Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Replace Can Diced Tomoatoes

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Here is a book I wanted to read since I loved "The 1001 Minds of Billy Milligan " by the same author. A reading Common gave me the impetus to get started.


Abstract:

Charlie, aged 32, IQ of 68, began writing a newspaper the day he was selected to be the guinea pig experience not common. Scientists have developed a brain surgery that can dramatically increase the intelligence of the person operated on. It has already worked for Algernon, a mouse become capable of solving the most complicated labyrinths, it will also radically change the lives of Charlie, who remained had always dreamed of becoming intelligent.

My opinion:

First, a warning: do not read the back cover. Under the pretext of giving the desire to read, it reveals much of the plot and draws attention to the last quarter of the book. For what is truly the heart of the story of Charlie, c ' is his point of view of Mentally Retarded Persons who suddenly discovers everything his limited intelligence would not allow him to see.

At this point of view, write the book through his eyes is a flash of genius and a risky bet. The reports he wrote is changing as fast as him. In a tentative spelling and style very readable, it rose gradually to a text to complex vocabulary. It reveals the perspective of a man with the intelligence of a child who takes everything at face value, unable to guess the innuendo beneath the words, unable to understand the emotions of others or his own, to hear his voice. We understand the balance that was created, inter alia with the help of some and its inability to understand the mockery of others.

Then we follow its evolution to intelligence, learning his feelings and his discovery of a world quite unknown to him while he lived there. It's difficult and painful, as Charlie discovers not only the present but also the past and all that he missed because he did not understand. He has to face his ghosts, and his intelligence increases, he finds himself alone, a blazing comet that passes all.

All this is extremely well told. This approach to change in subtle yet dramatic character is really a success from the author. The whole story is built on an idea he explores in depth and which operates all the emotion. It's really fascinating.

short, a reading that I really appreciated. Decidedly, Daniel Keyes has something to please me!


page Bibliomania Book:

My co-readers:
- those who have loved : Opals, Setsuka , Mina88 , Furby71 , Ptitetrolle , Flo_Boss , Petitepom , Scor13 , Melusine, Lexounet
- those who are less enthusiastic: Ethernya , Lisalor

Monday, November 8, 2010

Kate's Playground Iphone

It's Monday! What are you reading? (4)

As I missed publishing last week, no question of missing it this week ... I will try to cover two weeks instead of one (fortunately, I have not had much time to read).



What I read last week?

There is a little over a week, I finally found time to start, continue and temriner " Warbreaker ," you just find the critical below it. To be honest with you, it's a novel that sticks to your hands once it began, "and he did not last three days between mine. .. Apart from that, I read "Helena Vannek" Armel Job, a relatively short novel that I will comment soon. Finally, this week I especially advanced slowly in " All the King's Men " I told you earlier and I enjoyed page by page.


What I'm reading right now?

Always busy with "All the King's Men," I'm just close to half and the one that makes me feel like right now.


What shall I read the next week? I always

"All the King's Men" to finish and I will not fail to do so, but I ordered the trilogy "Mistborn" and "Elantra" Brandon Sanderson, author of I Warbreaker became total fan. Given that these books will arrive soon and I know in advance that they will make me the eye, I might make an uncontrolled incursion on their side ...

And you, what do you read?

Vore Movie On Netflix

Warbreaker, Brandon Sanderson

Having read and loved the first volume of the series Son-of-Mists (Mistborn) by Brandon Sanderson, I longed to discover a work by the author, s knowledge of history he had had a stroke of genius or a passenger if I could subscribe directly to his fan club. That is why I launched, along with other Mistborn players in a small town in reading VO (Warbreaker has not yet been translated). Here is the result.


Abstract:

Hallandren Between the large tropical country, and its small neighbor, the mountain kingdom of Idris, the war was brewing. Legend has it that several hundred years ago, the royal family Hallandren was forced to flee and create Idris because it does not condone the use of a new form of magic biochromatique combining the colors and "Respiration" the human soul, for give life to inanimate objects. Since then, Hallandren lives under the government of living gods and their god-king in a colorful world while Idris denies any color and fights to maintain its sovereignty against what they consider heresy biochromatique. To maintain peace, Idris agreed to send a royal princess to marry Hallandren for the powerful and dangerous God-King. But the time came, the king can not bring himself to sacrifice his eldest daughter, the sweet and perfect Viven, and sends in his place his younger daughter, Siri rebel ...


My opinion:

My opinion is simple: Brandon Sanderson hides in his novels a magic formula that transforms the reader to the last line junkie. I do not know if it works for everyone, but I find that I am particularly vulnerable to magic. Once the first three or four chapters back, I was captivated, physically forced to spend the entirety of my free time to discover more. It feels terrible, but so good ...

must say that this gentleman is still very talented. It was first a particularly fertile imagination, even for the category "Authors fantasy "that has some good suppliers of wacky ideas. Here, as in Mistborn, it creates a totally original magic system based on unpublished materials: colors that can be perceived differently and use as a fuel when has the power, and Breathing (Breath in VO, with a capital letter), something that resembles the human soul but a soul without which we can live, that can give or receive. Whoever accumulates breaths and uses colors can give life to objects, including human bodies, which then become terrifying weapons. But as the inhabitants of Idris, the reader is encouraged to see the full horror this complex system that discovers gradually, without ever feeling lost. It is masterful.

On top of that, the magic, Sanderson was the original idea of making the basis of a particularly bizarre religion: a religion whose gods are alive, or rather revived. It was one of the stated goals of the author in writing this novel, there developed an idea touched upon elsewhere, the gods live, and explore their views. Thus one discovers Lightsong, cynical but funny god who does not believe in religion to which he belongs and behind nonchalance excessive discomfort to live at the expense of people for whom it can do nothing. Besides the verbal jousting that offers tasty (Lightsong has an absurd humor and thick), it is primarily a worldview very odd that you discover.

Another talented Brandon Sanderson is to create complex characters, and terribly likely distinct in their originality. He knows how to love those they want, hate some others, to change the heroes and play with our feelings from time to time. Bypassing the box "description", he gives each character a unique personality and depth it needs to be credible. And that is not a talent so common as one might think.

Finally, the plot is the strong point of this novel. The author takes us exactly where he wants and then turns the tables in three sentences, when we least expect it. The story accelerates towards the end, but from one end to another is never boring for a second, there is always something to keep us in suspense and surprise us in one of three parties who are simultaneously: that of Siri, and Viven than that of Lightsong. What this book we stick to hands.

A final note to mention the very nice gesture Brandon Sanderson: he put the PDF version of this novel access free on its website, along with previous versions and notes on changes between different versions for those who wish to can follow the creation of the novel. He says hope and desire to give new readers to discover his work. In my case, anyway, the bet is won and I am going to order this click all that I can find him!


For more information:
- plug Bibliomania Book:

- the website of the author , where you can download the novel.
pdf - discussion on the book on the forum Livraddict
- opinions of my co-readers: Belgarion , Miss Spooky Muffin and Louppatient