Jamie's Book #23: The Stranger by Albert Camus

Well… I don't know. I just didn't "get" this one.  The back of the copy I own states "Since it was first published in English, in 1946, Albert Camus' first novel, The Stranger, has had a profound impact on millions of American readers." What?..how? and why? Nothing about it had a profound impact on me. Perhaps it went over my head.  For me, this was just another classic that disappointed.

The main character is named Meursault and the story takes place in Algeria. When Meursault's mother passes away, he shows disturbingly little emotion at her funeral, and the next day goes to the beach and on a date.  As new characters were introduced, I as the reader often felt for them the sadness, pity, or anger that Meursault was unable to. Though Camus made me feel these emotions, I did not enjoy it. Meursault ends up senselessly murdering a man, and the book is divided into two parts, before and after the murder.

I know this novel explores fancy themes like existentialism, absurdism and nihilism, but they still were not enough to make me think it worthwhile. I won't give it a second try.

Frankly, the notes that were left on the pages from the book's previous owner were more interesting to me than the story:

 

Overall, I rate this a 4/10

 

 

Holly Book 17: World War Z by Max Brooks

Last Sunday I saw World War Z with bean. I had yet to read the book and heard pretty bad reviews of the movie. Seeing the movie before reading the book I have to say I personally enjoyed the film. It wasn't overly gory or scary and I don't mind staring at Brad Pitt for a few hours. On the way home we stopped at Meijer and I decided to pick up the book so I could compare the two.  The book itself  is actually a collection of short narratives from people who survived the zombie war. Through the eyes of the people who lived through the war you learn  how it started, how people survived and died, and ultimately how the zombies were defeated. The book is nothing like the movie, a few of the movie characters seem to have been inspired by the book but nothing very specific. The plot of the movie is also told a completely different way, it is the story of brad pitt and how he ultimately discovered the way to defeat the zombies ( In the book however there is no easy anecdote and the war lasts many years) Honestly, I don't even know how the book and movie can be considered the same story. If the movie had a different name and I had seen it I would never think to myself, of this movie must be based off World War Z the novel. That being said, I think the book is a million times more interesting. It is such an addictive read and it is the first story I have ever read that actually makes a zombie apocalypse seem plausible. For me the author did such an amazing job at creating a scenario that seemed 100% authentic and telling it in a way that let you see how the entire world was affected. You get so many perspectives and insights into what happened, and even though every story is short, you don't feel like there are missing pieces. After I finished the book I continued thinking about it as if the story had really happened. I think the angle I found so interesting was that this story focused more on the politics of what would happen if the world was overrun by the undead, and less on the blood and guts most zombie stories focus on. The fear wasn't created by gruesome imagery but by the idea that  a scenario like this could so easily happen and very few of us would be prepared.

Overall a great summer read 10/10 for me! If you saw the movie make sure you read the book for a completely different and ultimately more interesting and in-depth story.

Jamie's #22: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

This book was a more difficult read for me. In short, it's a story about Dorian Gray, a beautiful young man who does not age while a painting of him grows old and shows the signs of the many sins he commits. Basil is the friend of Dorian's who paints the portrait, and Lord Henry is a friend of Basil's whose world view helps corrupt Dorian. This is not a book you can just pick up and be swept away with. Even so, I was fascinated by the plot and had high hopes. Several early passages struck me, such as:

"When I like people immensely, I never tell their names to any one. It is like surrendering a part of them."

"I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones."

"There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up."

"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."

"Nothing is ever quite true."

"Women ... inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces, and always prevent us from carrying them out."

It was captivating to see the world through Lord Henry's words; so cynical, yet eerily honest. Though, as Basil pointed out about Lord Henry, ""You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing."

However, as the book progressed, I began to lose interest. Wilde goes on long tangents that I found myself skimming through, and in the end,  I never really got the shock I was anticipating. I think this is because Wilde ended up censoring much of the more controversial passages for publication.

Overall: 6.5/10

 

 

Jamie's #21: The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Quick's writing style made for an easy, enjoyable read. The main character, Pat Peoples, is very likeable. The book begins on the day his mother checks him out of a mental health facility, and follows him as he tries to overcome his illness and end "apart time" from his estranged wife, Nikki. He is flawed, but is constantly working to become a better person who is worthy of the wife he knows he took for granted. You are rooting for him the entire time; though it's clear his mindset is still off and is more on par with a naive teenager than a 30 something year old man.

On a side note, I did see the movie before I read the book, and I liked the way to movie wrapped things up better. There are other differences throughout, but most of them didn't bother me a whole lot.

Overall: 7.5/10

A few quotes I liked:

"When I read the actual story – how Gatsby loves Daisy so much but can't ever be with her no matter how hard he tries – I feel like ripping the book in half and calling up Fitzgerald and telling him his book is all wrong."

"I believe in happy endings… and it feels like this movie has gone on for the right amount of time."

"Haven't you ever realized that life is like a series of movies?"