Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

For years people have been suggesting that I read this book. It wasn't until someone else actually bought it for me, that I finally did. (My boyfriend knows the way into my heart.) I've come to realize that when many people suggest one thing that they may be correct. This doesn't mean that I will go out and start reading Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey. I'm not that much of a follower. The one main concern I had before ever starting this book was it's reading level, which is 9th grade (or about 15 years old). No offense meant to any of you readers who are above the age of 15 and really enjoy this book, because guess what!? So did I. I literally picked it up and 5ish hours later I had read it in it's entirety. 

The inner demons that Ender conquers and all the strife and turmoil he is subjected to really drew me in. It just wouldn't let me go. It's been a couple of days since I read the book, and to be honest only a feeling really sticks with me and not so much the content. It's riveting but not in a deep factual kind of way.  I'm not even really sure what I'm trying to say right now. Something about how the story moved and was formed left an overall image in my mind, but none of the actions or dialogue really sticks out as overly memorable. I think that's where the reading level comes in to play. It was a relaxing and easy read for me. 

When I read I try to place part of me into the main character and see how I'd fair or if I'd do things with the same frame of mind. Which is completely detrimental to many books, because half the point of reading is being exposed or drawn in to different ways of thinking. Aside from that I can't imagine how anyone could expect such strength and devotion from a child so young. To even consider the possibility of forcing my son in to military training and mental exhaustion at the age of 6. On the other hand I can see why they wanted to take them so young. The inexperience really forces them to rely on their mentors and to achieve things without the outside influences that growing up in the real world would give. Ender could see through all the games they played though, and still he just went along. The end blew my mind. I kind of picked up what was happening based off of people saying that no one had ever gotten that far, and that they were pushing them all constantly without relenting. But still, I don't think I expected anything of quite that magnitude. 

I'd suggest this book if you like Science Fiction at all. Although so many people suggested the book to me that it is very possible that the few people that read my blog have already read it before. I don't know. I'm not sure I liked it enough to read any further into the series, but I'm really scrambling for things to read that will hold my interest right now. I'm going to read the Kite Runner soon, but I'm waiting for Prince Charming to be ready to read that with me. I know that some of my FB friends read this and don't follow or anything. You are all very welcome to tell me what to read and I will happily comply. I have so many books to choose from that I am unable to focus and choose. I did pre-order some books today by Brandon Sanderson and Juliet Marillier, so November should be a good month for me. That's so far away. HELP ME! 

Oh yes, I read Tess of the d'Ubervilles like I mentioned in my last post, and maybe one of these days I will feel like posting about how it made me feel. Which was completely ridiculous. I'm in the process of trying to get through another novel by the same author and maybe I'll do a combined review next week. That's only if I can force myself to finish the book though. It's not looking like that will be happening soon.

Guten Nacht!