The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (A YA Novel)
Published in 1984 and written from a first person perspective, The Wasp Factory is a book about a sixteen-year-old’s childhood experiences. While this may sound innocent enough, it is quickly revealed in the novel that the main character of this novel - Frank Cauldhame - had a role to play in killing three children within his family, presumably his younger siblings. The setting of the novel largely takes place in the Frank’s room and it is in this room that many shamanistic and sadistic practices are carried out. For example, the Wasp Factory in itself is a mechanism created by the Frank to kill wasps in various ways, ranging from burning, crushing to even drowning the wasps in Frank’s own urine.
Ultimately, this book deals with themes of identity and resembles a twisted bildungsroman of sorts - readers are taken on a roller-coaster ride filled with grotesque imagery and morbidity about Frank’s life. The twist near the end of the novel is simply spine-chilling. There is a certain darkness to this book and it remains a very controversial read, due to the gruesome depiction of violence. While students may be able to read this book due to the accessibility of the language, I am certain that some may not enjoy it. I for one, stumbled across this book in Junior College and it left me feeling very disturbed. However, there is still a certain literary quality of the book and in the final analysis, what this book achieves supremely well is through subverting the traditional notion of childhood innocence and naivety and challenging readers to also reflect and consider darker areas of their own childhood.
The Giver by Louis Lowry (MOE Approved)
I know that Su Yin has already blogged about this book but I too highly recommend this book as well! I remembered reading this book (and acting the part of Jonas for a school drama production) in secondary two and I enjoyed it thoroughly. As Su Yin already mentioned, I too believe that this book functions as an effective introduction to the utopia/dystopia world of literature. In fact, this was the book that sparked my interest in utopian/dystopian novels in the first place.
The overarching themes of coming-of-age, identity and community makes this book a very accessible read to students. The recurring tension between individuality and homogeneity remains a key topic of the book. The language is simple but not simplistic. And the potential of allowing students to engage in a multi-modal form of learning of this book through drama (and maybe even art) makes this a very effective book for secondary school literature.
Emily of Emerald Hill by Stella Kon (A book I will not usually read)
Amongst the three main spheres of literature - prose, poem and drama - drama remains my weakest link. I have always found it difficult to “read” drama. After all, as it was mentioned during Saturday’s seminar at the Arts House, drama is meant to be performed and not so much read. This disconnect between performance and text remains one of my biggest challenge in fully appreciating drama texts.
That being said, I actually found Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill quite an enjoyable and accessible read. Perhaps this may be because I was able to relate (HAHA, reader-response theory?) to the Peranakan etiquettes and norms that are covered extensively in this book. My grandfather is Peranakan and therefore some, if not, most of the words used in the text, along with the cuisines mentioned, reminded me greatly of him. However, I must say that the use of this language may turn some students off from reading this book entirely. Yet, what I think remains the crucial and richest element of this text is the multi-layered character of Emily. As the play progresses, we see Emily’s character being peeled back, bit by bit, revealing tensions and insecurities of her role in the household; we witness Emily’s vulnerabilities and experience the fragility of the human identity. And it is precisely this universal struggle of identity that is emphasised through this play that I think would allow students to better appreciate this text, and in time, literature as a whole.
That being said, I actually found Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill quite an enjoyable and accessible read. Perhaps this may be because I was able to relate (HAHA, reader-response theory?) to the Peranakan etiquettes and norms that are covered extensively in this book. My grandfather is Peranakan and therefore some, if not, most of the words used in the text, along with the cuisines mentioned, reminded me greatly of him. However, I must say that the use of this language may turn some students off from reading this book entirely. Yet, what I think remains the crucial and richest element of this text is the multi-layered character of Emily. As the play progresses, we see Emily’s character being peeled back, bit by bit, revealing tensions and insecurities of her role in the household; we witness Emily’s vulnerabilities and experience the fragility of the human identity. And it is precisely this universal struggle of identity that is emphasised through this play that I think would allow students to better appreciate this text, and in time, literature as a whole.
Hi Christopher, looks like The Giver is a common coming-of-age choice from the science fiction genre. I do think that there's a lot available in the science fiction genre worth exploring - thinking about the future does help us think about the present.
ReplyDelete