SONG PROJECT. SEPTEMBER.

As promised, I have learned and posted this month's song project, but I've been having trouble uploading a video of me playing to this blog.  However, I have posted it to Google, and you may click the link below to watch it!  That song is called La Valse D'Amelie composed by Yann Tiersen.  I will be hopefully creating a collaborative working group in which all musicians or singers or lovers of music can follow.  If you're interested in working with me and Kylie Sagisi in this group, the basic overview of our group is to promote music as an artistic talent, universal language, and psychological tool.  Also, there is room to write any article or post any video pertaining to music, ranging from your favorite songs to your favorite artists and composers to your favorite genres.  As for now, I leave you with this video; I hope you like it; I apologize for the bad quality; please comment a song that you would like for me to try to learn next!


This is a professional version of the song!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ME PLAY THE SONG ABOVE!

CHARACTER STUDY 3

They traveled for a total three days and two nights
Through First Semester Forrest in dark October light.
Their path was a straight one with no twist or bend
That would take them to the "Institute" where they could find their end.
With King Dan in the front, they all trudged through the wood.
The Gypsy with her luggage kept up best she could.
The Warrior kept the predators at bay,
While the Scholar mapped North, and he showed us the way.
The Sage kept his silence and only kept moving
He watched his surroundings and all his friends' doings.

They walked for a while but then found a surprise,
Fiery smoke from the distance was starting to rise.
They rushed to the place where the fire rose high
And heard shouts and war noises that filled the whole sky.
The pilgrims came upon a brutish encampment
Where men were seen fighting while others in lament.
These grounds were named "Scholarship" where only the best
And the greatest of men put their skills to the test.
Many battles were fought, and here from these roots,
The victors of Scholarship would journey to Institute.
The pilgrims stood back for the great feud to settle
As athletes and prodigies displayed their mettle.
Once the flames had subsided and three victors prevailed,
The pilgrims approached the grounds where they hailed.
After much conversing, the three men were to leave from their tourney,
But the pilgrims insisted they unite their journeys.
And so the three victors all covered in soot
Agreed to unite and go to Institute.

The first two were large and enormous in size.
Two Olympian Athletes who wore different dyes.
Their faces were similar and how they talked too,
Yet one man wore red and the other man blue.
The first man in red claimed he was of the West,
Where all Olympians set out on a great quest.
The last known survivor, his skills were quite scary,
But his name was odd: Hingle McCringleberry.
He had a bald head with thick hairs on his lip
But his rival in blue seemed to be quite the flip.
The man in blue had long, dark, curly locks.
His teeth were made of metal which showed when he talks.
This Olympian prevailed from the East
And the legends renamed him after every year ceased.
And so he called himself Quatro Quatro to start,
The fastest Olympian ever to dart.

Last was the Doctor, known to be crazed
From the hardships he faced in his job of trade.
For it was not a doctor he wanted to be.
His name was Sequester Grundelplith, M.D.
Another dark man with large lips and wide nose.
His psychotic aura seen from his head to his toes.
His eyes were probably scariest of all,
His stare could make the bravest cower and crawl.
This man had been sent to Scholarship grounds
As the sharpest in the East, his people's gold crown.

The three had mapped for Institute by their own decrees
The power at institute was great they'd agreed.
The Athletes wished for trophies to show their skill.
The Doctor wanted training and power of will.
So the party of five added three to make eight
And for the night at Scholarship they set camp and ate.
For tomorrow they'd once again continue their quest.
With the two men from the East and the Man from the West.

CHARACTER STUDY 2

Since I began my story in rhyme, I suppose it would only be fair to continue it in rhyme.  Although I have chosen not to write my story along the same lines of my colleagues, I have still incorporated them into my piece accordingly!  I hope they do not mind!

If one were to name the sage in his place,
It'd have to account for his character and taste.
His birth in the spring brought his life all the same;
And so it was settled-- Ho Shun(1) was his name.

And so winter came and autumn came after,
And summer-day rest came with summer-day laughter.
The sage sat and waited for the beginning to end.
His journey was coming, but he'd still have his friends
To bring with him on his dangerous quest.
For fall came too soon; so he hoped for the best.
The sage packed his belongings and went to the station's
Front gate where his friends were waiting in patience.

First was the King, a powerful man.
Some called him King Arthur; some called him King Dan.
Slayer of dragons and beasts all the same,
His feats shone through stature as well through his name.
He talked with many gestures and walked with a stride.
Wearing golden armor with sword by his side.

Next was the Soldier, a warrior as well,
Who fought in all wars and lived with tales to tell.
They knew him as Eli, the best fighter of all.
His skills were outmatched, he stood eight feet tall.
His skin was of darkness; he had a low voice,
And black was his combative color of choice.
Dark pants were his legs, and then for his chest,
Was a thick-padded, impenetrable battle vest.
Needing no weapon, he fought with his hands,
It is no wonder he'd been the best in the lands.

Beside him was the Gypsy, a dark, little girl.
Her hair was the length of her body when unfurled.
Her attire of mixed colors under a large coat of blue,
Displayed her lifestyle, which was odd to be true.
She was never without her huge bag of things
With gizmos and gadgets, whatever she brings.
Her journey awaited where opportunity lies.
Miranda they called her: lopsided in size.

Last was the Scholar by the name of Lesther
From the house of Valenzuela, where learning was gestured.
He was a kind soul, but timid in manner.
He studied his books, and planned in his planner.
In every-day clothing such as shirt and shorts,
He was quite the able-minded cohort.

And so it began, with some steps of their boots,
Their destination known as the great "Institute,"
Wayfarers and highwaymen all journeyed there,
For what one wanted most was told to be shared.
As long as you reached the place's highest degree
Through danger and peril they knew there would be,
The pilgrims sought most what rewards they'd receive
And willing to die for what they might achieve.

As for King Dan, he sought fortune and fame,
While the scholar sought knowledge for every known name.
The Gypsy longed most for a place to call home
As the soldier wished for all power to come,
But what of the sage in his finest hour?
He sought not for fame, fortune, knowledge or power.
The sage wanted rest, and most of all peace
That could not be found in the West nor the East.
The "Institute's" secrets was his last chance
To ease his mind of his chronic trance,
And so began the greatest tale in the nation
As the five pilgrims took their first steps from the station...


(1.)  Ho Shun is the Japanese-Buddhist name for "Spring of Dharma," otherwise known as the spring of life/wisdom.

CHARACTER STUDY 1

In honor of Chaucer's work The Canterbury Tales and in light of my boredom, I decided to create a pilgrim in rhyme!

There once was a wise, peculiar Sage,

Known great for his wisdom but not of his age.

Young wisdom is known never to be seen,

Yet this sage was no more than an ignorant teen.

"With age comes wisdom," the wise man said,

Yet wisdom was found in an immature head.

His casual attire made him seem free of care,

And complemented his dark skin, eyes, and hair.

You wouldn't think thinkers wore t-shirts and jeans,

And his face, though scarred and blemished, was shaven and clean.

His shoes symbol'd victory and displayed his youth,

His facial expression represented truth. 

With bags under his eyes and lips sealed tight,

One would also call him troubled from thinking all night.

From wisdom comes insight to sorrow and pain,

The topic to which he's been cursed to his name.

Suppose this is why he's been known to be strange,

Yet these things were not noticed until out of range.

Soon leaving on what would be his greatest quest of all-

To an unknown college next year in the fall.

Though wisdom came from his life and his travels,

The books and his music was where he unraveled.

Encouraged by many, inspired by few,

The sage had a history to think and then do.

I suppose he appeared to be wise to be fair

-- Master of silence and lover of air--

NETVIBES NEGATIVITY

Believe me, I love becoming an expert in various fields, and that ranges from social media to sports, but when I took a quick glimpse at the Netvibes dashboard, my mind simply told me, "Ian, you don't have time for this."  It's about as helpful as the good ole' Google, except instead of opening a number of tabs on your web browser, Netvibes puts all of your tabs into one dashboard giving you one result: small words on small words on more small words.  Although I appreciate the approach of planning out my life before I live it, I believe that someone would have more luck setting a few dates into your smart phone while archiving a few general essays for scholarships in Microsoft Word, applying to various scholarships online through programs like Zinch (which notifies you of the scholarships you have already applied to), and calling it a day.  There is a learning curve to all technology, but this is a curve I do not wish to learn.  If I choose to go through the online-planner route in the future, I will probably be looking into some alternatives.  Jerry Michalski's brain suddenly looks much more appealing.

WHAT A CHARACTER

When we watch television or read novels, we come into indirect contact with many new, diverse characters who influence us in some way.  Whether they be the hero or the villain, these characters tend to make a lasting impressions on us from their choices and actions, but there is one particular fictional character who made a lasting impression on me, because he was different from the others.  From the 2012 film, Looper, Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) may have been one of the most troubled heroes ever to be created by the stroke of a pen.  Beginning as a petty thug who gave up his best friend's life in order to save his own skin, Joe displayed more than a few flaws in his ethics, especially after taking into consideration his niche in society -- to assassinate targets from the future without question or prior knowledge.  In the end, though, his morals were changed once he discovered what really mattered in life, which was to help others instead of helping yourself.  When it all came down to it, he had to make one of the most shocking decisions of all in order to save the future world, and he did it by committing suicide.  He came to know that by taking himself out of the big picture, he could prevent all bad things to come.  By his actions alone did Joe indirectly characterize himself.  Starting off as a thug and moving on to become an epic hero with numerous flaws, Joe legitimately impressed me.  Where there are epic heroes with epic flaws like Joe, there is a given hope that all people can do great things in a split-second decision.  Joe will forever symbolize the truths of humanity in my eyes.  No matter how rude or evil a person can get, there will always be at least an inkling of humanity contained somewhere deep inside.  From a single movie character, I learned something profound.  "What a character."

DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

It's been a while since I've got ready for school, took in a big breath of fresh air and exhaled, "Today, I want to learn something that I haven't learned before."  The human mind was meant to ponder and inquire, but the tedious routine of school forces us to learn the things we find less interesting or even less practical in today's world.  I doubt that I will be balancing my checkbook with a geometry formula sometime in the future, but if I were to take an independent step back and look at the bigger picture, there will always be those certain individuals who love math with a passion.  This brings about the question: why do people love math when I hate it so much?  Aren't all people alike?  Simply put, the answer is no.  Everybody is interested by something -- whether it be math, science, history, or literature; therefore everybody possesses their own declaration of learning independence.  They only need to declare it.  This is why I'm declaring mine today.  It's been too long since I've gotten lost on a subject until the five minutes that have passed by suddenly became realized to be five hours that have passed by, yet the one thing that has interested me in this way is the combination of science and music.  I could seemingly sit for hours looking at the newest health updates online while listening to Kyle Landry play one of my favorite piano pieces, and I could spend hours studying the psychological effects that music has over us when we listen to it.  By declaring my learning independence, it's time to take into account what I want to learn on my own while applying it to the things that I am forced to know.  My declaration of learning independence determines what I love to learn.  I could grow old studying these things, and I think that's the point.  Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."  Why can't we influence the world by educating ourselves in the things we love to do?

VOCABULARY LIST 5

• Obsequious:  obedient; dutiful.
• Before he left the room to make dinner, the servant bid his master farewell with an obsequious bow. 
• Beatitude:  supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.
• Mr. Scrooge realized that the ghosts of Christmas granted him his beatitude by giving him a second chance to live a grateful life.
• Bete noire:  a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads.
• After what she had done to my family, she became the bete noire to my life, and I cannot stand being anywhere near her.
• Bode:  to announce beforehand; predict.
• The winds by the sea bode troubling weather for the sailors.
• Dank:  unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly.
• The dark, dank cellar made me very cold and uncomfortable.
• Ecumenical:  general; universal;  interreligious or interdenominational.
• The ecumenical movement for democracy welcomed citizens of all colors to join.
• Fervid: heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc. 
• The fervid preacher managed to fill the auditorium with his booming voice, and his excitement for Christ excited the audience.
• Fetid:  having an offensive odor; stinking.
• The horrifying smell came from the fetid pool of chemical waste produced by the nuclear plantation.
• Gargantuan:  gigantic; enormous; colossal.
• The gargantuan statue towered over the passersby.
• Heyday: the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime; high spirits.
• Nobody could match the heyday of the mighty hero who displayed his greatest strength only in the face of danger.
• Incubus:  something that weighs upon or oppresses one like a nightmare.
• When his flashlight flickered and failed, the young adventurer froze as the incubus of darkness immersed him.
• Infrastructure:  the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.
• The business was pieced together with great infrastructure.
• Inveigle:  to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually followed by into.)
• The delinquent inveigled him into sneaking out of the house.
• Kudos:  honor; glory; acclaim.
• The pianist received kudos from everyone for an outstanding performance.
• Lagniappe:  a gratuity or tip; an unexpected or indirect benefit.
• She was fortunate to be granted such a lagniappe from her appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
• Prolix:  extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
• Sometimes our principal makes a prolix announcement that seemingly drags on for hours at a time.
• Protégé: a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare.
• The statesman introduced me to his protégé who would succeed him after his retirement.
• Prototype:  the original or model on which something is based or formed.
• The Model T, manufactured by Henry Ford, served as the prototype for automobiles.
• Sycophant:  a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.
• He will always be remembered for being the weird, obnoxious sycophant who always followed you around and agreed with you.
• Tautology:  needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness.
• The math teacher's repetitive lecture became a sort of tautology that he used for teaching until his students basically learned to accept the fact that they would fail math that year.
• Truckle:  to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely (usually followed by to.)
• The team truckled to their coach's authority and played harder as he had commanded them to.

MUSIC

Hey guys!  If you knew me well enough, you would know that I love all music. Much like literature, music contains themes, structure, tone, and alternative meaning, and that's why I love it so much and believe it fits well with an English class.  I believe that music is the "universal language" that brings people together, and although I do not normally post on the blog outside of the mandatory classwork, I'd like to update the playlist on my blog once a month for others to enjoy.  That being said, I will try my best to use only clean versions of songs, and you may comment to request songs that you would like to hear.  Also, if you've noticed, I have a sidebar of sample videos of the next song I will be learning on piano.  You can sample these song projects on the sidebar, and I will hopefully learn how to upload a video or recording of me playing the song for you guys to hear!  I'm not as good as the guys to the left, but I'll try!  Also, if you would like to request for me to learn a specific song, let me know.  I'm challenging myself to learn more songs this year and expand my repertoire! Now, for my first playlist, I'd like to incorporate a small variety of hit songs that I hope nobody would mind.

VOCABULARY LIST 4

• Accolade:  any award, honor, or laudatory notice.
• His new novel received an accolade that described it to be one of the best-written novels in the world.
• Acerbity:  sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste; harshness or severity, as of temper or expression.
• Her passionate hatred for abortion was seen in her acerbity as she presented her project to the class.
• Attrition:  a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength.
• The football team has had a high rate of attrition in the past because our former coach verbally abused the players.
• Bromide:  a dull or hackneyed saying or person.
• The elderly gentleman in the suit and tie proved to be quite the bromide at the conference for almost putting everybody to sleep with his dry personality.
• Chauvinist:  a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic, especially one devoted to military glory;  a person who believes one gender is superior to the other.
• I agree that when a man demands a sandwich from a woman on a daily basis, he sounds like an arrogant, male chauvinist.
• Chronic:  constant; habitual; inveterate. 
• Chronic back-pain can only be treated with numerous medications and trips to a specialist.
• Expound:  to explain in detail; interpret.
• After listening to his extremely complicated lecture on cancerous cells, I stayed behind after class to ask the professor to expound his concepts; so that I could better understand them.
• Factionalism: of or pertaining to the practice of a group or clique within a larger group, party, government, organization, or the like.
• In certain countries, factionalism dominates various political movements that involve numerous political parties with their representatives.
• Immaculate:  free from fault or flaw; free from errors.
• When she set foot into the building, she was amazed by the pearly, immaculate floors.
• Imprecation:  a curse; malediction.
• After stealing something from the sacred temple, an imprecation was set upon the ignorant treasure hunters.
• Ineluctable:  incapable of being evaded; inescapable;  irrevocable, unpreventable, unstoppable, inexorable.
• Journeying further and further into a technological world is ineluctable.
• Mercurial:  changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic.
• In nature's ways of "fight or flight," the more mercurial creatures would chose "flight."
• Palliate:  to relieve or lessen without curing; mitigate; alleviate.
• Usually before patients pass away, they are taken to a certain section of the hospital where nurses and doctors palliate them before their time comes.
• Protocol:  the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.
• When a fire alarm interrupts valuable time in the classroom, it is only protocol to file quietly into the fields in an orderly manner.
• Resplendent:  shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid.
• The graduating class looked resplendent lined up in their shiny caps and gowns.
• Stigmatize:  to set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon.
• It is racist to stigmatize African Americans to be prone to criminality simply by the color of their skin.
• Sub rosa:  confidentially; secretly; privately.
• The President must speak to his advisers in sub rosa before an official decision can be made. 
• Vainglory:  excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities, etc.; boastful vanity.
• The young athlete boasted in vainglory of how great he was until he was discovered on the third string of his team.
• Vestige:  a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence.
• The famous Coliseum in Rome serves as a major vestige for the ancient Roman empire.
• Volition:  the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing.
• It was my volition to walk away from the conflict before it was blown out of proportion.

BEOWULF ESSAY

The Good Guys

          Hundreds of comic books and movies of superheroes swarm the social world today, but few people look past the flashy costumes and powers to analyze the values that classify them as heroes.  Whereas our social values today reflect upon good morals, displays of bravery, and the perseverance to do what is right, these customs were very different in the ancient, Danish realm of Beowulf.  Although the bravery factor still served as a sine qua non for heroism back in those times as it does today, Beowulf is idolized as the ancient, ideal hero much as Superman epitomizes the modern hero.
          Before gathering the similarities between the two heroes, one must look at their differences, and a great difference between Beowulf and Superman is their characterization within their stories.  In order to determine what makes a man heroic, one must first learn what that individual has done in the past that makes him heroic.  In Beowulf's case, he proved to the Danish kingdom that he was a worthy hero by telling them of his conquests and adventures laying waste to giants and sea-monsters.  The utilization of indirect characterization deemed him a candidate to slay Grendel and bring peace to Heorot.  On the other hand, Superman was first found through comic books, where his strength and morals were directly characterized by a creative writer.  
          Although the two heroes were founded in very different times by very different cultures, various literary elements unite the two.  For example, the utilization of the Biblical allusion supports both characters' symbolization as a hero for their times.  In Beowulf's time, the cultures that surrounded him were transitioning from their pagan lifestyles to the path of Christianity, which was seen throughout his story as his people prayed to God many times for safety and success.  Also, the monster, Grendel, was said to have been the descendant of Cain, a character from a well-known parable in the Bible.  The high Biblical value of those times reflected upon Beowulf as an accepted hero among his people, and the same could be said for Clark Kent in today's world, otherwise known as Superman.  Bearing the large, block letter "S" on his chest, Superman resembles a "Savior" much as Jesus Christ resembled a savior.  Also, the letter "S" on Superman's home planet derives from the symbol of "Hope," much as Jesus Christ symbolized hope for his people in the Bible.  Although the stories of Superman do not specifically allude to the Christian religion as Beowulf's did, the references could still be found with some investigation.
          The most common element found within most heroes of every culture is the epic flaw.  An epic flaw is the fatal, single weakness that usually ends in the fatality of a hero, and both Beowulf and Superman have one.  Although humility was not the most valuable trait in Beowulf's Geatish kingdom, the polar opposite of arrogance was his ultimate downfall.  Beowulf was seen bragging once of his accomplishments to Heorot and reaping reward from it, but before his battle with the dragon, he decided to brag once again.  Claiming that if a sword and shield were not necessary to face the dragon, he would have cast them aside and fought bare-handed as was his way with Grendel.  Sadly, his arrogance finally caught up to him as he was killed in his final battle.  Arrogance to Beowulf was like kryptonite to Superman.
          The  values and norms of society will always change the ways in which we see our heroes, but all in all, heroism stays the same.  Whether it be Beowulf or Superman or the policeman down the street, heroes will always fight fearlessly for righteousness.  Changes in society will constantly shape our perceptions of right and wrong, but one thing will always remain certain.  Heroes will always be the "good guys."
         

VOCABULARY LIST 3

• Apostate:  a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc. (can be used as an adjective)
• The young man converted to the religion of Islam, and now, he is considered to be the shunned apostate of his old, Catholic church.
• Effusive:  unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve;  pouring out; overflowing; excessively emotional.
• The author, Jane Austen, characterized Lydia Bennet as an effusive child who ran wildly around with her emotions.
• Impasse:  a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.
• The henchmen within the building seemed to have reached an impasse when the police teams had blocked every exit.
• Euphoria:  a state of intense happiness and self-confidence.
• She was filled with euphoria as she stepped onto the stage to claim her award.
• Lugubrious:  mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner.
• After being denied his toy for the last time, the little boy sobbed in the most lugubrious manner for the rest of the hour.
• Bravado:  a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.
• The baseball player trotted up to bat with such bravado that even his fans almost wanted him to strike out in order to learn humility.
• Consensus:  majority of opinion; general agreement or concord.
• The judges chatted among themselves until they had reached a consensus on who the finalist should be. 
• Dichotomy:  division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.
• Long ago in the United States, the dichotomy of our governmental system ultimately created the Republican and the Democratic parties.
• Constrict:  to draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink; compress; to slow or stop the natural course or development of.
• The boa snake constricted its prey by wrapping its body around it and cutting off its blood-circulation.
• Gothic:  of or pertaining to the architecture, music, and arts of the Goths.  This style was produced between the 13th and 15th centuries, especially in northern Europe.  Architecture is known for its stonework and flying buttresses.  Arts are known for their tendencies toward realism and interest in detail.
• The grand cathedral in Europe exhibits Gothic architecture due to its numerous flying buttresses and fine details within the stonework.
• Punctilio:  strict attention to minute points of etiquette or formality.
• A follower of Catholicism must show their utmost punctilio when in the presence of the Pope. 
• Metamorphosis:  a complete change of form, structure, or substance.
• Caterpillars complete their life cycle as butterflies through the process of metamorphosis.
• Raconteur:  a person skilled in telling stories.
• The elder of the village was known to be quite the raconteur who could recite any story from memory and relate his stories to life experiences.
• Sine qua non:  an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential.
• Milk is a sine qua non when eating cereal.
• Quixotic:  extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.
• In romantic films, one of the characters always follows some unpredictable, quixotic path with his significant other.
• Vendetta:  any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like.
• In the movie, Taken, the main character had a vendetta against the men who kidnapped his daughter, and he did everything in his power to find and kill them.
• Non sequitur:  a statement containing an illogical conclusion.
• The non sequitur is to assume that the baby spilled milk on the floor even though he was drinking apple juice.
• Mystique:  an aura of mystery or mystical power surrounding a particular occupation or pursuit.
• The mystique of the magician's performance amazed the audience.
• Quagmire:  a situation from which extrication (freeing oneself) is very difficult.
• After graduating with their degrees, college students tend to find themselves within the financial quagmire of paying off student loans.
• Parlous:  perilous; dangerous; cunning; clever.
• Captain Jack Sparrow is a parlous individual who undergoes many dangerous adventures while bargaining his way through life.

LITERARY ANALYSIS 1: WHY THIS BOOK?

For my first dive into literature, I chose Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky for various reasons.  I'm one of those guys who finds most novels boring and ultimately hard to follow, which also gives the average English teacher yet one more reason to loathe me, but I'm a guy who also likes mystery and action; therefore, the title Crime and Punishment caught my eye.  After reading a little bit about the book, I found that this book might just hold my interest.  Plus, I've never read any literature from a Russian author; so it would be fun to see how this goes.  Lastly, this title was projected to be highly referred to on the AP tests.  Although I will most likely be saving these referenced books to read during the spring to better prepare myself for the AP test, it would be good to at least try one out before I venture into other pieces like  Invisible Man.