Catcher in the Rye: A Book Review

About the Author

J.D. Salinger or Jerome David Salinger is an American author known for his novel, a classic literature, The Catcher in the Rye. He is considered a literary hermit due to being a recluse after the publication of the said novel in 1951. It is said that this novel is “almost autobiographical.”

Summary

The story began right before Christmas Vacation at Pencey Prep School in Pennsylvania, where Holden Caulfield, 16-year old was kicked out from school for failing all his classes except English. He was kicked out from other schools, too before Pencey.

He left school before he was dismissed and traveled to New York City, his hometown. However, he did not go directly home but spent time and money with a bunch of different people, including those he does not really like. He became more depressed so later on, he sneaked into their house to see his 10-year old sister, Phoebe.

Holden decided to move out from the country and find a job. He asked his sister to meet him to bid his last goodbye and while he was watching her riding on the carousel, he declared that he was happy and wouldn’t pursue his plan.

That was the end of his narration and back to the Holden a year later where it is suggested that he is telling the story from a hospital because he is “sick” in some way.

Review

Characterization

Holden uses profanity and insulting words, he smokes and lies about his age to drink liquor. He breaks rules in the dorm and spends most of his time criticizing people. He always has a negative say to something except for his dead brother, Allie, his older brother JB, and his 10-year old sister, Phoebe. He sees the world as full of phonies but he is also one of them. He wants to explore and  even paid a prostitute , but is afraid to lose his innocence.

For his age , he thinks a lot. He is smart but he does not know what he wants from life. When Phoebe asked to name one thing he likes, he answered Allie. But Allie was already part of the past, and based on this, we can see that a huge part of him is still grieving for Allie’s early death.

He represents people who are lonely and alone. He represents people that are falling apart, where healing is far-fetched. He represents all those who cannot find their purpose in life, and accomplish this by wandering and wasting time. He represents a soul desperately seeking attention to understand him and walk him through life. He wants to save children from falling from a cliff of rye (that’s why the book is titled Catcher in the Rye) but he cannot save his ownself. He, too could not save Allie. His weird hunting hat represents how different he is from others, and his question of where the ducks go when the lake freezes correlates with his lost of life of direction. 

Plot

If you are into fast-paced, action-packed genre, this would not be your thing. There were no climactic feel, nor page-turning twists. It was told in first person point of view using stream of consciousness. It seemed like a rant, a teenage angst! Honestly, it took me 2 days to finish reading it because it was repetitive and dull. A classic is a classic, that’s true, but the book did not exceed my expectations. 

The only thing I liked is the characterization of Holden. It will either make you hate him for his inappropriate behavior or sympathize with him. This is not a novel, it’s more of a character study. 

Literary Techniques

Symbolism is evident in the novel: hat, baseball glove, ducks, liquor, cigarette, carousel, phonograph, rain. Dialogues were average. I like how other authors and literary pieces were mentioned. This book is relatively short (26 chapters) and an easy read; however, it is not recommended for young readers due to its high profanity.

Recommendation

I rate it 2 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for a classic, I won’t recommend this. I know when a book makes a huge impact; unfortunately, it failed to deliver.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

An Analysis

Dr. Seuss is known as a Children’s Book Author but this book speaks to all people. It represents everyone of us who dreams, stops dreaming, fails, dreams again, and wins. HE said that you are the one who will decide where to go --whatever we will become is based on our decisions today. We have the brains and we have the feet to propel us to move depending on our decisions. When we are in school, it seems that the world is easy and small but when we graduate, we realize how wide and big it is. Our dreams may start to sound impossible and we are thrown off-track, there are those who are better and luckier than us. Others might be soaring now while you are still there, figuring out what to do in life. With the advent of social media, we feel pressured and unsuccessful especially if we compare our status to those who are living their dreams. Our dreams might not materialize because we can experience hang-ups and bang-ups. What are these?

According to Merriam-Webster, hang-up is something that causes you to feel worried, afraid and embarrassesd, while bang-up is something that causes damage. Dreams are not easy to reach. For example, I dreamed to be a doctor but because of financial difficulty and time, that dream is unlikely to happen now. So, I changed my dream which is to be a teacher at the same time, traveler. Our childhood dreams might not come true because we have other obligations but along the journey, we shape other dreams because we are also changing as a person.

There are times when we cannot go on; hence, the waiting game. We are stuck in a plateau of helplessness -waiting for  the big break without lifting  a finger, waiting for a miracle, waiting for someone to lift us up. But Dr. Seuss is telling us that we are better than that. We have to escape this waiting area, we have to jump over this barricade because there are still games to be won. In short, do not give up on life!

There are also times when we are all alone and it will get lonely. Our darkest enemy will be ourselves. But it says here, go on and hike far. Climb the mountain. Step carefully and thoughtfully. He is telling us that when we are determined to move mountains then we should also mix it with the right values. Dreaming is useless if our values and principles are compromised. I like it when he said that Life’s a great balancing act. WE balance our time, priorities, people, money, among others. On a final note, keep in mind that you are great and you are off to your next adventure!

WHO WILL CRY WHEN YOU DIE by Robin Sharma: A Book Review

WHO WILL CRY WHEN YOU DIE by Robin Sharma: A Book Review

Genre: Self-help/motivational/non-fiction

Publication Date: 1999

Publishing Company: Harper Collins

Background: This was the third book written by the author in the series The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.

Who is Robin Sharma?

Canadian, A former lawyer, he quit his job and now considered to be one of the top 5 leadership experts in the world. His work is embraced by rock stars, royalty, billionaires and many celebrity CEOs.

Robin's books on Leadership and peak performance at work have sold over 15,000,000 copies in 75+ Countries.

His  book ,”The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”  is the 5th best selling book in the history of Israel. It has been on India's Top 10 bestseller list of over 2 years. Robin's books have been the fastest selling books in Turkish publishing history. His books have also been blockbusters in Japan, England, Dubai, Mexico, Singapore, Puerto Rico and throughout South America, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Serbia, Romania, Russia and Sweden.

Robin's runaway bestseller “The Leader Who Had No Title” was the #1 Business book on amazon.com

Review:

The book is basically divided into 101 short chapters. The language used was simple and clear. Each chapter discusses tip on how to live life to the fullest. For every chapter, Robin injects quotes from some of his favorite authors and inspirational speakers/people like Bruce Lee, Og Mandino, James Allen and Napoleon Hill. He then gives his personal views and experiences.  Through this book, I’ve met great people in his journey and by his recommendations, I’ve downloaded some of their books.       

This book revealed how dedicated, bookish and passionate Robin is into helping and inspiring people. However, I’ve read many self-help books to confirm that this book only added a few pointers to what I learned from others. 

Here’s what I highlighted:

1.      Three Gate Test. The ancient sages would only speak if the words they were about to utter passed three gates. At the first gate, they would ask themselves, Are these words truthful? If so, the words could then pass on to the second gate. At the second gate, they sages asked, “Are these words necessary?” If so, they would then pass on to the third gate, where they would ask, Are these words kind?

2.      The real value of setting and achieving goals lies not in the rewards you receive but in the person you become as a result of achieving your goals. 

3.      Knowledge is not power.  Knowledge is only potential power. It transforms itself into actual power the moment you decisively act on it. 

4.      It helps to write down half a dozen things which are worrying me. Two of them, they disappear, about two, nothing can be done, so it is no use worrying and tow perhaps can be settled. – Bruce Lee

5.      There has never been a more exciting time to be alive in history of the world and you have the choice to seize the boundless possibilities that every day presents.

6.      Think thoughts no one else is thinking. You cannot have all that you want if you remain the person you are. To get more from life, you need to be more in life.

I think this book needed more stories or testimonies from other people. And the title is perhaps not suited for the contents.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Turtles all the way down by John Green: A Book Review

Turtles all the way down by John Green: A Book Review

Genre: Young Adult, psychological

Publication Date: 2017

Setting: Indianapolis

Characters: Aza Holmes, Daisy, Davis, Mychal, Aza’s Mom, Dr. Singh (psychiatrist)

Summary:

This is  a story about Aza and her spiraling thoughts coupled with her OCD. She has high anxiety especially with germs to the point that kissing made her swallow sanitizer. She always thinks that she’ll be infected with the bacteria Clostridium difficile. She has the habit of pressing her right thumbnail into the finger pad of her middle finger. She covers it up with band-aid but when she is worried, she drains it by reopening the wound and pressing out any blood that will come. 

Her best friend’s name is Daisy, a star wars fanatic and a fan fiction author. She is a working student, her family is not well-off, and later on, convinced Aza to find David Pickett, Sr. the billionaire fugitive for there’s a reward of 100,000 dollars waiting. 

Aza and Davis Jr had a past; they joined the Sad Camp together when they lost one of their parents. Aza knew about the night vision camera since she used to play in Davis’ house when they were young. Aza and Daisy had one information to tell the police but Davis gave them 100,000 dollars in exchange of their silence. 

Aza and Davis fell for one another, Mychal and Daisy , too. Aza and Daisy got into an accident because of an argument about Daisy referencing Aza in her fictional stories, that Aza was  a useless and pessimistic friend. Aza recovered, their friendship became stronger but their romantic relationships had a different ending.

Themes

Anxiety

Aza’s thoughts cannot be shut down. Through her character, we come to know how the mind of anxious people operates. It is something that cannot be controlled by themselves; it just spirals and spirals until it tightens and suffocates them. They think a lot, worry a lot and not care too much of their environment. It is like they are physically present but their mind is projected onto something else like in Aza’s case, the microbes swarming inside her. She doesn’t know where Daisy’s parents work in spite of their longtime friendship. This also means that anxiety makes a person be socially unaware because ot the pressure of their thoughts. Aza also relies on her late Dad’s old phone for emotional support. Aza has a psychiatrist named Dr. Singh but she does not take her medications . She feels like the medicine is making her worse.

Like all the characters of John Green, Aza exemplifies a young and smart woman. It’s just that she has a mental problem. However, this issue has made her more analytic and unique, in my own opinion.  The introspection and conversations between Aza and the other characters proved how intelligent and reflective she is.

Parent-child

Davis’ father ran away. Davis and his younger brother, Noah had always sought for a responsible father which they could never find from their own. Their riches were infinite but when it comes to the love and affection from their dad, it is nonexistent.

Their father neglected them and left all his riches to a tuatara, a reptile. Also, he never contacted his sons when he eloped.

Aza and her mom had a great relationship. Daisy and her parents, too. It only means that the treasure lies not on the wealth but the bond in a family.

Reflection

John Green’s most famous novel The Fault in Our Stars for me is overrated.  Both the book and movie did not distress or please me. I really think it was too soapy and mainstream. Secondly, I watched and read Paper Towns and I found it so much better. Turtles all the way down is not that I-will-not-sleep-until –I-finished-this book. That is both a compliment and a slur. 

Compliment. First, some of the conversations need to be digested; hence, the need to stop and rest. In order to fully immerse yourself into the story, you must not finish this book in one seating. You have to take your time because of its psychological essence. Reading the thoughts of Aza also makes you feel trapped in your own thoughts and may question your own mental health. For example, the characterization of Aza could make you feel like you are also suffering from anxiety disorder. Overthinking, high heart rate, feeling nervous or powerless, having sense of impending danger, panic attacks, feeling stuck and empty, and sleeplessness are some of the signs of anxiety. 

You can also associate yourself because of her line of thinking. Example, in the first chapter of the book. She said, Life is a story told about you, not one that you tell. You pretend to be the author but in reality, you are the canvas, not the painter. She felt that herself was not hers. IF you think about this, it is very debatable, philosophically speaking. The ‘free will’ is questionable.  Are we really creating our destiny or has it been planned by God or the cosmos? 

There are many thoughts of Aza that could be analyzed in detail. The short poems of Davis are also worthy of studying. He introduced his writing through a quote or a poem by a famous writer and then he associates it with his personal experience. All of these are profound and  deep. 

Slur. There was lack of suspense. Yes, the major conflict is internal but I just didn’t find any vibe with its turn of events. IF not for Aza and Davis, the whole story would have been plain and boring.

The Kite Runner by Khaleid Hosseini: A Book Review

The Kite Runner by Khaleid Hosseini: A Book Review

Setting: Afghanistan, America, Pakistan

Characters: Amir, Baba , Hassan, Ali, Rahim Khan

Setting:  - 1980’s –

Genre: Family, Historical

Publication date: 2003

Summary:

It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.

Hosseini has commented that he considers The Kite Runner to be a father–son story, emphasizing the familial aspects of the narrative, an element that he continued to use in his later works.^[2] Themes of guilt and redemption feature prominently in the novel,^[3] with a pivotal scene depicting an act of sexual assault that happens against Hassan that Amir fails to prevent. The latter half of the book centers on Amir's attempts to atone for this transgression by rescuing Hassan's son two decades later. (Wikipedia)

Themes:

Father-son

Amir and his Baba

Amir had always craved for his Baba’s( father) attention and love.  He felt like his Baba was not proud of him because he was not good in soccer nor he could not stand up for himself. Amir was also jealous of Hassan ( his friend) because whatever toy his father gives him, he would also give one to him and his father would always invite Hassan when they wanted to go out. Amir wanted his father for himself.

In the long run, during their travel to Pakistan and life in America, Amir and his father became closer.  His father worked hard to provide him food and education. Note that Baba was popular, influential and well-off in Afghanistan but all these, they left so they can start anew in America , away from the war.

Baba’s last fatherly duty before he died of cancer was asking permission from the General to let Amir marry his daughter. People spoke of his greatness when he died especially how he helped those in need.

Baba and Hassan

Hassan and Ali are Hazaras. They belong to the lower class and considered as servants. 

Hassan never knew that his master was his real father. All he thought was that his father was Ali, another Hazara and that his mother left when she saw that he had cleft pallet, Hassan was the good child.  Ali was the good father.

Baba’s sin was Hassan.  

Brotherhood  and Friendship

Amir and Hassan were childhood friends; however, Amir never admitted that Hassan was his friend. They nursed from the same woman , they climbed trees together and flew kites. Because of jealousy and guilt, Amir hid his watch and some cash under Hassan’s bed. Hassan and Ali decided to move out despite Baba’s pleading for them to stay.

It is important to note that Amir did not save nor defend Hassan when he was being raped by Assef. He saw this but turned a blind eye and he carried this for a long time until Rahim Khan called him and said that it is not too late to be good again.

Amir wept and was devastated when Rahim Khan confessed that Hassan was his brother. It was too late since Hassan was shot by the Talibans. His wife was shot as  well leaving their only child, Sohrab in an orphanage.

Amir’s redemption was getting Sohrab out of Assef’ claws (he became a Taliban and kept Sohrab to satisfy his demonic urges). He was almost killed in the process but at the end, he was able to get him out of Afghanistan and adopted him.  The story ended with Amir flying kites with Sohrab in America.

Overall impression of the book

Khaleid is very skilled in describing scenes. HE speaks vividly as if you are being transported to Kabul, Pakistan and America. The way he characterizes are also haunting. 

The themes of his first book may not be as heavy as the second novel but it gives light to how our past affects our present. It lets us reflect that when you live carrying secrets and guilt,  these would haunt you for the rest of your life. 

Amir did not have the chance to ask forgiveness from Hassan but with his struggle to save Sohrab, he knew that he had somehow made peace with him , most especially his ownself. 

Favorite quotes:

11.       “When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.” -  Baba

22.    “She said, 'I'm so afraid.' And I said, 'why?,' and she said, 'Because I'm so profoundly happy, Dr. Rasul. Happiness like this is frightening.' I asked her why and she said, 'They only let you be this happy if they're preparing to take something from you.” – Amir’s mother

33.    “It's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.”

44.    “That same night, I wrote my first short story. It took me thirty minutes. It was a dark little tale about a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife's slain body in his arms.” – Amir

5. “Better to get hurt by the truth than

6. “One time, when I was very little, I climbed a tree and ate these green, sour apples. My stomach swelled and became hard like a drum, it hurt a lot. Mother said that if I'd just waited for the apples to ripen, I wouldn't have become sick. So now, whenever I really want something, I try to remember what she said about the apples.”  -Sohrab

77.  “The problem, of course, was that [he] saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can't love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.”

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini: A Book Review

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini: A Book Review

Genre: war narrative, historical fiction, love story

Setting: Afghanistan, last 33 years of its history of war and oppression

Main Characters: Mariam , Laila, Rasheed, Tariq, Jalil

Release Date: November 25, 2008

Summary:

The novel is has three parts.  It tells the story of two women: Mariam  and Laila who later became the two abused wives of Rasheed, a rich shoemaker.

Part 1

The novel kicks off with Mariam’s story wherein she introduces the word harami . Harami became a part of her persona until the end. She is the 11^th child of Jalil, a businessman and a cinema owner to a house servant. In short, she is an illegitimate child. Jalil has three more wives who lives with him in his mansion whereas Mariam and her mom lives in the hills. Every week, Jalil visits Mariam to teach her and tell her stories about Herat. Mariam worships her father despite her mom’s contempt.

On Mariam’s birthday, she wanted to visit her dad’s place; however, this was not approved by her mother and said that if she goes away, it means that she is abandoning her. Mariam picked up her courage to go to the city alone and was awe stricken by the new environment but then when she arrived in her father’s house, her father did not let her in. She even slept outside and was awakened by the  guard’s prodding that she needs to go back home.

When she returned home, her mother’s body was hanging on a rope from the willow tree. Mariam felt guilty, blamed herself and concluded that her mom is right, that the good things she conjured about Jalil is nothing but lies. Later on, she lived with her father who together with his wives, decided to fix her marriage with Rasheed, a shoemaker.

She got married at 15. Rasheed was nice to her at first but when she had several miscarriages, Rasheed abused her for years.

Part 2

Laila’s story starts when she was 9 years old. She is a consistent top student of her school and has two close female friends and one male friend named Tariq. She lives with her father, a former teacher and her mom in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her mom was once a cheerful being but when her sons joined the war, she lost the will to live.

In this part, it revealed the war in their country. Children killed. Houses and buildings pulverized. Laila stopped schooling because of the war and when her parents finally decided to move out so as to start a new life, they were bombed. She got lucky but her parents did not survive. Rasheed took her to his house and proposed for marriage. At that point, Laila knew that she was pregnant with Tariq’s child and she didn’t have any choice but to marry Rasheed before it gets too late. Tariq was assumed to be dead.

Rasheed, Mariam and Laila lived together in the same house. When Laila delivered a girl, Rasheed was disappointed. He has always wanted a boy because he once lost his son in his first marriage. The beatings started again. Rasheed made it a point to punch, slap and whip both of his wives.

Eventually, Laila got pregnant again. Rasheed was happy because it was a boy.

Part 3

Laila and Mariam eloped but they were caught by police officers. They were handed to Rasheed again and the abuse became worse. Even Aziza, Laila’s first child almost died because of his cruelty. Aziza was also put in orphanage because Rasheed could no longer sustain their needs. His shop was burned down and he couldn’t find any decent job.

Then one day, Tariq came back. Laila and Tariq talked about everything that has happened. Rasheed learned about this and he was ready to kill Laila. But before that happened, MAriam got the shovel and killed him first. Mariam convinced Laila to go away and start a new life with Tariq while she stays to receive her punishment.  Death penalty ended her life.

Laila and Tariq reunited with the two children in Pakistan. They got married and were happy but later, Laila told Tariq that she wants to go back to Afghanistan. They went back. Laila visited Herat, Mariam’s hometown and traveled back to Kabul where she helped rebuild the orphanage. She became a schoolteacher there.

Theme and Highlights

Domestic Violence

This book gave me so much emotions. This Rasheed is a  sadist. How can a human being torture his wives and children? How can he not have shame, guilt and conscience? He deserved to die earlier. All the bombs should have gone to his direction and not to the helpless, innocent children.

But the question is, why do people stay in a very abusive relationship? A study says that being abused gives a certain addiction to the victim and provides her a piece of familiarity and safe zone. She cannot get out psychologically and the trauma it brings when she finally walks out will still be there. And maybe, at some point, she still has the urge to go back to him because that’s what she was used to.

Women, and men, who are abused, must be awakened from the reality that that person will not change in an instant. Staying there will only tolerate that behavior. We need to have that power to stay out from the people we cannot fix. Whether that person was abused and neglected in the past, that is not an excuse to displace it to the people around him. If you want to be broken and damaged further, go on and turn a blind eye. It is your life anyway. But is the life you really want?

Fixed Marriage

Nowadays, children are still being married off to older men. Imagine being forced to grow up and living together (having sex) with someone you barely know and you don’t love. It’s almost the same as being raped and the childhood you ought to experience just smoked out.  Fact: The parents are likely to be less burdened when there’s less mouth to feed.. but what about the child’s future? Do you think that her future will be better if she will be taken away from a man who you only approved because of his riches? If there’s one thing that I learned, riches should not be the basis of marriage or any relationship. Love should always come first.

Suicide and Depression

Mariam’s mother hanged herself. Suicide had never become an option for me even when I was in my most depressed state. Suicide is a sin. They said that suicide has no face. Your friend might be smiling at you but deep inside, he is formulating ways to end his life. You can never tell.

As time passes by, more and more people commit suicide and the number one cause is depression. They either shoot, poison, cut themselves or jump off a building. I cannot visualize the horror of seeing someone terminating this gift of life. Life is the most precious gift that God has bestowed and only Him can decide when to take it back.

We need more counselors. Mental Health should be part of the curriculum now.

War

The Afghanistan war is still going for 18 years now. The Taliban is still managing most of its areas and during the 9/11 attack, Bush declared war because they did not want to hand Osama Bin Laden, the leader of AL Qaeda.

Reflection

This book is an eye-opener for me who is over engrossed to social media. I am constantly browsing the digital world without any knowledge about all these wars happening around the world. It is devastating to see those photos of homeless families, the silent cries on their sulken bony faces, the fresh scars on their skinny dirty bodies. It is more heartbreaking to read the news that until now, Afghanistan is still war-stricken and food-deprived. Many more countries are out there, wallowing in the mud of bombs and cannons, of guns and blood. And where are we?

We are very fortunate that we are here living a peaceful life. We are very lucky that we still have the chance to be with our loved ones. We are lucky that we don’t have to send our brothers and father to war. We are lucky that we have our necessities. Who are we to complain when we have a roof on top of our head? 

I am recommending this book to everyone. It will hurt you to read this but I am sure that it entails you to be more sensitive to world issues.

Favorite Quotes

“Like a compass needle that always points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.”

“God’s words will never betray you, my girl.”

“I know you’re still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now…. Marriage can wait, education cannot. You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila…. I know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.”

“Laila, my love, the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself.”

“[S]he was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.”

“God has made us differently, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this. This is why we require only one male witness but two female ones.”