Book/Play Review: Long Day's Journey into Night

Author: Eugene O'Neill

Title: Long Day's Journey into Night
Genre: Classic, play, drama, YA, Historical Fiction 
Pages: 178

First Published: 1941
Where I Got It: my shelf (Baker College book store)

"The play is set in the summer home of the Tyrone family, August 1912. The action begins in the morning, just after breakfast. We learn as the first act unravels that Mary has returned to her family recently after receiving treatment in a sanatorium for morphine addiction. Edmund, meanwhile, has in recent weeks begun to cough very violently, and we learn later on in the play that, as Tyrone and Jamie suspect, he has tuberculosis. Throughout the course of the play, we slowly find out that Mary is still addicted to morphine, much to the disappointment of her family members."

I read this for my American Literature II class, but I've always heard good things about this play and I've been curious. So glad that class gave me the ambition to read this. haha.

Anyways, this is technically a "play", but since I read it AS a book, of sorts, I'm considering it a book. Normally its hard to read plays for it lacks specific details and etc, but this wasn't too bad. There was  A LOT of details and he did well making it able to be read like a book. 

I really want to see this performed. It was a good story. Very tragic and filled with drama. I LOVE my tragedies and this fit the bill. I loved the characters and I felt really bad for them. Especially James, the dad. All he wanted was the A-typical family, but he was blessed with this lot: a wife addicted to morphine, a womanizing drunk son, a son who tries but ultimately is a drunk, and a daughter is a drunk and a whore is never around. Poor guy. Yes, he's addicted to work, but who cares? At least he's bringing in the money. He has a family to support. They squander his money, so he has to work harder to make more. Poor guy. Stupid family. >.> 

I had to respond to a post on our class website and I feel like sharing that here. The question was "What about O’Neill’s Long Days Journey Into Night could be said to be like the Greek tragedies?"

My response: "After reading the O’Neill’s play, I did get a small sense of the famous Greek tragedy-ness (is that a word?) to it. It was rather sad and tragic. At the end my mind asked, “WHAT WAS THE POINT!?” Then after sitting and allowing my mind wrap around what I just read, I realize the beauty of it. I realize that I liked it and I always have a sweet-tooth for reading tragedies. Which is normal when reading something very tragic and Greek-like for me.

After reading this play, I did some extra reading and research on this play. I went and read some reviews and some analysis websites to see what they had to say. Sparknotes had commented, “it leaves the audience with a sense of catharsis, or emotional rebirth through the viewing of powerful events, and it depicts the fall of something that was once great.” Way better then I could have ever word something. Then Hedy Weiss, a critic of plays, had said, “Mary Tyrone’s view of the human condition is as fatalistic as any you might find in an ancient Greek tragedy in which the calamities that afflict mortals are wholly predestined and inescapable”. Which is completely right. No matter what the characters did, they were destined for their paths. Mary is destined to be addicted to morphine, James is destined to always be fighting and working and taking care of his “broken” family, Jamie is destined to be a failure, Edmund is destined to die soon, and Cathleen is destined to be a drunk and never really around.

In conclusion, I would mark this play as a modern Greek tragedy."

All-in-all, this was a good play/book. I enjoyed the family's interactions and their fights with their personal demons. I would recommend this to those that love tragedies and drama or for those that need a good shake up to their reading shelves. In the end, I will give this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): I found them intriguing, but I didn't really like any of them.

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Pretty much them all.

Book Review: A Million Little Pieces

Author: James Frey

Title: A Million Little Pieces 
Genre: Contemporary, Drama
Pages: 432

First Published: April 15th, 2003
Where I Got It: borrowed from Reece (my homie)

"At the age of 23, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his front teeth knocked out and his nose broken. He had no idea where the plane was headed nor any recollection of the past two weeks. An alcoholic for ten years and a crack addict for three, he checked into a treatment facility shortly after landing. There he was told he could either stop using or die before he reached age 24. This is Frey's acclaimed account of his six weeks in rehab."

For this review I am going to divide and conquer:

The Good

• Loved the voice of the man character. Wonderfully written.
• Loved the man character, James. Though he was a "criminal and addict" I really liked him. I connected with him a lot of different aspects. 
• I loved the blend of characters.
• The details were amazing.
• The randomness amused me.
• It took me a while to read it and I thought that was good. There was a lot going on and I enjoyed that I had to take longer with it. I recommend taking your time with this one.
• The including of Tao Te Ching. Though my knowledge on this book is rather limited I enjoyed how this self-help seemed to really help James instead of the stereotypical "god" and "step" programs that are the usual helpers for addicts. I am tempted to find myself a copy and read it to get a full grasp and formulate my opinion on it better. Mhmmmmm...
• "There is no good or evil, no Sinner or Saint. There simply is what is and that is it. You can use that to be and that is enough. Don't talk about it or question it. Just let it be. Just be. 
• "They say in thinking keep to simple, in conflict be fair. They say don't compare or compete simply be yourself. They say fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill, keep sharpening your knife and it will dull. They say chase after money and your heart will never unclench. Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." 

The Bad and the Ugly

• The grammar....the grammar and lack of ANY basic anything. Gah! I understand that it was meant to be the randoms of an addict in rehab and so it was MEANT to be like that. However, I'm working on a minor for English and it killed me sometimes. Especially at the beginning. It took me a while to overcome and get over it.
• The ending....I hated the ending. I can say more for fear of ruining it. 

My reaction....

Conclusion

I simply adored this book. It was defiantly something I never would have picked up for myself. Thank you Reece for making me read this and then allowing me to borrow your copy. ^.^ I would recommend this for those of an older age...there is a lot of swearing and adult content (ie. drugs and sex and all that jazz). Also, for those looking for a change in their reading should pick this up. Just keep in mind this is being narrated by an addict, so the writing may seem sporadic and the grammar is lacking majorly. In the end, I grant this 4 stars. I had to take a star away for the ending...I mean I understand why it ended the way it did, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. *sighs*

Favorite Character(s): James, Lilly, Leonard, and James' brother.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Ted, Matty, and James' Mother (>.>)
Favorite Quote(s): "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." pg.  201

*CaroleRae*