I just finished reading Animal Farm. Borrowed it from the library today and finished reading it in within a few hours. (I read most of it while I was at the eye doctor. Getting new glasses, btw!) I do not recall ever reading a novel that fast. It was a pretty short novel anyways, about 139 pages long, plus I was really interested in the plot; it is quite the page-turner, despite how disturbing the plot is. I told Mama that I found Animal Farm to be disturbing and she asked me why I still borrowed and read it. Well, I told her that pretty much everyone in my AP Literature class, and in any advanced placement class for that matter, has heard about Animal Farm and most have read it, so I wanted to get in on the reading and find out what it is about. I finished the novel at home and after closing the book, I stared at the ceiling, reflecting over what I just read.

Basically, it is about how farm animals revolted against their owner and drove him out, and afterwards a new system is set up under the supervision (or rule, I should say) of the pigs and the dogs. The main maxim of the farm is that every human is considered an enemy, every animal a friend. Eventually, the pigs and dogs start taking advantage of their position and of the other animals, making them work almost like as they did before the farmer was driven out. And in between, betrayal and suspicion slither among all the animals. Another piece of English literature, but this time, it is a political allegory. I was already aware that it was a complete reference to Russian communism, but as I interpret it, Orwell was outlining the rise of the system and then condemning and/or mocking it. I could be wrong, but the part where the animals revolt against and drive out the farmer could parallel how the Bolsheviks overthrew the royal family after WWI (or was it during WWI? I cannot recall, my Euro history is slightly off). The only blatant thing I had difficulty grasping was the scene where the dogs are executing all those who partook in trying to rebel against the pig leader, Napoleon. Pretty graphic in only a few words. Interesting plotline, nonetheless.

Anyways. Since I am on the topic of books, I might as well shed a little light on the previous book I read. The Time Machine has a frame-plotline (story within a story) set around the turn of the 20th century in which the Time Traveler tells his experiences and journeys using his interesting invention. (All the characters were given nicknames, such as The Editor or The Doctor. The author probably did not want the names to be of major importance, just the events. I agree completely.) One of his journeys (and the most elaborated one) was about how he travels 800,000 years into the future and finds only two groups of humans: the prim, proper, carefree Eloi and the barbaric, blind, industrial Morlocks. (I find that second name funny, btw.) The Time Traveller finds out that the Morlocks stole his time machine while he was momentarily away. Along the way, he learns the ways of the Eloi and befriends one of them. He realizes that humans really have fallen so low and was disappointed at how nothing has turned out significant or beneficial for humankind these past several millennia. Does he ever make it back to his own time? I will keep that a secret. Personally, I think it is a great book, it kept my attention, and even though it is all scientific fiction, it makes me think about how humankind really would go down if God did not exist and we would all just revert back to our primeval ways. As if that will happen. The hope I have of a paradise earth with a race of intelligent humans, that is what is more real to me than any other plotline, that is what prevents me from being skeptical.

I would like to type down all the novels I have read this past summer. They are all classic literature (I will try to keep it that way). I apologize if my categorization of the books is slightly off, it is just a rough estimate. Unlike most of my peers, while they read teen novels (not saying they are bad or anything), I like reading books that even elderly people can remember and relate to, books with timeless morals and just something that will make a person think. Here is my list so far:

June:

Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger - realistic fiction
Crime & Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky - mystery and suspense (or gothic fiction)

July:

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - gothic romance
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery - *either science fiction or novella. Both?*
Alic's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll - fantasy (that book was a total acid trip. just putting it out there.)
The Time Machine - H.G. Wells - science fiction
Animal Farm - George Orwell - political allegory

Btw, my friend Jazmine told me that if you read Catcher in the Rye twice, you are deemed insane. *ahem* I am insane! Last time I read it, I was probably 15 or 16. I guess it is because a lot of people think the plotline bores the crap out of them and it would be pretty ridiculous to dare reading it again. I will admit, I thought it was boring the first time around, but it was alright and I understood it the second time around.

I am not sure which book I want to read next. The Brothers Karamazov has been sitting in my mother's bookshelf for a while. It looks pretty interesting but it is so intimidating because of the width of that book, plus after reading Crime and Punishment, I am not sure if I want to pick up another piece of Russian literature. Oh well, it is worth a shot.

Almost 9.00pm, I should probably go do the dishes, clean up the kitchen, do something useful. See ya!