Third Title: Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

     For my next title, I choose something a little different to add to my variety of literature. I decided next to move on to Tennessee Williams' tense play on serious subjects, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. Many may have heard of or seen the film based on the play, or at least read William's most famous play, A Streetcar Named Desire. I'm reading this play not only to make up my page limit but to increase the variety of literary works of which I break down and analyze.
     Williams first released this play in 1954 - a time where most of the play's subject matter was not spoken of in public. The play deals with the ideas of feminine desire, homosexuality, sexual tension, and what it means to be a man, most of which in the golden days of the 1950s were not readily talked about in the media. The play stands as one of the most controversial of its time. The intense mood is already set by the end of Act One, and one could predict that it's only going intensify further.

To enhance my experience reading the play and your experience reading my blog, I present you with a few relevant links:

• Possible themes and symbols via SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/cat/themes.html 
• Trailer for the 1958 film (starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, & Burl Ives): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWsG_Qj1wUo
• Critical review of the film and play collectively: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/sep/30/cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof

Second Title: The House of the Seven Gables

     After a decently-casual read such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I decide to move to a more difficult, intellectual, and aged piece of literature. For my next novel to pick apart, I chose Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables. Hawthorne wrote this way back in 1851 with the idea of superstition and family honor in mind. This novel, though rather dated, already seems to be one of the most intelligent books I've read, as I've found myself getting lost in the beauty of the Victorian-era language. Currently, I'm approaching the novel's third chapter.
      A film was also made based off this novel in 1940 of the same name, starring horror icon, Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon, the former inmate of the family. Though the film adaptation seems to greatly differ from the novel, critics say the film did have some potential, even for its time.
     I chose this novel specifically to challenge myself and broaden my spectrum of literature, as I have not practiced in analyzing the text of many novels written before the 1900s. Casually, I have read many. Analytically, I have read few. Stay tuned in, for I'll be picking everything I can out of this diffucult yet beautiful piece of literature.

Also, here are a few relevant links to help amplify our reading and analytical experience:

Complete plot summary from SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/sevengables/summary.html 

Critical review of the film (brief. scroll down to find it): http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B06EFDF1230E43ABC4D52DFB266838B659EDE&partner=Rotten%2520Tomatoes

Critical review of the novel by Jane Smiley (she didn't like it much): http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/may/13/featuresreviews.guardianreview28 

First Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

     For my first literary title to pick apart, I chose Ken Kesey's notorious novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Kesey wrote this book in 1962 about individual rights being taken and complete control over human nature. A film was made in 1975 starring Jack Nicholson as the main character, Randall McMurphy. The film won numerous Academy Awards including Best Picture, but even with all of this cinematic prestige, it falls in comparison to the novel. The insightful, omniscient point-of-view given by the "deaf" Chief Bromden is lost in the film adaptation, as well as the colorful language in which he paints the novel's many scenes.

     I hope to delve deeper into this surreal novel, as well as the film, for I'm already peering into Part 2 of the novel.. Stay alert for more posts, discussing basics such as plot synopsis and journal entries to deep discussions about theme and verisimilitude through close reading. Until then, here are some relevant links to keep you entertained. 

Ken Kesey's biography: http://www.biography.com/people/ken-kesey-9363911#synopsis 

Critics Consensus of the film by Rotten Tomatoes (a film review website, much like IMDb):  http://www.biography.com/people/ken-kesey-9363911#synopsis 

50th Anniversary literary review of the novel: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/26/ken-kesey-s-wars-one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-nest-at-50.html