My blog review is on Greg's blog.
Slaughterhouse Review
(http://wolf1sr.blogspot.com/)
I think Greg's blog was really well written. It has good ideas that are controversial, but he never sits on the fence, which I like in an author. I never really like it when people don't decide what side to be on. Also, his writing is very relatable, although this might just be because I know him personally.
His one post on censorship is interesting because he talks about knowledge as a human right, which I agree with. He states that a "human should not be forbidden to gain knowledge from a piece, just because a message that the government doesn't agree with is written down, doesn't necessarily mean it will be believed, rather, it helps expand the cititzen's world view and understand what other people think of their nation". I think that just as free speech is a right we have, the access we have to all free speech should also be a right.
His post about memories was cool because I was there for the one incident, when Danielle hit him with the airsoft gun. It was also really well written. Also his post about his book was cool because he is basing one of the characters off of me, so I read a bunch of the first chapter from his book before the "hard drive crash of [his] laptop".
I disagree with Greg a bit on his one post about how "Billy was incredibly special and fortunate" because I think that although Billy did have good things happen to him, he also had lots of bad things happen to him, like marrying someone he didn't want to, be in a plane crash in the first place, go through the events of Dresden, and be ridiculed through the war, and sustain head injuries, etc... I don't think that Billy was especially a lucky person, I just think the good things balanced out the bad things somewhat. If Billy had absolutely NO good things happen to him, it would just be such an even more depressing book.
In his post about him not liking Billy Pilgrim as a character, I really liked the thought of how, "[Billy] worked very well in the context of the novel... well of course he did, otherwise SH5 would've been terrible". I really found this thought provoking, and I started thinking about how if he was a different character how the book would have a very different feel to it, and therefore be a different book entirely.
In the end, I really enjoyed reading Greg's blog, because he writes as if he is actually talking to you, instead of writing like a formal essay.
By: Rachel Cutler
Monday 18 April 2011
Sunday 17 April 2011
Writing Assignment #9: Anna
Would you ever have read SH5 leisurely if it hadn't been mandatory in school?
To be honest, I'm not sure. Although I'm the type of person to pick up a romance novel over a war sci-fi on most days, I would say that normally this book wouldn't be my first choice. But I do think that over time, as I grew up and of course hear about this classic book, it would at some point spark my interest and I might just find myself picking it up one day.
Although I recognize that this topic isn't one that can be elaborated on very much, I do believe that it is a valid question to be considered.
To be honest, I'm not sure. Although I'm the type of person to pick up a romance novel over a war sci-fi on most days, I would say that normally this book wouldn't be my first choice. But I do think that over time, as I grew up and of course hear about this classic book, it would at some point spark my interest and I might just find myself picking it up one day.
Although I recognize that this topic isn't one that can be elaborated on very much, I do believe that it is a valid question to be considered.
Writing Assignment #8: Anna
If you could ask Kurt Vonnegut one question, what would it be and why?
If I could ask Vonnegut one question, I would ask him why. It may seems broad and simple, but that's really all I want to know. I want to know why he chose to even write another war book (because there isn't already a million of those on the shelves), why he chose to have Billy Pilgrim be a time traveller, and why even include Tralfamadorians, considering they have practically NOTHING to do with anything!
In my opinion, most of this book is like a dream journal of Vonnegut's all written out and published. It's like he would wake up after each dream, write it down, then continue onto the next dream. Then eventually, when he had enough material, he somehow found a somewhat stable plot line, and an interesting concept, more or less.
It was a different time when Vonnegut had SH5 published, but if SH5 had come out in a time like today, I'm not actually sure how it would be received. It could be wildly popular, since there always seems to be an audience for any kind of writing, or if it would be shutdown because some might view it as simply imcomprehensible.
If I could ask Vonnegut one question, I would ask him why. It may seems broad and simple, but that's really all I want to know. I want to know why he chose to even write another war book (because there isn't already a million of those on the shelves), why he chose to have Billy Pilgrim be a time traveller, and why even include Tralfamadorians, considering they have practically NOTHING to do with anything!
In my opinion, most of this book is like a dream journal of Vonnegut's all written out and published. It's like he would wake up after each dream, write it down, then continue onto the next dream. Then eventually, when he had enough material, he somehow found a somewhat stable plot line, and an interesting concept, more or less.
It was a different time when Vonnegut had SH5 published, but if SH5 had come out in a time like today, I'm not actually sure how it would be received. It could be wildly popular, since there always seems to be an audience for any kind of writing, or if it would be shutdown because some might view it as simply imcomprehensible.
Writing Assignment #7: Anna
What parts of SH5 would you change and why?
If I were to change any part of SH5, it would be the very beginning, as in the first chapter. I understand that the first chapter is there to help the reader understand why Vonnegut is writing this, supposedly, but in the grand scheme of the book, it really doesn't do much. All it seems to do is inform us (the readers) that Vonnegut was once a reporter, that he didn't want to write a book that glorified war and to add to a plot that appeared to have trouble taking off any other way.
I would also change the beginning because, similar to the ending of SH5, it gives the impression that Vonnegut was either bored, or just didn't try very hard to write it. It seemed more like an essay written by a student the night before its due date: sloppy and uninteresting.
If I were to change any part of SH5, it would be the very beginning, as in the first chapter. I understand that the first chapter is there to help the reader understand why Vonnegut is writing this, supposedly, but in the grand scheme of the book, it really doesn't do much. All it seems to do is inform us (the readers) that Vonnegut was once a reporter, that he didn't want to write a book that glorified war and to add to a plot that appeared to have trouble taking off any other way.
I would also change the beginning because, similar to the ending of SH5, it gives the impression that Vonnegut was either bored, or just didn't try very hard to write it. It seemed more like an essay written by a student the night before its due date: sloppy and uninteresting.
Writing Assignment #6: Anna
Why Slaughterhouse Five Couldn't Work As A Play
Just reading the physical copy of SH5 was a challenge. With all of the jumps between times, if it weren't for narratives describing when and where the reader and Billy has been taken, we wouldn't know what was giong on, possibly until far into the description.
In a play, or a movie, there isn't that luxury of just plainly explaining where and what is happening that can't properly be expressed in dialogue. It would be very hard for the audience of this play or movie to know that they are now viewing a scene set decades apart from the scene they were viewing a minute ago.
As a play or movie, without the use of exessive voiceovers, it simply could not be pulled off.
Just reading the physical copy of SH5 was a challenge. With all of the jumps between times, if it weren't for narratives describing when and where the reader and Billy has been taken, we wouldn't know what was giong on, possibly until far into the description.
In a play, or a movie, there isn't that luxury of just plainly explaining where and what is happening that can't properly be expressed in dialogue. It would be very hard for the audience of this play or movie to know that they are now viewing a scene set decades apart from the scene they were viewing a minute ago.
As a play or movie, without the use of exessive voiceovers, it simply could not be pulled off.
Friday 15 April 2011
Structured That Way - Individual Post #5
Just a quick thought, the Tralfamadorians claim that moments happen because they are "structured that way", but the Tralfamadorians and Billy know what is going to happen in the future... So if they changed what happened in a moment, like for example stop the person who presses the button, wouldn't the moment now be structured a new way? What I'm saying is, I think it's impossible to have a moment that's "structured that way" when you know what's going to happen in the future, because you'll know how to change it. Like Billy is able to keep himself from being killed, he just chooses not to... so it's not really "structured that way", Billy just chooses to go along with fate. Does that even make sense? Sorry if I confused anyone, it doesn't even make that much sense in my own head...
Another quick thought, how would if feel to be the Tralfamadorian who pressed the button that ended the universe... but you knew you were going to do it your entire life? That would be harsh.
By: Rachel Cutler
Another quick thought, how would if feel to be the Tralfamadorian who pressed the button that ended the universe... but you knew you were going to do it your entire life? That would be harsh.
By: Rachel Cutler
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)