this was my very first attempt at coding a web page :]
for that I think it's worth archiving
this page was completed circa 06/09/2024
I made this instead of studying for my AP Lit Exam; I got a 4 on the exam so clearly it worked /hj
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Middle and High School Literature Tier List
- Some thoughts on all the assigned literature I read in middle and high
school + some art I did!
- Excuse this barebones webpage I'm totally new to HTML/CSS/JS lol, I'll remake it when I code the rest of
the website
- Site is definitely not optimized for mobile
- MAJOR SPOILERS WARNING!!
At this point I'm pretty sure the total word count of all the fanfics I've read are more than the original
book.
Natsby will forever have a special place in my heartđthey are so moon and sun coded
the fact that Nick is practically acting as the widow at the end of the storyđit's even more
obvious in the 2013 movie
on that note I will never forgive that movie for making Nick a womanizer. what the hell in the
original story he was not interested at all why did they have him make out with Catherine why why
why
I've yet to see a Not Gay interpretation of the McKee scene that makes sense. What else are you supposed to
make of it? The scene is there for a reason it's gotta mean something?? "They're drunk and it's to
show that they're careless people-" I do NOT buy this explanation lmao they're drunk and doing WHAT huh?? I
find it funny how this was just kinda awkwardly skipped over in class; I was so confused when I first read
it. Although the lever was pointed out as a phallic symbol, no explanation was given as to why it's there.
Anyway, here's a great anaylsis.
Watching the movie in class felt like a fever dream. I felt really dizzy for some reason.
Also I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I totally get this book lol, I don't think I have enough life
experience to fully appreciate this work of art...
Nick "I never judge people" Carraway's favorite passtime is judging people.
When we read this book in class, we didn't really discuss much about Nick which is unfortunate. All we
really talked about was how he's a hypocrite, an untrustworthy and incredibly biased narrator. On the
surface he's Just Some Guy who's like an observer to this whole mess, but you can't really call him a
spectator since his actions directly affected the plot, like when he set Daisy and Gatsby
up for tea. There's something deeply wrong with him and it's SO INTRIGUING. At times he's really indifferent
to everything. This man really witnessed his cousin's marriage fall apart, saw a dead body, and was like
hmmm I wonder what I should get for dinner. Sometimes I feel like he's just, mentally not there. He's also
not most morally correct person out there, but tbf no one in this book is lol.
In my search to learn about the deckle edge, I came across this detail: When Nick first meets Owl Eyes in
Gatsby's library, Owl Eyes goes on a rant about how the books are "Absolutely real â have pages and
everything."
What realism! Knew when to stop, too â didnât cut the pages. . . . He snatched the book . . . and
replaced it hastily on its shelf, muttering that if one brick was removed the whole library was liable
to collapse.
The pages are uncut, which means that Gatsby has never read any of the books. Sure, the books are real, but
they are merely props. The library may make Gatsby appear as an intellectual, but examining a single book
can destroy this entire facade. Reminds me of Etsy sellers selling sets of color-coded, decorative antique
books for absurd prices, ha.
I forgot how unserious the assignments were for this book. I made an instagram profile for Daisy and wrote a
letter to Tom LMAO. And I can't believe I forgot about this earlier - one of the assignment was writing a
TGG fanfic, a retelling of a scene from another character's perspective. It was a collaborative writing with
two other people; we wrote about the tea party but from Daisy's perspective. I don't know if it's good but I
liked it. I swear one of these days I'll actually write something that is NOT first-person POV.
Monsieur Meursault my favorite depressed Frenchman
my blorbo didn't deserve this đ he deserves so much better omg... he could've lived happily ever after with
Marie in Paris
The only two things he ever did wrong are 1) helping Raymond write the letter and 2) killing the Arab.
I was worried that this was gonna be boring and I'm14AndThisIsDeepâąïž like Half a Day but oh I was wrong. I
was so so wrong. This book completely blew my expectations out of the water.
It's so good that I binged it in one sitting.
Meursault is loveless aroallo and you can't convince me otherwise. I can write a whole essay on this. I
thought I was imagining things when I first read him as aro like 20 or 30 pages in but holy shit this book
is a gift that keeps on giving. How is a book from 1942 able to articulate these thoughts
and feelings so well?? I know I'm like grasping for representation that isn't actually there but let me have
my moment ok đ€ Y'know how reading/analyzing a story through a certain lens (lit crit) can add depth to the
story? That's how I felt reading The Stranger as someone who's aroace :D
Marie deserves the world... I'm sad that she and Meursault couldn't have a happy ending :(
I don't relate to Meursault in the sense that I'm not detached and apathetic like him (+ the whole not
feeling remorse part), but I understand where he's coming from.
This book really pulled my heartstrings; I almost cried at one point.
The way that Meursault talks through every thought he has and every mundane detail he sees is very intense.
Had the book been any longer I might've gotten tired of the writing style but good thing that it's pretty
short :D
In a strange way, this book has a happy ending. Meursault dies but he lowkey doesnât give a fuck.
He has lived his life to the fullest because Absurdismâąïž
The choice piece (iykyk) I made for the Stranger is my magnum opus. I really want to remake it sometime in
the future when my drawing, animating, and editing skills have drastically improved... which is to say it's
gonna be a while before that happens lol
I am actually desperate for fanart and fanfics of this book bro I've only ever seen two pieces of fanart,
one animatic, and there are barely any fics on AO3. If anyone ever come across any fan content including
school projects PLEASE send them to me-
And of course I have to mention Killing an Arab
by the Cure. It's a great song go check it out :)
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
> Then she asked me again if I loved her. I replied, much as before, that her
question meant nothing or next to nothingâbut I supposed I didn't.
> Then she said she wondered if she really loved me or not. . . . she murmured something about my being
"a queer fellow." "And I daresay that's why I love you," she added. "But maybe that's why one day I'll come to
hate you."
> for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe
> "But," I reminded myself, "it's common knowledge that life isn't worth living, anyhow."
Meursaultâs maman dies, he goes to the retirement home and attends the funeral, which is all a blur.
He's more upset by the hot weather than his motherâs death. He sit vigil over the coffin with his
mother's friends.
Soon after, Meursault meets Marie at the pool, flirts with her, and go see a movie.
Meursault writes a letter for Raymond to help him get revenge on his girlfriend. Salamano talkies to
Meursault about his lost dog.
Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to Masson's bungalow at the beach. The Arabs confront Raymond (+ Masson
and Meursault caught in the crossfire), no one dies and the Arabs run away. Meursault decides that he
rather go back to the beach than socialize. Meursault meets the Arab and shoots him (1 + 4 shots)
because the sun was too hot - light was reflecting off the knife and he canât see clearly, blinded by
his own sweat.
Meursault is put into jail; at first he misses freedom, but he gets used to it. The chaplain tries to
Christianize him and fails. Meursault is sentenced to death by the guillotine for being a soulless
monster who lacks morality.
he didnât cry at his motherâs funeral
the prosecutor thinks he planned the murder
prosecuted for intention, not action
Meursault dies happy - he has lived his current life to the fullest and embraces the meaningless
universe. He believes he has lived his life to the fullest, so no regrets
Absurdism: the universe is irrational and meaningless, and trying to find meaning will only
result in a conflict with the world.
to live without appeal
donât live according to societal constructs or any higher powers
you can still be happy and fullfilled in life
Existentialism: existence precedes essence. Existentialism is centered around the individualâs
pursuit of identity and meaning.
First of all, man exists, and only afterward does he define himself.
The universe is inherently meaningless and we create meaning in life through action.
Whereas nihilism is the belief that ânothing mattersâ, existentialism is the attempt to confront
and deal with meaninglessness.
Absurdism is similar to existentialism in the sense that both philosophies advocate for living life in
our own self-determined way. What distinguishes these two is that absurdists donât believe you can ever
find meaning.
the following is an excerpt from an essay I wrote I'm too lazy to summarize it One interpretation of existentialism is that the freedom to make choices is limited by the fact that
we are all âthrown into the worldâ (Bonevac). Nobody had a choice in choosing when to be born, and the
same goes for Grendel. It raises the question âIf I didnât choose to be here, then why am I here?â This
can lead to one feeling disconnected from the world, like a stranger. Grendelâs hostility and distaste
towards the two sides of the worldâthe world of humans and the world of natureâreflects his feeling of
alienation. He frowns upon the âmindless [and] mechanicalâ goats whose only âbusinessâ is âto climb [the
hills]â over and over (Gardner). He feels disconnected from nature, while at the same time being
ostracized from human society. Grendel is forced to confront the fact that he doesnât seem to fit in
anywhere, so what then is his purpose in life? Eventually, he finds one. When Grendel launched his first
raid, he âfelt a strange, unearthly joy . . . as if [heâd] made some incredible discovery.â He is âborn
againâ and dubs himself âRuiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kingsâ (Gardner). It is at this moment that
Grendel finds his place in the world: to be a destroyer. The humans view Grendel as a monster.
Ultimately, he himself adopted the persona of an evil monster as his meaning. Through his decisions, he
alone bears the consequences. However, Grendel ends up regretting his decisions. Philosophy is fluid,
and Grendel becomes more nihilistic as he moves towards death. Instead of blaming his choices for
leading to this moment, he blames the random, accidental nature of the world for his demise.
I have a thing for dystopian fiction and main characters that have a few
screws loose
Lord of the Flies
There's a certain charm to this book.
Heavy themes - evil human nature, criticism of English society and all that.
I really like the open ending. There's a lot of ways that the post-island story can play out and it's fun to
imagine them.
I didn't enjoy this book when we read it in class. The analysis we had to do and the related assignments was
really just, not it...
A while later, when I thought back to this story and read some fanfiction, I realized it's actually
pretty good. I bought the book when I came across it in a thrift store and I plan on rereading it! (you'll
notice a recurring theme of me wanting to reread books but never doing it)
This book has a surprisingly active fandom on Tumblr? I imagine it's made up of mostly high school students
who had to read it in class (like me).
I need to finish that drawing of Jack some day...
Fahrenheit 451
Thought provoking.
One thing I really like about the setting is how despite being set in a technologicallly advanced future,
it's not overly futuristic. It felt tangible; Montagâs house feels like a regular suburban home and I LOVE
that. It's something you don't usually see in sci-fi movies.
I remember feeling quite unsatisfied with the ending. I mean, that's it?? The city got nuked and they go
back and rebuild society... huh. It felt pretty abrupt just like the nuke and is a case of open
ending I did not enjoy.
Overall I still really liked it though.
Mechanical hounds, how cool is that!
Montag/Beatty is my guilty pleasure ;) really enjoy their dynamic
Go check out Sofie Shen's F451 concept art! It's so
good!!! The colors, the shape language, the art style... it's everything
I found this lamp at a thrift store and it's so
F451-core
Inspired by this banger song, it's genuinely one of the best English vocal synth songs I've ever
heard
The burning fires my Captain so enjoys;
Glacier is far less icy than his fate;
To raise the flames, the salamanderâs voice;
To feed the hounds, the firemen terminate.
I feel the words remembered by the few,
Peculiar, to hear the same from him;
The need for kerosene to dull my view
Or something sweeter, for our futureâs dim;
I never cared for violence or for peace
Except for him, whom Iâm bound to betray;
If I was anything but a chess piece;
My Captain, he commands, still, I obey.
And yet, by God, I think I love him still
Burned into what is left of my free will.
1984
I really enjoyed reading Part 3 and the ending is perfect imo. Bad ending = best ending in this scenario.
Something about a bleak future where the dystopian society prevails ticks me the right way. Though the Appendix
being written in regular Oldspeak English could imply that the indomitable human spirit did prevail and the
Oceania government fell so that's certainly something.
The tension between Winston and O'Brien during the torture part is just,,,,, so good...
Toxic old man yaoi strikes again. Lmao. It's a crackship don't mind me.
I feel like in another life, Winston and Julia would've been a couple tired of their workplace but can't quit
because they couldn't afford to lose to their jobs. I wouldn't exactly describe their relationship as healthy
either, but they seem happy with each other so yay?
Still sad that I lost the no words version of the O'Brien bookmark when my old computer broke :(
Grendel
The Beowulf fanfic we deservedđ
In all seriousness this book was *great*.
Actual existential crisis wow I haven't had to think so much about a story in a while. Shout out to the
hour-long Socratic discussions we had in class, that was certainly something.
I freaking love the characterization of Unferth and Beowulf in this it's so close to my headcanon. Even
though Beowulf only shows up at the very end of the book and barely has any lines, he is way more
interesting here than in the original poem/epic where he is (in my opinion) not much more than a Hero
Archetype. This quote goes hard and it's so BEOWULF. I can feel his ego and insanity radiating off
his words and I love it.
Grendel, Grendel! You make the world by whispers, second by second. Are you blind to that? Whether you
make it a grave or a garden of roses is not the point. Feel the wall: is it not hard? He smashes me
against it, breaks open my forehead. Hard, yes! Observe the hardness, write it down in careful runes.
Now sing of walls! Sing!
The dragon is also peak character design dude was funny as hell.
And the Grendel in this is just so good that it's canon to međ€·idk maybe I'm gaslighting myself into liking
this book because we spent so much time on it in class.
Wealtheow deserved better :( I don't like how she's mistreated both in this book and in the original.
The choice piece I did this one is kind of... meh :/
If I knew how to animate I would've made a Grendel animation to 2econd 2ight 2eer
> The devil made me do it, but I also kinda wanted to.
> call it morbid curiosity how i cannot commit to reality, when my third eyeâs open and i like what i
see
> if you knew what i knew, if you saw what i see, youâd look through illusions, hallucinations, and
lucid dream.
> And i know that meaning can be such a pretty thing to keep, but i got facts and iâm not afraid to use
âem
> And if it rhymes, itâs true. but i hate poetry.
> Some days iâm glad that i am a madman and iâd rather be that than an amicable animal, mild-mannered
cannibal.
> well that was fun, goodbye.
I gotta I admit I did not fuck with the zodiac signs motif. I'm an astrology hater so this all bullshit to
me lmao. I was a little disappointed when so many people did zodiac sign stuff with their choice piece...
like I get it, astrology can be cool and it's the easy/obvious thing to do, but c'mon.
Hamlet
Hamlet and Horatio: College AUI
Hamlet is a political science major with a minor in theater and Horatio is a Latin major.
It's so goooood I wanna read other Shakespeare plays now!!
It gets silly at some points lol
O, I am slain!
Hamlet is so melodramatic and pathetic and I love him for it. He had *one job* and he fumbled so hard.
Fortinbras my belovedđ«¶He was my favorite character when I first started reading, but I grew to love Hamlet
and I love them equally now XD Heâs such a blank slate that heâs pretty much my OC. Fortinbras feels like
the main character of a different story (perhaps titled Fortinbras) who shows up in Hamlet
as a minor/side character. He doesnât show up a lot, but his plot is woven throughout the entire story. His
character shows what Hamlet couldâve been if he actually set out to do the things he said he was
gonna do immediately. But alas, Hamletâs Hamlet.
Neither character is necessarily better than the other though. Both are great.
In another life they would've been great friend. Let's uhh, ignore the "your dad killed my dad"
vendetta for a moment.
DOOMED YAOIđif Hamlet/Horatio isn't true love then I don't know what is......
I am more an antique Roman than a Dane.
...
Good night, sweet prince
I CRY
#Horatio is like the biggest Hamlet simp ever
#Hamlet will jump off a cliff and Horatio will follow
#Find yourself someone who cares about you and listens to all your problems like Horatio did for Hamlet
I saw a reddit comment that said "Horatio is the Nick to Hamlet's Gatsby" and I CANNOT emphasize
how much I agree.
I need to watch a good Hamlet play. The one we watched in class is from the Reduced Shakespeare Company--it
wasn't really a Hamlet play and ngl I didn't really like it.
Hamlet and Ophelia... I think Ophelia defintinely loves/loved Hamlet. How deeply though? Idk. I'm getting
mixed signals. She didn't seem *that* upset after Hamlet rejects and outright curses her ("get thee to a
nunnery"). She was kinda flirting with Hamlet at the play. I imagine Hamlet did love Ophelia at one point,
but he didn't really take their relationship that seriously. His train of thoughts is probably something
like "Oh wow that Ophelia girl really likes me huh? She's pretty cute, I'll date her why not." Maybe "like"
is a more accurate term.
Ok literally as I was making this website I came across the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern movie and why is it
so good?!? The characters' chemistry is INSANE I gotta watch this lmao
Main Characters:
Hamlet, Horatio, Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, Polonius, Ophelia, the ghost, Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern
Summary:
Act I
Marcellus, Horatio, and Barnardo meet the ghost. They inform Hamlet about it. Laertes sets off for
France and Polonius gives him some advice before he goes. Claudius and Gertrude remarry, Hamlet is in
mourning, and Fortinbras is cooking up an army. Hamlet meets the ghost, learns about how King Hamlet was
killed, and vows to revenge. He decides to pretend like heâs crazy. Meanwhile, in the backgroud,
Fortinbras is raising an army to fight Denmark.
Act II
Polonius sends someone to spy on Laertes. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to keep an eye on
Hamlet. Fortinbras's been stopped and a deal is made for him to invade Poland instead.
Act III
Polonius tests his theory that Hamlet's madness stems from Ophelia's rejection, which results in Hamlet
breaking Ophelia's heart. Hamlet plans a play-within-a-play to prove that Claudius is guilty, and he
succeeds. Claudius "prays" and confesses his guilt but he doesn't actually feel remorse; Hamlet decides
to not kill him because now's not a right time. Hamlet confronts Gertrude, accidentally kills Polonius,
and sees the ghost again.
Act IV
Claudius sends Hamlet to England to be executed, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to accompany him.
Hamlet meets Fortinbras' captain and laments about the pointlessness of war. Ophelia goes mad and
Laertes comes back from France. He teams up with Claudius to kill Hamlet. Ophelia drowns.
Act V
Hamlet returns. He and Horatio are at the graveyard and they witness/Hamlet interrupts Ophelia's
funeral. Hamlet reveals that he has sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to be executed. Laertes and Hamlet
have a duel. They poke each other with the poisoned sword. Gertrude accidentally drinks the poisoned
wine and dies. Laeretes dies. Hamlet kills Claudius with the sword and poisoned wine. Horatio attempts
to commit suicide. Hamlet dies. Fortinbras arrives and becomes king of Denmark.
monologue = a long speech presented by a single character; most often to express their
thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience
soliloquy = a type of monologue where the character is speaking their thoughts
outloud to themselves and NOT directly to anyone, including to audience;
aside = a character speaks directly to the audience; their speech cannot be heard by
the other characters
Characters that contrast with Hamlet (foils):
Hamlet vs. Fortinbras
Hamlet is the definition of inaction while Fortinbras gets shit done. His dad is dead and he
wants revenge, just like Hamlet. While Hamlet is concocting up a plan to at crazy for god knows
what reason, Fortinbras is organizing an army.
Fortinbras is pretty bloodthirsty. He wanted war with Denmark, and now Poland. Hamlet doesnât
seem to care about the geopolitical situation of his country at all.
Ideologically, they're also the opposite. Hamlet questions if this whole war with Poland is even
worthwhile, considering the death and destruction, and sees Fortinbras' conquer âa fantasy and a
trick of fame.â
Hamlet vs. Laertes - Ahhh another dead dad character. RIP. Another case of action vs inaction.
This man is PISSED. He was ready to overthrow the government and kill Hamlet on sight.
Hamlet vs. Horatio
Horatio reasonable, calm, and logicalâall the characteristics that Hamlet doesnât have. Hamlet
is dramatic and, though he thinks heâs logical, what kind of sane person will come up with a
plan to act insane? Horatio is Hamlet's reason and I think that's lovely.
Horatio is the quiet background character while Hamlet is the star, the center of attention.
Claudius vs. Hamlet - I mean, it's protagonist vs antagonist. Can't get more foil than that.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
HOLY FUCKING SHIT this book is SO GOOD
I read most of it (around 4/5) in one day, one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Stayed up until 2 am to finish
reading it and it's so worth it.
Did I mention that this book is really good? It's so good that I had to immediately go read a fluffy fix-it
fic afterwards.
This might be recency bias, but this is definitely the best book I've read in 12th grade, and maybe even all
of high school. It's in my top 3 among Gatsby and Stranger for sure. The only reason why it's not in the
Special Tier is because I don't have a special connection to it (yet). I have some more personal reasons for
why I love the other two.
I read the 1831 edition! I plan on reading the original edition too.
I went into this book completely blind. My impression of Frankenstein before reading it was the
popular perception of "mad scientist creates evil monster." And oh my god this book is so, so much
more than that. It's not so much about the creation of the creature, but the aftermath.
Unpopular opinion(?), but I didn't find the creature to be a likeable character. I understand where he's
coming from, but he also kinda screwed things up for himself lol; can't really blame him though.
I like how Victor made the creature and INSTANTLY regreted it, lmao. In like two paragraphs he went from "oh
this beautiful creation" to "EWWW IT'S SO DISGUSTING IT'S EVERYTHING I DESPISE"
Everything that can go wrong went wrong. No one has a happy ending :( at least in Hamlet Horatio
lives and Fortinbras gets his crown. I guess the closest we have to that is Walton. His dream is crushed
(probably for the best) but at least he lives.
Victor Frankenstein is such a disaster of a human being. Creating the creature is morally questionable
choice but abandoning him is not. He had so many chances to right his wrongs and he never did. He ends up
blaming the creature for basically everything and never saw the goodness in him. I'd say Victor's tragic
flaw is not being able to recognize his actions are what caused the downfall.
I still really like Victor though! He's my favorite character. The creature is a GREAT character as well,
but I spent more time hating him than liking him while reading. There are several reasons as to why I found
him to be unlikeable for the most part:
I like it when characters commit to their schtick. The creature's action of killing innocent people
set him up to be a so-called villain. Instead of embracing that identity, the creature is tormented
by his actions and feels the guilt weighing on his concious. Again, that's what makes him a great
character with *depth*, but I found that to be kind of... annoying? I like Grendel because he fully
embraces his villain arc and is like "this is who I'm going to become."
He fails to consider things from the humans' perspective. The Felix family, the father of the girl
he saved, and William Frankenstein, they all reacted badly when they saw him. In the creature's own
words: "Why do you not hate Felix, who drove his friend from his door with contumely? Why do you not
execrate the rustic who sought to destroy the saviour of his child?" The people reacted the way they
did because they perceived the creature as a threat. Given that they have very limited information
to work off of--which is "scary looking monster that's a totally unknown entity "--they are going to
assume the worst case scenario. And in my opinion, that's a valid judgement to make. Justified even.
Victor doesn't get a pass though he fucked up.
He had his chances with the Felix family, and he screwed up.
Don't get me wrong I did feel sympathetic towards the creature at points and I wanted him to have a
happy ending. Buuuuut one of my favorite scenes is when Victor calls him out for manipulating the
narrative lol.
I paused some time to reflect on all he had related and the
various arguments which he had employed. I thought of the promise of virtues which he had
displayed on the opening of his existence and the subsequent blight of all kindly feeling by the
loathing and scorn which his protectors had manifested towards him. His power and threats were
not omitted in my calculations; a creature who could exist in the ice caves of the glaciers and
hide himself from pursuit among the ridges of inaccessible precipices was a being possessing
faculties it would be vain to cope with.
Honestly, probably because he kills the characters I like and care about. Very shallow I know :P
The fact that he asked for a female counterpart of him to be made is just messed up man. You already
hate your existence so why do you gotta subject another sentient being to the same fate?
Henry Clerval should win best supporting character. Him and Victor are (or I guess were) pretty
cute together.
Robert Walton saw Victor and was like "I want him" and it's the funniest thing ever.
Even now, as I commence my task, his full-toned voice swells in my ears;
his lustrous eyes dwell on me with all their melancholy sweetness; I see his thin hand raised in
animation, while the lineaments of his face are irradiated by the soul with.
Some banger quotes from the creature:
> I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel.
> I was benevolent and good, misery made me a fiend.
> I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.s
> You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!
The overlap between the Frankenstien fandom and Jekyll and Hyde fandom is pretty high, I gotta read that
book one day.
Characters:
Victor Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, Robert Walton, Elizabeth Lavenza, Justine Moritz, Alphonse
Frankenstein, William Frankenstein, Ernest Frankenstein, Felix, Safie, Agatha, DeLacey, M. Krempe, and M.
Waldman
Summary:
The Story of Robert Walton: Walton, wanting to make a name for himself, sets sail to explore the
North Pole. He rescues and befriends Frankenstein and records his story. His ship gets stuck in and
heads home once they are freed from the ice. He meets Frankensteinâs creature.
Victor grows up in Geneva, Switzerland. A perfect childhood with a lovely adopted sister Elizabeth. Then
his mom dies.
Victor studies natural philosophy at the University of Ingolstadt. He soon rises to the top of his field
and discover the secret of life. Motivated by his ambition and passion, he wants to achieve something
great. Thus, he creates the creature, and immediately regrets.
The creature disappears, Victor falls ill, Henry Clerval nurses him to good health.
The creature kills Clervalâs little brother, William, and frames Justine who is sentenced to death for
it.
The creature confronts Victor and tells him about his tragic backstory, demanding Victor to build him a
female creature. Victor reluctantly accepts.
He met a nice family: Felix, Safie, Agatha, and DeLacey. Through them, he learns about the world and
what it means to be a human (language, family, love). They reject him. He burns down their house.
Saved a girl from drowning and got shot by her guardian.
Meets William - wasn't gonna kill him until he found out he was a Frankenstein.
The creature blames his rage on humanity's inability to perceive his inner goodness and his total
isolation.
Victor travels to England with Henry to build the female creature. He decides canât do it and destroys
the half-finished female creature. The creature, enraged, seeks revenge.
Victor gets lost at sea and arrives in Ireland, only to find that the creature has killed Henry.
Victor marries Elizabeth. Creature kills Elizabeth. Victorâs father is so heartbroken that he dies too.
Victor vows revenge and chases the creature all the way to the Arctic. He goes through shit along the
journey but is kept alive by the spirits (of what he thinks are his dead friends/families).
Ice cracks and Victor falls into the sea just as he is about to reach the creature. He gets rescued by
Walton and soon dies. Creature comes back to see Victor and decides that the revenge is done, he's got
nothing else to live for, and so heâs gonna kill himself.
Romanticism: Nature is healing, optimism, sublime, individualism, the power of imagination used
to create new realities, commonplace subjects and life
Dark romanticism: Nature is hurting, pessimism, human infallibility and sin, supernatural,
existential guilt
And this is just a reference for myself :) here's the description of the creature:
> about eight feet in height, and proportionably large
> dull yellow eye
> His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His
yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and
flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his
watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his
shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.
I probably would've liked it a lot more had I not seen the movie first. It's my favorite movie btw so I'm
incredibly biased.
There's really nothing to dislike about this book: a witty protagonist, no stupid characters, and a solid
plot line. Would definitely reconmmend. A classic hard sci-fi and a must-read for fans of spaceflight.
A solid 9/10. Minus one because Mark is such a well-written, well-rounded character that I don't have any
headcanons lol.
It has a surprisingly high number of fics on AO3?! Usually fanfic stems from the "what ifs" and "if onlys",
but since this book left me perfectly content, I was pretty shocked to see it so popular. Ships are pretty
much nonexistent in this book too, considering it's like 90% Mark soloing on Mars.
Note: upon further research, it appears that the number of fics drastically decrease when you
exclude crossovers. 250+ works under the movie's tag is still pretty good tho.
I love me some competence porn. It's so satisfying reading about people being really good at their job.
The Martian is awesome and I've only heard good things about Project Hail Mary, so it's
definitely on my "books to read" list.
Look! A pair of boobs! -> (.Y.)
Man vs Nature can kiss my ass. I love this narrative conflict but I have an irrational hatred for writing
about this as a part of reading analysis.
The House On Mango Street
Not the type of book I would usually read, but, I enjoyed it. The unique writing style and structure works
really well for the story.
A little more than a year after I read this book, I have to say I only have a vague recollection of the
plot. The vignettes tell a linear story, but at the same time feels jumbled (in a good way).
However, I do remember specific scenes that had a big emotional impact on me. "Red Clowns" genuienly made me
feel sick to the stomach.
Esperanza is a strong character.
The mimic I wrote on this was a bit... meh. Not in the sense that it's bad writing, though. It's just that I
don't look back on it too fondly because of the "woe is me" tone of voice. I think I channeled too much
angst into it. Woops. I still really like these two similies I came up with: "epitome of femininity and
quirkiness, like a fancy glass vase" and "something more neutral, like an unremarkable white coffee mug that
you can find in every department store."
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
A nice, easy read. Funny too.
I'm really glad we got to read this in class because this isn't the stuff you'd typically see in a
classroom. You know how people say reading broadens your worldview? I feel like Part Time Indian as well as
House On Mango Street definitely did.
I like the blunt approach to taboo topics.
The cartoons are such a nice touch to the story, definitely my favorite part of the book.
The mimic I wrote for this one is similar to House on Mango Street, except less angsty and more humourous
self-deprecation.
I quite like the ending actually. Not the end, not a new beginning, but business as usual, with only
difference being that Junior is more mature. Life goes on kinda vibe.
Beowulf
Look at this drawing I did for an animatic LOL
I was expecting this to be Boring Old English Writing but it's surprisingly easy to read! The translator
(Charles Kennedy) did a great job I really like how there's like a rhythm going on.
I read an abridged version. I don't think I missed anything too important but I do want to read the full
text at some point.
It's pretty fun seeing all the tropes we still have in the modern days present in an old writing like this.
It's so over the top that it's kind of funny lol.
Beowulf and Unferth enemies to lovers is peak literature.
Honestly I enjoy my headcanon version of this story way more than the original haha. The reason why it's in
B Tier and not A is because the original material is err not really entertaining. Not something I would
enjoy reading a second time.
Can we talk about how insane that Beowulf movie is? It's so bad that it's good. I had a ton of fun watching
it and shitting on how ridiculously different it is from the original. The designs of the human characters
are great though. And I can't believe they made Beowulf a DILF.
This is one of the first, if not the first dystopian fiction I read. It blew my mind. Man when I say
this book had a big influence on my OCs' backstories I mean a BIG influence.
I don't like it as much now as I did then. Dunno why, but overtime this book just sorta left my mind. At the
time I liked it so much that I read the other three books in the quartet. Kinda sad that the only ones I
somewhat remember is this one and Gathering Blue.
From what I remember, the writing style is kind of boring? I still remember the setting quite vividly
though. The worldbuilding is insane.
The whole seeing colors part is still GREAT. It's such a unique characteristic I looooove it.
The movie sucks. Book is better.
Under A White Sky
Believe it or not I actually kinda like it. Yeah I was a hater in the beginning, but I grew to enjoy it
towards the end.
Not the type of book I would read out of my own volition so I'm glad we read it.
A fairly easy read. Pretty interesting and informative stuff; I actually learned a lot.
Would recommend if you want to be more environmentally conscious.
Ok maybe except for this one. I wouldn't call this a great work of literature. Great work of research? Sure.
It felt like reading a textbook.
I have no interest in the subject, but I did learn something from it.
The whole shebang of subconsciousness is now ingrained in my brain. From time to time I'll get reminded of
this book.
I finished this book on my own time, not because I was so enamored with it, but because I wanted to be able
to call it done. I'd say it's only worth a read if you find the topic interesting.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
It's baffling to me why we didn't read anything about autism as a sort of "front-loading" background
knowledge for this book. That would've been really helpful.
The premise is definitely interesting, but unfortunately I never really understood the story even though we
spent so much time analyzing it in class.
This is definitely the type of book I see myself appreciating when I reread it ten years from now. For now
though, it remains a ball of confusion. But that's a me problem, not the book.
The Scarlet Letter
Fuck Nathaniel Hawthorne and his god-awful, difficult to read writing style. I had to search up words
constantly it was not a fun time. It was certainly an experience.
I did come around to enjoy it towards the second half after I sort of got the hang of it.
I can see why it's considered a Great American Novel, but that doesn't mean I like it lol.
The Scarlet Letter manga by Manga Classics is GREAT. I highly recommend reading that as you read the book.
It's what I did and it made the experience so much more enjoyable.
I didn't particularly care for any of the character. Dimmesdale needs to stop being so whiny and
Chillingworth can go fuck himself. Pearl gives me bad vibes I never liked her. The ending pissed me off why
is Pearl the one with a happy ending! Hester is ok she's trying her best.
I was writing (read: typing) down comments as I read the book, here a few highlights:
They're both Pearl
ok so you meant to tell me that, Chillingworth, who used to be a calm, "thoughtful for others," and kind
scholar, turned crazy evil the moment he found out about Hester's affair? I mean I would have believed
it more if he was like, a little crazy to begin with, but judging from what he was saying (which Hester
agrees), he was a cold-hearted but normal guy? Sounds kinda bullshit that he just immediately fell from
grace. I guess his time held captive by the Indian (if it actually happened because it feels like a
lie/cover up story) really did change him
just thought of a possible plot hole, Dimmesdale doesn't know ANYTHING about Chillingworth prior to his
arrival at New England, meaning that Hester had not once talked about him. Now, everyone in the town
knows that Hester has a husband, so it can be assumed that Dimmesdale knows it as well. So, not once in
his relationship with Hester, did he ask about her husband? And not once had Hester brought up
Chillingworth's name to *anyone*? Because if the town knows about her having a husband, surely Hester at
some point must have told someone his name or even a description of what her husband was like, right?
Just through casual conversation?
I fucking hate Pearl so much. Even though she is like the literal manifestation of righteousness, she
creeps me out so much. Man can I just have one second of "finally, love!" between our lovely
protagonists, without the constant reminder that "they are sinners hiding their sins" in the form of
Pearl being Pearl?
>"Oh... if only someone knew of my sin so I can be truthful and less painful."
>"Wish granted. You've been living with that someone for the past seven years. Sorry to break it to
you, Chillingworth was my husband."
>"...Bitch!"
Imagine if Hester got back with Chillingworth at the end. I would shit my pants.
Wuthering Heights
I would've put this in C tier had it not been 400 pages long. The story just goes on and on
and on... I remember reading it and constantly thinking "how is there still MORE??"
Gothic literature is not my thing man. Except for Frankenstein I guess.
It's a little bit too dramatic for my liking.
I like how as the story progresses I sort of switch between liking and hating a character.
Cathy's story is wayyy better than Heathcliff and Catherine's.
I appreciate the story ending on a good note.
Oedipus Rex
It's mid. And forgettable.
We didn't spend a lot of time on it in class, which is porbably why I can barely remember anything about it.
Don't got much to say about it cuz I don't remember much.
One thing I'll say is that I definitely won't be re-reading this because it's just not that interesting.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Why is nature so cruel man all he did was killing a bird. Not fair. Many people hunt animals, why arenât
they cursed? Punishment exceeds the crimeđ
The moral is you gotta live, laugh, and love all Godâs creations, including the ugly ones.
Cool poem, but not life changing. I guess I can make albatross reference now.
What the hell is this story???? Like you're telling me the whole thing about don't wish for the monkey's paw
comes from THIS????
Shitty cryptic ending.
I don't have anything substantial to say besides I don't like this.
The Tell-Tale Heart
What the fuck did I just read.
WHAT IS THIS STORY TRYING TO SAY?? "Oooo scary stuff happen" but SO WHAT??
I genuinely don't understand what's the point of this story. Usually there's an author's message and/or
moral of the story, but I feel like this book has nothing.
This makes me not want to read other stuff by Edgar Allan Poe lol.
An assignment we did with this book was writing a backstory for the narrator. Basically fanfiction. I wrote
about the narrator talking to a psychiatrist. The entire thing is literally just dialogue. It makes me
cringe so hard but I look back on it somewhat fondly because it's one of the first creative writings I did
and I put a lot of effort into it.
Through the Tunnel
46% of Google users liked this book. I'm part of the other 54%.
It is not that deep bro. It's not that long of a story too idk how we spent so much time analyzing it.
I hate the writing style I have to reread the same paragraph like 5 times in order to understand it.
The story's kind of lame. Lamest coming of age story I've seen.
I hesitate calling a book "not worthwhile" because I believe that all books have merit. Hell, I'd even say
that the other books on this tier are worth reading; someone out there probably enjoys Tell-Tale Heart. But
not this book. I genuienly can't see how anyone could enjoy reading Through the Tunnel and walk
away with a catharsis. It's not a transformative work, it doesn't offer anything unique, it's just... bland
and uninteresting.
A Christmas Carol
Yeah it's a classic I know. And yeah I hate it.
I forgot that I even read this book.
I can't stand the writing style it's so difficult to decipher. It's such a difficult read - I had so much
trouble figuring out what's going on in the story and it seems like no one else had this problem? Every time
I see someone praise the writing I'm just like, did we read the same book?
Also I don't like Scrooge.
Never really understood the point of the story. I really don't understand why it's so great. Trust me I
tried. I tried to enjoy the story but I just can't. Even watching the movie didn't make any difference. Just
not for me I guess.
Half a Day
The lit crit we did was pretty interesting but the story itself had me confused.
I don't like the tone of voice :/
This story is just Too Deep for me to understand. I can sense some of the themes going on, like how the
entire story is a metaphor to life and death, but I don't completely understand them.
I don't think I gained anything from reading this unfortunately.
Holy shit, you made it to the end! This page ended
up being a lot longer than I expected.
If you read the entire thing, thank you, and I applaud your effort.
