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This Blog was created for the intention of extending discussions on literature by allowing students of 8A and 8B to discuss their books with not only classmates, but teammates and fellow 8th graders.
45 comments:
In class we talked about how it is important to pay attention to all of the details the author provides us in a novel to visualize what we are reading. From reading the beginning few chapters of your novel, what pictures stand out most? Are some characters and places easier to picture than others? Feel free to reference specific pages so other bloggers can go back and reread these descriptions for themselves.
Mrs. M :)
When King Richard had got shot by an arrow in the back and into his neck, I could really picture him bleeding..............I wonder who is going to be the next king if he dies..........
-Brandon L.
I think that Authur likes Gatty, and one day they're going to get married.
-Brandon Ling
How about Merlin? He is not the type of wizard I usually think of. He is and odd character, I guess he could be called escentric. It makes me wonder, is he trying to enstill some sort of greater understanding into Arthur, or is he just a nearly senile old man who has a strong imagination.
Ian Passman Prd 4
On page 29, it says that Merlin has a charm that makes second sons vanish. Arthur's dad wants to learn the charm. Is Arthur a second son? If he is, I think that Merlin and Arthur's dad want Arthur to leave.
Ashwin S
Hey. Ian, I disagree with your statement about Merlin. I feel he is the quintessential example of a wizard. I do agree that Merlin is trying to instill a greater understanding in Arthur.
I always notice him talking in riddles and Merlin is one of my favorite characters in the story of Arthur's life
Brian Schoenauer Pd. 8
Ian, I agree with you. I think that Merlin is trying to instill a greater understanding in Arthur. And what about the stone Merlin gave to Arthur? What does that have to do with the story?
Lily L Pd 4
I think that Merlin might have given the stone to Arthur to see the future(The Seeing Stone). The stone will let him know if his father is going to get rid of him. If he is, then he will be able to maybe run away to Wales.
Neelesh S. Pd. 3
Neelesh, why would Arthur try to run away? That is a preposterous idea. On the back cover of the book it says that the stone will be used to help him see visions of the past Arthur Pendragon. I think these visions will somehow help him shape his destiny but I don't know how because this book is obscure in meaning to me so far.
Sorry that last comment was from me.
*Cameron Ward
Also I just wanted to know... what's up with Arthur's tail bone? Why do they include it in the story?
$Cameron Ward
I agree with Brian, Merlin seems very much like the typical wizard that i'd figure someone would picture. Oh Brian, no suprise that he's one of your favorite characters. I think that the story the stone is telling Arthur has to do with his bloodline. I don't recieve the best vibes from Athur's father at the moment, but i think the father might be an extremely wise man and have good plans in store for Arthur, or he could be the exact opposite of what I said.
<3xoxox<3 Lisa Monteiro
p.s. Does anyone else think that the story of the Sleeping King that Nain told the family early, will relate to the story later on?
I agree with Brian, Merlin seems very much like the typical wizard that i'd figure someone would picture. Oh Brian, no suprise that he's one of your favorite characters. I think that the story the stone is telling Arthur has to do with his bloodline. I don't recieve the best vibes from Athur's father at the moment, but i think the father might be an extremely wise man and have good plans in store for Arthur, or he could be the exact opposite of what I said.
<3xoxox<3 Lisa Monteiro
p.s. Does anyone else think that the story of the Sleeping King that Nain told the family early, will relate to the story later on?
Whoops! Sorry my comment was accidentally published twice.
<3xoxo<3 Lisa
Hello! Anyone who read up to page 75 can see that Oliver is certainly hating on Merlin...
Does anyone else see a witch hunt in the future? Hopefully Merlin is a skilled wizard and will skedaddle out of harms way.
p.s. Did anyone else see a romance in the kitchen between Serle and Tanwen? pages 86 and 87.
:)Alexa MT Period 3
I don't understand this book. The visuals are ok they are not as descriptive as I would like them to be and the story is confusing. I just finished reading our second assignment and I am as confused as I was before, if not more. The story keeps jumping from place to place and it is hard to follow. Also a random chapter will pop up; like Jack=Words. Why would an author feel the need to include that chapter. I think the only character we have really gotten any insight in at all so far is Merlin because it is obvious how much arthur looks up to him. This Merlin is a little different from the other versions of him that I have read about before, but he is still trying to teach Arthur lessons that have a deeper meaning than beating people up. All that we really know about Arthur is that he is a caring person and that he is compassionate.
How is Arthur a significant character/person in this time period?
I don't know if this book will become more interesting as it goes on but the prospect so far doesn't look so good. My whole group was disappointed on wednesday so we will just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.
Ian, Lily, Laura I think we need too read a lot more so we can get a better picture of the story.
Sin Cera,
Gujri Kuljot Singh
I think that Arthur is believable as a character. His constant questioning shows his curiosity, his innocence and his youth. I find his relationship with his father most interesting. HIs father's high expectations for his son are very realistic and the fact that Arthur never argues with his father's need for perfection again shows Arthur's youth and innocence. I also believe this displays the time period even more clearly, for this is a time when children did not argue with their parents, but simply did as they were told.
-Melissa M.
I think that Arthur is believable as a character. His constant questioning shows his curiosity, his innocence and his youth. I find his relationship with his father most interesting. HIs father's high expectations for his son are very realistic and the fact that Arthur never argues with his father's need for perfection again shows Arthur's youth and innocence. I also believe this displays the time period even more clearly, for this is a time when children did not argue with their parents, but simply did as they were told.
-Melissa M.
Gujri don't worry the book gets a little better later on. I agree that the beginning lingers and is random but a story eventually develops.
Alexa MT Period 3
I read up to page 93 and I am wondering what Merlin ment when he said the stone was made of fire and ice.
That last comment was from me.
John Nieradka
Did anyone else notice that none of the chapters in this book link up? For example the first chapter ends with Arthur standing on a hill wondering if Merlin is truly magical. The next chapter begins with Arthur telling his aunt that he will not tell anyone about her secret. How did Arthur go from being on a hill to talking with his aunt? What is her secret? Is it about Merlin, the seeing stone, King Arthur? I am so confused.
Sean M Pd5
Adding on to Sean's statement about discontinuity of chapters, why are there four chapters in four pages? They are from pages 50 to 53.
I was also wondering why the author keeps on mentioning that Arthur's tailbone is growing.
What are your thoughts? Does anyone agree?
Michael S., Pd. 5
If Arthurs mother and Nani are both Welsh, Why does Sir John have such a "distaste"/hatred for Welsh? I understand that the main reason they married was to create peace (pg 71), but what is the conflict between the Welsh and the Christians?
- Prawallika G.
When I read about the Hooter hunt, I got excited hoping that some aciton was going to happen. So I am reading, and all of a suudden, Arthur is back in his bed.
What is up with that!
If the author doesn't bring the story back to the "quest" I will be extremely disapointed.
-Ian Passman
Period: 4
Does anyone else think that the sleeping king that Nain talked about and the king that fell asleep in the stone are related?
John, I think that when Merlin said the obsidian was made of ice and fire he was talking about the way obsidian is made. I just looked it up, and I found out that obsidian is made from cooled lava. (fire=lava;ice=cooled)
Lily L Pd 4
sorry the one about the sleeping king was from me:
Neelesh Pd. 3
I think Gatty overreacted when Arthur didn't stand up for her against Serle. First of all, she never stands up for him when Serle yells at Arthur not to do her work. Secondly, he helps her all the time and is her friend but people make mistakes and sure he should have helped her but its not a big deal that he didn't. True, she did end up forgiving Arthur, but she nearly started crying and was angry at him for a little while, and i don't think he deserved that. I believe, that Arthur is a good friend to Gatty and helps her out a lot and that she should be grateful for that and she should realize that while it was wrong of him to just stand by and watch, he is still her friend and will continue to stand up for her like he has in the past, he just made a mistake this one time.
-Melissa M. Period 3
Does anyone else think that Arthur-in-the-stone's life reflects and relates to Arthur's actual life?
Arthur-in-the-stone was mourning by a grave that read Brother and then in Arthur's real life little Luke died soon after.
Next Arthur-in-the-stone kills Sir William and in Arthur's reality he nearly gets killed by sir William in an accident. Coincidence I think not.
In my previous blog I asked if anyone saw anything going on between Serle and Tanwen, now I think I have some proof:
"Then I heard the store room door groan. Like thin ice. Quickly I stood up, and when I peered through my broken door panel, I was just in time to see Serle and Tanwen standing in the gallery, and they were in each other's arms."
page 207
Does anyone think this relationship might cause problems for the de Cadicots or at least for Tanwen?
Does anyone know how old Tanwen is?
(somebody PLEASE respond, frankly this may be one of the most exciting twists the story has)
The book seems to be made up of medieval relationships and communities.
Does anyone else think the fact that Arthur wants to marry his cousin Grace a little bit strange despite all the other medieval irregularities?
I wonder if anything stranger will happen in year 1200?
:] smiles,
Alexa MT
Alexa, I think there relationship will cause problems for Tanwen and Serle. They wouldn't have kept it a secret if it wasn't going to cause trouble. Also Grace and Arthur wanting to marry each other even though there cousins (also known as incest)is strange to us to the modern world. But I think a lot of that happened on the Medieval time period
Lizzie H. pd.3
I believe that the person in the hood is Merlin. Who else thinks so?
John Nieradka
John, I agree. I think Merlin is the hooded man in the stone, but I'm not sure of the relationship between the Arthur- in -the- stone and the Arthur- in- the- flesh. Can anyone provide some insight?
Brian Schoenauer
Does anyone else think that Arthur and Gatty are going to end up together?
I think Lady Alice is going to play a big part in the end of the story. I feel she knows alot about what's going on in Athur's life right now, but doesn't lead on. Maybe, because she wants him to tell her in his own time.
This book is really confusing to me, and as many people said alot of the chapters don't connect. I'm on page 301 and nothing all that exciting has happened, except the conflict between Serle and Tanwen. Has anyone else read further? If so, does the book become interesting?
<3xoxoxo<3 Lisa M.
The seeing stone tells us that king Arthur has foster parents, is the same true for the Arthur in 1199
Sean M period 5
Brian, I think that the events in the stone are sometimes similar to what happens with Aurthur in real life because the grave connected, but I don't think that the sword in the rock will connect to Aurthur. His arm isn't healed enough for him to try and pull it.
Neelesh S. Pd. 3
i deffinetly think that gatty and arthurwill end up together. this book is still very hard for me to follow and i am trying to figure out what tyhey mean when they say that littleluke was the 4th son. i wonder what will happen to the baby and tanwen
hannah r per 8
I agree with Neelesh that the events in the stone are related to Arthur's actual life but in away similar to a fortune in a fortune cookie; the stone displays a story and Arthur must find the meaning related to his own life.
The stone world has its similarities and differences. For example in the real Arthur's life Sir William nearly kills him and in the stone Arthur kills Sir William.
Neelesh, just to let you know Arthur is left handed(His right arm was injured) and if he did come in contact with a sword in a stone I doubt he would have any trouble pulling it out.
Does anyone else think Sir William purposefully injured Arthur's right arm? (PLEASE RESPOND)
:] Smiles,
Alexa MT Period 3
I do not think Sir william intended to harm Arthur. I think he did not want to suffer the humiliation of being defeated by a child. In order to save himself he suprised Arthur with a strike and he ended up harming the boy because of his actions.
Sean M Period 5
note: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK
At the end of the book, it mentioned that Sir William was his father. After I read that part I thought, How could Sir William injure Arthur when he knew that he was fighting his son? After he hurt Arthur, he didn't seem to care that he had injured his son because the book said that Sir William left before Arthur woke up. Does anyone else feel this way?
Lily L Pd 4
I am currently on page 300 and I know that I skipped a week of blogging. I think that the author is trying to write the book from Arthur's perspective, sort of like a journal. However as far as I know, the mind of a teenage boy doesnt work like that. I cant name one 13 year old boy who thinks he is growing a tail or who's mind jumps from idea to idea. Arthur is incapable of forming a complete thought. It's Ridiculous.
The story isn't really connected in any way, the author starts with one idea and then randomly changes the subject. Often there is a chapter that has nothing to do with the story at all. About Sir William almost taking Arthur's arm off, what was that about? What was the author trying to prove by writing that in as a part of the story?
In class on friday, our group had a discussion over the Serle-Tanwen thing. Seriously, I no it was almost commonplace, when squires or nights or pages or whatever got random people pregnant because they were only focused on one thing. But I think that Serle should do something, at the very least, maybe actually talk to Tanwen or maybe confide in Arthur. I don't know, but I am on Tanwen's side. Any other views on this?
About Arthur and Gatty. I think, had they been kids today, they would have ended up together but because they have been brought up to believe that they are going to be betrothed to other people they have sort of resigned themselves to the fact that Gatty is supposed to marry Jankin and Arthur is supposed to marry Grace. I believe that they have convinced themselves that they will be happy with these matchings because they don't know themselves well enough to know what they truly want.
Little Luke? was that really his real name? why the "little" it's not exactly the best title. Is Arthur not Sir John's son? Who is he? Why is he significant in this period of time? What has he done/ What will he do, to make himself important? Right now he is just a whining child who doesn't agree with his father and is trying to figure out his brother?
IS ARTHUR REALLY GROWING A TAIL? i thought that matter was finished but they keep on bringing it up. What does it have to do with anything? Like I stated earlier, this author is trying to write a journal of a 13 year old. He is failing miserably, usually 13 year old boys are worrying about other parts of their anatomy and not about growing a tail, i mean Serle just demonstrated that point even though he is sixteen.
Serle seems like the typical older brother, he bully's but he cares. He has his moments. The bad ones just override the good ones, but what can we do?
Then there is Oliver. He seriously bugs me. He seems so full of himself and he is just so irksome. He was actually naive enough to believe that some random toenails he had in a box were truly from a saint? They go on and on about "our lord". My only reaction was "Christians....." and I know that back then everyone was Christian and that it was without saying practically required to be a part of society. But if you are in my social studies class then you know my reaction to people like Oliver and to people believing that their belief is the only correct one. I realize that this is just a book but it still bugged me.
The story is ok, but their isn't a discernible plot, Arthur has about 50 million problems going on and he isn't exactly doing a great job at handling them.
What is Merlin's role? Why is he in the story? What is he doing? Who is he?
In every Arthur story I have heard or read Merlin is always a prominent character, if not one of the main ones, but in The Seeing Stone he barely has a role at all, he just comes up in Arthur's random thoughts a lot.
I am definitely looking forward to the ending.
Without Wax,
Gujri Kuljot Singh
I have finished reading the book and I was wondering who thinks Arthur will become a king in later books.
John Nieradka.
If Sir William had not cared about Arthur, why would Sir William have asked Arthur whether or not he had injured him. I understand what you mean about Sir William not staying over at the manor to check on him, and he even asked him, "Have I hurt you?" (pg 248) when Arthur was clearly bleeding from the sword wound.
In this book, Arthur developed many problems as time went by. All of his problems were left unsolved at the end of the book. The author did a poor job addressing the points that he had already started to write about. The tailbone was one example. Did the opening of the wound by Johanna help to heal it? Did it get worse? Why would the author have needed it in this book?
Michael Soskind P5
I read up to page 320. People say that Arthur is the true king of Britain. Is he clearly ready to rule, despite his actions in the book?
Ashwin S
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