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Summer Reading...

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ThanksVision

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I have to read one of these books for AP English in addition to two others (A People's History of the United States, and Grapes of Wrath). I just need help picking from this list, each one seems pretty interesting...

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Diaz
Man Without a Country – Kurt Vonnegut
The Tortilla Curtain – T.C. Boyle
The Collected Poems of Robert Frost – Robert Frost
Tooth and Claw and Other Stories –T.C. Boyle
I Am One of You Forever – Chappell
For Whom the Bell Tolls – Hemingway
Everything is Illuminated – Foer
The Road – McCarthy
The Known World – Jones
One Man’s Meat – White
We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live – Didion
Death of a Salesman – Miller
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Alexie

Thanks!
 
A lot of people are gonna say The Road. I'd say read the first five pages of that and if you like the style, read the whole thing. Otherwise, Oscar Wao is great.

Edit: and Man Without a Country is an EXTREMELY quick read, pretty funny iirc, and a solid intro to Vonnegut. If you want to get through a book fast and easily, choose that one.
 
I remember being Death of a Salesman being kind of depressing.

The Road: Didn't finish it (had to give it back) but I liked what I read. Just be aware that Cormac McCarthy has a peculiar writing style; he doesn't always follow "the rules" regarding syntax and punctuation.
 
AvidNobody said:
Hmm... Could you guys explain why you pick those books?
Click to expand...
I suggested The Road because:

--it's themes are rather clearly laid out

--it's short

--it reads fast

--it's fun

You really don't want to be stuck with something like Junot Diaz for AP English. I've been there before.
 
Yeah. I think I'm going to go with The Road. I wanted to read it before I was assigned this anyway. It was really between that and Everything is Illuminated, but I am so freaking sick of reading about the Holocaust.
 
I would go with Death of a Salesman. Had to read it during my one semester of English and it was a quick and enjoyable read.
 
Dresden said:
I suggested The Road because:

--it's themes are rather clearly laid out

--it's short

--it reads fast

--it's fun

You really don't want to be stuck with something like Junot Diaz for AP English. I've been there before.
Click to expand...
The Road is a really depressing book bro. I would never classify it as "fun".

It is a great read though, very interesting and applicable to the course too. Fantastic story with a truly touching central dynamic between the two characters. I actually wrote on The Road for my book analysis on the AP Lit test
 
Do you have to review it afterwards? If not, pick the poem collection. Poem collections are fucking hell to review (speaking from experience). Or "report" or whatever the fuck you call a school review of a book in English.
 
AvidNobody said:
A People's History of the United States
Click to expand...

Ewww...

AvidNobody said:
Mediocre - The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Diaz
Good if you like him (I don't) - Man Without a Country – Kurt Vonnegut
Heard it was bad - The Tortilla Curtain – T.C. Boyle
Great - The Collected Poems of Robert Frost – Robert Frost
Don't know - Tooth and Claw and Other Stories –T.C. Boyle
Don't know - I Am One of You Forever – Chappell
Awesome - For Whom the Bell Tolls – Hemingway
Mediocre - Everything is Illuminated – Foer
Very good - The Road – McCarthy
Heard it was bad - The Known World – Jones
Awesome - One Man’s Meat – White
Don't know - We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live – Didion
Good if you like him (I don't) Death of a Salesman – Miller
Heard it was good - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Alexie
Click to expand...

Does your teacher have any kind of, er, reputation? A lot of these won't last long in the critical memory and are suspiciously political. If you don't have a strong draw to any of them, pick the classics.
 
This is what the assignment is, for those wondering:

You must write a 5-page formal, rhetorical analysis essay on the book you’ve chosen as your third reading. This essay will test your skills as an analytical writer and your skills as a critical reader. Your essay must include the following:
- MLA Format
- Font: 12-pt. Times New Roman or 11-pt. Calibri
- Double-Spaced
 
GhaleonQ said:
Ewww...
Click to expand...

I think it's okay. Some of his points are pretty interesting (some of the times). But the man is a FOOL for the most part.

GhaleonQ said:
Does your teacher have any kind of, er, reputation? A lot of these won't last long in the critical memory and are suspiciously political. If you don't have a strong draw to any of them, pick the classics.
Click to expand...

We've already had to read many classics. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Pearl, etc. Things like that. We just have to pick one of those books as they were all written in 20th - 21st century. I guess he just wants us to read a modern book.
 
Aw, high school AP essay writing. A bunch of useless shit that doesn't really help you at all in college, except for passing AP requirements to skip the basic courses.
 
AvidNobody said:
This is what the assignment is, for those wondering:

You must write a 5-page formal, rhetorical analysis essay on the book you’ve chosen as your third reading. This essay will test your skills as an analytical writer and your skills as a critical reader. Your essay must include the following:
- MLA Format
- Font: 12-pt. Times New Roman or 11-pt. Calibri
- Double-Spaced
Click to expand...
pick the Frost poems and bs five pages.
 
Dresden said:
Aw, high school AP essay writing. A bunch of useless shit that doesn't really help you at all in college, except for passing AP requirements to skip the basic courses.
Click to expand...

You aren't making this any easier =(
 
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