Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey is surprisingly a very good book!  After the other books we had read I wasn't sure if we were ever going to read a book in this class.  This book is a lot more relatable then any of the others we have read.  I am a very sarcastic person myself so the quick witted humor really makes me laugh.  What I really like about this book is that Catherine is not just some dumb girl who can't think for herself and has to rely on men for everything.  They do a very good job of describing her life before she went to Bath, and how she was independent.  I did find it odd though that she went with the Tinley's to Northanger Abbey.  I mean, I know its the name of the book and a basically the plot line, but I just can't see going to stay with some guys family just for the heck of it.  That part is not very relatable, but I definitely understand the awkwardness of being in someone else's house and not really knowing how to act.

Romance of the Forest- end

I enjoyed most of the ending of the book.  I liked this love triangle much better than most in other books.  I liked it because the two boys fighting over Adeline actually become friends and respect each other, and Louis helps Theodore and his father reunite.  This is much different than the love triangle in Castle of Otranto.

The thing about this book that I most liked was the development of Adeline's character.  In the beginning she is a winey, scared little girl who just wants pity.  She thought she had lived this hard, grueling life in the convent.  What she didn't realize was that her life got much harder when there were powerful, creepy men wanting to marry her, and also powerful, creepy men wanting to kill her.  She learned that there was no time to wallow in self pity, if she wanted to stay alive, she had to stay on her toes and take every opportunity given to her.  All the hardships she endured made her the virtuous girl that she became.  Even though she ends up being in the elite class in the end, she is a lot different than most of the other elite's.  She knows what it is like on the other side and does not look down or take advantage of those less fortunate.

In the beginning of the book Adeline is this annoying, helpless little girl that I found VERY annoying.  I thought she was going to be my least favorite character in the book.  In the end however, after watching her grow, she became my favorite.

Romance of the Forest

I thought I knew what to expect from this book based on everything you had told us, and everything we had already learned about gothic literature.  Although it had all the elements present in most gothic lit books, it still seemed weird to me.  I just don't understand why it was so easy for them to stay in the abandoned abbey.  Usually when people are hiding out, they build a little fort in the woods, they do not live in some giant castle where everyone get there own room, they cook and have hot meals, and even have guests over for entertaining.

I find it very funny that Madame La Motte things that La Motte has a thing for Adeline.  Madame La Motte should understand that it is stressful running from the law and being a fugitive.  He has to watch his every move and make sure no one finds his whereabouts.  That would be the most logical explanation for his depression.  Madame La Motte did not follow the rule "keep your friends close and enemies closer".  If she thought La Motte fancied Adeline, she should have kept Adeline close and taken her under here wing like a daughter (more than she already had).

It is definitely hard to keep all of the guys that come and go in this book straight.  I am going to need a system to remembering!

So I accidentally wrote these blogs out of order, I forgot my intro so I will write it now!  I am Kara Lutley.  I am a senior; Marketing and Business Information Systems double major from a small town in Connecticut.  I came to TCU as a freshman because I wanted to see another part of the country and absolutly fell in love with Fort Worth and most of Texas.  I do enjoy to read but hardly ever have time (plus I have dry eyes so after working all day at a computer/in class my eyes hurt really bad!.)  I enjoy reading mostly non-fiction books.  I love reading books about my favorite sports teams, and also enjoy reading books on business and leadership.  Another hobby of mine is History so I love reading those, but they take alittle more brainpower than I want to give most of the time when I'm reading. 

Although I was in AP/honors english classes in high school, literature was never my strong suite.  I very often have a hard time paying full attention to what is going on in the books.  And I also am not very good at seeing the hidden meaning of symbols and themes. 

In my spare time I love to play tennis and swim.  I also love the beach and traveling.  I cannot believe that I am a senior and will be graduating in May.  I am trying to enjoy my last year as college as much as possible.  I got a taste of what my life will be like by having a 40 hour a week internship... and it is definitely not as fun as college!

Castle of Otranto

Since this is my first blog, I am not really sure what to write about.  I will start by saying I was a little disturbed with this book.  I know that most gothic novels have incest and such, but it still freaks me out!  I almost consider going after your son's supposed to be wife worse then making out with your sister.  Although, it seemed to me that the son was not very loved anyways so maybe Manfred was just using his son to get to Isabella.

What I liked most about this book was the moral it taught (well the one that stuck out most to me).  I thought the overall theme of the book was that you can't fight fate.  The fate that was left on Manfred and his family was inevitable.  There is basically no way to save anybody from a giant helmet falling on their head.  I am a huge believer in what is meant to be will find a way.  When things happen you might not always know why, and it might seem unfair but everything happens for a reason, even if you can't see that reason right away.

well I don't really have much more to say right now... next time I will definitely plan what I am going to write before hand!