Hello, Ladies:
I'm late on this post I know but I will be early on the post for Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo.
But to get back to The Giver... I found this book fascinating and not to mention a very quick read. There were so many things that I thought were very sad about the whole scenario that they lived in. I realize that not one of them really knew true love, had an opinion, was able to make a choice or really live life like we all know it. It is all so static and going about this all "churchy" and stuff, truly what things were to be like if all we had to do was to get a body and have things made for us. We wouldn't have to decide what to be when we grew up, or who or when to marry or even how many children to have. (One boy and one girl...that is it.)
How tragic that they think being a birth mother was "job without honor," the lowest form of work anyone could do and how they really discouraged Lily from thinking that she would see what this "work" would be like. And I have to say that I don't think that the pills they were all taking were just to help "control" everyone into submission and believing that what was happening was the way things should be. It seems as though they started the pills when they hit puberty...perhaps to control other sentiments and feelings as well.
Everything about nearly everyone was superficial...even the conversations among the family. They would share but it was done without emotion; emotionally sterile. Even when Jonas is chosen to be the next Giver there was surprise, but life went on. Jonas was not to talk about the training, but his parents didn't know that. It didn't seem like they cared much. Life as they knew it was going on as everything did every day. I was also surprised about the "release" process. I cried when I found out what the process was, yet to the dad, it was just a job he did every day.
Another item I found interesting was all the different ceremonies they had...Naming and Placement, Release of the Old, Ceremony of the Tens, Matching of Spouses, Ceremony of the Twelves, etc. What is with all this pomp and circumstance? To keep the people in line? To keep it organized and sterile?
I liked the Giver. He seemed like the most real person there was. Truly sad and enthusiastic to get things turned over to Jonas...he had more emotions than everyone...duh, I know. I did worry about his plan to get everyone to experience more, however. Did it work? Who knows but that this and if Jonas and Gabriel arrived elsewhere are the two pivital debates. I don't know the the Giver's plan would have worked. When his own daughter chose to be released, there was some disquiet for a time, but things went back to "normal"...as they knew it. Did Jonas die...was there something else out there...did he find it? I like this ambiguous ending. I have debated in my head back and forth the outcomes and I, like Katie, came the conclusion that people did have to start feeling and Jonas and Gabriel made it elsewhere and lived happily ever after.
What can I say, I'm an hopeless romantic!
Good pick!
Michelle
Wednesday, September 20
Sunday, September 17
The Giver
Ladies,
I finished this book on time. In fact, I took it to Utah over Labor Day and had Carolyn read it as well. I do apologize for not posting my blog until now, however. I have just been crazy busy with school and church! Speaking of Church . . . how does Moses 5:11 & 12 sound? "Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad . . . " that they were experiencing the good and bad in life. I, too, was certainly reminded of the need for opposition in order to experience joy.
In the book, when they talked about school and the regimentation and conformity that was part of it, it really gave me pause. In the name of classroom control, am I guilty of forcing conformity and taking away the individuality of my students? And the total lack of genuine feeling toward any other human being was chilling. There are many things in this world that can dull or "drug" our empathy and sympathy toward others. Violent media is only one, but it is certainly a powerful desensitizer.
The real enigma to me is "The Giver." Can you imagine how hard his life must have been . . . knowing what he knew, sharing what he knew with his daughter and realizing that she chose death rather than experience knowledge and pain, waiting for years for Jonas to grow up, feeling that there was nothing he could do to change things . . . and then coming up with a plan to bring "real" life back to the people in his care? An interesting thought just occurred to me while I was writing this post. How much of a "Heavenly Father figure" is he . . . giving the people in his care as much as they are capable of handling, protecting, counseling and teaching them? Just a thought.
As far as the ending is concerned, I am all for happy endings. I vote for their safe arrival "elsewhere" and a mortal life of many years filled with joys and sorrows. If not, they might just as well have been "released." In other words, I would like to think they were victorious in more ways that just choosing the way they would die.
Anyway, I loved the book and was surprised I hadn't read it years ago. I own and have read another Lois Lowry book, "Number the Stars." I told Rod that "The Giver" is one he really has to read. He has read "Leven Thumps" and is excited for me to be reading it. Evidently the sequal has just come out in paperback so I imagine it will be part of our home library soon.
Thanks for the incentive to read and the interesting shared insights upon completion! :)
--Karen S.
I finished this book on time. In fact, I took it to Utah over Labor Day and had Carolyn read it as well. I do apologize for not posting my blog until now, however. I have just been crazy busy with school and church! Speaking of Church . . . how does Moses 5:11 & 12 sound? "Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad . . . " that they were experiencing the good and bad in life. I, too, was certainly reminded of the need for opposition in order to experience joy.
In the book, when they talked about school and the regimentation and conformity that was part of it, it really gave me pause. In the name of classroom control, am I guilty of forcing conformity and taking away the individuality of my students? And the total lack of genuine feeling toward any other human being was chilling. There are many things in this world that can dull or "drug" our empathy and sympathy toward others. Violent media is only one, but it is certainly a powerful desensitizer.
The real enigma to me is "The Giver." Can you imagine how hard his life must have been . . . knowing what he knew, sharing what he knew with his daughter and realizing that she chose death rather than experience knowledge and pain, waiting for years for Jonas to grow up, feeling that there was nothing he could do to change things . . . and then coming up with a plan to bring "real" life back to the people in his care? An interesting thought just occurred to me while I was writing this post. How much of a "Heavenly Father figure" is he . . . giving the people in his care as much as they are capable of handling, protecting, counseling and teaching them? Just a thought.
As far as the ending is concerned, I am all for happy endings. I vote for their safe arrival "elsewhere" and a mortal life of many years filled with joys and sorrows. If not, they might just as well have been "released." In other words, I would like to think they were victorious in more ways that just choosing the way they would die.
Anyway, I loved the book and was surprised I hadn't read it years ago. I own and have read another Lois Lowry book, "Number the Stars." I told Rod that "The Giver" is one he really has to read. He has read "Leven Thumps" and is excited for me to be reading it. Evidently the sequal has just come out in paperback so I imagine it will be part of our home library soon.
Thanks for the incentive to read and the interesting shared insights upon completion! :)
--Karen S.
Tuesday, September 12
The Giver
I must say that it wasn't until talking with Amanda (and then reading Laurenda's post) that it even crossed my mind that Jonas and Gabe didn't make it to elsewhere, that they simply died. I just assumed they made it to a warm, loving place. Maybe that's my desire to always see the happy ending.
I did find the world they lived in very interesting and filled with gospel insights. For example, the fact there must be opposition in all things. At night the families talked about their feelings. But, as Jonas found out after becoming the Receiver, how real were these feelings? They didn't know anything different - how could they be happy when they didn't experience unhappiness?
The world they lived in reminded me a lot of the dark planet visited in A Wrinkle in Time where all the boys playing outside bounced the ball in the same rhythm, and the one who didn't was quickly taken back inside for more instruction. All that sameness is never portrayed as a good thing.
What I found interesting is the fact that all these people could be controlled - although it just came to my mind that that's why they had the medication that all adults were to take. Still, it's amazing that all adults would take that medication without question. Those who rebelled were released? I can't even imagine a world without color, music, love, laughter, and this type of world doesn't come without hurt, anger, hatred, etc. Although there are occasions when I wish other people didn't have their agency to choose, I'm really glad we do have that agency.
I'm looking forward to Leven Thumps...
I did find the world they lived in very interesting and filled with gospel insights. For example, the fact there must be opposition in all things. At night the families talked about their feelings. But, as Jonas found out after becoming the Receiver, how real were these feelings? They didn't know anything different - how could they be happy when they didn't experience unhappiness?
The world they lived in reminded me a lot of the dark planet visited in A Wrinkle in Time where all the boys playing outside bounced the ball in the same rhythm, and the one who didn't was quickly taken back inside for more instruction. All that sameness is never portrayed as a good thing.
What I found interesting is the fact that all these people could be controlled - although it just came to my mind that that's why they had the medication that all adults were to take. Still, it's amazing that all adults would take that medication without question. Those who rebelled were released? I can't even imagine a world without color, music, love, laughter, and this type of world doesn't come without hurt, anger, hatred, etc. Although there are occasions when I wish other people didn't have their agency to choose, I'm really glad we do have that agency.
I'm looking forward to Leven Thumps...
The Giver
Hello Ladies!!! :)
Well, I just have to say that I enjoyed the book--a very easy read that only took me a few hours to finish (I read it this past Sunday). That being said, it made me have fretful dreams that night because I couldn't decide if Jonas and Gabe had made it to "Elsewhere" or if they had moved to the great beyond. It also caused weird dreams because of how it dovetailed with all sorts of gospel related themes.
It took me a bit to get into the book, but I did enjoy the journey as Lowry describes the society in which the plot is set. I kinda liked some of the family unit traditions of talking about their feelings at night and their dreams in the morning because it really did seem like good family quality time. And, to be honest, I thought Lily's anger--for a young child--was pretty appropriate, because that's how my girls get. They get "angry" and "frustrated" with the goofiest things, and it's almost comical because they've never experienced "real" anger (at the library today, Elisabeth was getting angry because she couldn't fit a puzzle piece in just right). Perhaps this is what Lowry was trying to illustrate, that children and adults had the same "feelings." Her parents expression of feelings was pretty superficial. I thought it was interesting that Jonas' father was worried that little Gabe would be released--which would reflect a failure on him--and thus got him a years extension before the Father voted to release him because of all the trouble he caused the night crew, but wasn't worried about "releasing" the smaller twin.
I thought it was so fascinating that Lowry linked memory to feelings, both painful ones and happy ones--both being necessary, and seeing colors and hearing music, and that when you willingly choose "Sameness" over choice, you are still making a choice not to HAVE choices. How interesting was it that when a "Receiver" died, the memories had to be transferred instead of just dying with the "Receiver" (remember how Rosemary's memories came back to the people and caused all sorts of chaos?). I must say that it caused me to cry when I read about the baby being killed, Rosemary choosing to end her life, and then finding out that it was the Giver's daughter.
ANYWAY! It was a very profound and well written book and I can see why it won so many awards. However, it did give me enough fretful dreams that in the morning, I did some research and found a thread of discussion that was actually a relief. This guy was theorizing that the reason Lowry gave such an ambigiuous ending was to allow the reader to choose for themselves what happened to Jonas and Gabe. I liked that. And, you know, with that choice, I was no longer fretful about what happened to them, but ironically, could not decide which ending I preferred. Isn't that funny? :)
Great selection, Miss Katie!!!
:) Laurenda
Well, I just have to say that I enjoyed the book--a very easy read that only took me a few hours to finish (I read it this past Sunday). That being said, it made me have fretful dreams that night because I couldn't decide if Jonas and Gabe had made it to "Elsewhere" or if they had moved to the great beyond. It also caused weird dreams because of how it dovetailed with all sorts of gospel related themes.
It took me a bit to get into the book, but I did enjoy the journey as Lowry describes the society in which the plot is set. I kinda liked some of the family unit traditions of talking about their feelings at night and their dreams in the morning because it really did seem like good family quality time. And, to be honest, I thought Lily's anger--for a young child--was pretty appropriate, because that's how my girls get. They get "angry" and "frustrated" with the goofiest things, and it's almost comical because they've never experienced "real" anger (at the library today, Elisabeth was getting angry because she couldn't fit a puzzle piece in just right). Perhaps this is what Lowry was trying to illustrate, that children and adults had the same "feelings." Her parents expression of feelings was pretty superficial. I thought it was interesting that Jonas' father was worried that little Gabe would be released--which would reflect a failure on him--and thus got him a years extension before the Father voted to release him because of all the trouble he caused the night crew, but wasn't worried about "releasing" the smaller twin.
I thought it was so fascinating that Lowry linked memory to feelings, both painful ones and happy ones--both being necessary, and seeing colors and hearing music, and that when you willingly choose "Sameness" over choice, you are still making a choice not to HAVE choices. How interesting was it that when a "Receiver" died, the memories had to be transferred instead of just dying with the "Receiver" (remember how Rosemary's memories came back to the people and caused all sorts of chaos?). I must say that it caused me to cry when I read about the baby being killed, Rosemary choosing to end her life, and then finding out that it was the Giver's daughter.
ANYWAY! It was a very profound and well written book and I can see why it won so many awards. However, it did give me enough fretful dreams that in the morning, I did some research and found a thread of discussion that was actually a relief. This guy was theorizing that the reason Lowry gave such an ambigiuous ending was to allow the reader to choose for themselves what happened to Jonas and Gabe. I liked that. And, you know, with that choice, I was no longer fretful about what happened to them, but ironically, could not decide which ending I preferred. Isn't that funny? :)
Great selection, Miss Katie!!!
:) Laurenda
Sunday, September 3
Belated "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Sorry this is so late, but once I really got into the book, I could not NOT finish it. Olivia and I finally have figured out how to nurse so I can read. She's a good baby.
Okay, I just have to say, What a great book. I had never read it, though I have seen and loved the movie. Of course, after I finished it, I had to go and read up on its author! I am amazed that this was her only published book and that she's a recluse, and that she studied law (which was evident in the court scenes)...I could go on. I was just really impressed. No wonder this was awarded prizes and acclaim and has been "forced" reading in high school (though, clearly, not mine! lol).
ANYWAY, I told Katie that I was going to compare the book and the movie: all things considered, the movie was remarkably true to the book! And I have to confess that during my reading, Atticus Finch looked just like Gregory Peck! :) Indeed, my mental characterization of the book was colored by the film version (I even think I read it like a black and white film!), but I felt that they got it spot on. I was amazed at the poetry of the book and was moved by...so much! I was flipping through, trying to find passages that held me and made me stop and think, but I couldn't narrow them down, there were too many. Gosh, I just really liked this book. It was so wise and it was published at such a pivotal time.
I am glad to have read the book, though, because now I know why Jem is called Jem (I don' t think that was ever covered in the movie. lol). This was a great choice for the book club. Thank you!
I'm excited to see what everyone else thought, but I just wanted you to know that I finally got it done and am now forging on to "The Giver" and will hopefully get that one done on time!!!
Okay, I just have to say, What a great book. I had never read it, though I have seen and loved the movie. Of course, after I finished it, I had to go and read up on its author! I am amazed that this was her only published book and that she's a recluse, and that she studied law (which was evident in the court scenes)...I could go on. I was just really impressed. No wonder this was awarded prizes and acclaim and has been "forced" reading in high school (though, clearly, not mine! lol).
ANYWAY, I told Katie that I was going to compare the book and the movie: all things considered, the movie was remarkably true to the book! And I have to confess that during my reading, Atticus Finch looked just like Gregory Peck! :) Indeed, my mental characterization of the book was colored by the film version (I even think I read it like a black and white film!), but I felt that they got it spot on. I was amazed at the poetry of the book and was moved by...so much! I was flipping through, trying to find passages that held me and made me stop and think, but I couldn't narrow them down, there were too many. Gosh, I just really liked this book. It was so wise and it was published at such a pivotal time.
I am glad to have read the book, though, because now I know why Jem is called Jem (I don' t think that was ever covered in the movie. lol). This was a great choice for the book club. Thank you!
I'm excited to see what everyone else thought, but I just wanted you to know that I finally got it done and am now forging on to "The Giver" and will hopefully get that one done on time!!!
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