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My initial response to The Giver

Written on Sunday, June 20, 2010 | back to top

Dear blog,
When I first received my booklist for the year, I scanned through it for my most anticipated literature books--and saw the Merchant of Venice, and The Giver. The first, I had read before, but the second, no. I was apprehensive at first, and thought it was a dull, boring book, hardly an entertaining read. My worst fears were confirmed when I saw its front cover. However, after reading the blurb at the back of the book, my spirits were lifted and I actually felt a tinge of interest for the Giver. When I got home, I instantly opened the book and started reading, not looking up until the clock showed that three hours had passed.
It was an extremely thirst-quenching, vivid and beautiful book. Its storyline was amazing and intriguing, and was something that we all dreamt and were afraid of--the future. The Giver gave as an insight on the possiblities that might actually happen in the future, and actually provided an extremely vivid description of the bleakness and sameness that Jonas and his people experienced in the book. It was very touching, too, as there was a short extract in which Jonas asked his parents whether they loved him, after having received a memory on love. Instead of replying a straight, definite "yes", as all, or most, parents in today's society would reply, his parents laughed at his question and corrected it to, "Do you enjoy me?"
It was extremely sad and touching, as there's nothing more beautiful than parental or familial love in this world. There was none of this in The Giver. Instead, absolute sameness replaced it, which meant that no feelings like love, ecstasy, sadness or hatred existed. In other words, the things that make our world such a beautiful and worthy place to live in were gone in this book. The future in The Giver showed none of such feelings, and made me wonder what I would do, if I were living in that society.
The people in The Giver were devoid of any emotions, knowledge of the past, or any of such worldly things. They lived in blissful peace, but only because they were ignorant. This gave rise to the need for a Receiver, which, in this case, was Jonas.
The author of The Giver, Lois Lowry, did a really good job in depicting the future and the events and emotions shown in The Giver, making the reader feel as though he or she is really there, hence experiencing the various emotions that the people in the book feel.
Hence, I feel that Lois Lowry really deserved that award-winner, and I really enjoyed the book!:)
Alysia

My initial response to The Giver

Written at Sunday, June 20, 2010 | back to top