It is my great pleasure to introduce not only one but two new elements to this blog!
First, the short story review. Short stories have great power and take great skill to write. While not as talked about as other forms of writing, it does have great value, especially in class rooms due to time restrictions and the ability to narrow in on specific elements. So, enter the short story reviews!
Second, and far more exciting, student authors! I have offered my students the opportunity to write reviews for class, which can be posted here if they like, as an entrance to the world of academics and critics, as well as many other great learning opportunities. And I'm very very excited to say that they have taken me up on this offer! All posts will be preread by myself before being shared, and I trust this group to be thorough in their analysis of the content of the media they review. Feel free to leave feedback--I will be sure to pass it on to the student authors.
Title: Half-Hours in Hades: An Elementary Handbook of Demonology
[Due to loopholes in copyright laws when it comes to death and time, the full text (and hilarious illustrations) can be found by clicking on the title]
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Release Date: 1890ish
Genre: fiction, short story
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: children's/young adult fiction
Age Group: 11+ (make-believe characters that might be concerning to younger children) [Maria Gianna here. I might advise a little older so the reader can appreciate the intertextual references. If there's one thing G. K. Chesterton loves, it's a good name drop.]
Summary
The wonderful author, G. K. Chesterton, again shows his brilliance in his work "Half-Hours in Hades." He gives a hilarious and interesting account on the different types of demons. He goes over the different types of demons, explains them to you, and tells where one could find them. This is a good essay to read if you are studying G. K. Chesterton.
Word of Warning
- Non-existent characters
- Topics on demons or devils [and how they operate]
My Thoughts
I think this is a very funny essay to read. It gives an interesting view on demons in a good way, even though they are generally bad. It might be a little confusing for young readers. I enjoyed reading it very much.
Author Bio
Hello! I am a budding writer that has taken numerous writing and literature classes throughout my life. I my spare time, I enjoy reading, playing chess and card games, diving, swimming, skiing, acting in plays, and hanging out with friends. When I grow older, I Want to be an actor or an airplane pilot! Thank you for reading my Text Review on Half-Hours in Hades!
2 comments:
What a pleasant surprise! I'm so glad you introduced the short story form, where every word has to pull its weight.
Also a great way to introduce learners to a new venue for the old "book report." Dual duty too in that a young author has the opportunity to be heard by many.
It was clear this young author enjoyed an easy and fun read. I'm not so familiar with Chesterton's works to add anything to the discussion, but one thing I missed was the student author name. He or she did a decent job. Obviously minors shouldn't be posting under their given name, but what about a pen name? For me it makes it more real having a name to put with the review and bio.
I hope your students realize how lucky this is for them to be able to post here. You and Stacy have done a lot of work here. I think you've earned the title of respected and consistent reviewers as you cover such a variety of works. I hope to read a few more student's submissions at some point.
Grandma Jane,
I'm glad you liked it! I guess I had forgotten about a pen name for the students, but I like that idea very much. I'll make sure to have them write under pen names from now on (if they want to, of course).
Thank you for your kind words about the blog. We're just sorry we can't do more at the moment, but school and work rather get in the way of reading books and watching movies :)
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