Ebooks vs Books Final

Third generation Amazon Kindle, showing text from the novel Moby-Dick. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can check out the previous posts by clicking below.

Part 1

Part 2

The Pros of eReaders

Now that we have addressed many of the fallacies touted about why ebooks are bad, let’s talk about why they are good.

It is easier to have a Kindle app on my smartphone that I always have with me and read whenever I have time than to lug around a book. It is easier to carry my Kindle Keyboard in my pocket with hundreds of books, including all the books that I am currently reading, than to bring along a book that I might lose (I have lost a few) and doesn’t fit in my pocket.

I markup books and make notes and find it easier and more convenient to highlight and make notes in ebooks using my Kindle. I don’t have to carry a pen, dictionary, and notebook when I want to read something.

If I hear of a book that sounds interesting to me, I can download a sample and begin reading in a minute. I can also download a sample to save for later so that I can have something handy to read when I finish a book. I can read the first 10 percent of a book to see if I want to continue reading and if I do, I can buy the book with a simple click. I buy too many books this way.

Ereaders make it convenient to read, easy to find new books, and are easier to carry than most books. Whether it has page numbers or locations makes no difference to me since I am reading for content, not to brag about the number of pages I read.

Conclusions

You can read ebooks without having to give up paper books. Obvious I know, but that’s how the “war” is being made out to be. Ebooks are not at war with bookstores or libraries, they are just the latest development in book technology. People that prefer real books prefer the previous shift in the book publishing industry, which is fine, just realize they are choosing one static form in an ever developing technology.

Before I get dismissed as a book hater, know that I am writing this on the fourth floor of the university library. I am surrounded by millions of books and I love coming here to study and read. I am a graduate student in English Literature and Composition, you could say that I love words and writing. I read a lot, I buy a lot of books and I write a lot. I will publish through Amazon and hopefully through a traditional publisher, if I can break in. I love books whether you can them real or not.

Ebooks or books, whatever you call them are really just books. What we really value is the writing of the author. The medium they published on does not matter, it is a preference. Next time you hear someone bashing ebooks, just know that they are resistant to change and embrace only the medium they grew up with. Now you know better.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this issue. I know ebooks can be divisive, but let’s try and keep it civil.

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The House on Mango Street

Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street

Published 1984

The House on Mango Street is a coming of age story by Sandra Cisneros first published in 1984. I remember reading this story in Middle School and thinking that this was the first time I was able to really relate to a character. The short novel is written in a series of vignettes dealing with memorable experiences growing up in a poor Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. The stories deal with issues of identity and growing up to relationships and sex. The main character describes her experiences and her friends who are discovering many things about relationships and what it means to become a woman.

We are currently planning an introduction to literature course and this is one of the books that keeps coming up because we are looking at different recurring themes in literature including banned books and why people protest literature. This and the rest of Sandra Cisneros works were banned in Arizona in 2012 following a law banning works that “gave students a one-sided approach to history promoting Latino Activism.” Cisneros gave a reading at my University in 2012 promoting her new book and in the Q and A was asked what she thought about Arizona banning her books. She said it was great, that she was having one of her best years in book sales. The unintended publicity found a new generation of readers for her and she was grateful.

The House on Mango Street is available on the Kindle for $5.99. Pick up your copy of the latest banned “anti-American” book and see what all the fuss is about.

For more on the Arizona debacle follow this link.

http://www.votolatino.org/blogs/sandra-cisneros-among-authors-banned-tucson-arizona

Check out our Facebook Page and Like us to keep up to date on the latest Kindle Literature news. You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future posts, free Kindle books, and the best Kindle novels. Make sure you subscribe and check back for more. You can follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

The Professor's House

Willa Cather
The Professor's House - $4.65
Published in 1925

Willa Cather was a Pulitzer Prize winning American writer. She was a very confident writer, working for years on novels to produce a very specific voice. She did not fit in with other women writers of her time and is said to have “regarded most women writers with disdain, judging them overly sentimental and mawkish.” She is now recognized as a major American writer and the foremost woman writer.

In undergrad, I had the pleasure of taking a Willa Cather course with a renowned Cather Scholar Dr. Margaret Doane. Dr. Doane has published over 60 articles and papers dealing with many themes in various Cather novels. We read several novels by Willa Cather and The Professor’s House was the one that made the most impact on me.

The novel is split into three parts. The first concerns the family of Professor Godfrey St. Peter and the midlife crisis he is experiencing after winning an award for his life’s work. He has lost his lust for life after publishing his life’s work and still having a life to live after. He has become estranged with his family and is mourning the death of a brilliant pupil, Tom Outland. The second part is the story of Tom Outland that the Professor is editing from Tom’s journals. The last part concerns the Professor trying to hang on to his old life while his family is away on a trip in Europe.

The novel, like most great novels, has inspired a wide array of readings. A common reading of the novel is that it’s a “story about the moral decline of a money driven society.” This was a popular reading of the novel for many years until the novel and Willa Cather began to be studied more widely. Dr. Doane was the first to do a feminist reading of The Professor’s House. Willa Cather was a woman writing a man’s view of women. Generally, the views of the male characters were viewed as her views. It wasn't until doing a feminist reading of the novel that you can see that “the Professor strongly feels women, particularly those in his family, are destructive and petty.” The Professor is always amazed with women even though he finds fault with them. Professor “St. Peter and other males’ --thoughts about women shows a perspective which is both prejudiced and insensitive.”

The readings of the novel range from societal critique to feminist readings and more recently homosexual readings. Whichever reading you choose to use, The Professor’s House is a novel worth reading. This is not her most famous novel or the one she won awards for, but it is the one that defines Willa Cather for me. Download a sample and check out the foremost American woman writer.

Check out our Facebook Page and “Like” us to keep up to date on the latest Kindle Literature news. You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a free 2 week trial* on your Kindle to have the posts delivered directly to your Kindle. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

August 2012 Roundup

Kindle Literature had another great month in August! We implemented a few changes this month. We removed the comments section from the posts. After some research and thinking we decided to move the comments section over to our Facebook page. Most people have Facebook and for those that don’t you can contact the blog through email at kindleliterature@yahoo.com. You can leave comments or suggestions on our Facebook page and through email. Let us know how we are doing and any suggestions you may have. Thanks for reading and here are last month's posts.

The Road - Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. A great read that a few of our readers read last month. Let us know what you think.

Mark Twain Biography - Archibald Henderson’s biography that follows Twain from his humble beginnings to being one of the most famous men on Earth.

Autobiography of Mark Twain - Released one hundred years after his death. It contains many writings that he did not want published while he was alive.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - One of the oldest works of literature. A great look at an earlier time in our civilization.

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe writing back against colonialism. A great novel that will make you think.

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad’s novella that explores the darkness in man.

You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a free 2 week trial*  on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness - Free
1899

Joseph Conrad left Poland at sixteen to enlist as a sailor in order to see the world. This is evident in his writings as many of his stories have to do with sailing. He did not become fluent in English until his mid twenties and his writing style has a foreign sensibility. He was able to incorporate a tragic feelings into his English prose that had not been seen before. He is now widely considered one of the best English language writers.

Heart of Darkness is number 67 in the Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels. It is a novella originally published in three parts in Blackwood’s Magazine.

Marlow is the main character sent by the company to restore the company’s name by bringing back Kurtz. Marlow narrates most of the story. Kurtz has been down river in Africa trading for Ivory and he is giving the company a bad name. Marlow is appointed boat captain and goes down river to see what is happening. Conrad uses symbolism in the book to show man’s descent into savagery. As Marlow goes farther down river and time passes and gets darker he is getting closer to madness, closer to Kurtz.

The language in this book can be difficult at times. It has been called dense. But the language is not the only difficulty with this book. The themes and approach to imperialism have been points of discussion among literary scholars. Conrad at times is critical of imperialism.

“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.”

Yet, the book has been criticized for being a justification of imperialism. Chinua Achebe has written brilliant criticism of Heart of Darkness and even advocates that people not read this book. His novel Things Fall Apart is writing back to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Conrad’s critique of imperialism has been challenged because the book can be seen as a justification for imperialism because it is can be read more as a warning. Conrad never gives voice to the africans in the book. He is warning against the shaming of europeans tactics and

“They were dying slowly--it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,--nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom.”

While he seems to be sympathetic to their plight, he still only writes about the european’s plight. Conrad was writing in a very different time when just writing about imperialisms imperfection was a form of criticism. Conrad wrote a terrific novel that was years ahead of its time. It is considered to be a precursor to modern literature. Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart can be read as authors in conversation. They are often studied together in Modern Literature courses.

Francis Ford Coppola made a great movie adaptation of Heart of Darkness in 1979 called Apocalypse Now. It places the story in Vietnam and has Kurtz as a rogue Army Colonel.

Check out our Facebook Page and Like us to keep up to date on the latest Kindle Literature news. You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a free 2 week trial*  on your Kindle to have the posts delivered directly to your Kindle. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart - $9.99
1958

I am always peddling books to people, much like this blog. I was at my nieces birthday party this past weekend and some friends I don't see too often were there. Like always my topics for discussion consisted of great books to read. I have become the go to guy whenever someone is looking for something good to read. I think I also am a great conversationalist because I have been enlightened by so many authors. Like most people, my friend is very busy and does not have as much time as he would like to to read books. He was asking me for the very best books to read and I recommended a few. He asked me what my favorite books are and so on. The one that peaked everyones interest from my description about the topic alone was Things Fall Apart. I do not give plot outlines when describing books, mainly because that is not my main interest in reading. I like ideas and characters and what they can teach me.

When describing Things Fall Apart I said it was an anti imperialist novel.

Anti imperialism n. - a term that may be applied to a movement opposed to any form of colonialism or imperialism.

What I mean is that it is written from the perspective of the colonized. Chinua Achebe is a nigerian author and an amazing writer. He is writing from a  very different perspective of the colonization of Africa. He is directly writing back to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, which is also a wonderful book but not as easy to read. Achebe gives voice to all the Africans in Heart of Darkness that are described but never speak.

Chinua Achebe writes about the consequences of european colonization in Africa.

"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart."

Achebe does not pull any punches when criticizing the tactics used to devastate the African culture. The novel can be applied to all regions of the world that western civilization came to “discover,” never mind the fact that people were already living in complex societies. Achebe makes this novel universal by including quotes such as:

"We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true."

The novel was first published in 1958 and Achebe is writing about an earlier time, when Africa was being divided into sections belonging to different European countries. What surprised me about the date of first publication is how current the novel feels. Achebe has a great command of the English language and the novel has a timeless feel. It could have been written this century, the last one of the one before. Things Fall Apart was the first african novel to get worldwide attention and acclaim. It is included in the World Library’s 100 Best Books of All Time.

Things Fall Apart has become a staple of literature courses around the world. It is also studied in conjunction with Heart of Darkness, which is a great way to study the novels. This is how I first read this novel in my twentieth century british literature class.

While researching the novel I found out that this is the first in his “African Trilogy,” which also includes No Longer at Ease (1960), and Arrow of God (1964). I sent over samples of the books to my Kindle for later reading. Send a sample of this book to your Kindle and start your virtual “to read” book shelf.

I hope my friends are reading this book and I really hope the readers of this blog read it. It is one of the best books ever written and you don’t have to take my word for it. You know people like a recommendation when they google the name of the book on their phones to save it for later.

Check out our Facebook Page and Like us to keep up to date on the latest Kindle Literature news. You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a   free 2 week trial*  on your Kindle to have the posts delivered directly to your Kindle. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Mark Twain

Archibald Henderson
Mark Twain Biography- Free
1911

I have been reading this really great biography on Mark Twain by Archibald Henderson. The biography was published a year after Twain’s death in 1910. Henderson personally knew Twain and wrote the biography from his experiences and from the interviews of people who knew Twain at important points in his life.

Henderson was a great admirer of Mark Twain, or Samuel Langhorne Clemens as he was born. He appreciated his humor and recounts many stories about Twain that relate to his writings. He recounts childhood stories from Twain’s life and ties them to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

“The cave, so graphically described in Tom Sawyer, was one of Sam’s favourite haunts; and his first sweetheart was Laura Hawkins, the Becky Thatcher of Tom’s admiration.”

Henderson also explains why Samuel Clemens chose the pen name Mark Twain. Twain was a river boat pilot for two and a half years. You have to mark “twain” regularly to find out the depth of the water so that the boat does not run aground. He chose Mark Twain because it was shorter than Samuel Clemens and because it meant nothing to 99% of Americans at the time. He was reporting for newspapers and didn't want to affect what people read by writing under a name that they knew already. In his last years, Twain commented that he liked that he added meaning to the name Mark Twain and that people all over the world now knew the name.

There are many great stories about Twain in the biography and the main reason for the book seems to be to argue that Mark Twain is not just a popular author but that his works are works of literature. Henderson compared Twain to Tolstoy and says that the main difference between the two is that Twain used humor to reach more people with his writings. Twain was considered a humorist but should be considered an important writer as well. Twain remains popular today, over 100 years after his death and is read and studied from elementary school through universities. Henderson was one of the first people to write about how important Twain was to literature and history seems to agree with him.

When studying literature it is always helpful to get a background on the author of the work. Knowing where and how the author is approaching writing helps to understand the themes presented in the work. For example, knowing that Twain was a humorist who makes light or pokes fun at serious issues will help to understand his use of the “N” word in Huckleberry Finn. He does not use the word because he was a racist, he puts the word in the mouth of a child and shows the disconnect between the word and meaning to a child. Huck Finn was using the word because society used the word but he was coming from a place of love for the run away slave. Society, at the time, was using the word as a racist label and Twain was being satirical in using it. Maybe, if people knew more about Twain’s intention, Huckleberry Finn will stop being banned in schools for the flagrant use of the “N” word.

Henderson argues that Twain is not just a great American writer but one of the most important writers in the world. Twain has certainly lived up to the hype. Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors and I know that I cannot praise him as much as I should. As Twain said himself, 

“he feels embarrassed accepting compliments because the complimenter never says enough!” 

This is a great biography for those that have not yet read the works of Mark Twain and also for those that have read a lot. This is the first in a series on Mark Twain posts. Stay tuned for the next one!

We have a new Facebook Page, check it out and Like us to keep up to date on the latest Kindle Literature news. You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a   free 2 week trial*  on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

July 2012 Roundup

Cover of The Los Angeles Diaries

Kindle Literature had another great month in July. Our readership is increasing daily but we still have not received a review on Amazon. If you like the blog, you can leave us a review on the Kindle Literature Amazon page and that would really help with spreading the word about Kindle Literature. Also, check out our Kindle Literature Facebook Page to keep up with the latest news.

Here are the books covered in July.

Walden - An early American masterpiece by Henry David Thoreau. Walden was a social experiment by a very influential American philosopher.

Kindle Giveaways - A post about three Kindle giveaways in July. The giveaways have ended but they are sponsoring new giveaways for August.

The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane’s war novel about the American Civil War. A great classic that needs to be studied more.

The Giver - The award winning children’s book that has been banned. This is a great book that adults can also enjoy.

The Los Angeles Diaries - James Brown’s wonderful memoir about perseverance and coming to terms with life’s tragedies.

Animal Farm - George Orwell’s allegory about the Soviet revolution. Number 31 on the Modern Library’s list of 100 best novels.

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous novel. The book blends metafiction and science fiction. A sheer pleasure to read. Number 18 on Modern Library’s list of 100 best novels.

You can share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

June 2012 Roundup

June was a big month for Kindle Literature. We were mentioned by Black Clock, a great literary journal, and we made a few connections to other literary blogs. Our readership increased quite a bit and we were tweeted and recommended by a few of our readers! It’s great to get a response back from readers, that is why we have a new Facebook page, so please like and share it.


Here are last month’s posts, in case you missed some.

• Ray Bradbury - We lost a great American writer last month. Best known for Fahrenheit 451. I personally love his short stories, he wrote hundreds and hundreds of them, there is something for everyone.
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography has been a staple of american literature for over two hundred years. This is a very candid look at his successes and failures. He was a very successful person and gives many of his keys to success.
• Soliloquy - First in the Shakespeare Series. Post explains Soliloquies in relation to Shakespeare, specifically Hamlet.
• Dramatic Irony - Second post of the Shakespeare Series. Explains Dramatic Irony in Shakespeare and discusses King Lear.
• Lit Challenge: 1 book in 1 month - A new literary challenge for June. This one is how to use a Kindle progress bar to read any book in a month.
• Poe’s Poetry - Intro to Edgar Allan Poe and links to his biographies and poems available on your Kindle. Includes the full poem Alone and first stanza of Annabel Lee.
• The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde’s cleaver novel about a Faustian wish come true.
• The Things They Carried - Tim O’Brien’s novel about the Vietnam War. Written as multiple stories with a connected theme.

Check out any missed posts and please like our Facebook page to keep up with the happenings. Please leave us a review on Amazon, Kindle Literature. This would really help with spreading the word about Kindle Literature. Let’s have another great month!

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,064,600 Paid in Kindle Store -Let’s see if we can break one million!

You can leave comments, questions or suggestion below. 

Please share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the RSS feed or try a   free 2 week trial*  on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Poe's Poetry

Alone
by Edgar Allan Poe

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view. 

January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849

Edgar Allan Poe is an American Romantic author and poet. He is best known for his poem “The Raven” and his short stories dealing with dark and macabre themes.

Edgar Allan Poe's Complete Poetical Works - Free

He had a very tragic life, losing his parents at a very early age. He was adopted by John Allan and later change his name in honor of the family that raised him. He was plagued with money issues and alcoholism through his short life. He died of mysterious circumstances that led to many conspiracy theories, including madness and exposure due to alcoholism.

Poe’s works are still widely referenced and adapted in popular culture. Poe has become a fictionalized version of himself often used as the narrator of his poems. Poe is often depicted in comic books, fiction, film and theatre, due to the tragic circumstances of his life and the mystery surrounding his death.

Poe, A Biography - This is a great out of print biography about Poe’s life. Follows his life and career and when he published his poems and stories. Available used for $4.00 in paperback.

Edgar Allan Poe: A Biography - New biography by Daniel Dyer, available on Kindle. $4.99 purchase, free to borrow with Prime Account.

There is a new film coming out later this year titled “The Raven” with John Cusack playing Edgar Allan Poe. Also, a new film titled “Poe” is rumored next year, directed by Sylvester Stallone!

Here is the beginning of another beautiful poem by Edgar Allan Poe, 

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

Please share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the rss feed or try a   free 2 week trial*  on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Lit Challenge: 1 Book in 1 Month

The last lit challenge was the most viewed post to date. It was also the most tweeted and G+ed and I take that to mean that you guys really liked it. I think it is time for a new challenge. I try this one all the time and it definitely gets me reading more.

Challenge: Read one book in a month using the Kindle progress bar.

The progress bar is that little bar across the bottom of your Kindle that reads percentages and lets you know how far along you are in a book. With the average month being 30 days you can read 3% a day and be at 90% of a book. Here is the plan in a little more detail:

• Day 1: 3%
• Day 2: 3% + 3% = 6%
• Day 3: 6% + 3% = 9%
• Day 4: 9% + 3% = 12%
• Day 5: 12% + 3% = 15%
• Day 6: 15% + 4% = 19%
• Day 7: 19% + 5% = 24%

In the first week of the month you have almost read a quarter of the book. Repeat for four more weeks and voila! Since most people are busier during the week the challenge is to read 3% weekdays and 4% to 5% on weekends. Reading 3% a day leaves us with only 10% to make up during the month and that can be done by reading 1% to 2% more on days that we are not as busy, like weekends.

Depending on the length of the book and the font size used, this can be two to three page turns per percentage point; for much longer books it can be up to be fifteen page turns per percent.

I came up with this challenge because I always viewed the progress bar as a challenge. When I would read the progress bar would cheer me on. If I was on 19% of a book I could not put it down until I reached 20%. The 1% would nag me until I reached it. 20% seems like a much nicer place to stop than 19%, anyone else feel this way? I originally did this in 5% increments but I found that I normally had the time for that on weekends and so I adjusted it so that I could finish a book in one month as opposed to twenty days or three weeks.

3% percent is small enough that it is easily doable but enough of a challenge that you can complete a novel or anything else in one month.

Variation: 

A simple variation of this challenge would be to read 3% - 4% of anything you have on your Kindle every time you pick it up. Since I normally read multiple books at once this comes in handy to keep up with reading. Even if I didn’t complete a single book in a month I finish about a book in a month.

I find that if I am a little more lenient with a challenge I am more likely to finish it. Let me explain this. If I forget to read the 3% on a certain day I don’t worry about it too much. I spread out the 3% over the next three days by reading 1% more each day. Thursday I read 4%, Friday 4% and Saturday I read 5% to catch up. This amounts to 5 to 10 minutes a day of reading more per day. Even when I am extremely busy with work and school and watching my daughter I can find 10 minutes to catch up on reading. I love to prioritize my reading because I think it makes me a better conversationalist. When talking with a friend I always have a new book I am reading or just finished. The same way I recommend books here I do it in real life.

Challenge yourself and try the challenge! You have one month to complete this challenge. Think of this as an expansion of the last challenge. By reading 3% a day for a month you can read that book you have been planning. There is no better way to finish that book you been meaning to read than to start reading it today! If you forget a day or have too much to do do not worry. Just spread out that day's reading into the next few days and you will stay on track.

Don’t have a book to read? Try last year's Pulitzer prize winner in fiction. 
A Visit from the Goon Squad

Please share this post or any others on your social media of choice and bookmark the site for future post. You can also grab the rss feed or try a   free 2 week trial*  on your kindle to have the posts delivered directly to you. Follow me on twitter @seframos. Happy Reading.

Soliloquy

Literary terminology is important in understand works. I am working on presenting terms in relation to the works of literature discussed. Soliloquies are used extensively in plays. The most famous soliloquy would have to be Hamlet’s “To be or not to be.” A soliloquy is normally a person alone on stage talking about his real feelings or innermost thoughts.

Soliloquy  [suh-lil-uh-kwee] n.
1.an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts).
2. the act of talking while or as if alone.

Shakespeare was a master of language and his soliloquies are studied and quoted extensively.

William Shakespeare
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
First Published 1608


Hamlet Nicely formatted. $0.99 


Hamlet Quarto 1608 Free


Hamlet Folio 1623 Free


A nicely formatted version is available from the Magic Catalog for free!

I have not read Hamlet yet, but I have read about it. The reason I am including it here is that I will be reading this play starting tonight! Anyone want to read along with me?


Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Hamlet:

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince Hamlet's mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

Sounds great to me! Wikipedia and Sparknotes are great resources for background and notes on text. This is especially useful when the language is a barrier to full understanding. Shakespeare had a ridiculous vocabulary and the language has also changed a bit in the last few hundred years. His texts are studied with annotations in universities that are done by Shakesperian Scholars. Attending a play or watching a film version will also help with understanding the work. YouTube also has theatre outfit’s recordings of the plays that you can listen to while you read along. I recommend doing all of these. Study up on the play by reading online. Read an act or two and look up the synopsis online to make sure you are following along and understanding it all. Finish the play then watch a  film version. This will give you much more interaction with a play and help with the understanding of themes and characters.

Shakespeare’s works are a challenge but ones that are well worth it.

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