When was the last time...?
When was the last time you read a book or saw a movie that made a powerful impression on you? What was it? When did you see/read it? Why did it impress you? Did the it change the way you think? Did it change the way you live? How did it change you?
When I think about books that had a powerful influence on my life, and the first book I think of is "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac. The first time I read it, I was about 18 years old, but I read it again a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt was published in the 1950's, and it's about two young men who felt dissatisfied with their lives, so they decided to travel around the United States. They are looking for a meaningful life, but they don't know exactly what they are looking for or how to find it. They come to understand that travelling and moving and experiencing the world is a way of living that is more meaningful to them than living in a more traditional way (for example, getting married, buying a house, working for a big company, and so on).
That book had a powerful effect on me. It helped me to understand that life has many more possibilities besides following a traditional lifestyle. It also made me feel like I wanted to explore the world as much as I can. That book really changed the way I think about my life. The message that I got from the book is that each person has to find his or her own way of living, and that we shouldn't be afraid to live our life in a way we think is best for us, even if it is very different from the way most people live. If I had not read that book, I think my life might have been very different.
I searched the book on the internet. It was also published to 2 books in Korean 3 years ago. I read some information of the book in Korean. ^^ I want to read it and feel the free spirit, too.
DeleteThe weather is fantastic. Have a nice weekend!!
Lily,
DeleteIt's actually quite a famous book in modern American literature. Kerouac was influenced by jazz music, and he tried to write the book in a method similar to the way a jazz musician plays music - He wrote continuously and did not edit and tried to connect with his deepest emotions. He finished the book in a very short time (I think maybe a few days). Some people have criticised the book because they think it's very messy and disorganized. Other people love it because it captures a feeling very well. I agree with both, actually. It's very messy, but also very moving and beautiful.
I think the best book I've read is "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I read it about 4 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe author, Khaled ahosseini is an Afghan-American. His first book is the famous novel, "The Kite Runner". I was so impressed by that 2 books. They are all about the tragic life of Afghan women and kids among the war. The Afghans are suffering poverty, discrimination, continuous violence and the fear of their life. But among the tragedy, finally they make sacrifices to rise from the ashes of despair by themselves.
I couldn't put it down while reading. I didn't know anything about Afghanistan and Afghans' lives at all before meeting the book. Because our gran mothers might have had similar experiences in their life, I really felt sympathy of the weight of their lives and came to think about the meaning of life, even though, I'm living the same life.
Lily,
ReplyDeleteI didn't recognize the author's name, but I've heard of "The Kite Runner". That book was very famous. It was also made into a movie a few years ago. Have you seen it?
It's interesting that you felt some connection between the experience of Afghan women and Korean women in earlier generations. I can imagine that the book touched you very deeply.