Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman // Phenomenal Though Harsh

Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman
Publication: December 1, 1994, by Penguin Books
Genre: Fiction, Drama, Play
Pages: 96
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Ariel Dorfman's explosively provocative, award-winning drama is set in a country that has only recently returned to democracy. Gerardo Escobar has just been chosen to head the commission that will investigate the crimes of the old regime when his car breaks down and he is picked up by the humane doctor Roberto Miranda. But in the voice of this good Samaritan, Gerardo's wife, Paulina Salas, thinks she recognizes another man—the one who raped and tortured her as she lay blindfolded in a military detention center years before.

My Thoughts:

Death and the Maiden is warped - it has a truly messed up plot that makes you ponder about the relationships people have, but, at the same time, its warped-ness just makes it beautiful. Otherwise, it would have been a completely ordinary play that has a dark theme. This is a play that I will remember for the rest of my days. There's so much to analyze in Ariel Dorfman's writing that we can spend AGES going through it, trying to understand it all. I need to look Dorfman up and find more of his writing - it's addictive, to be quite honest.

I read this play a loooooooong time ago, but what I know I loved about it was the fact that it was so deep and carried an important message: we need to speak out. In addition, it was beautifully written and stayed true to its Chilean culture. It seemed that Dorfman had put a lot of thought into writing this story and making it fit for each of us. There were moments when I wanted to vomit because of the detailedness of Dorfman's writing and Paulina's actions, and times where I wanted to cry out because Paulina's character development was unbelievable. She began her story as a surprisingly tough woman who progressed to have feelings and understand her husband better.

You see, I read this in school and we even acted it out. That was the difficult part - but it also helped us understand the story and meaning much more. I cannot write so much without spoiling, but, short story short: YOU NEED TO READ THIS. It is deep and gory, but hey - it has a beautiful ending that will make you want more. 

Read this, fall in love, hate Roberto (you'll find out who he is), and be amused. This is a play with three AMAZINGLY CRAZY characters who are each so different yet alike. It's a literature masterpiece.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen // A Lovely Work of Modern Drama

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen
Publication: December 1879, by Hard Press
Genre: Fiction, Play, Drama
Pages: 122
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

A Doll's House (1879), is a masterpiece of theatrical craft which, for the first time portrayed the tragic hypocrisy of Victorian middle class marriage on stage. The play ushered in a new social era and "exploded like a bomb into contemporary life".

My Thoughts: 

A Doll's House was one of the three plays I was fortunate to read for English class this year, and I must say that it was just absolutely stunning and alluring. I have read about ten pieces of drama and this is one of the best for its different style of writing and subject matter. How often are we readers fortunate to read about a couple's crisis in the Victorian era in Norway? Never. Ever. After reading Ibsen's work, I feel more captivated to look into his other plays and see what he has in store for us. This can definitely be classified as modern drama, but it gives us the perspective of 1800s Europe before all of the violence and wars began. This was more about a couple's struggle in the sense of their marriage and social status.

We spent about a week reading this relatively short play and analyzing it in my class and I didn't want to miss a second of it. In the beginning of the play, we are introduced to Nora and her husband Thorvald who are a well-off couple living in a Norwegian town. The whole play takes place in a span of a couple of days, and it is so raw and real. Ibsen was definitely not influenced by any of the modern topics (like technology) that we are surrounded with, so he told us a different story about a couple that we haven't been surrounded with before. 

The characters were absolutely my favourite part of the play. Everyone, including Nora, Thorvald, Mrs. Linde etc. etc. are so well planned-out and amazing. Each of them has their own emotions and qualities that they are specifically known for in the play. We feel their pains, their struggles, their desires... and this is the reason why I appreciate drama so much compared to novels. There are only a few books that actually have the ability to create this raw feeling. A Doll's House did that. And it's so creative too; just look at the title. Occasionally we find these basic titles that are pretty much meaningless for the whole novel/play. In this case, IT BRINGS OUT SO MANY THEMES that can be discussed for decades and millenniums.... and forever.

The only thing I want is for a greater sense of background information in Thorvald and Nora's relationship. AND THE KIDS. AND THE MAID. We just need a sequel play, okay?

A Doll's House is lovely. It's a work that I would want to come back to all the time and analyze the themes over and over again. In addition to Shakespeare and Hamilton and all of THOSE lovely plays, read this. NOW. 

What are some other brilliant modern plays?

Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers Review

Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Drama

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: January 5, 2010, by St. Martin's Griffin

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder.  Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.  Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.  If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.  She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully.  Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Review:

"Write it out today, put it away, make sense of it tomorrow."

Bullying is horrible. But then again, it sometimes happens because of karma and craziness and drama that happened in the past, and in this story, you'll probably be hating the protagonist, Regina, in the beginning.

This girl was a bully herself. I first felt like she deserved what she got. (I know, I'm a very mean person.) The amount and craziness of things that she did to people was unforgivable, but her friends did the same things, and they eventually got onto picking on Regina. 

And this all began because of a rumour. 

Regina was known to have done something horrible with her best friend's boyfriend.. but it really isn't true. Now, her best friends are against her, and she's not part of the clique that everyone feared of anymore. The whole school is against her, and she's beginning to get bullied and abused by the people she once trusted. As she gets more down and depressed day by day, the only person who really is there for her is Michael, a guy she used to bully herself. Hey, but love might not be strong as hurting.

I actually didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. The idea was strong, it was there, and it stayed. The idea was powerful and Courtney Summers did a fantastic job at keeping it real and believable. She showed a point of view of a subject that is very common and crazy in our reality and world today.

So here you're sitting, wondering, "Will I cry and will my feels explode?" Possibly. I teared up a little because of sympathy and sadness. Who wouldn't feel sad for a girl in this situation? She got molested and was pushed and locked in a closet. She got the word, "whore" sprayed on her locker. There was a hate page of her on the internet. It was so horrible, but beautiful at the same time because it was amazingly touching. The writing was perfect.

What wasn't as "perfect" were the characters. Regina was okay, obviously. Dumb in the beginning, but strong as the story went on. I sadly didn't like Michael and his romance with Regina at the same time. Something was missing between them, and the author made it seem like the romance was a big part and chunk of the book. I didn't really see that as well and clear as others seemed to have.

Otherwise and on the other hand, Courtney Summers has really written an enjoyable novel that really gives us another view on a horrifying subject. She's given us a whole other experience. 

Don't Even Think About It, by Sarah Mlynowski

Don't Even Think About It (Don't Even Think About It #1), by Sarah Mlynowski

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: March 11, 2014, by Delacorte Press

Format: Hardcover Edition

Goodreads Summary: We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

Review:

“That's our story.

How we became a we.

And that's what we are these day. A we.

When you're a group that can hear each other's thoughts, the line between I and We gets kind of blurry.” 

  Sarah Mlynowski has always been the literature master of contemporary mixed with paranormalcy and fantasy, at least with little its and bits of fantasy mixed with pretty romance. Don't Even Think About It has a different feel to it, despite the same sort of setting and prettiness involved. 

   I expected a petty read. Something with less importance and a no-plot contemporary. But instead, we got something completely different. Overall, this was a witty sarcastic read for every teen. If you're a beginner with contemporaries, then you should really begin with this one. It gives us a different feel compared to others like Sarah Dessen. This is a very complex chick-lit with various signs of a strong plot forming.

   The students of homeroom class 10B go get the flu shot. Some don't even care about it, and others are afraid of the sudden pain and outcome. One by one, every comes out there like nothing has happened. They all expected various side effects, like pain in the arm or a headache. But instead, many of them scored telepathy powers that gave them the ability to read the minds of the people around them, and some things are definitely not wanted to be heard. One by one, the rest of the students from that class begin to get the powers, especially at random times. There are many secrets that aren't wanted to be heard, and everyone slowly has to deal with it, and not think about the things that people don't want others to hear about, because it just might ruin their minds. So when will that weird side effect go away, and how quickly? Because everyone wants a normal life again.

     Sarah Mlynowski really puts us in a deep situation that gets us thinking. When some asks us, "What superpower would you choose to have," many people answer with the ability to mind read. But turns out, telepathy isn't everything we've always wanted, especially if others can do it, too. It might seem like an unreal fantasy that will never in a million years occur, but on the other hand, it was a very fun read. 

     This author is the master of drama. Like drama is everywhere and screaming and fighting is involved. So, please take a precaution if you hate that sort of stuff.

       But since I'm a teen, I love teen drama. It can be so hilarious to watch/read and it definitely gives the book an extra amount of stars for the rating. It gives the plot a sense and an idea. So yes, telepathy did cause a major problem for the characters, and that includes hearing that your girlfriend was cheating on you during the summer when you were at camp. Shucks. 

       The plot was very intriguing from the beginning. It definitely had a different premise that shocked me. It was absolutely perfect with the right amount of everything.

        The characters really showed a great amount of teamwork throughout the whole book. High-five to all of them! Mackenzie was my favourite (she was hilarious) but they all hold a special place in my heart. YES, also you, BJ!

         The only thing that kind of left me out of giving this a perfect 5 stars was that something large was missing from the whole book. I don't know what it is, but all I can say is that I've read many (MANY) better books. So go figure.

           In conclusion, this book was great, awesome maybe. It was a perfect read for a nice summer day on the hammock! You'll love this if you loved anything by Lauren Morrill!