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Title: The Giver
ISBN: 0385732554
Author:
Lois Lowry
Publicate Date: 2006-01-24
Publish: 2006-01-24
List Price: $8.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.28
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.00
Amazon Merchant Price: $8.95
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Creepy Utopia
We think we may want Utopia. No crime, no anger, no great divide. The laws of Sameness makes sure of it. Utopia, at what cost? Along with this very Creepy Utopia comes the forgotten memories of what it is to be different. Forgotten memories of war and hate, of hunger and sickness. But also forgotten memories of rain and snow. Of falling in love and having a child. Of make choices. Remember what it was like when you first starting having feeling for someone, that little funny feeling in your tummy. Feeling of love stirring deep inside. Well they have a pill for that, and everyone must take it. The joy's of being with child--Gone. They have birthing women for that. What about sharring loving memories with the grandparents sitting around the dinner table or a warm fire on a cold night--Gone. Sickness, death, not anymore. They just release you. There is only one who holds all these memories both good and bad. Now it is his time to be the Giver and pass on the memories to the one who will take his place. What is Utopia anyway, and what are you willing to give up to obtain it? Great book. But more for a young adult reader. Still very enjoyable. Well worth the read.
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2: Unabrid Audio 4 cd Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant
I was hestitant to listen to this story as it was obviously a teen book and I really didn't know how I would feel. I work from home and the day just flew while I was listening. I finished the audio in 1 day. What an enthralling, incredible, thought provoking concept. Wow!. I ordered 4 more copies to give away as gifts.
One of the best stories I have listened to. Don't miss it.
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3: Great idea, terrible conclusion
The first half of the book is great. It is one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. This is part of the problem. I was so excited and anxious to find out what happens next, that I was hugely disappointed. To sum it up, the ending is a terrible disappointment. It feels like halfway through the book, the author was in need of money, so they slapped together a few more chapters and shipped it.
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4: Outstanding Literature
I loved this book. Sameness is presented as a good, simple way to live, which at first seems like such a good idea. I loved experiencing the injustice and horror Jonas experiences as he learns, discovering with him the severe shortcomings of the only world he knows. Jonas and the Giver are strong characters who were a pleasure to meet.
My only small complaint with the book is that the end seemed rushed. After becoming attached to the characters and invested in their futures, the end feels hurried with assumptions without any definite conclusion. The setting of the ending is certainly fitting, I just would have liked the last scene to have been more fully fleshed out.
Nonetheless, this was a wonderful book, full of the joys of individuality and differences.
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5: The Giver, An Amazing Book!
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if everything was perfect? What if there was no violence and no hatred? Imagine a world devoid of color and only minor differences exist. Imagine being able to take a pill that solves all of your problems. For the normal person, this type of world seems to be non-existent. There is no way in our world, which is consumed by chaos and violence, could such a perfect place exist. However, if one was to pick up The Giver by Lois Lowry, they would enter a world that is seemingly perfect. After exploring its pages, we begin to question the validity of this utopia. This book is the perfect introduction to utopic societies and leaves the reader wandering, "Can a utopia actually exist?"
The Giver is about a boy named Jonas who lives in an utopic society. The story begins right before Jonas's Ceremony of Twelve. At this ceremony, all of the students born the same year as Jonas will turn 12 years old and receive their life assignment. Unlike in our society, Jonas and his peers are not able to choose their profession. Rather, they are assigned a profession based off the observations of the elders in the society. Jonas anxiously awaits his ceremony with nervous anticipation. This will be his last ceremony and the most important ceremony of his life. All ceremonies up until this point each presented a new element to Jonas's life. For example, at age one babies leave the nursery and are given to their parents, at age nine students are given their bicycles and become mobile. However, at age 12 students are given their life assignments and officially become adults.
When the big day finally comes, Jonas is told that he would be the new Receiver of Memory. This is the most important job in the community, and only one is selected every several decades. Jonas is afraid and excited to receive his new position. Jonas soon begins his training and falls under the leadership of The Giver. The Giver is the current Receiver of Memory and his job is to hold all of the memories of the world. He slowly begins to give Jonas memories of happiness, love, joy, and excitement. However, after Jonas becomes comfortable, The Giver begins to give Jonas memories of pain, suffering, sadness, hunger, heartache, and other terrible feelings. Jonas has never been exposed to these things and it becomes very difficult to bear.
Convinced that the community must change so that they too can experience all of the wonderful and painful memories, Jonas and The Giver makes the decision that Jonas will leave the community. After he leaves the community, his memories begin to fade, and it is believed that they fall back on the community which he left. The end of the novel is quite vague. Jonas and baby Gabriel, a child that he has taken with him, are at the top of a snow peeked mountain and begin to ride down on a sled. In the distance he hears what he believes to be music. At that moment the novel abruptly ends. Some speculate that Jonas and baby Gabriel actually die and he is going to heaven. Others suggest that he has returned to his society, except the society now has the memories that he left behind. The author never gives a definitive answer, but it is up to the reader to decide.
This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is written in such a way that it can appeal to readers of all ages. It forces the reader to think outside of the box and dare to imagine a world which is perceivably perfect. It also forces the reader to question their own ideas of perfection and the possibility of a perfect world. I can think of no negative traits about this book. Lowry has truly opened our eyes to a world that is so crazy, that it actually makes sense.
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