The Lesson of the Master by Henry James

7/10

I liked this short story much better than "The Turn of the Screw". The story had an interesting plot, and the characters were well-developed for a short story. The love triangle between St. George, Paul and Miss Fancourt was intriguing given the choice Miss Fancourt had: a well-established artist who was way past his prime artistically and an intelligent, poor up-and-comer. The ending is thought provoking. By taking St. George's advice, Paul loses Miss Fancourt to his "master" but gains a great novel. I think it is funny and ironic that Paul waits for St. George to produce a great, new novel. He waits for the "master" to triumph by getting the girl and the great novel. Overall, I would recommend reading this short story, though it was hard to read at times.  

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

4/10

I did not like "The Turn of the Screw". I was expecting a horror story, but this story had no horror to it. There were ghosts, but they did not seem that scary. I did not fear for the children or their governess. It seemed more like the governess was losing her mind then the ghosts were real. I also would have liked more backstory into the ghosts, and why they wanted the children. Overall, the book was not that scary for a horror story.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

6.5/10

I enjoyed Anna Karenina. It was set in a period of Russian history I did not know much about. It was nice to learn more about that time period. The story idea was so promising, but I felt something was missing. What was missing was Anna. Anna's character is so superficial in the novel. There is no inner-explanation at why she gave in to Vronsky and why she left her son. We know she was unhappy, but there is little inner-reflection for the title character. Even the turning points in their affair are only briefly mentioned. It is more a story about Levin then about Anna. Through Levin's character is interesting, Anna's character would have been more so. It was a good novel but would have been much better with a better three-dimensional character than an unhappy housewife.

Push by Sapphire

9/10

I have not seen the movie Precious yet in part because I wanted to read the novel first. It is a powerful and disturbing book. At times, I wanted to cry, scream, or both. I kept asking myself why was something not done when I read about the abuse. Why did the police or a social worker not take her away? Then I thought about all the people that the "system" does not save, and how they must be feeling all the same emotions of emptiness that Precious was feeling. It is wonderful that she found a place to feel safe and someone who cared about her enough to help her develop her confidence and self-worth. It is a depressing story since Precious had so much to deal with to get where she is and has a lot more to go through. My only complaint is that the novel is hard to understand at times. I know the author was writing at the grade level Precious could write at, but it made me have to re-read sections to understand them. Overall, Push is a moving novel that makes you feel and hope for the main character.

Greek

10/10

I just recently caught up with Greek up to Chapter 4. (Chapter 5 is not available on DVD yet.) I love Greek. It is an amazing show and a pretty accurate portrayal of college life. The show does a great job at showing the emotional and romantic struggles that college students face while living on campus. The characters are very well-written and well-portrayed. I love Cappie and his goofy yet philosophical moments. Everyone also knows a Frannie who had to finally let go of college, which is hard. Also as a former RA, I loved the first floor meeting with Max. The moment when Max pulls out the RA binder had me unable to stop laughing. Every RA had a similar binder filled with what to do in every crazy situation. I love the show Greek and can't wait for Chapter 5 to be available on DVD to catch-up for Chapter 6.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

8/10

I really enjoyed Confessions of a Shopaholic. My favorite part was the main character, Rebecca, and her neurosis. Who has never thought, "hey if I won the lottery, I could quit my horrible job", as they past a
drug store. Then you buy it and hate yourself later. The author takes that "need" craziness we all have on some level and wrapped it into a character in a novel. It was also nice that though Rebecca saw the
error or her ways at the end of the novel, she did not completely change. Things are a work in progress. My only complaint is that the book seemed to drag in the beginning a bit. In general, it was a great
story featuring a relatable but extreme character.

Inglorius Basterds

4/10

I did not like this movie. It was hard to follow with all the new characters that were introduced. It was also extremely violent, though Quentin Tarantino is known to be violent. It was not the good, story-developing violence. Brad Pitt's character was funny, but therewas not enough of him. The Shosana character was also interesting but not very well-developed. Basically, I would not watch it again and wish I did not watch it in the first place.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

9/10

This book was an extremely interesting read, a compelling story and an entrance to an interesting mind. I loved that the story was through the eyes of a schizophrenic, and the characters are so interesting and added depth in surprising ways. The events are so comical yet deep, though they are very impractical. The ending was very emotional and you find yourself cheering as McMurphy attacks the nurse; the nurse who represents the cold people who we all interact. The people who need to hurt you to feel good about themselves. Then you stop, think and realize that he is performing something horrible, so you can no longer cheer. The book was a stellar read which makes you contemplate the society in which this novel reflects.