07/ 16/ 2012
Reading Nineteen Eighty-Four felt like a psychedelic experience, wherein George Orwell’s words were my drug of choice. I enjoyed my “trip” and loved how inquisitive the novel made me. His ideas are complex, but clear, and make you examine what’s familiar. Gosh, I’m thinking Nineteen Eighty-Four made me even more paranoid than I already am… just kidding!
The story captures the life of a man named Winston. He lives in a dystopian society called Oceanian, which is governed by a group of totalitarians called The Party. Almost from the start, we learn that Winston hates his government, and deep down, dreams of rebelling against them. He doesn’t share this with anyone until meeting Julia. It’s a common abhorrence of The Party that initiates their love affair. Together, they are more vocal about their disdain for Oceanian’s leaders; but in the end, their risky actions have consequences.
06/ 22/ 2012
I haven’t written about this subject before and I find this a little odd because it’s such a part of whom I am. I love music. I find it a means of inspiration. It makes me more creative; it says what I can’t say; it makes me feel things; it makes me braver.
I often seek out new artist. Sometimes I’ll buy their albums and enjoy listening to them, but there’s always this rare chance, and when it happens, it feels magical. It’s like when you meet someone new and the chemistry is just there and you can really feel it brewing. Over time, when you’re with them, it feels warmer, safe, you’re light-headed, you’re wonderstruck. This is how I feel when listening to Ben Howard’s music.
06/ 07/ 2012
It’s the book that many young adult women are reading, but aren’t actually talking about. They ride the subway, sit in a cafe or lounge in Central Park, hidden behind their electronic readers. I saw these same ladies react to what was written, smiling, giggling and swooning as they read. After sneakily taking a peak at one woman’s Kindle, I read this title: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I took note.
A couple of weeks passed and many of my girl friends were asking, “Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey yet?” I would say no and ask what it was about. Curiously, I received obscure responses, the most popular being a “you’ll like it… just read it.” The mystery of it all intrigued me, so I added it to my Summer Reading List.
05/ 26/ 2012
There’s one word that surpasses the rest when I try to articulate my opinion of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club: brilliant. Seriously, it’s the best contemporary satire I’ve ever read. It makes you think, really think, about how different our culture could be.
Fight Club is told from the perspective of an unnamed insomniac. He speaks through thoughts. He’s lost, wanting nothing more than to escape mediocrity. He did what his father and society told him to do; he went to college, found a high paying job, a fancy apartment and car, the ideal furnishings – Swedish furnishings – and still has nothing. The narrator’s doorman explains his predicament best, “A lot of young people don’t know what they really want… Young people, they think they want the whole world… If you don’t know what you want, you end up with a lot you don’t want,” (p. 46).
