I've archived my literary reactions by year: 2004, 2005.
The Odyssey by Homer (6)
What can be said of a work of literature that is at the root of almost all literature? The blood spray, philandering, swashbuckling adventure, and playful anthropomorphization of The Divine make Homer's work as readily enjoyable to the simple masses of today, as they undoubtedly earned him favor in his own time.
Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt (5)
If a bible exists for outside-the-box thinking, Freakonomics is the chapter of Revelations. Levitt & Dubner pick apart sumo wrestling, No Child Left Behind, the KKK, and parenting - using numbers as the basis for their wild, but tangible theories.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck (4)
Beautiful and tragic little work. Reminiscent of Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea.
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis (3)
Lewis' 1922 work of literature accurately depicts the ugly side of capitalism through an incredibly vivid character and forecasts the puritanical 1950's. These accompishments aside, the work is a terrible bore.
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (2)
I listened to this one on audio book. It was an appropriate bastardization of the medium, as this story has the fun pace and egregious convolutions of a Hollywood movie. Apparently Hollywood has been quick to recognize its own character in Dan Brown's work, as Ron Howard has just adapted it for the big screen.
The Battles of George S. Patton's Lowest Ranks by Joseph Januszkiewicz (1)
The cover reads: "Old Blood and Guts--His Guts Our Blood / 95th Infantry Division." There is hardly a mention of Gen. Patton in this non-fiction work. Januszkiewicz does a commendable job of compiling seemingly unedited, uncensored accounts of the battlefront of WW2 by the surviving members of the U.S. Army's 95th Infantry Division. It is funny, tragic, and interesting in parts, and an enjoyable read for any history/war buff.
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