Book Reviews
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time﹣Mark Haddon
Christopher Boone is a boy with ‘special need’. Mark Haddon was very
successful in mimicking the tone of narration as if it’s told by this 15-year-old
autistic boy, first hand. Every incident was explained matter-of-factly, in very
simple English. It is easy to read and yet has such deep profound meanings
and strong sentiments if you care to delve into it. It is a novel as well as a
detective story as Christopher tried to find out who murdered Wellington, a
neighbour’s dog. At places, it’s funny but then there is a bitter aftertaste. It’s
captivating! As you read on, you’d feel for him and worry for him.
Christopher has a photographic memory. He captures every single detail
that he sees or hears and that is why he is always scared of new places or
faces because there’s so much new information input all at one time which
causes him to ‘hang’, like, when a computer gets too busy. He has cramps
and he would scream and kick and curl himself up, making a scene for
passersby.
He is autistic but he is not stupid. In fact he has powerful logical and
vertical thinking as you can see when he solved his problems using his one
step at a time deduction method. He is particularly good at figures. This book
has 233 chapters, counting only the prime numbers. He got himself an ‘A’ in
A-level maths at 15. He has his aspirations and he ‘would get his degree in
maths, or physics or maths and physics’.
His sentiments are simple, real, intense and unattached. He has insights
and forms his own opinions. I’ve learnt a few things from him, like not using
my own perspectives to judge others. I love the part when he was talking
about seeing the light so bright from stars so far away that by the time you see
their light, they don’t even exist anymore. ‘And it makes you seem very small,
and if you have difficult things in your life, they are negligible.’
It’s a hard job for his parents to cope with him and they really suffered for
it. When he found that his mother was not dead as he was told and that
Wellington was really killed by his father, his world collapsed. He knew no
deceit but suddenly realized that his trust was shattered. He decided to leave
Swindon to look for his mum in London. Having no money, not knowing the
way and being afraid of strangers,…, how did he do it? Find out for
yourselves!!
Ms. Catherine Wong
A Man Named Dave ﹣Dave Pelzer
Certainly a lot of you have heard of or read A Child Called It, a terrifying
yet bitterly true account of how a young, defenseless child went through all the
brutal acts of his psychotic mother. In spite of the painful past, as a reader I
rejoice when I read this sequel to learn that the child not only grew but
blossomed beautifully in the end.
To me, this book is an exceptional good read because it is a real-life
story. In it, I learn the strong power of will when Dave tried to materialize his
dream to be an air force fighter despite his frequent, unbearable panic attacks.
In it, I also learn the power of love when Dave became a father himself and
was determined to give the best to his son, Stephen. From the book, I learn
unhappy experiences can be valuable lessons in life when Dave married the
wrong girl but honest enough to admit that the relationship was not working
and had to be terminated, which unexpectedly brought him another woman
who truly admires, loves and treasures him in his life as his wife now. Most
important of all, I learn the great beauty of human nature when Dave forgave
his abusive mother at last and began to travel around the States, sharing his
traumatic past with teenagers who have gone astray and bringing hope to
people who have lost faith in life.
Apart from the content, I appreciate the language in the book – Dave
used simple English throughout, which reflects his frank personality on the one
hand and his very natural worldview on the other.
Moreover, as a very
affectionate person, Dave has filled the book with words of love and
truthfulness. Perhaps you may feel for yourself the potent affection of Dave
from the following quotation when he dedicated the book to his wife, Marsha:
‘To the lady who gave her all to make me the man I am today, my lovely
bride, my best friend, Mrs Marsha Pelzer.
You make me whole and will
forever be my Princess.’
Pick this book if you are a happy person who has not experienced too
much unhappiness in life – this book can open your eyes to unimaginable yet
so painfully real misfortunes some people can suffer; pick this book if you are
experiencing great despair – this book assures you adversities will pass.
Perhaps in the end, like Dave, we would find that we have a name, dignity and
so much more if we believe we can and deserve so.
Miss Queenie Lee
The Little Prince ﹣Antoine de Saint Exupéry
Well of course it will have to be a French book. So there we go. My
favourite book is… No because I could go on and on right now about the
advantages of reading books. I could say that it enlarges your vision of the
world, helps you master your own language better and makes you a more
compassionate person as you gradually understand the meanders of the
human soul. But I should not. I should tell you right away the name of my
favourite book. I know that some people would summarize the book and then
tell you why you should read it. I won’t. If I tell you the story then why should
you read it? After reading a few lines you would be able to say something
about the book. Even use it in a book report and get a good mark. Not fair. For
I read the book and you probably didn’t. No. I should rather tell you what
impact the book had on my life. I read it several times. The first time I read it
was because, like you, I had to write a book report. We were given three
books to choose from. The teacher had brought several copies to class. I
chose it because it was the shortest one, only slightly over a hundred pages.
And…it had pictures! As a teenager I would read mainly comic books. Then I
read it. And I hated it. It was too difficult to understand. The questions about
the book, about the main character, the plot etc, were really difficult. One of
the questions was: ‘What does the author mean by: ‘One sees clearly only
with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes’’. I was fifteen years
old then and even though the book was supposedly written for children I
thought it was too obscure for me. Much later I started to teach French to ALevel students in England and they had to read the very book I was telling you
about and I had to explain the book to them. I had to prepare my students for
an exam, and the exam was on the book. Reluctantly I read it again. And I
loved it. I could understand it. It was very easy for me (but not for them). In
fact I could see why the author, a famous French pilot born in 1900, wrote that
book. It was about love, not romantic love, mind you, about friendship, the
importance of it, the necessity and the strength one can draw from it. If a
human being is a social animal, a reasonable animal (sometimes) his or her
life is meaningless without friendship. As I was reading it again it felt like I was
reading a letter from a friend. The book was written during the Second World
War by a pilot who refused to have guns in his plane for fear he might kill
another pilot be it the enemy; he took pictures from above, he did
reconnaissance missions over France. In a time of madness someone was
writing about flowers and love. Only a year after the book was published the
author was gunned down. He fell from the blue sky were he had taken so
many readers with him before (he had previously written books about his life
as a pilot). It was the 31st of July 1944. The Author was Antoine de Saint
Exupéry, the book, ‘The Little Prince’.
Mr Olivier Malet
The Bookseller of Kabul - Åsne Seierstad
Strolling down the street in Kabul, Seierstad came across with a
bookshop and happened to meet a friendly, elegant bookseller. He, Sultan
Khan, was a man in his mid-fifties and greeted Seierstad with hospitality. With
the intention to uncover the life of Afghan men, Seierstad seized the
opportunity and set her foot in his house and gradually revealed stories behind
this man.
Sultan came from a big family and he was the eldest among his
thirteen brothers and sisters. Through conversation, Seierstad thought Sultan
was an atypical Afghan man upholding certain liberal beliefs which were
absent in the majority such as supporting women to be government officials,
etc. However, he was still a man who executed firm patriarchal rules at home.
He was the one with the most power and no one dared to challenge his
authority and of course, women had no say at home. The author got in touch
with each family member and depicted their life in living under such a strong
religious and restricted society.
In fact, life of people especially women in Kabul is heavily bounded by
the traditional culture and the jurisdiction of the government. This situation
remains even after the retreat of the Taliban. Deeply affected by the
regulations and restrictions set by previous rulers, many still lead a captive life.
Most women still choose to live under their veil and cover every inch of their
body and not to expose themselves in front of the public.
For girls living in such a society, they are doomed to be either a
servant or a “child-producing” machine. The decision of their marriage lies on
the hands of their mothers. Not to mention working outside, chances for girls
receiving education are slim. In any modern cities, the vast majority can be
educated and enjoy loads of freedom provided by the government. We can
walk freely at anytime to anywhere. Back in Kabul, even going to the market,
girls cover themselves from head to toe and have to be accompanied by a
relative. Most choose to stay at home for most of the time to avoid exposing
themselves.
Reading this work has reminded me of the many freedom that I have
taken for granted easily and that I should cherish all that I possess. Indeed,
not only in Afghanistan, there are many more other developing countries
posing lots of unequal and immoral rules to the citizens. Some choose to fight
against them; some choose to escape from them but some choose to accept.
Those who vow to make a difference usually walk in a way that is hundred
times thornier than any other. Those timid ones will just have to bear what
comes along. Though the path of the former one is tougher, she grabs the
chance to defend and speak for herself. This also raises another significance
that we should fight for the unjust and it is whether we have made an effort in
the process that matters the most.
Ammary Lam, 2005 graduate
A Walk To Remember ﹣Nicolas Sparks
What will you think of when somebody asks you, “Is there any walk that
you remember well in your life?” I believe that everyone’s life has many “a
walk to remember”, and this is the reason why I bought this book.
Many people will say that teen’s love affairs are not as consistent as
adults. They say that teenagers don’t know how to love; they just want
somebody to be with them and hang out with them. However, in this book,
Nicholas Sparks presents a different point of view on adolescent love.
Landon and Jamie were said to be people from different worlds. Their
temperaments were entirely different. Landon was the kind of teenager that
didn’t listen to others’ advice and thought that he was already a grown-up. He
was a naughty student in school and was always being punished. In contrast,
Jamie was a reverend’s daughter, who was always teased by others for
holding a bible. Yet, she was very kind hearted and polite. She was willing to
help others and was a very gentle girl.
It was a drama which drew these two different people together. Landon
was impressed by Jamie’s wonderful performance and started to date her.
Despite the teasing and criticism of his friends, Landon fell deeply in love with
this sweetie. It never rains but it pours. While this little couple was very happy
spending time with each other, Jamie was diagnosed with leukemia, a kind of
blood disease. She was indeed dying. The part describing the time spent
together when Jamie came to the end of her life is really stirring. In such a
short period of time, Landon seemingly had learnt a lifelong lesson --- the truth
and beauty of life.
“A Walk to Remember” actually refers to Jamie’s great effort to walk
down the aisle in the church to marry Landon. How romantic and moving it
was! It is a story of love, of giving, of concern and of self reflection. Landon,
who used to be very cynical and bad tempered, had never known what was
meant by love though he had been in love several times. He knew nothing
about giving, contribution and care. Not until he met Jamie did he realize that
he had missed many significant things in life. A tremendous transformation
took place deep down inside Landon, and of course it was a good one. He got
used to showing love and concern to people around him. Undoubtedly, the
story shows the gradual change and transformation taking place inside
Landon.
Nobody can guarantee the ups and downs in life, except the God of all
creation. The message that the reader can get from this book is that it is never
too late to express yourself to the one you love. What matters is whether you
are willing to tell them what you are exactly feeling. Landon never expected
such a severe disease would afflict Jamie. The reason why I believe this book
is good for self reflection is that I think the story tells us in a crystal clear way
that we should LOVE and CHERISH everything that surrounds us everyday.
Nothing should be taken for granted. Time and tide wait for no man and
nothing persists forever. We shouldn’t wait until it is too late to say we care. It
is not difficult to show our love and concern to others. It takes nothing to do so.
A simple word or action will do.
I think this book is not simply a love story. It serves as a reminder for
adults to remember what has happened in their past, how their love story
began and what they have done with their first love. The story can help to
remind them of the most care free time of their lives.
F. 6A Shirley Choi
Goggle-Eyes﹣Anne Fine
Living in a divorced family, Kitty and her younger sister Jude had been
brought up by their mother. However, her mother met a new boyfriend, Gerald
Faulkner and spent a lot of time with him. Kitty felt jealous and neglected so
she always argued with Gerald. She was so mean that she even called him
“Goggle-Eyes.” Coming to Kitty’s home all the time and interfering with her
family, he demanded that she clean her room and take responsibility for doing
the housework which she had never done before. Moreover, their different
views on the anti-nuclear issue made their relationship even more explosive.
After getting along with Gerald at the nuclear missile base, Kitty began to
understand him and be inspired by his intelligence. Unfortunately, her mother
was arrested there because of her violent anti-nuclear protest. Gerald was
very important and became dependent upon by the family for his firm support
when Kitty’s mother went to court. At last, Kitty welcomed Gerald as one of the
family members and enjoyed good times with him.
In this story, I liked “Goggle-Eyes” most. Although Kitty had a profound
hatred of him and made him suffer public humiliation, he tolerated and forgave
her. He faced a lot of difficulties when communicating with Kitty such as her
antagonistic attitude and impoliteness, yet he treated her with patience. His
love towards the family was undoubted. Besides, “Goggle-Eyes” was a
sophisticated man. He thought up new ways to protest against the nuclear
missile bases instead of drastic rebellion. He encouraged Kitty to protest in the
town and write letters to the papers in order to draw public attention. From that,
they could gain support and put pressure on the government. I thought he was
an experienced man with great wisdom and understanding.
For me, the story had an unexpected ending. Before reading the last part
of the story I was worried that there would be a serious quarrel between Kitty
and her mother because, although she was only a little girl, her behaviour was
immature and spiteful. She didn’t know how to care about the feelings of
others. It might even wreck the family. Fortunately, Kitty overcame her
prejudice of Gerald and tried to accept him so that the family could remain
stable.
After reading this story, I found there were a lot of similarities to our daily
life. Nowadays, there are many single parents just like Kitty’s mother who
have to look after their children. Although they are under a lot of pressure and
difficulties, they still take care of their children by themselves. Therefore, being
a child, we must be considerate and dutiful. It is necessary for us to be
disciplined and obedient in order to reduce our parent’s burden.
Moreover, it is very common that children become rebellious when they
meet the new boyfriend or girlfriend of their divorced parents. In this story, it
reminds us that we need to show our maturity when we face these situations.
We have to respect our parents and try to make friends with them in order to
prevent any misunderstanding and quarrels from occurring. Nevertheless, it
takes time to get used to a stepfather or stepmother. Instead of isolating them,
we should be open-minded about communicating with them and build a
harmonious atmosphere in the family.
F. 4A Stephanie Wong