The Soloist (13-22)

I learned a lot in these chapters. The mayor of Los Angeles, who happens to read Lopez’s columns takes a stroll through Skid Row and is appalled. He sees the crime and the disaster that is occurring. He dedicated 50 million dollars to skid Row and other places like it to build homes and buildings. When I read this I really got happy because it was such a generous gift. It really can save many people’s lives. I also think about how if Lopez never wrote a column about Nathanial and his “home” in Skid Row that would have never happened.
Part two of The Soloist taught me a lot about Nathanial Ayer’s past. He had a hard childhood. He had a father, mother, and sisters. When his father left his family and started a new family with another woman, it really affected Ayers negatively. When his mother also got remarried, it created even more problems. I think that Nathanial’s family’s history really affected him. It really explains the distrust he has in people. The fact that Ayers is so carefree also might be a side affect to his devastating childhood.
Later in part two, Nathanial finally sleeps in his room at lamp. Of course he put up a fight and he was a little stubborn but he agrees to sleep there three nights a week. When Ayers turned 50 he woke up in his room in lamp instead of on the street, which really made me happy.
I think Part two really gave the story a new twist. Now that Nathanial is finally in lamp I can’t help but wonder what will happen next. I also love that I learned a whole lot about Nathanial’s past which in my opinion fills in a lot of holes in the story.

The Soloist (7-12)

        In the second part of my reading, I learned some personal things about Nathaniel Ayers. Steve Lopez did some more research about Ayers, for his column and discovered that he lives in a place called Skid Row. Apparently it is one of the most dangerous places to live, between the drug abuse and the heroin addicts. Its scary to think that in the mist of the muggers, fights, drugs, and slums, there is an innocent man with nothing but his instrument. I think that once Lopez saw this he immediately felt the need to help him. 

        I feel some pity for Nathaniel, but not as much as i thought i would. sure, he is homeless and lonely, but here is something about him that separates him from the common homeless person. Yes, he does live on the streets, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He doesn't have a cup at hand begging for spare change. He seems really independent and i really admire that confidence in him. I just wonder why Ayers doesn't want to get off the streets, what is holding him back?

The Soloist (1-6)

So far, The Soloist is a really intresting book. The fact that it is a true story really makes me want to find out what really happens to Nathaneil Ayers. The love that he has for music is very inspiring. He lives on the streest and has nothing but the clothes on his back, but as long as he has his precious violin, then he is alright. it makes me really think about how people take things for graunted. Alot of people in the world have everything they ever wanted, a huge house, money, designer clothes, and cars, but they still want more. Then there are people like Nathaneil Ayers who has no care in the world as long as he has his instrutment.
The first six chapters are about a writer names Steve Lopez who is looking for a story. He stumbles upon a homeless man on the streets of downtown LA. As soon he hears Ayers play he is mezmeriezed. He decides that his story is going to be about this amazing musician who lives on the streets. Whenever he tries to interview Ayers he dosent cooroporate. When he tries to find information about Nathaneil by talking to his loved ones, including his beloved sister he finds out that Ayers attended Julliard. He suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Lopez then realizes that he wants to help Nathaneil in any way he can.
I really enjoy the first few chapters of this book because of the determination that both characters have. Ayers, because of his music, that is all he seems to care for. Lopez, because he wants to write a great column, and because he wants to truly help out Ayers. I am excitedto continue reading and find out what will happen to Nathaneil Ayers.

The Catcher in the Rye

I thought The Catcher in the Rye was a really good book. Although the novel didn’t have the normal set up like most books, (beginning, middle, end, climax, resolution, ect.) it still had a good storyline. The whole book was about Holden Caulfield and his life, and all of the problems he faces in New York. I noticed that the book was written as if it were pages from a journal and that made it more interesting in my opinion. Throughout the whole book you can tell everything that Caulfield is thinking in detail. It makes the reader apart of the book. I read through some of the blogs that my peers wrote and I noticed that in someone’s blog post they mentioned that Holden Caulfield says “you” throughout the whole book. It makes it like he is speaking to someone he knows or a friend. I never thought about it like that. I really liked the wording in the book too. Holden is speaking to the reader as if we are sitting across from him. J.D. Salinger is a very unique author and this book was very interesting to read. I think it takes a great author to make a book good without a climax or normal book set up.
The book was a little bit depressing. It makes me feel sorry for Holden because he is always alone and seems like he is seeking something that he will never find. In the book Holden’s brother Allie died and I think that had a huge impact on his life and made him the way he is in the book. He is always alone walking the streets of New York looking for someone to talk to. It makes me wonder if his whole family is like this because of Allie’s death. Holden sometimes gets himself in trouble in an attempt to have some company. For example, the prostitute that he hires, when she arrives he just wants to have a conversation because he is desperate to talk to someone. He underpays her and then gets beat up, and he is back to being depressed.