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Becs (244 KP) rated A Raisin in the Sun in Books
Oct 2, 2019
They honestly need more books like this. When my husband found out that I was getting A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, he grew excited and he never does that unless it’s a science-related book. That was when I knew I was going to like this beautiful novel. When I started to read it, I rushed through it. Not in a “I just want to finish this book” way, more like “I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK AND I DON’T EVER WANT IT TO END” way. That says something, right?
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Genre: Literary Classic, Play, Drama, Fiction
Synopsis: First produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and hailed as a watershed in American drama. Not only a pioneering work by an African-American playwright – Lorraine Hansberry’s play was also a radically new representation of black life, resolutely authentic, fiercely unsentimental, and unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred. In her portrait of an embattled Chicago family, Hansberry anticapted issues that range from generational clashes to the civil rights and women’s movements. She also posed the essential questions – about identity, justice, and moral responsibility – at the heart of those great struggles. The result is an American classic.
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School +
Interests: Plays, dramas, literary classics, racial segregation, women’s movement, 50s era.
Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Difficulty Reading: Not at all, I rushed through it because I loved it so much! As in some of Shakespeares plays, you don’t get stuck on the general language of the era it was written, as it’s written close to a book you would get from this era.
Promise: “Award-winning drama of the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America–and changed American theater forever.” – It did. 🙂
Insights: I love reading plays as it’s a way to step out of a comfort zone of reading Young Adult novels. It gives me a chance to dip into my theater/acting side and use what I’ve learned from theatre classes. A Raisin in the Sun is a well-written American classic that honestly should be read in every school from middle school and up. The lessens that are taught throughout the play are subtle yet obvious which creates a background that we can use in our every day life.
Ah-Ha Moment: The moment that Beneatha came into the picture and was a total feminist. Man, she’s my favorite character besides Mama (Lena Younger) and her little plant.
Favorite Quotes: “Beneatha: Love him? There is nothing left to love. Mama: There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. (Looking at her) Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ’cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning – because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ’cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”
“Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t acept. It’s not important. I am not going out and commit crimes or be immoral because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. It’s just that I get so tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no God! There is only Man, and it’s he who makes miracles!”
What will you gain: A haunting yet revealing play that will be as fresh of a read today, as it was in the 50’s.
Aesthetics: The entire play. The cover. The characters. The underlying meaning beneath it all. The era it was written and is based off of. Just everything about this little book.
“I want to fly! I want to touch the sun!”
“Finish your eggs first.”
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Genre: Literary Classic, Play, Drama, Fiction
Synopsis: First produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and hailed as a watershed in American drama. Not only a pioneering work by an African-American playwright – Lorraine Hansberry’s play was also a radically new representation of black life, resolutely authentic, fiercely unsentimental, and unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred. In her portrait of an embattled Chicago family, Hansberry anticapted issues that range from generational clashes to the civil rights and women’s movements. She also posed the essential questions – about identity, justice, and moral responsibility – at the heart of those great struggles. The result is an American classic.
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School +
Interests: Plays, dramas, literary classics, racial segregation, women’s movement, 50s era.
Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Difficulty Reading: Not at all, I rushed through it because I loved it so much! As in some of Shakespeares plays, you don’t get stuck on the general language of the era it was written, as it’s written close to a book you would get from this era.
Promise: “Award-winning drama of the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America–and changed American theater forever.” – It did. 🙂
Insights: I love reading plays as it’s a way to step out of a comfort zone of reading Young Adult novels. It gives me a chance to dip into my theater/acting side and use what I’ve learned from theatre classes. A Raisin in the Sun is a well-written American classic that honestly should be read in every school from middle school and up. The lessens that are taught throughout the play are subtle yet obvious which creates a background that we can use in our every day life.
Ah-Ha Moment: The moment that Beneatha came into the picture and was a total feminist. Man, she’s my favorite character besides Mama (Lena Younger) and her little plant.
Favorite Quotes: “Beneatha: Love him? There is nothing left to love. Mama: There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. (Looking at her) Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ’cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning – because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ’cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”
“Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t acept. It’s not important. I am not going out and commit crimes or be immoral because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. It’s just that I get so tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no God! There is only Man, and it’s he who makes miracles!”
What will you gain: A haunting yet revealing play that will be as fresh of a read today, as it was in the 50’s.
Aesthetics: The entire play. The cover. The characters. The underlying meaning beneath it all. The era it was written and is based off of. Just everything about this little book.
“I want to fly! I want to touch the sun!”
“Finish your eggs first.”
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Talon, Come Fly with Me in Books
Jun 5, 2019
I’m reviewing Talon, Come Fly With Me, by Gigi Sedlmayer. Here are my thoughts:
“Talon, Come Fly With Me” is a sweet book, for children, although I’m sure adults would love this, too. This is just the sort of book I would have loved to have read with my son when he was younger.
On the surface this is a story about a nine year old girl called Matica, living among the mountains of Peru with two condors she’s claimed as her own. In as much as you can claim two wild birds. But in fact it’s much more than that. The author, Gigi Sedlmayer, delves into more serious issues in a way which is suitable for children to read and understand. For example, she touches upon what it’s like to be a child with a disability, not fitting in, and feeling socially inadequate. She also covers subjects of which I sense are very close to her own heart; the protection of condors, habitat loss, and their possible extinction.
I totally felt for the condors, Tamo and Tima, when the poachers were coming to steal their egg, and there a few really tense scenes where the poachers are involved, which had me rooting for those birds to protect their young. Especially, after learning they only have one egg every two years. (If I’ve remembered that fact correctly).
But it’s not all doom and gloom. With some great laugh out loud moments, a happy ending and meaningful lessons learned, this book was a treasure of a find for me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a children’s book about condors, which seemed so far removed from my usual reads, but Gigi Sedlmayer is an award winning author, so I hoped it would be good. And it was. Even though I’m not a kid. ?
It was lovely to meet Talon, of whom this series of books is based around. Condors are strange looking creatures. To some these large birds look so ugly, but they’re actually quite beautiful in their own way. In fact, through this book I’ve learned so much more about them, they now have an additional fan. What a great way to introduce children (and adults) to these amazing birds! I love learning real facts in fictional books, especially about wildlife, and the author did this so well, without information dumping.
Overall: For young and the not so young, this book is a lovely introduction to not only condors and their habitat, but of living a totally different life from our own in the Peruvian mountains. (That is, if you’re not actually an Indian who can speak Arawakan, and reading this from your home in Peru! ). On top of that, it’s a positive book, which highlights how we should be more accepting of others, their cultures, and differences, whatever they may be. Whether you’re a monster of a bird, or child with a disability, things are not always as they, at first, may seem. If this sounds like your sort of read, don’t hesitate to buy it. You should love it!
“Talon, Come Fly With Me” is a sweet book, for children, although I’m sure adults would love this, too. This is just the sort of book I would have loved to have read with my son when he was younger.
On the surface this is a story about a nine year old girl called Matica, living among the mountains of Peru with two condors she’s claimed as her own. In as much as you can claim two wild birds. But in fact it’s much more than that. The author, Gigi Sedlmayer, delves into more serious issues in a way which is suitable for children to read and understand. For example, she touches upon what it’s like to be a child with a disability, not fitting in, and feeling socially inadequate. She also covers subjects of which I sense are very close to her own heart; the protection of condors, habitat loss, and their possible extinction.
I totally felt for the condors, Tamo and Tima, when the poachers were coming to steal their egg, and there a few really tense scenes where the poachers are involved, which had me rooting for those birds to protect their young. Especially, after learning they only have one egg every two years. (If I’ve remembered that fact correctly).
But it’s not all doom and gloom. With some great laugh out loud moments, a happy ending and meaningful lessons learned, this book was a treasure of a find for me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a children’s book about condors, which seemed so far removed from my usual reads, but Gigi Sedlmayer is an award winning author, so I hoped it would be good. And it was. Even though I’m not a kid. ?
It was lovely to meet Talon, of whom this series of books is based around. Condors are strange looking creatures. To some these large birds look so ugly, but they’re actually quite beautiful in their own way. In fact, through this book I’ve learned so much more about them, they now have an additional fan. What a great way to introduce children (and adults) to these amazing birds! I love learning real facts in fictional books, especially about wildlife, and the author did this so well, without information dumping.
Overall: For young and the not so young, this book is a lovely introduction to not only condors and their habitat, but of living a totally different life from our own in the Peruvian mountains. (That is, if you’re not actually an Indian who can speak Arawakan, and reading this from your home in Peru! ). On top of that, it’s a positive book, which highlights how we should be more accepting of others, their cultures, and differences, whatever they may be. Whether you’re a monster of a bird, or child with a disability, things are not always as they, at first, may seem. If this sounds like your sort of read, don’t hesitate to buy it. You should love it!
Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The talented combination of Academy award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and the renowned Cirque du Soleil combine in a new film entitled “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away”. For those unfamiliar with the dazzling and spectacular world of Cirque du Soleil, the company has created several amazing shows which blend music, costuming, innovative sets, and amazing feats of acrobatic, gymnastic and performance art. Many of their shows tour the world and several are in permanent residence in Vegas.
The movie stars Erica Linz as Mia who, after witnessing an unexpected event at a local circus, soon finds herself in another world that is comprised of bright star-filled skies, ever present mist, illuminated tents, and all manner of dazzling yet odd residents.
Mia is attempting to find the trapeze artist who disappeared during his performance and as she journeys around the strange new landscape she witnesses firsthand all sorts of incredible feats performed by the Cirque du Soleil cast. There are dazzling routines performed in water as well as aerial displays, each one is framed by Mia as she journeys to a new area.
While at first I found this captivating it soon became a little repetitious for me. After seeing eight live Cirque du Soleil shows I was quickly able to discern several routines that I’d seen previously. Selections from KA, Viva Elvis, Verekai and more are all being re-created up on the screen. This is not to devalue the stunning and amazing performances but after seeing them live, the acts seemed diminished to me up on the big screen as you do not get the full visual and aural experience of watching it live.
The credits verified that many of the sequences in the film are taken from their performances in Vegas and other venues. Aside from the 3-D aspect it brought to mind watching several of the shows when they’re broadcast on Bravo. While technically brilliant and amazing the movie is an extremely poor substitute for seeing them in person.
I have to say I was also disappointed with the 3-D aspect as James Cameron, who brought stunning visuals to “Avatar” to the point where one believed they were truly immersed upon the alien moon Pandora, came up short this time around. While there were some spectacular 3-D shots with the water based routines as well as some aerial features there simply wasn’t enough there to enhance the film beyond what was already presented by the performers.
This was a very hard review to write as this was not really a movie where one can bring a lot of attention to the acting. The story was little more than a framework to put a highlight reel of performances from many of their shows.
If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil performance by all means I definitely recommend seeing this film but for those hard-core fans who are regular attendees of Cirque du Soleil, one might want to wait to catch this on DVD and make sure to catch a live show in person the next time that they are able.
The movie stars Erica Linz as Mia who, after witnessing an unexpected event at a local circus, soon finds herself in another world that is comprised of bright star-filled skies, ever present mist, illuminated tents, and all manner of dazzling yet odd residents.
Mia is attempting to find the trapeze artist who disappeared during his performance and as she journeys around the strange new landscape she witnesses firsthand all sorts of incredible feats performed by the Cirque du Soleil cast. There are dazzling routines performed in water as well as aerial displays, each one is framed by Mia as she journeys to a new area.
While at first I found this captivating it soon became a little repetitious for me. After seeing eight live Cirque du Soleil shows I was quickly able to discern several routines that I’d seen previously. Selections from KA, Viva Elvis, Verekai and more are all being re-created up on the screen. This is not to devalue the stunning and amazing performances but after seeing them live, the acts seemed diminished to me up on the big screen as you do not get the full visual and aural experience of watching it live.
The credits verified that many of the sequences in the film are taken from their performances in Vegas and other venues. Aside from the 3-D aspect it brought to mind watching several of the shows when they’re broadcast on Bravo. While technically brilliant and amazing the movie is an extremely poor substitute for seeing them in person.
I have to say I was also disappointed with the 3-D aspect as James Cameron, who brought stunning visuals to “Avatar” to the point where one believed they were truly immersed upon the alien moon Pandora, came up short this time around. While there were some spectacular 3-D shots with the water based routines as well as some aerial features there simply wasn’t enough there to enhance the film beyond what was already presented by the performers.
This was a very hard review to write as this was not really a movie where one can bring a lot of attention to the acting. The story was little more than a framework to put a highlight reel of performances from many of their shows.
If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil performance by all means I definitely recommend seeing this film but for those hard-core fans who are regular attendees of Cirque du Soleil, one might want to wait to catch this on DVD and make sure to catch a live show in person the next time that they are able.
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