Need some help

DarkMaster · 09-12-2004, 03:39 PM

Ok here's the deal, my old bat of an english teacher wants me to pick out two novels for comparative examinations. I'm having a hard time picking the novels, because I'm really only familiar with "pulp-fiction" type novels. I don't read a whole lot, and if there are any good books out there that will suit my needs, I have no idea how to search for them. So...help me out here. If you know of any books off hand or something that contains the following aspects, that'd be sweet.

The two books must have the following requirements:

1. Are not any form of "pulp-fiction". Meaning...very popular, extremely well known type of books, like...harry potter, or something by Stephen King, etc. Strangely books like Lord of the Rings are allowed (LotR is already taken however, mother bitches).

2. You have to be able to compare the two in a significant way. Like...one could be a modern fantasy novel, and the other could be an older fantasy novel, so you compare the differences in writing styles and stuff. It could be any reason, just as long as it's signifacant. (not something like, harry potter was younger and acted differently in this book, but in this other book, he's different...yeah).

3. There has to be secondary sources available. Like, literary criticisms and such, located online or in other books. I need information to work with.

4. This really isn't a requirement, but I'd like to make it one. I have to be interested in the books. This is a HUGE study, worth 15% of the term mark. I have to do some very extensive reading and studying of these two books, so I better like what I'm reading. What exactly am I interested in? Well...there are a few genres. Like, fantasy, but not too over the top. I like my fantasy novels more sophisticated, if you get what I mean... I also like science fiction, but not anything like star wars/trek, something more like Akira (anime movie, it owns, if you havent seen it, do so). I do have interests in quite a lot of genres, so...just post whatever you got, don't think too much about whether I'll like it or not.

So yeah, help is much appreciated.

Happydude · 09-12-2004, 08:02 PM

i hate reading books, but in summer school recently i read a book for my ISU project...and IMO it is the best book EVER! its called 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card...search for it on spark notes...its about a boy in the future who grows up to be a commander of an army at the age of 15 or so...i don't reme,ber exactly...but anyway, its a really good book.

as for what you can compare it to...erm...i don't really know...Scott Card has a lot of sci-fi books...Ender's Game is the first book in the series, the second is Speaker for the Dead, which i am currently reading...which is also good so far, i'm only 2 or 3 chapters into the book, but it's good so far...so i'm assuming that his other bookks, outside of the series are good too.

anyway, good luck

oh and if you don't end up reading Ender's Game for english, i really recommend you read it for fun. (did i just say that?

)

DarkMaster · 09-12-2004, 08:45 PM

I was actually thinking about using that book. I just remembered it recently, someone told me about a long while ago, said it was good. I'm not sure what I could compare it to though.

Ginkasa · 09-12-2004, 09:00 PM

You could compare it to The Giver by Lois Lowry, perhaps. They both deal with young people being put into positions of respect and importance.

*shrugs and walks away*

Dyne · 09-12-2004, 09:03 PM

I'd recommend something by James Clavell but his books are long.

Go with something Michael Crichton?

Typhoid · 09-12-2004, 09:03 PM

So it has to be a novel eh?

Hmmm.

Then my suggestion of "Brain Droppings" or "Napalm and Silly Putty" by George Carlin are out then...

Well.....uuuuhh.....good luck with that.

DarkMaster · 09-12-2004, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Link1130

You could compare it to The Giver by Lois Lowry, perhaps. They both deal with young people being put into positions of respect and importance.

*shrugs and walks away*

holy sh*t you gotta be kidding me, that was the second book I had in mind, didn't know they compared in any way. I'll try that combination out I think, thanks for the tips everyone.

Vampyr · 09-12-2004, 09:06 PM

Just wanted to step in and say "Ender's Game" is my favorite book of all time.

Bond · 09-12-2004, 09:06 PM

The Kite Runner. Compared with A Seperate Peace.

Seth · 09-12-2004, 09:10 PM

I've also read Ender's Game and it really is an awesome book. In my top 25 novels. I haven't read any of Orson Scott's other Ender books. I heard they're good but not at the same level as Ender's Game.

Ginkasa · 09-12-2004, 11:19 PM

Its not that the sequel books are better or worse, just that they're different. Very different.

I've heard the book described as Ender's Game being the book for teenagers and Speaker for the Dead (etc.) being more adult oriented. While I, personally, think that the good books should be able to transcend ages, that is...kind of correct.

The Speaker for the Dead trilogy is a lot slower and more dialogue based than Ender's Game. They also have a bit of a mystery element to it that Ender's Game doesn't have.

They're just different. Not worse.

Separate (note the 'a') note: Separate is spelled with an 'a', not an 'e' ('seperate' is not right; 'separate' is). Pounded into my class's head when we were reading A Separate Peace ^_^

*shrugs and walks away*

Kitana85 · 09-13-2004, 11:17 AM

You could also try to compare either of those to Boys from Brazil by Ira Levin.- Moy prolly to The Giver. Both are about boys being prepared to take positions of leadership- Jonas in The Giver to take the role of the Reciever, and The Boys to take over the role of the army, and bring Germany to power, as they have been genetically modified to do.

Vampyr · 09-13-2004, 05:49 PM

Anyone that reads Ender's Game and then plans to read the sequals needs to deffinatly heed Ginkasa's words. They are still science fiction, but take a completely different path than Ender's Game.

When I look back on Ender's Game, then look at the last three books, I have trouble choosing my favorite, and then decide I cant because the last three are so different than the first one. They are all very powerful works of literature, and demand attention.

Ender's Game was probably one of the saddest books I had ever read, although most people don't realize it. You really have to think about it to see how sad it is.

The last three books in the quadrilogy will really make you think though...they bring up some interesting questions.

Happydude · 09-13-2004, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Ender's Game was probably one of the saddest books I had ever read, although most people don't realize it. You really have to think about it to see how sad it is.

yeah, it had me thinking about poor ender for a few days after i finished reading...sad indeed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampyr

The last three books in the quadrilogy will really make you think though...they bring up some interesting questions.

acually, there are 6 books in the series, including Ender's Game. all of them, in order are:

Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon

Vampyr · 09-13-2004, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happydude666

yeah, it had me thinking about poor ender for a few days after i finished reading...sad indeed.

acually, there are 6 books in the series, including Ender's Game. all of them, in order are:

Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon

You left out Shadow Puppets.

I've read all of them.