So far I have enjoyed this book. I find that I have to concentrate on this book more than I did with the other books we have covered because the subject matter is more difficult. Also, the fact that Ender is extremely intelligent and quick to action means that I have to really focus on what is happening, or I will quickly lose track of what is going on. In this way, I feel that the book is written in a didactic and analytical manner. It reads somewhat like a person’s thought-process would if it were typed onto the pages of a book. However, I have not yet decided if I like Ender as a protagonist. I feel as though he is somewhat of an anti-hero. Though he could come across as nothing more than a little boy who has been manipulated by some adults, I feel that he is intelligent enough to know better. Though he does some manipulating of his own, he does seem to have a strong compassionate side. Perhaps that is why he is so calculating – he knows that his compassion could be taken as a weakness and could be a big problem for him if he is to be a good soldier. In this way, I find him to be relatable – in today’s culture, being kind often exposes a person to people with ill intentions than being mean does. Maybe that is why I am hesitant toward Ender – I see some of myself in him. The only point of confusion that I have regarding this book is a little on the ridiculous side. I am really hung up on the dialogue that takes place at the beginning of each chapter. I know who Graff is, but I want to dive further into who these characters are. I want to discover their stories, as well.
I've enjoyed this book so far. It keeps you hooked by each problem Ender goes through. It keeps you confused as well. The dialogue at the beginning of each chapter makes you wonder what their true plan for Ender is and what kind of world they live in. I question why Ender is always so good at everything and why they don't want him to have friends. He seems to have much more power in their world than he knows.
This is not my favorite book so far but it is not terrible. I think it is crazy how they use little kids for combat and it makes me wonder why. I feel really bad for Ender because he is forced into isolation and doesn't always allow himself to fight back. I like that the protagonist has a soft side but a dark side that he desperately tries to suppress. Meanwhile Graff is trying to kill the soft side and bring out a little more of his dark side. I am excited to see how Ender triumphs and makes friends and solve all his internal warfare. Kaitlyn
I do not know if I like this book yet. It is harder to understand than the other books we have read in this class, and is more confusing. This is the first sic-fi book I have read, so I am having a harder time getting into it. I do not like that this world makes children fight in its wars. Ender is so young, I do not understand why the leaders think he could be THE leader. I know he is smarter than all the other kids and he has the awesome..but he is 6/7 years old. That is insane to me. I am very confused about the epilogue at the beginning of the chapters. It seems like they are sitting in some booth overlooking Ender at all times...creepy. I hope the book will start to make more sense to me as I read on.
The read has been pretty interesting so far; I'm intrigued to see how Ender develops and if he stays true to himself. I like how his motivation for being there is to keep his sister, Valentine, safe. He doesn't seem to have any ulterior, selfish motives so far. I also like how he observes to become better. He doesn't complain when things don't go his way, he just analyzes the situation and works on his own to improve. While this is a more difficult and confusing read, I'm excited to keep reading and see what happens.
I thought that the beginning of the book was very interesting. It starts off by going in detail of how Ender is struggling through school because of the monitor. I enjoy reading how he doesn't back down from trouble anymore, he has learned to stand up for himself. I think the story so far has done a good job of keeping me entertained, even though there are quite a few things going on all at once.
One of my favorite and most painful aspects of Ender's Game is how lonely Ender feels even though he's never truly alone. To me, this has always been the worst kind of isolation. Beyond him being special, beyond him being uniquely suited to be the savior of mankind, Ender is a Third, an abnormality, an anomalous "something" that should not exist. He is always with his peers, and yet he is doomed to essentially remain alone and invulnerable. This came across best with Graff's speech about his position as Third. Because Ender realizes that to be able to defeat someone is to know them truly, he lets no one really love him. He is forever alone amid the crowd, and it's very sad to watch. For characters like Brian Robeson, who are utterly alone, it's not quite so difficult as watching life around you continue with the people you know so far distant that they can barely stand to look at you.
So far I have enjoyed this book. I find that I have to concentrate on this book more than I did with the other books we have covered because the subject matter is more difficult. Also, the fact that Ender is extremely intelligent and quick to action means that I have to really focus on what is happening, or I will quickly lose track of what is going on. In this way, I feel that the book is written in a didactic and analytical manner. It reads somewhat like a person’s thought-process would if it were typed onto the pages of a book.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have not yet decided if I like Ender as a protagonist. I feel as though he is somewhat of an anti-hero. Though he could come across as nothing more than a little boy who has been manipulated by some adults, I feel that he is intelligent enough to know better. Though he does some manipulating of his own, he does seem to have a strong compassionate side. Perhaps that is why he is so calculating – he knows that his compassion could be taken as a weakness and could be a big problem for him if he is to be a good soldier. In this way, I find him to be relatable – in today’s culture, being kind often exposes a person to people with ill intentions than being mean does. Maybe that is why I am hesitant toward Ender – I see some of myself in him.
The only point of confusion that I have regarding this book is a little on the ridiculous side. I am really hung up on the dialogue that takes place at the beginning of each chapter. I know who Graff is, but I want to dive further into who these characters are. I want to discover their stories, as well.
~Sheridan
I've enjoyed this book so far. It keeps you hooked by each problem Ender goes through. It keeps you confused as well. The dialogue at the beginning of each chapter makes you wonder what their true plan for Ender is and what kind of world they live in. I question why Ender is always so good at everything and why they don't want him to have friends. He seems to have much more power in their world than he knows.
ReplyDeleteThis is not my favorite book so far but it is not terrible. I think it is crazy how they use little kids for combat and it makes me wonder why. I feel really bad for Ender because he is forced into isolation and doesn't always allow himself to fight back. I like that the protagonist has a soft side but a dark side that he desperately tries to suppress. Meanwhile Graff is trying to kill the soft side and bring out a little more of his dark side. I am excited to see how Ender triumphs and makes friends and solve all his internal warfare.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn
I do not know if I like this book yet. It is harder to understand than the other books we have read in this class, and is more confusing. This is the first sic-fi book I have read, so I am having a harder time getting into it. I do not like that this world makes children fight in its wars. Ender is so young, I do not understand why the leaders think he could be THE leader. I know he is smarter than all the other kids and he has the awesome..but he is 6/7 years old. That is insane to me. I am very confused about the epilogue at the beginning of the chapters. It seems like they are sitting in some booth overlooking Ender at all times...creepy. I hope the book will start to make more sense to me as I read on.
ReplyDeleteThe read has been pretty interesting so far; I'm intrigued to see how Ender develops and if he stays true to himself. I like how his motivation for being there is to keep his sister, Valentine, safe. He doesn't seem to have any ulterior, selfish motives so far. I also like how he observes to become better. He doesn't complain when things don't go his way, he just analyzes the situation and works on his own to improve. While this is a more difficult and confusing read, I'm excited to keep reading and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteMarianna Mercer
I thought that the beginning of the book was very interesting. It starts off by going in detail of how Ender is struggling through school because of the monitor. I enjoy reading how he doesn't back down from trouble anymore, he has learned to stand up for himself. I think the story so far has done a good job of keeping me entertained, even though there are quite a few things going on all at once.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite and most painful aspects of Ender's Game is how lonely Ender feels even though he's never truly alone. To me, this has always been the worst kind of isolation. Beyond him being special, beyond him being uniquely suited to be the savior of mankind, Ender is a Third, an abnormality, an anomalous "something" that should not exist. He is always with his peers, and yet he is doomed to essentially remain alone and invulnerable. This came across best with Graff's speech about his position as Third. Because Ender realizes that to be able to defeat someone is to know them truly, he lets no one really love him. He is forever alone amid the crowd, and it's very sad to watch. For characters like Brian Robeson, who are utterly alone, it's not quite so difficult as watching life around you continue with the people you know so far distant that they can barely stand to look at you.
ReplyDeleteMason Trupe