Hey Nostradamus!

In the novel Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland, he used a lot of flashbacks in each chapter in order develop a loop; when a current event is happening, it will also refer back to what has happened before, and then it will come back to the present and talk about the current event, and so on. Although using flashbacks is a good way to allow the reader to get a better understanding of the story, I do not enjoy reading this type of novel because it makes me frustrated and impatient. The story makes me dizzy by jumping back and forth. Also, I expected the story will going to be focusing on the three killers because I am more interested in their actions. This novel is easy to read and to understand because it is written like a drama, where each action is related to the next and they are mostly predictable, too. Although this novel is about the teenagers’ lives, I am not able to put myself into this novel because I admired the women deeply in the The Innocent Traveller by Ethel Wilson. I do not enjoy reading Hey Nostradamus! is also because it only gives a dull and a depressed atmosphere, which makes me upset whenever I put down the book. Moreover, it is a challenge for me to pick up this novel because the cover gives me a horror feel.

Poetry in a FICTION class

When I realized we would be doing poetry for an English FICTION class I was as shocked as most of my friends in this course. If I had wanted to study poetry I would have taken the poetry course instead of fiction. Personally, I was never a fan of analyzing poetry and using those poetic terms. I would chose to write my own poetry over reading someone else's any day because it is not personal to me and does not build a bridge to my emotions. And that is why poetry is actually a form of fiction. As Dr. Ogden said, we should just kick back and only read this for enjoyment. When I read novels, I usually cannot connect to it and but are for pure enjoyment. They are a chance for people to escape reality for the little time they are flipping through the pages as the same with poetry. Sure, sometimes poems make no sense at all but they all have a background and are telling a story. I'm glad poetry was added as a part of the reading material for this course because it gives us all a chance to escape into another form of fiction, one with more rhythm and to enjoy a new way of being told a story.

The Two Sisters

In the collection of Vancouver Short Stories, "The Two Sisters" spoke out to me the most. Though I have seen the two lionheads before, I have never heard the legend and realized they could have possibly made what the beautiful city of Vancouver is today. The story, heavily influenced by the city’s First Nation’s past, was a discovery to me that the their God was called the Tyee. The act of the two sisters asking for their people’s enemy, the Upper Coast Indians, to be invited to their feast eliminated the hostility that surrounded them. And because of that simple act out of the kindness of their hearts, the Lower Mainland is at generally at peace today. They watch over us and in turn, make the people of Vancouver laid-back, kind, and quite content. The Lion’s Gate Bridge and the sight of the two mountains themselves, add to the breathtaking scenery. I am of no First Nation's descent but I enjoyed the tale of two beings upsetting the status quo and turning it into the city we all love.

Vancouver Short Stories

One of my favourite short stories from the Vancouver Short Stories is "The Jade Peony" by Wayson Choy. Although I have read this short story a few times in secondary school, I still enjoy reading it because it has a similar family background with mine so I felt attached to this story. In this short story, I think the characters and the theme are the two main elements that build the interests of this story. The main characters in "The Jade Peony" are Grandmama and Sek-Lung. Grandmama influenced Sek-Lung's life because he was the child who had the closest relationship with her prior to her death. The Chinese culture and the superstitious believed that ghosts had passed onto Sek-Lung also. Even though he lives in Vancouver, he viewed his nationality as Chinese rather than Canadian. Also, his thoughts on Grandmama picking up cans and junks on the streets were inconsistent with the rest of the family, who considered it shameful. From Wayson Choy's description of Grandmama, I can imagine her facial expression and emotions, and it made me want to cry and feel sympathy for her because she was about to die. "The Jade Peony" reminded me of my family, so I really like this short story. Also, it was one of the stories that I understand the most.

Moment of Weakness..

I remember the first time I fell in love. Under my feet I could feel that familiar fuzzy blue floor and even though I was surrounded by laughing, yelling, chatting children I could hear absolutely nothing. You know that feeling when you know the exact moment you are living is one that you want to remember every little detail about; your surroundings, the people you see and more importantly, how you feel? The day I fell in love with gymnastics was the most ambivalent time I can remember because it made me feel powerful and important but at the same time it made me feel vulnerable that I could loose it. This moment of weakness is uniform to the way Topaz felt at the moment she was holding hands with Mr William Sandbach and realizing that the sensation that flooded her was "the very passion of love". At this pivotal moment, Mr. Sandbach, had become her greatest weakness. It was the only moment when, for once, she was not the large personality in the room or the center of attention, because Mr. Sandbach was the only thing in her world. Topaz was plain, silent, and vulnerable for the first and only time in her long life. Just as realizing my love for gymnastics was a pivotal moment in my life, Topaz's experience with love made her and the reader realize that despite her overwhelming optimism, she too, could have her happiness greatly affected by the thing she loved the most.

-Sydney Boucher