Saturday, January 31, 2009

Ender's Game

At first when I started this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Orson Scott Card apparently claimed that J. K. Rowling had stolen from his book when she tried to sue the creators of the Harry Potter Lexicon. I stumbled upon the transcript of his alleged accusation.

After reading the transcript, I gave him credit for proving somewhat that the skeleton story was very similar to the Harry Potter series. After reading Ender's Game, I have found no similarities other than the British motif of the hero's journey.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It was rough at first, seeming a little far-fetched with it's main character being a military genius and accidental killer at age 6, but I was able to get past that as I sympathized with Ender because of the isolation he had to endure.

Card brillantly weaves a story of a unique child who loses his innocence and never gets to experience his childhood. A common theme in literature, but it can never be overdone. Card uses it magnificently to bring out the reader's sympathies, making me at least want to free Ender from the Battle School even if he is humanity's last hope for survival agaisnt the buggers.

A truly enlightening read, one that teaches the greatest gifts anyone can give are forgiveness and love.

This book goes on the shelf.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is a wonderful book. It follows the life of Richard Mayhew, a Scot who moves to London for work. Richard has a normal, boring, safe life, until the evening he meets Door. Door is a curious girl from the world of London Below, a sprawling expanse of sewers, tunnels, and Tube stations.

Richard encounters Door en route to dinner with his girlfriend Jessica. Door was badly injured by a Mr. Croup and a Mr. Vandemar, the vilest assassains in all of London Below, and when Richard tries to take her to a hospital, she implores him not to. So Richard, being the good-hearted man he is, takes Door back to his apartment, thereby thrusting him into the world of London Below and removing him and his existence from London Above.

The book follows Richard as he joins Door on her quest to discover the truth about who killed her entire family and why. On their journey, they come across the many odd inhabitants of London Below including the incorrigible Marquis de Carabas and the infamous bodyguard Hunter, both of whom join Door on her journey.

This is a wonderful book. Gaiman even tricks the readers into thinking that Richard will fall in love with Door, and while they don't get together in the book, the ending is very ambigious. All in all, this is a wonderful tale of growing up and finding where you belong.

This book goes on the shelf.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Surprisingly, this is probably only the third time I have read this book. I greatly enjoy the Harry Potter series, so much so that before each new book came out and after each movie, I would read them all again. Each go-over is more enjoyable than the last.

Up until a year ago, this was the only one I did not own. When I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I fell in love with it. I was 10 at the time, but was already a reader of good literature (I read The Fellowship of the Ring two years prior).

Now, after the third or so time reading it, I am still finding it highly enjoyable for readers of any age. Rowling may not be the best writer in the world, but she writes very well. She tells more than she shows, but she is able to draw you into the characters and world around them by painting a vivid picture.

Even though Rowling has some continuity issues in room placement (more in the second book), and the sometimes far-fetched puzzle-solving skills of a Mr. H. Potter, the story is still wonderful.

This book goes on the shelf.