Anthem, Old man and the sea: Summer reading project. Opinions?

[arya126]

Well i didnt start a history thread this time. I got a summer reading project (entering high school) in the mail recently, and the two i have to read are:
Old man and the sea, By (I forgot. Should i even care? never heard of him...)
Anthem, By Ayn Rand

The second book looks really good. The first, im not so sure about. I am reading tehm online from links given in the papers of the project, and i have 1 and a half weeks to read them, write a 'reading diary' about how i felt while reading it, and write an essay that has to span 2 pages at least, using one of the prompts given. Im a fast reader by the way.

So any opinions on these books? Has anyone read them? Difficult? Easy reading? Anyone think i can finish in time (i actually got it weeks ago, but i totally forgot about it)?

 

[sophie]

The first was written by Hemmingway, you should probably remember that dude, because he's one of the most prolific American authors of all time. On that note, Old Man and the Sea is boring as balls.

High School reading advice: sparknotes everything.

 

[warpus]

I wouldn't read Ayn Rand, she crazy

 

[Ajidica]

And don't forget racist and pathalogicaly scared of anything that could be construed as 'left-wing political ideology'.
I would read Hemmingway. He may be boring as anything, but he is famous for a reason.
However, Ayn Rand is mainly famous for being pretentious and looking up to serial killers as being similar to the ubermensch.

 

[arya126]

Well ive gotten 3 pages into the online version of anthem, and it seems alright, even if it is a bit different, then most of the books ive read. Certainly not your average book. I read the first chapter of old man and the sea. It seems like quality writing (that would explain teh famous part), but just not something that would keep you on the edge of your seat, not something that will make you keep reading. Those are the best kind of books. Period.

 

[GoodGame]

I wouldn't read Ayn Rand, she crazy

Anthem is ok if taken as dystopia lit and sci fi. It's not quite as into the ideology imho.

Pretend George Lucas directed it.

 

[Ajidica]

I quick read the wikipedia article on it. It sounds like a bad version of Huxleys Brave New World.

 

[Ayn Rand]

You get to read Ayn Rand in American schools? I wish we were so lucky in Britain. I hope you enjoy Anthem, it's a cool book.

 

[Ajidica]

Brave New World sounds better. Anthem sounds like a watered down combination of 1984, Brave New World, and a dystopian version of A Canticle for Leibowitz (which is an awsome book, you should read it.)
And yes, the private school near my house has The Fountainhead (or Atlas Shrugged, I don't remember) on the reading list. Yet unfortunatly no Brave New World as it 'promotes illicit behavior and opposes traditional values'. (You guessed right, its a Catholic Private School.)

 

[Communisto]

Brave New World is excellent, as is Old Man and the Sea. BNW is a crazy alternate look at dystopian fiction. In my opinion, it's prediction better resembles our current world. At least more than 1984, anyways.

Old Man and the Sea will make you cry. Straight up.

 

[madviking]

High School reading advice: sparknotes everything.

And then read it in leisure when you have time. Reading under pressure is never fun.

 

[arya126]

Lucky my ***. Summer reading projects are just another attempt to make people do schoolwork out of school. Thats what school is for. To do schoolwork. The summer is not the time for it. At the very least they could give us some good books to read (from what i am gathering here these books arent exactly what i like to read).

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Old Man and the Sea will make you cry. Straight up.

This is true.

 

[GoodGame]

The pro of Anthem is it is relatively short. I'd choose it over Atlas Shrugged any day.

 

[Lillefix]

I hope you have printed out these books, because rading long texts on the computer screen is really difficult, and when the books in addition are boring, you will have problems following them.

 

[Luckymoose]

Hemingway is my favorite author. That crazy drunk bastard.

 

[Ajidica]

I can't remember, didn't Hemmingway move to Cuba?

 

[downtown]

Anthem is a crappy book, although it is prob the best of the Rand books (not because of the ideology, but because of their literary merit. Like others have said, BNW, or 1984 are waaaaay better). Old Man and the Sea is excellent...I'm also a huge Hemmingway fan,

Actually read the books though.

 

[arya126]

I hope you have printed out these books, because rading long texts on the computer screen is really difficult, and when the books in addition are boring, you will have problems following them.

nope, im reading anthemonline, and i downloaded old man and the sea. Both perfectly legally i presume, as the links to these were provided by my school.

 

[Cull]

You have to read Ayn Rand for school?

lolwut