The Great Gatsby

Having a brother who has studied this in IB I was curious to find out what on earth he was talking about when him and my mother would discuss something about a green light representing hope. I did however watch the movie before reading the book (3 times at the movie theater, you could say I enjoyed it). I thoroughly enjoyed the movie (not only because of Leonardo DiCaprio, who is my favorite actor) but I found that throughout the whole movie I was captivated and extremely impressed. Since loving the movie so much I felt that I needed to read the book, which I thought must be something special if my brother had to study it so in depth. And I was right, it really was something special and I felt that it was one of those books that everyone needs to read at least once in their lifetime. F.Scott Fitzgerald portrays the theme of the decline of the American dream during the 1920's. On the surface it may seem that The Great Gatsby is a story of love between Gatsby and Daisy, but Fitzgerald focuses on the 1920's as an era of decayed social and moral values and greed. The desire for money and pleasure that surpassed more noble goals ultimately resulted in the corruption of the American Dream. 

Unlike some of the other books that I had read previous to this year, I have found that by reading the classics my general knowledge of, well, people have increased. You gain an understanding of the world by reading these books which cannot be learnt else where. I feel like I've begun to understand not only other people but myself more by exposing myself to these books. I would highly recommenced this book, and to be honest any other classics as it will open up a whole new world to you. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I was suggested to read this book by one of my close friends as I had been off school for a few weeks already and was beginning to grow bored. I was instantly captivated by this book. I appreciate the theme of stability vs freedom that is displayed through the narrator and Holly- while the narrator is happy to have his first home, Holly is consumed by the idea that she constantly must escape from places and people. These two characters being put together show that they each have something to learn from each other.

I would carry around this book with me everywhere and I remember waiting for my mum after a blood test in a cafe huddled in a corner so entrenched in this book that I didn't even notice my mum arrive and sit down next to me with her coffee. I think I was so captivated by this book because I see similarities between myself and Holly- I tend to not like to get overly attached to anything, to save myself any future disappointment if anything goes wrong and I would think of myself to be quite and independent person much like Holly.

I decided to read the book before watching the movie and was very happy with my decision to do so. I found that even before seeing any parts of the movie, just from reading Breakfast at Tiffany's I was able to envisage almost exactly how the book was portrayed in the movie

Over all I would easily say that Breakfast at Tiffany''s is one of my favorite books and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

 

The Fault in our Stars, by John Green.

I started reading the Fault in our Stars today, and also finished it today. I laughed, and cried and came back for more as the cover of the book said I would. In my head I have so many feelings towards the book but when trying to write anything I feel as if I'm not doing the book justice. I always go into reading books wanting to feel changed when finished, and changed I was after reading The Fault in our Stars. Not to give anything away if you have not yet read it but later choose to, the main character, Hazel, has cancer and is aware that she is not going to live for long. It's no longer an "if I die" situation, but a "when I die" situation. And she brought me into her situation. She made me aware that everyone on this Earth is capable of existing, but not everyone is living.
And then there is Augustus Waters. Oh boy, how I would love to have my own Augustus Waters. So charming and lovely. The love that him and Hazel share is something that you don't find with people their age now. They both share having a cancer, yes, but that's not their only connection. They see the world differently, yet they both want to take it on together. Their love is innocent, yet serious at the same time. They gave each other an element of hope and made each other feel alive when they were in fact dying. And I think that they gave each other an infinity, that when they weren't together, they were still okay.

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska, By John Green

First of all, probably one of the best books I've read. I had heard good things about it so I went into reading it with high expectations and it did not disappoint. As the book went on, I felt like the really knew all of the characters, not just the main character, but the whole group. Alaska to me was the most engaging, because I felt like I could relate to how she sees things. The book really opened my eyes to the how precious our time living is, and how we need to make the most of what we have. Since growing an attachment to the characters, I felt a sense of regret when they did, sorrow when they did and then understanding when they did. And I think that's what made it such a great book, it was a book that I felt different after reading. Some of my favorite quotes were these: 

• “Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”
• “Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.” 
• “They love their hair because they're not smart enough to love something more interesting.” 

Looking for Alaska is defiantly one of my best reads [so far] and I know that I will read it again.