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Summary: The Giver
Review: This book is about a young boy far in the future that gets assigned a very important job. He lives in a community where everbody is equal. Nobody can see color or have memories of their pasts. There is only one person in this community that has these memories; he is called the reciever of memories. The reciever's name is the Giver. The boy, Jonas, is assigned to be the next reciever. The giver has to transport all of his memories from the past to Jonas. When he gives Jonas the memories he loses them. He gives him memories like war, family, love, and hurt. All of these things are only understood by Jonas and the Giver. This is the best book I have read in a long time. I do not enjoy reading very much, but this book hooked me. I read it in three days. I recommend this book for people who like the idea of the future and have a curiousity about different lifestyles.
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Summary: A Vision of Utopia
Review: When I began The Giver there was a sense of longing. A world where there is no crime, hate, or fear sounds perfect. It describes utopia, 'a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions'. It is very similar to Sir Thomas More's book Utopia. And like Utopia, there are many contradictions in this world.
The community's purpose is to create uniformity throughout the society. This is seen in the indistinguishable clothing that is worn, the elimination of material possessions, and the identical family units consisting of a male and female parent and a son and daughter.
"Almost every citizen in the community had dark eyes. But there were a few exceptions. Jonas himself, and a female Five who he had noticed the different, lighter eyes. No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals."(p. Lowry 20)
Using the word individual in this quote contradicts the message it is trying to convey because the goal of this community is to eradicate any form of uniqueness.
In a Utopian society everybody's work is considered equal and important. Yet the book includes undertones, which uncovers hierarchy within jobs. When Lily confesses her desire to 'get assigned to be a birthmother' she is immediately chastised and is told "There's very little honor in that Assignment."(Lowry. p21) This alone shows the societies unfavorable stance towards life when a job that is directly related to the giving of life is thought of as inferior.
Overall Lowry's Utopian society exemplifies a lack of trust in human nature. Decisions are left up to 'The Elders' therefore eliminating any free will.
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Summary: The Giver
Review: In a futuristic, perfect world, with no colour, love, or choice, Jonas is waiting for what he will become. Jonas is sent to "The Giver" by the commitee of Elders and assigned to receive memories of the past. But through these different memories there are tales of war, starvation and death, but Jonas can not share these memories with his friends. Little Gabriel, a newchild is to be released (killed), and so Jonas sets out on an adventure with Gabriel to find another place, another life... The winner of the 1994 Newbery medal, "The Giver" is a fantastic read for all ages.
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Summary: A lesson wrapped in an excellent story
Review: I first read this book when I was almost Jonas' age, and I absolutely fell in love with the story. At the time I didn't know why I liked it so much, nor did I understand why the author chose the ending to be so abrupt. I was left wanting to know more about what happened to Jonas and Gabriel, and what effect their leaving had on the community. "That's all?" I yelled when I read the final page. I clamored for a sequel, but even then I knew that in all honesty, a sequel was unnecessary.
Now, almost eight years later, I have gained even more appreciation for this fine book. The subject matter isn't airy and light. Characters who you initially like do some pretty terrible things. The world Jonas lives in, while at first very appealing, turns out to be a whited sepulcher (to steal from J. Conrad/The Bible). These are important themes for a child to learn, especially for one coming of age. Appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes evil is packaged in such a way as to make it appealing. Lies can look like truth, and people in positions of authority are not always right.
Some parents and educators (to use the term loosely), decry the message it sends, saying kids who read The Giver will think adults can't be trusted, and will be disobedient. Excuse me, but if they do, it's because they're healthy adolescents. Far be it for Lowry to encourage kids to think for themselves, but at least she gives them something of substance to mull over. And she doesn't lie to them, either. Pain hurts. War often results when people have choices. Jonas' community does have its upsides. It doesn't have pain or war, or even sadness. But it doesn't have love or choices either. (Of course I'm simplifying, and the most satisfying part of the book is not social commentary, but the wonderful characters.) With her straightforward prose, Lowery shows just what kind of world we live in today...where a future like Jonas' is very possible.
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Summary: An Exciting and Incredible Novel
Review: The Giver is hands down one of the best novels I've read. The 1994 Newbery Medal winning-book by Lois Lowry. The Newbery Medal honors the most outstanding contribution to children's literature published in the prior year. The Giver provides fantasy with enough realism that you find yourself comparing things to the world we live in. The Giver is about Jonas, a child living in a particular community. In his community, individuals do not get to choose their own careers. You are observed throughout your schooling and required volunteer hours, and a job that fits your aptitudes is selected for you. So Jonas is looking forward to the ceremony where he receives his assignment, or job. Jonas soon discovers that he has not received any ordinary job. He has been named as the new "Receiver of Memories." Only one person has this job at any time, and the old one is ready to retire. Before the old one, whom Jonas comes to call "The Giver," can retire, he must pass on all of his knowledge to Jonas. Through the course of his job training, Jonas discovers that his society isn't all it's cracked up to be. The more he finds out about other societies, the more dissatisfied he becomes with his own. However, his society can only be changed in one way, and that way can be deadly. What does Jonas decide to do? You'll have to read and find out! The best thing about this book was the way it kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Wherever I thought the story was going, that's not where it went. New twists, turns, and ideas were found on every page of every chapter. Even things that are familiar to you will be seen from a new perspective.
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Summary: The Giver
Review: How would living in a flawless world of sameness feel like? In Jonas's mind it is a perfect place. No pain. No secrets. No war. It is just as if living a dream. Everyone has a role in the community and is placed in training at the age of twelve. Each year prior to twelve, there are ceremonies. For example, at the age of nine, the child receives their first bicycle. Then at age seven and eight, sweaters are given to teach the child how to put it on and eventually how to button it. Every one of these gifts is meant to teach proper life skills for the future.
Well, it is time for Jonas's twelve ceremony. Everyone is excited to see the jobs chosen for each child. As he stands nervously awaiting the announcement of his name, the announcer mysteriously skips his name and moves on to the next. Come to find out, he is chosen for the most difficult and rarest job in the community, to be the next Giver. So, later he begins his training. Jonas works with the Giver and finds out about what the world was like in the past. The Giver tells him that nobody has feelings or emotions, that the only one who can hold the memories and pain of the entire community is Jonas.
By transmitting the memories to Jonas, he experiences life like no other. At first it is true pleasure feeling the warmth of the sun melting over head. Then the brutal bloody scenes of war approached. Jonas starts to see that sameness is not good. His friends don't understand why he acts out against them when playing a game of war. They're curious about what is happening to him and his odd behavior. When it is just too much for the Giver and him to take, they devise a plan. Will Jonas make it out of the sameness community? Or will they track him down and have him punished?
The Giver is probably a science fiction combination futuristic novel. This book has a very good sense of creativity and suspense. The only weakness is the ending. It does not imply much about what is to happen next. Lois Lowry's writing style is phenomenal because of the excellent detailing work and all around eagerness. I would recommend this novel to ages 12+ only because of the vocabulary and understanding of it.
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Summary: A wonderful story
Review: This is definetely a psicilogical thriller. It toys with the thought of how low humans will go to escaoe what they thought was an even lower future. This is definetly one of the best books I have ever read.
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Summary: The Giver
Review: This is a book that is colorfully written by Lois Lowry. This is a science fiction book that has a lot of ambition of what a perfect community would be like. I think that this one of the best books that I have read in a long time.
This science fiction book is focus around the main character (Jonas). Jonas a t Age 12 gets the privilege of the receiver of Memory. His teacher is an elderly man by the name of The Giver. The Giver is the Receiver of Memory before him. During his training he is given the memories of the past world. He alone knows what is to feel pain, fear, hunger, and many other emotions. When he se's his father do some thing of complete horror to him he decides that he can't stay in the community much longer. So he runs away with the help of The Giver.
This book is one book that you could read over and over again. It is even easy enough for a 10 year old to read. But in the end this is a good book.
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Summary: Very Well Writen
Review: The Giver is a book about a 11 year old boy, who lives in a "perfect world". Soon he finds out that the world wasn't aloways perfect because he is the curent Reciver of Memories who is given all the memories of the people before the "perfect world". I enjoyed this book very much, but I didn't like how it left off in the end. I would definitly recomend it to this reader!
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Summary: The Giver
Review: The Giver
By Lois Lowry The Giver is a fantasy novel by Lois Lowry. The setting is a fantasy utopia, where every family unit has a mom, a dad, a son and a daughter. Everyone has a job chosen by the elders set to the recipient's mental, emotional and physical health. Jonas, the main character, is growing up with a group of kids the same age as he is. On the day Jonas' group turns 12, they get their "assignments" which is their lifelong job. Jonas gets a very special job. He is to be the "Receiver of Memory."
In the utopia Jonas lives in, people don't want to have the burden of war, hate, pain and love, but they also give up sunshine, snow, color and music. They do not simply give the memories up. They give them to the "receiver." The "receiver" can aid the elders in decisions they have not faced before. When Jonas becomes the "receiver" he learns of the true nature of life and death and how many bad things his family and friends are trained to do, but not think badly about. When the old receiver, named The Giver by Jonas, transfer memories to Jonas, it is with almost psychic power. Jonas gets to live these old memories with all the senses he has. He actually feels like he is reliving terrible past events. He finds out terrible things. When Jonas learns of the worst things, he decides he can no longer live in this community. He decides he must leave and he takes with him the one person he has grown to love and can't bear to abandon that person to what fate has in store for them if left in the community.
The book is very detailed about the community and its people. You actually begin to enjoy watching them come to life, and when you begin to learn things about them, you feel angry. Lois Lowry does a great job relating Jonas feelings of anguish and betrayal as he makes one of the hardest decisions in his life. The climax is very good and you are left with idea that maybe a couple of things could have happened, and you need to decide what kind of person you are to end the book for yourself. And added benefit is that it is not a very hard read and anyone above the 4th grade should easily be able to read it. I highly recommend the book to anyone who likes to read fantasy novels.
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