Final Journal!

Allison Rood
Topics In Literature
7/11/2010

My favorite piece of writing so far was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Although I felt a personal tie to The Sunflower as I am Jewish and was emotionally charged by the reading, it didn’t felt like I was reading for my own reasons. The Secret Life of Bees was closest to my typical style of reading in its use of language and format. There were standard chapters, a definite plot, a villain and protagonist, and it made for a fantastic way to pass the time on a hot summer day. The story line was easy to follow, and didn’t skip around with random literary interjections of unwanted information. There was no confusing dialogue juggled between someone’s thoughts and another person’s words. It was a simple read, not over complicated yet just as easy to pick apart. Some of the complexities of the short stories were harder to follow, took more effort and multiple readings. I was almost brought to physical pain out of the anger I felt for some of the characters in these stories. Julian’s mom made me want to scream, the children from the Ira Sher readings were no better. These fictional beings made me angrier than even my own brother can, which is indeed fairly angry. The vaults of personal emotions spewed out when reading some of these works and not always in the most positive reaction. I understand some of the Authors’ intents for writing in this fashion, but as a reader it is not always enjoyable. So in conclusion, I like a nice stress-free read, and The Secret Life of Bees is just that.