Me as a Fiction Appreciator
Don’t get me wrong, I like a good book as much as the next person. However, a lovely combination of dyslexia and ADHD keeps me from enjoying the act of reading. I knew I would be doing a lot of reading in my class, Fiction Appreciation, so before the start I went out and bought a pack of those line indicator bookmarks used for kindergarteners. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it is a bookmark with a transparent, highlighted section that helps you read. Yes, that really is the only way I can read a book. I am partial to manga, however. Manga is similar to a comic book where there are speech bubbles and instead of the setting, characters, and actions being described they are drawn. Typically, these books have eye catching covers. Japan clearly wasn’t listening to the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” because that’s how people pick out manga. That being said, I would not normally would not have picked up any of the books assigned for class. The covers are bland, there are too many words, and I found myself rolling my eyes every time I had to go buy one. However, I did find myself enjoying bits and pieces of each book. Slaughterhouse Five was my least favorite of the bunch. I had a hard time keeping track of what was happening. My copy has notes scribbled in the margins. But I did enjoy the humor in a war story, which are elements that are not usually mixed. The Bluest Eye struck a chord with me that was so profound all I could do after finishing was set the book down and stare into my room. I had trouble keeping up with the switching narrators but once I figured out who it was, I’d scribble my note and keep on reading.
My favorite book was 1984. This book I got maybe 10 pages into and promptly put it down because I got bored. The quiz for class rolled around and I had to get a decent grade so back to reading I went. This was the only assigned reading I got lost in. The last time an assigned book was able to do something like that was the 10th grade with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gorden by Stephen King. With 1984, I’d be in the middle of a quiz, trying to find an answer then next thing I knew five minutes went by, I still didn’t have the answer because I was reading the book. I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. I plan to sit down and actually take the time to read this one again.
I would like to think that I am analytical while reading when I reality I am most likely over thinking things. When reading I have reread lines over and over again because I will not know or understand what I just read. As a result, I notice details and possible hidden meaning behind the words on the page. I also like to apply those details outside the story. For example, The Bluest Eye and 1984 share the theme of sexual discovery. However, this discovery takes opposite routes from each other. The Bluest Eye turns discovery into something dirty and ultimately horrific, ending in the rape of young Pecola. 1984 treats sexually discovery in a positive light as Winston seeks to find an intimate relationship, finding Julia and falling in love.
We needed to revise three of our previous posts for class. I chose to go with “1984”, “The Bluest Eye Experience” and “What Makes a Classic”. I went with these three because I felt that I could better clarify my posts. Having more time to reflect and formulate my thoughts allowed me to better articulate myself and provide deeper insight to these stories. At first, I tried to fit these posts into a formal, essay structure. The way I revised them is to give them a bit more informal, yet informative feel. I talk informally and I like to reflect this in my writing. Reading the same “professional” posts can get boring. I aimed to have mine carry a tone of ease as if I were in front of the reader speaking.