How have I never read this book before now? It has been referenced by authors I enjoy. It was on my daughters' freshman reading lists. But somehow I had overlooked it. Until today. I was sick on the couch all day and thought I'd read something light/easy. I grabbed "The Giver" by Lois Lowry off the girls' bookshelf and figured I'd take a nap before I got too far along. Wrong!
It's a beginner's "Brave New World." It's a prequel to "The Testament of Jessie Lamb." It is definitely not the story I was expecting. The edition I read today was 169 pages. I read it in about 4 hours. If you have not read it, I strongly recommend doing so.
In my first high school Language Arts class I loved two stories the best: "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Lottery." I remember thinking that we were finally being allowed to read something that was not boring, vanilla, plain Literature. I would love to be a fly on the wall of a class discussing this story. To see their revelations and watch them question each other, themselves, and the status quo.
Lois Lowry has recently released the fourth book in this series. I will be grabbing up the second as soon as I can get my hands on it.
2 comments
I DON'T KNOW how you had never read this book before, but I'm glad for you that you've discovered it now! I used it in an ESL course I taught to college-aged students (predominantly Saudis), and I stressed the inherent lesson of how vital it is to learn to think for yourself. I will admit that I haven't read the rest of the series--shame on me, I know--but I must get to them soon!
JNCL
The Beauty of Eclecticism
It felt great to "discover" it. I have a packed reading list right now but I plan on grabbing up the second one as soon as I can. Or maybe I'll read the rest of the series over Thanksgiving vacation?? Hmmm. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.
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