First semester novel opinions

Catcher in the Rye: I would have to say that this was one of the most interesting novels we read this year. It was very fascinating to see the inside view of a person with a mental illness. We got to see how they think and act when it comes to certain circumstances. I enjoyed reading the part when he interacted with his sister because I have an older brother and sister. The protective instincts are much the same but the way he handles situations with her are very different. Also, his crazy adventures kept me wanting to read more.

First They Killed my Father: This was my favorite novel out of all the ones we read this year. The most interesting aspect of this novel was that it was a true story and Loung is still alive and well today. I could not believe all of the horrible things her family and her experienced. The physical and mental hardships seem unreal. The way she came out of the entire experience is truthfully inspiring.

Inherit the Wind: I really enjoyed the meaning of the phrase “inherit the wind” that was portrayed throughout the entire play. Each character could be placed with this phrase and it would fit them. The character that stuck out the most was Brady. He spends the whole play being on top and winning the trial and then at the end everything turns around with him dying. This play showed me how things never end up the way you think. Mostly when your whole life seems right on track that does not mean you should rest. It shows that everyone needs to be on their toes about life because it is not always what you expect.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The play gave me a whole new outlook on Shakespeare’s plays. When I thought of Shakespeare the first thing that normally came to my mind was ‘this is boring and I will not be able to understand it’. When reading this book I realized that his plays can be playful and fun. It was interesting to see that there was a sense of humor even that far back in history. At some points it seemed sort of strange, but it was definitely an amusing play. With all the fancy writing and the iambic pentameter Shakespeare’s plays can seem difficult, but A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes on a humorous and entertaining atmosphere.

My Antonia: Truthfully, this was my least favorite of the novels we read in class this year. I found some of the background information interesting because it was written by a woman and with such old novels that is not normally the case. I thought that Antonia’s life story was fascinating and she overcame many difficult things. Overall, I did not find this to be the most interesting novel we have read. Personally, I found it to be just a life story and it never really had a climax.