Watership Down by Richard Adams - review
July 3, 2008
Watership Down by Richard Adams (Penguin, ISBN 0-14-003958-9)
Who is it for? Lovers of fantasy, animal tales and Donnie Darko; anyone with an interest in intertexuality
What is it about? Sitting in a field that, unknown to them, is about to be developed as a housing estate, Fiver says to his companion: ‘Oh, Hazel! This is where it comes from! I know now - something very bad! Some terrible thing - coming closer and closer…There isn’t any danger here, at this moment. But it’s coming - it’s coming. Oh, Hazel, look! The field! It’s covered with blood!’. Perturbed by his friend’s vision, Hazel takes Fiver to the Chief Rabbit of their warren to warn him. Of course, as is common in these sorts of tales, authority does not take the warning seriously and Hazel, Fiver and a few other rabbits set out on a perilous journey to establish a new warren far from danger.
How can it be used? First published in 1972, this book is worth reviving for classroom use, especially as many of its concerns (e.g. environmental destruction, survival in a hostile world) are extremely current. However, even more interestingly perhaps, Richard E. Kelly cites the book (and Fiver’s vision in particular) as one of the major influences on his cult classic, Donnie Darko. Beyond the superficial level that both feature rabbits prominently, the book provided the sensibility for the film. In fact, attentive viewers will notice that scenes from the animated version of Watership Down appear in background in the movie. If that’s not intertextuality enough, an English class in Donnie Darko is studying the Graham Greene short story, ‘The Destructors’ (1954), another source that Kelly acknowledges as an influence on his movie. So, if you want to do something a bit different in Senior English, here are three texts worth considering - including a story by a bonafide master. [‘The Destructors' can be found in Graham Greene (1954) Twenty-One Stories, Vintage, ISBN 0 09 928616 5.]
Botchan by Natsume Soseki - review
July 1, 2008
Botchan by Natsume Soseki (Japanese Literature Publishing Project, ISBN 9 784770 030481)
Who is it for? Senior students
What is it about? Written by an iconic Japanese author, Botchan is the story of a young man who, fresh out of college and with no other immediate prospects, leaves the Tokyo and moves to a small fishing village in the ‘deep south’ of Japan. Here, he takes up a teaching position in an all-boys boarding school. Only a few years older than his students, Botchan (a nickname which can mean inexperienced or naïve) comes into almost immediate conflict his charges who play practical jokes on him. In addition, his brash, city attitude brings him into conflict with the other teachers-he shows little respect for their seniority and is soon caught up unwittingly in their intrigues.
Is it any good? Botchan has a reputation as being the most widely read novel in modern Japan and was recommended to the reviewer by the Japanese girlfriend of a colleague. Being a translation, there is no doubt a lot of subtlety lost, but it is a brisk, light very readable story. Having said that, it also gives a fascinating insight into pre-World War 1 Japan-a very different Japan than many Western readers would expect. An appreciation of the novel, and the significance of the rebellious main character, would certainly be deepened with a knowledge of Japanese society and culture; in fact, it’s one of those novels that will probably be appreciated better through study and exploration as part of a unit of work. It has the added advantage of being free of swearing or overt sexual references.
How can it be used? This would be worth trying if you’re interested in doing something a bit different with your students-from about Years 10 onwards. It’s easy and quick to read, and opens lots of opportunities to discuss the role of cultural knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and values on reading and writing practices. Botchan could also be used as a very useful companion study to Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, a novel that still works well with students (see further information in the box below). It would, of course, also be useful if you are interested in exploring the concept of literature in translation. The edition reviewed is a modern translation which could be compared to earlier English translations. One such translation forms part of Project Gutenberg and can be downloaded free from www.gutenberg.org/etext/8868. Alternatively, try the edition available at no-sword.jp/botchan/; this was produced by a fan of the book who did not like the existing translations and decided to have a go himself. Some reliable, albeit basic, background on the novel can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botchan.
The art of punctuation - review
June 27, 2008
The art of punctuation by Noah Lukeman (Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-861454-8)
Who is it for? Everyone-teachers and students
What is it about? Lukeman sets out to explain the use of the punctuation marks in English. After the introduction, each chapter is divided into parts: How to use it; Danger of overuse; How to underuse it; Danger of underuse; Context; What your use of the punctuation mark reveals about you; and End of chapter exercises.
While this may sound similar to Lynn Truss’s Eat, shoots and leaves, his approach is quite different and worth a place alongside Truss on your bookshelf (professional and personal).
How can it be used? The beauty of Lukeman’s book is that he (largely) avoids prescriptive rules and settles instead for a much more creative approach. As he states: ‘Punctuation is often discussed … as a way of facilitating what you want to say. Rarely is it pondered as a medium for artistic expression, as a means of impacting on the content (in a way that) it achieves symbiosis with the narration, style, viewpoint, and even the plot itself’. This belief permeates the entire book, making it useful and inspiring for English teachers. The inclusion of exercises is also helpful-and not nearly as old-fashioned as it might sound. Instead, he offers a workshop approach to the improvement of punctuation use in creative writing.
Overall, you may not agree with everything he says (I certainly didn’t), but Lukeman has written a book that many teachers will find enriches their teaching of English.
