happens in the mind of the heroine Griet. The plot was interesting enough but on the whole it was bland and used stereotypical plot devices. Girl and mother detest Griet (a maid) and make life difficult for her with very little explanation as to why. The fighting causes the story/plot to move forward but there is no way a resolution can truly occur because there is no reason for a conversation about why the two women hate Griet. The ending seemed forced.(Next is a bunch of spoilers.) The ending like the entire book was Griet settling. She never opened up and felt happy. She didn't even like being painted. She lived her entire life being unhappy in a bland written book.

Dry Interpretations

The reviews of Dry by Augusten Burroughs are a mixed bag. Half enjoy the book and the other half feel uncomfortable reading it. They felt Burroughs should have read a funnier book about alcoholism. Honestly, I feel the tone and story were fitting considering the subject matter of Running with Scissors. Did these reviewers honestly think that Burroughs was going to have a funny early adulthood? Did they think Burroughs was honestly happy as a child? I will admit that the book tied up too nicely but I still enjoyed it.

Love

"I'm sweet and weird and handsome. And I don't see you banging down my door."

"I know. But you don't have enough psychological problems for me. I need somebody with more damage."

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Ford Pintos

What I really want is to sit next to someone under an LL Bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee from the same mug. I don't want some rusty '73 Ford Pinto with a factory-defective gas tank that causes it to explode when it's rear-ended in the parking lot of the supermarket. So why do I keep looking for Pintos?

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Tang

I don't think I have ever had such a close friend in my life, made instantly like Tang.

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Dry Review

In under 24 hours I finished reading Dry by Augusten Burroughs. I enjoyed this book a lot more than Running with Scissors. I felt it had much more of an arc and a satisfying ending. However, I felt that Burroughs hid a lot of his feelings from his readers. He made the sobriety seem so easy. He made dealing with his past so easy. I simply do not believe it. Every once and a while he would express his true feelings but most of the time he just talked about having a crush on Foster. I feel like I missed out on finding out who Burroughs really is.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Interpretations

All the reviews of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time are in consensus. They all love the book. They found it a fascinating tale especially since it was told through the eyes of a body with Asperger's Syndrome. Apparently, Haddon used to work with people with Asperger's and that is where his knowledge comes from. This made me feel better about the portrayal of Christopher. There really isn't much to say since everyone loved the book. Oh, Haddon primarily write children's book, so it was weird for the publisher to market it for both kids and adults, but it worked out well for the publisher.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Review

I just read a delightful short read entitled The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. It was a mystery novel of sorts told through the eyes of an autistic teenage. I loved the fact that the chapters were not sequential in the normal way (1, 2, 3) but sequential prime numbers. I also enjoyed the random math exercises he would insert in between his investigative talks with the neighbors. The one big disappointment is how neatly the story wraps up. (The next part in my journal is full of spoilers so I am leaving some stuff out.) Also, I do not know much about autism, but I must wonder how accurate Haddon's portrayal of Christopher is. There were times that I just did not feel comfortable with how Christopher was acting and how a real autistic teen would act. The book was a nice break from the other books I have been reading, so I was thankful for the quick read. I guess I just want a quick read with some substance.

The Country of the Pointed Firs Interpretations

Not much seems to be written on Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs. All the reviewers praise the pretty and relaxing language. One reviewer mentioned that the stories used to be read over the radio. It would be nice to listen to the stories aloud.

Beautiful Dreams

Don't it show that for folks that have any fancy in 'em, such beautiful dreams is the real part o'life? But to most folks the common things that happens outside 'em is all in all.

The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett

The Country of the Pointed Firs Review

It seemed perfect to finish Sarah Orne Jewett's Country of the Pointed Firs at the same time as Dreaming in Cuban, because very little happens in either book, especially in this book. Nothing happens, Jewett spends the entire book talking about what happens in a small Maine seaport. It was a very relaxing book to read before bed, but it was very dissatisfying to finish, because there was no real conclusion. I felt the book could have kept going on forever, there was no real climax. Also, Williams' wedding at the end seemed very tacked on. It was very frustrating to meet all these interesting characters but have them go nowhere; we just met them for one conversation.

Dreaming in Cuban Interpretations

Most reviews of Dreaming in Cuban agree with my own ideas. The book was neat in that Cristina Garcia mixes letters and narration together and goes back and forth in time. One reviewer particularly disliked this format but everyone else thought it was fabulous and innovative.

Solitude

Solitude, Celia realizes now, exists for us not to remember but to forget.

Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia

Exercise

Lourdes rides her new Sears exercise bicycle until sparks fly from the wheels. She tacks up a full color road map of the United States in her bedroom and charts her mileage daily with a green felt marker.

Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia