Tim O'Brien said in the interviews that I read that one aspect that he liked about his book is that anyone can relate to the characters. They are so diverse that every reader can find a bit of themselves in at least one of them. I connected to the young, hopeful versions of all of the characters. It almost scared me to think that I could end up like these people did, unhappy with their decisions in life. The message that I took out of the book is that although their lives didn't happen exactly as they hoped they would when they were young, life for them has turned out alright. I am getting to the point in my life (although I am 4 years younger than these characters were in 1969) when I am beginning to create aspirations for my future. Reading this book was a reality check for me. My dreams may not all come true but It will be okay. I will change and that is fine. The characters in July, July, look back on mistakes that they have made. I know that I will make mistakes. In fact, I can think of numerous mistakes that I have already made. I have learned from them gotten past them and am happy.
I do not think that July, July is AP worthy. Other AP worthy books that I have read have multiple complicated themes, but this isn't true in this book. The theme in this book is that people may not achieve their dreams or their goals may change but they can still be happy. Although this is an important live lesson, it is not as complex as themes of other books. Although I am claiming that this book is not AP worthy I will say that I think that it is an important book for young adults and older adults to read. Depending on the age of the reader, different people will get different understandings out of this book. It is important for young people to understand that all of their dreams may not come true and for older adults to understand that they can move past their mistakes to be happy. I think this book would be a good one to read with a book club so readers could discuss their different reactions to the characters and the events that are described.
All in all, I liked Tim O'Brien's book, July, July. The characters were described well and although they frustrated me I also felt bad for them and understood them. I enjoyed hearing the stories of all of the different characters. I liked that it was a character driven book instead of a plot driven book. The organization of the book was helpful to understanding it's meaning. I have learned an important lesson about live and growing older from this book. I highly recommend it for others to read and hope to read it again myself when I am older.
Cox, Tom. "Overlooked Classics: July, July by Tim O'Brien." The Gardian. The Gardian, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
"Interview with Tim O'Brien." ReadersRead.com. Writers Write, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Varty, Nora. "A Q&A With Tim O'Brien." Texas Monthly. N.p., Nov. 2002. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Do you think this is a book that is better discussed or analyzed at the end of the reading, as opposed to needing discussion while you're reading it? That is generally my decision-making process for which books to keep on the summer reading list and which are better read in class.
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