Book 3 Review

My Review of:

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

           

 

Reviewer: Adam Rohlinger

 

           In this harrowing autobiography we are offered a rare account of life as a Navy SEAL and the war on terror, but we are given something greater still. We are given the honest truth of the life of a man who goes from Texan rodeo boy to elite sniper, who is confirmed to have the most confirmed sniper kills in U.S. military history. This account is not the story of the soldier who was forced into a war, pitied the enemy and tried to understand them and longed for peace and home. This is the non-fiction account of a top-tier specialist who did everything possible to kill the enemy in order to protect the lives of comrades and of us. It is an amazing read not because it encompasses an entire war, but the struggles of one man’s decision to join that war, and what he does after it.

            What gives this book its power and hold over its reader is the voice of Chris Kyle in the novel, which seems as if he’s recounting his life story in a classic Texas drawl in a room with you, rather than you reading his bestselling book. The idea of him sharing this very personal account of his life, considering his famous position in the military feels personal, gives the reader a sense that he is just talking to them. He has gone though many terrible and extraordinary thing and the simplistic, no-nonsense descriptions, and opinions of his in the book make every page gripping and intriguing. Chris Kyle’s motivations and drive behind his reasons and conclusions for the actions he takes throughout this account make one ponder the true nature of war and of this man. “The first time you kill someone, you get a little nervous. You think, can I really shoot this guy? Is it really okay? But after you kill your enemy you see it’s okay. You say, Great. You do it again. And again. You do it so the enemy won’t kill you or your countrymen. You do it until there’s no one left to kill. That’s what war is”(Kyle 6). Chris having gone to war may seem cold and detached through this quote, but understanding him through his experiences in this autobiography, and what it means to be a soldier to him, is what makes it nearly impossible to put down. He is a real and interesting character.

            An aspect. however that didn’t work in this book’s favor completely were the specific explanations of equipment Chris used during the war. “The gun was super easy to handle, and was virtually interchangeable with the M-4, which, though not a sniper weapon, a still a valuable combat tool. As a matter of fact, when I got back to my platoon, I took the lower receiver off of my Mk-4 and put it on the upper receiver of my Mk-12. That gave me a collapsible stock and allowed me to go full-auto” (Kyle 100). We learn that Chris grabs our attention as an expert in military weaponry, but it starts to drag on a bit and get a bit confusing. Although these details were quite interesting at times, not sure it was the best thing to include all the modifications Chris made to a United States Navy Mk-12 Special Purpose Rifle when trying to grab a reader’s attention. However often these specific bits of information would come into play latter in the most action-packed parts of the book. This made the reading of these information passages feel like a school assignment given before a holiday, you have to do it to truly enjoy your holiday. Just as you have to read these descriptions to truly understand some of the most intense moments of the book, and therefore of Chris Kyle’s life.

                        Overall the rating of this book I would consider appropriate is a solid A. This book was a uniquely written biography of one of the most honored figures in the United States military. It feels like the author sights, takes aim, and fires on your interests and emotions with this powerful book. The voice of the author, descriptions of action, and sheer force of Chris’s experiences without a doubt wins this book an A easily. The plot of this book is one man’s real trying challenges at war and home. American Sniper hits the mark when looking for a powerful read, and is a must read for autobiography lovers and military history fanatics.

           

           

           

           

 

           

Book 2 Trailer

Book Talk presentation

Blog Post #5

Blog Post #5

 

In order for me to consider a book non-fiction it must be considered 100% accurate based on the facts known at that time by the author. I say this because the point of non-fiction is to provide accurate information without any input that didn’t occur (fiction).

I consider half-truths in novels okay, as they are presenting a good fictional story. However Frey and Mortenson’s stories, however popular, should never be considered nonfiction or memoirs. If containing fiction, by definition of genre, that book should not be labeled as nonfiction. I realize that when writing a memoir it is hard to remember every detail, but adding things that never occurred purely to make the novel more interesting goes against the whole idea of writing a memoir. A memoir is a person’s account of certain events that really occurred to them, and transpired around them.

In response to David Shield’s opinion of genre’s not being necessary I find that I disagree. We need lines between genres including between fiction and nonfiction. In real life there is a sharp line between reality and what is “fiction.” When looking for answers or compiling information on real events, you don’t want embellishments in a non-fiction book, you want facts and accounts that are as accurate as possible. You don’t want to sift through heaps of fictional speculation, you want the truth. We need these lines to classify all the works of literature.  Our society is based on organization, literature should be no different. There are guidelines for which pieces of literature fall into which genres, and as the system sees more and more books be classified into genres, the gray area is getting quite small thankfully.

 

Adapting World War Z for the Big Screen

            I believe that Paramount Studios will have a difficult time adapting max Brooks’ classic novel. A tale about a lone reporter’s quest to compile an oral history about a worldwide war against a disease that reanimates the dead, who then  attempt to consume the living, and the brave people who fought them. Although I admire Brad Pit as an actor, I don’t believe they will have him sitting still and patiently recording the accounts of brave individuals who battle the zombie blight in this new movie.

            I feel that Paramount Studios will also struggle fitting in several different scenes from the book into their new block-buster, scenes that I enjoyed the most out of the book. These scenes which are from the tale of Colonel Christina Eliopolis a brave U.S. Air Force cargo plane pilot.  First we see her tumble out of a C-130 after using the bathroom, just barely opening her chute as she plummets downward from her burning plane. Then we see her on the ground, surrounded by a hoard of zombies in a Southern Louisiana swamp, but she stands and fights, killing over sixty one zombies with just a sidearm. Finally she is guided by a mysterious radio operator, trekking through dense swamp and zombie infested roads, until the operator who is simply called “Mets” leads her to a landing zone where a rescue helicopter picks her up. When reading this story kept me at the edge of my seat and constantly inspired by her courage. It saddens me to realize that this is just a side story and will most likely be extremely shortened when the screenplay is written.

            Other entire parts of the book will probably be cut from the final film. Such as the cynical character Seryosha Garcia Alvarez and his tale of a Cuba’s struggle into a wealthy and democratic nation. As he recounts the time during the zombie conflict when the shores of Cuba are crowded with immigrants escaping from zombie infested nations. He shows extreme gratitude to those individuals which helped the movement. We would also not see his bitterness toward Castro. Who he believes after years of oppressing his people, got off easy by allowing democracy to be implemented, and is now portrayed as the father of Cuban democracy. We will know nothing about Seryosha or the Cuban democratic movement if this gets cut from the new movie… but it probably will.

           

Book 1 Project: Divergent Summer Camp Experience

Book 1 Project: Divergent Summer Camp Experience

By: Adam Rohlinger

                The once in a lifetime experience to train like Tris and experience what Tris felt during her initiation into   the Dauntless faction in the book Divergent, The Dauntless Challenge Summer Camp. This camp would consist of five days of awesome activities that propel you straight into the pages of Divergent , facing “Tris-like” challenges of Dauntless initiation. These activities include zip-lining, paintball, capture the flag, “fear facing challenges” and more.  All these things Tris did in the book, and now you can too, during the best and most action-packed five days of your life!

 

                In the book Divergent, Tris strives to join the Dauntless faction. A faction devoted to protecting and keeping the peace in an apocalyptic Chicago. Their initiation is tough, requiring physical and mental strength be pushed beyond their limits to become a member. While this summer camp will be less intense and definitely less dangerous, it will still convey Tris's feelings through the process in the book. This allows the campers to experience the book’s atmosphere but not at the cost of losing their life or sanity, as was possible for Tris.  Here is a sample of the Dauntless faction approved schedule for your initiation:

 

Day 1: (Arrival, trust activity) On the first day of Dauntless Initiation Tris was required to take a leap of faith off the building. While campers on their first day will face challenges from camp staff like drinking “unknown” liquids from covered drinks, helping them learn to trust the camp staff and making them find their own bravery. That night campers will share their greatest fears to campers, helping them bond like Tris did with her fellow initiates. Secretly these fears will be recorded by camp staff and used to provide “fear facing” challenges to the campers on another day similar to the simulations Tris experienced in the book. Anyone else fear drowning? Tris met her worst fear in a glass tank and had to overcome her fright and panic in order to escape. “I slap the glass. I will die in this tank. I drag my shaking hands through my hair” (253).

Day 2: (fitness session, ranking announcement, weapon training, capture the flag paintball, night zip line) On this next day campers will be woken up early by staff and begin an early morning fitness program. This consists of our own Dauntless faction fitness expert exercises. Then students will be lead to the main camp facilities entrance where a sign will have all their names posted in the form of a ranking board. Their ranking will be based on their morning fitness effort and ability. An announcement will be made that at the end of the camp, the top ten ranked campers will receive author signed copies of Divergent, as well as the number one ranked camper receiving a necklace with the Dauntless emblem on it. This is an essential part of the camp experience. During Dauntless initiation training in the book, of the twenty initiates, only the top ten would become members. The others would have to leave and be Faction-less: the poverty stricken in the city. This causes Tris to be more competitive and worried as it will do to the campers, just on less of a degree. This was conveyed in the book as the Dauntless leader Eric says: “You chose us. Now we have to choose you (73).” Then we move on to “weapon training” which will just be an instruction how to safely operate a paintball marker and as well as explain the rules of capture the flag. Campers will play paintball capture the flag like how Tris did and will be forced into the slightly dangerous and tense atmosphere just like Tris was. “Pressure under fire” forces all of our campers to think creatively. That night still tired from paintball, the campers are woken up in their bunks and lead out to a zip line. In the dark they will have to show extreme “Tris like” bravery. Draw strength from Tris’ 100 story building zip line adventure to try to fit in. We hope you walk away thinking as Tris did: “It is a strange blend of terror and eagerness unfamiliar to me until now” (219).

 

This adventure will take campers to the edge of Tris’ experiences. The challenges will build confidence through an exciting camp experience, which is much safer, but just as memorable as the novel it was inspired by.

           

 

                                        BE DIVERGENT!

 

 

 

Post #2: What is a book?

What is a book?

   A book is an old boat. A small thing with fading colors and bindings.  It takes you to the places you can only imagine, by traveling on top of a calm sea created by an Author’s dreams and a Publisher’s effort. It’s comfy, but cumbersome and venerable. The alternative, pages created by digital displays, shown on flashy sheets of sleek alloys.  These eBooks and other digital copies are airplanes when being compared to the old boat. They zoom from place to place and jump between the bodies of water the old boat sails on. They hold much more than a single book and often offer cheaper deals. Now many see the idea of taking a boat simply outrageous as it can only bob on one body of water, while the airplane offers convenience and speed. To walk to a book store and purchase a book at a greater cost seems foolish when one must simply press the download button on their tablet. However, you miss the smell of books and the kind person at the counter who recommends the next novel you should open. Just like how if you take an airplane your head sometimes hurts from air pressure, much like staring at a displayed page on an electronic tablet. The old boat was given to me by my parents who taught me how to navigate that sea. It is tradition, a simple way to do things, but what can be the adventure of a lifetime. To navigate the coves and inlets, not just soar above them, is what lies in the pages of that worn story in your hand. Every book has a tale, from a long standing tradition of changing of hands, to the novel your friend said was a must-read. That is what I believe a book is, two covers, a varying amount of pages and a story worth reading, all between your two palms. A cold alloy tablet  is nothing but the latest technology, and will be replaced within a year by the "newest thing", simply an aging  airplane that contains the same story of a book.