To Understand this Book...

...You're Going to Need to Understand Iran

Actually, that's a bit of an overstatement.

You can get a lot out of this book without knowing much about Iran at all. But to read this book well—and really: why wouldn't you want to read it well?—some understanding of Iran's history is necessary.

Thankfully, this is the age of the Internet, and such information isn't difficult to find. In fact, I found a great summary of the last 100 years in Iran written by Tara Ann Carter, a teacher at John Bartram High School in Philadelphia. So, for your edification, before you read the book, please take 15-20 minutes to read Carter's "An Abbreviated History of Modern Iran," which I've placed on our links page.

If you finish Carter's piece and you're thirsty for more, I've also included a timeline that I constructed from various sources and a link to a timeline that places events from the book in historical context. So... there's a lot of info that will be useful as you read this graphic novel. Peruse some of that information first, and then...

Enjoy the Pictures!

That's right. This one is a graphic, which—for many people—will make it a faster and "funner" (not a word—or is it?) read. So go ahead. Enjoy it. But don't go so fast that you don't appreciate the art.

In fact, one of your assignments below is all about the art, so be sure to stop and smell the pages every once in a while. No, not really. You don't have to smell them. Just make sure you slow yourself down enough to contemplate the images and what they communicate.

Assignments

As promised, here are a few potential assignments to choose from. Please come prepared to offer your ruminations on at least one.

Option #1: From Pictures to Words
Obviously, the manner in which Satrapi tells her tale—as a graphic novel—affects the way the story is perceived. That begs the question: how would Persepolis be different if it were written as a traditional novel? Let's find out. Choose a scene from Persepolis and rewrite it in prose. Bring your rewrite to group and bookmark the scene you rewrote so we can compare the two versions.

Option #2: From Words to Pictures
Choose a scene in another coming of age novel—one that is written in traditional a chapter format—and represent it in pictures, a la Persepolis. Bring your drawings and the book you took your scene from (with the scene bookmarked, please) to group so we can compare and contrast.

Option #3: The Symbolism in the Symbols
There are several items that act as symbols in Persepolis: the plastic key painted gold, the veil, cigarettes, the bread swan. Choose two of these symbols and analyze them. At what point in the story do we see these symbols? What is going on when they appear in the story? What do these symbols seem to represent?

Option #4: It's an Illusion
Actually, it's an allusion. Allusions are references that appear in a literary work, usually to call to mind an event or image that helps to illuminate some aspect of the text. Persepolis contains A LOT of allusions. Head on over to Shmoop.com and take a look at the list of allusions they provide. Choose at least five of these allusions and explain when they are used in the book... and why. What is accomplished by making the allusion? What purpose does it serve?

Option #5: Persepolis and You
(I stole this question from Knopf Doubleday Readers' Guide)

In an Associated Press interview, Satrapi said, “The only thing I hope is that people will read my book and see that this abstract thing, this Axis of Evil, is made up of individuals with lives and hopes.” And in her introduction to Persepolis, she explains that she wrote this book to show that Iran is not only a country of “fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism.” How does Satrapi go about challenging this myth? How doesPersepolis dispel or confirm your views on Iran? In what ways does reading this book deepen your understanding and knowledge of Iran, and the current situation in Iraq?

Option #6: Cool During Wartime
In the midst of a war and bombings and crazy edicts, the teens in Iran still just want to look cool. This is most evident in the chapter "The Cigarette," but you can find it elsewhere, too. Find some examples of teens being teens in this book, regardless of the fact that their country is in a volatile time... and then explain it. Why are kids willing to risk arrest to be "hip"? How do you think you would behave in this situation. 

Bonus: Can you think of a time when you maybe-probably shouldn't have done something particularly teenager-ish because of the circumstances, but did it anyway? Tell us that story and explain your thinking. 

Option #7: Your Choice
Seriously. If you find yourself inspired to write a poem, paint a picture, craft an essay, put together a collage, create a playlist, or respond to the book in any way at all, go for it. And bring in your work to share with the group. 

That's it. Happy reading! See you on the 21st.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

I know. You're all too young for that reference. Here's a little help. And here's a little reality check: this book has nothing to do with the Brady Bunch. (Or Steve Buscemi.)

This book is about The Martian, a.k.a., Mark Watney and his struggle for survival on the red planet—which, incidentally, you can see in the night sky this week. How serendipitous!

Martian, Martian, Martian!

Originally self-published, The Martian became a bestseller when author Andy Weir offered a Kindle version at the lowest possible price and people began downloading it like crazy.  A week later he was offered a movie deal, and we all know how that turned out.

But what did you think of the book? It's a classic survival tale, but instead of taking place on a desert island a la Robinson Crusoe or Castaway, our hero is stranded on another planet. We'll talk about how that twist changes things up when we meet for our last discussion of the year. We'll also talk about the potential assignments below, so come prepared to offer your ruminations on one or more of them.

Assignments

Option #1: The Hab
Mark Watney spends a lot of the book (and over a year of his life) in this structure. So... what does it look like? Use your mad research skills and your mad reading comprehension skills and create your best representation—2D, 3D (4D?)—of Watney's home away from home away from home. No pictures from the movie! We only want pictures (or models) that come from your mind.

Option #2: POV
The Point of View (POV) shifts multiple times throughout the narration. Identify the various points of view that are used to tell this story and discuss why the author may have chosen to tell the story in this way. How does each POV affect the overall story? What about the individual storylines? Could they be told from different POVs? Why or why not?

Option #3: Space Oddities
A couple of times in the narration, Mark refers to something scientific sounding (medium flexible sample container) and then provides a simpler title for the object ("Ziploc bag"). Look around your house and find some everyday, ordinary items that most people would be familiar with. Come up with scientific sounding names for each of these items, and bring your list of items to our discussion. You'll give us the scientific name, and we'll try to guess what the everyday item is.

Option #4: Survivors
What is is about Mark Watney that makes him a survivor? What particular qualities help to get him through his 549 Sols? Think about the rest of the Ares 3 crew: Lewis, Vogel, Johannsen, Beck, Martinez. Do you think any of them would have made it? Why or why not?

Option #5: Lights! Camera! Action!
We know this book has been made into a movie. From having read the novel, what do you think the major challenges would be in translating it to the big screen? What adaptations might need to be made? What, in particular, might a director, actor, or screenwriter need to think about in the process of turning this book into a movie?

All right. That's enough to start. Happy reading and I'll see you on Wednesday.

The Count of Monte Cristo...

... is a really long book. So what I have to say to you is: Read, Forrest, read!

Seriously. If you haven't yet finished, do your best to get there. But even if you haven't finished, come to group tomorrow ready to chat. There are a lot of topics we can cover regardless of whether or not everyone (or anyone?) has finished. (And I, myself, am struggling to get there, just so you know.)

I'm going to post assignments, as usual, but the main priority is to read. If you haven't finished reading, let the assignments wait. We'll have plenty of time to think about them and discuss them tomorrow.

Potential Assignments

Let it Go?
Vengeance. Forgiveness. Vengeance. Forgiveness. Like a game of “she loves me, she loves me not,” Dumas alternates between these two themes throughout the book. In your opinion, where does he ultimately land? Support your claim with evidence from the book.

Tick Tock Goes the Clock
There are stories within stories within stories in this book, which makes the linear timeline somewhat difficult to follow. Choose a character other than Dantes and reconstruct his or her timeline from 1815 forward. 

Symbols, Motifs, and Themes
See a symbol? Notice a motif? Have an idea about a theme the author seems to be riffing on? Name it and explain it to the rest of us.

Isn't it Byronic?

There are so many references to Byron, particularly with the idea that Dantes—as Monte Cristo— possesses the traits of a Byronic hero. But what does that mean? Spell it out for us. With or without references to Alanis Morrisette. 

All right. That's it, folks. Happy reading, and I look forward to seeing you all in about 30 hours. 

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Mmmm... Crispin

Okay. That's inappropriate. But the title of this book (minus its subtitle, of course) kind of makes me think of potato chips.

Like I said: inappropriate. Still, we should take a minute (or two, or three) to think about the name of our title character—especially since he begins the book without a name.

"Asta's son." That's the only identity our protagonist has until he's nearly 14 years old.

What's in a Name?

It's hard to imagine what it would be like to be known only in relation to someone else. Clearly, there's a great deal of symbolism in the transformation of our title character from "Asta's son" to "Crispin."

And that transformation is appropriate (unlike my first subheading, above), because Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a classic coming-of-age story, or a bildungsroman, which is a much cooler term that means essentially the same thing.

We'll be talking about Crispin's transformation over the course of the book when we meet on Wednesday, so be sure to give it some thought. And, as usual, please peruse the potential assignments below and choose one to complete and be ready to discuss with the group.

Potential Assignments

#1: History Will Teach us... Something
Avi has set his tale in medieval England, and he's been very conscientious about giving us specific dates as well as making references to real historical events. Identify as many of these specific dates and events as you can and give us a primer. What is the Feast of St. Giles? What was going on in England in 1377 A.D.? Who is John Ball? There's a lot more where those came from. See what you can find.


#2: Bear's Words of Wisdom
It's hard not to like a singing, juggling, red-bearded giant with a heart of gold, but it's Bear's words that really win us over. He's full of philosophical gems like, "Living by answers is a form of death. It's only questions that keep you living" (Ch. 24, par. 23). Locate a few of Bear's gems and be ready to share  and discuss them. Be sure to note the chapter and paragraph where they appear so we can all find them in our editions.

#3: Symbolism
As I mentioned above, there's some definite symbolism in the protagonist's transformation from being known as "Asta's son" to fully embracing his given name, "Crispin." Be ready to offer your thoughts on that instance of symbolism in the book, or choose another example of symbolism that you've found and walk us through that one. What's the symbol? What happens with/to the symbol? What does it all mean?

#4: Motifs
Motifs are different from symbols. Symbols are specific. Think "Piggy's glasses" or "the conch" in Lord of the Flies. Motifs, on the other hand, are recurring images, objects, words, phrases, actions, or ideas that pop-up throughout a book. Again, from Lord of the Flies, think "shadows," "masks," or "Christian imagery." Motifs help to unify a story and are often used to suggest greater meaning. So.... do you see any motifs in Crispin: The Cross of Lead? See if you can come up with one and figure out what it's all about.

#5: Imagery & Road Trips
Um... those two things don't necessarily go together perfectly, but I wanted to make sure I gave you an assignment tailored toward creating some kind of picture. So, for this assignment, you can do one of the following.

• 5A: One thing you may not have known about this book (unless you read the author interview), is that Avi originally wrote it in verse format, like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Some of that structure is still evident in the ample imagery that is included in Avi's language. Find an example of this imagery (in Avi's poetic descriptions of characters or places) and use his words to help you create a sketch (painting, drawing, collage).
  
  OR

• 5B: Make us a map that illustrates Crispin's travels through England. Be sure to highlight places where significant events take place. 

All right. That's it. Happy reading and I'll see you on Wednesday.

What is the Question?

The question, according to Hamlet at least, is whether to be or not, but when I Googled "to be or not to be," this cartoon is exactly what I was looking for.

The phrase from Shakespeare's Hamlet is arguably one of the best known and most often quoted lines in literature, so I figured someone had to have created a comic based around a fictional Apartment 2B (or not 2B) at some point. And I wasn't wrong.

There were, in fact multiple renditions of this take on the Bard's existential question, but this version, from the  New Yorker, was the best.

We'll be discussing Hamlet's famous soliloquy when we gather this month, and we'll also be discussing your take on the potential assignments below.

As usual, please choose one to pursue in earnest and come ready to offer your thoughts, illustrations, PowerPoint presentations, sculptures, poetry, essays, or whatever else you create in order to share your views. Anything is fair game, really... except for presidential debate-style diatribes littered with lazy insults and factual errors. We've had enough of those in our lives at this point. :)

Potential Assignments

Option 1: Age-ism

Hamlet's age has been in debate for, well... ages. The gravedigger twice says the Dane is 30, which would seem to settle the matter, but other aspects of the play call these lines into question. So... what do you think? 

First, focus on how old Hamlet seems based on your reading of the play (and ignoring the gravedigger's lines). Pick an age that seems fitting and explain how you came to that conclusion. Then, see if you can come up with an explanation for the gravedigger's lines. Feel free to conduct some research on this one, and be ready to share your thoughts and anything else you find. (Though I'll tell you right now, I'm not going to buy the idea that Hamlet is actually a 40 year old Klingon, so save that theory for the next Trekkie convention, please.)

Option 2: The Heavy Stuff

Suicide is an important theme in Hamlet. Discuss how the play treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the “O, that this too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56–88). Why does Hamlet believe that, although capable of suicide, most human beings choose to live, despite the cruelty, pain, and injustice of the world?

Option 3: Crazy is as Crazy Does

Throughout the play, Hamlet claims to be feigning madness, but his portrayal of a madman is so intense and so convincing that many readers believe that Hamlet actually slips into insanity at certain moments in the play. Do you think this is true, or is Hamlet merely play-acting insanity? What evidence can you cite for either claim?

Option 4: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

There's actually a 1990 movie by this title that's worth a watch if you have an hour and fifty-seven minutes to spare, but for now... 

Consider Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s role in the play. Why might Shakespeare have created characters like this? Are they there for comic relief, or do they serve a more serious purpose? Why does the news of their deaths come only after the deaths of the royal family in Act V, as if this news were not anticlimactic? Is it acceptable for Hamlet to treat them as he does? Why or why not? 

That's a lot of questions, I know, but you don't need to answer them all—just use them to help you think about the characters and then let us know what you come up with.

Option 5: Laugh it Up

PART A: Analyze the use of comedy in Hamlet, paying particular attention to the gravediggers, Osric, and Polonius. Does comedy serve merely to relieve the tension of the tragedy, or do the comic scenes serve a more serious thematic purpose as well?

PART B: There are plenty of Hamlet inspired comics apart from the whole 2B or not 2B schtick. Find your favorite, bring it in to share with us (you can email me the URL before class if it's online and you want it on the big screen), and explain:

• what scene, theme, or line in the play it relates to; 
• what you like about it/why you chose it; and 
• what makes it funny or clever, or witty, or insightful, or... [insert adjective here].

CLARIFICATION: You can do A, B, or both for this one. Your call.

All right. That should give us more than enough to talk about when we get together. See you all soon, and until then, happy reading.

Dandelions are Bitter...

This is the cover (and back) from my book. What does
yours look like? Bring it with you and we'll compare. 

... so bitter, in fact, that I can't imagine drinking dandelion wine. I do, however, like the metaphor as it's expressed in Ray Bradbury's novel of the same name. We'll be talking about the title of Bradbury's novel and how it relates to the content when we meet on Wednesday, February 3rd.

Typical Bradbury?

Having read some Bradbury in the past, I must say I was surprised by this story. Unlike many of Bradbury's works, which (in my experience) tend to have a Dystopian sci-fi bent, this novel is a classic coming-of-age tale set in an idyllic small town in Illinois.

Of course, there are some trademark Bradbury bits: references to time travel and happiness machines, a feeling of isolation among various characters, and—at times—a sense of suspense and terror. I'm anxious to see what you all think of this title and whether or not it will receive a collective thumbs up, down, or sideways.

In preparation for our meeting, please take some time with one of the Potential Assignments below and come ready to share your thoughts.

Potential Assignments

Option #1: The Lonely One
First: Eeeeeeek! Second: What's up with this storyline? If you read the introduction (does anyone read introductions?) Bradbury claims that there was a Lonely One in his childhood in Waukegan. So... was there? Do a little research and see if you find any record of such a criminal in or around Bradbury's childhood town back in 1928. Beyond that, though, see if you can figure out what role this psychokiller plays in the narrative. Is there a reason for this character's inclusion? How does this storyline affect the others?

Option #2: The Ravine
One location that pops up repeatedly in the book is the ravine. How is the ravine described? Where is it located in town? What happens there? And the million dollar question: what does it represent?

Option #3: Old Age
For a book about a twelve-year-old boy's summer, there are sure a lot of old people in this novel. What purpose do these characters serve? Choose at least two of the older characters and explain how they help to illuminate Douglas's story.

Option #4: Pick a Theme, Any Theme
Death. Aging. Family. Friendship. Time. Happiness. Change. Choose one of these or one of your own and try to figure out what Bradbury's novel is saying about it. Be ready to support your assertion with a few examples from the book.

Option #5: Quote-o-Rama
Choose a favorite quote (or two), write it down (or mark it in your book so you can find it quickly), and give us your .25-cent analysis of it. Why did you choose it? What made it stand out? What do you think it means? Does it relate to a larger theme in the book? How so? (By the way, we're talking .25-cents in 1928, so that's a $3.50 analysis in today's terms.)

What's In a Name?

September Lights

That's what the original Spanish title of The Watcher in the Shadows—La Luces de Septeimbre—translates to. So... why the complete title change for us Americans?

If you remember, the first Harry Potter book, although written in English, also received an "American" title. In the UK it was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Here in the good ol' U.S. of A. we read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What gives?

You probably have your suspicions, but see if you can find any facts to back it up. This will be one of the first things we discuss when we meet on January 13th to talk about Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel.

We'll also be talking about all of the Potential Assignments below, so please choose one to complete like a champ so you can wow us with your intellect and preparedness.

Potential Assignments

#1: Only the Shadow Knows
Shadows are a big deal in this novel, and in many others. In Lord of the Flies, for instance, you may recall that there was a chapter titled "Shadows and Tall Trees," and that much shadows were used symbolically. Take a look at how Ruiz Zafon uses shadows in general (as well as THE shadow), and see if you can come up with a theory of what shadows in general and THE shadow represent in this novel.

#2: What's in a Name, Part 2
Check out the names of the various characters in the novel and see if any of them have significance. Hint: Some do. I wouldn't ask if I didn't already know that much, but see what you can come up with.

#3: One Day at a Time
We know in what year the novel starts. We know the approximate dates when many of the big events happen. And we know the exact date of Irene's final letter. The question is... why? Why is Ruiz Zafon so specific with his timing? Find as many references to specific dates and see if you can figure out why the author is being such a fanatic about it.

#4: Spatially Challenged
That's me. I was trying really hard, particularly as I read the initial descriptions of Blue Bay, to put all of the locations in perspective, but like I said: I'm kind of spatially challenged. If you're not, create a map of Blue Bay with all of the significant landmarks. You can even add a legend to highlight the locations where the main events take place.

Okay. I have about a bajillion other questions for you, but we'll tackle these first and then discuss the rest as time allows next week.

Happy reading!