tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post7304839656268646980..comments2023-09-22T02:24:42.144-07:00Comments on a light inside: Currently Reading: The GiverJenna St.Hilairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528611770211261141noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-6929711768327544862012-12-24T13:49:48.751-08:002012-12-24T13:49:48.751-08:00Sheesh! It's kind of harsh to force that sort ...Sheesh! It's kind of harsh to force that sort of thing down a kid with no warning. I <i>knew</i> what was coming, and it still knocked me flat.<br /><br />The Anne musical sounds lovely. I've never seen it, but I'll keep your recommendation in mind in case someone around Bellingham puts it on.Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-23006019312056585452012-12-23T03:34:51.794-08:002012-12-23T03:34:51.794-08:00Excellent review per always. But I did read it at ...Excellent review per always. But I did read it at the recommended age, and I cried my eyes out. I had never read anything truly unpleasant before being required to read "The Giver", and as I was given no warning as to its unpleasantness, I was thoroughly resentful of it. Even now when I can acknowledge the brilliance of the concept and the writing, I feel a wave of grumpiness about that. Yes, I will read it with my kids when they are at an appropriate level of maturity. But by golly I am going to warn them it isn't Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm!<br /><br />This is off-topic, but I saw the most delightful musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables recently, staged by the local high school, and I wanted to recommend in case you ever have the chance to see it. I was highly skeptical of a musical adaptation, but they managed to capture the charm and sweetness of the books pretty well.Marianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-11325854831047073312012-06-01T20:10:59.635-07:002012-06-01T20:10:59.635-07:00Thanks, everybody. :)
Donna, your experience make...Thanks, everybody. :)<br /><br /><b>Donna,</b> your experience makes a ton of sense. Had I read it as a child, I think I'd have had a similar thing happen. And yeah, definitely the same scene.<br /><br />This being the age of Wikipedia, I only lasted a few minutes before finding out what happened. And I'd definitely like to read Gathering Blue one of these days. :)Jenna St. Hilairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474588706124865006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-67669228814956774052012-05-31T16:33:05.968-07:002012-05-31T16:33:05.968-07:00Jenna, this "Currently Reading" makes me...<b>Jenna</b>, this "Currently Reading" makes me so, so happy. This book will always be in my top 5 books of all time, possibly even top 3--as in, for the rest of my life. Like <b>Vicky B.</b> above, I first read it in 6th grade, which was the perfect age for what you noted in your review: <br /><br />"I suspect, though, that it's almost better to read it as a child, after you're old enough to handle things like the deaths of cute little animals on the Discovery channel, but before your mind and your comprehension of suffering have developed to maturity. If you wait till you’re in your thirties, you might find yourself in unexpected, explosive tears. Fair warning."<br /><br />What's interesting is, I've reread the book every 3-5 years or so ever since my first reading as a 6th grader, and my 3rd rereading of it in my early twenties (right when I started to have a sense of my own maternal potential some day) had the reaction you described in yourself as having read it in your thirties--unexpected, explosive tears of horror, at the same scene I am sure elicited that response in you. The remarkable part for me was, I knew the plot already...but didn't understand what that moment really *was* until I had reached an age of more maturity, and thus experienced that moment more fully than I had ten years or so earlier.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm thrilled you've read it and like it. I agree the end is ambiguous, and it drove me a little nuts for many years, until Lowry closed some of the threads in later volumes that create a bit of a trilogy without being utterly dependent on each other. I definitely recommend you read <i>Gathering Blue</i> at some point--add it to your "to read" list for sure. ;)Donna Witekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09609991179829134157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-38585467980354986022012-05-31T14:46:41.142-07:002012-05-31T14:46:41.142-07:00"If you wait till you’re in your thirties, yo..."If you wait till you’re in your thirties, you might find yourself in unexpected, explosive tears. Fair warning." <br /><br />yes.jana.kayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15304013263511877920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-63032287521675509702012-05-31T13:31:29.368-07:002012-05-31T13:31:29.368-07:00Thanks for the great review, Jenna. The Giver is s...Thanks for the great review, <b>Jenna</b>. <i>The Giver</i> is sitting on my Kindle but I'm not quite up to reading a dystopia right now.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16501327753737422337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22927650.post-89860711959271251362012-05-31T11:16:22.229-07:002012-05-31T11:16:22.229-07:00The Giver is one of my absolute favorite books. I ...The Giver is one of my absolute favorite books. I read it in the 6th grade and many times after that. Beautiful novel.Vicky Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14549357831278863152noreply@blogger.com