Q4: Post #6

For this outside reading i am going to talk about Persepholis the graphic novel. It is told by a young girl during the Iranian revolution. I am about half way through the book, and so far I would say it is okay. It is a pretty interesting novel but I don't really find my self liking any of the characters. Pretty much none of them have a mind of their own, even the protesters aren't very independently thinking. It is sad that a people can oust a government and then let an even more oppressive government take control. Also I don't really like the art that much. In comparison to other graphic novels I have read so far it doesn't even come close to a comparison. It is just unfair to compare it to Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and 300. All of which I thought had much better characters, stories, and art. Overall though Persepholis is still a very good novel. It is interesting how the author could write it like she was still ten. I also liked how she thought she was a prophet in the beginning, I thought that was funny.

Q4: Post #5

Since we are still doing a lot of choice book stuff I'm going to do this post about SlaughterHouse-Five which I have now finished. First off I thought it was excellent, I loved how Vonnegut told us how it began and ended in the first chapter, it makes me think of how time is presented in the novel. For my group project I did the scene music portion, so it got me thinking what other songs would I use in the rest of the film? For my project I did "Soldier Side" by System of a Down which I would put during the investigation of Dresden. But I knew there had to be other songs in the film so I thought of a few others. I would put "All these things that I've Done" by The Killers when Billy fully assembles his ridiculous outfit during the war, because he gets ridiculed for wearing the outfit and it reminds me of the lines "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier." During the bombing of Dresden I would put "The Blitz, 1940" by Harry Gregson-Williams because it was written to reflect the bombing of Britain which would have been very similar to that of Dresden, since both were targeting civilians. Another song I would use would be "The General" by Dispatch not necessarily in a specific part but because the general in the song sees the war through time travels in his dreams like Billy. Also like Billy he reflects on war very negatively.

Q4: Post #4

For this outside reading I am going to talk about SlaughterHouse-Five instead of I am the Messenger. SlaughterHouse-Five is about a man named Billy Pilgrim who gets removed from time, so that he can see all of time in one greater picture. Also he can time travel which is what happens throughout the book. In the book he goes to an alien planet, experiences the bombing of Dresden, and even experiences death after his assassination. Although I am not quiet done I am close enough to offer an opinion on the book. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The novel has an excellent message that speaks out against war, from a time when it wasn't always easy to do so. I also really like the view on time that it offers on time. It is curiously similar to how Dr. Manhatten from Watchmen sees time. Perhaps Alan Moore had some inspiration from an outside source? I liked that Vonnegut never missed a time to use "So it Goes." Even in the beginning when we didn't know what it meant he still said it. Also I liked how Billy new about his own assassination and did nothing about it, because he knows how time works.

Q4: Post #3

Ed ends up firing the gun into the air. He lets the man go. You find out later that he left town, and probably isn't coming back. After this event Ed has finished the card, so he is visited by two hooded men who give him a new card. On the card it says say a prayer at the stones of home. Ed is very confused by this but eventually a man gets in his cab, and makes him drive to a place where he hung out with his brother when he was a kid. It was their secret place so no one was supposed to know that they went there. At the place there were three names carved into a stone. These names were Ed's newest assignments. It is interesting to think about how the card deliverer would know about the stones of home if it was supposed to be a secret. This leads one to believe that the deliverer may have talked to his brother, but Ed calls his brother to ask if he has told anyone about the spot and he says no. Puzzling indeed. I think that there will again be two people that will be a pleasent experience and one that is a very hard challenge.

Q4: Post #2

Ed got the first ace (the Ace of Diamonds) in the mail. It had three locations written on it, each with a time. The first location was at a run-down house where a women was being sexually assaulted by her husband. Ed realizes he has to help her, but he is scarred of the husband so he decides to go to the other places. The next location has a lonely old women. Ed befriends her by going to her house for dinner a few times every week. The third location has an extremely shy girl who runs every morning barefoot. Ed gives her confidence by convincing her to run barefoot in her races. Ed then goes back to the first house but still can't muster the courage to stop the man. So a few days later he finds a gun in his mailbox with a single bullet in it. After worrying for a few more days Ed devises a plan and ends up drugging the man, bringing him out to an old church, and shooting him. That is when the first part of the book ends, and so far it is really exciting. I can't stop wondering who is sending the cards. The way that Ed has to workout how he needs to help the different people is brilliant. Also the internal battle before Ed pulls the trigger and when he finally does is electric. You have no idea wether he will do it or not, its an incredibly tense scene with an explosive ending.

Q4: Blog 1

Since this is the first post I will provide a brief introduction to the book that I will be reading. It is called I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. Basically it about an underage cab driver named Ed, who one day stops a bank robbery. Shortly after he receives a card in the mail that tells him to go places. Also he is in love with his best friend. That's all that has happened so far. I am enjoying it because I like the main character. He is well developed and easy to relate to. I am not far into the book and many of Ed's character traits are already well defined. Also I like the mystery element to the novel. Although you know the cards are connected to the robbery you don't know how. There was only one bank robber, and he is in jail. Also the significance behind the cards is puzzling. So far the only thing we know is that his friends and him play cards all the time so the sender could have known that, but if that was it that would be kinda disappointing. Also he was sent the Ace of Diamonds which seems to set it up for the delivery of the other three aces.

Q3 Blog #15 final outside reading post of the Q

This post had to be about someone overcoming odds, so I decided to talk about the movie In the Name of the Father. In the Name of the Father is about an Irish father and son who were wrongly convicted by the British government of bombing a pub where many British soldiers went. The main character is sentenced to life but he overcomes odds and gets out after many years. Unfortunately his father died in prison, but his son clears their name. This movie was based on a true story which to this day shakes the foundation of the British legal system. The father and son were easy scapegoats for the bombing because they were Irish. The case also included several other Irishmen and woman who were also wrongly convicted. The convicted were tortured physically and mentally, basically forcing them to confess to a crime they did not commit. Also evidence was illegally kept from the defendants attorney so that they could not win the case. It amazes me that this story actually happened. It is incredible to think that a government would actually wrongly convict someone just to "close the books" on a case. It is like catching the real perpetrators isn't important, its just about PR. They would just cast away peoples lives because they know they can get away with it because they have an easy scapegoat, in this case the a couple of Irish. In the Name of the Father is a powerful film that I would recommend to anyone, it is certainly one of my favorites.