Book # 80 - Native Son by Richard Wright - Banned Books Week Edition part 2

It is a bit surprising to see that most of the books on our list have been challenged at one time or another. Another book that has great literary merit and historical significance but is frequently challenged is Native Son by Richard Wright... usually for "violence, sex, and profanity."

Native Son tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young black man living in 1940's Chicago and struggling to figure out how to get by in life. His mom forces him to take a job as a chauffeur for a rich white family and then there is a huge plot twist that I somehow didn't see coming. Sometimes I don't like to know too much about something before I read it and in this case it paid off... anyhow I wouldn't want to say what happens next because it would be a huge spoiler. Let's just say that Bigger gets in trouble and most of the book is him trying to figure out what to do.

What is unusual is that Bigger is not in any way a likable character. I think it would be fair to say that most readers would be rooting against him. The point of the book seems to me that you shouldn't feel sympathetic towards Bigger, but that people need to realize that the social conditions of poverty and racism will create people like Bigger...the long term solution for a better society isn't to continually lock up people like Bigger but to fix our society so that everyone gets a chance and someone like Bigger never gets created. At least that's what I think Wright is trying to get across... I could see a pretty good discussion in an AP English class in which some kids would disagree with Wright's viewpoint.

At the time he wrote it, Richard Wright was a communist and Native Son definitely reflects that. Besides just showing racism, the book also shows how communists were discriminated against and targeted by police. Near the end of the book Bigger's lawyer gives a long speech that gets kind of preachy about how American society is partly responsible for Bigger's crimes and indirectly argues against capitalism. Whether or not you agree, I still think it is interesting to take in someone's viewpoint (as long as it isn't as long winded and heavy handed as Atlas Shrugged). Surprisingly none of the challenges on the book are for promoting communism.

I enjoyed the book... partly because I kept being shocked at how the main character kept getting more and more unlikable. It also has a strong political viewpoint and gave me something to think about and debate in my head. I'll have to give it an A.

Book # 73 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Banned Books Week Edition

As someone with a degree in Library Science I feel somewhat obligated to mention that it Banned Books Week. Every year the American Library Association compiles a list of books that were "challenged" by people wanting them removed from public or school libraries. Yes, there are still people out there that get enraged enough by a book that they make a written complaint to a librarian asking for the book to be removed. Of course librarians as a whole are against censorship but I think they also find it somewhat humorous that they receive these complaints... how is it that The Chocolate War is still getting complaints? This probably explains why they get so excited for Banned Book Week and put out huge posters and displays of books that were challenged.... be a rebel and read The Catcher in the Rye!

One of those books that often gets challenged is The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The Color Purple is a book that I wouldn't have ever thought to read if it wasn't on our list. So this is one of the times where reading something from the list really pays off... this book is great (but a bit depressing for the most part).

The novel is made up mostly of letters written by the main character, Celie, that detail her life. And her life is full of difficulties... First her father sexually abuses her and sells her children, then she gets married off to a man that physically abuses her and pretty much treats her like a slave. Her husband then allows his mistress, Shug,  to move in with them! However Celie and Shug become great friends and Celie eventually builds up the strength to stand up for herself, leave her husband and start her own business. She also finds out that her sister has been writing to her for years and she discovers what happened to her children.

From the very beginning the story is captivating and I felt bad for Celie's struggles. Near the end it looks like the book could go with either a totally sad ending or an uplifting ending... and I'm glad it ended the way it did. As a whole it was entertaining and very thought provoking. I'll give it an A.

For a listing of challenges to The Color Purple you can check out http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons which lists the challenges several classic books have received in the past. Even though it does have great literary merit, I can see some why some parents might complain if the book was given as assigned reading, but trying to completely remove it from a library is just ridiculous.

Sci-Fi Book # 20 and Horror Book # 51 Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Back in 8th-10th grade I read quite a few Michael  Crichton books... Sphere, Congo, Rising Sun, and of course Jurassic Park. I remember really liking Jurassic Park when I read it as a kid and how excited I was for the movie to come out. Re-reading it now I have a different opinion.

First off, most all of the characters are one dimensional... especially Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler. Their only characteristic is that they know stuff about dinosaurs. Next, the character of Alexis is super annoying, she literally complains the entire book. Also, way too much time is spent with characters trying to figure out how the computer system at Jurassic Park is supposed to work... who cares??? Why not spend that time telling us about dinosaurs chasing people and not use page after page showing us computer interfaces. Plus there is a whole sub-plot about dinosaurs getting off the island on a boat that is pointless since there is a prologue that tells you dinosaurs are already getting off the island. Thankfully all of these things were fixed in the film version.

Still... I enjoyed the book but I wouldn't classify it as great. The book has a good idea and has some pretty exciting scenes. I'd give the book a B. 

Sci-Fi Book # 4 Second Foundation (Foundation Trilogy Book 3 of 3) by Isaac Asimov

My thoughts on the third book in The Foundation Trilogy, Second Foundation, are pretty much the same as the previous book -  I enjoyed the book and still found the whole idea of psychohistory fascinating but it didn't quite blow me away for a book so highly ranked and considered one of the best of all time.

This volume deals with two different attempts to discover the location and secret of the "second foundation" founded hundreds of years ago by Hari Seldon. In the first half The Mule from the previous book continues his search for the second foundation so that he can conquer it and be the ruler of everything. The second half deals  with the search by the first foundation some time after the reign of The Mule ends.

The weird names Asimov uses still annoys me, and keeping track of the characters takes some work.
This one also gets a B+.

Book # 50 Harry Potter (Book 5 of 7) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

I can't believe it has been over a year since I read the previous Harry Potter book... how time flies.

This time Harry has to live with the magic "media" spreading untrue and distorted stories about him while having to deal with new teacher Professor Umbridge who quickly uses her political power to take over Hogwarts and run it like a fascist state.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is easily my favorite Harry Potter book. Unlike the previous books, Harry is often unlikeable and moody and in the end he totally falls for Voldemort's trap because he didn't listen to the advice people gave him throughout the book. Also Professor Umbridge is a great villain and I'd argue even more interesting than Voldemort. Unlike evil dark wizards, fascist teachers do exist. The reader is never really sure of her motivations either... Is she in on Voldemort's plot? Does she really think that he's dead? Does she just have blind allegiance to the Ministry of Magic's viewpoint? In this book at least it isn't clear what is going on in her head.

This one gets an A+.

The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman

I couldn't wait for this book to arrive... unfortunately the post office messed up and didn't deliver it for a few days for some unknown reason (they kept saying it was undeliverable because no one was home despite me being at home at all times) and when they did deliver it the mailman literally threw the package at my house.  Anyway....

The Magician's Land is the final book in the Magicians Trilogy and does a very good job wrapping up all of the loose story lines and brings back pretty much every character from the previous books. Quentin is now almost thirty and is finally getting adjusted to knowing that he'll never visit Fillory again and has become a teacher at his old school. While over in Fillory, Elliot and Janet find out that Fillory is falling apart and is about to "end".  Quentin and one of his students become part of a plot to steal a mysterious briefcase and eventually wind up involved in the mission to save Fillory.

I enjoyed the final book as much as the first two... it left me wanting more books in the series even though everything is wrapped up so nicely in the end. I'll give it an A-.

Also, the book starts with a quote from The Last Battle of the Narnia series and mentions Alice in Wonderland and Winnie-the-Pooh. And like the previous two books it has a cover that doesn't really make sense.