Daisy Miller - Henry James

Genre: Classic

This is a story about a man who meets a woman and it's love at first sight.  He watches as she falls in love with someone else.  Or does she?

Goodreads Synopsis:
The plot centers around a Europeanized American man named Winterbourne, who meets a nouveau riche American woman going by the name Daisy Miller. A short novel, James wields the sword of fiction to craft a "study" of the roles of men and women, social relationships, cultural intersection, the allure of money, foolishness and wisdom, the responsibilities of parents, and the impact of one's life upon others.

This was an interesting read. I was in the process of reading it this weekend for my American Literature II class. It didn't feel as long as 164 pages, it felt quite short actually. I kept trying to make a connection to the characters thoughts in a psychoanalytic fashion. At the same time I could see the personalities of the characters for the most part. I found myself connecting to Winterbourne for some reason...Perhaps his infatuation for Miss Daisy. I feel like this story could have been elaborated upon, however, since it was so short, I have to say I was craving more. 

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Genre: Classic Literature/Romance/19th Century/Historical Fiction

This book is about this fellow named Heathcliff who falls in love with this woman named Catherine, but she ends up dying and he finds himself in turmoil.

Back Cover: "My greatest thought in living is Heathcliff. If all else perished and HE remained, I should still continue to be....Nelly, I AM Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure...but as my own being."

I have to honestly say, I hated pretty much every character of this book. Everyone is either really whiney or really mean inadvertently. I did grow fond of Hareton as the book continued on though. Overall, I didn't like the story of this book; however, I did enjoy the writing style and some of the wording. I can give credit to Emily Bronte for having been amazing with words if nothing else. It's not a terrible book, most people would probably like it. It's worth reading at least once, if you haven't yet.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Genre: Steampunk/Classic

This is a book about a man named Phileas Fogg who makes a bet that he can travel around the world in Eighty days. Can he actually do it? What about the possibility of delay? This book was published in 1873 and is one of the better classics that I've read. I also consider it quite Steampunky. ;)


Back Cover:
In 1872 mystery-man Phileas Fogg wagers his fortune that he can go aroudn the world in 80 days. With his lively French servant Passepartout, he races against time to do what no man has ever done before. And close on his heels follows Detective Fix of Scotland Yard--determined to arrest Phileas Fogg on a charge of robbery!

Jules Verne wrote this exciting, funny, action-packed adventure long befoer the airplane was invented. Today, high-speed jets can circle the world in fewer than 80 hours. But-think of all the fun they miss!

I got lost a few times in the ramblings, but other than that this book was pretty good. It's quite the adventure that Fogg goes through, to obtain a victory of travel. I'd like to pick out a favorite part of this book, but nothing really stands out to me other than the ending. If I were to tell you, the whole story would be ruined. lol It's a secret. Read the book! ;)

 

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells

Genre: Sci-fi/Classic/Survival

This is a book about a man who witnesses the coming of aliens, becomes separated from his wife and struggles to survive in a world where aliens are taking over.

Back Cover:
"They came from outerspace -- Mars, to be exact. With deadly heat-rays and giant fighting machines they want to conquer Earth and keep humans as their slaves. Nothing seems to stop them as they spread terror and death across the planet. It is the start of the most important war in Earth's History. And Earth will never be the same."



I was expecting this book to be far more exciting. At first I felt intrigued by the descriptions of the aliens space ship when they arrive, but during the majority of the book I felt rather bored, and it felt like not a lot happened. If I got nothing else from this book, I added a few more words to my vocabulary. If you're interested in Sci-fi classics, it's worth a read, especially if you don't mind expanding your vocabulary. Other than that, it's not much of a read in my opinion. Don't expect it to be anything like the movie, because it's far different. I preferred the movie version.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.