The Catcher in The Rye Chapters 7-12

If I got kicked out of school, I would just go straight home to my parents. They would most likely understand that I hadn’t meant for it to happen, and they would help me get through it and find another school. If I were Holden and I had been kicked out of a school, I think I would have called Jane to see if she could have helped me figure out what to do. If she knew somewhere I could go, then I would go there. If that wouldn’t work, I would have gone to a hotel. I probably would have stayed at the hotel, only leaving for things like lunch, or to go to a library.

It’s hard to describe Jane. I would describe her as average, but two things make that inaccurate. The first is that no one is completely average. Everyone is special in some way. The other thing that makes it so that I can’t describe her as average is that Holden is describing her from his own special, mildly biased point of view. Holden describes her as being no-nonsense, which I think is good. I think that is a good description because Jane seems to be down to earth, and she knows her boundaries for what is appropriate for her and for other.

I don’t think that people are always ruining things. For me, it definitely isn’t true. There might be small things that people do that are annoying, but it isn’t horrible. One of the best examples I can think of is when I would like to do something, but there’s a conflict with what the rest of my family has to do. A specific example is if my brother has a concert that I have to go to.

CITR Chapters 1-6

To be unique is to be what you personally want to be, with no regard to what other think or want you to be. The main reason that you might lose you're individuality is because you lose sight of what you are,or of what you want to be. One thing you can do to focus on keeping individuality is to meditate (or just think) about who you are, and who you want to be.
I have many favorite people. One of those people is my brother. He's not calm like Allie, but he is very smart, and he finds many things to laugh about at the dinner table. He also enjoys poetry. Recently I haven't read much of his stuff, but in the past I have, and it is very good.

I'M DONE (The End of the Odyssey)

AT LAST!! :) :) :) Ok, so it wasn't really that bad, but I'm kind of tired of it. When I started it seemed like Ulysses was a good guy, but at the end he's murdering everyone, even his servants, and he's enjoying it. That just seems wrong. It seems like most everyone then thought that killing (which, in general, is different than fighting in a war to me) was good. I'd didn't like it at all. One thing I found highly confusing/annoying is that in many areas of the book it would say one thing, then a few pages later would say another. One example of that sort of thing was when Ulysses would swear upon the gods to tell the truth about his trip (or something), then he would tell a complete lie. It was so annoying! I'm glad we're done for now.

The Odyssey: Books VIII-XVII

I enjoyed this section of the book. I am glad to see Ulysses and Telemachus both together and safe (ish) for the moment. I am predicting that they will over power the suitors, but that Ulysses will get injured, and maybe die. I hope that Eumaeus doesn't get dragged into the disagreements between the Suitors and Ulysses, but he probably will support Ulysses because of his loyalty. Yet again, I found spelling and grammar errors. They are getting very tiresome. I am still intrigued by the difference in the culture then, and now, and the differences between their religon and mine.

The Odyssey: Books 8-12

So far, I am finding that The Odyssey is ok, but it is not one of my favorites. Recently I have been finding the amount of trust that they put in their gods, and how their gods work annoying. I am trying to keep an open mind- but really
     1. Why does did Posiedon hate Ulysses before he blinded Polyphemus?
     2. Isn't it harsh to kill a whole ship of people, even if they did steal some cows?
Some of the things that happen just seem unnecessarily harsh or wierd, but I am trying to still enjoy it.
It was nice to, in a sense, get the background of a lot of the monsters/things/events mentioned in the Percy Jackson series.

The Odyssey: Books V-VIII

     Overall, the story seems to be getting better, but I don't like it that much. It seems to come in waves for which parts I like- I'll like the first part of this chapter, but not the last part, or the first part of the nest section, and so on.
     I find that reading about the gods is starting to get annoying, both becuase I don't really know who they are, and because I don't worship them, and the people in this novel do. I also dislike the gods because there have been a few instances where one part of the book will say something, and then a different part will something completely different about the same god or subject.
     Why is Neptune annoyed with Ulysses? I still don't get that (but then, I don't get how the people can have such firm belief in such interesting figures.)
     I have found that taking notes and certain parts of active reading make absorbing the story more difficult. I am quite tired of many aspects of reading The Odyssey right now but maybe I'll start enjoying it more next week.

The Odyssey: Books 2-4

Summary
         In book 2 when Telemachus wakes up he has been given power and courage by Minerva (Athena). As Minerva suggested, he called together a council meeting. After going through the formalities, Telemaschus explains why he called the council together. When he explains that it is because many suitors are ravaging his house, with the excuse of marrying his mother some people pity him, whiles others do not care. Antinous in particular doesn't care, and promises to continue ravaging their estate.  Telemachus warns that if his father is returning he will endure suitors for one more year, but that if he finds that his father is truly dead that he will take over his house, and (think about this next line) make his mother marry again. The suitors continued to fight with Telemachus, but eventually Telemachus got together his supplies and set of.
         Book 3 starts with Telemachus getting to the lands of Pylos. Once they are on shore Telemachus goes to the house of Nestor to see if he had heard anything about his father. Once they have gone through the formalities and eaten, Nestor finally starts to explain his part of the journey during which Ulysses was lost, and what he knew of how Ulysses was. (I found some of that part confusing.) Nestor suggests that Telemachus go to Menelaus to see if he knew more. That afternoon Nestor made a sacrific to the gods, then sent Telemachus and his youngest son, Pisistratus.
          At the beginning of book 4 Telemachus and Pisistratus have just arrived at Menelaus's. Again, there are many greeting and formalities to be exchanged. Menelaus explains what he knows. Two parts that stick out to me are that Helen, Menelaus's wife, tried to betray Acheans when they were hidden in the wooden horse, but she still ended up as Menelaus's wife. It does say at some point that that was planned by heaven. The other piece of important information was that he had heard what had happened to Ulysses, and knew that he was being held captive by hte nymph Calypso.  The suitors didn't truly believe that Telemachus would go to look for his father, so when they found out that he did, they prepared an ambush for him when he was on his way home, so that they could take over his stuff.

Thoughts
          I found parts of this section, especially when Nestor was explaining what he knew of Ulysses very confusing. I felt more confused when I tried to summarize each paragraph or two, so I stopped doing that. The suitors are really annoying. Their so stupid, and generally impolite- they just get on my nerves.  One thing that I found interesting is that is says "the child of morning, rosy-fingered dawn" a lot. It's not really that interesting, but it's a different way of saying morning. Just in books 2 to 4 it says that 4 times.
          I don't have many predictions right now, but I'm that Telemachus might go on a quest for his father without returning to get anything else from his home. I'm also guessing when he does eventually go home that the ambush the suitors have planned will fail miserably.
          Some of the sacrifices that they do, and the way they greet people are very different from what I would expect. Also, when they make a sacrifice do they eat some of they meet, or do they burn all of it? It seems like both happen.