o5 : the wedding; o6 : writing the new ethnography; o7 : a lover's discourse.
A new bundle of books for school that I recently finished. And okay yes, books for school, how fun. But one of them is, I think, one of the most meaningful books I have ever read. Short descriptions and personal remarks to follow.
( the wedding by nicholas sparks. )
The Wedding, written by Nicholas Sparks, was published 2003. Now, this is not my genre, and Nicholas Sparks is not my bff. I'm sure he writes enjoyable literature. I was given my own choice for a book to read for a class about improving relationships, I looked at the back cover to follow, and I think this is fitting.
After thirty years, Wilson Lewis is forced to face a painful truth. His wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him, and it is entirely his fault. Despite the shining example of his in-laws, Noah and Alice Calhoun (originally recounted in The Notebook), and their fifty-year love affair, Wilson is unable to express his true feelings. Now his daughter is about to marry, and his wife is thinking about leaving him. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it's this: His love for Jane has grown over the years, and he will do anything he can to save their marriage. With the memories of Noah and Allie's inspiring life together as his guide, he vows to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him...all over again.
So different, right? I found myself getting really angry at several of the characters, which I think is kind of strange but refreshing. I also got a lot more out of this book than I ever would have expected. The story is told from Wilson's point of view, which is refreshing, I suppose, since he is apparently your token workaholic/man of the family, though his eloquence is probably due more to the fact that he's the narrator.
Genre : Fiction, Romance.
Length : 276 pages.
Rating : 3/5 = Worth the read.
( writing the new ethnography by h.l. goodall, jr. )
Writing the New Ethnography, written by H. L. (Bud) Goodall, Jr., was published 2000. It's apparently the seventh book in an ethnography series, which is kind of cool. Okay, maybe just me. Moving on.
Candid, interdisciplinary and engaging, WRITING THE NEW ETHNOGRAPHY provides a foundational understanding of the writing proccesses associated with innovative forms of ethnographic writing. From his own experience adn that of other top ethnographic writers, Goodall offers advice, examples, and exercises for every step in the ethnographic writing process, including field observation, field notes, narrative development, and editing. Frank discussions of ethics, representation, and academic institutions prepare students for difficult dilemmas they may face as writers in the social sciences and humanities. Experienced ethnographers and students alike will find their writing enriched by this lively instruction.
Well, I know I did. This is the second book I've read for my class, and it seemed really inviting and open, to me. The writing is easy and entertaining. As someone who is learning how to become an ethnographer, I've found myself in this book so many times. I also think it might be particularly good for writers. More often than not, I found myself making special notes on pages that addressed tips for writing. Learning about ethnographies and working on conducting my own has brought me into contact with various challenges that I never anticipated, and this book explores them while helping you to think more reflexively about who you are. Maybe it could even be helpful for someone who is interested in Intercultural Studies. This book has pretty decent fame in the field.
Genre : Nonfiction, Media Studies.
Length : 198 pages, not counting references and notes.
Rating : 4/5 = Pretty darn good.
( a lover's discourse by roland barthes. )
A Lover's Discourse, written by Roland Barthes, was first published in French in 1977, and it was translated into English by Richard Howard in 1978. I didn't quite know what to think about this book as I was going into it. I finished it a few days ago and felt a sense of awe and amazement that has very rarely visited me.
"Barthes's most popular and unusual performance as a writer is A Lover's Discourse, a writing out of the discourse of love. This language--primarily the complaints and reflections of the lover when alone, not exchanges of a lover with his or her partner--is unfashionable. Though it is spoken by millions of people, diffused in our popular romances and television programs as well as in serious literature, there is no institution that explores, maintains, modifies, judges, repeats, and otherwise assumes responsibility for this discourse . . . Writing out the figures of a neglected discourse, Barthes surprises us in A Lover's Discourse by making love, in its most absurd and sentimental forms, an object of interest." --Jonathan Culler
This book is fascinating because it does the impossible. Short 'chapters' are figures that describe behavior and actions that constitute the lover. It actually reads like a diary, as if the lover, the writer, didn't intend for others to read this. Pages are dotted with 'conversation with E.B.' and 'Nietzsche' and 'Werther' to give you the idea that the lover encountered these people and writings and wrote out reactions and thoughts. It's all based on interpretation. You are encouraged to interpret it your own way, and if you see yourself in the figures, it's as though you are writing the text. Language is funky and inadequate, yet this work is brought together so eloquently.
Genre : Literature & Fiction, Poetry, Rhetoric.
Length : 234 pages.
Rating : 5/5 = Would (and will) read it over and over again.
--
Currently reading : The 20s by Frederick J. Hoffman, Gifts From the Heart by Randy Fujishin, A Hidden Wholeness by Parker J. Palmer, O Solo Homo edited by Holly Hughes and David Roman, and Performing Purity by John T. Warren.
( the wedding by nicholas sparks. )
The Wedding, written by Nicholas Sparks, was published 2003. Now, this is not my genre, and Nicholas Sparks is not my bff. I'm sure he writes enjoyable literature. I was given my own choice for a book to read for a class about improving relationships, I looked at the back cover to follow, and I think this is fitting.
After thirty years, Wilson Lewis is forced to face a painful truth. His wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him, and it is entirely his fault. Despite the shining example of his in-laws, Noah and Alice Calhoun (originally recounted in The Notebook), and their fifty-year love affair, Wilson is unable to express his true feelings. Now his daughter is about to marry, and his wife is thinking about leaving him. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it's this: His love for Jane has grown over the years, and he will do anything he can to save their marriage. With the memories of Noah and Allie's inspiring life together as his guide, he vows to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him...all over again.
So different, right? I found myself getting really angry at several of the characters, which I think is kind of strange but refreshing. I also got a lot more out of this book than I ever would have expected. The story is told from Wilson's point of view, which is refreshing, I suppose, since he is apparently your token workaholic/man of the family, though his eloquence is probably due more to the fact that he's the narrator.
Genre : Fiction, Romance.
Length : 276 pages.
Rating : 3/5 = Worth the read.
( writing the new ethnography by h.l. goodall, jr. )
Writing the New Ethnography, written by H. L. (Bud) Goodall, Jr., was published 2000. It's apparently the seventh book in an ethnography series, which is kind of cool. Okay, maybe just me. Moving on.
Candid, interdisciplinary and engaging, WRITING THE NEW ETHNOGRAPHY provides a foundational understanding of the writing proccesses associated with innovative forms of ethnographic writing. From his own experience adn that of other top ethnographic writers, Goodall offers advice, examples, and exercises for every step in the ethnographic writing process, including field observation, field notes, narrative development, and editing. Frank discussions of ethics, representation, and academic institutions prepare students for difficult dilemmas they may face as writers in the social sciences and humanities. Experienced ethnographers and students alike will find their writing enriched by this lively instruction.
Well, I know I did. This is the second book I've read for my class, and it seemed really inviting and open, to me. The writing is easy and entertaining. As someone who is learning how to become an ethnographer, I've found myself in this book so many times. I also think it might be particularly good for writers. More often than not, I found myself making special notes on pages that addressed tips for writing. Learning about ethnographies and working on conducting my own has brought me into contact with various challenges that I never anticipated, and this book explores them while helping you to think more reflexively about who you are. Maybe it could even be helpful for someone who is interested in Intercultural Studies. This book has pretty decent fame in the field.
Genre : Nonfiction, Media Studies.
Length : 198 pages, not counting references and notes.
Rating : 4/5 = Pretty darn good.
( a lover's discourse by roland barthes. )
A Lover's Discourse, written by Roland Barthes, was first published in French in 1977, and it was translated into English by Richard Howard in 1978. I didn't quite know what to think about this book as I was going into it. I finished it a few days ago and felt a sense of awe and amazement that has very rarely visited me.
"Barthes's most popular and unusual performance as a writer is A Lover's Discourse, a writing out of the discourse of love. This language--primarily the complaints and reflections of the lover when alone, not exchanges of a lover with his or her partner--is unfashionable. Though it is spoken by millions of people, diffused in our popular romances and television programs as well as in serious literature, there is no institution that explores, maintains, modifies, judges, repeats, and otherwise assumes responsibility for this discourse . . . Writing out the figures of a neglected discourse, Barthes surprises us in A Lover's Discourse by making love, in its most absurd and sentimental forms, an object of interest." --Jonathan Culler
This book is fascinating because it does the impossible. Short 'chapters' are figures that describe behavior and actions that constitute the lover. It actually reads like a diary, as if the lover, the writer, didn't intend for others to read this. Pages are dotted with 'conversation with E.B.' and 'Nietzsche' and 'Werther' to give you the idea that the lover encountered these people and writings and wrote out reactions and thoughts. It's all based on interpretation. You are encouraged to interpret it your own way, and if you see yourself in the figures, it's as though you are writing the text. Language is funky and inadequate, yet this work is brought together so eloquently.
Genre : Literature & Fiction, Poetry, Rhetoric.
Length : 234 pages.
Rating : 5/5 = Would (and will) read it over and over again.
--
Currently reading : The 20s by Frederick J. Hoffman, Gifts From the Heart by Randy Fujishin, A Hidden Wholeness by Parker J. Palmer, O Solo Homo edited by Holly Hughes and David Roman, and Performing Purity by John T. Warren.