Philip Kim
Period 3
QUESTIONS:
1. What is one book that you would recommend to other people to read?
2. Summarize the book in one or two simple concise sentences.
3. What did you like about the book?
4. Could you relate to any of the characters in this book?
5. Why would you recommend this book to others?
Name: Hyunwook Lim
1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2. If you want to read a novel that surpasses times, this is for you!
3. I liked the idea that human souls are eternal, passing from time to time.
4. I could not relate to any characters because I do not believe that human souls pass from time to time, and the novel was more of a mysterious sort for me.
5. I would recommend this book to others because of its unusual structure and an interesting character development.
Name: Paul Park
1. I would recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
2. The book is about a young shepherd, Santiago, and his journey to fulfill his Personal Legend. The book conveys that everyone has a certain destiny, and yet not everyone resolves to attain. Reaching one’s destiny requires leaving behind familiar surroundings and demands persistence, the ability to change and respond to anything that may come along the path.
3. What I liked most about the book was its message. It reminds us that finding our personal legends takes hard work. It’s never easy to find them, and as the book shows, it may even be right where you are at present. However, the journey to the personal legend is what is important. It teaches us that one has to be willing to respond and adapt to the obstacles we are presented with in life. Those of us who are able to persevere will succeed.
4. I could not relate myself to anyone in the book. But after reading it, I could not help but want to be more like Santiago, the boy who is able to persevere.
5. I would recommend this book to others for lots of reason. For one, it’s not a hard read. It’s also not the typical bore you would expect from a book that tries to teach deep lessons. Most importantly, I hope that others who read this book will get the same impression as I did. The book served me as a guide on how to approach my life in times of trouble. Instead of giving up, I know it’s worth trying to work things out.
Name: Kyu Ho Lee
1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
2. This book revolves around the life of a boy who lives in the Middle East. He must learn to live with the social class system that pressures him to alienate his best friend.
3. I like how the story has a very in dept plot that involves a lot of realistic social issues but does not spend too much time divulging into the historical matters of the Middle East. It also has a very interesting ending that gives the reader a sense of understanding.
4. I think a lot of the issues that the characters encounter are situations that we can put ourselves in. when the characters feel like they have to hang out with kids who are of the same class, it seems similar to high school situations where we are pressured to hang out with cool kids. It also deals with the issue of redemption and forgiveness, which is something that is universal to people in any part of the world.
5. It seems like an interesting way to get insight into different cultural values. It sheds light into inner conflicts that others may not see.
Name: Karen Mui
1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
2. The book is about this kid who looks for his father throughout the novel and he finds clues along the way. In the end, all the clues finally come together.
3. I liked the suspense that Foer created! And waiting to find out what all the clues actually meant.
4. Relating to the characters… I guess the boy was really curious and adventurous. I sort of resemble that side of him.
5. Why? Because the book is amazzzzzzing. I just liked it a lot and it was easy to read despite the length! I never got tired of it. There was always something new to look forward to.
Name: Jenny Han
1. Beloved.
2. The novel takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War. The haunted soul of a baby ghost, named Beloved, comes back to her house and forces her family to look upon their past.
3. I don’t think the American Classics would be complete without Morrison’s Beloved. I liked that the novel touched upon many important themes that relate to everyday society: the importance of community, slavery’s destruction of identity, and the powers and limits of words.
4. I could relate to Sethe, the mother of Beloved. Sethe is an independent woman who devotes herself to her children. However, she is haunted by her own past and tries to extricate herself from it. I, too, find myself in denial of certain moments of my past. Reading Beloved, I realized once again, the importance learning to accept my past and learn from it rather than repress myself from the past.
5. Beloved has so many underlying themes and motifs that are woven in fluidly throughout Morrison’s narration. Her writing is almost three dimensional. Beloved is a must!