That is my all-time favorite classic and I just today discovered that you're doing this. I read it about every ten years and I just started reading it again last week. Now I see this! I love your annotations and reactions and I look forward to hearing more!
As you continue in your reread, I’d love to hear your thoughts on each of the posts on the Four Parts. I’m so humbled by Steinbeck’s mastery. As the narrative progressed, I felt less and less capable of saying anything that deserved to be said.
Thank you, Jess! I know what you mean. The book is such a unique piece of literature. And Steinbeck's mastery - yes, that's the only word for it - is stunning. But I urge you to definitely keep talking about it. I look forward to the reactions of first time readers. I have my own opinions a few of the characters, like about how Steinbeck portrays Cathy, throughout, but I'll save that for later. I will say this - the conversations between Sam Hamilton, Adam, and Lee, are my favorite parts. I've read them over and over. Sam is such a rich, lovable character! :)
I cannot wait for the in person and virtual book clubs and then to chat on the podcast about this all. I'm so glad to be introducing new readers to this book and I'm so blessed to have Jess lead us all through it before our conversations take place in real time. There is so much depth to this work.
I am also enjoying reading Journal of a Novel by Steinbeck to gain insight into what he was trying to do as he wrote.
I've been super behind with this read, but am starting to really pick up steam now. I found the effect of the back-and-forth between narratives (mostly Charles, Adam, Cathy in this section) and then seeing them all converge to be so powerful!
I also love your thoughts about the names in this book. It's clear the names hold a lot of significance - even the fact that Cyrus' first wife remains nameless...super interesting. My oldest son is named Charles, so I know that the original meaning of Charles is "free man". Definitely keeping an eye out for how that may show up in his character.
It’s been such a rewarding reread so far-I haven’t read it since high school. So many passages I’m preparing to enter into my commonplace journal. I find I can appreciate the craft of Steinbeck’s writing so much more now that I have a lot more quality literature under my belt and now that I’m not reading in order to remember information for a test. I also remember being so so disturbed by the darkness, especially by Cathy, as a high schooler such that I struggled to keep reading the book at times. And I have that same sense of disturbance at confronting such a moral monster, but I have a better handle on facing it/seeing the potential good being set against it, it’s no longer the only thing looking large in the story. And I think it’s very biblical in that respect quite aside from the specific parallels/perversions of well-known biblical stories. We have evil/monstrousness depicted very Bally in the Bible and it’s not always explicitly condemned/given the justice we want it to receive-and it can’t receive that justice because that won’t happen until we get the new heavens and new earth.
Ah the beauty of not reading to remember information for a test! I’m reading Something They Will Not Forget by Joshua Gibbs right now and he talks a lot about this being a problem in modern education.
There is an old Circe talk by Angelina Stanford that talks about giving a test or essay right after someone finishes a book is like asking a winner of a race, “how does it feel” when he/she can barely catch his breath!
Ah Cathy! I think it does take a reread and a mature mind to appreciate mere goodness as much as being appalled by evil
That's such a good way to put it. I love Angelina Stanford. And as someone who was trained as a teacher in more modern education methods/went to public school with those methods, it's been really interesting having taken time away from the classroom and listening to alternative perspectives/methodologies. And that's a great way to put it, I was definitely lost in being appalled, especially since I was just very sensitive in general as a teen
I am so interested in your thoughts as a teacher! I went to Pubic school but my only really teaching experience has been with kids at home. My husband is a teacher in a private school and is always trying to figure out how to test well. He calls it the white whale of education.
I taught private Catholic schools but they mostly used/expected normal teaching/testing methods. I love your husbands description-that feels so accurate. And no one is ever happy with what you decide. You test too often, and you’re overwhelming the kids. A few big tests/projects-unfair that a kids grade is tanked by one “bad” project/test. Multiple choice can be guessed at/people can argue a question wasn’t well-written, traditional writing assignments are unfair to visual/other learners, etc. My most successful assessments tended to be a) Debates/dialogues with VERY clear rules and rubrics about how to earn participation credit, and giving the discussion questions/debate info ahead of time with a writing prep component for kids who wouldn’t be as into the speaking side b) Projects with a mix of creative and writing elements where students could pick from 2-3 options (with Paradise Lost for example one assessment option was to create your own “biblical fanfiction/short story.” Another had to do with creating a graphic novel of a particular section and writing about it too) No matter what I did though I always felt like I was searching for that white whale/perfect assignment just out of reach.
That is my all-time favorite classic and I just today discovered that you're doing this. I read it about every ten years and I just started reading it again last week. Now I see this! I love your annotations and reactions and I look forward to hearing more!
As you continue in your reread, I’d love to hear your thoughts on each of the posts on the Four Parts. I’m so humbled by Steinbeck’s mastery. As the narrative progressed, I felt less and less capable of saying anything that deserved to be said.
Thank you, Jess! I know what you mean. The book is such a unique piece of literature. And Steinbeck's mastery - yes, that's the only word for it - is stunning. But I urge you to definitely keep talking about it. I look forward to the reactions of first time readers. I have my own opinions a few of the characters, like about how Steinbeck portrays Cathy, throughout, but I'll save that for later. I will say this - the conversations between Sam Hamilton, Adam, and Lee, are my favorite parts. I've read them over and over. Sam is such a rich, lovable character! :)
I cannot wait for the in person and virtual book clubs and then to chat on the podcast about this all. I'm so glad to be introducing new readers to this book and I'm so blessed to have Jess lead us all through it before our conversations take place in real time. There is so much depth to this work.
I am also enjoying reading Journal of a Novel by Steinbeck to gain insight into what he was trying to do as he wrote.
Also isn’t Jess’ writing about it wonderful! It has been such a treat to follow along!
Let me know if you want to join us for the Virtual Book Club next week! Message me and I’ll get you set up’
Thank you! My schedule doesn't have the bandwidth for that right now, but I will be following the progress. Good luck and enjoy! :)
I've been super behind with this read, but am starting to really pick up steam now. I found the effect of the back-and-forth between narratives (mostly Charles, Adam, Cathy in this section) and then seeing them all converge to be so powerful!
I also love your thoughts about the names in this book. It's clear the names hold a lot of significance - even the fact that Cyrus' first wife remains nameless...super interesting. My oldest son is named Charles, so I know that the original meaning of Charles is "free man". Definitely keeping an eye out for how that may show up in his character.
It’s been such a rewarding reread so far-I haven’t read it since high school. So many passages I’m preparing to enter into my commonplace journal. I find I can appreciate the craft of Steinbeck’s writing so much more now that I have a lot more quality literature under my belt and now that I’m not reading in order to remember information for a test. I also remember being so so disturbed by the darkness, especially by Cathy, as a high schooler such that I struggled to keep reading the book at times. And I have that same sense of disturbance at confronting such a moral monster, but I have a better handle on facing it/seeing the potential good being set against it, it’s no longer the only thing looking large in the story. And I think it’s very biblical in that respect quite aside from the specific parallels/perversions of well-known biblical stories. We have evil/monstrousness depicted very Bally in the Bible and it’s not always explicitly condemned/given the justice we want it to receive-and it can’t receive that justice because that won’t happen until we get the new heavens and new earth.
Ah the beauty of not reading to remember information for a test! I’m reading Something They Will Not Forget by Joshua Gibbs right now and he talks a lot about this being a problem in modern education.
There is an old Circe talk by Angelina Stanford that talks about giving a test or essay right after someone finishes a book is like asking a winner of a race, “how does it feel” when he/she can barely catch his breath!
Ah Cathy! I think it does take a reread and a mature mind to appreciate mere goodness as much as being appalled by evil
That's such a good way to put it. I love Angelina Stanford. And as someone who was trained as a teacher in more modern education methods/went to public school with those methods, it's been really interesting having taken time away from the classroom and listening to alternative perspectives/methodologies. And that's a great way to put it, I was definitely lost in being appalled, especially since I was just very sensitive in general as a teen
I am so interested in your thoughts as a teacher! I went to Pubic school but my only really teaching experience has been with kids at home. My husband is a teacher in a private school and is always trying to figure out how to test well. He calls it the white whale of education.
I taught private Catholic schools but they mostly used/expected normal teaching/testing methods. I love your husbands description-that feels so accurate. And no one is ever happy with what you decide. You test too often, and you’re overwhelming the kids. A few big tests/projects-unfair that a kids grade is tanked by one “bad” project/test. Multiple choice can be guessed at/people can argue a question wasn’t well-written, traditional writing assignments are unfair to visual/other learners, etc. My most successful assessments tended to be a) Debates/dialogues with VERY clear rules and rubrics about how to earn participation credit, and giving the discussion questions/debate info ahead of time with a writing prep component for kids who wouldn’t be as into the speaking side b) Projects with a mix of creative and writing elements where students could pick from 2-3 options (with Paradise Lost for example one assessment option was to create your own “biblical fanfiction/short story.” Another had to do with creating a graphic novel of a particular section and writing about it too) No matter what I did though I always felt like I was searching for that white whale/perfect assignment just out of reach.
Those sound like things Aaron has had success with too! But yes, no matter what he gets angry parent emails!