Page 123

Okay, so here's how the game works:

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences.

5. Tag people.

So here goes:

The book is Through Waters Roar: A Novel by Lynn Austin. The 5th sentence reads, "And after he'd refilled his glass a third time, and drank it down, there weren't any."

Next 3 sentences:

"In fact, Horatio slept like a dead man. Bebe had to shake him awake in the morning so they wouldn't miss their train to Niagara Falls. They spent their honeymoon in a lavish hotel near the falls, and for the first time Bebe saw the thundering cascade, she clung to Horatio's arm unable to speak."

This is the book I'm reading to give you guys a review but I'm currently on page 50 and in between this, the other books for contemporary literature, and schoolwork, it'll be a while before you get the review. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

Tags:

Cassandra Cappello

A Good Man Is Hard To FInd

Recently we were assigned a few readings for my contemporary literature class. The book is by Flannery O'Conner, titled, A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories.

In the short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, O'Conner writes about a family trip that ends up going terribly wrong and that there is mainly one character to blame, the unnamed grandmother. This selfish, manipulative, and perhaps religious woman wishes to change the family plans to go to the original destination, she causes an accident by bringing along a forbidden pet, and eventually gets the entire family killed because she can't seem to stop talking. Hints to the death of the family mount as the grandmother brings along the cat, instigates the children to commit tantrums in order to see a house that she mistakenly believes is there, and is the first to introduce the Misfit character. The grandmother is obsessed with outward appearances and dresses in her best for a long car ride. Although some sources, such as wikipedia, state that the grandmother might have been committing an act of charity and realized her foolish ways in the end, I doubt it. The only reason she touched the killer in the end was because he was wearing her son's shirt and in facing certain death she got confused as to who was her son. The entire conversation between her and the killer was so he would let her live, not for the safety of her family. This story basically warns me to keep my mouth shut unless I have something important to say so that I don't end up getting killed along with innocent people.

In the story, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, a wandering man named Mr. Shiftlet, receives a chance at a permanent home but rejects it and ends the same way he started although with material possessions. These possessions have brought very little happiness to him. The characters in this story need to be pushed further. Unlike the story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, these characters seem uncomfortable and half realized. Shiftlet, the wandering man states that he doesn't care for money but shows that in the end, he chose money over the daughter, which could represent that he rejects innocence. The story started out slowly and was harder to care for because of the apparent lack of progress.

Although Shiflet has skills at repairing things around the farm, he is physically broken. He is a one-armed man who, early in the plot, stretches out both arms toward the sun, looking like a “crooked cross”. When Shiflet speaks, it is of odd things, like a surgeon who took out a heart and examined it like “a day-old chicken”. She eventually states that the heart is beyond science and, when asked to sleep in the broken down car, references European monks who sleep in coffins. Although it's legal, the marriage to the woman's daughter doesn't satisfy him and states that it's the law that doesn't satisify him. Immediately afterwards, Shiftlet abandons his new wife and picks up a hitchhiker to make up for this guilt. The hitchhiker apparently sees how much of a liar Shiftlet is and jumps out of the car, leaving Shiftlet praying to God to wipe the scum off the earth.

The Life You Save May Be Your Own, is pretty much about two people using each other. Shiftlet wants the car and the old woman wants to get rid of her daughter while the girl, mute and unable to communicate, is left far from home.

Not a bad read. Because of my horrible sense of humor, I did somewhat enjoy the first story, mainly because the idiot grandmother finally got shot.

Ernest Hemingway, Why Do You Hurt Me So? (Part 2)

The book wasn't horrible. Cutting off my pinky would definitely have been worse. It was a struggle to read the book each day for class and not because I can't read, because I certainly can. No, the book was just bad.

The characters are completely crazy. I was finally able to see what happens when Brett can't immediately get what she wants, which is Romero, a young bullfighter. She actually needed an introduction to meet this new man. She's in awe at Romero's strength and jealous of Jake for being able to talk with such ease.

Jake is instigating the whole situation by pushing the two together. I believe, and sparknotes agrees, that Romero is a sexual replacement for Jake, who, because of the war, can't have a physical relationship. After Jake introduces Brett to this young man, the scenery changes and the whole setting is wet, muddy, and dirty.

Cohn, having had sex with Brett, follows her like a puppy dog but is instead shooed away and verbally harassed by Mike, Brett's fiance. Although Mike doesn't care if Brett runs around with men, Cohn is the only idiot to still follow her around.

When Cohn realizes that Jake has actually helped Romero and Brett get together, he accuses Jake of being a pimp. Jake then, probably from the stress of having given Brett away, swings at Cohn. He misses. Cohn knocks Jake out and then strikes Mike. Jake has officially become as silly as Cohn by giving in to his sentimentalism. Cohn vanishes after fighting, and failing to bring down Romero.

Romero continues with the scheduled bullfighting even though he is injured from the fight. He excels. Jake has ruined the insider reputation he had in Pompolona and destroyed his friendship with Montoya, a bullfighting aficionado and native. Jake leaves. In France, Jake overtips in order to buy friendships and places where he is welcome.

Afterwards, Jake meets with Brett who tells him, to make herself feel better, that she has sent Romero away. Brett is getting old and probably doesn't want to look foolish by following some youngster around. She then, like the crazy lady she is, tells Jake that if they could have sex, it would have been good between them but Jake knows this is all a game.

The book ends. The climax wasn't great (my summary was probably better) and all the good stuff happened at once that Hemingway could have condensed the rest of the book easily. I was not impressed and still wonder why Hemingway is so popular. Good thing I purchased the old, yellowed, and cheap version of the book for class.

A Little Side Project for my Little Side Project

Facebook Relationships

Awesome video about falling for a girl on Facebook. Watch it, because after I did, my whole life seemed so much better.

Chloe's Summer 2010 Collection

Check out Chloe's Summer 2010 collection. Totally cute and wearable. My fave? Look 34.

Helping Out a Friend

Cassandra of Cassandra Cappello Design needed some help testing out her design. It's a game for children with autism that promotes learning and social interaction. She had me quickly put the game together and test it. Here's a link to the video. Check it out.