My Desk Could Be So Cluttered Right Now

Brainstorming used to consist of lots of paper strewn all over my room, maybe a broken pencil or two (until I would find a pen and then the white out would surface), and a lot of going back and forth between books and more papers. Boy, am I glad for computers! I love this digital age. I was able to open up this blog to view each post made by my classmates, and open up a word document to type and edit my ideas to my heart's content. Oh, the bliss.

Without further delay, please see below for the draft of a possible Table of Contents for our class's ebook. (This is a very rough draft - eventually the language will be much more flowery.)


Table of Contents Draft

Entering the Digiliterary World

1. Saren Bennet, Finding a New Home Among Online Platforms
Getting acquainted with online platforms can be a foreign experience, but when done with an open and eager mind, readers can become their best selves and create a new home.

2. Shelby , Rotting Our Brains Has Become Broadening Our Horizons
 It is important to put aside our fears of the unknown and become digiliterary in order to enrich our literary experience.

3. Lauren Sullivan, Increased Access to Information Equals Increased Intelligence for the Individual
As readers are able to explore and utilize online platforms for literary study, they are increasing their knowledge; this increased knowledge enables individuals to shape society anew.

4. Nathan Scovill, Good Advertising vs Spoiler Alert
Online platforms introduce a story out-of-order: the pros and cons of this effect.

5. Leah Smart, Reconsuming the Classics
Amazon opens the Kindle reader to a variety of free ebook downloads; many of those free downloads are classics that readers can reread and replace old judgments.

The Karma of Reading in a Digital World: You Get What You Give.

I enjoyed the assignment for my English class here at Brigham Young University to discover what makes a good review on social media platforms such as Amazon.com and Goodreads.com.   The posts that had the most appeal to me personally were those done by people who really seemed knowledgeable in their field.  This is a crucial component of a respectable review.  The user should be able to do a quick analysis of the book and explain a bit about it without giving too much away from the story.  For example, when I was reading Heart of Darkness, our assigned novel, I found the reviews that expounded briefly on the symbolism and themes extremely helpful.  Through them, I was able to identify a few points and meanings that I would probably have missed if I hadn’t looked at the reviews.  However, I found that when the users were overly dramatic and either idolized or loathed the book, I didn’t take it as seriously.  The review should have a fairly unbiased tone, simply stating the good and bad points of the work, not being so forceful that the reader feels intimidated to form his or her own opinion.  Another deterrent for me was definitely the length.  Reading a long analysis of the book was something I turned to only in sheer desperation for enlightenment.  The users who were able to be concise and to the point were the ones I found to be most effective.  

  It was interesting to me to see the different reviews on each site based on the different type of users that each attracts.  When I went on Amazon to check out the reviews for our assigned novel, Heart of Darkness, I looked up a few of the things that users had also reviewed.  There was one account that I really enjoyed.  He had a lot of reviews and comments with real depth about some heavy literature, but also showed his playful side by reviewing a fluffy stuffed dog toy that his little daughter had ordered.  This is an advantage that Amazon has over Goodreads.  Many, many people use Amazon for various things, whereas Goodreads is a bit less well-known.  The reviews from Amazon seem to come from people that are more….”real,” I guess you could say, while those on Goodreads have an “English-teacher-esque” persona.

 I felt like my own review on Amazon would go to a broader, more generalized audience.  This made me feel comfortable to write a bit about my own experience with the novel, but also pushed me to keep it short so that it would get more reads.  When I posted to Goodreads, I felt a sense of apprehension because the people there are serious readers!  I worried that I didn’t have the experience or intelligence to be taken seriously on that platform.  But hooray for me, it’s up there anyway!

 

I found myself surprised by the pleasure I found in having people react positively to my posts on Goodreads!  Entering in group discussions made me think harder about the books, but also made me clarify and solidify my own ideas.  It made me want to participate more and get other people’s viewpoints.  Posting my review on Facebook was another big leap for me though.  It was strange to combine my academic, task-oriented self with my online persona as well.  But I think that is a really interesting part of this whole project; combining online identities to discover and round-out ourselves.  Plus, this project has not only affected me!  Now my roommates are actively involved in my reading/posting habits and are broadening their own literary horizons by talking with me about books and commenting on my posts!  

In the digital age, you definitely get what you put out.  As active online reviewers and readers, we can benefit from other people’s perspectives and deepen our own understanding in ways not possible through solo literary consumption.

Venturing into the Woods of Reviews

When I finishing Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad on my Kindle app on my phone it forced me to write a review before I could easily access the last page! I hurried and wrote a short review because I wanted to read the ending of the book without delay…

However, I felt as if the review I wrote was quite cliché and could be improved, but this was the first time EVER that I had rated a book publicly. So to see what could be improved of course I looked up others reviews to get a few ideas of what it takes to have a helpful review.

I was surprised to see that someone had already rated my short review helpful before I revised it on Amazon! So I took that as one of my criteria, a review on the shorter side. No one wants to read a novel of a review to find out if the novel is readable. The review also should be semi-personal but not biased; it should have a good balance. I shuffled through so many reviews that were also too short like, “was alright” or “a must for any bookshelf.” I did not find that either of these did justice for the novel if they hated it or loved it, I did not know why. They needed to back up their opinion. I also enjoyed hearing about methods that others used to enjoy the book; maybe they had read the reviews, or reread it several times. 

So with those observations I took a stab in the dark of writing my own review, and then even publishing it online for my Facebook friends to see!

So here it is:

“Finely written novel with a theme of imperialism. The two main characters Marlow and Kurtz are interesting and thought provoking. It is a dark novel that takes no empathy for the loss of human life. At some points the racism and sexism demonstrated by the characters is painful; however, this portrays very explicitly the historical context and the author Joseph Conrad's own voice. I did not fully understand the book until I understood to the context of why it was written. Reviews and Spark Notes helped me understand and get lost in the book that initially made me cringe at its darkness. The novel is thought provoking, and well detailed, but leaves reader with a dark impression.”

So obviously I kept it pretty short. I discussed the theme of the book, but also showed how initially the book was hard for me to read, until I understood Joseph Conrad, both expressing my opinion with facts.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed to not receive too much of a response to my post on Facebook about the review. I know my friends read, but maybe they use Goodreads for books and Facebook for socializing? Any tips on getting more of a response on Facebook? 

However, while interacting on Goodreads and Amazon through reviews I was surprised to find so many others who were able to appreciate Heart of Darkness as I had. I needed to first understand Conrad to truly get lost in the book, and a few other reviews discussed that! I looked at their other reviews and one of my favorite ones was actually on Amazon, and she rated mostly books! It was entertaining to see what other things people have rated like guns and knives and then Heart of Darkness. I feel like it could help identify me with the person or completely differentiate. It was a fun experiment!

I still feel pretty amateur and that I am venturing lost in the dark woods of the review world, so what does it take to have a well-written review for you?

Outside the Comfort Zone and Beyond!

So I have a goal. That goal is to become a super savvy user of Amazon and Goodreads. Why? Because I fully intend to be a lifelong reader and being engaged in these communities certainly supports that intention. Plus, that is the way the world is heading. Literature is becoming a social experience online and I might as well embrace it. I have been doing research specifically on reviews and reviewers and here are some of my conclusions (Oh also, I focused my research and reviews around the novel "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad):

#1 What makes a good review "good?"

• The auther nows how too spel and the righting is clear and straitforward. 
• The author gives support for their claim. They share specifically why they feel the way they do. They help us to understand how they interpreted the text and what it meant to them. If it did mean something to them, I suppose. 
• The author is not writing the review from a emotionally reactionary place. If they are writing just because they hate their English teacher, their words are not valid. 

Compare this to this to learn more.

#2 What makes a reviewer have credibility? What would make me want to follow them?

• Once again, they must exhibit that they are thinking human beings. 
• Take this how you will, but they have more credibility to me if I tend to agree with them. I wouldn't follow them if I was constantly disagreeing with their opinions. Reviews are opinions.
• If their reviews are immature, mean, or pointless they are not credible. 
• The reviewers that become the "Top Reviewers" on Amazon review a TON of products. If you want to be a credible reviewer you must review many, many items. 

Click here to see a list of top reviewers on Amazon. 

#3 How did it go doing my own review? 

• I tried to follow my own criterea under #1 and #2.
• I shared my personal experience so that others might know what to expect for theirs/

Check out my review here!

#4 Is it socially acceptable to post reviews to Facebook?

This is not something that I wanted to do. I am not really the most active out there in the social networking world. It isn't exactly my personality to put my opinions out there, especially on Facebook. But I did it! I posted a link to my review of the book "Heart of Darkness." The response? 

I got 5 likes! Woohoo! (Sure, one was from my friend that knew about the assignment and another from a friend that is SUPER into Goodreads, but still!)

Conclusion: People will not hate you if you share about books on Facebook. 

#5 Do people respond when you reach out to them through their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads? 

I really tried! I commented on multiple recent reviews, liked a few reviews, and even joined a group on Goodreads that had comments that were only a few hours old! But I was not successful in having anyone engage me back. (Except for a few likes from individuals in my English class. Thanks Emily and Jenna, you guys rock.)

UPDATE at 7:41 AM. People have now responded! WOOOO! I feel validated! I feel heard! Here are Steve and Greg's wonderful replies! 

So overall, how did my experiment go? Pretty well. I feel like I am beginning to really understand the social map of these two sites and how I can fit into them. I can be a contributing member of the current literary commmunity! 

"Conrad-ception" A Story Within a Story Within a Story

Heart of Darkness was written by Joseph Conrad in 1899. It is a short novel that explores the inner workings of humankind through the narrative of a man named Marlow. Marlow recounts his experience sailing on a river in the Congo as an ivory transporter. The Marlow’s experience has incredible depth because Conrad himself actually was a part of a similar operation in his earlier life.
There are many aspects of Conrad’s form that contribute to how this novel can be interpreted. One of the  most influential choices that Conrad made in form was to have the story told by an unidentified narrator who is listening to Marlow tell his tale of long ago. This decision affects how we internalize every page. This creates a “story within a story” and that changes how we view both the story and the character Marlow. We see this story as something that has happened in the past, as something behind us. This distance gives us a level of security. But that security is completely lost  as the story concludes and we are left feeling haunted as we read:

“Marlow ceased, and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha. Nobody moved for a time. ‘We have lost the first of the ebb,’ said the Director, suddenly. I raised my head. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-- seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.”

Even though we just spent the whole novel one step away from the darkness, at the end we realize that the darkness might actually be right ahead. That it might actually be inside each of us.
Choosing to have Marlow tell us the tale also affects how we contrast the characters of Marlow and Kurtz. Since we know that Marlow is here with us on the deck and since we are receiving his interpretation of past events, we come to see how he was able to escape from the pull of the darkness. As the story unfolds we witness the unhinging of Kurtz, but we can be partially reassured because we know that Marlow makes it out to tell the tale. Although the darkness is imminent, we like Marlow may be able to overcome.

This “frame narrative” does more than influence our connection with the “darkness” and with the characters. It also teaches us about experiencing isolation. As Marlow tells us this tale we feel this desire within him to make a connection with his fellow sailors. He is sharing a part of himself that affected him so profoundly we feel a brotherhood with him for sharing it with us.  But, we recognize that there will always still exist some level of isolation. That we will never truly know how Marlow feels. As one of my favorite lines from the book says, “Marlow was silent for a while. ... ‘No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one’s existence—that which makes its truth, its meaning—its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream—alone....’”

Experiencing literature in this age is still about what literature has always been about. It will always be an attempt at connecting the minds, hearts, and souls of individuals. It will always be directed by the desire to overcome this isolation. THAT is why we have Goodreads, Amazon, and Kindles.

I Want What They Have!

The last time I read Heart of Darkness was in my senior AP Lit class and I don't remember anything except longing for it to be over... yikes. After the AP test in May, my class did a Film Study unit and then had the great pleasure of watching Apocalypse Now... I was not enthused. I was an avid reader and loved analyzing film, but I just was not connecting with Heart of Darkness in any way. Now that I'm older and wiser and probably even more sensitive to violence, I'm excited to return to this classic with a new focus. Venturing into this book again with a new focus and a support group of bloggers along side me is certainly going to be an adventure. In order to will myself to enjoy Heart of Darkness and truly come away from it having learned something more than "I hate when people cut off other people's heads," I am going to look to those people who DO enjoy Heart of Darkness and use their reviews as a springboard from which I will launch into literary bliss! Turns out, connecting through social media is helping people to connect to literature on more levels and making more people into avid readers.

Step 1: Find people who enjoy Heart of Darkness. First, I turned to Goodreads, because it seems like the people who post there have to feel passionate enough to take the initiative to join, keep their profile up, rate and review. It's definitely a very trustworthy source. I skipped over the one star ratings, because I already understand those people; instead, I focused on those reviews that rated the book with four or five stars. One high review that I found helpful was written by an engineer who used Cliff Notes to help him understand the layers of symbolism. Once he read Cliff Notes and understood the symbolism of Heart of Darkness on a surface level, he was able to connect personally to the text.

Another girl who rated the book with five stars wrote: "I couldn't say enough about Conrad's mastery of prose. Not a single word is out of place." wr When I read her rating, I realized that I probably hadn't payed enough attention to Conrad's diction and syntax the first time I read it, and that maybe this time I'll appreciate it more. My connections online are leading me to look deeper into the text in order to feel what other people have felt.

One more review by a man who gave Heart of Darkness five stars illustrated his own personal story of receiving the book for Christmas as a child, and the way it connected him with his father. Reading about the way this book affected this young man's life in such a powerful way made me want to read it and allow it to teach me the way it taught him.

When we read about other people's experiences and the the things they love and find helpful, it helps us to be more open and accepting readers. I'd guess that many people who don't like reading simply didn't like the texts they were forced to read in school and the opinions they were forced to develop by teachers who may or may not have enjoyed the text either. When readers connect online with honesty and personal history, we are bound to find ways that we connect to books and to each other.