Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is probably one of his deepest, darkest comedies. And I'm of the opinion that the only reason we see it as dark and humorous-less is in light of the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust.

The Merchant of Venice is about Bassanio's quest for fair Portia's hand. Having no money himself, he turns to Antonio, his dearest friend. (Some speculate on a homosexual relationship between Bassanio and Antonio.) All of Antonio's money is wrapped up in his ships and their cargo, and he doesn't expect their return for another two months. He sympathizes with Bassanio's situation and agrees to take a loan from Shylock. Instead of practicing usury with Antonio's bond, he asks that if Bassanio should forfeit, Shylock would then receive an equal pound of flesh from any part of Bassanio's body he should desire. (... Ew. Also, who in their right mind would agree to this? Honestly?)

Enter Portia and her situation. Her father's dead, but he's still managing to control her from the grave. Her suitors must choose from 3 caskets, if they should choose the right casket, then they have proven they deserve her and are then free to marry her. Her suitors thus far have been unsuitable... but here comes handsome Bassanio to woo! Her heart leaps! He ends up with the right casket! (Perhaps with some help from our fair lady?)

And just as soon as they begin celebrating, Bassanio receives word that Antonio's ships have been lost at sea, and Shylock is asking for his bond (one pound of flesh. Ew.)

Now, right before all of this happens, Shylock's daughter runs off with one of Antonio's known friends to marry. She leaves her father, steals a portion of his wealth, and reverts to Christianity. Naturally, Shylock is hurt, and since he can't blame himself, he seeks his revenge on Antonio...

My professor was quick to point out that during Shakespeare's time, life was quite different - more specifically, religious tolerance like we know today was completely unheard of then. Jews were even exiled from England in 1290ish, leaving pretty much only Christian citizens for centuries. Shakespeare's audience would be aware of the treatment of Jews in other countries (ghettos, lack of job opportunities, etc) but they wouldn't have seen it firsthand. In fact, the vast majority probably wouldn't have even met a Jew. There are obviously some pretty strong antisemitic undertones/overtones throughout the play. In the end, at one point, Shylock is forced to give up his religion and practice Christianity... he was essentially stripped of everything - his wealth, daughter, and identity by the end of the play. Apparently Shakespeare's audience would have expected this.

I think it's also important to point out that Shakespeare does make Shylock into a rather humane Jewish villain when most of his contemporaries simply made their Jewish villains into complete monsters.

Al Pacino's performance really made my heart bleed for Shylock. But then, Jeremy Irons's performance of Antonio, especially during the trial scene in Act IV, really made me sympathize for Antonio's situation. I'm not sure if I've ever been so torn between two characters before in my life!

Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare

I'm taking a *cough* wonderful *cough* Shakespeare class this semester, required for all English majors. Joy. And I'm not sure how these posts will be organized; they won't be so much reviews as they'll be my thoughts on the plays as I read them, I suppose?

I've read The Taming of the Shrew two or three times now. In fact, during the first week of my sophomore year in high school, I got to see The Taming of the Shrew performed at the university I'm currently attending. How ironic! It was one of the better performances I've seen, too. Although nothing really beats Elizabeth Taylor's Katherina. She's so beautiful...

The play is about two sisters, Catherina (the eldest) and Bianca (the fairest.) From the beginning, you get a sense of the sibling rivalry. Kate craves her father's attention and love, but Bianca has won every man's heart because she's so beautiful and timid, the perfect woman. Kate is quite the opposite... beautiful, sure, but shrill and cruel... quite the shrew. Petruchio, her suitor, has just come into his fortune and is in want of a rich wife. Kate, for some reason, seems to be the perfect candidate, and he attempts to woo her by playing her at her own game. Petruchio becomes what one might term as a shrew... he is constantly changing is mind, playing games with opposites, beating his servants, starving his wife, etc.

The most vexing aspect of this play is... whether or not... Kate's spirit is broken in the end... or did Petruchio simply manage to get her to realize that there has to be give and take in the relationship, that one spouse can't really rule the other? The jury is still out in my mind. Everything he does to her, he does to himself. Which is oddly perplexing to me. He wishes to be the lord, king of the family, but he doesn't appear to be unfair... he seems to want to put each other on equal footing, perhaps...

The only scholarly article I read was about Petruchio and Kate being demonized? It was a strange article. I've never really read much about the whole witch-affairs of the Elizabethen era. I'm vaguely familiar with some of the particulars, though. In the article, the author talks about Kate as a witch and Petruchio as the devil for trying to woo the witch. Eventually my eyes couldn't take anymore, and I gave up reading that article.

Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

So, I can't help but be excited about this series and continue with it... I'm totally in love with Rose. Although Dimitri is *gone*, seeing as how he's the big-bad now, Rose is totally taking it in stride and decides to take on the whole world on her own. She's so kick-ass! Ah, I wish I were more like her. (Maybe if I was raised to be a body guard, had defensive and offensive training, and those dhampir reflexes, I would be...)

Alright, so Blood Promise, I think, is the best book in the series thus far. Richelle Mead's style has been improving with every book. The story, plot, etc has been running more smoothly. Things are really coming together nicely.

My ownly issue with Rose is... how she's sooo obsessed with Dimitri, but Adrian is soooo much hotter (in my opinion.) I wish, oh how I wish, Adrian could be mine! He's the rich, intelligent, sarcastic Moroi with a soft, hidden, gooey middle. Mm.

I'm already looking forward to May 10, 2010 when Spirit Bound, the fifth book, will be released.

The Giver - Lois Lowry

How beautiful is this cover? Mm. The left picture is the edition I bought over the weekend. The first time I read The Giver, when I was in middle school or high school, the cover looked like the one on the right. I think I like the newest edition more. The Giver gives our young protagonist, Jonas, the gift to see, feel, experience snow. Here you have an older hand giving a younger hand a snow flake. *Sigh* Plus, in the older edition, I never really saw the Giver as quite as old and hairy... For some reason, I fear the beard may not give his society the feeling of sameness. But, then again, for all I know, every man at that particular age has a full beard just like his.

I'm sure most of us are familiar with The Giver. Or, at least, the basic premise. Uglies, even The Hunger Games, remind me of The Giver. Lois Lowry just happened to do it first and do it quite successfully (without the aid of futuristic technology throughout the novel.) Jonas, our protagonist, is entering year 12, the year he is given the assignment. The one which will affect the rest of his life. He finally gets to know what position in the community will be his. Nerve wracking. Can you imagine, today, if every 12 year old found out whether or not s/he'll be a laborer, lawyer, doctor, teacher, etc? Even at 21, I fear I've chosen the wrong profession. But I guess that's the great thing about The Community... you don't have to worry about choosing. The Elders take care of that for you.

The Giver is a coming-of-age story. I'm actually very impressed with Jonas. At 12/13, he's actually very mature than most of my peers. He begins to see the injustice of living a passionless life, a life without love, and decides to take action against the Community.

The Giver is a moving and heartwarming story. I really hope I can find the time to continue with the series! (How awesome is that? When I read it the first time, it was just a single book.)

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Well, it's been awhile since my last post... and I kept thinking about updating, but I realized I'd have more updates than actual book reviews, so... I just waited until my schedule was a bit easier.

I've read plenty of books in between Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Unfortunately, I can't really remember them, and I failed to make a list.

I've been waiting for Catching Fire since I finished with Katniss in Hunger Games back in July. For those of you who jumped on the bandwagon early with Hunger Games, you had a much longer wait, and I have no idea how you remained so patient! But now, I suppose, I have to wait at least another year before the third book is released. Drat. (There are spoilers below for Hunger Games if you've yet to read it, you may not wish to continue.)

Catching Fire starts up a few months down the road from where Hunger Games ended. Katniss is back in District 12, of course, living in a bigger house with more money than she has ever been used to. She still hunts, though. The game she brings in she gives to Gale's mother; he's stuck in the mine all day, every day, except Sundays. Katniss and Peeta have barely spoken to each other since the Games ended... but everything is about to get complicated when Katniss arrives home to find President Snow sitting in her study. Catching Fire is brilliant, fast-paced, and just as thrilling as Hunger Games. Peeta is as lovable as he was before... My heart really goes out for that boy. I think every girl should have a Peeta; I also think every Peeta deserves a girl who can give back exactly what she receives.

Mmm. I love this series. Reminds me of Uglies and The Giver. I'm actually re-reading The Giver right now for one of my edu classes... Expect a review soon!

Harry Potter Reading Challenge!

I'm so insanely excited! A reading challenge that has inspired me to return to the first books that got me interested in reading! (The Babysitters Club doesn't count. I had lost interest in reading for a few years until I got my greedy, selfish hands on Harry Potter.)

Michelle over at GalleySmith is hosting this awesome reading challenge. I've been meaning to read the series over or listen to the series from start to finish for a long time, but other great books have gotten in the way. Now, I can use the Reading Challenge as an excuse. I think I might even bring a few of them with me to the beach the first week of August, in fact. What better beach material than Harry Potter?

The rules are pretty simple. You just have to read or listen to the 7 amazing novels between August 1, 2009 and July 31, 2010. You have a whole year to finish the fast-paced amazing saga created by JK Rowling.

I've lost count of how many times I've read the first books in the series... Before every new release, I'd sit down and read them, start to finish. However, the 6th and 7th novel has only been read... probably about two times each. With the release of the 6th movie, I did listen to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the very first time. I enjoyed it immensely.

I'm not sure if I have many readers, but for those of you interested, sign up and enjoy Harry Potter with me!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Although the cover doesn't look like much... Suzanne Collins definitely knows how to tell a story! I'm kind of sad her cover is so bland... it's hardly impressive. It definitely doesn't portray the intricate and vibrant story held within.

Set in Panem, the future post-Apocalypse United States, Hunger Games is about Katniss Everdeen, a young woman who is responsible for her family's well being. She hunts and gathers beyond the district's fence, selling and trading what she can and bringing the rest home for her mother and younger sister.

The Capital, the government ruling Panem, requires two tributes from each district for The Hunger Games, an annually televised event where 24 youths (between the ages of 12 and 18) must fight to the death for the entertainment of the populace. Katniss's younger sister is chosen, but Katniss quickly volunteers to take Primrose's place.

Soo much happens in Hunger Games, it's almost impossible to give an accurate plot synopsis without giving away the story.

I read Hunger Games in one sitting without straining myself. I stayed wrapped up in the story until the very end and still craved more.

Suzanne Collins' characters are so complex and complete. The story seems to flow effortlessly. And the plot is so tight without any lose ends or random tangents.

I'm very much looking forward to the sequel, Catching Fire, due to come out September 1, 2009.

Evernight - Claudia Grey

Bianca is attending Evernight Academy, what appears to be a super elite private school. She "attempts" to run away in order to get her parents attention, hoping they'll let her return to her peaceful existence with her friends and runs into Lucas Ross who she instantly feels a connection to. Both outsiders, neither rich, beautiful, nor gifted, they spark up a friendship which quickly turns into a relationship. Both have their secrets that threaten to end everything before it really begins...

I know, I know... I'm a freak. I've lost count of how many young adult vampire lit books I've read this summer.

I enjoyed Evernight. Bianca is an intelligent protagonist (for the most part.) She's young and innocent without being annoying (she doesn't whine!) Lucas is a big trouble maker (although the reader has no idea why until much later in the novel.) The vampires are exciting and sexy... just like most vampire novels...

A few things irked me though. The premise of having this perfect Gothic school to teach older vampires how to live in the high-tech human world seems... odd. One, in particular, seemed to live in the 18th century still. You'd figure vampires would adapt with humans (since they're creatures of the night and seem to be attracted to high-luxury living.) Claudia Gray barely hints at anything out-of-the-ordinary going on in Bianca's life until much later in the story. And then whammy! Her secret comes out of left field. She is the protagonist of the story. The narrator seems to have a lot of insight into Bianca's mind previously, and I find it hard to believe she never gave much thought to her condition/history or to the vampires around her. But whatev. It's Claudia Gray's story, not mine. She can withhold information up to the last book... if she so desires.

No matter how many young adult books I read, none appear to hold up to the awesomeness that is/was Harry Potter. JK Rowling's writing is like no other. The HP series took twists and turns throughout all seven books... and they made sense. They didn't feel forced... Maybe that's what I keep looking for when I read young adult... another Harry Potter.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched - Meg Cabot

I read this last month, and I'm trying to figure out what I really wanted to say about it... but I don't think my mind is working anymore.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched followed the same formula as the rest... Meg Cabot is witty and quirky... her characters are rich and vibrant. Lizzie is constantly getting in trouble because of her big mouth since she's incapable of filtering her words (which I can actually very much relate to.)

I think I may have read the series too fast... maybe I should have spaced the books more, instead of reading them back-to-back... but then again, when I was reading them, the plot details were right there in the back of mind while Lizzie's adventure continued.

Queen of Babble in the Big City - Meg Cabot

Lizzie Nichols is back! So is her ever-troublesome big mouth.

Lizzie is finally in NYC, living with Luke, her prince charming, in his Fifth Ave apartment. Chaz helps Lizzie find a job in his father's law firm as a receptionist, earning $20 an hour while she starts a non-paying internship at Chez Henri - a restoration shop for bridal gowns.

I really enjoyed Queen of Babble, but Queen of Babble in the Big City kind of left a funky taste in my mouth. Lizzie and her friends are as charming as ever. Her story is fantastic (I mean, hello?! 23 years-old, living on Fifth Avenue with Prince Charming) but slightly unrealistic. Lizzie was beginning to get on my nerves with her marriage plans with/for Luke, her constant talk about her weight, etc.

Still a cute, quick read... I guess. Just not as charming as the first.