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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
*I didn't read the second half of the book, which was just a copy of some of her correspondences. I think I've already gotten everything that I can/want from it.
“Indeed, everything that could hum, or buzz, or sing, or bloom had a part in my education--noisy-throated frogs, katydids and crickets held in my hand until, forgetting their embarrassment, they trilled their reedy note, little downy chickens and wildflowers, the dogwood blossoms, meadow-violets and budding fruit trees. I felt the bursting cotton-bolls and fingered their soft fiber and fuzzy seeds; I felt the low soughing of the wind through the cornstalks, the silky rustling of the long leaves, and the indignant snort of my pony…”
“I used to have time to think, to reflect, my mind and I. We would sit together of an evening and listen to the inner melodies of the spirit, which one hears only in leisure moments when the words of some loved poet touch a deep, sweet chord in the soul that until then had been silent. But in college there is no time to commune with one's thoughts. One goes to college to learn, it seems, not to think. When one enters the portals of learning, one leaves the dearest pleasures--solitude, books and imagination--outside with the whispering pines. I suppose I ought to find some comfort in the thought that I am laying up treasures for future enjoyment, but I am improvident enough to prefer present joy to hoarding riches against a rainy day.”
“I used to have time to think, to reflect, my mind and I. We would sit together of an evening and listen to the inner melodies of the spirit, which one hears only in leisure moments when the words of some loved poet touch a deep, sweet chord in the soul that until then had been silent. But in college there is no time to commune with one's thoughts. One goes to college to learn, it seems, not to think. When one enters the portals of learning, one leaves the dearest pleasures--solitude, books and imagination--outside with the whispering pines. I suppose I ought to find some comfort in the thought that I am laying up treasures for future enjoyment, but I am improvident enough to prefer present joy to hoarding riches against a rainy day.”
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I'd read Keller's autobiography as a child, but I wanted a refresher on her remarkable story. I appreciated all the supplemental material provided from her other, particularly political writings. What I found most compelling in this read was Keller's adoption of sighted language to explain and explore the world around her; it couldn't be any other way, I suppose. How could she reach people, if not through their own understanding of the world?
Helen Keller had always been such a fascination to me. Being deaf and blind is certainly not something that is seen everyday, and her story is truly inspirational. What prompted me to read this story at this point in my own life, though, actually came from reading a letter that Helen had written. “The View from the top of the Empire State Building” to be exact. Something about the tone of the letter--the way she described her thoughts and feelings and “sights”--gave me this desire to learn more about her. Ergo, when I saw this book at the store, I thought I would give it a go.
This book, which was written by Helen Keller herself, tells the story of Helen’s childhood and college experiences, which is around the time she actually wrote the book. Through the actual memoir as well as a collection of Helen’s letters, Helen’s story is told. At a young age, Helen caught a disease which left her completely deaf and blind. Wanting to experience the world, though, Helen didn’t let her disabilities stop her from learning and growing and travelling. Helen first began schooling with a private teacher: Anne Sullivan. Miss Sullivan began by teaching Helen different words and their meanings. Quickly, Anne became more than just a teacher to Helen, instead her closest companion. Helen and her teacher were always together, Helen oftentimes travelling places with her teacher but without her family. The two often visited the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, and they also spent a few memorable summers in Cape Cod. Even though Helen loved to read and write, the outdoors was a great love of hers, and she appreciated the feeling of being at the beaches in Cape Cod. Exploring and travelling, Helen never let what she lacked get in the way of her life. She even began speaking once again around the age of ten, and she would eventually enter organized schooling at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies six years later. A variety of subjects was learned by Helen: writing and math and Latin and German and French and history and many more. Here, Helen hoped that her dream of attending Radcliffe College would be realized. Not without much stress, Helen would pass all of her examinations and make it to the college of her dreams. As demonstrated in this story, Helen never let her incapabilities get in the way of her life; and, despite her own struggles, she always looked out for others before that of herself.
My favorite part of this book probably wasn’t the actual book; it was really the letters that Helen had written throughout her the earlier part of her life that made up the second half of the book. Seeing her exponential linguistic progress in the first few letters was unbelievable, and being able to see how Helen felt about certain events at the time of their occurrence was really interesting. The letters were also adorable, which were typically signed with “from your little friend.” Easily, I could see that Helen really loved and cared about to those she was writing. As for the actual story, I learned so much more about the life of Helen Keller, and this story truly sparked inspiration inside of me to work as hard as Helen. It was really interesting to see how she learned certain things, like spelling through the use of the manual alphabet. If I had to choose my favorite chapter of the entire story, I would probably choose the chapter she dedicated to books. Her connection to reading really shined through in this chapter, and it was interesting to see what books she liked and her journey into the love of books.
There wasn’t anything obviously wrong with this book; it was beautifully written. However, I gave this book three stars because I just found it boring overall. Despite its inspiration, her story was so uneventful that I wasn’t as intrigued by the book as I had hoped. Even though the book was fairly short, it felt like it dragged on another hundred pages or so. The enjoyment I got from this book came from learning new facts about Helen Keller, not from the actual reading of it. I really wish I had liked it, but I really just think that this book wasn’t for me. Nonetheless, to anyone who likes reading nonfiction books or memoirs in general, this book could be worth a try. However, if you are like me and prefer some action or fictional stories, then maybe stay away from this story.
This book, which was written by Helen Keller herself, tells the story of Helen’s childhood and college experiences, which is around the time she actually wrote the book. Through the actual memoir as well as a collection of Helen’s letters, Helen’s story is told. At a young age, Helen caught a disease which left her completely deaf and blind. Wanting to experience the world, though, Helen didn’t let her disabilities stop her from learning and growing and travelling. Helen first began schooling with a private teacher: Anne Sullivan. Miss Sullivan began by teaching Helen different words and their meanings. Quickly, Anne became more than just a teacher to Helen, instead her closest companion. Helen and her teacher were always together, Helen oftentimes travelling places with her teacher but without her family. The two often visited the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, and they also spent a few memorable summers in Cape Cod. Even though Helen loved to read and write, the outdoors was a great love of hers, and she appreciated the feeling of being at the beaches in Cape Cod. Exploring and travelling, Helen never let what she lacked get in the way of her life. She even began speaking once again around the age of ten, and she would eventually enter organized schooling at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies six years later. A variety of subjects was learned by Helen: writing and math and Latin and German and French and history and many more. Here, Helen hoped that her dream of attending Radcliffe College would be realized. Not without much stress, Helen would pass all of her examinations and make it to the college of her dreams. As demonstrated in this story, Helen never let her incapabilities get in the way of her life; and, despite her own struggles, she always looked out for others before that of herself.
My favorite part of this book probably wasn’t the actual book; it was really the letters that Helen had written throughout her the earlier part of her life that made up the second half of the book. Seeing her exponential linguistic progress in the first few letters was unbelievable, and being able to see how Helen felt about certain events at the time of their occurrence was really interesting. The letters were also adorable, which were typically signed with “from your little friend.” Easily, I could see that Helen really loved and cared about to those she was writing. As for the actual story, I learned so much more about the life of Helen Keller, and this story truly sparked inspiration inside of me to work as hard as Helen. It was really interesting to see how she learned certain things, like spelling through the use of the manual alphabet. If I had to choose my favorite chapter of the entire story, I would probably choose the chapter she dedicated to books. Her connection to reading really shined through in this chapter, and it was interesting to see what books she liked and her journey into the love of books.
There wasn’t anything obviously wrong with this book; it was beautifully written. However, I gave this book three stars because I just found it boring overall. Despite its inspiration, her story was so uneventful that I wasn’t as intrigued by the book as I had hoped. Even though the book was fairly short, it felt like it dragged on another hundred pages or so. The enjoyment I got from this book came from learning new facts about Helen Keller, not from the actual reading of it. I really wish I had liked it, but I really just think that this book wasn’t for me. Nonetheless, to anyone who likes reading nonfiction books or memoirs in general, this book could be worth a try. However, if you are like me and prefer some action or fictional stories, then maybe stay away from this story.
"How easy it is to fly on paper wings!" - Helen Keller. What a beautiful thought. What a remarkable person she was. Very interesting and insightful read.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
If someone wants to read the book i recommend they read this edition cause it’s really the supplementary readings that get the high rating.
“Story of my Life” in itself gets 3/5, i think Keller of everything she could be writing about finds writing about her own life the least interesting way to use her talents.
The letters are a bit more interesting but not by much. But as supplementary reading we we have Anne Sullivan’s letters following Helen Keller’s education and progress, we have some of Keller’s essays from college and then the appendix which really shows the literary talent Helen Keller has, a woman reduced to her disabilities and later to a punchline apparently.
After the public followed Helen Keller’s education, her unparalleled thirst for knowledge and language, they seem to have disliked her beliefs once she was able to express them clearly (and beautifully- her style is truly remarkable) she was silenced again. When you admit to being a socialist in America, they will try their best to bury you, with her all they left was the story of a little girl discovering water’s name.
“Story of my Life” in itself gets 3/5, i think Keller of everything she could be writing about finds writing about her own life the least interesting way to use her talents.
The letters are a bit more interesting but not by much. But as supplementary reading we we have Anne Sullivan’s letters following Helen Keller’s education and progress, we have some of Keller’s essays from college and then the appendix which really shows the literary talent Helen Keller has, a woman reduced to her disabilities and later to a punchline apparently.
After the public followed Helen Keller’s education, her unparalleled thirst for knowledge and language, they seem to have disliked her beliefs once she was able to express them clearly (and beautifully- her style is truly remarkable) she was silenced again. When you admit to being a socialist in America, they will try their best to bury you, with her all they left was the story of a little girl discovering water’s name.