Book 41 A Clockwork Orange

 

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess fulfilled the category “Book with a Made-Up Language.” All I can say is I am so glad I listened to this title on audio.

A Clockwork Orange, a novella about a bleak future full of ultra-violence perpetrated by the very young, explored some serious societal issues. Topics mentioned were youth and violence, drugs, the penal system, government—it’s influence and control, parenting, psychological conditioning, and the ramifications of personal actions. I could go on and on. The story was chock full of topics to discuss.

First, let’s talk about the language. As I mentioned I listened to the story on audio. The reader was fantastic. He spoke in a rolling, almost cockney British accent and made the language of the book sing. The youngsters in the novel (mid-teens) speak in a rapid-fire of invented words. Everything has a slag name to it, from body parts to food to names for other people. And even then, the narrator mentioned that kids younger than him had their own slang too! I can’t imagine writing a book like this. It’s almost completely another language. I had to immerse myself in the novel to understand everything. (A second read wouldn’t hurt.) I isolated myself to listen, and it took me quite a while to finish the six-hour audio. Frequently, I had to stop and translate Alex’s words in my head.

It was a real thinking book.

For many reasons…

My husband was thrilled to talk about the book once I finished. We discussed the various topics introduced in the novel for hours. Particularly, we focused on the issues of teens and authority. We have two teens and could see how it got out of control. What kind of authority can you have over your children if you fear them? Alex was a violent thug. His parents could do nothing to stop him. And we laughed at how he was surprised when they rented his room. I sympathize with them so much.

But another huge topic we discussed was the abridgment of the book (and the movie). The author wrote the forward of my copy. In it, he discussed how his American publisher cut the last chapter. In this section, Alex starts to grow up and learn the errors of his youth. He dreams of a regular life with a wife and kid. Hubby had never heard such a thing associated with the book or movie. We went over it for a long time—how it changed the story, the implications of a publisher changing a book that way. It miffed me a publisher would just cut a chapter, and the final one, to boot. With power like that, what’s an author to do?

I could write a dissertation on that novella, but I won’t here. (You do NOT want to read that.) But I will say it’s one of those few classics I think should still be taught in the high school. I’m an advocate of books relevant to students. Give them The Hunger Games, The Hate You Give, and Fangirl rather than Native Son, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. But man, a listen to A Clockwork Orange…still relevant, still stimulating, still scary!

I give A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Five Slooshy Moloko Pluses.

 

Book 40 House

 

House by Frank E. Peretti and Ted Dekker fulfills the category “Book with the Same Title as a Movie or TV show but is unrelated to it” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. The novel is a haunted house adventure while the TV show is a fanfic of Sherlock Holmes and very awesome.

It’s October, and there are five Fridays this month. I saved all my horror stories (well, most of them) for Halloween season. I thought I should warn you ahead of time that it will be five scary books for October. After House, I plan to do A Clockwork Orange, The Screaming Staircase, Frankenstein, and If It Bleeds. I love a good fright!

House starts with a married couple lost on a back road in Alabama. A police officer directs them to a better route. They follow it, but their tires are sabotaged, and they discover an old Bed and Breakfast in the middle of nowhere. Typical horror set up. Lost, alone, ending up Frank N. Furter’s place…wait, that was a movie. Anyway… Once in the old Victorian house, we meet the weird homeowners and another lost couple. The tropes are strong. We feel scared and insecure, and a little trepidatious. But once the players are set, House takes another tack on horror stories.

The home is attacked by a mad man who insists one person must kill another for everyone to live. And the chaos ensues. As the book progresses, hope fades, the house gets weirder and new, seemingly innocent characters are introduced. I could see this as a movie. The twists and turns are predictable, but at the same time, not. We expect a certain outcome and are shocked when the story does a reverse.

I love a haunted house story. There’s something about having the place where you should feel the safest be dangerous. And I especially love it when the house has a mind of its own. The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorites as a story. The movie/TV spin offs of the tale are even better. The weird, 1999 movie, the recent TV adaptation and the best of them all, Rose Red by Stephen King. I love that miniseries. Talk about a great haunted house! King pulled in all of Shirley Jackson’s elements, added the Winchester House, and a bit of Salem’s Lot. If you haven’t seen it, go get it now.

Why was House scary? It didn’t quite hit Rose Red standards. It was a fun run through the chaotic maze of a basement where you weren’t sure what was real. The feelings of loss and confusion were overwhelming. Who could we trust? Not even our protagonists! And we were lost…in a house…how does that happen? We had no one to root for, except that seemingly innocent…oops, spoiler.

Anyway, I’m glad I picked the novel for this prompt.

I give House by Frank E. Peretti and Ted Dekker Four Mystery Basement Rooms.

 

 

Book 39 Drama

 

Drama by Raina Telgemeier fulfilled the prompt “Read a Banned Book During Banned Book Week Sept. 20-26” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. The graphic novel was banned for three years in Texas for being explicitly sexual, and “promoting the homosexual agenda.” (Quotes from the Wiki article that quoted the ACLU of Texas.)

Drama depicts a coming of age story for several middle school children while they work on a school play. Cassie, the main character, experiences the pitfalls of seventh-grade life—falling for the wrong person, dealing with friends, and being in the school play. She is not the only character to grow and change as the story moves forward. Many of the characters experience life-altering emotions and events that push them toward adulthood.

Cassie befriends a set of male twins at the start of Act II. (It’s written as a five-act play.) One brother wants to try out for the play and as the two get to know each other, he shares with her he is gay. Cassie is remarkable in her response—one mature, one totally seventh-grader. She hugs Justin and promises to keep his secret. Then she considers his brother Jessie as a love interest. As the book goes on, more drama occurs and more tough times and heartbreak for Cassie—though she is amazing in dealing with all her disappointments. In an age when many middle-schoolers are wracked by depression and anxiety, Cassie holds her head high but also lets the tears go when she needs to.

Spoilers ahead!

I believe the book was banned because it depicted a kiss between two boys (probably both were around thirteen), one of whom is in a red dress. Since it’s a graphic novel, we see the kiss. It was a beautiful moment. Our wonderful Jessie steps out from the shadow of his brother (a place he chose to be allowing his twin shine).  He goes out on stage, pushing all his anxiety behind him, and saves the show. And it means playing the female lead and wearing her costume. The real actress refused to return to the stage because of drama. Jessie gets to sing, perform, and kiss the boy he has a crush on. West, who plays the other lead, goes with it and kisses Jessie without hesitation.

I loved it. Such a monumental moment for a great character. But knowing the homophobic attitude I see in some parents, I’m not surprised it was banned. I’m so glad I let my kids read this book. (Actually, my fourteen-year-old stole it from me and read it twice this week.)

Ms. Telgemeier is the author of two popular graphic novel series—The Babysitters’ Club and Smile/Sisters. My children, like many others, ravenously ate up those stories and craved anything else she wrote. Perhaps conservative parents were shocked to have LGBTQ+ characters in the book, much less a full-on smooch. But this is the world our kids live in. Teens today are very open about gender, sexuality, and personal preferences. They are not bogged down as older generations are with what is “normal” and what is “wrong.” They just see people and love them for who they are.

I’m so happy this book is in the world. I loved reading Jessie’s story and cheered for him when he could finally be himself. I felt for Cassie too, chasing all the wrong boys. By the end of the story, she learned her lesson about not “liking” every guy who is nice to her. I hope Ms. Telgemeier writes more stories with LGBTQ+ themes.

I give Drama by Raina Telgemeier Five Big Cannon Pops.