The Dogs of Babel
By Carolyn Parkhurst
Those square eggs swept me off my feet
"You remembered who you were. And had you known but yesterday what you know today…”
"Apparently there are two ways of falling, and each one tells a story. A person who jumps from a great height, even as high as seven or eight floors up, can control the way she falls; if she lands on her feet, she may sustain great injuries to her legs and spine, but she may survive. If she doe not survive, then the particular way he bones break, the way her ankles and knees shatter from the stress of the impact, let us know that her jump was intentional. But a person who reaches the top branches of an apple tree, twenty five feet off the ground, and simply loses her footing has no control over how she falls. She may tumble in the air and land on her stomach or her back or her head. She may land with her skin intact and still break every bone and crush every organ insde her. This is how we decide what is and accident and what is not."
"Why did everything have to be so damn hard? There are people, I thought, whose lives are easier than this. There are people who don't have to worry that their tiniest acts of kindness will be met with fury by the ones they love. It was in that moment that I thought, for the first time, about leaving Lexy. For a moment, only for a moment, I saw my life without her and I saw it to be better. Easier. Lighter."
"for most of us, suicide is a moment we'll never choose. It's only people like Lexy,who know they might choose it eventually, who believe they have a choice to make"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Monday, December 17, 2007
Love yourself, heal your life By Louise Hay
“I believe that criticism shrives our spirits. It only enforces the belief that “we are not good enough” it certainly does not bring out the best in us”.
Going Home By Danielle steel
Going Home
By Danielle steel
Spoiler Warning
I have read this book ONLY because it is the first debut novel by Danielle Steel. Any first appearance, I believe, should be appreciated to encourage the author who seeks writing achievements.
I do not intend to be harsh on Mrs. Danielle Steel, since she has contributed so many books to the history of romance. I like Mrs. Danielle steel ever since I was in high school.
Honestly the book was extremely distressing. The story did not have any value that one could learn from. It presented drugs, drinking, and dirty language.
Here is the reason why I did not like this story at all:
Gillian Forrester is a fashion stylist who works for movies and advertisement. She decides to move, with her 4 year-old daughter, from New York to San Francisco to start a career. Gillian finds a job with a new photographer named Chris.
After shooting some photographs one day, Gillian and Chris end up swimming nude on the beach. Gillian is an irresponsible mother. She leaves her daughter with a neighbor to spend time with Chris, or sometimes, she leaves her home alone. Chris is immature and childish; he does drugs on the set, he is selfish and reckless.
Gillian Forrester thinks that Chris and she are undeniably falling in love together. Chris come and goes whenever he feels like it. Gillian blindly believes everything he tells her, even when he told her that he had a female-roommate. He disappears for days and never calls Gillian. The really annoying part is that one day Gillian comes home and finds him in bed with another woman that he picked up in the street. He says that it was Gillian’s fault; if Gillian hasn’t came home too early, she would never have caught them.
I personally wonder what is wrong with this woman. Chris has gone too far in treating her like trash. I wonder what makes her stay with him. And what keeps her in love with him. Nothing, there is absolutely no reason.
Actually, the annoying part comes right here: Gillian gets pregnant. When Chris finds out, he asks her to move back to New York, because it is demanding to have her around while she is pregnant. Also, he says that it is hard on him to have her near him. How foolish is that!
Gillian, against her wishes moves back to New York, and start a new life. She finds a new career, a new place, and a nice man called Gordon. Gordon is sweet and mature. He treats her with respect and admiration. He even accepts the fact that she is pregnant with another man’s baby. He is different than Chris; perhaps that is why she does not pay enough attention to him.
Suddenly, Chris flies to New York. Gillian lets him stay with her like nothing had happened, even though he moved his ex-girlfriend in his house since Gillian was gone. I think that Gillian has such an unbalanced personality to begin with.
Chris proposes to Gillian, and she jumps at the chance. She quits her exciting new life in New York to fly to California again. Maybe she missed being treated like trash by the childish Chris.
A few days before the wedding, Chris gets killed; Gillian loses her baby, and almost her mind.
But through all this mess Gordon calls Gillian to make her feel better and he sends her flowers to let her know that someone really cares about her. He wants her to realize who she was supposed to end up with.
Gillian feels that she must decide between living in the past, or geting ready for a better future. She finds deep in her heart that it is the only way of...Going Home.
Personally, I think that this book was hard to believe, and difficult to read. I will probably not read any more of romance books, because I do not find them as constructive as other fiction novels that teach us lessons and keep our mind busy thinking about solving problems.
By Danielle steel
Spoiler Warning
I have read this book ONLY because it is the first debut novel by Danielle Steel. Any first appearance, I believe, should be appreciated to encourage the author who seeks writing achievements.
I do not intend to be harsh on Mrs. Danielle Steel, since she has contributed so many books to the history of romance. I like Mrs. Danielle steel ever since I was in high school.
Honestly the book was extremely distressing. The story did not have any value that one could learn from. It presented drugs, drinking, and dirty language.
Here is the reason why I did not like this story at all:
Gillian Forrester is a fashion stylist who works for movies and advertisement. She decides to move, with her 4 year-old daughter, from New York to San Francisco to start a career. Gillian finds a job with a new photographer named Chris.
After shooting some photographs one day, Gillian and Chris end up swimming nude on the beach. Gillian is an irresponsible mother. She leaves her daughter with a neighbor to spend time with Chris, or sometimes, she leaves her home alone. Chris is immature and childish; he does drugs on the set, he is selfish and reckless.
Gillian Forrester thinks that Chris and she are undeniably falling in love together. Chris come and goes whenever he feels like it. Gillian blindly believes everything he tells her, even when he told her that he had a female-roommate. He disappears for days and never calls Gillian. The really annoying part is that one day Gillian comes home and finds him in bed with another woman that he picked up in the street. He says that it was Gillian’s fault; if Gillian hasn’t came home too early, she would never have caught them.
I personally wonder what is wrong with this woman. Chris has gone too far in treating her like trash. I wonder what makes her stay with him. And what keeps her in love with him. Nothing, there is absolutely no reason.
Actually, the annoying part comes right here: Gillian gets pregnant. When Chris finds out, he asks her to move back to New York, because it is demanding to have her around while she is pregnant. Also, he says that it is hard on him to have her near him. How foolish is that!
Gillian, against her wishes moves back to New York, and start a new life. She finds a new career, a new place, and a nice man called Gordon. Gordon is sweet and mature. He treats her with respect and admiration. He even accepts the fact that she is pregnant with another man’s baby. He is different than Chris; perhaps that is why she does not pay enough attention to him.
Suddenly, Chris flies to New York. Gillian lets him stay with her like nothing had happened, even though he moved his ex-girlfriend in his house since Gillian was gone. I think that Gillian has such an unbalanced personality to begin with.
Chris proposes to Gillian, and she jumps at the chance. She quits her exciting new life in New York to fly to California again. Maybe she missed being treated like trash by the childish Chris.
A few days before the wedding, Chris gets killed; Gillian loses her baby, and almost her mind.
But through all this mess Gordon calls Gillian to make her feel better and he sends her flowers to let her know that someone really cares about her. He wants her to realize who she was supposed to end up with.
Gillian feels that she must decide between living in the past, or geting ready for a better future. She finds deep in her heart that it is the only way of...Going Home.
Personally, I think that this book was hard to believe, and difficult to read. I will probably not read any more of romance books, because I do not find them as constructive as other fiction novels that teach us lessons and keep our mind busy thinking about solving problems.
No Greater Love By Danielle Steel
No Greater Love
By Danielle Steel
Twenty-year-old Edwina Winfield is forced to take care of her five younger siblings five, after loosing her beloved parents and fiancé during the devastating sinking of the Titanic.
Edwina must manage the family newspaper until her younger brothers are old enough to take the lead. Edwina also made up her mind never to fall in love or get married.
But Phillip heads first to Harvard and then is tragically killed during World War I. George and sister Alexis are both interested in the fame of Hollywood lights.
Edwina nursing the youngest children, Fannie and Teddy, is an extra weight of responsibility put on her shoulder; she also has to raise the rest of her siblings very well.
Having to fight through this entire journey, in the end, Edwina is able to put the disastrous events in the past and give love a chance one more time.
By Danielle Steel
Twenty-year-old Edwina Winfield is forced to take care of her five younger siblings five, after loosing her beloved parents and fiancé during the devastating sinking of the Titanic.
Edwina must manage the family newspaper until her younger brothers are old enough to take the lead. Edwina also made up her mind never to fall in love or get married.
But Phillip heads first to Harvard and then is tragically killed during World War I. George and sister Alexis are both interested in the fame of Hollywood lights.
Edwina nursing the youngest children, Fannie and Teddy, is an extra weight of responsibility put on her shoulder; she also has to raise the rest of her siblings very well.
Having to fight through this entire journey, in the end, Edwina is able to put the disastrous events in the past and give love a chance one more time.
The Klone and I By Danielle Steel
The Klone and I
By Danielle Steel
"A High Tech Love Story"
Spoiler Warning
I do not think that I like the entire book. For me personally, the high tech part is ridiculous. The only thing that I like about the book is that Stephanie realized why her husband left her for another woman after 13-year of marriage. She wasn’t taking care of herself.
I like the last line of the book “The two of us from now on, and no more Klone. Just Peter and I.”
By Danielle Steel
"A High Tech Love Story"
Spoiler Warning
I do not think that I like the entire book. For me personally, the high tech part is ridiculous. The only thing that I like about the book is that Stephanie realized why her husband left her for another woman after 13-year of marriage. She wasn’t taking care of herself.
I like the last line of the book “The two of us from now on, and no more Klone. Just Peter and I.”
شجرة الياسمين للكاتبة عايدة باقي
شجرة الياسمين
عايدة باقي
1989
شجرة الياسمين تحكي قصة امرأة لبنانية تلجأ إلى الهجرة من لبنان إلى الولايات المتحدة مع ابنها و ابنتها بسبب تفاقم الحرب الأهلية و تزايد نيران الصراع في المنطقة. تقوم سلمى بالهجرة لأنها تريد حماية أبنائها بأي شكل من الأشكال و خصوصا أنها فقدت زوجها قبل سنوات حين قامت المخابرات الإسرائيلية باغتياله و هو خارج من عيادته. في نيويورك تقيم سلمى مع أختها و زوجها الذي هاجر من لبنان منذ سنوات عديدة. في بلد الغربة، تحرص على أن ينال أبنائها أحسن تعليم و أفضل تربية و أروع أخلاق و توصيهم دائما بالحفاظ على لغتهم و ثقافتهم العربية
لكن الغربة و الحياة في المهجر سببا آلاما نفسية كثيرة لسلمى. و بالرغم من أن رحيل زوجها عنها مضى عليه سنوات، إلا أن هذا الشيء أيضا بدأ يسبب لها الاكتئاب القوي الذي أخذ يسيطر على صحتها و حياتها. فتضطر إلى العلاج النفسي الذي يساعدها على تخطي هذه العقبة
و في وسط كل هذه الضجة تقطع سلمى على نفسها وعدا بأن تزور شجرة الياسمين في يافا التي وصفها لها زوجها الراحل بأدق و أروع التفاصيل. شجرة الياسمين هي رمز للمرأة القوية و الجميلة، الراسخة جذورها في الأرض بالرغم من كل ما يحدث. الجذور ترمز إلى الولاء، و زهرة الياسمين هي الأمل الذي يحلم فيه ملايين العرب. الأمل المستحيل بالحصول على وطن حقيقي في أرض عربية. لكن في النهاية تبين عايدة باقي أن الوطن أسمى نعمة و أفضل هوية و أروع مكان يرتاح به الإنسان بالرغم من كل المشاكل التي يسببها لأهله
رواية شجرة الياسمين شيقة و مؤثرة. التسامح و إعطاء الناس فرصة ليبينوا لنا معدنهم، أي عدم التسرع بإصدار الأحكام أخلاقيات تعرضها عايدة باقي في هذا الكتاب. يتأثر بالرواية كل من أحس بمرارة و حلاوة الغربة. أيضا تؤثر بالنفس لأنها تتكلم عن مدى أهمية وجود الأم في حياتنا، و عن أهمية وجود الزوج المحب في حياة المرأة. برأيي أن علينا جميعا أن نقدر النعم التي في متناول أيدينا و نحمد ربنا عليها قبل زوالها، حتى نحس بقيمتها و هي معنا لأن ذلك أفضل من الإحساس بقيمتها بعد زوالها.
عايدة باقي
1989
شجرة الياسمين تحكي قصة امرأة لبنانية تلجأ إلى الهجرة من لبنان إلى الولايات المتحدة مع ابنها و ابنتها بسبب تفاقم الحرب الأهلية و تزايد نيران الصراع في المنطقة. تقوم سلمى بالهجرة لأنها تريد حماية أبنائها بأي شكل من الأشكال و خصوصا أنها فقدت زوجها قبل سنوات حين قامت المخابرات الإسرائيلية باغتياله و هو خارج من عيادته. في نيويورك تقيم سلمى مع أختها و زوجها الذي هاجر من لبنان منذ سنوات عديدة. في بلد الغربة، تحرص على أن ينال أبنائها أحسن تعليم و أفضل تربية و أروع أخلاق و توصيهم دائما بالحفاظ على لغتهم و ثقافتهم العربية
لكن الغربة و الحياة في المهجر سببا آلاما نفسية كثيرة لسلمى. و بالرغم من أن رحيل زوجها عنها مضى عليه سنوات، إلا أن هذا الشيء أيضا بدأ يسبب لها الاكتئاب القوي الذي أخذ يسيطر على صحتها و حياتها. فتضطر إلى العلاج النفسي الذي يساعدها على تخطي هذه العقبة
و في وسط كل هذه الضجة تقطع سلمى على نفسها وعدا بأن تزور شجرة الياسمين في يافا التي وصفها لها زوجها الراحل بأدق و أروع التفاصيل. شجرة الياسمين هي رمز للمرأة القوية و الجميلة، الراسخة جذورها في الأرض بالرغم من كل ما يحدث. الجذور ترمز إلى الولاء، و زهرة الياسمين هي الأمل الذي يحلم فيه ملايين العرب. الأمل المستحيل بالحصول على وطن حقيقي في أرض عربية. لكن في النهاية تبين عايدة باقي أن الوطن أسمى نعمة و أفضل هوية و أروع مكان يرتاح به الإنسان بالرغم من كل المشاكل التي يسببها لأهله
رواية شجرة الياسمين شيقة و مؤثرة. التسامح و إعطاء الناس فرصة ليبينوا لنا معدنهم، أي عدم التسرع بإصدار الأحكام أخلاقيات تعرضها عايدة باقي في هذا الكتاب. يتأثر بالرواية كل من أحس بمرارة و حلاوة الغربة. أيضا تؤثر بالنفس لأنها تتكلم عن مدى أهمية وجود الأم في حياتنا، و عن أهمية وجود الزوج المحب في حياة المرأة. برأيي أن علينا جميعا أن نقدر النعم التي في متناول أيدينا و نحمد ربنا عليها قبل زوالها، حتى نحس بقيمتها و هي معنا لأن ذلك أفضل من الإحساس بقيمتها بعد زوالها.
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day... By Pearl Cleage
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day...
By Pearl Cleage
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day is a debut novel written by author Pearl Cleage. In the novel, Cleage presents Ava Johnson who empowered her skills and intelligence to open a hair salon in Atlanta, Georgia. Her profitable business allowed her to own a large apartment and to know Atlanta’s most influential people. A decade after living an extravagant life in Atlanta, her marvelous career and wonderful plans came to a smashing point. Ava has tested positive for HIV.
She decides to start a new life in San Francisco. Before she does that, Ava returns home to Idlewild, Michigan, to visit with her widowed sister Joyce. Ava wants to spend some relaxing time with her sister, but she soon finds out that all the problems of the big city have invaded the quiet small towns. She becomes involved in her sister's social work, the Sewing Circus, to educate Idlewild's adolescents on such things as sex, drugs and pregnancy. Ava discovers that her family and friends need her presence more than ever. She cannot make a turning point, especially when Ava Johnson finds her self falling deeply in love.
Throughout my reading, I did not find some assertions rather convincing. Overall, the character Ava Johnson is not one of my favorite. I admire Joyce’s personality better than her. The reason is that Ava makes some statements on such things as being a victim of not receiving enough sympathy. Ava Johnson was in full control when she involved her life with many sexual partners. In other words, it was her personal preference, and no one forced her to get involved in immoral actions.
“I don’t think anything I did was bad enough for me to earn this as the payback, but it gets rough out here sometimes. If you’re not a little kid, or a heterosexual movie star’s doomed, but devoted wife, or a hemophiliac who got it from a tainted transfusion, or a straight white woman who can prove she’s a virgin with a dirty dentist, you’re not eligible for any no-strings sympathy”(Cleage, 4). Her argument in this statement is accurate, but does not apply to her condition at all. She should confess and apologize, even if it is an uncomfortable action, for driving her human freedom in the wrong direction. At least she should not lie to herself by saying that she is free to do whatever she wants with her life, even approaching areas that might lead to ending the precious life. Well, she said it here: Discomfort is the always a necessary part of the process of enlightenment” (Cleage, 4). I believe that no human being has the right to hurt him/herself, although the world is clearly occupied of such creatures.
The thing that strikes me most about this book is that it teaches us hope, and it teaches us the power of faith and love. Loving yourself can easily heal your problems. Pearl Cleage makes a point that loving yourself leads you to love others; it leads you the love of two sisters, the love of a woman and man, and the love of community. Faith helps us fight evilness and immorality.
Even though, the book does not seem to be a happy one, and it has presented quite a few overwhelming subjects, the end happens to host optimistic meanings and joyful emotions.
By Pearl Cleage
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day is a debut novel written by author Pearl Cleage. In the novel, Cleage presents Ava Johnson who empowered her skills and intelligence to open a hair salon in Atlanta, Georgia. Her profitable business allowed her to own a large apartment and to know Atlanta’s most influential people. A decade after living an extravagant life in Atlanta, her marvelous career and wonderful plans came to a smashing point. Ava has tested positive for HIV.
She decides to start a new life in San Francisco. Before she does that, Ava returns home to Idlewild, Michigan, to visit with her widowed sister Joyce. Ava wants to spend some relaxing time with her sister, but she soon finds out that all the problems of the big city have invaded the quiet small towns. She becomes involved in her sister's social work, the Sewing Circus, to educate Idlewild's adolescents on such things as sex, drugs and pregnancy. Ava discovers that her family and friends need her presence more than ever. She cannot make a turning point, especially when Ava Johnson finds her self falling deeply in love.
Throughout my reading, I did not find some assertions rather convincing. Overall, the character Ava Johnson is not one of my favorite. I admire Joyce’s personality better than her. The reason is that Ava makes some statements on such things as being a victim of not receiving enough sympathy. Ava Johnson was in full control when she involved her life with many sexual partners. In other words, it was her personal preference, and no one forced her to get involved in immoral actions.
“I don’t think anything I did was bad enough for me to earn this as the payback, but it gets rough out here sometimes. If you’re not a little kid, or a heterosexual movie star’s doomed, but devoted wife, or a hemophiliac who got it from a tainted transfusion, or a straight white woman who can prove she’s a virgin with a dirty dentist, you’re not eligible for any no-strings sympathy”(Cleage, 4). Her argument in this statement is accurate, but does not apply to her condition at all. She should confess and apologize, even if it is an uncomfortable action, for driving her human freedom in the wrong direction. At least she should not lie to herself by saying that she is free to do whatever she wants with her life, even approaching areas that might lead to ending the precious life. Well, she said it here: Discomfort is the always a necessary part of the process of enlightenment” (Cleage, 4). I believe that no human being has the right to hurt him/herself, although the world is clearly occupied of such creatures.
The thing that strikes me most about this book is that it teaches us hope, and it teaches us the power of faith and love. Loving yourself can easily heal your problems. Pearl Cleage makes a point that loving yourself leads you to love others; it leads you the love of two sisters, the love of a woman and man, and the love of community. Faith helps us fight evilness and immorality.
Even though, the book does not seem to be a happy one, and it has presented quite a few overwhelming subjects, the end happens to host optimistic meanings and joyful emotions.
Gossip Girl By Cecily Von Ziegesar
Gossip Girl
By Cecily Von Ziegesar
Corruption of Adolescent’s Minds
I will always read book reviews over the internet before buying any book again. I don’t even want to explain what’s in the book because it is completely worthless. I did not have any clue that this book was not intended for a 25-year-old lady. I really thought that this book was a story about the awful consequences of gossip on society, for instance, or a story about a girl who gets caught by her own evil actions after gossiping and spreading rumors around. I did not imagine that it was written in such an inappropriate way to support gossip and other immoral behaviors. Besides it’s pointless and disrespectful, since it’s supporting something that is totally not innocent. Defiantly, I would not recommend this book for young girls nor for 18 and up, because it does not have any useful bit of information. If people keep reading these kinds of books that corrupt young girls’ minds, damages their intellectuality, people will ruin the world. Gossip girl will not help you be clever, impressive, genuine, or popular. Invest your time in a much constructive reads.
There is no wisdom in this book
By Cecily Von Ziegesar
Corruption of Adolescent’s Minds
I will always read book reviews over the internet before buying any book again. I don’t even want to explain what’s in the book because it is completely worthless. I did not have any clue that this book was not intended for a 25-year-old lady. I really thought that this book was a story about the awful consequences of gossip on society, for instance, or a story about a girl who gets caught by her own evil actions after gossiping and spreading rumors around. I did not imagine that it was written in such an inappropriate way to support gossip and other immoral behaviors. Besides it’s pointless and disrespectful, since it’s supporting something that is totally not innocent. Defiantly, I would not recommend this book for young girls nor for 18 and up, because it does not have any useful bit of information. If people keep reading these kinds of books that corrupt young girls’ minds, damages their intellectuality, people will ruin the world. Gossip girl will not help you be clever, impressive, genuine, or popular. Invest your time in a much constructive reads.
There is no wisdom in this book
The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho
The novel tells the tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who has the courage to follow his dream.
The boy had the same dream twice, which pushed him to seek a meaning of his dream. He dreamed that he was with his sheep, when a child approached him, held his hand, and transported him to the Egyptian pyramids. The child showed the boy a specific place in the pyramids. He also informed the boy that he will find a treasure in that place. The boy went to a gypsy woman in the town and told her about his dream to explain it to him. The old woman conveyed that dreams are spiritual language. She said “If the dreams were spoken in people’s language, I can interpret an explanation. However, if the dreams were spoken in the language of your soul, then it is only you who can understand what they mean”.
Santiago gets the chance to meet different faces, and observe a number of interesting places. At the beginning of his journey, Santiago meets an old man who says that he is a king. The king tells Santiago: "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". This is the focal point of the novel's philosophy and Coelho’s approach in delivering his advice to the world.
Paulo Coelho implies that those who don’t have the courage to follow their dreams are destined in misery and fear. He suggests that every person must get in touch with their inner voice and find their mission on earth. No human was created without a specific mission. Never stop trying to achieve your mission and your dream. Never stop having faith in God, the creator of the universe. Coelho says “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the fear itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter God and eternity.” Coelho tells people what they want to hear, and what the wish to hear. He confronts them with a harsh truth; that the turn their back to their own dreams because of fear of failure. Fear of failure seems to be the greatest obstacle to happiness.
However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired.
In the desert, Santiago meets his soul-mate and discovers that love is the core of existence. We learn that when we love, we always try to develop ourselves, and that's when everything is possible. Santiago tells Fatima, his soul-mate: “I love you because the whole universe conspired for me to come close to you."
The symbolism of the text is a corresponding element to the symbolic language of alchemism, and equally to the symbolism of dreams.Anyone can easily relate to “the Alchemist”, because we can all identify with Santiago. All of us have dreams, goals, and major focuses in our lives. We are all desperate to find somebody, who does not kill us with his/her, negative remarks about our dreams. We want to meet somebody who tells us that our dreams are possible to achieve as long as we believe in ourselves.
Paulo Coelho is a genius who combines philosophy, and simplicity of meaning in an elegant style, that adults or adolescents can enjoy effortlessly.
By Paulo Coelho
The novel tells the tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who has the courage to follow his dream.
The boy had the same dream twice, which pushed him to seek a meaning of his dream. He dreamed that he was with his sheep, when a child approached him, held his hand, and transported him to the Egyptian pyramids. The child showed the boy a specific place in the pyramids. He also informed the boy that he will find a treasure in that place. The boy went to a gypsy woman in the town and told her about his dream to explain it to him. The old woman conveyed that dreams are spiritual language. She said “If the dreams were spoken in people’s language, I can interpret an explanation. However, if the dreams were spoken in the language of your soul, then it is only you who can understand what they mean”.
Santiago gets the chance to meet different faces, and observe a number of interesting places. At the beginning of his journey, Santiago meets an old man who says that he is a king. The king tells Santiago: "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". This is the focal point of the novel's philosophy and Coelho’s approach in delivering his advice to the world.
Paulo Coelho implies that those who don’t have the courage to follow their dreams are destined in misery and fear. He suggests that every person must get in touch with their inner voice and find their mission on earth. No human was created without a specific mission. Never stop trying to achieve your mission and your dream. Never stop having faith in God, the creator of the universe. Coelho says “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the fear itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter God and eternity.” Coelho tells people what they want to hear, and what the wish to hear. He confronts them with a harsh truth; that the turn their back to their own dreams because of fear of failure. Fear of failure seems to be the greatest obstacle to happiness.
However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired.
In the desert, Santiago meets his soul-mate and discovers that love is the core of existence. We learn that when we love, we always try to develop ourselves, and that's when everything is possible. Santiago tells Fatima, his soul-mate: “I love you because the whole universe conspired for me to come close to you."
The symbolism of the text is a corresponding element to the symbolic language of alchemism, and equally to the symbolism of dreams.Anyone can easily relate to “the Alchemist”, because we can all identify with Santiago. All of us have dreams, goals, and major focuses in our lives. We are all desperate to find somebody, who does not kill us with his/her, negative remarks about our dreams. We want to meet somebody who tells us that our dreams are possible to achieve as long as we believe in ourselves.
Paulo Coelho is a genius who combines philosophy, and simplicity of meaning in an elegant style, that adults or adolescents can enjoy effortlessly.
The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye
By Toni Morrison
“There is really nothing more to say- except why. But since why is difficult to handle one must take refuge in how.”
The Bluest Eye is a story rooted in tragedy. Like many tragic stories, there is a great value one can learn from the painful out come. The highlight of the story is focused on a girl named Pecola Breedlove. This novel attempts to ask “how” instead of “why” to observe Pecola’s life and the effect of her background, and the part that these forces played in causing her tragedy.
Pecola yearns for blue eyes. She prays every night for a year to get blue eyes. She believed that if her eyes were blue, she will look beautiful. As a result, she will have friends who won’t hurt her, and her own family will live in peace. Her wish for blue eyes is a reflection of the nature of the society she was living in. She lives in Lorrain, Ohio, in which beauty is measured by skin color. Most people thought that white is beautiful and black is ugly. Since they considered blackness ugly, Pecola thought that she was ugly, and ugly people do not get respected by others.
Morrison delivers a message to the readers that the beauty is misunderstood by many communities. Beauty is being damaged. She states that “Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.”
Pecola gets raped by her alcoholic father, becomes a victim of his violent behavior and gets pregnant. Pecola delivers a dead baby, and decides to go to Soaphead Church, a pedophilic fortune-teller, to ask him for blue eyes. Soaphead Church sends Pecola in a little mission to kill a dog that he abhors. She thinks that this task will transforms her eyes color into blue eyes. When Pecola completes the task, the dog dies in a frightening way. Pecola loses her mind as a result of the horrifying incident of the dog, and believes that she had obtained “the bluest eye”.
Pecola creates an imaginary friend, and spend her time talking to him. She becomes obsessed and repeatedly asks him if her eyes where the bluest of any one living. Pecola endures the rest of her life as a madwoman. Morrison connects this part of the story with the false social construction of beauty, which is created by the imaginary world of media and supermodels.
Toni Morrison is truly one of the best authors, whom I learned about her work through Oprah’s book club online. Her writing style does not only follow an extraordinary technique, but it is also a very inspiring and touching method. Morrison is a winner of the 1993 Noble Prize Award for Literature.
By Toni Morrison
“There is really nothing more to say- except why. But since why is difficult to handle one must take refuge in how.”
The Bluest Eye is a story rooted in tragedy. Like many tragic stories, there is a great value one can learn from the painful out come. The highlight of the story is focused on a girl named Pecola Breedlove. This novel attempts to ask “how” instead of “why” to observe Pecola’s life and the effect of her background, and the part that these forces played in causing her tragedy.
Pecola yearns for blue eyes. She prays every night for a year to get blue eyes. She believed that if her eyes were blue, she will look beautiful. As a result, she will have friends who won’t hurt her, and her own family will live in peace. Her wish for blue eyes is a reflection of the nature of the society she was living in. She lives in Lorrain, Ohio, in which beauty is measured by skin color. Most people thought that white is beautiful and black is ugly. Since they considered blackness ugly, Pecola thought that she was ugly, and ugly people do not get respected by others.
Morrison delivers a message to the readers that the beauty is misunderstood by many communities. Beauty is being damaged. She states that “Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.”
Pecola gets raped by her alcoholic father, becomes a victim of his violent behavior and gets pregnant. Pecola delivers a dead baby, and decides to go to Soaphead Church, a pedophilic fortune-teller, to ask him for blue eyes. Soaphead Church sends Pecola in a little mission to kill a dog that he abhors. She thinks that this task will transforms her eyes color into blue eyes. When Pecola completes the task, the dog dies in a frightening way. Pecola loses her mind as a result of the horrifying incident of the dog, and believes that she had obtained “the bluest eye”.
Pecola creates an imaginary friend, and spend her time talking to him. She becomes obsessed and repeatedly asks him if her eyes where the bluest of any one living. Pecola endures the rest of her life as a madwoman. Morrison connects this part of the story with the false social construction of beauty, which is created by the imaginary world of media and supermodels.
Toni Morrison is truly one of the best authors, whom I learned about her work through Oprah’s book club online. Her writing style does not only follow an extraordinary technique, but it is also a very inspiring and touching method. Morrison is a winner of the 1993 Noble Prize Award for Literature.
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