Gatsby

Right now I'm in the midst of chapter III. One thing I know about Jay Gatsby right now that I didn't know in my last blog is that he can definitely throw a nice party! Amazing food, great music and fabulous entertainment. Plus it's not parties like those in Decatur, Georgia. It's more of a formal affair with sweet ballroom dancing, cordially behavior and other beautiful simplicities. 

Still though, we don't know who Gatsby is. There's all this speculation in my head and one the pages of the book about what kind of a person he is and what he does. He's obviously a nice person if he throws humungous parties and invites everyone correct? He offers plane rides to Nick and such... but still there's something that's hidden. 

After reading chapter III I think that Jordan Baker is going to die by the end of the book. Which I don't hope to happen, but it could. Because: a. There was just a reckless car accident. and b. Nick says that she's a terrible driver and one day she'll meet someone who drives like herself. I'm not sure if I like Baker yet... she's kind of shady. Accused of cheating in a golf match and then the witnesses and caddies extracting statements, plus going to the library with Gatsby. There must be something brewing. I do like what she said though, it's kind of ironic...

"I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy." - Jordan Baker

Alma Singer

Almer Singer of The History of Love by Nicole Krauss reminds me of a typical 14 year old girl book character. Alma like Georgia of The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Cathy of Cathy's Book keeps a journal of some sort. Alma though, keeps her journals in a list format. Like I said before she calls her journals survival guides in honour of her late father who loved the outdoors.

Something else about Alma reminds me of some other character in some book, or perhaps a movie... I can't put my finger on it right this second. Anyways the reason she reminds me of this person is because she's very interested in the man that has employed her mother to translate Litvinoff's History of Love.(I swear everytime I look at this guy's name the spelling changes.) Alma has decided that her mother's new client who lives across the pond is a PERFECT match for her widowed mother.

So in order to arrange something between the two she's typed up a letter to this fellow and sent it to him like any 14 year old matchmaker, behind her mother's back. In the most recent twenty or so pages that I have read she's sent the letter and anxiously waits his response. But Alma also waits for of course her own mother's reaction to when she finds out.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

The other book that I have been working on has been The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. The last time I shut the book I had read 118 pages. The book follows Leo Gursky an old Jewish immigrant, Alma Singer a fourteen year old girl, and the author of The History of Love Zvi Livintoff, or rather his book.

Leo grew up in Eastern Europe during World War II and obviously survived. His love left him for America during the war. He stopped responding to her letters and she thought he'd died. When he moved to the U.S. The first thing he did was look her up. It turned up that she married and that they had a son. He was heartbroken over this and still is. Recently, his son died, a great author. Leo struggles with what his life could have been and what his life has become.

Alma is fourteen her dad recently died. Alma's dad was a scientist, and loved the outdoors. Alma writes "survival guides" to nature related things. They're more like journals of lists though, I believe she's filled three. Her mother is a book translator. She recieved a letter from a man and what I believe was in/from Italy... who asked her to personally translate The History of Love.
The History of Love like I said before is a book in the book that I am reading by Zvi Livintoff. Livintoff's book played a big role in Alma's parents relationship. Alma is named after the main character in the book. So she accepts the job

The other parts of the book are about The History of Love. Livintoff was also an immigrant of eastern Europe, except he lived in Chile. He works there writing his novel. He also meets his wife at a cafe in Chile. It is her that presses him to publish his work. The came to New York City to publish it. It wasn't very sucessful though. In the most recent chapter I followed this one copy of the book. It had been sold to a used book store. The clerk found it one day and read it the same day. He then put it in the window display happy to pass it on to the world. A soldier came into buy it one day (who I believe was Alma's father). The clerk was happy to see it go, and hoped that it would be taken care of....


That's kinda how far I am.. I really like the book. The jumping around kinda makes it confusing at times, but it's alright.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

For my first independent reading book I chose The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald simply because it was sitting with a stack on my bookshelf. I've got to admit, I was kind of unhappy to read this book because I'm in the middle of another book that I started in Barnes and Noble over break. But I am really excited to read Gatsby, I've wanted to for a while, but I never got around to it.

So far I believe I've read two chapters ... I cannot remember if I stopped at the end of chapter two or somewhere in the middle of chapter three. I still do not know who Jay Gatsby is, I only know that he is Nick's neighbor, and that he lives in a mansion. I've met the Buchanans. I'm sympathetic towards Daisy. She seems so beautiful, smart even. I hate that lady ... Mrs. Wilson I don't even care enough for her to see if I can find her first name.

Nick has had dinner with the Buchanans and Jordan Baker. He's ridden the train with Mr. Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson to New York and has had a party with their friends and Catherine, her sister. So far it's keeping me interested.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Nick remember's his father saying this in the beginning of the first chapter. I think it's very important for us to remember this. We shouldn't criticize/make fun of/be mean to people just because they're different.