Book 3 Review

These two literary works of creative non-fiction gave me a run for my money. Both Heaven is for Real written by Todd Burpo and Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom deal with the common theme of well…faith and how it effects and enhances our lives. Heaven is for Real approaches the topic from the standpoint of a child, Colton who went to heaven and owns the definition of child-like faith. After a major health scare and a 90 minute surgery, Colton came out with a fresh perspective. The latter is from the perspective of a middle-aged man Mitch who had abandoned his faith in his self-discovery-means-traveling-the-world phase of life and then his turn around.

                In Heaven is for Real, faith is all that Colton’s family has when he is near death and rushed into surgery at 4 years old. This novel is astonishing. It is joy to be able to see into what is to come after our life here on earth is up and even better…from the point of view of childhood innocence. It is accurate that if you enjoy this book it is completely subjective to your opinions of Christianity considering the amount of biblical references. One of the greatest things is that Colton describes Heaven in a completely biblical way. He can’t read. He’s only four when he experiences a glimpse of Heaven. “Now here was my kind, in his matter-of-fact, preschooler voice, telling me things that were not only astonishing on their face, but that also matched Scripture in every detail, right down to the rainbow colors described in the book of Revelation, which is hardly preschool material” (Burpo 66). It is beautifully mastered and seems to be directly aimed at people of faith struggling with doubt. It is not about to put you to sleep, trust me!

                With very little…almost no plot description on the back of Albom’s book what you find when you open it up is quite the surprise. Mitch interacts with a sick and dying Rabbi that he’s known for all his life. Their relationship doesn’t blossom until the Rabbi asks Mitch to write the eulogy for his funeral. This is ironic and tragic all in one. This unlikely relationship blooms into something so beautiful. It transforms from a caterpillar to a butterfly throughout the novel. “’I know my passing will be hard on certain people. I know my family, my loved ones-you, I hope-will miss me.’ I would. More than I could tell him.” (Albom 226). And then there is Henry. A former drug dealer, stealer, drug-doer, and gang member. Oh and he also visited jail approximately three times. After abandoning his faith several times, he finally gives his life over to the Lord and ends up being the senior Pastor of a Christian congregation. Mitch develops an unlikely relationship with this man too, but is not quite as intimate. I didn't find it to be quite as important. The book is a display of Albom and his relationships with these two men of God and his own journey to becoming one…and the book is just that, a journey. It travels through the tunnels of the Jewish faith and over bridges of the Christian faith, only to see that the definition of what faith means in each one is not quite different. Extremely enjoyable. One of the few downfalls: it is incredibly unorganized in the way it is written.

                I found a striking resemblance between Colton and the Reb (nickname for the Jewish Rabbi). Not in looks…obviously. But in mannerisms and simplicity. Both have a lovely appreciation for life and to live in harmony with the One that created them. Both of these (one man of God, and one soon to be man of God), showed me that there is nothing more beautiful in this life than to do good and live peacefully and hopefully. Heaven is for Real's lack of creative writing is made up for by it's incredible story. Albom wonderfully masters this idea of integrating the Jewish and Christian faith and boiling it down to one simple truth...that faith is what holds us all together.

Book 2 Trailer

When Colton met Martin

An unlikely comparison: Colton Burpo from Heaven is for Real and Martin Luther King Jr. I see a striking resemblence between these two...one a little boy who took a little trip to Heaven and a historical figure who played a huge role in the advancement of equal human rights. Both have a vision of something beautiful that they want everyone to understand, but at times find it extremely difficult to get that through to people wanting so badly for the vision that they have to be evident to EVERYONE.

After Colton is fully recovered from his illness and out of the hospital, he goes to the church with his family so his dad Todd can officiate a funeral. Colton asks his dad if he knows if the man that died knew Jesus multiple times, getting more and more serious each time. When he senses that in fact this man may not have known Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, he throws a fit and is extremely upset. He is especially upset when he sees that no one else in his family is as upset about it as he is, and this boy didn't even know the man that died. Something that was made very evident to him when he was in Heaven for those few minutes was that the ONLY way to get there is to have a relationship with Jesus on earth.

This is the same with MLK Jr., he sees how beautiful the world could/would be if blacks and whites were not segregated, and they lived as one peacefully. Each speech he made displayed passion and reason and an extreme desire for his ideas to be put into action.

A Contrast is that Colton actually traveled to this place and had an out-of-body experience with the beauty that he wanted everyone else to experience. Martin Luther King Jr. had never actually seen the peace he wanted for man kind, but knew it to be possible. He had faith. Just as Colton did. :)

Truth in Memoir

Well, in my opinion and I don't know how else to put it, a book has to be not made up to be considered non-fiction. This is the definition of non-fiction...right? Also, I would say that the events the author is telling of need to be completely plausible or the reader will feel like they are being deceived when reading. We of course wouldn't want that now would we? To me, it makes complete sense to exaggerate the detail and descriptions becuase that's what draws us in! That is what makes us excited and intrigued! I know personally that I would not be too angry if  I found out the season of an author's depression was in fact summer instead of the bleak winter they described in their story so it could fit the mood. I do think it matters if the book is labeled fiction or non-fiction. People wanna know what they are reading. For some reason, it would seem much more horrific and traumatizing to a reader to find out that a book labeled as non-fiction was actually fiction, than to find out that a fiction book actually was true! I guess this is difficult because there seems to be such a fine line between the two with truth-stretching these days. But why? If a book is true, it should be non-fiction, and if the elements of "made-up-ness" overwhelm the truth in story, then it should be fiction. Doesn't seem too trying to me.

Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction

I honestly do not think there is too much of a problem with the books assigned to read in schools. It would be a horribly idea to swap Of Mice and Men for Twilight...and what kind of teacher would ever go for that?? When I think of reading books in school I think of Sophomore English reading To Kill a Mockingbird, and Junior English where we read Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, and Of Mice and Men. All of those ended up being some of the best books I have ever read...because I actually read them. The problem with Literary Fiction in schools  is that kids get so caught up in the work that goes along with it to forgetting about actually enjoying the books and therefore do not see the greatness in them. Although I found The Great Gatsby to be a great book and movie, I don't see how high schoolers are able to relate to it, besides to learn the history aspect.
In a way, I do agree with Melissa Thomas when she is talking about fantasy books and says, " it is an undistilled version of human imagination-momentary worlds and magic that may be at odds with the rational truth, yet continue to reflect our culture and times."
Although all of us would not willingly choose to pick up and Twilight book and dig in, there is an aspect of adventure and imagery and description that allows us to see things with our imagination vividly. That is something that SHOULD be taught in schools. These fantasy books give us something that To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye cannot give us...which is the ability to use our imagination and escape to another world. All in all, I am pretty indifferent about this topic to be honest.

Adapting the Book

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
       Ken Kesey

There would be a few challenges in making this book. The first would be making sure that the Clinic is displayed exactly how the book describes it becuase a big chunk of the beginning is the narrator going into great detail about his surroundings. To help this, there would need to be good camera angles and panning so that the audience can get a full view. Also, it would be difficult to portray Nurse Ratched exactly how she is without her just being annoying because she is a pretty confusing character in my opinion.

Scenes to be kept:
1. The scene that no doubt needs to stay in the film adaptation is when the main characted McMurphy firsts arrives to the clinic and he is laughing and singing when no one has done either in that place in years. It completely transforms the mood.
2. Another scene is the one where McMurphy so desperately wants toothpaste to brush his teeth but it is too early. He stands there in his towel and dips his toothbrush into the bucket of soap an aid is cleaning with and goes on brushing his teeth.
3. This third scene actually happens a few times. It is where the residents are in a room where they are not allowed to play cards, games or anything. All they can do is sit there staring at the clock. I think this would be essential to have in the movie in order to portray the mood of the clinic and what their lives are like every day.

Scenes to discard:
1. When the narrator Chief Bromden is hallucinating at night, seeing machines and body parts being shipped and people being hung would be difficult to show in the movie without the audience getting extremely confused.
2. Another part where Bromden is hallucinating is when he sees fog everywhere would be a little bit much to include.
3. The last scene I feel could be taken out is where Harding, one of the residents has to get a shot in his behind because he refused to take medicine...it's pretty self explanatory why I think this could be taken out.