Paz on 12/9/2006 at 23:52
Quote Posted by TheGreatGodPan
The Giver.
I rate The Giver. It creates the "hey kids it's a perfect society, oh no IT'S A BIT TOO PERFECT!" atmosphere fairly well and semi-believably. However, I did get a nagging sensation that it was trying to be a warning about a rather cartoonish version of Communism - and if this is the case, it fails on various levels. The hypothetical society sometimes feels like it exists purely for the author to go HI I'M MAKING POINTS HERE.
That may partly be a limitation of the age-range being aimed at though - it plays the setting-groundwork-for-classroom-discussion game pretty well.
There are some decent ideas contained within it though, and the wacky society sort of "works" (up to a point). It has a couple of excellently bleak segments too. Worth a read, I'd say.
Turtle on 13/9/2006 at 01:01
In a related story, I started pinching my wife's nipples about 7 years ago and she hasn't had an erection since then.
:(
Scots Taffer on 13/9/2006 at 01:10
You've posted too many times in this thread for it to be healthy, so I'm not surprised.
Turtle on 13/9/2006 at 01:13
Oh, and Scots' wife just emailed me and said she had the same problem with him.
Sry 2 here abt yr npplz, do0d.
Scots Taffer on 13/9/2006 at 01:15
It only works when Shug does it now. Those manly hands. :(
Mr.Duck on 13/9/2006 at 01:43
Any more erectile dysfunctions around here?
Nipple pinching?
Anyone?
Shug on 13/9/2006 at 03:41
Just reporting in to inform you all I still have a RAAAAGING SPEEDHORN
pavlovscat on 13/9/2006 at 14:12
Quote Posted by Paz
I rate The Giver. It creates the "hey kids it's a perfect society, oh no IT'S A BIT TOO PERFECT!" atmosphere fairly well and semi-believably. However, I did get a nagging sensation that it was trying to be a warning about a rather cartoonish version of Communism - and if this is the case, it fails on various levels. The hypothetical society sometimes feels like it exists purely for the author to go HI I'M MAKING POINTS HERE.
That may partly be a limitation of the age-range being aimed at though - it plays the setting-groundwork-for-classroom-discussion game pretty well.
There are some decent ideas contained within it though, and the wacky society sort of "works" (up to a point). It has a couple of excellently bleak segments too. Worth a read, I'd say.
Definitely reminiscent of Huxley's Brave New World. Have you read Brave New World, Animal Farm or 1984 (which I read for school in 1984-I'm getting old!)? These were the social commentary novels we read in school. Animal Farm was an excellent commentary on communisism which I enjoyed very much. I will have to check out The Giver. It sounds interesting.
Paz on 13/9/2006 at 14:16
I have indeed read those!
The Giver is not quite as good as them (not exactly damning condemnation, they're all classic!); I'd suggest it as a kind of gateway drug to "that type" of novel. Reading it after Orwell, Huxley etc might be a slight letdown.
... and I guess to covertly blend in with the thread I should also pretend there's a sequel called The Receiver.
pavlovscat on 13/9/2006 at 14:38
Quote Posted by Paz
Reading it after Orwell, Huxley etc might be a slight letdown.
... and I guess to covertly blend in with the thread I should also pretend there's a sequel called
The Receiver.
It's been a couple (like 10) years since I've read them. The last book I finished was a trashy romance novel (read: "women's porn" so we're covered with the thread:D ) and my current is Pushing The Limits, about anatomist Gunter von Hagens, creator of Body Worlds (naked pix! they're uncovered so we're definitely covered). I sure The Giver will look fine comparatively!
