This is my novel reviews from the first semester until the third semester. I reviewed these novels due to my reading assignment, but actually, reading novel is quite fun and beside that I got more knowledge from it ^^. So thanks to my lecturer (Mrs. Nida and Mr. Dadan) who gave me this duty.
1st semester
Diary of a Nobody
This is a funny fiction novel. Contains many light joke and habitually activity of an old man with his life. Wrote in 222 pages, and in a diary form of course, by George & Weedon Grossmith brotherhood. Simple but very good.
Charles Pooter, the main character (owner of the diaries) is an ordinary man a clerk in the city of London, who has a wife named Caroline (Carrie) and a beloved son named Willie Lupin Pooter. Charles is a good husband and a good father too. He always do the best for his family, his friend and his company. And Carrie always supported him, but sometime she gave him some advices too. His son Lupin is a young man with capitalist character. He usually had difference opinion with his dad about something happened. And beside that, Charles also have two intimate friends named Gowing and Cummings, who usually drop in to his house in the evening, just to said hello, played a kind of game (like domino, etc) or sometime had dinner together.
Because this novel made looks like a diary, so all in this novel is a flashback story. Told about what happened everyday on Mr. Pooter life. I can conclude, this novel told us about an old man who just want to life properly. Like most of people. Happy forever. But ne realized that he lived in a society and there must be some trouble happened. Beside that, he have a young son who always have difference opinion with him. And honestly, Mr. Pooter just want his son to follow his footsteps in his life and be better than him. Although it looked difficult, but finally his dream came true. And all happened in his life, he wrote it diary. Which he said: “…..it’s diary that makes the man. Where would Evelyn and Pepys have been if it had not been for their diaries? [G&W 120]”
Finally I can say that everyone should read this novel. Although the story is quite simple, I think. But there are many lesson of life we can get. That we live in a society, so we shouldn’t be a selfish person. It’s good for us to hear the other people opinion first, whether we agree or not with their opinion at last. So we can be wiser and more patient person.
2nd semester
L.A. Connections
This is a fiction novel. Originally, it consists of four parts. They are Power, Obsession, Murder, and Revenge. The story is about the wealthy lifestyle in L.A which wrote in 502 pages by Jackie Collins. For Indonesian person like reviewer, it’s an unbelievable lifestyle, because it’s very different with eastern culture. The way they spent money are unusual for reviewer like for plastic surgery, sex, drugs and many more.
There are many surprises in this novel, an unpredictable story. Like when the identity of Mr. X was revealed, everybody felt surprised because actually almost all of the victims know who is Mr. X. And many characters too. The one I like the most is Madison Castelli. I like the way she think about other people, about the condition and about the world. She knows when to speak and when she has to listen to the other. Like when she have to interview Freddie Leon who was her main destination came to L.A. and unfortunately Freddie’s mood wasn’t good enough, she didn’t mind Freddie told her that she may interview him next time, and they just meet for sharing each other, what a thoughtful journalist she is, isn’t she?. And the character I hate the most is Mr. X. He is sex addicted, jobless, and the worst is he is a murderer. I really hate him when he tried to murder Kristin, who is the older sister of his ex girlfriend, and as you know he didn’t have a clear reason for his murder, that’s why I really hate this character.
Even though this novel told about the real story behind Hollywood glamour and fame, which is very unbelievable for reviewer. But there are still several lesson of life that we can get from here. In Hollywood, when passions have become an obsession, people will do anything to make their dreams coming true. Even the way they use to reach their ambition can make another people hurt. And people think that money is all we need in life, in fact, that is a big wrong. Because there is something that we cannot buy with money in this world, like love, friendship, the thought of happiness, etc. Like when Freddie Leon was betrayed by his partner Max Steele who want own the company that they’ve already built together. But finally max failed and realized that he was nothing without Freddie Leon. So don’t let your passion becomes an ambition, because it may dangerous for your life in the future.
Nightmare Street
This is a mystery fiction novel, which consist of 224 pages wrote by Margaret Tabor. Well, at first time when reviewer start to read this novel, reviewer feel a little bit confusion about the story. The confusion happened because of the flash back story at the beginning. When Unity Penfold was stranded in the strange situation, I mean she was in her hometown but nobody know or recognize her as Unity Penfold.
Even Unity Penfold who became Sarah Davies at last is the main character of this story. But reviewer prefers Phill Mallet (Face) as the best character. He was a though man, understanding and a good listener. He always listens with a big passion if his friends need to share what they feel. It happened when nobody want to talk and listen to Unity, because people thought Unity was insane. But Face didn’t do so. He just listen to what Unity told about her confusion, even for a normal people it was not make sense, but Face still listen and finally he decided to help Unity to find out what was happened to her.
The most interesting part of this novel is when unity found people that she love the most, like her mother, her husband, and her friends didn’t recognize who is she. They completely didn’t remember about Unity in the past. They just now that her name is Sarah Davies not Unity Penfold. Until all the truth revealed, Unity know that she was born as Sarah Davies, not Unity Penfold. Unity Penfold is just her imagination, a perfect imagination to have a perfect family. Have a caring husband, lovely children and good friends.
From this novel we can get a lesson of life that we must be grateful with what we have. Because the things we have will be feeling priceless when it has gone and fades away. Like when Unity lost her family, her friends and her home sweet home she just felt guilty, because she used to ignore her family and friends who love her very much. But now, when she became Sarah Davies, she has nothing. There are no a caring husband, lovely children, good friends and home sweet home. There are just a small flat, a few good friends and a stupid ex boyfriend who always ask her for some money. That’s all about Unity Penfold who now becomes Sarah Davies.
3rd semester
Aisha Bee at War
This is a true story novel; this novel tells us about Aisha’s childhood. It’s very amazing childhood, because she was live in a war era. She lived in Singapore, and at that time Singapore was colonized by Japan. Her life changed after that colonization. She and her family have to leave their home sweet home, for the colonizer who wanted to live at Aisha’s home. Although her life was very struggling, but she still can enjoy her childhood. And because of this war Aisha has got much fantastic experience that she never has before, like learning Japanese language which very hard to learn at that time and became an entertainer in Japanese camp.
I really like Aisha. She is an extraordinary cheerful girl. She is ten years old, she is thin and not too high, she has short hair and brown eyes. She like music very much, maybe we can say that music is part of his life. When she was eight she can play piano better than her sister that amazed her sister’s music teacher so much. I don’t like Aisha’s sister, although I can say that she is perfect in everything, she has done the wrong thing. She left her family just because she wants to marry someone who her family doesn’t like.
In my opinion, the best part of this novel is when Aisha’s and her family have to move to Malay because of the war. But, her father still left in Singapore, and her brother was going to Indonesia to do his duty as a soldier. While they were apart, Aisha always worried everyday, because she knows everything can happen to her father and her brother. But finally when the war was over and they back to Singapore they get together again, nothing bad happened to her family, and they live together again happily ever after.
I get something to learn from this novel, sometimes we have to sacrifice the thing that we love the most, even it feels very hard. Like when Aisha has to sell her lovely piano, to get some money for her family. At that time, their parents didn’t work anymore because of the war. So, if they want to get some money, they have to sell the things that they have.
Ten Things I Hate About Me
This is a great novel. It tells us about a girl identity. She has to be another person if she wants to fit in with her “friends”. This is the story of Jamilah Tofweek, she is a Lebanese-Muslim, and she lives in Australia. Because of discrimination at her school -there is a clear division between ethnics, skips, nerds, and loner in her school- she pretends to be another person and hide her real identity. She does anything to hide it, starts from anglicized her name from Jamilah to Jamie, coloring her hair into blonde, and sometimes she use blue contact lens. Until finally she realized that all what she’s done is not right.
My favorite character is Timothy; he is a friend of Jamie at school. He is very quite but it doesn’t mean that he is stupid or anything. Beside he doesn’t act like his other friends, who like to humiliate non skips-students -non Australian students-. Like when he knows who Jamie is in the real, he doesn’t mind to be her friend and he keep Jamie’s secret. Meanwhile, I really hate Peter. He is the most popular student in his school and he is a skip. But his behavior is awful. He always humiliates or bully non skips-student.
When every body knows who Jamie is, I mean her real identity at the school’s ball; I think that’s the best part of this novel. Because finally Jamie with her full confidence can confess to every body there that she is proud to be a Lebanese-Muslim and start from it, she will not hide her real identity anymore.
The moral value that I can get from this novel is; we have to be proud, confidence and grateful of who we are. We should not hide our identity just to fit in, in a community. Like what Jamie has done, become another person to get many friends. And we have to know, that a real friend will accept you no matter who you are. Just like Timothy to Jamie.
The Return of Merlin
This novel is very interesting. It contains of adventure, magic, past, and future. It told us about how a kingdom named Camelot fall and how King Arthur takes his kingdom back. But actually the kingdom is not really fall. Because the guardian of the kingdom named Merlin -an immortal wizard- has set a plan to defeat Mordred -the dark wizard, King Arthur’s demonic son- and to rebuild the kingdom in the future. And Merlin’s plan is success; he and King Arthur can defeat Mordred and take the kingdom back.
In this novel, I really like Melchior character. He is Merlin’s apprentice; he is very faithful to Merlin and King Arthur. Like in the future, when he was apart with his master, Merlin, he keep looking for his master, even though he has to pass a big danger; have a battle with Mordred who transform into a white dragon, which almost kill him, but he never stop to find out his master. But I don’t like Mordred, because he is the source of sorrow and hopeless. He demolishes his father’s kingdom and kills all people in it.
The best part of this novel is when all people in the Camelot era meet again in the future era. They have been having their reincarnation, but they still know each other through Merlin’s help. And they defeat Mordred together.
I can learn something from this novel. We have to be optimistic, because if we always feel pessimist and alone, we will never success in our life. Like when King Arthur tries to find Merlin and to defeat Mordred, he faces many problems. Some people said that, he was crazy, but he keeps optimist and believe that he can do it. And finally he is success, he meet Merlin again and he can defeat his demonic son and rebuild his kingdom.
