In The Raven, what is the Narrator's backstory?
The narrator of “The Raven” is a scholar who is mourning the death of his beloved Lenore. As a scholar, the narrator has lived a life of rationality, but in his grief and despair, his rationality, ultimately, abandons him. He first attempts to distract himself through reading old books (the quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore), but his grief and wish to see her again becomes desperation, which in turn, leads him to emotional extremes of depression to near euphoria and back to depression again. The raven, of course, pronounces that he will never see Lenore again (quoth the Raven, Nevermore). It is never clear whether the raven itself is an actual bird, a demon, or a figment of his imagination, but whichever the case, it is the raven and his pronouncement that drives the narrator to ultimate despair.
What is the setting of the book Lolita?
the book lolita, okayyy. written by vladimir nabokov...not the movie!!!! what is the setting and theme of this book? and if you can help me with ; who banned it, why it was banned, results of banning the novel and the status of the book todayyy. pleasssssse! i have a presentation on thursday but this is due tomorrow 10-28-08
Can you summarize your favorite book in such a way that I won't have to read it?
Whoa, Before I dive in the summary of one of my favorite books, let me give you a red flag, YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO MISS THIS BOOK READING A LITTLE SUMMARY. Okay wait, I am not spoiling your suspense to what is entirely in the book but I am just gonna drive you curious for this book.Here we go, Positive Imaging by Norman Vinecant Peale…Positive Imaging by the world famous American author Norman Vincent Peale. This book is such a powerful read. How he advocated hope and the attitude to shun people is commendable. The classic read helped me find ways of dealing with problems, surmounting difficult times, overcoming negativity and depression and become whole in myself.Peale quoted “The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”The message to readers throughout the book is that happiness lies within you. That a peaceful mind can generate a peaceful result, an adaptation of positive thought can remake you, a negative thought is canceling out by flowing of positive thought into your mind. That believe in yourself and you do not need to be defeated by anyone.Dr. Peale’s life-changing book, offering a step-by-step approach will definitely help you break through the barriers that stand in the way of achieving the happiness, and success you so fervently desire. I recommend this book to all the readers out there. Happy Reading:)Okay Philosopher, thank me later. You gotta read this book. Cheers!
Are there well-written (gay) romantic books?
Erich Segal “Love Story” is a romantic book and it’s exeptionally well written. But it’s not gay…I’ll give you Elyzabeth A. Lynn Chronicles of Tornor series & A Different Light Gay characters, but the romance is not the main point.I *did* read once some gay porn series (I picked up a package at the paper recycling stationand it was like not being able to stop looking at the proverbial train wreck).Taking the Odds series. It’s a thriller, that’s made more complicated because of the closet and the male ego. Fun. :-) The book in the package was the second one in the series. I liked it well enough to go looking for the others.Two books from Deviations series … Made me *very* uncomfortable, nevertheless fascinating.A book in Soul Mates series Too close to horror for my taste.Two of these Farmingdale Gentleman's Club series Thanks for reminding me. It urnes out that there are two more. Maybe I’d try to locate them. Supernatural thrillers, but more on the science side.Road Trip series The third one was missing and I bought it. A cousin to King’s Firestarter, but the horror parts are not supernatural.Thatchers series is, I hink, closests to what you are looking for - a romance. It’s also the most boring of the all of them. :-(Anyway, I could do without the sex scenes, but I think I am going to re-visit them somewhen in the distant future.Or not.
What role do women play in Ralph Ellison's novel, The Invisible Man?
Written in the politically and socially turbulent 1940s, Invisible Man is one of the definitive novels of the African-American experience; it is also one of the definitive novels for all Americans. The issues Ellison so powerfully addresses are those that confront everyone who lives in the modern world: not only racism but the very question of personal identity, our frustrated impulse to assert ourselves in a world which is metaphorically blind. Ellison's hero is invisible within the larger culture because he is black, but his feelings can easily be understood by all those who experience the anonymity of modern life. Shortly before his death Ellison acknowledged the fact that his novel had expanded the very meaning of the word "invisible." Invisibility, he said, "touches anyone who lives in a big metropolis." (New Yorker, 5/2/94) The novel's nameless narrator (the Invisible Man) is representative of many intelligent young African-Americans of his generation. Born and raised in the rural South, he is a star pupil at a college for black students. He dreams of racial uplift through humility and hard work, a doctrine preached by the school and the larger Southern culture. When his innocent idealism lands him in trouble, he comes to understand the hypocrisy behind the school's professed philosophy and heads for the greater freedom of New York. There were protests over the lack of positive female characters in the novel. The author however was trying to be as realistic as possible!
Is the Evolution of Calpurnia Tate considered a great young adult / kids book?
Here's some good color from a recent (October 2012) New York Times story which reviewed author Jacqueline Kelly's second novel (the one she wrote after Calpurnia Tate):When the Austin writer Jacqueline Kelly’s first novel, “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate,” was published in 2009, it drew the sort of response every first-time author hopes for: positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and The New Yorker and an honorable mention from the Newbery Medal Selection Committee.It is not hard to see why adult readers were impressed with this children’s book. “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” fits an old notion of literature for young people: It is slow-moving, morally grounded and filled with the young narrator’s careful descriptions of the natural world — in this case, the grasshoppers, cardinals and toads that populate rural Central Texas.I thought this was interesting, maybe a little more interesting than a typical review, because it's more seasoned (i.e., a few years after the book came out).