Scorpia Rising Essay

Books can sate, motivate, and inspire a reader without standing the test of time. There are a multitude of books released today that can change a reader’s life without making their mark on history. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a prime example of this. Most critics agree that The Book Thief is a quality read, but there is no telling whether it will last throughout the ages of literature. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a novel that has lasted since its release in the nineteenth century, and critics continue to praise it. Jane Eyre shares similarities to The Book Thief; however, The Book Thief will not stand the test of time because of its lack of completely original themes and ideas.

How much would you attribute to her particular strengths and attitudes, help from others, and luck?

I wholeheartedly attribute this awful happenstance to the awkwardness of middle school. The only books that had the then rare ability to hold my attention belonged to series that would soon end. Fortunately, the discovery of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing-specifically The Raven Boys series- cut short this dark age of my life. During the winter of my freshman year, it came to my attention that Maggie Stiefvater had recently released a new book entitled The Raven Boys. After seeing a plethora of reviews, all stating how much the reader had loved the book, and because I had loved her previous book I finally gave it a

I was delighted to have been sent a list of the supposed “Top 100 Novels of All Time” by a fan last Tuesday. The list, published by the esteemed (and influential) Australian Book Review, has garnered both praise and criticism, which is not surprising, as it seems to be the case with most lists.

Ernest Hemingway’s book, The Sun Also Rises, can be analyzed and understood as a hidden autobiography of his troubling and painful life. Why would Ernest Hemingway disguise himself as Mr. Jake Barnes instead of being open and telling exactly his story and how it happened? Ernest Hemingway was married when he fell in love with another woman who was not emotionally available for anything but occasional pleasure. If Hemingway had written the book as an obvious autobiography, his reputation would be damaged and the book most likely would not be such a hit. The characters that served as friends to Jake were all based on actual friends of Ernest. The similarities in this novel to Hemingway’s life are undeniable once his life story is revealed. The quote from “Hemingway’s Hidden Metafictions” by Ian Crouch, “the book was not merely based on his real-life experiences but was actually a memoir: ‘I made the unfortunate mistake, for a writer, of first having been Mr. Jake Barnes,’” (Crouch, para. 7) is a direct statement

Among all of the novels that were presented for a novel study, When Everything Feels Like The Movies stuck out in my mind. I was quite intrigued by the language used; the utilization of unique ideas and comical speech was heavily raunchy and in-your-face! Many of the other novels displayed were based on serious topics and seemingly slow moving, whereas Raziel Reid displayed a book that failed to follow the common construct of award-winning novels. Additionally, I am fairly tired of reading novels with deep meanings! Since I acknowledge that this course will be delving into the classics and novels that require heavy inference, I chose this novel based on the fact that the story would offer a nice and refreshing break from the

As I sat at the desk reading my copy of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, I was transported to a different world. How can a mere book take one to a different place? The question may never be answered, but Markus Zusak found a way to take his readers on an unforgettable and life changing journey. The Book Thief, not only can change the reader’s viewpoints on the world, it can change the way they think from the inside. Markus Zusak’s novel is work of art, a masterpiece and what I would consider the book of the century.

Katie Holleran Mr. Davis LNG 322 15 April 2015 Nicholas Sparks “All of his [Nicholas Sparks] books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 97 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including 65 million copies in the United States alone” (Nicholas Sparks). Nicholas Sparks has a very distinct writing style that make very popular romance novels; ten of Nicholas Sparks’ novels have been turned into films, with each of them becoming very popular. Sparks’ writing is easy to understand, but at the same time very unique. His novels are “ famous for being romantic and tender, and for having bittersweet endings” (Gale Student Resources in Context).

before drifting off to sleep. After four in the morning, Brett wakes him up, making a lot of

Romans 14:10 “Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.

The power and freedom that lies between the pages of novels has the ability to transport the readers to a new world, impart a wealth of knowledge to them, offer a new perspective, and so much more. The only limit on novel are the covers that bind them, the ideas within them can be cherished and shared forever. Although written in 1837, Emerson’s quote, “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” still holds true today. An avid reader or skilled author wields unparalleled power, power that can be used for a myriad of good, or infinite evil.

During WWII the Japanese had high hopes to transform their country into an empire, but within five years their greed and poor decisions led them down a path of grief and despair. The movie Grave of the Fireflies gives an accurate depiction of Japan’s deteriorating society, Japanese strategy for running the country, and the conflict between the U.S. and Japan. Seita and Setsuko, brother and sister, live through the difficult times, witnessing how their once caring village community turned into an “every man for himself” nightmare. They also suffer through Japan’s attempt to continue fighting in a war already lost and the resulting starvation due to a dwindling food supply. As well as Japan’s inner struggles, like the depletion of materials and

With these novels, “writers started to learn the skill of both entertaining their reading public and at the same time saying something significant about the society in which they lived” (Potter 1987: 244).

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

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also referred by MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), which is responsible for offering British government and military foreign intelligence, was founded over 100 years ago. Yet, its existence had been kept as secret for almost a century and was revealed in 1993. At the end of the second world war, after absorbing the remans of the Special Operations Executives (SOE) the SIS expanded their faculties and started a new agenda: against Soviet Union. During the Cold War era, there were constantly penetrations from both Britain and Soviet Union and British intelligence. The SIS suffered significant losses and embarrassment due to Soviet’s double agents. Till the end of the Cold War era, the SIS was able