“Good literature substitutes for experience which we have not ourselves lived
through.” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I think that what Mr. Solzhenitsyn is saying is also kind of what Mr. Lewis was saying. Scince literature is real it substitutes for things we have not experienced. If we read a book about Mt. Everest and have not climbed it ourselves, we just did because we read somthing that is real and it substitued for the experienced we don't have.

This quote applies to Lord of the Flies. Even though I have never turned savage, killed someone, halucinated, or been trapped on an island, the book substituted for my lack of experiences.

Libro Tres: The War of the Worlds

I haven't gotten far in the story but I think it's about a war between us and Mars. This is supposed to take place in the early 20th century. This book was written when scifi was very interesting. I also know that before televisions, things would be played on the radio. When they played War of the Worlds on the radio it sounded as if a reporter was telling the events of what was going on. Some people tuned in late and thought that it was real. Back then it was believable. Lots of people committed suicide because they thought they were being attacked by martians. I have a recording of this radio broadcast on CD and it did sound real if you believed it was real. There were also 30 second intermissions with cheesy music, but that's beside the point. I will keep you updated once I get a hold of the plot.

Still Don't Get It

I read to the end of the book and I still don't get it. The last chapter is weird in a savage way and it is kind of sad and everything happens so suddenly. it is really shocking that by the end of the book, before they get rescued, they are all savages that kill each other, besides Ralph and Piggy. They are the only sensible ones. To think, also, that they were a group of 12-year-old choir members that turned savage. It also never explains where the dead guy in the parachute came from. It also doesn't explain if the beast was real or who the Lord of the Flies is or if he's real. As a matter of fact it doesn't mention the Lord of the Flies at all after the conversation with Simon.


P.S.
In my post titled: The Lord of the Flies: The Confusing Stuff , when it says they can roll rocks onto the bridge of the fort (the fort is just a pile of rocks that is connected to the island by a "bridge" of rocks) they end up using it as a weapon. They roll rocks down the bridge if they see an intruder coming. I forgot to tell you that when I say "they" I mean Jack and the other "biguns" that turn into savages. Ralph, Piggy, Sam, Eric, and the "littluns" are the other faction. Simon doesn't chose a side. They split up into these factions by the end of the book, and in the last chapter Ralph is all that's left of his faction. All the "littluns" join Jack, and Sam and Eric too.

Soundtrack for Animal Farm

I am going to make a Soundtrack for Animal Farm just because it's fun.

The first song would be "Back in the U.S.S.R." by the Beatles. This song would explain how the story relates to the U.S.S.R. or communist Russia. It also says in the song "You don't now how lucky you are boys, back in the U.S.S.R." This also would explain that the pigs want the animals to think that what they're doing is better and "lucky" for them to have.

Another song would be "Revolution" by the Beatles. This song would explain all the revolutions and rebellions in the book. Unlike the song where it says you should have a peaceful revolution, in the book all the revolutions are evil.

Another song would be "Sugar Mountain" by Niel Young. In the book there is a crow who speaks of a mountain where animals go when they die. They eat cake and sugars and sweets up there. This would be a good song for the book.

Even More Confusing

**WARNING**

Unlike the last post, I can't give you an excerpt to explain things. It makes it a lot easier if you have read this book. I will try my best to explain because even I, yes I, am confused at this conundrum story.

Simon is the guy who kind of revealed a lot in the book. First of all, after a scene with Ralph and Piggy, the story turns right to Simon who is by himself in the middle of the jungle. He is talking to the Lord of the Flies. For one thing this is the first time in the entire book that mentions anything about a Lord of the Flies. Second of all it doesn't explain what the Lord of the Flies looks like or where he/she/it came from. I will correct myself from the warning above. I will give you an excerpt of their conversation. Here is where it immediately starts after Ralph and Piggy:

"You are a silly little boy," said the Lord of the Flies,"just an ignorant, silly little boy."
Simon moved his swollen tongue but said nothing.
"Don't you agree?" said the Lord of the Flies. "Aren't you just a silly little boy?"
Simon answered in the same silent voice.
"Well then," said the Lord of the Flies, "you'd better run off and play with the others. They think you're batty. You don't want Ralph to think you're batty, do you? You like Ralph a lot, don't you? And Piggy, and Jack?"
Simon's head was tilted slightly up. His eyes could not break away and the Lord of the Flies hung in space above him.
"What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't you afraid of me?"
Simon shook.
"There isn't anyone to help you. Only me. And I'm the Beast."...
"Come now," said the Lord of the Flies. "Get back to the others and we'll forget the whole thing."...
"This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you'll only meet me down there-so don't try to escape."...
"This has gone quite far enough. My poor misguided child, do you think you know better than I do?"
There was a pause.
"I'm warning you. I'm going to get angry. D'you see? You're not wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don't try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else-"
Simon found he was looking into a vast mouth. There was blackness within, a blackness that spread.
"-Or else, " said the Lord of the Flies, "we shall do you? See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you. See?"
Simon was inside the mouth. He fell down and lost consciousness.

(end of chapter)

After this Simon wakes up and goes to the top of the mountain by himself. There he finds what everyone else thought was the beast because they saw it at night. Simon sees it in daylight. It is a dead man in a parachute. I don't know who it is or how it got there. It just floated down at the beginning of one chapter. What happens next is confusing, sick, savage, and...I don't know what. I'm not going to reveal to you what happens if you want to read this book. By the way, i recommend this book greatly.

The Lord of the Flies: The Confusing Stuff

I've told you about the plot, but now I'm going to tell you about the book and the way its written. It is written in 3rd person limitted. It shares the thoughts and views of Ralph, the main character character. The dialoge is all over the place. I never understand who is saying what and it is so confusing to understand whats going on. Here is an excerpt of dialoge from my book:

"Jack. The beast might be on the other side. You can lead again. You've been."
"We could go by the shore. There's fruit."
Bill came up to Ralph.
"Why can't we stay here for a bit?"
"That's right."
"Let's have a fort."
"There's no food here," said Ralph, "and no shelter. Not much fresh water."
"This would make a wizard fort."
"We can roll rocks-"
"Right onto the bridge-"
"I say we'll go on!" Shouted ralph furiously. "We've got to make certain. We'll go now."
"Let's stay here-"
"Back to the shelter-"
"I'm tired-"
"No!"

It is very confusing. Am I right?

Soundtrack

One song on the "soundtrack" would be Sting and the Police's "Message in a Bottle" because these kids are trapped on the island and they are trying to be rescued by lighting a fire on top of a mountain. It isn't exactly sending a message in a bottle but it they are trying to send an SOS.

Another would be "Good Times, Bad Times" by LED ZEPPELIN. You knew this was coming, there had to be a LED ZEPPELIN song in here. This relates to the story because in one scene Jack, who is head hunter and is also in charge of keeping the fire lit, has an obsession for hunting pig on the island, but he has never got one. He gathers everyone except a few to go hunt and leaves the fire unattended. He gets his pig but there was a ship that was out at sea that might have seen them if the fire was going. It shows their ups and downs and for better or for worse situations.

The 3rd song would be "Helpless" by Niel Young. This explains the little the boys can do except light a fire day and night. It also explains the helplessness of Ralph trying to keep all the "littluns" and Jack under control. The Beatles' "Help" would also work.

The 4th song would be "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath. This song would explain the paranoid feeling of everyone on the island. Everyone is afraid of this "Beast" that people have claimed to see, especially the "littluns".

Another would be "Run Through the Jungle" by Creadence Clearwater Revival. Half the island is a jungle that the boys run and play in. It would also work in the scene when the twins Eric and Sam are running through the jungle away from the beast that is supposedly chasing them.

The song "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles would work because all the boys are just one big family on a small island like all the people are one big family on a small submarine in this song.

"Stairway to Heaven" by LED ZEPPELIN would be a good song for this just because its a good song.

The Beast

The two big issues in this book are keeping the fire lit on the mountain so rescuers see it, and The Beast. The beast has been an issue since the beginning of the book, but now people are starting to take notice of it. There have been sitings but no one is sure. I think they are either hallucinating from dehydration or they are just scared and homesick.

In Which I Answer The Tough Question

What I think Mr. Lewis is saying is that books don't describe and relate to life, but are appart of it and make it more meaningful. It enriches our "desert". For example, War and Peace may be about war and peace and it may describe life, but it isn't there to describe the reality of war in the world, it is there to add to it. I don't mean it contributes to war, maybe I worded that wrongly. What I mean is that it is apart of the reality, not the war and peace itself.

This relates to the story I'm reading, because it doesn't just describe the efforts of a lot of stranded boys, but there's more to than just a story. It adds to the meaningness or meaningless of life. that si what makes this book a classic. It adds to the reality of war, peace, boys, girls, lochness monsters, martians, time machines, submarines, dwarfs, mustaches, and whatever else a peice of literature is about.

Libro Dos: Lord of the Flies

The next book I am reading is Lord of the Flies. So far in the book, from what I can gather ( I say this because in the beginning of the book it tells you nothing whats going on), the main character is a 12 year old named Ralph who meets a boy he has never met, who is nicknamed Piggy because he's fat, and apparently they have been in the same plane crash together. the pilot had them bail out on this uncharted, uninhabited island. Sounds to me like Swiss Family Robinson or Robinson Crusoe or my kind of adventure story. So they finally find there way out of the jungle and to the beach. Here they find a conch which they blow to summon all the other kids. Apparently conch shells are loud like horns, I didn't know that. It goes on about how they build a community and there are two "levels of order": the "littluns" and the "biguns". It is almost like Animal Farm, but without the animals and communism.

El Fin

I finished the book and the ending was unexpected. I won't reveal too much for those who want to read it. All I'll say is that they are back where they started.

Puns and Rebellion

I figured out the pun for Benjamin's name. Since he is smart old and wise he is named after the man on the 100 dollar bill. There are 10 pages left in the book and years have gone buy and a few of the older animals are dead. Ben isn't dead of course. Know I'm having doubts about that rebellion.

SICK AND CRUEL

Boxer died:( He was dying and Napoleon promised to send him to a vet. Napoleon also needed money. So, taking advantage of the other animals inability to read, he actually called a horse slaughterer to take him so he could get money. Ben for the first time, since he is the only one who can read of the others, saw this and tried to save his friend but it was to late. Napoleon was even sick enough to say that Boxer had died in the hospital and that he was at his bedside when he died.

Puns and Republics and ... Cuba?

there are a few puns in the story with the names. The dictators name is Napolean, his servant that announces stuff for Napolean is Squealer, the strong hard working horse (who is now dying) is named Boxer.

Also in the book the dictator is declaring Animal Farm a republic. The only candidate is Napolean and he wins unanimously. This is what is going in Cuba. In the book there was, in the beginning, no leaders and now there is a "republic" where the already dictator now changes the form of government to please the animals and then just declares himself president for life in a way. It is a lot like Cuba.

Caught in the Act

The communistic dictator broke the cammandment of No animal shall drink alchohol. In the night there was a crash and the animals got out side to see The dictator's servant running away from a broken ladder and a bucket of paint next to the Seven Commandments. Next to the commandment about drinking it said "without excess". None of the animals were smart enough to know what was going on except the wise old donkey named Ben, but he keeps everything to himself.

Genre

I think I figured out what the specific genre of my book is: Realistic Historical Government Fiction/Fantasy with some Adventure and a pinch of Mystery that is instantaneously solved on the following page, because its so fast paced, with absolutely no Comedy, Romance, or Science Fiction at all of any kind whatsoever

COMRADES??!!!??!!!??!!:^(??!!!

If this book says "comrades" one more time I think I'll be sick. My mom said that it says comrades to make reference to the communistic Russia

FIRST POST (with a title)

well the de'tat just broke another of the seven commandments and killed the animals that were in league with the animal that he overthrew. It sounds like a military dictatorship like in Argentina and Cuba

In the book so far there has been a coup. Like in today's world in the Middle East. The coup de'tat is breaking one of the seven commandments as well. The animals are starting to not like the new dictator and I think there is going to be another rebellion soon.

The book is very fast paced. Thats probably why its only 101 pages. There are also a lot of names to memorize like in Watership Down. Only Watership Down was different. It was longer so if a character wasn't mentioned for a while you forgot about them. Watership Down was similar in that it is about animals, but solely rabbits. Its different in that it was MUCH, MUCH more slower paced than animal farm.

to answer your questions Miss K, I chose both Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies because I thought that they would be interesting stories about building communities and rebellion and forms of government. I chose War of the Worlds because I like action/adventure scifi. Scince Animal Farm is only 101 pages I thought, since we have to read 100 pages a week, that it would be a challenge to finish this book by Monday.

If you were wondering what my title means the translation is "conqerer of 3 books" because I'm reading 3 books. the 3 books are Animal Farm, War of The Worlds, and Lord of the Flies.