Books

Recently, I’ve bought few books to read for my leisure time. I like the Catcher in the Rye the most since there were a lot of myths about that book, including that it had something to do with shooting in Columbine. Nevertheless, I think it was just a novel for teenagers to read. Though the usage of the language may not be appropriate to teenagers, it was close how teenagers think and feel about our society, or even reality. I really admire how J.D. Salinger use words to describe the feelings and mental condition of teenagers.
Also, this book reminds me of another book named Vernon God Little. Named as one of the 100 Best Things in the World by GQ in 2003, the riotous adventures of Vernon Gregory Little in small-town Texas and beachfront Mexico mark one of the spectacular, irreverent and bizarre debuts of the 21st century so far. Its depiction of innocence and simple humanity (all seasoned with a dash of dysfunctional profanity) in an evil world is never less than astonishing. The only to be set in the barbecue sauce capital of Central Texas, Vernon God Little suggests that desperate times throw up the most of heroes.
I this book, we can see the reflections of our personal lives and society nowadays. Through the eye of Vernon, the main character in this book, we could also have a glance at the subculture which is popular among teenagers like brands (Nike and Timberland) and celebrities (Van Damme, Dolly Parton and Pearl Jam).
This novel is talking about a boy is being arrested and questioned since his best friend committed murder of shooting in campus and killed himself. While he was being questioned, we can know how people twist your thoughts and truth through the whole process of his being questioned. There are a few paragraphs I like the most:
“Her lips tighten, she pulls her phone from a holster on her belt, and suspends one finger over a key, eyeing all the while. Then she jabs the key. The theme from Mission: Impossible chirps on a phone up the hall. “’Sheriff?’” she says. “’You might want to attend the interview room.’”
This wouldn’t happen if she had more meat in her box. The dismay of no more meat made her seek other comforts, that’s something I just learned. Now I’m the fucken meat.”
The reason why I like this part is that it is kind of portrait of the reality. Some said that we are live in the dog-eat-dog society. I totally agree with that.
This novel is satire to ridiculous small town life in America and also to media. I love this novel so much! I hope you guys can have a chance to read it when you get leisure time.
By the way, the author is DBC Pierre. DBC means Dirty But Clean. Wow! What a contradiction! To sum up, I hope you enjoy it!

The Road Not Taken and Citizen Kane

As we are required to work on an essay based on a English poem taught in Amber's class. I chose The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
At the first reading of Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, what came to my mind immediately is a relatively apparent theme of this poem: choices people make for their lives. Including me, we all make choices or decisions every single day. Yet, if we could go back to the past and change our choices, things would be totally different from how they have been now; more importantly, we might not become who we are today. In addition, regrets, happiness, sadness and other emotions or feelings might come to our mind when we think of our past; also, they are parts of our memories. Combing these ideas together inevitably reminds me of a film by Orson Welles titled Citizen Kane. In the following paragraphs, I would like to show how Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken along with Citizen Kane of Orson Welles connect to our daily lives, what their viewpoints to the destiny and choices are and how they are profoundly presented.
Anyway, you might need to watch Citizen Kane in advance so that you could understand what I am saying better!
If anyone is interested in that film, just let me know! I have DVD.

Dear John

Last week, I went to a movie with my friend.
The movie, 'Dear John,' is a nice film.
Yet, since I am not in any relationship with any man, I am not really touched by the story!
Maybr I should watch it again when I have a boyfriend.
Just joking!

Recently, I have been busy working part-time, preparing the presentation for English Poetry, filming videos for Oral Traning and doing the reports.
Wow!
I feel like a superwoman for doing so many things without passing out.
Ich bin müde!

As I had to give a presentation last Wednesday for Andrew Marvell's To His Coy Mistress, I did search some information. And I found this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SpVYlxhtdo

It is quite interesting.
Hope you enjoy watching it.

Furthermore, I watched a film called Mona Lisa at hom.
It is fantastic film, I would suggest.
It illudes that women are not necessarily to be caged by marriage, traditiona or family.
We could be as excellent as men!
We could have our own lives and thoughts!
Anyway, a great film!

I had started searching for the information for my final reports.
I am very certain that all the books about Kieslowski in the library had been borrwed by....me!
hahahahaha
If you are looking for those books, you may come to me!

To sum up, I gotta say....
what a busy week!
Ich möchte Urlaub machen!

About All the Articles I Read

This week, I read some paragraphs from The Name of the Rose. It is a story about religious murder. Actually, I think the story is a little bit boring for me since I have not much interest in religion except for Eastern Orthodox Church mentioned in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Nevertheless, I think the movie of that book is quite exciting though. On the other hand, I read DBC Pierre’s novel Vernon God Little. I love that story. It is kind of satire. It talks about shooting in American campus. As I remember that Columbine is the most unforgettable tragedy to people who live in Denver. There is a documentary called”Bowling for Columbine” which was discussing about why the tragedy would happen in America. I watched that documentary before and I think it could make people to question themselves and give us some different perspectives toward that event. I realized many things after watching it.
Moreover,I read a essay Freedom for Free?, which was written by my favorite writer, Mario Vargas Llosa. It mainly focuses on political turmoil in Latin America. The author mentioned that many intellectuals from North America or European would have stereotype toward political condition of Latin America. The author remarked that it is unequal and unsuitable for those intellectuals to say so because they don’t really understand their living and historical background. Suddenly, I come up with an idea that whether people in Taiwan totally understand their history or even position in the world’s situation? I am curious about it.