Week of Nobember 10 - 16 Entry #10

This week, I have read a 127 page introductory book about the Maldives. This was supposed to be a book for the research in writing class. The title of this book was Cultures of the World Maldives. I didn't expect this book to take so long, but it took me more than two hours to read it. This book had some interesting facts about my country, the Maldives. The book gave me a detailed list of information about the geography, history, government, economy, people, lifestyle, religion, language, arts, leisure, holidays, food, and map about the Maldives. I have even found some interesting facts about my country that the islands of Maldives are currently sinking, so the politicians there are looking for places our countries that will accept their people. Overall, I have found this book interesting and beneficial for my writing project.

P.S. Ms. Lilo, I was not sure whether I could count this book as my independent reading book, but this book took me around three hours to read, and this is an AR book. So, I have decided to do this book as my independent reading book.

Week of November 3 - 9 Entry #9

This week, I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, because we were going to read this in English class quite soon. Somehow, I have read this book in Korean before, because when I was in Korean school, we did this in my Korean class. Then, two years ago, I read it once more in English. Hence, now I know the story pretty well. The story is about Santiago, a shepherd, journeying to find the treasure he found in his dreams. The plotline is simple, but this book is very philosophical. It seems to have a lot of themes and have many universal truths embeded in it.
To me, this book was a good book. I just liked the story itself and it gave me some nostalgia of when I was in Korean school. Besides that, I also venerate Santiago for being able to take the risk of selling everything he has to go on a journey that is so uncertain. I wish I could do that, but I don't think it would ever be possible for me to do such a thing. Anyhow, I am looking foward to read this book again in English class soon.

Week of October 27- November 2 Entry #8

This week, my book ended. I have read the last three chapters of this book. The story basically continued on without nothing serious happening. Tom just hide in the woods avoiding the police because he has killed two people. When Tom's mom comes Tom, Tom says that he will follow Casy and live as a great soul. That is basically how the story ends. There is a short incident at the last chapter about the father of a boy being milked by Rose of Sharon. That was somewhat a shocking scene as well as being desperate and sad.
Overall, this book wasn't the best book in my life. The plot was not dynamic, but just calm and basically flowed like a small stream, making it too boring for me. Yet, I liked how Steinbeck portrayed the miserable lives of the tenant farmers of the late colonial periods. My big question for this book is "What is the theme of this story?" I think this story can be interpreted in many ways, but what I think is that human are greedy and cruel in nature, so that we make each other suffer. That is what the large landowners showed in the story. Now I have finished my book, I need to find my next book, but I don't think I will be looking for another classic for quite a while. I have found that classic doesn't fit me the best. Still, The Grapes of Wrath was a good book and I think it deserves to be such a famous (notorious) book.