Animal Farm, written by George Orwell in 1945, is a dystopic allegorical novel reflecting the communist state in post 1917 revolution in the Soviet Union. The book sees the depiction of Joseph Stalin as the pig Napolean, Leon Trotsky as Snowball, and the civilians as other farm animals. The book concludes with the thirst for power, as well as the concept of pseudo-communism. Orwell believes that The Soviet Union, he believed, had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror.
The book is especially noted for the challenge towards free speech, as during the publication, the Great Britain and Soviet Union has a close tie, however Orwell challenges this. It is a classic novel as it was basically one of the main allegories which allowed people to see communism in all its terrible glory. It showed the people of Britain the truth about the Russian Revolution in a simple form, using only a farm, some animals and some humans.
Undisputed Truth, is the autobiographical life story of one of boxing's, & sports, most godlike figures, Mike Tyson. No holds are barred in this book. Tyson's story details his journey from a poverty stricken kid in Brownsville (by the time he was 13, he had been arrested 38 times!), to, at the age of 20, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of all time & then, after an excess & drug addiction, back to being broke.
He tells all about his very public relation & subsequent break up with actress Robin Givens, his 3 year prison stint in the early 90's, his business relationship with promoter Don King & that biting incident with Evander Holyfield.
Some of his stories are very humorous, including encounters with a young Brad Pitt & with boxer Mitch Green, & his tales of excess spending & sex romps are so ludicrous that his life starts to sound like a Hollywood movie.
This is book is a great read, & i can recommend it for not only sports fans, but those who want an insight into the mind of the greatest entertainers of our time.
The last two book reviews on the blog post have been fascinating novels, by the highly regarded
author Jodi Picoult.
Jodi Picoult is the bestselling author of of twenty-three novels including, Picture Perfect(1995), Mercy (1996), The Pact (1998), Keeping Faith (1999), . Her last eight novels have debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. Her books are translated into thirty four languages in thirty five countries.
Jodi is part of the Writer's Council for the National Writing Project, which recognises the universality of writing as a communicative tool and helps teachers enhance student writing. She is a spokesperson for Positive Tracks/Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, which supports youth-led charity fundraising through athletics; and is on the advisory committee of the New Hampshire Coalition Against the Death Penalty. She is also the founder and executive producer of the Trumbull Hall Troupe, a New Hampshire-based teen theater group that performs original musicals to raise money for local charities; to date their contributions have exceeded $100K. She and her husband Tim and their three children live in Hanover, New Hampshire with two Springer spaniels, two rescue puppies, two donkeys, two geese, ten chickens, a smattering of ducks, and the occasional Holstein.
To read more her Australian website provides a lovely insight into the author, her life and the writing of her books. http://jodipicoult.com.au/
below read an extract from Jodi Picoult's Interview with New York Times - Feb 08 2013
Terrible things happen to your characters. Your new book, “The Storyteller,” features a woman in Auschwitz. Past characters have included victims of a school shooting and parents of kids born with horrible diseases. Is it a little sadistic to put your characters through all this? I don’t think I’m sadistic. I’m superstitious. There’s a part of me that illogically believes if I write about a child with cancer, then my kids are going to be safe. If I write about a school shooting, it won’t happen where we live. If I write about infidelity, then my marriage is going to be safe. Of course it does not work that way, and I know that.
So there’s actually a neurosis behind this? Oh, gosh, of course there is.
What did you, an author of serial No. 1 best sellers, make of “50 Shades of Grey”?
E. L. James has been upfront about the fact that this was “Twilight” fan fiction. As a writer, I find it pretty reprehensible that someone who began a story cycle with somebody else’s created characters would go on to make gobs of money off those characters simply by slapping new names on them. Honestly, if I were Stephenie Meyer, I wouldn’t have been that gracious.
16 years ago, Eugene Tan started sending daily emails, to a small subscription base, containing photos of Bondi Beach. 11 years ago, Eugene quit his office job as a creative director, & focussed all of his attention on Aquabumps, which by then had opened a gallery in Bondi. Every morning, Eugene rises before dawn and heads down to Bondi Beach, where new and exiting photo opportunities await. Then, through various social media outlets, he shares a select few images for his subscribers, giving those stuck in less desirable places a few moments of bliss. Released in 2010, A Day at Bondi is a book which showcases all that Bondi has to offer. The book is in chronological order, it starts before sunrise & finishes after sunset. The photos are shot from every angle, including underwater & above from a helicopter, looking down over the swimmers & surfers (my personal favourite). It is showcased in a beautiful 208 paged A3 sized hardcover book. Different types of paper are used for different photographs, to fully achieve the desired effect.
Looking through this book can be bring a touch of summer to even the dreariest of winters days.
This
blog post is a review of another Jodie Picoult novel, my
favourite.
"Jodi
Picoult has written a haunting tragedy of two families. The Pact is rich with
suspense and compassion, and it will make people question how well they know
their own children. It is an intensely moving novel".
-Luanne Rice, author of HOME FIRES
I believe this quote summarises the novel and captures its essence.
With
this riveting psychological drama, Jodi Picoult explores the dynamics of
intimate relationships under stress, from the seemingly inexplicable mind of a
teenager to the bonds of friendship and marriage. I believe very few writers
have such a gift for evoking everyday life coupled with the ability to create a
level of dramatic tension that will keep you up reading late into the night
(well at-least that was my experience). The Pact is storytelling at its
best: wonderfully observed, deeply moving, and utterly impossible to put down.
What is the novel about
you ask?
The Pact paints a portrait of families
in anguish over a suicide pact between a teenage couple which leaves one of
them dead and the other one on trial for murder.
An exert from chapter one
of the novel:
There
was nothing left to say.
He covered her body with his, and as she put her arms around him she could
picture him in all his incarnations: age five, and still blond; age eleven,
sprouting; age thirteen, with the hands of a man. The moon rolled, sloe– eyed
in the night sky; and she breathed in the scent of his skin. “I love you,” she
said.
He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it. She pulled back
slightly, to look into his eyes.
And then there was a shot.
Hi, my name
is Peter. I hope in my following posts I can introduce you to some new books to
read/look at.
Favourite Genre? - I mostly enjoy reading non fiction books & biographies.
Favourite book? – Bram Stroker’s Dracula.
What am I currently reading? – Since the warm weather has come back, I find
myself looking over Eugene Tan’s A Day at
Bondi. Also, I have started reading Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.
