The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer is a little rascal. It a good thing his aunt loves him. I think with anyone else during those times Tom would not have lasted a month. I've only read 31 pages into The Adventures off Tom Sawyer but for real now ... how in the world are you going to get everyone else to paint the fence for you? This boy is going to be a con artist. I mean he made a profit out of it. "Tom was literally rolling in wealth. He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles,part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar – but no dog – the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash." As I said, this boy is going to be a con man. I think his aunt knows it too. She's pulled in by his sucking powers and can't help but love him. It must be a conspiracy by Mark Twain to convince small boys to do bad things, like the stupid but called "A Dangerous Book for Boys." My younger cousin Raleigh is now terrifying the children of the neighbor hood with his "not-so-very dangerous and easy to use" sling shot. Raleigh wants to be a lawyer when he grows up. He likes to argue.... NOTE: This is not completely done and will be revised some.

The Jelly Bean

The Jelly Bean is a about a small town, a small town boy named Jim Powell and a small town girl. It's sad but adorable. It has no happy ending or is one of those morale stories. Yet it sticks with you more than 30 minutes after you've read it. I have to give it credit for that. When I was reading Franny and Zooey I had a hard time keeping what they said in my head as I typed these blogs. The plot line of Franny and Zooey I could remember, as only 4 things happened in it but for the life of me nothing they said stuck out in my head. While in this book I can remember direct qoutes. " Mr. Jim Powell King of Jelly Beans." What is a jelly bean? I don't know. I believe it is someone who idles. All I do know is Jim Powell was referred to as the jelly bean everytime there was something important to be said.. It doesn't make much sense but I guess since the famous Jelly Bellly Jelly beans were invented in 1976 it makes more sense. By the way this blog just inlfuenced me to look up jelly beans. Well done Mrs. C. I have never before been motivated by a blog to go the extra 3 inches. Back to The Jelly Bean, the gist of the story is lost love, Jim Powell loves Nancy Lamar but will never get her because he is not the right man who has money. He has no money. He works in a garage, shoots pool and throws dice to support himself. Nancy is the girl who wants out of the snall confining town. She hooks up with the man who she thinks will get her out and ends up accidently married in the end causing Jim Powell the jelly bean to leave town. Sad isn't it?There are times when people just don't have a chance. This was one of them. This jelly bean just didn't fit into her plans.

The Offshore Pirate

Ardita, Ardita, Ardita. The Character of 15 to 21 year old women from the 20th century. Bossy, rude, well learned, as I said, the 20th century. She is also the classic Fitzgerald women, a woman with style who wouldn't wear just anything. She'd wear what ever would shock and bared everything (almost) to shock those who'd like to be shocked. In fact, that sounds a lot like Lily Allen. The British pop star of the moment. That's the women who is ridiculous and couldn't give a care until its too late, I'd like to nominate her for ugliest album cover. Have you seen it? HIDEOUS. The only reason Lily Allen still exists is because of her enchanting and amazing voice. Ardita didn't have a voice but, she did have that... style which made her unforgettable. Her manner is one that you think about even as your reading the next story. If it was for her the protagonist this story wouldn't exist. Carlyle/ Toby Moreland great character but, really its Ardita that matters. I mean Carlyle/Toby Moreland is "sexy" sounding guy but, I can't say that, so I ask the court to scratch that from the record. He is a very "hot" sounding guy and I could imagine him perfectly and I read it I found my self again thinking Fitzgerald for his Amazing description. "He was a young man with a scornful mouth and the bright blue eyes of a healthy baby set in a dark sensitive face. His hair was pitch black, damp and curly--the hair of a Grecian statue gone brunette. He was trimly built, trimly dressed, and graceful as an agile quarter-back." Could it get any better??? No I don't believe it could. This was the first story in the Collected Short Stories Of Fitzgerald. So my mind was blown away by his descpriptions of everything. The sky, the boats, the sound of their voices, was in beautiful details. EVERYTHING.

Porcelain and Pink

Porcelain in pink is a wonderful one act play Scott Fitzgerald wrote for the magazine Smart Set in 1922. It has "elegantly crude humor" as my sister put it. He asks what are you wearing and Lois just can't say "nothing". It's the 1920's for goodness sake. So she describes her skin. The man never realizes.My sister Rae was rolling on the floor with laughter once she got it. It's very difficult to explain. I'll just paste it. Here:

THE YOUNG MAN: (Sentimentally) It's so nice talking to you like this--when you're merely a voice. I'm rather glad I can't see you.

JULIE: (Gratefully) So am I.

THE YOUNG MAN: What color are you wearing?

JULIE: (After a critical survey of her shoulders) Why, I guess it's a sort of pinkish white.

THE YOUNG MAN: Is it becoming to you?

JULIE: Very. It's--it's old. I've had it for a long while.

THE YOUNG MAN: I thought you hated old clothes.

JULIE: I do but this was a birthday present and I sort of have to wear it.

THE YOUNG MAN: Pinkish-white. Well I'll bet it's divine. Is it in style?

JULIE: Quite. It's very simple, standard model.

Isn't that just quaint? I can't get a rid of double spacing. Sorry. Lois is the same delightful character through the entire thing. She is truly in her own world and seems to enjoy making thoughtful yet, ridiculous answers. Birthday suit? Pinkish white? Oh dear, the puritans would have truly hated this girl.

How Fitzgerald knew the ways girls are and act we'll never know. He captured the moments perfectly. In such a detailed manner too. This here was my favorite passage in Bernice bobs her hair;
Downstairs she opened the big front door, closed it carefully behind her, and feeling oddly happy and exuberant stepped off the porch into the moonlight, swinging her heavy grip like a shopping-bag. After a minute's brisk walk she discovered that her left hand still held the two blond braids. She laughed unexpectedly- had to shut her mouth hard to keep from emitting an absolute peal. She was passing Warren's house now, and on a impulse she set down her baggage, and swinging the braids like pieces of rope flung them at the wooden porch, where they landed with a slight thud. She laughed again no longer restraining herself. "Huh!" She giggled wildly. "Scalp the selfish thing!" Then picking up her suitcase she set off at a half-run down the moonlit street.
What a delightful stretch of words. Marjorie deceives Bernice into getting her hair cut into a bob and almost shames her in front of the whole crowd. So Bernice cuts her hair, giving Marjorie-the-bad-word a bob.

Collected Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have just finished Collected Stories of Scott Fitzgerald. It was very good. He had the stories organized under Flappers and Philosophers, and, Tales of The Jazz Age. Very fun and Fitting sections but, the titles were even nicer. My favorites were; Bernice bobs her hair, The offshore Pirate, The Four Fists, The Jelly Bean, and Porcelain and Pink. The one's with the best titles are the best stories. No reason, they just are. Simply genius. Each in their own way. I will write about each of the best individually in separate blogs. Because writing about them all here will take up a ton of room and they just simply can not be all squashed together. They were all very different in style and morale(I want to say morale but I don't know if that is the right word for what I mean). Bernice Bobs her Hair is tacky and wonderful with a great bit of spitefulness tossed in too. The offshore Pirate is snappy, stylish and romantic? Sort of, not really. The Four fists is nice and is available to be learned from. It's teaching in a "don't-do-this" kind of way. The Jelly Bean is sad, adorable and homely. Sort of like that kid at school you want to help but, can't because you're not good enough. Porcelain and Pink was one of the funniest things I have ever read. I'd love to do it as a play in drama. The bantering in the beginning reminded me of my sister and I. The ending didn't but, made it all the funnier. Silly, silly man, Mr. Calkins was a very good supporting character. Written so well, that I could imagine the color of his glasses and the length of his trousers.

Franny and Zooey. It's all about Franny.

Franny and Zooey is finished. The ending was stupid. Yes I probably come up with a better word than stupid but, I don't want to. Stupid Stupid Stupid. I read an entire book that ended with a nothing. All Franny did was cry some more yell at Zooey, receive a phone call and find new faith in the world. On the screen that all looks very interesting but its not. Not at all. It was disappointing. I waited the whole time for something interesting to happen. All I got was confusion and a fat lady who is secretly Jesus Christ.
The confusion is from the Phone call Franny received. Was it really Buddy or was it Zooey. I thinks its Zooey. He picked up the Phone and made a local call. He could not have been calling Buddy whose number was not local. It's all very confusing because the writer wrote it so that it could have been either.
The fat lady was a very nice touch. Shine your shoes for the fat lady says Seymore. So in his head when he's on the radio or television he thinks about the fat lady sitting in her chair at home listening to the radio all day long. There is always someone there who is listening and believes in them and what they have say. Jesus Christ.