Flowers for Algernon By: FNX Azon No comments

(By Daniel Keyes)


Possibly now being the number one on my list of thought provoking books, Flowers for Algernon was really interesting. It tells the tale of Charlie Gordon, a retarded man who has the determination and motivation of an Olympic athlete. After showing his eagerness to learn and become smarter at the college center at which he learns, he was chosen to be part of a experimental intelligence raising operation. The story is told through the progress reports that Charlie writes for the experiment, though at first the text is erroneous, very small but clear changes in the way Charlie writes show his intelligence indeed because higher. The progress reports are also very realistic and make the character seem even more like a real person.

Algernon, the small white mouse that also received the same operation previously, shows promising results as his intelligence was clearly above the average intelligence of a normal mouse. But Charlie, who was once innocent, kind, and very considerate of others and his "friends" begins to realize how cruel the world and his "friends" were being to him. He begins to realize how he was actually being treated and he begins to turn his back upon the world. Though his intelligence was clearly raised, his mental and emotional state remained the same, leaving him still retarded in those aspects. He has trouble in keeping stable relationships with the people around him and also the women he loves, his former teacher, Alice Kinnian. The book shows how irregularity is disapproved by society regardless of what it is. When Charlie was retarded, his coworkers treated him terribly, however, when Charlie became incredibly intelligent, surpassing all of the people around him, he expected people to like him finally and to accept him but they hated him for not being retarded. His ignorance of the true meaning of his "friends" actions made them his friends and thus made him very happy. Though they were never truly his friends in the first place, when he realized how they treated him, he lost the friends that he once had. Interestingly * -(spoiler alert- I will continue this far below the rest of the review)- In the book, a character tells Charlie that it was wrong of him to receive the operation because God had created him the way he was, and he was trying to change it through "artificial intelligence" (not that kind of AI). Charlie responds that he was a "blind man given the opportunity to see light".

I won't spoil what happens later on, but I will state what was stated on the back of the book, Algernon's intelligence begins to deteriorate. The book is a true classic and is very well written!!






*when Charlie's intelligence finally deteriorates until he is back at his original state, they truly become his friend, defending him from others who act the way they did before Charlie's operation.
So does this mean that the operation and the deterioration created the friendship? Did the operation make them realize and appreciate Charlie, the real Charlie?

Lincoln Rhyme Series By: FNX Azon No comments

(By Jeffrey Deaver)




  As I have made my comments on the Sherlock Holmes books previously, I felt that it was a good time to introduce the Lincoln Rhyme series, a modern forensic detective series. This book, similar to the Sherlock Holmes series, is about one character, in this case, Lincoln Rhyme who is the "genius" detective of the century. He was a former NYPD officer, but was now a consultant to the police. (Seems strangely familiar...) The reason for his departure from the official police department was due to an accident that rendered him a quadriplegic, which means he basically cannot use his body at all.      

    The first book of the series, The Bone Collector starts the relationship between Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, both professionally and (for lack of a better word) "unprofessionally". The two crime solving partners have a very strong bond that helps them solve crimes as well as maintain a romantic relationship despite the troubles of being a quadriplegic. Jeffrey Deaver, the author, weaves intricate tales of deception, twists, and many, many surprises. The books are written well, they are quite fast paced and fills all the requirements of a great thriller. However, the book, in my opinion, has no other purpose but to "thrill".

    I do recommend the series, it is a very neat and cleverly written series that you can easily immerse yourself into. But, I feel that there is not much to the stories, for they are just that, shallow stories with exciting plots, your average book. Nonetheless, the books are very interesting, as they are like the Sherlock Holmes stories with a modern twist. Many new technologies and concepts are implemented in the story.

    Although it seems like I'm saying that the story is virtually meaningless, that is not at all what I am saying. It's a very bone chilling series to read, and I did learn a little about the laws and regulations of the NYPD, as well as how exactly not to commit murder. The books also inspired me to continue writing more detective stories. 

VMN~

The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes By: FNX Azon No comments

     (By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    This books holds many interesting and intriguing characters as well as a very well written plot. Revolving around the character, Sherlock Holmes, hence the title, it is written from the point of view of Dr. John Watson, who records the memories he has shared with his friend and crime-solving partner. With uniquely keen senses of observation and deduction, Sherlock Holmes is an enviable character I took immediate liking to. Knowledgeable in many areas, Sherlock Holmes solves his cases in remarkable speeds. The cases themselves, which make up each story in the book, are very well thought out and suspenseful, some cases more than others.

      The overall story of the book is not very clear until near the end in which Sherlock interacts between the notorious Professor Moriarty. Ending with the supposed deaths of both of those geniuses. As I have both seen and read many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes before I had read the actual book, the book seemed almost nostalgic to those memories of Sherlock Holmes that I had before reading the book. The book was equally interesting if not more interesting than those adaptations, but I could still not help but draw connections to what I had read or seen previously.

      Truly deserving its title of a classic, The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (originally two separate books) is a wonderful read for those who enjoy a solid mystery. Not reading this is depriving yourself of a wonderful work that will forever have a lasting impression. Some of my favorite stories from the book were "The Five Orange Pips", "The Red-Headed League", and "The Musgrave Ritual". The book takes on a variety of different settings in Victorian Era London, and turns them into the playground of criminals and the renowned detective, Sherlock Holmes.