I am Legend by Richard Matheson

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

"Normalcy was a majority concept, the standard of many and not the standard of just one man"

If a disease turned the majority of people into vampires- would being a vampire become the normal? If you were the only human being left- would you be abnormal compared to all the vampires?

Normally I'm not into vampire books (too much Twilight when I was younger) but this book is different. It's my favourite genre of book- dystopia so I suppose it's better than a love story. After my philosophy teacher told me to read it during one of his tangents- I couldn't find a reason not to. I'm not sure why he wanted us to read it but I loved the film so there was no real reason why I wouldn't like this. And it's only 160 pages long. However the shortest books always somehow take me longer to read. It took me a while to get into it, whilst also reading it alongside Volpone and King Lear- impossible. Despite this, once I got into it I finished the second half in one evening.

This vampire book is different because it's not cheesy although it does coincide with the main ideas about vampires- developing on from Bram Stoker's Dracula. The stake. The garlic. The crosses. Only coming out at night. They're all in there.

When you read the title you may think of the movie with Will Smith in. Yes it has the same title and they're both about vampires- they are the only two similarities between the two. I hate it when films do that. However it is a great film just in its own right. I knew the book and the film were very different before I started the book so I wasn't wrongly led but I was shocked how different they both are. In the film, Will Smith's dog plays quite a big part in it but in the book there's a dog for about 10 pages. I know that annoyed me too. Sorry I love any animal in a book so this really annoyed me but it did get me hooked into the book. 🐶

The main character Robert Neville thinks he is the last man on earth and lives to survive on his own. During the day, he hunts for food and he hunts the vampires trying to find a cure. Robert Neville is a clever man and has protected his house and himself in any way possible from the vampires. In his house, he lives a usual lifestyle as he tries to carry on as usual but as a reader you wonder what he's waiting for. However at night he is trapped inside his house as they come to hunt him.

Robert Neville lost his wife to the disease that turns people into vampires and since he has not come into contact with anyone. Will he? He has lost all social skills but can he overcome this?


Thank you for reading. I hope it didn't take you as long as it took me to read this book. I hope you enjoyed it.

Volpone by Ben Jonson

Volpone by Ben Jonson

Finally I have finished Volpone by Ben Jonson which means my compulsory reading for the Christmas holidays is done! (Only 4 days in). That definitely feels good. I'm still not completely sure how I finished Volpone and King Lear but I did. I'm having to read Volpone as it is another text I need to learn for my A2 exam. Ahhhhh! - more quotes to learn. The play was easy to understand on its own but I'm not entirely sure how I will link it with the poet, William Blake but we will have to find out.   

 

It has taken me a while to read Volpone which tells you something- I didn't find it that gripping. Sorry. I was really looking forward to it as one of the main threads of this play is animals and how their animalistic characters link to their humanistic manners. I was excited because somehow I am able to get animals in all my essays- mini task myself during A-Levels- as if they're not hard enough already.

 

There doesn't seem to be any hero in this play as all the characters are selfish and self driven but not for the right reasons. Volpone, who has no legitimate heirs, pretends to be ill and dying so people bring him gifts to persuade him that they are the best heir to put in his will. However none of them are suitable heirs because none of them respect Volpone in the right way.

 

Volpone, the main character, is sly and manipulative in how he orders people around. He treats people (including his 3 dancers- Nano (a dwarf), Androgyno (a hermaphrodite) and Castrone (an eunuch) and his servant Mosca like objects and money as the most valuable thing in the world. Volpone comes across as a character who has got his priorities mixed up but this is the reason why Ben Jonson created him as the main character.

 

Corbaccio (a raven), Corvino (a crow) and Voltore (a vulture) believe they are all rightful heirs and continuously bring gifts to flatter Volpone (a fox) who is helped by his servant Mosca to collect jewels and valuable gifts. However (unrealistically) none of them wonder if this is a scam but if any of them are onto something either Mosca or Volpone will make up something to divert their attention.

 

The only rightful characters in the play, Celia (Corvino's wife) and Bonario (Corbaccio's son) are wrongly accused of being adulterers. Although Celia is the one who is nearly raped and Bonario is the one who is disinherited from his family, they still end up worse for the majority of the play and you begin to doubt what is actually right. The point of these characters, shows how those who have status and links are the ones who thrive in society. I know the play is a true reflection of society but I think that's why I don't love it. It's too real.

 

I hope you have enjoyed my latest book review and I hope you all have a nice Christmas. 

King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear by William Shakespeare

 

Hey everyone,

Now I've finished my plan for my English Literature coursework, it's on to prepping for the exam. For our exam we are doing King Lear and I have finally finished my first read through of it. Sorry I haven't written a blog for a couple of weeks but I'm having to read Volpone and King Lear at the same time- not easy texts.

One of my mum's favourite playwrights, I knew my knowledge of it would be scrutinised. One of her party tricks is to be able to recognise any line of Shakespeare from any play and tell you which one it comes from. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that but I do need to quote in the exam.

It is a great tragedy by the famous William Shakespeare and it does make you think. My teacher asked whether I'm enjoying it and I'm not entirely sure yet. I love the characters but every single one seems to overreact in this alternate reality. Cordelia seems too love interested to be real compared to her harsh sisters who seem heartless until they find Edmund who they fight over. You feel sorry for Regan and Goneril whilst at the same time grateful that they are getting what they deserve until the final scene.

My favourite character has to be the Fool for no particular reason that I can explain apart from the fact she makes no sense. Possibly, after having read Fight Club, I see the Fool as King Lear's alternate conscience but whatever part she plays I think the Fool is the best.

However I did surprise myself how much I could understand. I haven't read Shakespeare for so long but once you start looking for the one line in each section that has no metaphorical elements, it all starts to make sense. Yes the language was difficult but once you have a dictionary by your side, they are no longer a problem. I did find myself wanting to analyse the language development in King Lear but I knew I needed to concentrate on the plot during my first read through. Although writing down the plot summary did become tedious, it developed my understanding of the text immensely.

I did see the play before I started reading the play which really helped with my understanding of who the characters were and the basic plot but reading the play brought so many new things alive that I'd missed in the live performance. The play I went to see did stay very closely with the actual text which has helped me make greater links.

Thanks,
Hope you enjoyed my latest blog even though I will probably look back and be embarrassed by my initial interpretations. Oh well, it's out there now...