Ayeshaq93’s Weblog

Cage of Stars

Cage of Stars was a very emotional and moving book. It was based on how the death of two girls, Ronnie’s younger sisters, affected her life and how she coped with this loss. Her sisters were murdered while she was babysitting them so I think for her the loss was more difficult to bear. The murderer is actually diagnosed with a psychological problem and is therefore not punished for his crime, which Ronnie finds hard to accept because she feels he’s let off too easy and can continue his life while it will be so different for her own family. At around the age where she’s hitting the teen years there’s an empty void in her life because her parents particularly her mother change a lot so Ronnie is forced to grow up and mature more quickly… Eventually Ronnie is able to lead a more normal of  a life when she falls in love and gets married although the death of her sisters will still live with her but won’t probably be as haunting. Death is really scary and the pain is great. The way she deals with it is to think that she’ll get to be with her sisters in heaven. I think your faith is probably is one of the best ways to deal with such situations because you know there’s more than this world otherwise everything is so unfair and you know you’ll be rewarded for pain and of course your patience(emotional and physical). Also in Islam we have the example of RasulAllah SAW who faced a LOT, it gives you so much strength to look at his life. He was an orphan (who lost his mother at the age of six while travelling) his wives (not all), all his sons, 3 of his daughters, many of his companions, (the list goes on) all during his life, but he was so patient. This Shaykh was explaining that all this isn’t for no reason, because the Prophet SAW was HabibAllah (Allah’s Beloved) so for him to go through all this it’s to show people this life is short and so temporary and of course it also gives so much strength to people.

Quite a few people recommended the book The Taker so I decided to read it and it was a very western high school setting. It was definitely a light read after Pride and Prejudice. The story revolves around Carly, the main character who gets a low score on her SAT and is offered a much better score by someone called the taker in exchange for something he’ll ask for in the end. Of course she’s not aware of his identity. She opts to use the taker because she wants to get into this specific university where her family pretty much expects her to go and where her boyfriend will be going. I wouldn’t have chosen to use the taker, it’s scary too because you’ll only find out what the taker wants at the end. I remember when we were younger in middle school my friends and I sometimes had discussions about different things we could possibly get involved in which wouldn’t make our parents happy and sometimes we’d be like, “so would you ever do that?” It’d be the thought that Allah SWT is always watching and we’d be like “noooo”! It’s funny and rather silly to think of but even now if you want to do something wrong you can get away, if you’re smart enough about it, without anybody ever discovering what you did but I think the thought that Allah SWT is always watching you and the fact that things don’t just end at death there’s a greater purpose can cause people to choose between what’s wrong and what’s right.  

I’d give this book a B+

Quite a few people recommended the book The Taker so I decided to read it and it was a very western high school setting. It was definitely a light read after Pride and Prejudice. The story revolves around Carly, the main character who gets a low score on her SAT and is offered a much better score by someone called the taker in exchange for something he’ll ask for in the end. Of course she’s not aware of his identity. She opts to use the taker because she wants to get into this specific university where her family pretty much expects her to go and where her boyfriend will be going. I wouldn’t have chosen to use the taker, it’s scary too because you’ll only find out what the taker wants at the end. I remember when we were younger in middle school my friends and I sometimes had discussions about different things we could possibly get involved in which wouldn’t make our parents happy and sometimes we’d be like, “so would you ever do that?” It’d be the thought that Allah SWT is always watching and we’d be like “noooo”! It’s funny and rather silly to think of but even now if you want to do something wrong you can get away, if you’re smart enough about it, without anybody ever discovering what you did but I think the thought that Allah SWT is always watching you and the fact that things don’t just end at death that there’s a greater purpose can cause people to choose between what’s wrong and what’s right.

I would give the book a B+.

I finally finished reading Pride and Prejudice and I really enjoyed it! It’s funny how in the end Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy end up because in the beginning of the novel she hated him! It had to do with first impressions and what she had been told by other people and also his pride. It was really funny because Mr. Darcy proposes to her in the middle of the novel and she rejects the proposal but later on when she accepts it in the end he tells her that her rejection is what humbled him! Mr. Darcy’s aunt visits Elizabeth and asks her not to marry him (more like demands it) because from the time he was born his marriage had been arranged with his cousin (the aunt’s daughter). It was interesting to think that this would happen back then especially because now it’s considered such a bad thing, but Elizabeth was pretty much like well if he doesn’t want to he doesn’t have to, which’s true… Her older sister Jane ends up with Mr. Bingley which was hinted on from the very beginning. It’s interesting because their characters are very similar they both are very friendly and cheerful and they always take the benefit of doubt like they always look for the good in someone, which’s pretty admirable. One of Elizabeth’s sisters Lydia runs away with Wickham (the man who originally told Elizabeth bad things about Mr. Darcy) and this brings down the reputation of the whole family (until the other 2 get married). It’s because they run away without getting married and people look at it in a religious bad way… It’s interesting how things that were considered so reprehensible then have become such norms today! The mother was the funniest because she gets REALLY excited about her daughter’s marriages like I mentioned previously it’s like her goal in life! I would give the book an A. 

I still have not completed the book but I’m half way through now! Therefore a lot has gone on since my last literary letter… Elizabeth’s cousin Mr. Collins arrives who will actually inherit their estate once her father dies. He arrives and decides he wants to marry Elizabeth who rejects him because she doesn’t have a very high opinion of him at all. The rejection scene was actually really, really funny because she was pretty straightforward and kept refusing but he took it as a sign of modesty and shyness and he was just like-Oh I know you don’t want to say it but your refusal is only words. That would be really annoying and especially the way he went on and on and on until she left! This makes Elizabeth’s mother really angry because, like I mentioned in my first letter, her main goal in life is to get her daughters married. She doesn’t talk to her daughter for a long time but it’s sort of weird because if the Elizabeth doesn’t like the guy (which she doesn’t at all) she shouldn’t be forced to marry but her father supports her. What’s really interesting is that Elizabeth’s closest friend ends up marrying Mr. Collins who Elizabeth is really upset at first for agreeing to such a man. Elizabeth’s mother gets even angrier because first of all her friend’s daughter is getting married first (so it’s almost like a race!!!) and because that means Elizabeth’s friend will inherit their estate eventually. Elizabeth’s mother thinks that’s the main reason she agreed to the marriage which would be sad-sacrificing your happiness for wealth… Elizabeth’s older sister Jane who fell in love with Mr. Bingley, who loved her as well, is very upset when Mr. Bingley leaves and his sister writes they will not return. Elizabeth feels it’s all a plot of Mr. Bingley’s sister because she thinks this is her plan: to get her brother married to Mr. Darcy (who I mentioned in my first literary letter) so she can marry him then! It’s really funny if it’s true just the way the plots and stuff work it sort of reminds me of Indian TV shows where sometimes there are a lot of people plotting against each other! Jane on the other hand doesn’t believe this is true she’s the type of person who gives people the benefit of doubt all the time.

Hadith – Bukhari’s Book of Manners #313, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and Hakim

… ‘Abd Allah reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, “A believer is not a fault-finder and is not abusive, obscene, or course.”

  Pride and Prejudice

Although I haven’t advanced much further into the novel, I still really like it. New characters have been introduced and they add to the fun of the novel! A new officer, Wickham, arrives to the city of the girls’ aunt, and is apparently very good looking so much so that at least three of the girls have a crush on him. Now what’s interesting is Elizabeth really likes Wickham and happens to have a conversation with him in which he talks about how Mr. Darcy ruined his chances of inheriting money from Mr. Darcy’s father whom Wickham was in good relations with, basically he’s earning pity from her and downgrading Mr. Darcy in her eyes… It’s also interesting how quickly she believes him and I think part of it has to do with her negative first impression of Mr. Darcy as being too arrogant, but really we’re all pretty much the same.  A lot of how we think of a person comes from our first impressions which can sometimes be very biased or otherwise if someone ever does something it’s hard not to associate that person with that thing anymore.  Of course what’s right is to always look for the good in a person because obviously there is good in every person.

Something on a lighter tone in the book which’s pretty funny is how excited the younger two sisters get about all the officers. For example the way they ask their aunt to call Wickham to dinner so they can see him, the way they pretend to go to a store but really walk by Wickham to get his attention, or the way they stare out of their window to catch a glimpse of him! I guess people act the same way nowadays when they have crushes.

I give this book an A.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
Although I have only read through some of the novel Pride and Prejudice I am really enjoying it so far. The novel has to do with, as far as I have read, love between those of different societal classes. The novel begins with the line above and the mother of the protagonist, Elizabeth, apparently believes in it very much so and her only goal in life is to get her daughters married so it’s rather humorous in this sense. For example a man, Mr. Bingley, moves in to the neighborhood and soon enough holds a ball and begins to like Mrs. Bennet’s (the mother’s) eldest daughter Jane. When Jane goes to visit Mr. Bingley and falls ill there Mrs. Bennet visits and prolongs Jane’s visit by complaining of how sick Jane looks, that actually made me laugh. She’s very pushy in this sense and always praising her daughters to achieve her main purpose in life, and I mean of course there’s more to life, but it’s amusing how she’s made that her only aim.
Mr. Bingley has a friend Mr. Darcy who is supposed to be good looking but far too arrogant. He begins to develop a liking for Elizabeth which makes Mr. Bingley’s sister jealous. She, too, is a very funny character in her failed attempts to attract Mr. Darcy. For instance she’s not interested in reading but when Mr. Darcy reads she pretends to read the second volume of the book and talks about how great it would be to marry someone with a large library! He of course pays very little heed to her… Basically she’s sort of a silly side character but that makes the novel more fun.
The novel has to do with Elizabeth and her five sisters and it’s interesting the way in which they look at love and marriage. Elizabeth, known to be sensible in the novel, believes it’s important to get to know a person before getting married unlike what her closest friend and I think most girls in the novel think. Also the way in which they get excited about guys is I guess similar to girls today- the girls in the novel get all excited about balls and the opportunity to dance. Of course the way in which they converse, dress, and interact is different as well as their general ideologies. For example what I mentioned about marriage above and also how love is always discussed in terms of marriage. Sometimes it does remind me of people I know, so it’s a girly sort of a book in that sense.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
Although I have only read through some of the novel Pride and Prejudice I am really enjoying it so far. The novel has to do with, as far as I have read, love between those of different societal classes. The novel begins with the line above and the mother of the protagonist, Elizabeth, apparently believes in it very much so and her only goal in life is to get her daughters married so it’s rather humorous in this sense. For example a man, Mr. Bingley, moves in to the neighborhood and soon enough holds a ball and begins to like Mrs. Bennet’s (the mother’s) eldest daughter Jane. When Jane goes to visit Mr. Bingley and falls ill there Mrs. Bennet visits and prolongs Jane’s visit by complaining of how sick Jane looks, that actually made me laugh. She’s very pushy in this sense and always praising her daughters to achieve her main purpose in life, and I mean of course there’s more to life, but it’s amusing how she’s made that her only aim.
Mr. Bingley has a friend Mr. Darcy who is supposed to be good looking but far too arrogant. He begins to develop a liking for Elizabeth which makes Mr. Bingley’s sister jealous. She, too, is a very funny character in her failed attempts to attract Mr. Darcy. For instance she’s not interested in reading but when Mr. Darcy reads she pretends to read the second volume of the book and talks about how great it would be to marry someone with a large library! He of course pays very little heed to her… Basically she’s sort of a silly side character but that makes the novel more fun.
The novel has to do with Elizabeth and her five sisters and it’s interesting the way in which they look at love and marriage. Elizabeth, known to be sensible in the novel, believes it’s important to get to know a person before getting married unlike what her closest friend and I think most girls in the novel think. Also the way in which they get excited about guys is I guess similar to girls today- the girls in the novel get all excited about balls and the opportunity to dance. Of course the way in which they converse, dress, and interact is different as well as their general ideologies. For example what I mentioned about marriage above and also how love is always discussed in terms of marriage. Sometimes it does remind me of people I know, so it’s a girly sort of a book in that sense.

Just forgot to add:

I would give the book an A!

‘Let us each go our own way, me with my gold bar and you…’

-The Devil and Miss Prym

The novel explores the idea of whether human beings in their true essence are good or evil. A stranger comes to a remote village, Viscos, accompanied by eleven gold bars which he then buries. He promises the wealth to the village (which will transform their lives forever) only if they are willing to commit a murder. Another woman who passes on this message has been told where the gold is located and has always dreamt of becoming wealthy and escaping the village, she too is indecisive about if she should take the gold and leave or not.

Although I haven’t finished the novel so I’m not entirely sure about the outcome of the events so far the villagers are planning a murder out of basically their greed for this gold. What’s interesting is the way in which they justify their thinking that humans in their nature are evil and in the end the wealth will do well for their village. Also they think to, of course lessen their guilt, is that the old lady they plan to murder (whose husband passed away many years ago) will be reunited with her husband and her sacrifice will lead her to Heaven. It’s funny how many times people commit sin or do wrong another person, and even when deep inside they know it’s wrong they cover it up by such justifications, to satisfy their conscience.

The novel also portrays the idea that all humans in their nature are bad and the only thing which keeps them from doing wrong is fear. The way this is depicted is when the girl (who can easily steal the gold) accuses the village of being bad from the inside and telling the stranger they will never commit murder because they are too afraid to do so. I don’t believe that humans in their nature are bad, but I agree that to keep someone safe from doing something wicked is fear of Allah SWT. And I also think that no human being can completely fail to see the difference between good and evil. I still have to complete the book to discover its main message but so far these are some of the philosophies which are interesting to read about…

I came to reading Great Expectations as a recommendation from a close friend who read it recently and could relate to the theme of the novel. I really did enjoy the novel and the moral behind it. The story begins describing Pip and his sister and her husband (Joe) who take care of him, because his parents have passed away. The story opens with Pip at the graveyard where his parents are where he meets a convict who he is horrified by but nonetheless agrees to feed him. It’s a nice opening in the sense where Pip is the narrator of the story and the whole story revolves around his conscience and how he feels about what is happening, here he feels guilty for “stealing” from his sister… The story goes on to describe Pip’s acquaintances and a special connection he feels for Joe. It also describes, which’s important to the story, his love for Estella who is cared for by Miss Havisham a peculiar lady who invites Pip to her house to entertain her. Pip after visiting Miss Havisham despises his standard of living and wishes to improve his social standing. He soon discovers that he will inherit a large fortune from a mystery benefactor and will move to London and become a gentleman. Throughout this stage of his life I was pretty annoyed by Pip because he is too blinded in pursuing his ‘great expectations’ and love for Estella that he forgets about those who actually care about him. This of course is a very simplified summary of his life (in hope not to spoil the book for anyone who chooses to read it). He makes a good friend Herbert and something kind he does is he helps Herbert become better off by paying him from his own money secretively. Pip always has a sense of what wrong he’s doing and the people he is betraying but he only comes down to changing that after he comes to accept that his benefactor was someone of a much lower class, a close encounter with death during which he is terrified of dying in the position he is in (not making the most of people who loved him), and after he realizes how faithful Joe remains to him despite his own attitude. One of the themes of the novel has to do with being loyal to those who care about us which Pip realizes at the end and redeems himself and also with the fact that the people around us are more important than any material goods which can’t bring us any true joy. It is important for us all to be grateful to those who actually care and sacrifice for us which many times we take for granted. For example our parents, things like this help explain (to me) why for example Islam demands huge respect for our parents. What also got me thinking was Pip’s close experience with death and how all the wrong he had done suddenly tumbled on him. Death is the biggest reality which we all ignore and we should make the most of the time we have, WHEN we actually have it.

I would give the book an A. The novel uses suspense and a lot of mystery around the characters and events to keep the reader hooked.