"We Are Two Wild & Craaazy Guys!" (Steve Martin & David Sedaris)

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Born Standing Up- Steve Martin

Published:  2007
Pages:  207
ISBN:  9781847391483
Genre:  Memoir

Started:  Aug. 22, 2011
Finished:  Aug. 27, 2011 (6 days)
 
Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Summary:  A memoir of the creative process in writing and performing stand-up comedy with the trademark sardonic wit of Steve Martin, who went on to star on SNL and in comedy classics The Jerk, L.A. Story, Roxanne, and Father of the Bride.

Review:

I remember first encountering Steve Martin in a lesser-known movie of his called A Simple Twist of Fate and I especially remember a scene where he had to describe to a social worker why he would make a good father to an orphaned girl he has been a guardian to.  He has a knack for delivering the funniest lines with a deadly serious facial expression that never fails to get a laugh.  And his banjo-playing is pretty good, too :)

Martin recounts his beginnings in stand-up comedy with sharp recall and a reflective humbleness that is particularly refreshing for a memoir, bereft of ego in a genre in which is nearly impossible to avoid it.  He has a fascinating educational background in philosophy and had early starts in performing magic tricks, vaudeville, and writing jokes, all given a respectful place in starting and contributing to his career as a comedian. 

One of my favourite stories is how Martin often performed in venues with audiences so small that he used to take them outside and improvise bits on a walking tour!  Then when his audiences grew into auditorium sizes, it was a part of the show that he missed the most.

This is a book impossible not to enjoy.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

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Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris

Published:  2000
Pages:  272
ISBN:  9780316777728
Genre:  Humour

Started:  Sept. 8, 2011
Finished:  about Sept. 14, 2011 (about 7 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  There were so many positive reviews from book bloggers, I had to give it a try.

Summary:  A series of vignettes surrounding themes of family, growing up, mistakes, and learning.

Review:

Where have I been all this time that I haven't read or even heard of David Sedaris?!  Once I started book blogging, his name was cropping up on nearly every blog I followed and it was Melissa @ Avid Reader's Musings who suggested Me Talk Pretty One Day was the best book of his to start with.  She was absolutely right--I was taken with it immediately and it was a laugh-riot to the end.

I had to keep reminding myself that Sedaris is from North Carolina and not Britain, because his humour reminds me of the self-deprecation of comics like John Cleese and Dudley Moore...and I just couldn't fit him with a Southern accent.  Then again, I haven't heard the audiobook version (that would probably clue me in right away).

These stories were my favourites and are guaranteed side-splitters:
Big Boy--at a party, he goes to use the bathroom and tries to fix a clogging toilet
Me Talk Pretty One Day--learning French from a sadistic teacher
Picka Pocketoni--he and his boyfriend are mistaken for pickpockets by tourists in Paris
...and any story about his parents, wickedly funny sister, and their dogs.

His humour may take adjusting for readers new to his books and can sometimes tease the borderline between acceptable and going too far, but if you take it all in stride--that is, if you realize that his humour is not hateful but just written with a poison pen--it's a wildly funny ride.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Earth (The Book)- Jon Stewart & staff of the Daily Show

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2010
Pages:  238
ISBN:  9780446579223
Genre:  Humour

Start Date:  Dec. 26, 2010
Finished Date:  Jan. 16, 2011

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo (bought as an Xmas gift for my dad)
Why Read:  After skimming through it & hearing my dad laugh through it all, I had to read the whole thing!

Summary:  An encyclopedic guide to our planet for future alien visitors/invaders.

Review:

After the raucous, side-splitting & scarily accurate roast of government and society in America, Jon Stewart and his minions at The Daily Show (not to be mistaken for The Jon Stewart Show or The John Daily Show) return with a far wider scope in their crosshairs:  Earth.  Divided into broad ranging categories of Earth, life, man, the life cycle, society, commerce, religion, science & culture, writers mix historically accurate facts with acerbic jabs at the hilarity of accomplishing just that.  Oh, and there's some anatomical humour in there, too.

The concept of creating a guidebook for intellectual E.T. superiors to judge the eventual demise of our planet and the human race that once dominated it supports the idea that for all of our cultural and creative accomplishments in our few billion years of existence, we aren't all that far removed from our cavemen ancestors.  If you doubt this in any way, there are a plethora of examples to set you straight.

While the book's content is very comprehensive and organized like an encyclopedia, which no one in their right mind would read cover to cover chronologically, Earth is too rich of a read to be stuck in a bathroom book basket.  Maybe the audiobook is the best way to go.  Overall, the picture captions and small tweakings of photos, documents, and quotations offer the funniest material, but no category is underwritten.  The sections on man, the life cycle, society and culture offer the best laughs.  Case in point: Larry King posing for a lesson on anatomy, Mr. Potato Head modeling the senses, and Barbie & Ken's Dream House bathroom as a prop for maintenance.  What gets a bit tired are the overlong chapter introductions and some of the sections' opening paragraphs where the jokes get stale.  The book is still very funny and worth a read, but to get the most out of it is probably best consumed on audiobook over a longer stretch of time.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend

This Time Together- Carol Burnett

Purchased:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2010
Pages:  266
ISBN:  9780307461186
Genre:  Memoir, Humour

Start Date:  Jan. 4, 2011
Finished Date:  Jan. 6, 2011 (3 days)

Where Found:  Xmas 2010 gift from my dad (on my wish list)
Why Read:  I was not yet born when the Carol Burnett Show ran but have rediscovered the magic of her show via YouTube, and have become a fan.

Read for:  What's in a Name 4 Challenge (1/6)

Summary:  Iconic TV commedienne Carol Burnett recounts her initial foray in show business, TV gigs, costars, guests, family, friends & fans in lovingly written & hilarious anecdotes.

Review:

A sweet, wonderful read with a variety of both touching & hilarious stories from one of the funniest TV performers ever.  Each story is only a page or two long, and they come one after the other in semi-chronological order, but no matter.  Every story has a reason for being told--it traces

Without giving away too much of the magic that she brings to the stories (highlight the bracketed portions for the answers), let's just say that Carol Burnett teaches us how to get away with wearing pants at Rumplemayer's (pretend you have a wooden leg), how to send a mugger running (sing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" at the top of your lungs), and how the game show Password went from a live show to a taped one (a contestant misreads the clue as a dirty word).  Stories of Tim's license as the Invisible Man, escaping a date by jumping out of the moving car, a backfiring prank & elevator surprise with Julie Andrews, and apologizing on an airplane for her performance in The Front Page had me laughing, and if you're a big fan or (like me) a new one, you will get a kick of this book.

The book references these famed sketches on The Carol Burnett Show, found on YouTube:

James Stewart's surprise appearance on the final episode of The Carol Burnett Show (up to 3:35)

Tim Conway & Harvey Korman's "dentist" sketch:

I also love Tim Conway's ad-libbed elephant story that had Carol, Vicki Lawrence & Dick Van Dyke in stitches.  The sketch was an outtake never aired on the show due to "Mama"'s brilliant one-liner at the end.  Here is the video so you can see for yourself ;)

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend

Last Words- George Carlin

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2009
Pages:  294
ISBN:  9781439191101
Genre:  Autobiography, Humour

Start Date:  Dec. 25, 2010
Finished Date:  Dec. 28, 2010 (3 days)

Where Found:  Surprise Xmas 2010 gift from my dad, a lifelong Carlin fan.
Why Read:  I never quite understood the mystery of Carlin and his appeal to both my dad & grandad, though I love his humour, and now I have a deeper knowledge of it all.

Summary:  A reflective, side-splitting autobiography that recounts Carlin's Harlem childhood with Irish-American parents, experiences that influenced one of his most beloved comedy albums, Class Clown, his comedy club & TV gigs, writing controversial, countercultural material, and the effects of his multiple substance abuses.

Review:

Whether or not a person's sense of humour is akin to your taste, you have to admire the intelligence it takes to be funny: the setup, the buildup, the punchline, and most important of all, the timing.  All part of the formula, but not the entire picture by far.  The best comedians have colourful backgrounds that form the basis for their almost limitless supply of material.  Their appeal comes from the use of unique concepts that relate to their audience.  Some comedians dance along an unwritten boundary line, testing the waters before leaping right in; some just take the plunge.  George Carlin had more than an irreverent take on life that came through his humour--he had a strong take on society's deepest issues, from religion to education to abortion, never shying from controversy, to the point where he even seemed to embrace it.

Carlin's autobiography is full of both hilarious and sad stories that build up a fascinating background for a comedian to grow up.  His mother had a wicked sense of humour.  His father was an absent alcoholic.  He drew on his Catholic school experiences for Class Clown.  He crawled up the showbiz ladder by working in radio and then in comedy clubs, followed by several appearances on variety TV, HBO specials, and several hit albums and books.  And of course, there were the 7 words, which I won't reprint here.  But, as Carlin asks, "you do know what they are, don't you?" ;)

Carlin writes honest, blunt takes on the sad, serious sides of life with terrific humour and spins the values of society on their head to the point where we rethink their original intention.  His work as a comedian went beyond making people laugh, using humour as a device for intelligence during a time of countercultural rebellion, paving the way for comics with a conscience, and creating a whole different sense of humour.

On a personal note, when my parents were dating, they, like most couples do, examined their books and music collections for duplications.  There weren't many books & records in common, but they each had at least one Carlin album.  It must have been fate :)

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Recommend

About a Boy- Nick Hornby

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Published:  1998
Length:  307 pages
ISBN:  1573227331
Genre:  Fiction, Humour

Start Date:  Sometime in 2009
Finished Date:  Sometime in 2009

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  I loved High Fidelity and the movie version of About a Boy.

Summary:  A rich, self-involved and non-working Will becomes an unlikely friend/mentor to 12-year-old Marcus, an outcast in need of a father figure with a single weepy mom who is part of a support group Will joins to meet women.

Review:

Will is admittedly shallow. In fact, he is the first to admit it. He just doesn’t see the point in work, family, or pleasure that money can’t buy. Thank goodness this is a Hornby novel with biting, downright scathing humour or Will’s wallows in self-involvement would be just pitiful.

Enter Marcus, a sweet but lonely young boy sick and tired of his mom’s daily sob fests over her divorce who wants a friend but instead finds a highly unlikely father figure in Will after he joins a single mother’s support group in an absurd attempt to earn a sympathetic companion by claiming a fictional son, Ned.

The funniest stories are often about mismatched individuals who gradually learn from each other, either for love or friendship. Hornby completely twists this formula around: Marcus can’t possibly learn anything decent from Will, except that he is capable of helping others learn, as well as recognizing and accepting the craziness of his life by discarding the normalcy he skeptically yearns for in his early adolescence.

Hornby is one of the funniest writers around. He chews up & spits out pop culture, focusing on music in High Fidelity and conventional relationships in About a Boy (though music is a central motif). The movie improves on the book with the perfectly cast Hugh Grant as Will and trims some unnecessary subplots that weigh the last half of the book. Overall, I would recommend it for a fun read and rent the movie while you’re at it.

Rank:  (B)- Very Good, Recommend

My Life As a 10-Year Old Boy- Nancy Cartwright

Purchase:  Amazon

Published: 2000
Length: 271 pages
ISBN: 0786866969
Genre: Memoir

Start Date: Sometime in 2001-2
Finished Date: Sometime in 2001-2

Where From: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: I’m a Simpsons fangirl :oD Nearly any conversation can be subtitled, “This reminds of that episode of The Simpsons when…” This was the first of several major books written on The Simpsons & I wanted to learn about the show from an inside perspective.

Summary: An anecdotal look back at the first 10 or so years of The Simpsons through the eyes of Bart Simpson and his alter ego, voice actor Nancy Cartwright.

Review:

Any Simpsons fan will like this book. Even a casual viewer will find it enjoyable. If you can’t stand the show…why are you reading this review? Ay Carumba! Just kidding :oD  But, I wouldn’t bother if you’re averse to the long-running satirical cartoon series, as the majority of the book is about voice actor Nancy Cartwright’s long career as the voice of devilish imp and pop cultural icon Bart Simpson.

A nice, short autobiography of Cartwright’s childhood in Ohio, early forays in voice-over work on local radio, her mentorship with Daws Butler (the voice of Yogi Bear among others), and a variety of small roles, both live action and voice over before getting to the crux of her career: The Simpsons. Starting with bit sketches on The Tracey Ullman Show and leading into their independent stint as Fox’s Sunday night cartoon-sitcom, Cartwright paints an insider’s picture of the show’s development.

Stories of interacting with celebrity voice-over guests will charm the pants off you. My favourites are an unwillingness to correct Kirk Douglas’ script reading, an unexpected twist of fate in a shy moment with Meryl Streep, and a hilarious two-word rehearsal read by Elizabeth Taylor, who gives Maggie a naughty first word! Cartwright also puts to rest any rumours that doubt the true identities of Sam Etic (yes, it really was Dustin Hoffman) and John Jay Smith (yes, it really was late The King of Pop). An appendix lists major guest stars and recurring roles from the show that will get you back into rerun fever or at least rent the prime seasons on DVD (I love #s 2-10).

I was very moved by her memories of hearing the devastating news of Phil Hartman’s murder, whose regular roles as Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz were neither replaced nor explained away, but simply never seen again as no one but Hartman could give them life. Cartwright also touches on friendships with Homer, Marge, and Lisa (a.k.a. Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith), the Emmy awards experience, and the cultural impact of the show.

A sweet end gesture comes in the form of a flipbook-style cartoon in the bottom right corner from page 161 to the end. Even if you’re not keen on buying the book, find a copy & flip through it. It’s very heartwarming :o)

Overall, I was more impressed with Chris Turner’s Planet Simpson, which goes into more detail about individual episodes and the show’s cultural impact, but you cannot beat the inside scoop from Bart herself :oD

Rank: (A)- Very Good, Recommend

Marley & Me- John Grogan

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Published: 2005
Length: 289 pages
ISBN: 9780060817084
Genre: Humour, Pets

Start Date: Sometime in 2007
Finished Date: Sometime in 2007

Where From: My grandma gave it to me after reading it (was originally a Xmas 2006 gift)
Why Read: I love dogs and the story of an owner’s relationship with his dog appealed to me. Also, it got great reviews.

Summary: A young married couple adopt a golden retriever puppy and see the best in him over the years of his life despite his stubborn & hilariously disastrous personality.

Review:

This is a story that will touch the hearts of dog lovers everywhere and, even if you don’t have much affinity for dogs, will appreciate the growing relationship between a pet and his owner. I have always wanted a dog, but never had one for most of the reasons that make John and Jenny reconsider their choice to adopt Marley: the shredded furniture, the constant replacing of the screen door that he barges through with his thick skull, puddles on the carpet, the mountainous cow pies in the backyard, and the hopeless attempts at passing behaviour training school.

What convinces me that one day I will have a dog of my own are the beach runs where the dog walks you, the cuddles on the couch, the sniffing of the newborn baby in her crib, and how the family grows with Marley in their heart. John & Jenny adjust to Marley, then to raising their children, and then to the possibility of living without Marley.

The ending is inevitable, but I cried through the last several pages. Like Old Yeller, you simply can’t help but love a dog until death and afterwards all his loveable charms outweigh the faults that you thought would break dreams of a happy, clean home apart.

Marley & Me is a love story about a family developed in spite of Marley and growing in love because of Marley. Like a movie you return to again and again, you will laugh, cry, smile, grimace, and feel joy in this story about a family and their dog.

Haven't seen the movie version, but I think Marley's antics are funnier read, though I thought the trailer showing Marley half in and half out of the car window walking on the road was priceless :oD

Rank: (A+)- A must-read! Now!

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed & Other Things I've Learned- Alan Alda

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Published: 2005 ISBN: 9780812974409
Length: 235 pages
Genre: Memoir

Start Date: Sept. 6, 2010
Finished Date: Sept. 18, 2010 (I should have finished it earlier but Pride & Prejudice cut in)

Where From: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: On a memoir-reading kick, I picked this up, having seen many Alan Alda movies and, after skimming it, realizing that his writing style is just as good as his acting style.

Summary: An unconventional memoir by respected and versatile actor Alan Alda about unusual, quirky experiences revolving around his family that formed his early unschooled education as an actor and have affected him thus far.

Review:

As the title suggests, this is a far from conventional literary memoir where Alan Alda translates good form from acting to writing, keeping the nostalgia readers will expect intact but giving the stories purpose rather than just to entertain or inform. Alda is a skilled writer and his life experiences are a melting pot for his development as an actor. He is humble, promoting the opposite of self-serving celebrity autobiographies of late—rarely does he use the words “I” or “me.” His on-screen persona as intelligent, witty, and somewhat nervous is transparent on the written page as his value as a veteran actor of stage, film, and TV is magnified by his skill as a writer.

The book is divided into 3 acts, a clever adoption of George Abbott’s take on playwriting that he cites as:

Act I- Get your hero up a tree
Act II- Throw rocks at him
Act III- Get him down again

His father, Robert Alda, was an actor of radio, burlesque, and (sparingly) film, who has an uncanny resemblance to Alda, and provided a venue for jokes and subtle influences for the younger Alda, who recalls judging his dad as not being a “serious” enough actor. He had a habit of directing his father when he read lines with him and even gave the older Alda a copy of Hamlet to study from, but ended up using it to better his own self-taught acting, learning the craft through ordinary means of osmosis. His mother, who had bouts of mental illness recognized as schizophrenia but never diagnosed, are recalled with several instances of paranoia and accusations of being spied on. Lighter moments, such as his first sweet encounter with wife Arlene, lighten what could have been an overwhelmingly dark memoir.

One thing I was hoping for that didn’t come through was more of his experiences in films, especially under Woody Allen’s direction. Alda refers more to his early stage work, M*A*S*H, and briefly Paper Lion, but perhaps this is brought up more in his follow-up memoir, Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, which I will try down the road. If you enjoy Alda as an actor, I recommend reading this, but general readers may not be too intrigued.  So, I'll give this an A as I really liked the book, but I will just recommend rather than "highly" recommend it.

Rank: (A)- Very Good, Recommend

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published: 2008
Length: 163 pages
ISBN: 978-1439153710
Genre: Humour, Memoir

Start date: Aug. 17, 2010
End date: Aug. 18, 2010 (boy, that must be a record for me!)

Where from: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: I heard it was funny and I’ve always liked Carrie Fisher in When Harry Met Sally… and Star Wars (of course).

Summary: A memoir of vignettes written for a one-woman-show about the trials & tribulations of an actress growing up with famous parents (well, one famous parent anyway) and finding the humour in battles with drugs, bipolar disorder, and Star Wars.

Great Quotation: “I feel I’m very sane about how crazy I am.”

Review:

This was a quick but fulfilling read as many dark moments are shared and dealt with through humour, an attitude that can be awkward for some to accept, but after all, what better way is there to handle such a roller coaster of Hollywood existence?

I loved the hilarious tidbits about the relationship with her mother. Did you know she introduces herself as Debbie when she calls? Too cute :o) The entire book isn’t a laugh a minute and it’s not meant to be, but the scattering of laugh out loud moments make it a worthy read. Case in point: The dubious honour of having apicture of Princess Leia in the bipolar chapter of a psychology textbook.

If you’re looking for a memoir about Carrie Fisher’s film career, this isn’t it. Only Star Wars is considerably referenced (Fisher knows it’s impossible not to) especially concerning its reception in popular culture down to the ridiculous merchandising. The most hilarious entries describe the gross misuse of Princess Leia as a shampoo bottle with her removable head and the Pez dispenser that juts wafers out of her neck.

The chapters are short and breezy (even the less voracious reader may finish it in 1-2 sittings) and stories are sprinkled throughout in no particular order, though dish on the Debbie, Eddie, and Elizabeth love/hate triangle is covered earlier on. The humour is consistently self-deprecating, yet the clarity of her self-acceptance and ability to laugh through her darkest moments is a surprisingly entertaining combination. I think reading this aloud with a friend, as recommended by the EW review on the cover, with a couple of margaritas (hold the amphetamines) would make a hilarious romp.

Did anyone else notice the slanted font of the cover's title ala the scrolling Star Wars openers?  This must be deliberate...or I'm morphing into a fanboy.

Rate:  A- Highly recommend

Harking Back...Part II: High School

Grade 9-


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Twelfth Night- Shakespeare
An excellent play to jumpstart a Shakespearian education in high school, in which we covered a play per year, as is the practice even nowadays. I enjoyed this play thoroughly and was able to understand it, despite the language barrier that turns off many students (and even adults!). As with most Shakespeare classes, I saw the film version with Helena Bonham Carter, which was a good interpretation of the play, even without Kenneth Branagh at the helm. I am still tickled by Shakespeare’s and Oscar Wilde’s comedies, which stand the test of humourous time. 
Rank:  (A)- Highly recommend

 

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The Chrysalids- John Wyndham

This was a love it or hate it novel. Having not read a science-fiction novel with my class and only having read about two Monica Hughes novels up to that point, I had no idea what to expect from this book. I haven’t read it since Grade 9, however I remember some details of it and how it tried to appeal to a younger audience with its characters, though I don’t remember the themes suggested in most online forums. At the time, I found it “just okay.”

Rank:  (C)- Just okay

Grade 10-

 

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Lord of the Flies- William Golding
A brilliant philosophical tale, albeit told through the eyes of children, but stemming from deeper political and psychological means. The tragedy of succumbing to influence struck me even then, and I still believe it to be very relevant to misgivings in society today.
P.S.  The edition at Chapters is the one I read & the cover is really disturbing...Freaked me out for a few weeks!
Rate:  (A)- Highly recommend





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Romeo & Juliet- Shakespeare

Not the most memorable time spent in studying this play, but nonetheless it is hard to resist the romantic/tragic underpinnings of the star-crossed lovers. At least it is for girls :o) We saw both the Olivia Hussey-starring, Franco Zefferelli directed version from 1968 and the highly popular Leonardo DiCaprio-Claire Danes version of 1996, which Baz Luhrmann directed in a sparkly, flittingly spasmodic style a la Moulin Rouge, which was a much better film IMO. I preferred (and still prefer) the Zefferelli interpretation, which gives a rich backdrop to Verona with amazing detail and elegant costumes. R + J was set contemporarily, I realize, but lacked much depth and was more a star vehicle that pairs nicely with Titanic in its themes and its beautification of Leo.
Rank:  (A)- Highly recommend

Who’s on First?- Abbott & Costello (during class :oP)

Sorry to Mr. Williams, my long-retired Grade 10 English teacher, but I’ll admit that I snuck a glance through our anthology textbook and came across this classic that has always been my favourite comedy routine. View it on YouTube for major laughs! I nearly laughed out loud reading this during class. As a teacher, I cringe a bit at my behaviour, but I feel that this material could have been much more appealing than what was averting my attention to it.

Grade 11-

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To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

Still remains a coming-of-age milestone in literary education. At the time, I felt that the first half of the book was rather tame with not much occurring, but my teacher insisted (and was correct) that the second half was so powerful it was worth the trek. As usual, we also viewed the Gregory Peck-starring film, a very worthy adaptation that next to Lord of the Rings, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile…is probably the greatest book-to-film piece ever made. Any others that come to mind?

Rank:  (A+)- Instant favourite

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Inherit the Wind- Jerome Lawrence & Robert Edwin Lee
A play based on the controversial Scopes evolution-in-education trial. Being in a public school, it seemed like a no-brainer to teach Darwinian theory in science since it gave a secular viewpoint on the history of mankind free from religious bias. That being said, there was very little debate about the subject matter as we were basically all in agreement, which stifled (and likely shortened) the unit on this play, but it tied in nicely with the popular law course. Again, we saw the film versions: Spencer Tracy & Fredric March in 1960, and Jack Lemmon & George C. Scott in 1999.
Rank:  (A)- Highly recommend

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Animal Farm- George Orwell

At this point in Grade 11 English, we had a student teacher who was less than effective and didn’t offer much, if any, insight to the socio-political entanglements of the novel. I was very confused by its themes, but I’d like to reread it some day, as I am determined to get a better hold on it. Since then, it’s been a turnoff. The animated film versions of 1954 & 1999 supposedly aren’t much better.
Rank:  (C)- Just okay
  

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Macbeth- Shakespeare
Again, this was taught by a student teacher who didn’t make it very understandable. It is supposed to be Shakespeare’s most appealing tragedy to teenagers because of its profound violence & sexuality, but it came off to me (at 16 years old!) as vulgar. I want to insist that I wasn’t being prudish at all—I couldn’t stand most excessively violent movies until I was about 18—but again, I feel that having a teacher’s direction would have improved my experience reading this play. I may try rereading it some day, but until then it remains my least favourite Shakespearian work. On top of all this, we watched some of the Roman Polanski-directed film, which includes the disturbing image of all the dead children, eerily similar to photos of Holocaust victims’ mass graves.
Rank:  D (Don't Recommend)\

Grade 12-

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The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

I learned a great deal about imagery and metaphor from this novel—the glasses overlooking the Valley of Ashes is a memorable motif with Orwellian “Big Brother” allusions—and the juxtaposition of class influenced a number of later (perhaps even better) works, but overall I failed to connect with the entitled, upper class society and could not sympathize with most characters. Like the follow-up to Gone With the Wind (The Wind Done Gone from the point-of-view of the slaves), the novel may have been more interesting if it was from Myrtle’s point-of-view. To be fair, I did think that Nick Carraway was a worthy narrator, considering he was as much of an outsider as the reader is, and it wasn’t as cheap a decision as, say, Gatsby being the narrator. Frankly, I don’t understand why this novel continues to be taught in high school as there isn’t much teenagers can come away with from it. Maybe I’m biased due to my bland experience with Gatsby, but it doesn’t seem relevant to the age group studying it. Am I missing or forgetting a key aspect of the novel that does relate to high schoolers? As for the more familiar 1974 film adaptation with Robert Redford & Mia Farrow, we saw it but it didn’t bowl me over, either.
Rank:  (C)- Just okay

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Hamlet- Shakespeare

Like Romeo & Juliet, this is Shakespeare’s most relatable play to be taught in high school. The protagonist is indecisive, moody, high-strung, and bitterly wry to all but his best friend—sounds like the ages of 13-18! This is the first Shakespeare tragedy I enjoyed reading and the language continues to be quoted in many forms. BTW, I can recite the first half of Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” monologue on command :o) The only drawback is the lack of time devoted to the hilarious gravediggers, and the suspicious dismissal of “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are dead” (a deus ex machina, no?), which Tom Stoppard has infamously used to great success. Maybe a play about the gravediggers is in order? I have never seen Laurence Olivier’s film version, but Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation is absolutely fantastic and, with Henry V coming close, is his best Shakespearian work.
Rank:  (A+)- Must-read (the best Shakespeare tragedy I've read)

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Death of a Salesman- Arthur Miller

This play reminded me of Paul Zindel’s The Pigman from Grade 7 with its comparable title subjects: sad, pathetic, washed-up men who glow optimistic in the light of youth. For the Pigman, it was John & Lorraine; for Willy Loman, it was his sons. The differences are few; they both end tragically. We also saw the Dustin Hoffman TV movie version, which he played splendidly. It is a comic tragedy that conveys sympathy for unusual people like Willy Loman, who we often encounter but rarely pay mind to. The play alludes to this kind of ignorant attitude and creates meaning in people who are otherwise thought disposable.
Rank:  (B)- Recommend

Coming soon...Part III: English University Degree Course Selections

Between the copies I kept, what I can remember, and what I Googled haphazardly until I pieced together the missing links, I have a nice selection of novels that were read amongst the countless theories & articles.  Not a single textbook bought after my 1st year...!