11/22/63

Stephen King had a big question of his own when he wrote this book.  It's not the same question I am thinking about after reading it, but ultimately, the two may be related.  So -- if you've been in love, you might have done some crazy things for your significant other.  If not, you might have done some crazy things for the people that are really close to you: mother, brother, sister, father, etc.  This is a book about true and real love and what one man would do to preserve it.  It makes me wonder.  What is a person willing to do for true love, whether that love be platonic, romantic or familial? That darn Meatloaf song is now running through my head.  Speaking of Meatloaf, King is essentially making his point in the book.  Most people would give their lives for true love.  Many would sacrifice someone else's life.  However, there is a point where a person would stop and think about the ramifications.  In the case of this book, it is when the fate of the world is a stake.  Jake/George (he goes by both), the protagonist, falls in love after traveling back in time to 1958 in an attempt to stop the Kennedy assassination.  His girl is Sadie, and they go through quite a bit, only to be separated after the attempt to stop Oswald (I will refrain from spoiling the plot).  He heads back to 2011 determined to go back and try again with Sadie but finds that the changes he has caused are for the worse.  The world has essentially been cast into chaos, and he has a decision to make.  Go back in time to secure the love of his life or reset the whole thing and forget it ever happened.  Well, as Meatloaf would say, "I would do anything for love.  Yes, I would go to Hell and back.  I would do anything for love, but I won't do that."  

Paradise Lost: The Modern Version 5th Hour

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2nd Hour Paradise Lost: The Modern Version

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Paradise Lost: The Modern Version

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"  

As we listen to the poem, we will stop at the end of each section.  You will comment by sharing your thoughts and questions about what's happening in the poem.  Also, make sure to compliment someone in your post, if you are not the first to respond.

The Coroner's Lunch

This is such a fun book.  I started it on Monday morning and just finished it.   Very engaging.

This book is captivating from the beginning. Siri is a seventy-two-year-old coroner living in Laos which has just been converted to a socialist state, the fight between the capitalists and socialists now at an end. The old man was hoping to retire; however, in the newly created state, every able bodied person must play a role, and Siri is no different. He is forced to become the coroner (a job title he has never held) and though he is reluctant, he eventually becomes enthralled in his work after a few mysterious circumstances come to light. With the questionable death of Miss Nitnoy, a murder mystery is unveiled, and he, along with his young nurse, Dtui, and an assistant with down syndrome named Mr. Geung, starts to dig into a case that becomes deeper than anticipated.

So many elements of this book stimulate the mind. There is the murder mystery, an element of the supernatural and questions about the role of human nature in a socialistic society. One statement that really stands out occurs when Siri is trying to present evidence in the case to a higher official.  The official tells him that one can not get too ambitious in a country such as Laos.  It's one of the many jabs that is taken at a society that exists without capitalism.  However, the book demonstrates the truth about human nature, and one aspect of it resides in the idea of advancing or moving up the ladder.  If one's hard work has no reward, then it is less likely that one will work hard.  Cotterill seems to be arguing about the danger of a society that doesn't allow mobility and the importance of discovering something you are passionate about.  For example, in the book, Siri is totally captivated by his work, regardless of whether he wanted to do it in the first place.  Motivation is the key to moving forward and learning.  This short work of fiction essentially proves it.

John Dies at the End Again!

Beware!  The wig monsters are everywhere!

I must admit to being profoundly sad about finishing this wonderfully funny and horrifying book.  All of John and Dave's epic adventures into other universes filled with hideous and strange creatures will be missed.  Although, the rumor is that Mr. Wong (not actually the author's name) will have a sequel.  The book will be titled This Book is full of Spiders.  When it hits the shelf, pure elation will be the only feeling.  I can't wait to delve back into Wong's dry humor and strange imagination.  

Beyond the great voice and strange creatures, John Dies at the End brings about many deep questions.  It explores many of the seemingly mundane paranormal experiences of a majority of humans and adds some, albeit crazy, explanation. Are we alone?  This is something the author must have pondered before writing the book.  It's a question most of us think about.  This is why tales of UFOs and ghosts persist.  What are aliens?  What are ghosts?  Scientifically speaking, we know that there are probably many other oxygenated planets with intelligent life forms in our vast and infinite universe.  However, we also know that they are very far away, and it would be impossible, even travelling at the speed of light, to make it to one of these planets in a lifetime.  Wong sets out to give us a fictional explanation that may hold some water.  He brings about this idea of parallel universes.  Places that one can pass to through a wormhole in a wall or by stepping into a floating black sphere.  Whether this is possible or not is up for debate.  Something that may get you to think like Wong is the story of the green children.  Look it up!  Now!