How This Critter Crits Essay

On an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey shares with her viewers “What a difference it makes in your world to go into some other life. It’s what I love most. I’m reading always to leave myself…behind” “That’s what reading is. You get to leave.” and in 1996, carrying this passion of hers, she began a self-titled book club to share the joy of literature with the public. Oprah’s Book Club was a huge hit from the start of the segment and over twenty million viewers were a part of this phenomenon. This increase in book popularity also had an immense increase on publishing companies. With the swift change brought by the book club, this was the largest change to benefit publishing companies in more than

Much of literature includes strong themes that authors base a story off of, hoping to convey this message to their readers. Reading has become a way to discover much more about life and morals. Therefore, in the words of James Bryce, “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.” Truman Capote proves this claim throughout his book In Cold Blood. Capote builds empathy throughout his narrative; by conveying powerful experiences and emotions, he guides the reader to better understand what leads these murderers to commit the crimes that they did and allows the reader to carry away a stronger feeling of empathy than before.

When I took off the top to that white box on that calm Sunday night, I was instantly transported into this astounding library, that seemed to come out of a movie scene, rows upon rows were piled up with Verne’s, Dumas’, Stevenson’s, and Melville’s. Each week I would open this box and choose a new book. It wasn’t long until weeks turned to days, and I began to greedily treasure my Stevenson’s, truly value friendship with Dumas, prepare for an adrenaline rush with Verne, but most importantly, it was my single Melville that brought me the pinnacle of happiness.

Often heralded as the world’s greatest nation, the United States is also considered home to the world’s greatest authors. Reputable authors such as Fitzgerald, Twain, and Steinbeck remain relevant even through the washing waves of time. One such timeless author, Ray Bradbury, ventured the hazardous path of taboo to write of change. Through his novels of innocent youths evolving into children enlightened beyond their years, Bradbury utilizes the motif of time, innocence, and the philosophical movements of existentialism, transcendentalism, and romanticism to describe catastrophic events the American culture could face if existing destitute judgments continue to prevail. Ray Bradbury dared to reveal his voice.

Our group established 5 criterions to state what makes great literature. Our first criterion was “A great book must contain a message that applies to not only those who have experienced situations in the book, but provide perspective to those who have not.” A message that can be understood by numerous groups of people is vital to a great piece of literature. Our second criterion is that in order to teach a lesson it must expose a fault in human nature or in society. Our society is just as flawed as humanity is. Acknowledging these flaws is the first step in overcoming the trials of society and man. Our third criterion is centered around the craftsmanship of the literary work. This can apply to a groundbreaking new approach to narration. Or even complex characters and a unique and individual style (Faulkner.) In summary, the 3rd criterion tries to move past just the message itself, and to focus on

Dark themes are on the rise in young adult literature, and parents can’t help but wonder if this is due to the abundance of these subjects in adult literature. Literary critic Meghan Cox Gurdon’s editorial “Darkness Too Visible” and author Sherman Alexie’s response “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood” have contrasting views on this subject. However, with the superior techniques Alexie Sherman is more effective. Both authors use themes and style in their writing, but with his superior use of persuasive techniques Alexie Sherman’s article is ultimately more effective.

In 1966 Truman Capote shocked the world with a novel unlike anything ever seen before. Capote’s novel “In Cold Blood” not only entranced readers with its often dark and mysterious tone, stunning imagery and controversial elements but introduced its audience to an all new genre, a non-fiction novel. In 2001 Lois T. Stover commented on the complexity and depth found in quality young adult literature, she stated that “Good young adult literature deals with the themes and issues that mirror the concerns of society … it help readers understand the complexities and shades of grey involved in dealing with these issues." “In Cold Blood” is a superb example that there is nothing simple about quality young adult literature, themes and messages found in capotes crime/thriller novel did and still relate heavily to our growing society. “In Cold Blood” explores numerous social issues; including the detrimental effects of mental illness, the banality of evil and the importance of family however it’s the commentary Capote makes on the so called “American dream” that questions its authenticity, takes centre stage throughout the novel.

​There have been many marvelous books given to this world by genius authors. I have discovered a new deep appreciation for written works and their generous offers of knowledge into my mind. Think of it. Literature is a way to spark imagination, adventure, and passion into the dull areas of life. It creates emotion in me and in turn, plays off my emotions to give me a message of some kind. Books have the power to inspire change or purely entertain. In my own personal life, I have read a book that has changed me for the better. William Goldman’s Princess Bride has taught me many simple yet important life lessons. I especially love his clever satire and interesting characters that give me better insight for the world I’m preparing to enter. This

Stories bring people together because of the common theme of life, showing true human nature and feeling of love, pain, lust, ambition, and forgiveness. It is because of stories that we can feel comfortable in our own skin. Last week, Viola Davis delivered an emotional Oscar speech in which she stressed the importance of stories for representing existence. Similarly, the short story The Portable Phonograph, by Walter Van Tilburg Clark and the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury expressed the importance of protecting literature and the power of knowledge. Although Davis’s speech was mainly about her own personal journey that has let her enjoy literature.

anielle Steel is known to be among the most popular and highly esteemed authors in the world. She has written over ninety books that have found a market internationally. Among her novels include; His Bright Light, A Gift of Hope, Betrayal, First Sight, Nick Traina 's Life and Death, Big Girl, The Long Road Home, Southern Lights, and Winners among others. These books make her an icon to reckon with in the field of writing. However, many people have raised considerable critiques about her literary works because she writes almost related stories especially tragedies. Despite the critiques, she does not give up on her work because she believes that the message she is passing across is important for her readers. The readers have responded in kind and that is the reason why her books are best selling internationally.

When it comes to American literary works, each comes with its own elements, which allow readers to engage with the piece. Kate Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, and Raymond Carver’s Cathedral, contain similar elements even though they are various forms of fictional short stories. Each short story remains as an addition to American history; these pieces educate readers about our vast culture and cause them to acquire more knowledge about how the works of American literature connect to our society. These writers also allow us to imagine how their stories could encourage others to contribute to American society.

Sometime in the late eighties, Shaun McNiff, Sr. Kathleen Burke and I sat in a small pub in Cleveland, Ohio. It was after midnight when conversation turned to my writing project, this book. Sr. Kathleen asked, “What’s the title going to be?”

As the era of literature slowly declines, the expert critiques and praise for literature are lost. Previously, novels were bursting at the seams with metaphors, symbolism, and themes. In current times, “novels” are simply short stories that have been elaborated on with basic plot elements that attempt to make the story more interesting. Instead of having expert critical analysis written about them, they will, most likely, never see that, as recent novels have nothing to analyze. Even books are beginning to collect dust, hidden away and forgotten, attributing to the rise of companies such as Spark Notes. An author deserves to have his work praised, no matter how meager and the masses should have the right to embrace it or to reject it. As

For now, I'll set aside considerations of why The Goal is a novel, how effective it is as a book, whether it succeeds as literature, and so on. This article is primarily about the ideas behind the book, and why some are valuable while others are probably quite useless.

Throughout the duration of this class, I had the opportunity to encounter a great deal of fantastic examples of literature. The stories were as similar as they were different, each one with a unique premise but somehow also reflective of one another. Perhaps it is be accident, or more likely it is because the stories are a part of the fabric of our nation and the American condition. The stories are of their respective times while also being able to fairly and accurately critique American society, culture, and values. From capitalism to America’s changing thoughts on morality throughout the decades, the writings were introspective to the story of our nation.