If you dig a hole to China…..

Okay, okay, I know you are so tired of all the hype around this book, and now the movie, but I’m going to review this book from a different angle–the art history angle.

Those that know me know that I am not the artsy type, really.  I don’t really enjoy starring at art in museums, nor did I particularly enjoy any art history courses I took in school.  However, Dan Brown has captivated me with his descriptions of artwork throughout this book.

I have seen the Mona Lisa in person, and I must say, I wasn’t too impressed.  It was about the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper, enclosed behind a glass case, and sitting on an easel.  I was 18 at the time, didn’t know squat about the picture, except that it was famous, and I was so disappointed when I had finally reached the “prize” at the end of the maze in the Louvre that summer day in 1995.  “This is what everyone is talking about?  This thing is tiny.”

In July of 2007, I will have the opportunity to travel to the Louvre once again.  This building and the artwork contained within is going to mean so much more to me, and it is because of Dan Brown’s craftmanship with words and brilliance in describing the artwork.

Great book. Lots of historical elements and lots of fiction. You can definitely visualize the print.

I began reading parts of this book to prepare for my lesson on the Industrial Revolution and Progressive Eras in US History.  I became so involved in the storyline that I went back and started over from the beginning and read the book all the way through.

This book traces the history of the shirtwaist factory girls of the early 1900s and thier stuggles with factory life in NYC.  To begin with, all of the girls are immigrants who have come to America to make a better life for themselves.  However, the reality of what they endure in the factories leads them to unite by holding strikes, speeches, and peaceful protests throughout NYC.

Conditions in the early factories were less than sub-human.  Girls were underpaid (The max. earning potential was $6.00/56 hour work week.) and overworked (Busy season found them working 80+ hours/week, with apple turnovers provided for OT pay.). They were followed to the restroom and fined if they took too long, made to rent the chairs and lockers in the factory and pay for the electricity that ran the machines, and sexually harrassed on a regular basis by their male supervisors.  Clocks were sped up to shorten the standard 30 minute lunch break and covered towards the end of the day so the girls had no idea what time it truely was.  Yet, this life in the American factories was far better than the life they had left behind in their home countries.

The women went on strike in 1909, with the help of several prominent women of the day.  The held pickets, speaking for better working conditions, and endured even more harsh conditions on the street–below zero temperatures followed by severe frostbite, arrests, beatings, and starvation.  Yet, through it all, they remained united for the cause, formed unions, and kept fighting for better work conditions.

An empowering book that depicts one example of women uniting in history and fighting for equal rights.  This is a quick read and is also suitable for middle school and high school students! 

Okay, so, I’ll be really honest here. Angela’s Ashes moved me. I didn’t think it would, but it did. I found it to be one of those rare books that really, really made an impact on my life.

The reason I first picked up this book in the first place is because I will be traveling to Ireland this summer. I’ve decided to read some historal pieces, either biographies, autobiographies, or historical fiction prior to traveling to various destinations. So, my mom gave me this book–she couldn’t finish it–it was too sad for her.

While I admit it was sad, it was full of hope and courage and determination, and made me remember what a great place America truely is, and why thousands of people flock here daily to make new lives for themselves.

This autobiography traced the life of Frank McCourt, son of Angela and Malachi, through his tradegy of growing up in the Depression Era. Originally born in NYC, his mother and father moved back to Ireland, mainly because his father was an alcoholic and couldn’t hold a job. Frank, being the oldest child, found himself feeling responsible for helping his mother and siblings through the many trials they all faced. By the age of 9, he had witnessed and lived in severe poverty, learned to steal food in order to help his family survive, and mourned the deaths of 3 of his sibilings.

Much of Ireland’s history is evident throughout the book, but the most astounding aspect of Ireland that is present, and is constantly a driving force in Frank’s life, is his Catholic heritage and upbringing. Every move he made, and everything he did or attempted to do, Frank faced the constant criticism, either self-inflicted, or from the monks, preists, nuns, or family members, who kept the Catholic guilt philosophy at the forefront of his mind. He found himself going to confessionals daily and searching for the churches througout Ireland who housed the more lenient preists.

I’m not going to ruin the message of hope here! I will say that I have done a little more research and he and his siblings are all in NYC and living “The American Dream.” They have all published multiple books and even some DVDs on Ireland’s history and their new life in NYC. Frank’s next book, which picks up with his voyage at the age of 19 to NYC, is entitled ‘Tis.
I know this is a movie–I’m getting ready to watch it! But I definitely recommend reading the book first.