ELA reading post

    My favorite book we read this semester was The Great Gatsby. It told its story in a unique way that I very much enjoyed, and the contradictory nature kept me interested throughout the book. My least favorite book, however, was the Odyssey. Sure, it is one of the first true adventure books and it set the standard for stories to come, but the fact that it appeared long before standard conventions of writing is readily apparent. The protagonist has no flaws to speak of, everyone seems to like him, and most of the women he meets want to bed him. The book even tells you the ending, removing all suspense, which now that I think about it, wasn’t even there in the first place because Odysseus never falters. All mistakes and hardships are brought upon by people other than himself and every time he is in danger, he is given some godly protection. The book embodies many of the things that I hate in stories, like infallible protagonists, suspenseless action, and a hearty helping of wish fulfillment.