A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Grade: A++++++++!

Summary: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .” With these famous words, Charles Dickens plunges the reader into one of history’s most explosive eras—the French Revolution. From the storming of the Bastille to the relentless drop of the guillotine, Dickens vividly captures the terror and upheaval of that tumultuous period. At the center is the novel’s hero, Sydney Carton, a lazy, alcoholic attorney who, inspired by a woman, makes the supreme sacrifice on the bloodstained streets of Paris. One of Dickens’s most exciting novels, A Tale of Two Cities is a stirring classic of love, revenge, and resurrection.

My views: This has to be one of my favorite books out of a long list! As Dickens intended, the reader is propelled from page to page by a combination of short chapters and suspense (Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities to be published serially), and follows many different story lines that nicely intersect and never tangle. I recommend sitting down with A Tale of Two Cities accompanied by a dictionary and encyclopedia, so that you can fully appreciate all of Dickens' allusions to the French Revolution, and wade through his use of language with greater ease. If you feel like picking up a classic, this is the one!

A Death in the Family

by James Agee

Grade: A

Summary: Published in 1957, two years after its author's death at the age of forty-five, A Death in the Family remains a near-perfect work of art, an autobiographical novel that contains one of the most evocative depictions of loss and grief ever written. As Jay Follet hurries back to his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, he is killed in a car accident—a tragedy that destroys not only a life, but also the domestic happiness and contentment of a young family. A novel of great courage, lyric force, and powerful emotion, A Death in the Family is a masterpiece of American literature.

My views: Agee's work spends more than 300 pages following only a few days--from the night before Jay Follet's death to his funeral--and keeps the reader emotionally invested in one or more characters, page after page. This heartbreaking book explores many of the different faces and stages of grief, and it is all the more powerful as a semiautobiographical piece. As a reader, you can't help but wonder if the book could be any better had Agee lived to see his manuscript compiled and published.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

by Mark Haddon

Grade: A+++

Summary: Christopher Boone is a fifteen and has Asperger's, a form of autism. He knows a great deal about math and very little about human beings. When he finds his neighbors's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his world upside down.

My views: Barnes & Noble's summary (above) does not do this book justice. This "murder mystery" is told from Christopher's point of view, and while we understand that he has Asperger's, it is fascinating to hear him tell of his dad hurting him with a hug, or of his "Black Days" spurred by the color yellow. This is a wonderful and quick read; I recommend it to everyone, whether or not you personally know an autistic individual.

Thanks to my Godmother Suzanne for this recommendation!!

FYI

: What distinguishes Asperger's Disorder from Autism Disorder is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's Disorder may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills. To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's Disorder may just seem like a normal child behaving differently. Children with autism are frequently seen as aloof and uninterested in others. This is not the case with Asperger's Disorder. Individuals with Asperger's Disorder usually want to fit in and have interaction with others; they simply don't know how to do it. They may be socially awkward, not understanding of conventional social rules, or show a lack of empathy. They may have limited eye contact, seem to be unengaged in a conversation, and not understand the use of gestures.

Interests in a particular subject may border on the obsessive. Children with Asperger's Disorder frequently like to collect categories of things, such as rocks or bottle caps. They may be proficient in knowing categories of information, such as baseball statistics or Latin names of flowers. While they may have good rote memory skills, they have difficulty with abstract concepts.

One of the major differences between Asperger's Disorder and autism is that, by definition, there is no speech delay in Asperger's. In fact, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have good language skills; they simply use language in different ways. Speech patterns may be unusual, lack inflection or have a rhythmic nature, or it may be formal, but too loud or high pitched. Children with Asperger's Disorder may not understand the subtleties of language, such as irony and humor, or they may not understand the give-and- take nature of a conversation.

Another distinction between Asperger's Disorder and autism concerns cognitive ability. While some individuals with autism experience mental retardation, by definition a person with Asperger's Disorder cannot possess a "clinically significant" cognitive delay and most possess average to above average intelligence.

While motor difficulties are not a specific criteria for Asperger's, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have motor skill delays and may appear clumsy or awkward.

http://www.autism-society.org/

Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe

Grade: A+
Summary: This 1958 novel chronicles the life of Okonkwo, the leader of an Igbo (Ibo) community [located in Nigeria], from the events leading up to his banishment from the community for accidentally killing a clansman, through the seven years of his exile, to his return. Addresses the problem of the intrusion in the 1890s of white missionaries and colonial government into tribal Igbo society, and describes the simultaneous disintegration of its protagonist Okonkwo and of his village.

My views: I couldn't agree more with the author of Barnes & Noble's synopsis: the novel is "praised for its intelligent and realistic treatment of tribal beliefs and of psychological disintegration coincident with social unraveling." Plus, how can a book not be engaging if it helped create the Nigerian literary renaissance of the 1960s?

Beowulf

by Anonymous
Grade: B+

Summary: Part history and part mythology, Beowulf opens in the court of the Danish king where a horrible demon named Grendel devours men in their sleep every night. The hero Beowulf arrives and kills the monster, but joy turns to horror when Grendel’s mother attacks the hall to avenge the death of her son. Ultimately triumphant, Beowulf becomes king himself and rules peacefully for fifty years until, one dark day, a foe more powerful than any he has yet faced is aroused—an ancient dragon guarding a horde of treasure. Once again, Beowulf must summon all his strength and courage to face the beast, but this time victory exacts a terrible price.

My views: this is a title that is only spoken with the most dread, surprisingly, by those who have never read it. Word has it that the book is nothing like the movie (it is much better, I've been told!), and it is actually a short, action-packed read! Pick a newer translation for the best read.