Reading the classics this summer...

Well, I finished Lord of the Flies quickly. I must say that it a rather hair-raising little book. It was incredibly dark and had so many different undertones to it. I'm curious what grade this book is suggested for. You have to wonder, how quickly would the trappings of civilization fall away if any group of people were stranded on an island somewhere and left to their own devices. The characters were intriguing...poor, tormented Piggy, conflcited Ralph, and little psycho-path Jack Merridew. I could relate to Piggy completely because of the dire importance of his specs. I too would be doomed to stumble about haplessly without my contacts or glasses. I could practically feel his anxiety when his were stolen from him toward the end of the book. After finishing, one thing that crossed my mind was how different would the story have been if it was a pack of girls stranded on that island? Overall, I'm glad that I read Lord of the Flies. It was brilliantly written, but nonetheless, I won't be putting it into any of my Top 10 lists anytime soon. RIP Piggy and Simon.

I've since started on Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. This is just the switch in tone I need after Each time I read something by Austen I'm amazed at how modern her stories read. The main character, Catherine, is very likeable and I'm cheering for her. More to come....