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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

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For my yr 12 English and Literature classes, I had to do a little bit of reading over the past school holidays.

First of all, English. We read The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The play was interesting, and some quotes really stood out to me. I'd already seen a movie-version of the play a couple of years ago and had a better understanding of some of the action in the play because of that. We were given 80 comprehension questions and told to do 60 before we came back to school. I may have overdone my homework and done the extra 20. Why not? I had the book there in front of me, and I was reading it. We watched the movie in class this week, and it was interesting to see how the play was adapted into a different medium. The task for studying The Crucible is a context response (just like when I read The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif by Najaf Mazari earlier this year), so we have also been learning about the real events in Salem during the witch trials in 1692. It's been pretty interesting. I'm not too keen on context responses, but I'll kick butt and get an awesome grade because I want to. 


In Literature, we were told to read after the quake, a series of short stories by Haruki Murakami, set after the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Oh my God. I LOVE them. They are strange. They are weird and they are different and he manages to bring some element of sex into all six short stories, but he does a damn good job of it! I LOVED reading them and I am eager now to read even more of his work. I've been going around randomly saying "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo", the name of my favourite short story. It has been interesting to do a bit of research and draw parallels between the author and the actual even of the Kobe earthquake and how he's incorporated both himself and those events into his stories. Brilliant read. *Please note that the title was intended to be written without capitals by the author. 



Has anybody read either of these books? Or something else by Haruki Murakami? 

- Bonnee.

9 comments:

  1. Read The Crucible. Thought it had the worst ending until I found out that actually happened, so then I felt sad over the whole incident. Made me appreciate freedoms of belief more. :)

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    1. Haha yeah it was one of those endings that just doesn't leave you satisfied... unfortunate that these things actually happened.

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  2. I've said before that The Crucible is something I would like to read, and that remains true! I think context is a big part of literature, especially when texts like The Crucible specifically relate to a certain period of time. It really does help you understand the book more if you understand how the plot could emerge in the first place! Though I do still think it is more the author's job to immerse you in the context than the reader having to go out and find the context themselves.

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    1. I'm not by any means saying that Miller didn't bring across the context, he captured the time and setting perfectly. It's more working out what is actually real, what was happening in the world at the time it was written and comparing it to the reader's context (e.g. me, schoolkid, australia, 2012.) Definitely an important part of literature.

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  3. Haven't read either, but I did read Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, written very well, taps deep into depressing feelings, he seems to be good at that.

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    1. Death of a Salesman... Hmm I think I've heard of it. I think that's one of the plays my drama group eventually wants to put on :) I'll have to check it out some time. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. I don't read much, but After The Quake seems interesting. I'll take a look. His latest book "1Q84" was featured prominently in the book store close to me. It sold well and got great reviews .. but I didn't even open the book ..:). Good luck for Australia getting many medals in the London Olympics. I know that you do well in swimming.

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    1. Yes, 1Q84 was featured prominently in my local bookstore as well... right next to 50 Shades of Grey, much to my amusement. I haven't read it yet, but from what I've heard it has something or other to do with George Orwell's 1984. I don't follow the Olympics, but I hope the Aussies do well nonetheless :)

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