The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Taryn's comments: 


A man referred to only as “the Time Traveller” gathers a group of friends after dinner and tells them about his invention: a machine that can travel through time. His friends think he is joking about the machine, despite his efforts to explain how it works. A few days later, the Time Traveller’s friends return for a dinner party to find him disheveled and disoriented. After he excuses himself to clean up, he returns to tell the story of his journey to the year 802,701 A.D. 

This was a surprisingly fast read for me once I got past the first chapter, which is full of scientific discussion on the possibility of time travel. The bulk of the book focused on the Time Traveller’s journey to a future time. In the year 802, 701 A.D., the Time Traveller encounters two very different species descended from humans: the Eloi and the Morlock. The Eloi are small, gentle creatures that seem to live in a utopia. However, the Time Traveller soon discovers the terrible secret of the Morlocks who live underground. 

The Time Machine is an entertaining tale full of adventure and suspense. At the same time, it is also intellectually stimulating, raising questions about class relations and the future of mankind. Fans of science fiction are familiar with The Time Machine as a classic in the genre, but this compelling narrative will appeal to other readers as well, especially those interested in sociology and philosophy. 


Check status at GPL / Place book on hold. 

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Ellen's comments:

You can read Allende's first novel in two ways.

You can read it as the chronicle of the wealthy and famous deValle/Trueba family through four generations. Esteban Trueba becomes engaged to green-haired Rosa the Beautiful, older daughter of a prominent family in the capital of an unnamed South American country. He takes a lease on a section of a mine far removed from the city and spends two years in great deprivation to make enough money to marry Rosa. Unfortunately, before the marriage, she dies of poison meant for her father, a political aspirant.

Esteban takes over his family's country estate, which has fallen into extreme disrepair since his father's death, and builds it back to its former glory. In need of a wife, he returns to the city and marries Rosa's younger sister, Clara deVille, builds a mansion in the city for his family, and their time is divided between the two homes.

Clara, who communicates with spirits, bears a daughter, Blanca, and twin sons, Jaime and Nicolas. Following Clara's example, Blanca, Jaime (a doctor), and Blanca's daughter, Alba, work long hours in the slums helping the poor. They, along with Nicolas, all develop love affairs "beneath them," either in the city slums or at the country villa.

Meanwhile, Esteban, a man of violent emotions, has built a commercial empire and become a powerful Senator. At 92, he looks back over his life and reevaluates it.

A second way to read the book is as the chronicle of a country. From a nominal democracy--they have a President and a legislature--but basically a medieval system of lords and serfs, we follow it through the rise of Socialism and Communism and on to the vicious military coup that follows. All this develops during Esteban's lifetime and involves him and his family, often tragically. One is struck by how quickly and radically conditions can change for virtually anyone. We in the U.S. have largely been insulated from the vicissitudes of radical political upheaval, and this is a window on the world outside our borders.

Check status at GPL or place book on hold.

Alice in Wonderland

In honor of the upcoming release of Disney's Alice in Wonderland on March 5th, Greenwood Public Library is celebrating with two days of special events!

Teen Activities - March 3
11am & 3pm: Watch the Disney animated version of Alice in Wonderland
4pm: House of Cards stacking contest in YA room
All Day: Games, Raffles, Prizes & More

Children's Activities - March 3
9am - 6pm: Take a trip down the Rabbit Hole with Alice for a day of activities, crafts and fun in the Children's Room. Mad Hatter scavenger hunt, Doormouse bowling, House of Cards, Fish for the Queen of Hearts, puzzles, coloring pages and more! No registration necessary.

Grownups - March 4
Mad Hatter Tea Blending: 6-8pm
Donna from Teapots n' Treasures will lead us in a 'mad' evening of tea blending.  Whether you are a tea lover, an Alice in Wonderland fan, or just celebrating an unbirthday, join us for an amazing and tasty evening of tea blending. $10 per person, registration required.

Before you see the movie, be sure to read the original classic tale:

Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Rachel's Comments: Curiouser and curiouser-it is strange how Alice in Wonderland has invaded our collective consciousness. How often have you heard the terms "white rabbit" or "unbirthday" in everyday conversation? (Even when this conversation does not involve Jefferson Airplane.) The mystique around Alice in Wonderland has probably evolved from Carroll's creation of a dream--a dream we all feel as if we have had before.

The book will seem very familiar--especially if you have seen any of the movie versions of this tale. Having this visual of the Dormouse, Caterpillar, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum may make it easier to take in the hallucinatory poetry that accompanies their tales in the books. I always felt an uneasiness around this story as a child because none of the characters act they way they should. What does this mean anyway? My next read will probably have to be the Annotated Alice. This may be fruitless, however, because as Alice said, "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"  Check status at GPL