Sunday 6 September 2015

Sunday September 6th, 2015 A is for Astounding, Amazing, Arresting…



Fall is an exciting time of the year. With the start of another school year just around the corner, it’s time to hit the books again. But don’t worry; reading doesn’t have to be a chore. Spending time with a good book can be a time to relax, to think and lose oneself to the wonderful worlds and characters created by some of the greatest writers of all time.

Attention all high school students:

Take Jane Austen, for example. Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice is a novel widely read by students all around the world. The story centers on the prickly romance that develops between (somewhat) judgmental Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of a plain country gentleman, and the mysterious, wealthy but prideful Mr. Darcy. Aside from creating two of the most memorable characters, the reader easily gets caught up in Austen’s depiction of 19th century society.

The subject of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird may bear some familiarity thematically to Austen’s Prejudice. Hailed as one of the most important novels ever written, Lee examines how human acts of kindness and hatred can change the lives of a single person and a whole community. As told from the young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s perspective, we see how her father, Atticus, defies the attitudes towards race during the time of the Great Depression.

However, Atticus’ moral character comes into question in Lee’s follow up, Go Set a Watchman. Current English students will be hard pressed not to ignore the presence of this follow up to Mockingbird. Released this past July, devoted readers of To Kill a Mockingbird were challenged when this novel altered the perception of the beloved Atticus Finch. Set many years after the events in Mockingbird, Scout is now a grown woman who visits her elderly father Atticus, and discovers a shocking truth about her father’s character. Go Set a Watchman is a challenging follow up to a classic novel, one that will surely provide much discussion and debate in English classes this fall.

A novel that can surely provide thoughtful discussion is Margaret Atwood’s radical A Handmaid’s Tale. Set in a society ruled by a military dictatorship, we observe the hardships imposed by this society through the eyes of  “Offred”, a women imprisoned to a way of life by the ruling class. The novel is a sharp examination of the subjugation of a weaker class by a powerful state, the misuse of power, identity, and freedom.

Freedom and ownership are very important to Duddy Kravitz, the anti-hero of Mordecai Richler’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. As an unconventional rags to riches novel, Duddy Kravitz is a young man growing up in the slums of Montreal who dreams big of coming into possession of great wealth and land by questionable means. Apprenticeship will no doubt divide its readers, but the journey to its conclusion is an unforgettable one.

So do any of these titles sound appealing? As students, you will be exposed to some of the best works in fiction. Classic works by aforementioned Jane Austen, Harper Lee, Margaret Atwood, and Mordecai Richler are sure to be taught and discussed in the classroom. At Thunder Bay Pubic Library, you can be sure to find these great titles along with many more, as well as published critiques and evaluations. Ask our passionate staff what they think about these writers. Perhaps you will find the topic of your next essay at TBPL!

Petar Vidjen

No comments: