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February 05, 2015
The Giver is short, thoughtful, well-written and intriguing. And it’s certainly worth a read for all those reasons. It probably falls in the sci-fi category yet it’s definitely more a study of the social effects of a closely controlled future society, not the technological advancements. The story centers on Jonah, an 11 yr old boy who lives with his family unit in a place called The Community. All choices are made for the residents, all behaviors are controlled, and the whole population strives for the blissful ignorance and calm safety of societal “sameness”. However, things change once Jonah is given the great honor of becoming the Receiver of Memories. Through this process he learns there was a time before his and a time before that and before that and so on. Through the feelings and memories he is given, he realizes that nothing in his life can ever possibly be the same. And the man who relays this burden of knowledge to Jonah is, of course, The Giver.
As you read this novel, keep a couple things in mind: (these points are not really spoilers, but if you want to know 100% nothing about the book, then please stop reading now.
)
This book was written in 1993, well before many of the action-packed dystopian future novels we are used to these days. You will find none of the complex issues and omnipresent violence of The Hunger Games books and the Divergent series. The Giver is very simple and straight-forward in plot. You'll be looking for rebels or waiting for society to crumble, however it’s just not that sort of book. Oddly enough, there ARE some parallels to the movie Pleasantville. But that was released in ‘98 so The Giver likely couldn’t have borrowed from the film. Though whoever wrote that movie could’ve been a bit inspired by the book. Or I might be the only one who’s made that connection, but I doubt it.
You’ll also want to know that there are four books in The Giver series. I did not know this until after I finished the book so when I first got done, I thought I must’ve read a shortened version or some kind of incomplete sample copy. The ending is quite abrupt, vague, incomplete and unsatisfying. In fact, I was contemplating why in the world, with an end like that, this thing was so unbelievably popular and well-received! Now I know there are three more books and I am certainly looking forward to reading them. In fact, at the end of The Giver there was an excerpt for book two, called Gathering Blue, and it was highly interesting. New characters were introduced in what appeared to be another future society that could possibly be existing somewhere on Earth at the same time as Jonah’s “Community”. Very intriguing. And I must find out what happens to Jonah and his surprising travelling companion, who you’ll meet in The Giver.
How’s that for a teaser!
The Giver is safe and clean to read, but it’s very deep and worthy of a lot of discussion. I’d say middle school or higher is the best reader age. There are some vague mentions of “sexual desires” (which the community residents take a pill to suppress) so that’s one possible uncomfortable part in the novel. Overall, it’s just a creative, calm, thoughtfully written story that drops several heavy issues on you. Could you solely handle the heaviness and anguish that comes with simply knowing about the past? How about at age 11? Yes, “Ignorance is bliss” is an ages old cliche - yet is it a true statement or is it absolutely false? Be ready for those mind bombs and more as you enjoy this great book and then dive into the rest in the series.
Happy Reading!
As you read this novel, keep a couple things in mind: (these points are not really spoilers, but if you want to know 100% nothing about the book, then please stop reading now.
)This book was written in 1993, well before many of the action-packed dystopian future novels we are used to these days. You will find none of the complex issues and omnipresent violence of The Hunger Games books and the Divergent series. The Giver is very simple and straight-forward in plot. You'll be looking for rebels or waiting for society to crumble, however it’s just not that sort of book. Oddly enough, there ARE some parallels to the movie Pleasantville. But that was released in ‘98 so The Giver likely couldn’t have borrowed from the film. Though whoever wrote that movie could’ve been a bit inspired by the book. Or I might be the only one who’s made that connection, but I doubt it.
You’ll also want to know that there are four books in The Giver series. I did not know this until after I finished the book so when I first got done, I thought I must’ve read a shortened version or some kind of incomplete sample copy. The ending is quite abrupt, vague, incomplete and unsatisfying. In fact, I was contemplating why in the world, with an end like that, this thing was so unbelievably popular and well-received! Now I know there are three more books and I am certainly looking forward to reading them. In fact, at the end of The Giver there was an excerpt for book two, called Gathering Blue, and it was highly interesting. New characters were introduced in what appeared to be another future society that could possibly be existing somewhere on Earth at the same time as Jonah’s “Community”. Very intriguing. And I must find out what happens to Jonah and his surprising travelling companion, who you’ll meet in The Giver.
How’s that for a teaser!
The Giver is safe and clean to read, but it’s very deep and worthy of a lot of discussion. I’d say middle school or higher is the best reader age. There are some vague mentions of “sexual desires” (which the community residents take a pill to suppress) so that’s one possible uncomfortable part in the novel. Overall, it’s just a creative, calm, thoughtfully written story that drops several heavy issues on you. Could you solely handle the heaviness and anguish that comes with simply knowing about the past? How about at age 11? Yes, “Ignorance is bliss” is an ages old cliche - yet is it a true statement or is it absolutely false? Be ready for those mind bombs and more as you enjoy this great book and then dive into the rest in the series.
Happy Reading!