The Iliad vs. Troy

            I decided to try and read The Iliad for the second time. While I was reading, I kept on comparing the book to “Troy” the movie. I probably should have read the Iliad first instead of vice versa because I kept comparing the book to the movie. Usually this happens the other way around because the movie typically comes after the book.

            In the movie, my favorite character was Hector. I loved him, not just because of his good looks, but because he was the epitome of a hero to me. He was smart, the protective brother, strong physically and a leader. In the movie, I was not a big fan of Achilles, mostly because he killed Hector, but also because I did not think he was very heroic. In the movie, he seemed proud and selfish. He killed Hector over a misunderstanding which I did not deem fair at all. It was not Hector’s fault that Achilles’ cousin chose to impersonate him and I also did not find it fair that Hector was not listened to by his father and had to take care of his selfish brother.

            In the Iliad, Hector’s first appearance did not strike me as the hero I always assumed he was because of the movie. His first appearance in the Iliad did not give me a good first impression because I thought he was being crueler to his brother then need be. Hector yelled at him saying “I wish you had never been born, I wish you had died unwedded!” (p. 40). I believe he had a right to be mad but this seemed a bit harsh.

            Another surprise I found was that Helen seemed to regret coming to Troy and that she missed her daughter and old life. In the movie, she did not regret coming and also did not have a daughter. This for me was an importance difference between the movie and the book. I thought it was important because it meant Helen either went with free will or going against her will.

            There was also a big inconsistency between the movie and the book. In the movie, Hector saves his brother Paris or Alexandros from having to fight Menelaus while in the book he does not. Paris is instead saved by the person Hector was making fun of him for, Aphrodite. I think the movie makes Hector seem more protective because he intercedes in the battle even though it is against the rules. This could be perceived as not honorable but I thought it was a positive thing. In the Iliad, Hector does not seem as affectionate towards his brother.

            Another thing that was different was a crucial turning point in the plot. Achilles’ lets his cousin go into battle in the Iliad. In the movie, Achilles does not want him to fight at all to protect him. Hector kills Achilles’ cousin but in a less honorable way in my opinion. In the movie, it was an accident but in the book it wasn’t. To me, this was not as honorable because Hector is not as innocent in his killings.

            While I was reading, I kept on comparing the book to the movie. I found it interesting because it was always on my mind. Hector to me is the true hero in the epic poem. In both the book and the movie, this is true. Hector is the best warrior in Troy but appears to be an underdog to me. Hector wins over my heart even though he is not the main character of the epic poem.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

            The book I read was The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It is the first book of the trilogy. It is a first person point of view by Todd Hewitt. The first thing that came to mind, when I started reading, was the terrible spelling. I was worried about my spelling skills because I did not want to pick up the bad spelling by mistake. It is actually a fear I have of spelling a word incorrectly because I have read a book that spelled it that way. An example is when we read Old English and they spell words with another “u” like honour. The word is probably correct also but in America we spell it like honor. While I was reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, I kept worrying I was going to pick up the spelling skills but so far it hasn’t happened. The main reason for the protagonist’s (Todd Hewitt) bad spelling was to show how he was not educated.

             Another thing that struck me was that the town was called Prentisstown which to me seemed similar to Patrick Ness. I don’t know why exactly but I wondered if that was some sort of hidden meaning for the author. It could just be me though.

            *A part of the book that really got to me was the death of Manchee. It made me cry because Manchee was so innocent. The relationship between an owner and a pet is really close because the pet has to rely on its owner. A pet usually cannot take care of themselves and rely on their owner for food and a place to sleep. It was devastating for me when Manchee died because he just said “Todd?” and he was so innocent. A main theme in this book is innocence. The death of Manchee was an example and even just the character Todd is innocence. The storyline revolves around the town of Prentisstown chasing after Todd because he is innocent. He was the last boy of the town and because of that; he did not know the truth of the town and the women.

            The title of the book also has a lot of significance because throughout the story, Todd never lets go of his knife. The title alludes to an important aspect of the character. Todd never wants to let go of the knife because he does not trust others and also because he does not trust in his ability. Todd does not believe he is going to survive to get to Haven and that he can kill someone. He does both but the reader does not find out if his survival will continue. When he killed the Spackle instead of feeling bad for Todd, I felt bad for the Spackle. I know that it was a mistake on Todd’s part but I felt he should have been more guilt-stricken. Although I guess it’s hard to really reflect on the past when you are trying to survive for the future.

            I can’t say I loved the Knife of Never Letting Go mostly because it left me sad. It gave me a good cry which is sometimes really needed but it didn’t give me the hope that I expected. The ending was a big plot twist but after rooting for them for so long, it kind of left me tired. I couldn’t stop reading though and would still like to read the rest of the series. I thought the book was really good but I just hope that the next one has a little more of a positive ending.

*= Spoiler Alert

Coming Next: A book from the AP Reading List.....

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The book I read was The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It is the first book of the trilogy. It is a first person point of view by Todd Hewitt. The first thing that came to mind, when I started reading, was the terrible spelling. I was worried about my spelling skills because I did not want to pick up the bad spelling by mistake. It is actually a fear I have of spelling a word incorrectly because I have read a book that spelled it that way. An example is when we read Old English and they spell words with another “u” like honour. The word is probably correct also but in America we spell it like honor. While I was reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, I kept worrying I was going to pick up the spelling skills but so far it hasn’t happened. The main reason for the protagonist’s (Todd Hewitt) bad spelling was to show how he was not educated.

             Another thing that struck me was that the town was called Prentisstown which to me seemed similar to Patrick Ness. I don’t know why exactly but I wondered if that was some sort of hidden meaning for the author. It could just be me though.

            *A part of the book that really got to me was the death of Manchee. It made me cry because Manchee was so innocent. The relationship between an owner and a pet is really close because the pet has to rely on its owner. A pet usually cannot take care of themselves and rely on their owner for food and a place to sleep. It was devastating for me when Manchee died because he just said “Todd?” and he was so innocent. A main theme in this book is innocence. The death of Manchee was an example and even just the character Todd is innocence. The storyline revolves around the town of Prentisstown chasing after Todd because he is innocent. He was the last boy of the town and because of that; he did not know the truth of the town and the women.

            The title of the book also has a lot of significance because throughout the story, Todd never lets go of his knife. The title alludes to an important aspect of the character. Todd never wants to let go of the knife because he does not trust others and also because he does not trust in his ability. Todd does not believe he is going to survive to get to Haven and that he can kill someone. He does both but the reader does not find out if his survival will continue. When he killed the Spackle instead of feeling bad for Todd, I felt bad for the Spackle. I know that it was a mistake on Todd’s part but I felt he should have been more guilt-stricken. Although I guess it’s hard to really reflect on the past when you are trying to survive for the future.

I can’t say I loved the Knife of Never Letting Go mostly because it left me sad. It gave me a good cry which is sometimes really needed but it didn’t give me the hope that I expected. The ending was a big plot twist but after rooting for them for so long, it kind of left me tired. I couldn’t stop reading though and would still like to read the rest of the series. I thought the book was really good but I just hope that the next one has a little more positive ending.

*= Spoiler Alert

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The book I read was The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It is the first book of the trilogy. It is a first person point of view by Todd Hewitt. The first thing that came to mind, when I started reading, was the terrible spelling. I was worried about my spelling skills because I did not want to pick up the bad spelling by mistake. It is actually a fear I have of spelling a word incorrectly because I have read a book that spelled it that way. An example is when we read Old English and they spell words with another “u” like honour. The word is probably correct also but in America we spell it like honor. While I was reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, I kept worrying I was going to pick up the spelling skills but so far it hasn’t happened. The main reason for the protagonist’s (Todd Hewitt) bad spelling was to show how he was not educated.

             Another thing that struck me was that the town was called Prentisstown which to me seemed similar to Patrick Ness. I don’t know why exactly but I wondered if that was some sort of hidden meaning for the author. It could just be me though.

            *A part of the book that really got to me was the death of Manchee. It made me cry because Manchee was so innocent. The relationship between an owner and a pet is really close because the pet has to rely on its owner. A pet usually cannot take care of themselves and rely on their owner for food and a place to sleep. It was devastating for me when Manchee died because he just said “Todd?” and he was so innocent. A main theme in this book is innocence. The death of Manchee was an example and even just the character Todd is innocence. The storyline revolves around the town of Prentisstown chasing after Todd because he is innocent. He was the last boy of the town and because of that; he did not know the truth of the town and the women.

            The title of the book also has a lot of significance because throughout the story, Todd never lets go of his knife. The title alludes to an important aspect of the character. Todd never wants to let go of the knife because he does not trust others and also because he does not trust in his ability. Todd does not believe he is going to survive to get to Haven and that he can kill someone. He does both but the reader does not find out if his survival will continue. When he killed the Spackle instead of feeling bad for Todd, I felt bad for the Spackle. I know that it was a mistake on Todd’s part but I felt he should have been more guilt-stricken. Although I guess it’s hard to really reflect on the past when you are trying to survive for the future.

            I can’t say I loved the Knife of Never Letting Go mostly because it left me sad. It gave me a good cry which is sometimes really needed but it didn’t give me the hope that I expected. The ending was a big plot twist but after rooting for them for so long, it kind of left me tired. I couldn’t stop reading though and would still like to read the rest of the series. I thought the book was really good but I just hope that the next one has a little more positive ending.

*= Spoiler Alert