In my conclusions both books were great reads and had much in common. Both had to do with death, discovery and the bringing together of families. Although they were not totally similar there are many minor details that make them related. In both novels there were parts i enjoyed and parts i didn't enjoy. For me I'm the kind of person who has a hard time reading a book if i don't find interest in them but i didn't have that problem with either of these books.
I would recommend them to anyone who likes mystery or self discovery books.
The lovely bones was also turned into a movie, and after reading the book, i watched the movie and it was a very disappointing movie, they didn't include some of the main parts like when the mother has an affair and then later moves away. So if someone said they were going to read the book i would tell them to watch the movie first and then read the novel or just not watch the movie at all!
But i would recommend either book to anyone and i really enjoyed reading them!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Feminist Critique
I believe a feminist critic would and would not approve of this novel. I think this because first of all Susie plays a week helpless girl who is raped then murdered, she barely tries to fight back and as a reader i thought she was fairly stupid to go in a dirt hole with a stranger in the dark. A feminist critique would probably agree with me when i say how stupid it was of Susie. Susie also is portrayed as weak because although Mr. Harvey took her life away and did the unimaginable to her, when she sees what his past was like in heaven she feels bad for him!
Another reason why they might not like this film is because Abigail, the mother, has an affair with another man, and is unfaithful to her husband and her children. She is also selfish because she leaves her two living children behind and moves away. I feel bad because if i had kids i couldn't imagine one dying but i also would never leave my living children. Abigail also doesn't want to search for her daughters murderer.
A feminist critic might also like this novel because Lindsay is very brave and goes into Mr.Harvey's house and tries to find clues to solve the murder. She also keeps her family together when her mom leaves she helps raise her younger brother and takes care of her father from day to day making sure he's healthy and eating right. She also helps her grandma clean and cook and helps take on what her mother used to do before she left, just to help keep the family alive.
Another reason why they might not like this film is because Abigail, the mother, has an affair with another man, and is unfaithful to her husband and her children. She is also selfish because she leaves her two living children behind and moves away. I feel bad because if i had kids i couldn't imagine one dying but i also would never leave my living children. Abigail also doesn't want to search for her daughters murderer.
A feminist critic might also like this novel because Lindsay is very brave and goes into Mr.Harvey's house and tries to find clues to solve the murder. She also keeps her family together when her mom leaves she helps raise her younger brother and takes care of her father from day to day making sure he's healthy and eating right. She also helps her grandma clean and cook and helps take on what her mother used to do before she left, just to help keep the family alive.
Reader Response
In the Lovely bones the part of the novel that engaged me was when Susie stupidly goes into the ground 'playground' with her neighbor Mr. Harvey who she had never once talked to and he was a complete stranger. i know that if someone strange man or woman ever asked me to go in a deep dark dirt hole with them i would be quite suspicious. Ever since that part in the book i presumed something bad was going to happen to Susie and the book would be about her discovery. Another part of the book that engaged me was when Lindsay breaks into Harvey's house and searches his house for clues in the murder of her sister, it was the most suspenseful part of the novel and i couldn't put the book down until that section was done and to find out that Lindsay got out of the house safely. I also didn't expect Mr. Harvey to come home early and find her there, it lead to a wild goose chase and made me as the reader very scared for Lindsay as to what might happen to her if he caught her in there. Although Lindsay did not find as much as she wanted to it still proves how determined she was to prove that Mr. Harvey was the one who killed Susie.
The part of the novel that annoyed me was about half way through the book it seems like Susie goes on and on about her heaven but in reality all the reader wants to know about is if her family ever proves Harvey guilty. this part is really dragged on and includes things that the reader doesn't really care about and it made me not want to read that part. It just felt like it went on and on about nothing.
A part of the novel that puzzled me was when Abigail, Susie's mother has an affair with the Detective. It was a sad part because Susie saw everything and felt as though since her mother was not determined to find her killer and just wanted to forget about her, Susie felt like her mother did not love her anymore, she felt abandoned. Then Abigail gets fed up with Jack's obsession with proving Mr. Harvey guilty she moves to California and gets a job at a winery leaving her other children and going away. I can't understand how someone could just up and leave their entire life and family behind and move on. Although she does move away to forget everything she however fails and moves back home when Jack has a heart attack, i know i haven't been in this kind of situation but i couldn't imagine doing what Abigail did.
The part of the novel that annoyed me was about half way through the book it seems like Susie goes on and on about her heaven but in reality all the reader wants to know about is if her family ever proves Harvey guilty. this part is really dragged on and includes things that the reader doesn't really care about and it made me not want to read that part. It just felt like it went on and on about nothing.
A part of the novel that puzzled me was when Abigail, Susie's mother has an affair with the Detective. It was a sad part because Susie saw everything and felt as though since her mother was not determined to find her killer and just wanted to forget about her, Susie felt like her mother did not love her anymore, she felt abandoned. Then Abigail gets fed up with Jack's obsession with proving Mr. Harvey guilty she moves to California and gets a job at a winery leaving her other children and going away. I can't understand how someone could just up and leave their entire life and family behind and move on. Although she does move away to forget everything she however fails and moves back home when Jack has a heart attack, i know i haven't been in this kind of situation but i couldn't imagine doing what Abigail did.
Determination
In The lovely Bones, Susie Salmon watches her family from above and narrates the novel from heaven. Susie's killer walks the street for many years being unknown to be a serial killer. George Harvey clearly has no quilt for what he has done to many girls and feels no sympathy towards the families of his victims. Although he plays his part very well in acting sympathetic and not being suspicious of anything, he eventually is discovered as being the killer of many many victims in various places.
Susie watches from above as Mr. Harvey walks the streets and no one knows what he has done. Susie becomes determined to help her family by giving them clues and signs that he infact was her murderer. Her father and sister do not give up to prove that he was the awful cold hearted man that killed young Susie. Susie is still present in their house and they can feel her still there. Her father especially can feel her still with him and knows that he will not give up until her proves Mr. Harvey guilty.
Susie not only gives feelings towards her family members but also to Ruth and Ray, they can feel her with them as well. In fact when Mr.Harvey puts her body in the sink hole Susie's spirit goes into Ruth's and Ray becomes aware of this. She points to the safe while in Ruth's body and just as Mr. Harvey goes to dump it in he senses that someones watching him and turns to see Ruth and Ray focusing in on him. He realizes that they know what was in the safe and throws it in.
When Susie's father finally proves that Mr.Harvey was guilty,with Lindsay's help, and the police find clues and link him to another young girls murder years ago, they begin the search to look for him.
Before the police catch Mr. Harvey he falls down an ice hill and dies from injuries.
Before I Fall doesn't have anything to do with the family trying to solve a murder, it has to do with Sam, trying to figure out why it was her who deserved to die. She gets to relive this day over and over again and each day she relives is different in some way. Her discovery isn't to prove someone different it's more a journey of self discovery and a realization of who she was becoming.
Susie watches from above as Mr. Harvey walks the streets and no one knows what he has done. Susie becomes determined to help her family by giving them clues and signs that he infact was her murderer. Her father and sister do not give up to prove that he was the awful cold hearted man that killed young Susie. Susie is still present in their house and they can feel her still there. Her father especially can feel her still with him and knows that he will not give up until her proves Mr. Harvey guilty.
Susie not only gives feelings towards her family members but also to Ruth and Ray, they can feel her with them as well. In fact when Mr.Harvey puts her body in the sink hole Susie's spirit goes into Ruth's and Ray becomes aware of this. She points to the safe while in Ruth's body and just as Mr. Harvey goes to dump it in he senses that someones watching him and turns to see Ruth and Ray focusing in on him. He realizes that they know what was in the safe and throws it in.
When Susie's father finally proves that Mr.Harvey was guilty,with Lindsay's help, and the police find clues and link him to another young girls murder years ago, they begin the search to look for him.
Before the police catch Mr. Harvey he falls down an ice hill and dies from injuries.
Before I Fall doesn't have anything to do with the family trying to solve a murder, it has to do with Sam, trying to figure out why it was her who deserved to die. She gets to relive this day over and over again and each day she relives is different in some way. Her discovery isn't to prove someone different it's more a journey of self discovery and a realization of who she was becoming.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The White Light
In both novels the characters talk about right before they die they see a 'white light'. Many people believe that before you die you see this same white light appear. My mom was in a car crash when i was 13 and she is very lucky to still be alive. She was in very ruff shape. A car was speeding on highbury going out of London and my mom was going in, the car hit black ice swerved and t-boned my mom's car. The other driver wasn't wearing a seatbelt and died instantly. My mom said she saw a white light that morning.
Susie says in the novel that before she went to heaven there was a raging white light ahead of her and Sam as the car rolls and she is slowly dying she also explains how all the can see is a white light and she can feel anything.
Some people believe this is called the tunnel of white light. Many people have seen this light that associated with a near-death experience, and your go back to many old memories from your entire life and you see them all flash by you extrememly quick.
Maybe this is just a myth about the white light and maybe it is just in peoples heads that they will see a white light and possibly just think it. I believe in the 'white light', do you?
Susie says in the novel that before she went to heaven there was a raging white light ahead of her and Sam as the car rolls and she is slowly dying she also explains how all the can see is a white light and she can feel anything.
Some people believe this is called the tunnel of white light. Many people have seen this light that associated with a near-death experience, and your go back to many old memories from your entire life and you see them all flash by you extrememly quick.
Maybe this is just a myth about the white light and maybe it is just in peoples heads that they will see a white light and possibly just think it. I believe in the 'white light', do you?
Death
Both The Lovely Bones and Before I Fall have the protagonists dying very suddenly at the beginning of the novels.
Over 90% of novels have some kind of death in it whether or not it's a human or an animal eventually someone dies. Most deaths are murders, some are suicides and others are accidents.
In The Lovely Bones, Susie is raped then murdered by Mr. Harvey. This was a planned murder and had a lot of planning and thought put into it so he wouldn't get caught right way, even though eventually he did! Mr. Harvey had also killed several other girls. He killed Jackie Meyer and Wendy Richter who were both 14, Leah Fox who was 12, Flora Hernandez who was 8, Leida Johnson who was 6 and Sophia Cichetti who was 49. George Harvey murdered December 6th, 1973 when she was 14. Susie was on her way home from school and she took a short cut through a cornfield because it was getting late and her mother hated her being late for dinner. She met Mr. Harvey there and he brought her into his bunker he had built for the 'neighbor kids'. Down in the dirt were many toys and candles lighting up the area. Mr.Harvey started scaring Susie so as she attempted to escape he pulled her down raped her then killed her. The only evidence the police found were her school notes, her elbow and her hat.
In Before I Fall, Sam dies in a car accident due to a drunk driver and slippery roads. Then as she relives the day and doesn't die Juliet the 'phsyco' commits suicide. She is down in her basement by herself and takes a gun and puts it right through her head. There were many reasons as to why Juliet could of had to the reasoning to do this, she was bullied at school, she never talked to anyone about her problems, her family life was awful and her father was abusive and an alcoholic.
Over 90% of novels have some kind of death in it whether or not it's a human or an animal eventually someone dies. Most deaths are murders, some are suicides and others are accidents.
In The Lovely Bones, Susie is raped then murdered by Mr. Harvey. This was a planned murder and had a lot of planning and thought put into it so he wouldn't get caught right way, even though eventually he did! Mr. Harvey had also killed several other girls. He killed Jackie Meyer and Wendy Richter who were both 14, Leah Fox who was 12, Flora Hernandez who was 8, Leida Johnson who was 6 and Sophia Cichetti who was 49. George Harvey murdered December 6th, 1973 when she was 14. Susie was on her way home from school and she took a short cut through a cornfield because it was getting late and her mother hated her being late for dinner. She met Mr. Harvey there and he brought her into his bunker he had built for the 'neighbor kids'. Down in the dirt were many toys and candles lighting up the area. Mr.Harvey started scaring Susie so as she attempted to escape he pulled her down raped her then killed her. The only evidence the police found were her school notes, her elbow and her hat.
In Before I Fall, Sam dies in a car accident due to a drunk driver and slippery roads. Then as she relives the day and doesn't die Juliet the 'phsyco' commits suicide. She is down in her basement by herself and takes a gun and puts it right through her head. There were many reasons as to why Juliet could of had to the reasoning to do this, she was bullied at school, she never talked to anyone about her problems, her family life was awful and her father was abusive and an alcoholic.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Background Information on Alice Sebold
Alice grew up in Philadelphia. She attended Syracuse University and while walking home through a park off campus she was raped. She told the police and later found out that a young girl had been murdered in the same location.
She returned home to live with her family and then went back to finish her bachelor's degree. Month's later she walked down that same path and recognized her rapist, then reported it to police and testified against him and he received the maximum sentence.
Sebold got into many drugs, including heroin for 2 years. She worked in a restaurant and barely got by. She applied to graduate at the University of California, Irvine.
While at UCI Sebold wrote Lucky a memoir of her rape for a ten page assignment which turned into a forty page assignment! After writing Lucky she wrote The Lovely Bones. Sebold wrote about violence because she believed that is was not unusual, it's a part of life.
She has also written a book called The Almost Moon, and the first page begins with "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.
Alice's novels are reflections of her own life and tell people her story, some may think these stories are very harsh and inhumane to write about but it's reality and it does happen to the best of us.
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