The desire to be a god destroys the individuals and the peace.

At first when starting to read the book, I decided not to cry. I just didn't want to allow the emotion of the sadness. However, after reading, I realized I couldn't avoid the sadness from the history, but also the guilt. @sojj1210 wrote the book in very virtuous and noble way with the sincerity. Hope many people read the book in Korea, and it is published all over the world. I am also very thankful because knowing their lives and stories about the endurance made me realize how grateful to have my own country. #bookstagram

Ellen Ju(@ellenspearl)님이 게시한 사진님, 2015 11월 15 오전 8:12 PST

The Old Man and The Sea, Earnest Hemingway, Goodreads Book Review

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Personally, I don't like any idea based on nihilism, since it goes against my motivation toward the life. However, the old man and the sea is totally different. Even though Hemingway treated the life as nothing left after all, I could find more than nihilism.
As I know, he won both Pulitzer prize and the Nobel prize, which I actually have the strong desire for, with this small volume of the story. It well indicates about the life and human's basic instinct for the life and accomplishment. Although the old man couldn't get anything from the sea because of the fights with sharks, he still had a boy next to him.
We are always struggling to fight against the life and the obstacle blocking out ways, and after the long fight, it seemed that we have nothing left with. But in fact, we have any kind of relationship still keeping us from giving up the lives and letting us rest with peace.

+plus: 2015.11.15
Recently, all of sudden, I've thought that our lives are more like the marlin rather than the old man who fought against the nature to get what he desired for. Sometimes, we were just hooked and dragged to where the society takes us to be and believed that that is the reality, even though it is not. At the end of the journey, there might be nothing left who did dot live their own lives and lived fiercely in the way that the old man let it be.

View all my reviews

War is not the easy word to play around.

This book never let me get bored with short chapters and speedy development of the story. At first, I thought that Pete was a child with no consideration for his loving grandfather; however, being in his shoes at the age of ten-ish, the loving room-the own shelter-might mean more than the place to sleep. I really love that part when grandpa started his revenge and played around with him. Sometimes, grown-up men try to treat kids as they treated each other, but to let them learn about their behavior and life, they have to treat them as a little kid. Through experience, they will learn what is wrong and right. I believe because grandpa played the "war" with Pete, Pete got the change to think of the process of the war and what the meaning of the war is.

"Growing up, Pete," he said, "it isn't easy. Sometimes you have to do things you don't like." p.25

I totally sympathize with the phrase, but made me little sad. Grown-up meant more than "adult." They have to bear so many things that either they earned or not. By getting a year older, the society put one more responsibility and duty on the shoulders. It came as other forms and reasons, such as "for the loving one" or "for a living." However, sometimes, it became too heavy to tolerate that weight alone. 

"Maybe this is how wars get started and just go on and on," I said. "Your enemy does something bad to you, so you do something worse to him. Then he gets you back and you get him back and the whole thing gets bigger and bigger and meaner and meaner and in the end someone drops a bomb. Isn't that the way it happens?" p. 127

Generation who didn't experience the war thinks too easily about the war. The war is not the simple progress to get what we want, but the very complicated and dreadful wasting time on the desire of the power. Everything starts small, but grew bigger and bigger. Sometimes later, it became too massive to end it. The best example could be the world war 1 and 2. In my opinion, the World War 2 directly showed the disaster of the war. Through bloody fight, I bet some got the "historical" and "national" benefit, but there were too many victims who died and injured, not only because in the battlefield, but also captivated for the sexual slavery, the living-body test, and forced labor. War is not the easy word to play around. 

"How you shouldn't always do what your friends tell you to do. They're not living your life, you are. And you have to decide what's right or wrong." p.136

The War with Grandpa, Robert Kimmel Smith

Reading books in the library is the great memory of youth.

"I knew you would love reading if only you would give it a try." p. 46

It is the storytelling book about the library, fun and easy to read. It is not a book about the impressive saying, but about the ordinary life that I could experience when I was young. Author might want to give the positive image of library and reading, and I believed that it actually works. 

Because of my father, I had the great memories at the library, although I can't remember any librarian like Murphy. With the book, again I thought about the library and the time at the library reading books, and now I am working at English library although it is not the typical library that you might know. At first, I decided to work here because of many English books I can read. In Korea, English books cost much more than in America, of course, and I couldn't afford the price of books I read. Working here was the great opportunity for me to read as many English books as available with the improvement of English grammar. 

Well, the story was delightful and I don't really have anything to say. For kids, a good book to read. 

The Legend of Spud Murphy, Eoin Colfer

No matter where you go, there is always the garden for you.

"There are always things to miss," said Maggie. "No matter where you are." p.46

"You must have a garden. Wherever you are." p.47

It was my starting book of Patricia MacLachlan series, although I was planning to read only three of them. While reading the beginning when Sarah came to live with Anna and Caleb for a month, I could expect how the story will end. The story was smooth and calm like the tranquil night. There was nothing surprising or remarkable; however, I really like the theme, "new beginning," and the symbol, "garden."

Life never let me stay at one place. I have to keep moving around to go forward and grow up, but if I leave things after me, I could not fit in the new environment. Until college years, I always thought of the things I miss from the past years by comparing the lives between the years. Although it did not help me to do something, I could not accept the fact that no matter where I go, I will miss things that I had in previous years. I believed that if I did my best, if I made the other decision, my life would be much happier and more enjoyable. However, after accepting the truth of things I miss, I could move onto the next chapter. I could grow up and change. 

When I move on, at first I felt like an orphan. I have no where to go and nothing belongs to me. I felt like I lost my own stage for the play of my life. I didn't know the most important truth of the life. No matter where I go, there is another "garden" that I need to take care of and write my own words. 

Life never ends until death. Always new hope and wish spring up with the new beginning. With this idea, I would like to give five stars :^)* though it was a bit boring. ★★★★★

Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan

You have to write your name on the dust of the land.

"You don't have to love this land," said Maggie. "But if you don't love it, you won't survive. Jacob's right. You have to write your name in the land to live here." p.45 

It was my third book written by Patricia MacLachlan, and in my very personal opinion, this one is the best among the other two, Caleb's story and Sarah, Plain and Tall. The other two series are more like typical dramatic stories I can often watch TV for Korean drama show about the family, love, and forgiveness, but the topic of Skylark is more about hometown, the land where I was born and where I live at this moment. 

In fact, sometimes, while living in every day life, the meaning of the land seems much smaller than it actually is, but through the matter of drought, she well treated about the hometown and the family. I really like all the quotations talking about the land, especially part of when Sarah wrote her name on the land to show how she thought about the place where she lives with Caleb and Anna. 

The land, where I am from and where I am living, put the identity on me. I am from Busan, South Korea. When speaking in both Korean and English, I have a strong accent from Busan. When growing up and studying in the other country, being from South Korea helped me to find my own identity in every way, historical, cultural, and so on. Since being globalized, we neglected the importance of the land; however, land is more than just ground and where I live. 

Because I am dreaming of being a writer, it was one of my favorite quotes in this book, 

"I loved what was between the lines most."

"What was between the lines?" Caleb asked.

Sarah looked at me when she answered.

"His life," she said simply. That was what was between the lines."

p. 12-13

Some people who did not read any types of writing often, they might think the only words are delivering everything writer wants to say, but actually not only words, but also the arrangement of the words, phrases, and sentences delivers the mood of the writer and of the writing. Therefore, when studying poetry, we treated the space very carefully and kept them to make the tone. 

Although it was not the first series of her, I would suggest this one if anyone wants to read her books. Five stars :) ★★★★★

Skylark, Patricia MacLachlan

Keep changing until dying.

Although it was one of the best selling books, there was no chance for me to read. In fact, I just didn't want to read because everyone was talking about it when "Don't eat the Marshmallow ... Yet!" was published. However, a few days ago, I just grabbed the book in the library and started to read. It was less than a hundred pages, but contained the strong message that I usually forgot as the time goes. 

First, I have to change myself until dying. Since the generation and the people living in the period have been kept changing with different color and thoughts, I should always prepare for the change and get ready to accept the difference; however, sometimes, the comfort that stability provides are more attractive than adventurous life. I still remembered that once when I felt that my life got worse-actually it was not that bad, but I only thought that bad because of my immaturity, I blamed every single situation and said that I didn't ask for the huge fortune, but just normal, stable life. It was really funny when I thought about it at this moment, because there would be no life that is "normal" and "stable" since the way human beings were made is not "same" and the ideas that we have, both emotional and rational, are not "stable." As long as we all are different and keep thinking, there would be nothing stable and normal.

Second, taking responsibility of my life is the easiest way to face myself rather than blaming on the situation or others. After realizing that every single moment I face was from the choice I made in the past changed my philosophy. I should take the whole responsibility for every situation that I face and when I try to change or fix, the difficulty would change into the maturity and growth. Sometimes the hardship I face seems to be from outer source such as that my parents are not super duper rich or I am not amazingly smart or something else. But the thing is that those kinds of hardship is nothing and things that I am totally able to change with the faith and efforts. It taught me that my weakness and shortcoming more let me know the love and open the view toward the world. 

Most of the times, I am too complicated and emotional to push myself forward, but keep trying to remember that "life is simple and the world keeps changing."

★★★★★ Of course five stars for "Who moved my cheese?"

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Crans

Sadako was written in very easy English that I'd like to recommend to whom wants to study English through reading stories. In fact, though the story was meaningful, since Japan have done inhumane to my country, Korea, it was full of contradictions. While reading the book, two emotional thoughts ran across in my mind; 1) how wars destroyed our lives though wars were over, and 2) how Japan was able to relief only its own sorrow with accepting its historical cruel annihilation done to neighbor countries. However, reading the book helped me to think about the meaning of family and friend, where the real hope comes from. 

We all know that Human beings are never able to live alone. They were made to live together for survival. They instinctively form the community such as family, town, and nation because they need to find the way to allow them to survive and continue their own species. Through living together, human beings are able to survive not only physically, but also mentally, and there are two main forms of community: family and friend. 

Family is the word for the blood-related relationship including husbands and wives, which is the basic unit for the community. In the story of Sadako, there was a character named "Kenji" who showed the comparison with the main character, Sadako. Kenji's parents died, and his aunts came to hospital just once a week; however, Sadako's parents came more often and through the story, the author fully showed the intimacy of the family. Kenji was hopeless and accepted death waiting for him, which would take him soon, since Sadako kept folding the paper cranes to keep herself not to give up. Sadako had a family who helped her to get rid of negativity and fear, but Kenji had none. For Kenji, there was no one supporting him to keep himself up. 

However, by living and thinking egoistically in the competitive reality, we sometimes forget how important friends are. We are described as one of animals under the food chain, and others as one whom we must win. Friends are the second important element for the community formation and fulfill the lack of what family is not able to afford emotionally. In Sadako, Chizuko, her best friend, told Sadako to make paper cranes even though her family worried about her health and how painful she would be.. She suggested the way to keep her desire to live. It was the solution that only friends could give. Sometimes in the life, friends give unrealistic and unexpected answers that were actually needed because they are still the third party. 

Usually, family worries and friends make laugh since both supply the comfort and happiness of life. To survive on earth as human beings, balancing the importance between family and friends are the key. When you get the healthy thoughts, you can easily find the encouragement and hope for life and physical strength because mind controls the body. 

Headwaters, Ellen Bryant Voigt

Headwaters

Ellen Bryant Voigt

hardcover, 55 pages

published October 21st, 2013 by W. W. Norton & Company

ISBN 0393083209

ISBN-13 9780393083200

If she did not visit Purdue University for the poetry reading, I might not read her new released collection, Headwaters, yet. Actually due to lack of knowledge on contemporary poetry, I did know nothing about her, but only her name and finalist of Pulitzer prize. Even though bought this book to get her autograph at her poetry reading, I could not attend the meeting, unluckily. Even though having tried to write a book review on her poetry collection, I decided to write it later. It has been little long since I had done reading, and I made my decision to re-read them, again, and try to memorize her poems.

*But there were three-four remarkable elements while reading her poetry; lack of punctuation and capitalization, inner rhyme and repetition.




Headwaters


I made a large mistake I left my house I went into the world it was not
the most perilous hostile part but I couldn't tell among the people there

who needed what no tracks in the snow no boot pointed toward me or away
no snow as in my dooryard only the many currents of self-doubt I clung

to my own life raft I had room on it for only me you're not surprised
it grew smaller and smaller or maybe I grew larger and heavier

but don't you think I'm doing better in this regard I try to do better


Spring


years of unearthing the rocks out of the field and soon enough
you've built a stone wall the longer the marriage

the less the need for trying to agree but we've agreed
what will happen at the end of it nothing

except the old immutable forms
like a shovel shared at the grave for texts

Ecclesiastes so the bereaved
can choose whether to believe

that death is a kind of hibernation this spring the groundhog
foraging in our yard was smaller thinner a strange

perpendicular crimp in its tail which proved
to the rational mind it was a different creature but look beloved

how by late summer it's fattened out how its coat now gleams how
when frightened it also hurries into the barn


Sleep


another heavy frost what doesn't die or fly away
the groundhog for instance the bear is deep in sleep I'm thinking
a lot about sleep translation I'm not sleeping much
who used to be a champion of sleep
ex-champions are pathetic my inner parent says the world
is full of evil death cruelty degradation not sleeping
scores only 2 out of 10
                                     but a moral sense
is exhausting I am exhausted a coma looks good to me
if only I could be sure there'd still be dreams it's what I miss the most
even in terrible dreams at least you feel what you feel not what
you're supposed to feel your house burns down so what
if you survived you rake the ashes sobbing
                                                                   exhausted
from trying to not smoke I once asked for a simple errand
from my beloved who wanted me not to smoke he forgot unforgivable
I fled the house like an animal wounded enraged I was thinking
more clearly than I had ever thought my thought was why

prolong this life I flung myself into the car I drove like a fiend
to the nearest store I asked unthinking for unfiltered Luckies oh
brand of my girlhood I paid the price I took my prize to the car I slit
the cellophane I tapped out one perfect white cylinder I brought to my face

the smell of the barns the fires cooking it golden brown smell of my father
my uncles my grandfather's tin of loose tobacco his packet of delicate paper
the deliberate way he rolled and licked and tapped and lit and drew in
and relished it the smell of the wild girls behind the gym the boys
in pickup trucks I sat in my car as the other cars crept by
I looked like a pervert it was perverse
a Lucky under my nose
                                   I drove myself home
I threw away the pack which was unwise the gods
don't notice whining they notice the brief bright flares of human will
they lean from their couches yes more fear and dread for that one
yes let's turn the suffering up a notch let's watch her
strike the match i strike it now when I wake
in the dark I light that little fire

The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street

Sandra Cisneros

paperback, 25th Anniversary Edition, 110 pages

published April 3rd, 1991 by Vintage

(first published 1984)

ISBN 0679734775

ISBN-13 9780679734772

edition language English

characters Esperanza, Nanny

setting Chicago, Illinois

literary awards George C. Stone Center for Children's Books Recognition of Merit Award (1994)

Brief, but not light, good to read for a quick break.

Before my American Literature after Civil War class introduce me the book, I've not known either Sandra Cisneros or The House on Mango Street. I am really glad my professor used this book for class discussion, although not exactly remember what the discussion was about after a year. Rereading the book let me think more then text.

In my opinion, the way she wrote might be the way she tells as she said in the last chapter, Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes, "I like to tell stories. I tel them inside my head," and the way she tells makes it so poetic. She used many repetition and parallelism to express her emotional depth and to emphasize her thoughts. Like telling stories orally, its vocabularies are not hard and easy to follow.

I actually LOVE this book, even though I gave only four stars. I gave four stars for a reason. It might be the problem of mine, but its short short chapter and slightly connected chapter sometimes interrupt my focus; however, ironically, I still like its short short chapter due to easy reading. These are the stories of her own and a true girl. There was no hesitation to show herself directly, and her thoughts and life was well drawn with beauty of language and of imagination. Mango Street is not only referring to where she lived, but also to where her identity was set. My most favorite parts are the story about her name and her complex. Every facts around people has more than its purpose, they all have its own story for every individual, and this book well tells about her life and her stories. Maybe because she is a Hispanic writer, words she used are so colorful.

Someday, I want to rewrite her story by my own story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/586790511