I have been doing a lot of reading lately, particularly while traveling over the holidays. This is not surprising; however, the genre of books I have chosen is: dystopian fiction. It’s not necessarily a step outside my comfort zone, as I enjoy reading a variety of genres, but I don’t often find so many books in the same genre that I choose to read at the same time. And I appreciate how dystopian fiction makes me think and leaves me with what I like to call a book hangover, where I can’t stop thinking about it for days after reading the last page. So this week, I’ll be talking about some recent picks and some of my favorite dystopian novels.
The Book: The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Why I Checked It Out: The Giver was the first dystopian novel I ever read, though that was a long time before I knew the term and how it applied to the genre.
The Plot: It is the story of a boy who lives in a society where each person fulfills a certain role. I suppose this is not so different from our world now, but in Jonas’ world, people are all the same. Families are made by matching husbands and wives, and one boy and one girl are assigned to parents to create family units. He is chosen to be the next “Receiver of Memory,” a job that he learns from the Giver. He receives the memories of life before: pain, love, joy, violence, etc.)
What I Liked: I can still remember the way I felt after reading The Giver. It still sticks with me to this day when I think about the plot and the ending; even though I can’t remember every specific plot detail, I remember the emotional impact the book had on me. Do I consider it to be one of my favorite childhood books? Not necessarily. But instead it was a book that still makes me think years and years later.
What I Didn’t Like: I know when I was younger, I had a hard time understanding the ambiguous ending, but now, I can understand it a lot more. I learned today that Lois Lowry actually wrote two more companion novels recently, so I will have to check those out.
Do I Recommend It? Yes, and it’s not just for children.
Related Reading: To be revealed throughout the week . . .
The Book: The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Why I Checked It Out: The Giver was the first dystopian novel I ever read, though that was a long time before I knew the term and how it applied to the genre.
The Plot: It is the story of a boy who lives in a society where each person fulfills a certain role. I suppose this is not so different from our world now, but in Jonas’ world, people are all the same. Families are made by matching husbands and wives, and one boy and one girl are assigned to parents to create family units. He is chosen to be the next “Receiver of Memory,” a job that he learns from the Giver. He receives the memories of life before: pain, love, joy, violence, etc.)
What I Liked: I can still remember the way I felt after reading The Giver. It still sticks with me to this day when I think about the plot and the ending; even though I can’t remember every specific plot detail, I remember the emotional impact the book had on me. Do I consider it to be one of my favorite childhood books? Not necessarily. But instead it was a book that still makes me think years and years later.
What I Didn’t Like: I know when I was younger, I had a hard time understanding the ambiguous ending, but now, I can understand it a lot more. I learned today that Lois Lowry actually wrote two more companion novels recently, so I will have to check those out.
Do I Recommend It? Yes, and it’s not just for children.
Related Reading: To be revealed throughout the week . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment