The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m...
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The Berlin Boxing Club - Robert Sharenow

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Image result for the berlin boxing clubBlurb (on back of book): Sydney Taylor Award-winning novel Berlin Boxing Club is loosely inspired by the true story of boxer Max Schmeling's experiences following Kristallnacht.
Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin, don't care that Karl has never been in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth.
So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself.
But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

 MY OPINION: ****

***SPOILER ALERT***

THIS IS AN ESSAY THAT I WROTE ON THIS BOOK FOR SCHOOL THAT COUNTS AS A REVIEW

Karl Stern, our protagonist, is born into a Jewish family. He does not possess the Jewish qualities that the Nazi Germans make fun of, but his family does. Karl doesn’t “really consider [himself] as Jewish…” (Page 6) and even states in the beginning of the book that “Jews sounded different. They acted different. They were different… I believed they were ruining everything…” (Page 9). He doesn’t believe in either the Nazis nor the Jewish people and he honestly just wants to be an innocent boy who is getting a good education. He doesn’t want to face the problems that are so obviously right in front of his face. His priorities at the beginning of the book are not as important as his final priorities; for example, his top priorities at the start are “Find a way to gain weight… Getting rid of my acne… Getting inside Greta Hauser’s pants and having her find her way into mine…” (Page 22); Karl only lists the situation regarding Hitler and the Nazis as his fifth most important priority—this is also at the very bottom of his list. However, as the story progresses, Karl’s attitude about the social issues in this book start to change after he starts to adopt the fact that he comes from Jewish descent and that there are people out there who are going to willingly discriminate unfairly against him. He starts to learn to box in order to defend himself against bullies that rag on him because he is Jewish. Karl starts to perceive the changes that Nazi Germany is going through and how the Jewish people are treated in his country because of who they are. Because of the various issues in society in this book, Karl is not allowed to be with his girlfriend, Greta, because of his background. He also is looked down upon and his father’s business starts to go downhill as society gets worse. “Dix, Grosz, and most of the other modern artists my father represented had fled Germany since the Nazis’ rise to power… Many artists were arrested… he began showcasing government-approved artists… his heart wasn’t in it…” (Page 27-28). Because of the state that Germany is in, Karl starts boxing lessons with champion Max Schmeling and gradually grows into a man that his father always wanted him to be. He takes care of his sister, Hildy, who has Jewish facial features and is being made fun of because of it. He also helps his father in an illegal trade of art in order to help support his family. He keeps a positive outlook on life and tries to be the adult of the house when there is nobody there to guide him. His beliefs change once he realizes that the Nazis are horribly unjust toward Jewish people. He is newly aware of this change in his country and his choices that are made from this point on are for the good of his family rather than selfish reasons. He even gives up tickets to the Olympics in order to earn some money for his family, even though he would much rather attend the Olympics. Karl starts out in this book as a rather ignorant and weak boy who was unwilling to face society and its problems; however, he matures as the story progresses; as he learns about all of the social issues that he is forced to deal with, he grows into a man who is willing to make choices and sacrifices.

I would recommend this book to people who are wishing to learn about social issues in Nazi Germany and have a good historical and fun read.

Main Character: Karl
Sidekick(s): Greta, Hildy, Max, the Countess, Neblig, etc
Villain(s): Nazis, being Jewish, discrimination, etc
Historical Fiction Elements: This book is based on a historical period but with fictional elements.

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