Breaking Dawn pg. 554-606

the last section left off with Alice and Jasper surprisingly running away from the Cullen clan. the family questions their whereabouts for Alice has never stayed away from home for this long. Carlisle and Edward decide that it would be best to sniff out the scent of the missing vampires and are joined by the rest of the group. they come to a dead end on the border the the vampire-werewolf territory. Sam reveals that Alice and Jasper asked permission to cross the land to the ocean and that all they left was a note. the note basically told the family not to look for Alice and Jasper, that it was too dangerous.

Bella notices that the note was written on a page from one of her books. So she goes back to their cottage and found the book that Alice ripped the page from. Next to the feathered edge left by the torn page was another note that said "destroy this" with a name and address below. Bella tries to hunt down J. Jenks on the internet without Edward's knowledge. all she can discover is that he is a lawyer in Seattle but his address doesn't match up to the one that Alice had given her.

the Denali clan arrives at the house because Carlisle told them that their family was in trouble. Edward explains that Renesmee is not what Irina thought her to be. That she is in fact half human and half vampire. the young child wins over the hearts of the Denali's with her sweet smile and exquisite storytelling gift. the Denali's agree to be a witness at the Volturi encounter.

the rest of the section describes the supernatural powers of the new vampires and of the Volturi and their reason for coming to Forks. the Denali clan consists of Eleazer, Carmen, Tanya, Kate, and Irina. Eleazer used to be on the Volturi council but voluntarily left. He can sense another vampires special powers and even certain traits in humans. This is how he comes to characterize Bella as a "shield". she is a protector of herself and with some help could possibly protect those around her--including Renesmee. Edward can read minds. Renesmee can show you her thoughts with the touch of her hand. Alice can see the future. Jasper can control the mood setting. Kate can produce a current over her skin so that if someone touches her she can shock them. Now for the Volturi. Jane can cause excruciating pain by focusing on a person. Aro can read a persons mind with the touch of his hand. Demetri can take away as many peoples senses away as he wants--sight, sound, touch, taste, smell--which is very effective during a fight.

Anthology Project

MY THEME: first love
1. "first love" john clare
2. "i wish i could remember that first day" christina rossetti
3. "the best slow dancer" david wagoner
4. "once we played" mathilde blind
5. "coy mistress" annie finch
6. "first time he kissed me" elizabeth barrett browning

GLEE!!!

Glee is on and i've been missing out due to work, but not tonight..... :)

Breaking Dawn pg. 512-553

The beginning of this chapter is fun and light with an arm-wrestling competition between Bella and the strongest vampire of the clan, Emmett. However, because Bella is a newborn vampire, she is supposedly stronger than any other vampire, due to the human blood that remains in her tissues. High stakes are attached to this arm-wrestling match: if Bella wins then Emmett cannot say one more word about Bella's sex life--including allusions and innuendos, and if Emmett wins then he claims it will get a lot worse. You would think that an arm-wrestle would be completely harmless, however, the vampires are so strong that they have to take it, literally, outside to a boulder in order to avoid destroying Esme's favorite antique table. Once the competition begins, Bella lets Emmett sweat a little bit because she enjoys the force of his harm not advancing over hers. She quickly becomes bored and bashes Emmett's arm against the boulder. After Bella realizes her strength, she passes the time crushing the boulder into smithereens. Suddenly, the sun comes out from behind the clouds and Renesmee lavishes at the diamond facets that her mother's skin (and every other vampire's) has become. The young girl places her arm next to her mother's and also discovers the faint shimmer of her milky skin.

The happy day soon takes a turn. While Jake, Renesmee, and Bella are hunting near the open field, Bella notices a shimmering gold and silver figure up on the mountain ridge. She quickly pegged her to be Irina based on her sharp ice blonde hair and stern facial expression. Irina looks down in the woods and notices Jake and Renesmee and soon takes off. Bella's motherly instincts kick in and she runs to her best friend and daughter as she calls Edward to let him know whats going on. Turns out that Irina's partner was Laurent--who was killed by the wolves in the third book. Vampires don't handle vengeance lightly, so Bella just assumed that Irina was back to fight for her destroyed love. However, she and her sisters are friends with the Cullens thus it was unlikely that she would fight them. Irina's actual problem is with Renesmee, the somewhat immortal child. Irina lost her mother because of an immortal child many centuries ago and still feels the need to eliminate any immortal children today. So Alice sees her decision to go to the Volturi and tell them that there is an immortal child still alive and that she must be destroyed. The Volturi agree and plan on meeting the Cullens in about a month to destroy the pretty little girl (who is really only half-immortal) as well as to check on Bella's status. So basically, there's a really big mess about to unfold due to a complete misunderstanding and i predict that lives will be lost.

Quality Time, Redefined

This article from Sunday's New York Times unfolds the lives of modern American families and their love affairs with their electronics. The Vavra family gathered in the living room after dinner to spend some time with each other and at one point, each and every one of them had their nose buried in some kind of screen. She was on her iPad, her husband was streaming a live game on his laptap, their 10 YEAR OLD daughter was playing with some love calculator on the iPhone, and their son was intently involved in a Wii game on the t.v. At least he was getting some form of exercise and stimulation.

I find it sad that some families can't find time to actually spend together without their electronics; that they set time aside to play scrabble on the computer on opposite sides of the room without talking; or how some couples will spend five hours on opposite ends of the couch messing with their laptops and blackberries.

By no means am I saying that my family is perfect and nothing like those described in the article. I admit that I do have my phone on me at all times, and that my younger brother has his ear buds in as he checks facebook on his iPod. My mom spends some time on her laptop for school and the kids enjoy their after-school cartoons. We spend a lot of our time in the living room watching our favorite t.v. shows with each other--especially during NBC's Comedy Night on Thursdays. Sure, we're all watching t.v., but at least we are watching the same thing on the same screen and laughing out loud together. Or sometimes, on a weekend night when we have nothing to do (which is rare), all six of us will huddle on the couch and love seat to watch a movie from redbox, complete with popcorn and lights off. My five year old brother calls this "homemade movie theater."

I also think it's important to spend time away from electronics. We'll play board games sometimes or run around outside, and go to each others sporting events. Today, it's hard to find time to spend together, especially away from electronics. However, it should be a priority to spend family time with each other, not just in the same room.

Breaking Dawn pg. 451-511

Not much has happened in the past sixty pages. The Cullen family fixes up a little cottage in the forest for Edward and Bella and Renesmee to live in as a wedding gift. of course it is adorned with a closet the same size as the house thanks to Alice filled with silk and satin gowns--completely impractical for a newborn vampire. really, the highlight of this section has to deal with Jake. he told Charlie (Bella's dad) about pretty much everything, but not really at the same time. He revealed his animal ways to him by phasing, explaining that he is a werewolf. Charlie cringes at the word before Jake can even get it out. Jake continues to explain that Bella was indeed sick and that in order to get better she had to change a little bit too. Bella freaks out when she discovers that Jake told Charlie all of this as she worries for her fathers life. Either she wouldn't be able to control herself around her human father or the Volturi would kill him if based on his insight knowledge. a sigh of relief is expressed when Jake tells the clan that Charlie has asked to know as little as possible about the situation. He just wants to see her daughter. Oh, and Renesmee is supposedly Edwards niece that he and Bella have adopted. However, as soon as Charlie sees the young girl, he can not get over those big brown eyes. Her mother's big brown eyes. His big brown eyes. Only time will tell if Charlie can line up the facts and figure out what is really going on but who knows.

Breaking Dawn 399-451

This has got to be one of the slowest books i've ever read. I'm half way thru it here's all thats really happened:
Bella and Edward got married.
They go on a honeymoon for a long time on some remote island that the Cullen's own.
Bella gets pregnant. By her vampire husband.
They return home and the baby grows at an alarming rate--as it breaks her bones.
Bella has to drink human blood to keep the baby healthy.
Bella gives birth to her baby girl and about dies, therefore Edward has to bite her.
She turns into a vampire.

Okay now that were all caught up, here's the new stuff:
The book switches from Jake's point of view back to Bella's. She wakes up with an acute sense of sight--noticing everything from the grains in the wood to the dust particles stirred up in the air. She becomes even more beautiful than she was before and much more graceful. She is so caught up in her new speed and strength that she almost forgets about her newborn baby. She asks to see her daughter, Renesmee (a combo of her mother Rene and Edward's mother Esme). She is denied this wish because the rest of the vampires know that as a newborn vampire, constantly craving human blood, she could possibly hurt her daughter.

So Bella and Edward go out into the woods on Bella's first hunt. Edward doesn't realize the innocent humans not far from them in the woods which is a major mistake when there is a newborn vampire on the loose. Bella is in mid-hunt of the humans when she suddenly realizes that what she is doing is wrong, so she stops herself. This amount of self control is not common in newborn vampires. Bella has brought forth her innocent nature as a human to her vampire life. She soon enough finds a mountain lion to feed on and some deer here and there. After she is full she asks to see her daughter once more.

Now i've said that this book is really slow so i'll try to speed the next thirty pages up a bit. Bella and Edward race home but are stopped by Jake right before the house. He wants to see how strong Bella really is before he lets her see Renesmee. Bella thinks that Jake is just looking out for her and trying to keep her from doing something she would regret. However, Jake has imprinted on Bella's daughter which is the real reason behind his over-protective behavior. Bella doesn't realize this until after she holds her baby girl and Jake won't let go of her. As soon as Bella understands what is really going on she starts going off on Jake. Although Bella doesnt make any attempt of an attack on Jake (which Carlisle is amazed by) Jake's pack comes to defend him, adjusting themselves on either side of him. Bella can't take it anymore and the chapter ends with, "And she lunged toward his throat."

It's Personal

stress. it controls my life. its the reason behind me supposedly not caring about school at this point. its the reason behind me keeping to myself lately. its the reason behind me. i haven't been keeping up with my blogs lately which let me tell you has not helped my grade much. ive taken a couple personal days this week and ive realized that its time for me to start caring about school again and opening back up to my friends. so here i am. im back.

White Noise Discussion Response

Do you think Jack's question of "who will die first" is foreshadowing something? (The Final Countdown)
I do believe that Jack has an odd obsession with death and relationships. He is constantly discussing the question of death and who will die first between him and his wife Babette. The unexpected question pops up from time to time, mainly when Jack is not even talking about death. For example, the first time that he brings up the question is right after he describes some of his day-to-day tasks like taking out the trash and going on walks. He mentions Babette and how she talks to dogs and cats. Then all of a sudden the next line stands alone: “Who will die first?” Jack’s fixation on this question emphasizes his lack of entertainment and enjoyment in life. His life is so boring that he has nothing better to look forward to but death. I think this foreshadows the fact that one of them is going to die by the end of novel—probably Babette because I think that would cause Jack to fall further into this dystopian society and provide more of a storyline.

Describe the irony presented with Babette's teaching a class on good posture in context with the story. (Fifteen Miles East)
When I started reading chapter seven, when Jack describes how Babette teaches the posture class, I was just confused. The true irony in this is that she teaches old people how to sit stand and walk. I don’t quite understand why these old people would need to be taught how to be proper when they were the people who grew up in the early nineteen hundreds—when posture and manners were a complete reflection of who you were and where you stood in society.

How does Murray feel about Babette? (Symphony)
Murray is an interesting character to me. I think of him to be sensible, pragmatic, and on his toes with his thoughts and actions. He is also very strange. For example, at the grocery store he picked up Jack’s bottle of aspirin and honeydews and sniffed them. What’s up with that? To go along with his strange behavior, Murray notes that Babette’s hair “is a living wonder,” and that it is important. He implies that she should be appreciated for this. Murray obviously has some kind of physical attraction to Babette—with her hair at least. Based on her hair, Murray assumes that she is good with children and good to have around during a time of tragedy because “she’d be the type to take control, show strength and affirmation.” Good assumption Murray. In actuality Babette is quite emotional. Murray’s incorrect assumptions of Babette show that he is quick to judge.

dream home

After viewing all three homes I greatly appreciated the residence of photographer Dan Martensen and his artsy girlfriend Shannan Click. I am a country girl and would love to raise my family out in the country in a rustic farm house. I'm not saying that we have to seclude ourselves from society by growing all of our food, slaughtering and milking the cows, churning the butter, chopping firewood, and sewing our own clothes, but it would be nice and peaceful to do some of those stereotypical tasks of the country on a minor scale.

The vast land surrounding the battered farm house combined with the modern pool and artwork create a relaxed intimate setting and a sense of sentimental romance. The shocking red door of the discolored, worn farm house invites you in, like curious Goldielocks amazed by the Three Bears' home. The pragmatic use of the open door is to allow air flow, however, based on the hospitable personalities of the couple, the open door is most likely their way of showing their home is open to visitors. Dan is a laid back photographer who is kind and caring, willing to make homemade jam and butternut squash soup for his guests who stay in an humble "guest barn house." The guest house mixes modern and aged designs with a stark white interior and shiny chairs complete with old wooden doors and paint peeling off of the loft. Even the kitchen table of the main house is an insight to the vibe of the home. The long, knotted, wooden table is set with a couple melted candles--including an abstractly melted candelabra--an oblong ashtray sprinkled with cigarette buds, and an antique "genie in a botte-esque" lamp. The relaxed table setting highlights the home's sense of relaxation as well as the couple's carefree attitude. The majestic home is ideal with modern touches such as the rectangular, bright-blue pool, a flat-screen television, and inviting ping-pong table.

Mirror Poem

Driving to pick up my brother from baseball
I pop in the cd you gave me.
I know you don't like country but you suffer through it for me.
Would you listen to this "whining" as you call it
for any other girl in the world? Or am I special?
Each pluck of the guitar echoes through the speakers.
The melodies dance through my head
and crash against your eardrums.
It's moments like these that I do feel special.

Predicting the Future

Nathan Rebelo wants to attend USC and become an architect. He seemed very calm and confident in his future as well as pragmatic. He is reaching out for his dream in a realistic way. I thought I connected with him the most because we share similar interests. We both don't necessarily want to leave home to get away from our family, but to rather explore and discover who we are when separated from the people who have influenced and pushed their beliefs onto us. He said that his ultimate goal was just to be able to drive around downtown with his kids and family as he points out all of the buildings he has designed for the community--his personal stamp on the world. I thought this was awesome because family is very important to me. I too want to become successful not only for me but for my future kids as well. It's such a cliche, but I believe that everyone does want better for their kids.

Shauna Casale was the most deluded to me. She is the seventeen year old girl who wants to become a major motion picture actress, and based on her monologue from Silence of the Lambs, I don't think it's gonna happen. That sounds harsh, I know, but it really wasn't that good, or convincing. She states she excited to get out of the house and experience life without any restrictions. I don't think she understands how difficult it is to become as big as Angelina Jolie and how her fantasy outlook on life will effect her. She is in for a big shock.

My favorite quote:

I'm going to be the second person in my family to graduate, and I just want to make my parents proud.

Tudel Riek, 17

Breaking Dawn pg. 225-286

So its been a while since I've posted about this book. I've been crazy busy lately. Its also been a while since I've read the book. So lets see what I can remember.

Pretty much all that happens is the Cullen's give Bella blood to drink with a cup and straw which absolutely disgusts Jake--yet he doesn't mind because he knows that it could possibly save Bella's life. Which it does. After drinking the blood--which she actually seems to enjoy--Bella's cheeks regain their pinkish color and her heart beats stronger.

A couple of the other guys from Jake's original pack come to ask Jake to rejoin them. Jake refuses because he can't ignore the Alpha blood running through his veins. Leah seems to be more comfortable under Jake's leadership--she even defends Jake's decision to break away from Sam's pack. Her main goal for joining Jake's pack is to protect her younger brother Seth. Jake understands this therefore he ignores her pms like behavior.

Jake is forming a stronger friendship with the bloodsuckers through this situation. He is starting to trust them more and more and vice versa. Oh, in previous books its been determined that Alice can't see the future when the wolves are involved. This is important because when she is around Bella, she cant see her or the baby's future. Does that mean that the baby will have a little werewolf in them? but how could this even be possible?

I hope to get more reading done this week and especially when I'm chillin on the beach in Florida.

1000 Awesome Things

I must say that I agreed to every awesome thing that was on the one page available for viewing.

#283: Eating the thing you are cooking while cooking it. I honestly can't think of a time that I was baking a cake or brownies or making cookie dough that I didn't eat the batter or dough before placing it in the pan or on the sheet and then letting it cook in the oven. This also leads me to #288.

#288: Looking through the little window in the oven. I don't do this so much now unless I'm checking to see if my cake or cookies are done, but I used to look through the little window all the time when I was younger. I can remember helping my grandma make peanut butter cookies and pressing the design on top with a fork (and of course eating a little dough) and then watch the cookies puff up and cook in the poorly lit oven through that tiny tiny window.

There are many more awesome things that I could relate to however I am out of time. On to math. yay.

Picture Book Timeline

I am so glad that Mr. Hill discovered this link. Flipping through it made me remember all the books that I used to read to myself or little brother as a child. I had a Little Mermaid pop up play tent that was in the corner of my and by brother's room at my childhood home. I would sit in that poorly lit tent for hours on end reading and looking at the pictures of the same books over and over again.

While going through the picture book timeline I was amazed to discover that many of my favorite picture books came from the time of my mother and fathers childhood in the 70s and 80s and even before their time in the 60s. I remember my parents reading Beatrix Potter and the Tale of Peter Rabbit to me along with other Mother Goose styled books. I also loved to look at the pictures in the Curious George books. However, the book that I stumbled upon in the timeline that shocked me the most was the Little Red Hen. Every time I would stay at my grandma's house my little brother and I would make her read the Little Red Hen. Her book was way cooler than the normal version of the book because it had the buttons on the right hand side that produced those annoying high pitch noises. The other book that caught my attention was Love You Forever. I don't remember the storyline exactly but I do remember it being quite sad at the end. My other grandma got me this book for one of my early Christmases and now I'm thinking I need to look for it at my dad's house and read it again.

The illustrations that intrigued me the most came from books in the late nineteenth century. The images produced by Howard Pyle, Jessie Wilcox, Arthur Rackham, and Edmund Dulac all caught my attention on the account that their drawings were quite to very realistic and lavish.



I especially enjoyed the works of Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac. Rackham illustrated classics such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) with dramatic and graceful pen lines completed with muted watercolors.



Emund Dulac illustrated classics such as Cinderella including stylized figures and elaborate backgrounds to complete the elaborate and fantastical essence of the fairy tale.

Variety Show TONIGHT!

Just wanted to give a shout out to one of my really good friends in the variety show tonight. i cant wait to see you perform girlie! its going to be sooooo good i just know it!!! GOOD LUCK :D

Breaking Dawn 185-224

Jake furiously runs to the Cullen residence in order to check in on Bella's condition only to discover that the reason she is sick is because she is pregnant with nobody knows what. Edward speaks to Jake a fair distance away from the house so none of the Cullens could hear the conversation. Jake describes Edward's facial expression and body language of being that of a man burning at the stake, full of pain and anguish. Edward begs Jake to talk Bella out of having the baby that could possibly kill her; he even tells Jake that if a baby is what Bella wants then she can destroy this one and have a baby with Jake. Jake desperately attempts to talk Bella out of going through this pregnancy yet no matter how hard he tries she has made up her mind. Even if it kills her, she is willing to carry the blood-sucking baby. She says that if Edward changes her from a human to a vampire that she has a chance of living, but its not a guarantee. Jake now finds himself wishing that Edward would change her when before he couldn't imagine the act.

Jake returns to the pack to inform them of Bella's condition. Sam ultimately jumps to the conclusion that the baby is a danger to their families along with the rest of the town, and under the vampire/wolf treaty, it is the pack's duty to protect the humans of the dangers of a vampire; even if that means killing Bella and the rest of the Cullen clan--who, to Seth, are people, which would contradict the treaty. This logic does not stop Sam who believes that they must attack that night. This breaks Jakes heart. He is not capable of destroying the love of his life or the kindhearted doctor or the rest of the clan for that matter. And after fighting alongside the vampires last spring, Seth has formed a friendship with the Cullens. With Sam being the Alpha of the pack, Seth and Jake have no choice but to listen to his orders.

However, Jake remembers that Alpha blood runs through his veins. He was the natural born leader of the pack but gave the authority to Sam when the pack was first created. But giving Sam the Alpha position does not mean that Jake loses his natural born right. After realizing this, Jake confronts Sam about what he is doing is wrong and tells him that he doesn't have to fall to Sam's every command. Jake decides to return to the Cullen residence and forewarn them of the attack of the wolves. As he is running, Jake suddenly realizes that it is very quiet. Not physically quiet in the forest but in his head. Because he has left the pack, Jake's thoughts are no longer connected with his brothers. However, not long after this realization, he hears this annoying, non-stopping voice in his head. After listening carefully he discovers that Seth has left Sam's pack to join Jake's pack.

Breaking Dawn pg. 139-184

I began reading the first part of Book Two: Jacob last night and so far I like it. I like it better than Bella's point of view mainly because its a different, less annoying outlook on the situation this circle of characters are in. The second book of the Twilight Saga, New Moon, provides an insight to the Quileute legends of the wolves of the reasoning behind their existence. I thouroughly enjoyed the legends and I am looking forward to follow Jacob further into his journey of saving Bella from immortality even though I highly doubt he will succeed.

The first part of Jake's book is him describing how he feels about the imprinting going on within the pack. Imprinting is when a wolf lays eyes on the woman of his dreams that was destined for him, no matter what age they are. For example, Quil has imprinted on a toddler girl, Clair. As of right now, they share a father daughter relationship, but once she is older they will assume a romantic relationship. Kind of creepy, I know, but does it sound less creepy that he won't be an old man when she grows up because he wont age? I dont know, I thought that made the circumstances a little better.

Everything is pretty plain until Jake and Quil hear the cry of a wolf coming from the forest. This is a call of order for the pack. Jake races into the forest and waits until he is well hidden from public eye to phase (into a werewolf). The pack phases rather than staying in their human forms because they can hear each other's thoughts while in their wolf form. Jake has been waiting for the news of whether Edward will bring Bella home "dead" (immortal) or not at all (because he killed her). He believes now that he is about to hear the answer to his wonder. Sam, the Alpha leader, reveals that Bella is home and has been quarantined due to a disease she picked up in South America on her honeymoon. Charlie is freaking out because even he is not allowed to see her. Jake of course takes this news as being Bella is now a vampire however he is greatly wrong. Bella is in fact pregnant and Carlisle has to surgically remove the fetus in order to save Bella's life. Lacking the true information, Jake decides that he is going to say goodbye to his father and runaway like he did when he discovered Bella was engaged to Edward.

Breaking Dawn pg. 98-138

I just completed Book One: Bella. The past forty pages were pretty uneventful. After destroying the down pillows and comforter, Edward has to call in Kaure and Gustavo to clean the lavish house up. The Portuguese housekeepers believe in legends of the vampires however their legend is slightly different from those around the world; their culture believes in the Libishomen--a blood-drinking demon who preys exclusively on beautiful women. It is understandable that the Portuguese woman suspects Edward to be a vampire one, because Edward is a vampire, and two, because he has Bella all alone in this large house on a remote island.

Bella begins to have very realistic dreams every night while on the island. She claims they are vivid and colorful and so realistic that she doesn't even realize she is dreaming until she wakes up. She dreams of this fair-skinned beautiful little boy with green eyes and the Volturi surrounding them. That is all that is revealed about her dreams. Other strange occurrences start to unfold. Bella is constantly sleeping and constantly hungry. One morning she suddenly feels sick to her stomach and pukes multiple times that morning. It's obvious that she is pregnant but the odd thing is that she already has a bump that she refers to as her nudge. She frantically calls Carlisle who determines that she is indeed pregnant. Edward arranges for them to return home immediately so Carlisle could "get that thing" out of her. Bella, frozen and not quite registering the situation, feels heart-broken that Edward would say such a thing.

Before leaving, Edward argues with the Portuguese woman in what seems to be an alien language to Bella. She did understand one thing. The woman placed her hands on Bella's stomach and quietly said, "morte." If you've taken any foreign language its not hard to figure out that that means dead. Bella makes one last phone call before leaving the island. She calls Rosalie, her stand-offish sister-in-law and begs "Please. You have to help me."

Breaking Dawn pg. 58-98

Bella and Edward's wedding is quietly interrupted as Edward introduces his surprise wedding gift to his bride. He discreetly leads Bella to the dark shadows of the yard where her best-friend, and best-man Jacob awaits. Edward painfully leaves them alone even though he does not completely trust the werewolf in disguise. Jacob attempts to act happy for Bella but it never fails...he of course gets all upset about how it's wrong for her to be with Edward and become a "blood-sucker" and how "life would as easy as breathing" if she were to choose him. Give it up Jake. She's already married. And rather than just leaving, the situation becomes in need of a vampire and three werewolves to get Jake to leave without causing a big scene. I know he's in love with her and all but really get over it. Jake's already told her that it's her decision and that he'll have to live with whatever she decides. Well I'd say marrying the vampire was a pretty clear decision for a vampire-life but now Jake's not living with it. He continues to fight it which is all he ever does and it gets old.

Anyway, Edward and Bella return to the dance floor as they force themselves to forget the possible catastrophe. It's not long before Alice butts in to drag Bella away from Edward in order to get her changed for the flight to their unknown destination honeymoon. I know Alice is just trying to help, but please, give the couple thirty seconds to themselves without interrupting for once. Bella changes and comes back downstairs to listen to the farewells of her family members before her and Edward drive off to the airport. She says goodbye to her mother and father for the last time; after she becomes a vampire she will not be permitted to see them in fear of killing and eating them. and I though my family had problems haha

The newlyweds arrive in Rio de Janero where Edward drives a speed boat to a solitary island known as Isle Esme--named after his mother. Carlisle, his father, had given the island to his wife as a wedding gift so it was just perfect for Edward and Bella to spend their honeymoon there as well. The wedding night is traditionally the first night that a couple becomes one however I didn't even realize this act happened until i was halfway through Bella and Edwards conversation about it. It was during this conversation that I first felt any sympathy towards Bella. She was just describing how wonderful it felt to wake up next to Edward after the previous night and that she was the happiest she had ever been. But then Edward, the insecure pessimistic creature that he is, had to ruin it all by being depressing and sad because he had left Bella bruised. What did he expect? He's a super-strong vampire. Of course he is going to hurt her. Even after Bella tries to reassure him that she is fine he flips out while beating himself up over nothing. He finally realizes that Bella is indeed okay and finally decides to move on by making her breakfast.

After re-reading this it sounds like I can't stand the characters of this book at all. Which is true. They are all just so extreme and it drives me nuts yet I can't put the book down.

3.1 Diction Exercise

a)gristle adrenaline inexorable insane blood bullet esophagus rifling puncture clavicle-snapped hissing

b)Sound: harsh graphic
Concreteness: repugnant repulsive revolting

c)Brian Turner utilizes graphic, repugnant diction in his poem "Here, Bullet" to delineate the harsh conflict a soldier faces between himself and the enemy's weapon.

Breaking Dawn pg. 39-57

The big day has finally arrived. Alice pampers Bella all day long complete with facials and manicures. Rosalie, Bella's other future sister-in-law who has always had a strained relationship with Bella, even offers to do her hair. Bella is taken back by this little gesture but greatly appreciates it. As Bella awkwardly puts on her wedding dress, her mother gushes over how beautiful she looks and gives her two hair combs with sapphires placed on them: "something blue."

Okay so I have ten minutes until The Bachelor comes on so this is going to be short and sweet. Basically Edward and Bella have a very traditional wedding and reception even though their lifestyle together will be anything but traditional. Kind of ironic. She walks down the aisle clinging to her father's arm because she's too awkward and clumsy to walk (please, come on, get a hold of yourself) as she intently stares at Edward. They say traditional vows finishing with "I do" although they change the "'til death do us part" to a more appropriate "for as long as we both shall live" which if all goes well is forever. The ceremony is followed with a traditional reception complete with all of the greetings of congratulations, eating the wedding cake, and a first dance. I'm excited to see how the wedding is portrayed in the movie coming out this fall mainly because I want to see her dress. I'm a girl and thats all I care about of course.

Well, irrational, dramatic, stupid girls fighting over the marriage proposal from a guy they've known for six weeks is calling my name. The show is unbelievably cheesy yet I love it and can't get enough...much like the Twilight Saga.......

Breaking Dawn pg. 1-38

So I just started the fourth installment of the "Twilight Saga" last week. This is pathetic because I read the first three books one after another and the fourth one, Breaking Dawn, has been sitting on the top of one of my closet shelves for the past two or three years. I loved the first three books but could never bring myself to pick up the last one. If this doesn't tell you how much I dislike reading then I don't know what will.

Breaking Dawn begins like the first three books with Bella talking about death. Imagine that. She finally agreed to marry Edward in the previous book in return for eternal life as a vampire. Alice, her upbeat future sister-in-law, is in charge of the wedding plans of course while Bella dreads it all. Of course. Bella comes home from the gas station to find Charlie, her father, all dressed up in his tux for his final fitting. Charlie, understandably, is not too thrilled about his eighteen-year-old daughter getting married right out of high school. In fact, the only reason he approved the engagement was because he was sure that Bella's mother would greatly disapprove. Little did he know that she would gush with happiness in hearing the good news.

Anyway, if you have read this series you will understand that the characters have not changed one bit; Charlie still keeps to himself as he plunges through the awkwardness between him and his daughter, Alice is still peppy and tries to push Bella into situations she would usually defer from, Edward is still annoying and overly protective of his love, and Bella--Bella is just as annoying and awkward and stubborn and frustrating and clueless as she is in the first three books. These characters lack true depth and I can't stand most of them yet I continue to read the books and fall in love with the movies. I don't know what it is but I can't get enough.

Departure by Alexandra Felix

I was reading through some of the three-minute stories and stumbled upon "Departure" by Alexandra Felix. The premise of Round 6 is for the authors to write a story that can be read in three minutes or less in which one of the characters tells a joke and the other cries. The first two that I read were well written and thoughtful however they both obfuscated the story with their creative yet abrupt writing style. The third story I read, "Departure", was interesting, thoughtful, and had some heart in it, as if the author was recounting an actual event in her life. The story begins with her describing the meticulous action that is needed to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night without waking her husband and the excuses that could be used to explain her midnight walk. I don't want to spoil the ending but I will say that she is greatly torn when her little boy comes into the kitchen to tell her a simple joke. It is definitely worth taking three minutes out of your chaotic day to read, so check it out:

DEPARTURE by Alexandra Felix

Even if he did wake up, you could always tell him that you couldn't sleep, that the next-door cat is in heat again and the wailing on the rooftop was unbearable, that maybe you'd heat up a glass of milk, watch 15 minutes of the Weather Channel until you drift into sleep.

It's a hot night, and the sheets are light enough to peel away without making a fuss. Your movements are slow, as if your body were a machine just starting up, processing its functions, its endless list of obligations. You roll onto your side, extend one leg stiffly out over the edge, allow it to float parallel to the floor.

You glance back at your husband. Tufts of curly hair poke out from the blanket, only the top part of his face visible. Two eyes, closed and fluttering, the bridge of his thin nose. Your heart beats against your chest like a tiny hammer, and you wonder when he's going to pop open his eyes, snatch you by the wrist, say "how can this be so easy for you?"

Slide your other leg over, pause when your husband's foot jerks, then, with gentle force, slip down to the floor, rise, and watch how the lines of white moonlight filter through the crooked blinds, scatter onto the bed like tiny ghosts replacing you.

You leave the door ajar, just a crack, then glide down the staircase, dart into the kitchen around the corner. You lean against the wall near the window, lift the blinds to let the orange streetlight flood in. Two temples of greasy Chinese food sit on the counter. A Snickers wrapper, too. He's been cheating, you think. You shake your head, resist the urge to find another word.

The microwave clock reads 2:08. You rub windowsill dust between your fingers, peer up and down the street, until, finally, at 2:16, a car turns onto your block, flashes the brights once, then parks a few houses down.

Don't just run out the door. Stop when you catch your reflection in the hallway mirror, and take a few seconds to fix your hair, scrape the dry toothpaste from your lip. Something shuffles behind you. You spin around and see your son standing there in a pair of his favorite footie pajamas, dazed, rubbing his eye.

"Why you awake?" he asks. You tap your finger against your mouth to keep him hushed, kneel next to him.

"Why are you awake?" you repeat.

He looks down at his feet, then back up again, asks if you want to hear a joke.

Your throat burns. Yes, but only if he's very quiet and promises to sleep right after. He nods.

"Will you remember me tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yes, of course," you say. He searches for the words in his head, blinks, continues.

"Will you remember me in a week?" You stare back at him. He knows. How does he know?

"Of course I will," you say. "Don't be silly"

"Knock knock," he interrupts.

"Who's there?"

He laughs. "Momma, you forgot me already!"

A few seconds pass and he's still smiling, satisfied with the joke. You want to laugh, tell him that you can't wait to tell Daddy the joke tomorrow over breakfast. He'll love it. Really, it was that good.

But you say nothing. Instead, you pull him by the front of his pajamas, thrust your face into his small chest as if he were a tissue. When he hears you whimper, he thinks you're laughing.

He smiles, tries to see your face.

Just Another Monday.

here we are again. monday. the most dreaded day of the week. so redundant. so...blah. i woke up this morning and looked at the tv for two hour delays. i saw northwest allen county schools passed by and thought we had a chance. unfortunately, we didn't. tired and in desperate need of more sleep, i drug myself to the bathroom that i share with my unorganized and carefree brother to take a shower and brush my teeth and what not. running late like usual i threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and told my brother that he better pick up the pace or he can ask my stepdad for a ride to school...which is not really a question you want to ask him. he managed to get to the garage in time and we were off to school.

i drove extra slow to school this morning mainly because i was scared out of my mind. i had just slide off the road the day before and had to have my car towed out of the ditch. the whole left side was pack with snow but once we got it on the road and my boyfriend drove it down the street a lot of it fell off. i of course made him drive us back to his place cuz there was no way i wanted to drive after that. all was good until we hit about fifty miles an hour. My car started shaking a rattling like crazy which didn't make me feel any better about the situation. my parents ended up driving to his house that way my dad could drive it home. after thawing out in my garage my car ran fine. turns out the snow packed underneath was throwing off the balance of my car and not letting the suspension do what its supposed to. if you can't tell from my lack of auto vocabulary i'm not really into cars and i know close to nothing about them.

anyway, parking in the junior lot saves me a lot of time compared to when i would park in the sophomore lot. however, when your first period class is on the opposite side of the building and upstairs, it is unlikely that you will make it on time when you are walking out of the parking lot at 7:47. so needless to say i was late but honestly i didnt really care all that much. The rest of my day didn't get much better or anymore exciting. it actually got worse now that i look back on it. one of my good friends dog died over the weekend, livensparger's mom died over the weekend, my other good friend's grandpa was admitted to the hospital over the weekend. it was just one of those days i guess. now that i think about it it wasnt just another monday. i mean yeah mondays suck and are boring and draining. but this monday was just sad. hopefully the week will take a turn for the better by tomorrow.

All the Pretty Horses pg. 181-217

John Grady and Rawlins are now stranded in a horrid, infested, brutal, and cruel Mexican prison with no sign of how long they will be entrapped there. They spend the first five days fighting for survival and the chance to see daylight one more time. The boys believe that they are being held here until they propose a bribe to the police force because they think the John Grady and Rawlins are rich--which they aren't. Perez, a wealthy prisoner, also asks the two boys for a bribe. When they don't come through--because they can't due to their financial position--Rawlins is knifed in the court yard, taken to the medical ward, and loses contact with John Grady. John Grady goes to Perez a few days later to find out where Rawlins was taken. Perez again asks John Grady to bribe and hints at what will take place if John Grady refuses. Nonetheless, he refuses the bribe and then uses the rest of his money to buy a knife in order to protect himself from the attack that will come at some point or another.

The attack occurs while he is eating in the mess hall. For some dumb reason John Grady thought it would be a good idea to sit with the loner that had black holes for eyes. Good choice John. This creepy guy, who is the assassin, tries to stab John Grady. They fight for a bit and John Grady is greatly injured however he is able to stab the assassin in the heart and break off the blade. As John Grady leaves the mess hall he collapses in the court yard and is taken to the medical ward by none other than Perez's bodyguard. How ironic.

John Grady spends days in the medical ward where he is considered a fasthealer by the doctor. He is released from the hospital with his clothes, an envelop of money, and Rawlins. They later discover that Duena Alfonsa, Alejandra's great-aunt, was the person to bail them out of jail. Pondering their past actions over a meal and coffee, Rawlins--who cries over the death of Blevins--decides that he is going to return home to Texas. John Grady, on the other hand, decides to stay in Mexico in order to reclaim their horses and win over the heart of Alejandra.

I actually enjoyed this section, especially towards the end of it. The action that accumulated in the prison and the brutal outcome of the dangerous events provided an actual entertaining plot. I also liked how Rawlins and John Grady decided to part ways. Yeah they are best friends and partners and crime, but I feel that with Rawlins gone we can focus solely on John Grady and the results of his journey to Mexico. Hopefully John Grady's character is more clearly developed with the absence of Blevins and Rawlins.

All the Pretty Horses pg. 133-181

well it has been about a week since I've read this section so my recap might be a tad bit rough but here we go. When returning the black stallion to the stables, John Grady is spotted by Duena Alfonsa, Alejandra's aunt. She asks to meet with him in the house the next day. After a challenging game of chess, the aunt forbids John Grady from being seen with Alejandra. She claims that her niece has a reputation to uphold and that in Mexico that is all a girl has. However, a couple nights later Alejandra meets John Grady at night and they begin to secretly ride the horses throughout the ranch under the stars and even skinny dip a bit.

Scandal begins when John Grady plays pool with Don Hector who informs him that Alejandra is being sent for schooling in France. He and Alejandra had made love numerous times in the week before and John Grady is crushed to hear the news....and even more hurt when he discovers a week later that Alejandra was not in France but being kept in the ranch house. John Grady and Rawlins believe that Don Hector had found out about the affair and was trekking in the woods to hunt John Grady down and kill him. Fortunately this did not happen however a couple days later John Grady and Rawlins were picked up by the five Mexican soldiers who had previously visited the ranch looking for the two American boys.

The boys are taken north to the city of Encantada where they find Blevins stuck in the same prison as them. Instead of escaping once he regained his horse, Blevins went back to the city to reclaim his gun which ended with him killing a man and landing himself a spot in jail. The local police captain later questions Rawlins, accuses him of murder and impersonation, and then tortures him until he confesses to crimes he did not commit. The captain also questions John Grady but does not torture him. A couple days later, while being transferred to the prison in Saltillo, Blevins is shot and killed by the police force.

I found this section much more interesting than the last. This may be because it gave me answers to questions such as what happened to Blevins, and if the two boys would ever find Blevins again, and what Blevins present condition was. Plus, to be honest, I couldn't stand Blevins. I thought he was annoying and immature and was nothing but trouble for John Grady and Rawlins. With that said, I'm glad that he was killed. I've already read the next section, but if I hadn't I would now be saying how hopefully things will start looking up for John Grady and Rawlins with Blevins out of the picture--but who am I kidding? They are on their way to prison....in Mexico. There's no way things are getting better for them at this point.

The Devil in the White City pg. 339-388

Detective Frank Geyer was one of Philadelphia's top detectives and had been a member of the force for twenty years, during which time he had inspected about two hundred murders. His current assignment (not June 1895) dealt with the suspect already in custody, arrested seven months earlier on account of insurance fraud. This suspect was of course Holmes who had once lived in Chicago where he and an associate, Benjamin Pitezel, had run a hotel during the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. They had moved from Chicago to Fort Worth to St. Louis to Philadelphia committing frauds along the way. While in Philadelphia, Holmes had swindled the Fidelity Mutual Life Association of Nearly $10,000 by apparently faking the death of its policyholder Ben Pitezel. Holmes confessed to the fraud and by June of 1895 is became apparent that Holmes did not fake the death of Pitezel but he actually killed him. Now three of Pitezel's children were missing and were last seen in Holmes's company.

Geyer then tells the story of how he went from city to city looking for the three missing children being lead by letters from the two girls sent to their mother. After much investigation, Geyer had realized that Holmes was shuffling around three different parties of travelers--the three children, Carrie Pitezel and her other two children, and Holmes wife Georgiana Yoke--without their knowledge of one another.

The story shifts back to Holmes's stay in Moyamensing Prison and details his daily routine of washing up, working out, and reading. It also portrays a letter Holmes wrote to Carrie Pitezel discussing how there was no reason he could kill young, innocent children with or without a motive and how the children were safe with Mrs.W.

However, Geyer finally found the two girls buried in the cellar of a house in Toronto. The coroner, unable to find any marks of violence, theorized that Holmes had placed the two girls in the big trunk then filled it with gas from a lamp valve. Upon burying the girls nude, Holmes had amputated Nellie's feet because she was clubfooted thus he had disposed of her feet in order to remove this distinctive clue to her identity. Great satisfaction came to Geyer with the discovery of the two girls yet he was tempered by the fact that Howard was still missing.

Holmes heard of the children's discovery in the paper and wasted no time before getting a publicist to market his memoir.

While Geyer restarted his search for the missing boy, Howard, he and his men also began to unravel the secrets of Holmes's "castle". After investigation, the team found numerous bones, piles of clothes, charred shoes, gobs of hair clogging pipelines, rooms with no windows and air-tight doors, and at least three air-tight vaults connected to gas lines with control in Holmes's personal apartment. On August 19, 1895, Holmes's Castle was burnt to the ground.

Howard's remains were found burnt in the chimney in a house outside of Indianapolis. Carrie Pitezel identified his coat and scarf and one of his sister's crochet needles and his most prized possession--a tin-man mounted on top of a top that his father had gotten him from the World Fair.

Dr. Herman W. Mudgett, alias Holmes, kept a look of indifference drenched upon his face during the trial. The jury found him guilty;the judge sentenced him to death by hanging. Holmes's attorneys appealed the conviction and lost. As Holmes await execution, he prepared a long confession in which he admitted to killing twenty-seven people. Exactly how many people he killed will never be known. At the very least he killed nine: Julia and Pearl Conner, Emeline Cigrand, Minnie and Anna Williams, Benjamin Pitezel and his children Alice, Nellie, and Howard.

The Devil in the White City pg. 288-320

Although Holmes has kept Minnie and her sister Anna alive for quite some time now, their lives are beginning to look towards the end. Holmes has convinced Anna that she is very talented and should study art in Europe. So Anna writes to her family in Texas explaining that her, Minnie, and Holmes will be going to Milwaukee, then Maine, the New York then sail to Germany, England, and France. Holmes says that her parents won't need to worry about the girls because he will take care of them financially.

Before leaving for Milwaukee the next day, Minnie prepares the flat for the next tenants as Holmes takes Anna to see his World's Fair Hotel. He asks Anna if she would mind going into the walk-in vault to retrieve a document he had left inside. Of course she cheerfully complies. Little does she know Holmes is going to shut her in the vault and release a deadly gas. Anna is embarrassed as she believes that she accidentally shut the door. She begins pounding on the door with her heel waiting for Holmes to let her out. After a couple of minutes with no answer from Holmes she believes that he has gone elsewhere in the building or left to check on the shops below.

Just outside the vault Holmes was pondering his three options: He could, in the last few seconds, "rush to the door, throw it open, hold her in his arms, and weep with her at the tragedy just barely averted; he could "open the door and look in on Anna and give her a big smile--just to let her know that this was no accident--then close the door again, slam it, and return to his chair to see what might happen next"; or, he could "flood the vault, right now, with gas." Holmes, a fiend of instant gratification, of course, chose to flood the vault with gas.

Two days later, Holmes called upon Cephas Humphrey to pick up a box (about the dimensions of a coffin) and a trunk (Anna's belongings). Later evidence suggests that he drove the trunk to the home of Charles Chappell, the man who had converted Holmes's past two ladies into skeletons. As for the rectangular, wooden box, Holmes gave Pitezel's wife, Carrie, a collection of dresses, shoes, and hats that had belonged to "his cousin Minnie Williams." Holmes suggested that Carrie cut up the dresses and use the material to make clothing for her three daughters.

Holmes soon moved on and proposed to Georgiana Yoke, a young blond from Franklin, Indiana. He did warn her that for the marriage he would have to use his dead uncle's name Henry Mansfield Howard.

The Prince and the Servant Girl

For my observe and infer assignment I decided to watch the scene The Prince and the Servant Girl from the Cinderella-esque film Ever After starring Drew Barrymore, and characterize her part as Danielle.


OBSERVATIONS:

Wearing tattered clothes, has dirty face, and long dry hair

Sleeping on the dusty wooden floor next to the dim fire

Reading Utopia

Works on foggy farm collecting apples

Throws apples at a man stealing her father’s horse

Instantly bows and asks for forgiveness once she realizes it is the prince

Offers the prince a different horse

Offers the gold coins to another servant to save her husband from the Americas

States she “won’t let this home fall apart”

Lies about where she was during the morning to her stepmother


INFERENCES:

She is unfortunate and too poor to have higher living standards such as a room and a bath

The fact that she is reading shows that she is literate and intelligent

She must work hard to maintain the estate and upkeep her stepfamily’s living standards

She is aggressive and won’t let anyone take advantage of their estate

She has morals against theft and is determined to protect the estate

She is confident

She is obedient in the presence of royalty and follows the laws of the country

She is pragmatic and thoughtful

She is also kind, generous, and selfless as she is willing to give up the gold coins for another’s happiness

She is strong-minded and the core of the household

She tries to avoid unnecessary conflict

What am I going to do?

Soooo I either have to describe my favorite website or my favorite book and I don't know what to do. Honestly, and this may sound shocking coming from a teenager, but I am hardly ever on the computer. It's true. I hate sitting down here in my basement on this thing. Especially late at night because the toy/storage room is right next to me and it always makes weird sounds and sometimes the door just randomly opens on its own. Not to mention my brother thinks its hilarious to sneak up behind me and scare the crap out of me after I've been reading a book about a serial killer. Anyway, the only reason I'm ever on this thing is to create new posts for this never ending blog or to check facebook like once a week and thats it. I'm busy enough as it is with homework, and work, and sports, and babysitting that I hardly find time to sleep. Therefore, its easy to understand that I don't have enough time to just roam the web and find awesome websites.

The second half of my dilemma is that I particularly don't like reading. This is probably due to the fact that I am to busy reading a book for a.p. lit and another book on top of that for etymology. I don't like reading to begin with. Reading one book for a.p. lit is hard enough let alone another one for etymology. By the time I get my other start homework, eat dinner, and then finish homework it's like nine o'clock already. And I'm one of those people where if I start reading that late at night I'm gonna be asleep in fifteen minutes. Or else I find myself re-reading the same paragraph over and over again because I'm in that state in between awake and asleep.

So after thinking about this I have decided to go with "describe your favorite book". My favorite book would have to be Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." I haven't actually read the book since Mr. Bray's sixth grade "language arts" class but I do remember it being really really good. If I remember right it is about these ten people staying at a mystery person's beach house on an island and one-by-one they are killed off. It may sound kind of gruesome for a group of sixth graders however the deaths were tasteful and the descriptions weren't too gory. I love murder mysteries so that plays a big role as to why I like the book so much. The more I sit here and talk about it the more I want to bring in down from the top shelf in my closet and crack it open. I may just have to do that for my next etymology book.

The Devil in the White City pg. 198-242

The beginning of 1893 was looking to be a promising year for Holmes. His pharmacy scams were taking off, his apartment complexes on the second floor were all set up, he had produced his own pill for curing alcoholism, and he now had two homes. Yeah, it was all looking good until the police started showing up to his drug store more frequently on the accounts of Julia Conner and Emeline Cigard. The parents of these two young women had separately hired "eyes" to dwell in Chicago searching for their beloved daughters. This cause Holmes to fret quite a bit until he pieced together that neither of the families suspected him to have anything to do with the disappearance of their daughters.

With this newly found information, Holmes quickly returned to his old ways. He was falling behind in paperwork and records at the drug store since the unfortunate disappearance of Emeline and was in desperate need of a new secretary. Fortunate enough for him, he knew the perfect girl to contact.

Her name was Minnie Williams. She had inherited what would be around $1.5 to $3 million in today's currency from her uncle after his passing. Unlike Holmes's past interests, Minnie was by no means gorgeous. She was plain and slightly overweight, but she had money...and lots of it. Holmes was able to overlook her appearance as he was driven by the wealth he would inherit if he were to marry her and she were to mysteriously die some time afterwards.

This is exactly what Holmes did. He convinced Minnie to come to Chicago to work for him, they eventually fell in love (well she did at least) and got married. It wasn't too long after their intimate wedding at the court house that Minnie became jealous of all the other younger, more attractive women that would fawn over her husband at the drug store. However, she was so happy to be with him and to have her sister in town that she soon got over her "absurd" feelings. Holmes had charmed Minnie's sister, Annie, by taking the two girls to the World Fair many times a week. The three enjoyed riding their bikes in the White City and admiring the magnificent architecture.

There have been no signs as to how he is going to kill Minnie and Annie or if he is going to kill them at all. I found this section quite interesting mainly because he has kept the two girls around longer than twenty pages or so haha and according to him they aren't even that attractive which goes against his taste. It will be interesting to see how much longer Holmes will keep them around and whether or not he will follow his redundant routine of killing.

The Devil in the White City pg. 162-192

With the absence of Julia Conner, Holmes is in desperate need of a new, attractive, young woman to consume his time and ice-cold, blue gazes. This is where Emeline Cigrand comes into play.

Holmes's assistant Benjamin Pitezel was sent to Dwight, Illinois to take the Keely cure for alcoholism. Upon his return, Pitezel describes Emeline as a young woman of great beauty. This was all Holmes needed to hear before he called her up to offer her a job as a secretary in which she would make twice her earnings at Keely's. It was an offer she could not refuse.

Of course it did not take long for the relationship between her and Holmes to surpass that of an employee and an employer. The spent many hours with each other riding bicycles through the park and observing the World Fair as it was being built. Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence, residents of Holmes apartment complex, soon noticed the loving relationship between him and Emeline and could not deny that they were meant for each other.

However, Mrs. Lawrence, who became good friends with Emeline, soon became suspicious when the young girl brought a Christmas gift to her three weeks in advance. Emeline had claimed that she was going to spend the holidays with her family in Lafayette, Indiana and didn't want to wait to give them the gift. A plausible explanation thought Mrs. Lawrence.

It was not long before the Lawrences had noticed the disappearance of Emeline. Holmes used his wit yet again to cover up another one of his murders by telling the couple that Emeline had run off and gotten married to a man with the name of Robert E. Phelps. In actuality, Holmes had sealed her in the air-tight, soundproof vault. To speed up her suffocation process, Holmes had added a layer of acid to the vault floor which further converted the available oxygen into carbon dioxide. Three years later, police would have discovered the footprint of Emeline engraved on the door as she furiously attempted to open it. They obviously were too late. After her death, Holmes had shipped Emeline to Chappell for her to be converted into an articulate skeleton in which he routinely sold to the college.

The Devil in the White City pg. 102

Here was one of the creepiest passages I have read so far:

One night during this period Holmes asked Ned a favor. He led him to the big vault and stepped inside, then told Ned to close the door and listen for the sound of his shouting. "I shut the door and put my ear to the crack," Ned recalled, "but could hear only a faint sound." Ned opened the door, and Holmes stepped out. Now Holmes asked Ned if he would go inside and try shouting, so that Holmes could hear for himself how little sound escaped. Ned did so but got back out the instant Holmes reopened the door. "I didn't like that kind of business," he said.

Why anyone would even want a soundproof vault was a question that apparently did not occur to him.

The Devil in the White City pg. 121-152

Holmes is such a freak. I honestly don't know how to say that in any other way. I mean, this very attractive mountebank not only traps people in insurance scams but then he turns around and murders them in order to cash in on the profit of their life insurance policies. Yeah, thats really bad but that isn't why I call the phyisician/entrepreneur/serial killer a freak. The man is a freak because of the inhumane actions he carries out with his victims after killing them.

Ned is a young jeweler with a wife named Julia and a daughter named Pearl who moves his family to Chicago in 1891 in the search of opportunity--an kind of opportunity at all. He soon found himself managing a jewelry counter that occupied one wall of Holmes's drug store and for once in his life he saw the future gleam. The back story is pretty boring and rambles on for a few pages however it begins to take form of a potential murder when Holmes's catches a glimpse of the "tall and felicitously proportioned" Julia.

To make a long story short, Holmes seems inordinately attentive to Julia. Different parts of this section concerning Holmes's intense glares towards Julia and their flirtatious work ethic imply that a secretive liaison between the two is occurring right in front of her plain, insecure husband's face. Once Ned finally snaps and can't put up with the arguments between him and his wife anymore, he ends the marriage and leaves for Iowa, leaving Julia and his daughter in the care of Holmes.

This story becomes especially eary when Julia informs Holmes that she is pregnant and that he has no other choice but to marry her. He reacted to her proposal of marriage with warmth but insisted that he would only marry her on one condition--she was to have an abortion....on Christmas Eve. He was a physician and had executed the operation before: he would use chloroform and she would feel no pain whatsoever. Its not hard to guess what happens next. Holmes of course kills Julia by suffocating her with the chloroform drenched rag and then easily performs the same method on her daughter Pearl.

The whole scenario becomes even freakier when he offers Charles Chappell thirty-six dollars to cleanse the bones and skull and RETURN to him a FULLY ARTICULATED SKELETON! Chappell completes his work and returns the skeleton to Holmes who then turns around and sells it to Hahneman Medical College in Chicago for a great profit.

Okay, seriously, that's soooo messed up! Most have seen a skeleton in a doctor's office or a science room but those are made of plastic and have no emotional effect on us. But could you imagine personally knowing someone, hearing that they've been murdered, and then look at their skeleton? I definitely could not imagine that and if you can then you are a freak too.

All the Pretty Horses pg. 100-132

Where to start. I was beginning to get really bored with this book. Like really bored. So bored that I fell asleep reading it during etymology last Thursday (sorry Mr. Hill). I just find the sequence of events concerning John Grady and Rawlins' travels to be redundant and uninteresting. Not to mention I know very little about Mexico and its history let alone the language, therefore I get lost in those passages talking about the mountains and dialogues spoken in the native language. However, it is required of me to log about this section so here we go.

Part II begins with John Grady and Rawlins living Grady's dream of being a cowboy and working on a ranch. John Grady quickly proves himself to be a virtuoso (VOCAB WORD!) horseman as he breaks a total of sixteen horses in only three days. The success of the two boys along with all the attention they bring to the ranch greatly impresses the ranch's foreman, Armondo, and his brother, Antonio. With this success, John Grady is promoted by the ranch owner, Don Hector. His new title is unknown, however with the promotion John Grady is moved into his own room in the stables leading to more time with the owner's daughter, Alejandra.

Alejandra invites John Grady to a dance at the local grange hall where the two teenagers strike up their first in depth conversation. It may not have been much, talking about John Grady's past and what not, but you could tell there was a spark between the two and that there will be future encounters based on Alejandra's closing remarks to the conversation:

"I will introduce you to my friends. I will introduce you to Lucia. She is very pretty. You will see."
"I bet she aint as pretty as you."
"Oh my. You must be careful what you say. Besides it is not true. She is prettier."

The fact that Alejandra plants the idea that Lucia is prettier than she is into John Grady's mind acts as a tool to fish for comments. Its almost like she expected John Grady's response to the judgement of Lucia's appearance. Also, Alejandra warns John Grady to watch what he says to her. What I took from that comment was that either Alejandra is connected with another boy--which is unlikely because wouldn't he be at the dance with her?--or that her father would not accept a relationship between his aristocratic daughter and one of his simple workers. Either way, I found this section of the reading to be the most interesting. It was a nice break from all the ranch and horse talk. It was nice to unfold the beginning of Alejandra and John Grady's relationship.

Alejandra and John Grady meet once again in the stables when she demands to ride the stallion bareback and for John Grady to take her horse back to the stables. John Grady is hesitant at first but is unable to deny the wish of the one he loves. While sneaking Alejandra's horse back into the stables he is observed by a shadowy figure. This mysterious figure is not identified because John Grady refuses to turn around and is determined to get out of there.

Hopefully the next section of reading continues the development of John Grady and Alejandra's relationship because I was instantly bored again once the story deferred away from the two characters.

All the Pretty Horses Discussion Response

I found one of the more interesting points that we discussed on Wednesday to be the character of Blevins, the relationships between him, John Grady, and Rawlins, and his significance as a foil in All the Pretty Horses. As we all tried to find a black and white way as to how Blevins foils John Grady and Rawlins, it became apparent that there wasn’t any. As opposed to Ralph, Piggy, and Jack in Lord of the Flies, there is no continuum of western extremes to apply to John Grady, Rawlins, and Blevins. Autumn Biddle noted that the simple conversations between John Grady and Rawlins emphasized their friendship where as the tension between Rawlins and Blevins demonstrates their mere toleration of one another. I agree with her thought and would like to complete the triangle of relationships by saying that although Blevins tends to be stubborn and cause trouble for the other two boys, John Grady demonstrates a sense of sympathy for Blevins. On page 79, Rawlins tries to convince John Grady to leave Blevins behind while they have the chance. John Grady replies, “I wouldn’t leave you and you wouldn’t leave me.” The fact that John Grady is concerned about Blevins after knowing him only for a short while confirms that although he has his heart set on being a rugged cowboy, that heart is kind.

If Blevins is the ultimate western cowboy complete with a gorgeous horse and expert shooting skills and John Grady is more of the western hero holding onto but slowly letting go of civilization then Rawlins would be expected to be the character completely against riding off into the distance. However, much like Katherine said, Rawlins is not that extreme. He may be the voice of reason, continually trying to send Blevins home so he and John Grady don’t get killed, but he never suggests that they go home themselves. Sure he may just be on this journey for the support of his friend, but he isn’t opposed to sleeping under the starts and hunting his own food.

Farewell to "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"

I kind of have a soft spot for former President George W. Bush. This is probably because during the eight years he was in office quite frankly I was too young to give a darn about government and politics. Anyway, I used to watch Letterman just for this segment and I was very sad when it ended. However, this farewell video had my brother and me crying because we were laughing so hard. If you think this is funny check out the daily George W. Bush quotes on the right side of my blog.

Miranda Lambert Virginia Bluebell

Okay so you can make fun of me all you want, but I absolutely love country music. Miranda Lambert has recently become one of my favorites. I got her new cd "Revolution" for Christmas and I have been listening to it nonstop since. This is one of my favorites. Her voice is so pure and simple in this song and the lyrics are so thoughtful and sweet. Hope you enjoy and don't be surprised if my blog overflows with her videos along with those of my other favorites.

The Obligation to Be Happy by Linda Pastan

It is more onerous
than the rites of beauty
or housework, harder than love.
But you expect it of me casually,
the way you expect the sun
to come up, not in spite of the rain
or clouds but because of them.

And so I smile, as if my own fidelity
to sadness were a hidden vice—
that downward tug on my mouth,
my old suspicion that health
and love are brief irrelevancies,
no more than laughter in the warm dark
strangled at dawn.

Happiness. I try to hoist it
on my narrow shoulders again—
a knapsack heavy with gold coins.
I stumble around the house,
bump into things.
Only Midas himself
would understand.

The title says it all. There will be numerous times in our lives when we will face the obligation to be happy. Working at a country club, I know this feeling quite well. It doesn’t matter how rude a member is being; if they aren’t happy with something, it is your job to slap that phony smile on your face and make it all better. That is an obligation to be happy in a moment of anger and frustration. There is also an obligation to be happy in a moment of being put on the spot. For example, there was a wedding at the country club this past summer—one of many. However, this particular wedding was the ugliest wedding I had ever seen! The hideous purple and green (lime green might I add) decorations made me wonder if the bride was color blind or if the groom got a hold of the fabric swatches. Anyway, after getting the Veranda room set up for the reception dinner, the mother of the bride waltzed into the room and was absolutely gushing. She then proceeded to say, “It looks fantastic! Don’t you just love it?!” A co-worker of mine glanced over at me as they tried not to explode with laughter, for just minutes earlier I was going on and on about how horrendous the room looked, drenched in Barney Purple and Nickelodeon Slime Green. However, I had no other choice but to push my personal opinions aside and slap that phony smile back on my face and tell her what she wanted to hear: “It’s just so lovely and chic. Very nice taste.”

It comes about in circumstances such as these when “you expect [happiness] of me casually, the way you expect the sun.” Sadly, society has placed the burden of masking our true emotions in order to fulfill proper social etiquette. The comparison of happiness to “a knapsack heavy with gold coins” emphasizes that happiness can be gilded in different situations. Sure, you may have all these gold coins, but what good are they if you have nothing to buy with them and if they are creating strain on your back? The same goes for happiness. Others may envy your happiness however, how do they know that you are genuinely happy? How do they know that it is just an act that is genuinely eating at your heart and soul? The truth is that they don’t know. The obligation to be happy will live on through the human existence as a defense mechanism. For if someone pretends to be happy, they may eventually believe that they are happy—even if deep down inside they are not.

All the Pretty Horses: Favorite Quotes of Part I

Some of these quotes I took note of due to their beauty or sensible message behind them. However, a majority of these quotes just made me chuckle a bit. Enjoy!

"What he loved in horses was what he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that ran them. All his reverence and all his fondness and all the leanings of his life were for the ardenthearted and they would always be so and never be otherwise." pg. 6

"Son, not everybody thinks that life on a cattle ranch in west Texas is the second best thing to dyin and goin to heaven." pg. 17

"...he watched the play with great intensity. He'd notion that there would be something in the story itself to tell him about the way the world was or was becoming but there was not. There was nothing in it at all." pg. 21

"Looking over the country with those sunken eyes as if the world out there had been altered or made suspect by what he'd seen of it elsewhere. As if he might never see it right again. Or worse did see it right at last. See it as it had always been, would forever be." pg. 23

"His father smoked. He watched him.
You still seein that Barnett girl?
He shook his head.
She quit you or did you quit her?
I don't know.
That means she quit you.
Yeah." pg. 24

"You got a lot more reason for leavin than me.
What the hell reason you got for stayin? You think somebody's goin to die and leave you somethin?
Shit no.
That's good. Cause they ain't." pg. 26

"Rawlins studied him. Your name ain't Blivet is it?
It's Blevins.
You know what a blivet is?
What.
A blivet is ten pounds of shit in a five pound sack." pg. 46

"I got dogbit by a bulldog took a chunk out of my leg the size of a Sunday roast." pg. 63

"Can you ride or not? said Rawlins.
Does a bear shit in the woods? Hell yes I can ride." pg. 66

"They could hear the rain coming down the road behind them like some phantom migration." pg. 69

"You never know when you'll be in need of them you've despised, said Blevins.
Where did you hear that at?
I don't know. I just decided to say it." pg. 72

"Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it. You understand what I'm sayin?" pg. 79

"You think God looks out for people? said Rawlins.
....I'd say He's just about got to. I don't believe we'd make it a day otherwise." pg. 92

All the Pretty Horses pg. 31-59

Well hello again. It's been a while since I've updated my thoughts on McCarthy's novel "All the Pretty Horses" (It wouldn't let me italicize or anything so I'm sorry). This is really pathetic, but I am just now posting about the section section that we read. I had this section read on time I promise, but I am horrible at keeping up with my posts. Anyway, here it is.

After reading this second section I found myself enjoying the book much more. McCarthy has finally started identifying who is talking and to whom they are talking too. This has made a big difference for me and has really helped me comprehend the story.

I also enjoyed this section because it began to introduce us into the uncivilized west and the "cowboy" personalities of both John Grady and Rawlins. The two boys sleep under the stars, catch their own food, and put up with the other's raillery. I especially enjoy Rawlins comments directed towards Blevins, the thirteen-year-old boy who has been following them on their trail. For example:

Rawlins studied him. Your name ain't Blivet is it?
It's Blevins.
You know what a blivet is?
What.
A blivet is ten pounds of shit in a five pound sack.

I honestly was laughing so hard when I read this and that's because it sounds like some smart ass comment my grandpa would make (he's a farmer if that helps you understand a little better haha).

Anyway, I find Blevins to be an interesting character. He's only a child and can act really immature at times, such as when he fell off the bench during dinner and was too embarrassed to sleep in the Mexican family's home. However, his mysterious manner makes him seem more mature and grown up. But then he pulls a stunt such as waking up the whole village while stealing back his horse. If he was the mature character I sometimes think him to be, you would think he would have been more careful and thought his plan out a bit more. This sudden heroic action of saving his horse does provide and example of his typical western hero side though.

Part I wraps up with John Grady and Rawlins landing their dream job of working on a ranch and settling into their new lives as cowboys, complete with a chica who just happens to be the daughter of the ranch's foreman.

"It's an easy job. One street goes uptown, one goes downtown."

Hyman Bloom and Andrew Vollo | StoryCorps

I found Bloom, a retired New York taxi cab driver of 30 years, and his (what I believe to be) unintended humor, surprisingly refreshing. There were times during this short interview that I caught myself laughing out loud. The wit, or wisdom even, of this elderly man is simple and sensible yet intriguing and can put a smile on anyone's face.

All the Pretty Horses 20 Questions

SETTING

1. How would the story differ if it took place in the wild west rather than the west in the 1950s?

CHARACTER

2. Describe the relationship between Rawlins and Blevins. What do you think their relationship symbolizes?

3. Which characteristics does Blevins demonstrate of a stereotypical cowboy?

4. What is John Grady's motivation for going to Mexico? What about Rawlins or Blevins?

5. Do you believe Blevins could jeopardize the safety of John Grady and Rawlins by traveling with them?

6. Why does Blevins freak out about the thunderstorm?

7. What does John Grady's love for horses have to do with the story thus far?

8. Do you think that the boys leaving home is a sign of maturity or immaturity? Why or why not?

9. Do you think that Rawlins truly wants to leave Blevins behind? Why or why not?

ACTION

10. How would the boys' adventure be different if John Grady could not speak Spanish?

11. Why do you think Blevins left home again?

12.Do you think that Rawlins' attitude affects the other two boys? Why or why not?

13. What risks do John Grady and Rawlins take by letting Blevins travel with them?

14. How does Blevins loose his clothes?

15. Why does the Mexican man want to buy Blevins?

16. How do you think the boys' families are reacting to their disappearance?

17. In what condition do you think John Grady and Rawlins will find Blevins in? Do you think they will be reunited with him at all?

STYLE

18. How does McCormac's narration style compare and contrast to the narration style of The Lord of the Flies?

19. Which literary techniques does McCormac use to develop his characters?

20. What themes are present in the story thus far?

The Devil in the White City pg. 58-101

Well, it was really hard for me to pay attention to Burnham and his troubles getting the Fair into production but I got through it . Barely. Pretty much it was about twenty pages about boring architecture and the obstacles they face when creating a new building/city. And the list of ongoing architects confused me. I got lost as to which architect was which and which side of the Fair debate they were on. I don't really have anything more to say about this aspect of the book.

Holmes and his story are just starting to get rolling on the other hand. It can be inferred that he killed the old lady that he bought his pharmacy from because he told her loyal customers that she went to California and fell in love with it. Supposedly. The main point of these forty some pages was Holmes and his new project. This project was to create a building with the first floor being retail shops and the second and third floors to be apartment complexes. It would also have a basement for other "material." I personally took this to be dead bodies mainly because Holmes refers to dead bodies as just another type of material in the previous section I read. Anyway, in this basement he has a "kiln" that is approximately eight feet long, three feet wide, and three feet deep in which he will use for his glass shop (one of the retail stores on the first floor). I find it funny that this 3,000 degree Fahrenheit "kiln" is the perfect size and temperature to incinerate a human being.

That's about all that happened in the past fifty pages. It was kind of a slow read but now that I'm cutting out the crap about the architect hopefully it will pick up a little bit. I just looked at the clock and it is 12:oo a.m. which is when I call it quits. My goal for this next week is to not procrastinate (or even just to remember) my blog assignments.

Oh Jeez. What was I thinking?

At first I was really excited to read this book. I thought the side-by-side story of the architect and the serial killer would be an interesting and new experience. However, I find it really really hard to stay focused when I'm reading about the architect and his life when I could be reading about the next scam or twisted idea the serial killer is working up in his messed up yet clever mind. I'm not big into reading unfortunately. It's all I can do to get through a book for a.p. lit so if I can cut a few corners with my reading in etymology then I will. This leads me to reveal the fact that I will not be reading the whole book. Instead, and in order to help me actually get through the book, I will only be reading every other chapter about the serial killer. I don't know about you but if I had to pick which would be more interesting to read about--an architect and his desire to build a city, or a serial killer and his desire for murder without penalty--I'm definitely going to choose the story about the serial killer. And the fact that this book is fiction makes the life of the serial killer that more intriguing. I don't know why but I feel sick and twisted by saying all this but I also feel that because these events took place over a hundred years ago it practically is fiction to me. Hopefully now that I have lowered my standards (which I don't do too often) I will be able to enjoy the book rather than looking at it as a chore.

Devil in the White City Trailer

The Devil in the White City pg. 35-57

So this next section that I read was another biography however it was about Dr. H.H. Holmes, the serial killer, rather than the architect. This may sound creepy and twisted, but I find the story of serial killers to be quite fascinating, therefore I favored this biography over the other. 


It is so interesting to me how investigators look back into the past of a serial killer and find obvious red flags that that person is not normal. For example, Holmes as a child was fearful of the doctor's office (which is ironic seeing as he later becomes a doctor). Two older boys discovered his fear and trapped him in the office and left him there "until [he] had been brought face to face with one of  its grinning skeletons, which, with arms outstretched, seemed ready in its turn to seize [him]." As innocent as the story is, it takes a disturbing turn as Holmes insists that "when his eyes settled back upon his captors, it was they who fled." Holmes' response to the raillery of his classmates is the first glimpse of his dark nature.


Twenty years later, Holmes was in desperate need of money for he was staring starvation in the face. He recalled a scam one of his classmates back in medical school had thought of: for one of them to buy life insurance, make the other the beneficiary, and then use a cadaver to fake the one insured. Holmes expanded on this plan by using a "family" of cadavers in order to rake in a higher profit. He and his conspirators would then divide their $40,000 (or more than $1,000,000 in today's society). Holmes takes this plan to a whole other level of creepy when he stores his "portion" of the cadaver family in the Fidelity Storage Warehouse in Chicago and takes the other with him to New York City and stores it "in a safe place." EW. That's disgusting. 


Sorry. It gets even weirder. Holmes backed out of the plan because he finally realized how well organized and well prepared the leading insurance companies were to detect and punish this kind of fraud. Actually, he was lying. Because he was a doctor, Holmes knew that (at the time) there was no method that existed for establishing the identities of burned, dismembered corpses. This line out of this section shook me up the most:

"And he did not mind handling bodies. They were 'material' no different from firewood, although somewhat more difficult to dispose of."

On that note I would like to leave you wondering how much creepier this guy can get. I'll have an update in an hour or two seeing as I still need one more post by tomorrow. It's a good thing I'm not a procrastinator or anything.....

The Devil in the White City pg. 1-34

A serial killer on the loose during a time of architectural competition between the individual states as well as between countries. The United States was out to upstage Paris and its newest architectural wonder, the Eiffel Tower. What better timing than that of the four hundred year anniversary since the discovery of the New World? It was up to Burnham and Rook, the top team of architectures in Chicago, to create an entire city in what seemed to be an impossible window of time. The challenge of this vast project is interesting enough to stand on its own however the twist of the serial killer takes the story from interesting to intriguing. Murder mysteries are one of my favorite genres of books. One of my guilty pleasures if you will. So when I heard about how this book told the story of a serial killer at the World Fair and that it was a true story, I simply could not resist.

I was completely entangled in the first couple pages of The Devil in the White City as it started from the end. The broken time line lets you see where the main architect, Daniel Burnham, is after the tragedy of the World Fair and the effect that the tragedy has on him. As I was reading I could not believe that this was a story of non-fiction. Erik Larson's writing style is intriguing and so easily distracts you from the fact that you are reading history. I am not a fan of history at all so being able to read a true story and not feel like I am reading fact stated after fact keeps me interested and wanting to move on and discover what is waiting on the next page.

As the story shifted focus to the beginning of the time line, Larson shifted focus from Burnham and his character to more of a biography of Burnham. At first, it was written like a typical biography. Name. Date of birth. Place of birth. Family. Education. I thought to myself, "okay this is kinda boring but maybe it will get better." And it did. I'm glad I kept reading because even though Larson was describing his architectural accomplishments with his partner Rook (which would be really boring outside of the context of the book), he was also shifting back to his novelistic technique rather than blatantly describing the historical context of the story.

I haven't actually met the serial killer yet however it is a long book and I've only scratched its surface so far. I look forward to the next couple of chapters hoping the thrill of the murders and their cover ups will begin to be revealed.

All the Pretty Horses pg. 1-30

Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses is a nice break from the poetic and overly-descriptive novels we read during the first semester. The language is simple and easy to understand. The pages are appealing to the eye as they are broken up by short conversations as well as side stories based on different characters and their relationships. 

I find this book to be enjoyable so far. In the past I have been intimidated by the books we've read. Sure I say that the long descriptions just bore me, but what I am really saying is that they intimidate me. This is because the extensive vocabulary that is used in literature is hard for me to understand. Going into a new book I try to read for comprehension, but as soon as the author uses words that are not commonly heard in everyday conversation I begin to read for completion. I get intimidated by the work. I feel belittled and therefore not smart when I can't pick up the simple message that the author is trying to convey through the educated text. The straight-forward, simplistic vocabulary that has been used so far in All the Pretty Horses makes me feel better and smarter because I understand what is happening in the novel. I think that McCarthy's language and basic sentence structure makes it easier for his readers to understand the story. It's nice to read a book by an author who doesn't need frilly vocabulary to decorate his work; his lack of frilly vocabulary is what makes the story relatable and appealing to most people.

Having said that, I personally do not like the way McCarthy choses to start All the Pretty Horses. I feel as if I was just thrown into the middle of the novel and I am expected to know who each of the characters are, how they are related to one another, and why their relationships with each other are the way they are. It's confusing and difficult to follow. I caught myself having to go back and re-read pages in order to figure out if I was stilling reading about the father and the son or the mother and the son. Although I hate long descriptive paragraphs of irrelevant subjects such as the furnishings of a room or the season of the year, it would have been nice to have some basic description concerning who the characters were or even the plot of the story. All I got out of reading the first thirty pages was that there is a boy named John Grady Cole who lives in San Angelo, Texas and seems to have an estranged relationship with his father.

As you can see, I have a love-hate relationship so far with this book. I love the basic language but I hate not knowing what I am reading about. I'm lost as to how this story became and where it's going. However, I kind of enjoy that mysterious aspect of it as well. It is too soon to tell if I will like this book or not but it will be interesting how it all plays out and I can't wait for that to happen.