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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
An inspirational read! This great book should be read by all parents, teachers, and educators. If all children were taught through stories and playing as Helen was by Annie Sullivan, we would have an educational revolution and kids would enjoy learning.
Back to the Classics Challenge #3 - Classic by a woman author
About 40% of this ebook was Helen Keller's autobiography of the early years of her life, from her earliest memories to her third year as a Radcliffe student. The remaining portion of the book was selected letters from when she first learned to write around age 8 to her second year of college.
At 19 months, Helen Keller fell gravely ill. She recovered, but she lost her hearing and vision. A few years later, her parents brought Anne Sullivan to teach Helen. Well-known is the story of how Anne taught Helen her first word by spelling "water" into her hand while running her other hand under a stream of water. From there, it's incredible how much Helen learns and absorbs language. Her first letters are very basic, but she quickly improves and somehow by age 9 or so she is writing fully fluently, better than most adults could write today. Helen and Anne travel around the country, going to a few different schools, including the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, another school for the blind in New York, and a Cambridge girls preparatory school. She also has private teachers, and Anne Sullivan is with her throughout. She passes her examinations to get into Radcliffe, and enrolls as a student, where as a junior she writes this autobiography, which is published first in installments in a ladies' magazine, then as a book.
As a modern reader, I had trouble getting past Helen's privilege. All of her private teachers, traveling, and schooling must have been so expensive, and funded by what was left of her family's Old South slave money. She was connected to many of the prominent men, including Alexander Graham Bell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and her and my beloved Rev. Phillips Brooks (of PBHA legacy). I had to keep reminding myself that this was late 1800s/early 1900s. She was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from university. Of course she needed money to accomplish that, but it was still an incredible accomplishment. She was unbelievably smart and learned, and I can't imagine studying all of what she did, even without disabilities. She also was an advocate for other deaf-and-blind children without her means, and raised money so they could attend school. This book was also published early in her life, so some of her later controversies (like supporting eugenics) are not evident.
As interesting as this story is, it was a little bit of a chore to get through it. The language was very descriptive, and I like things to move along more quickly. However, it was interesting to think how she could describe all of the sights and sounds of the world without experiencing them. There is an editor's note to say how she can understand all of these things intellectually, even though she can't imagine them. She also admits to herself and her reader that she absorbs a lot of other people's thoughts and writings into her psyche, and can't be sure when her thoughts are her own. This is illustrated in an episode that was especially distressing to her, when she is accused of plagiarizing when a celebrated story she writes turns out to be similar to another published story, that had been read to her but she had no conscious memory of.
About 40% of this ebook was Helen Keller's autobiography of the early years of her life, from her earliest memories to her third year as a Radcliffe student. The remaining portion of the book was selected letters from when she first learned to write around age 8 to her second year of college.
At 19 months, Helen Keller fell gravely ill. She recovered, but she lost her hearing and vision. A few years later, her parents brought Anne Sullivan to teach Helen. Well-known is the story of how Anne taught Helen her first word by spelling "water" into her hand while running her other hand under a stream of water. From there, it's incredible how much Helen learns and absorbs language. Her first letters are very basic, but she quickly improves and somehow by age 9 or so she is writing fully fluently, better than most adults could write today. Helen and Anne travel around the country, going to a few different schools, including the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, another school for the blind in New York, and a Cambridge girls preparatory school. She also has private teachers, and Anne Sullivan is with her throughout. She passes her examinations to get into Radcliffe, and enrolls as a student, where as a junior she writes this autobiography, which is published first in installments in a ladies' magazine, then as a book.
As a modern reader, I had trouble getting past Helen's privilege. All of her private teachers, traveling, and schooling must have been so expensive, and funded by what was left of her family's Old South slave money. She was connected to many of the prominent men, including Alexander Graham Bell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and her and my beloved Rev. Phillips Brooks (of PBHA legacy). I had to keep reminding myself that this was late 1800s/early 1900s. She was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from university. Of course she needed money to accomplish that, but it was still an incredible accomplishment. She was unbelievably smart and learned, and I can't imagine studying all of what she did, even without disabilities. She also was an advocate for other deaf-and-blind children without her means, and raised money so they could attend school. This book was also published early in her life, so some of her later controversies (like supporting eugenics) are not evident.
As interesting as this story is, it was a little bit of a chore to get through it. The language was very descriptive, and I like things to move along more quickly. However, it was interesting to think how she could describe all of the sights and sounds of the world without experiencing them. There is an editor's note to say how she can understand all of these things intellectually, even though she can't imagine them. She also admits to herself and her reader that she absorbs a lot of other people's thoughts and writings into her psyche, and can't be sure when her thoughts are her own. This is illustrated in an episode that was especially distressing to her, when she is accused of plagiarizing when a celebrated story she writes turns out to be similar to another published story, that had been read to her but she had no conscious memory of.
First of all I will say that I listened to this book as a audiobook. I really enjoyed the first several chapters about Hellen's early life before her teacher came to her as well as the time directly after. However, much of the book's more interesting points are blotted out by boring accounts of every book Keller ever read as well as a multitude of her correspondences (I admit to skipping over many of the letters as they bored me to tears). I feel that perhaps another person could do the writing of her story more justice. I only mean that the more exciting and interesting points in Keller's life to read about happened at such a young age that there is a good chance she cannot remember many of them. I find Keller to be a fascinating person and have great admiration for her. It seems however that her book simply is not for me.
See my full review:
http://murbybooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-story-of-my-life-by-helen-keller.html
See my full review:
http://murbybooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-story-of-my-life-by-helen-keller.html
Very interesting book. Today we focus on Helen Keller's disabilities and ignore the person. Contrary to popular conception she wasn't some sort of simpleton, but highly intelligent and opinionated. She was well spoken (yes she learned to speak), could write very well, and fluent in several languages. We also overlook the contribution her teacher made to education and how devoted Miss Sullivan was to Helen. Both were remarkable women.
The book is in three parts: Her autobiography, a collection of her letters, and observations from her teacher and the books editor. All were interesting but her letters were the slowest part for me as they recapitulated some of the autobiography and the early ones were (understandably) very disjointed. That being said, they did shed light onto how she lived her life and the methods she used to get by in the world.
My only disappointment with the book is that it only covered her life through her second year at college. In other books I've read I learned she became involved in "radical politics" (socialism) and I'm curious as to the details on that part of her life. I'll have to find a book about this part of her life.
The book is in three parts: Her autobiography, a collection of her letters, and observations from her teacher and the books editor. All were interesting but her letters were the slowest part for me as they recapitulated some of the autobiography and the early ones were (understandably) very disjointed. That being said, they did shed light onto how she lived her life and the methods she used to get by in the world.
My only disappointment with the book is that it only covered her life through her second year at college. In other books I've read I learned she became involved in "radical politics" (socialism) and I'm curious as to the details on that part of her life. I'll have to find a book about this part of her life.
4.5 stars - quick read
I couldn't help thinking the whole time a couple of things:
1. Why is this her only memoir written by Helen? She was 22yrs old at the time and died 60 years later?
2. Why didn't Anne Sullivan write her own book?
3. Anne deserves WAY MORE credit than she got in this book but again, Helen was only 22yrs old so that probably explains it...
4. Wow, one of her biggest concerns was that she plagiarized a story without knowing it...I'm more impressed at her brain than her faux paux. She was finger read the story not long after she learned sign language (btw 8-10yrs old) but Helen wrote her story when she was about 15yrs old - the f*cking impressive to me!
5. Why didn't she write more about her family?
Still, for the time period in her life this book covers, Helen is inspiring.
I couldn't help thinking the whole time a couple of things:
1. Why is this her only memoir written by Helen? She was 22yrs old at the time and died 60 years later?
2. Why didn't Anne Sullivan write her own book?
3. Anne deserves WAY MORE credit than she got in this book but again, Helen was only 22yrs old so that probably explains it...
4. Wow, one of her biggest concerns was that she plagiarized a story without knowing it...I'm more impressed at her brain than her faux paux. She was finger read the story not long after she learned sign language (btw 8-10yrs old) but Helen wrote her story when she was about 15yrs old - the f*cking impressive to me!
5. Why didn't she write more about her family?
Still, for the time period in her life this book covers, Helen is inspiring.
relaxing
medium-paced
I read it so many years ago as a child that I can barely remember anything.
The Story of My Life is an astonishing book in its own right when you only consider that Helen Keller was deaf and blind from the age of nineteen months, but it only grow more so as you read and you see the quality of her writing, the aptitude of her mind, and learn that she was only 22 when it was compiled. She was clearly a women of great intellect and drive, and it shocked me as a reader to try and understand all the obstacles she overcame to become as successful as she was.
I think it is a book that everyone should read, for it forces the mind to look at the world in another way, or at least try to. Because in the end, those of us who have sight and sound cannot begin to imagine what it is like without them. It was difficult at times for me to comprehend how she got along in life so well and had such a joyful attitude about it all--I do not know that I would be so resilient.
The only reason I give it a three star rating is that it can be quite dry at times, especially in the later parts. She goes into great detail of all the classes she is taking in college, and it gets a little repetitive. Also, I'd advise skipping the letters section at the back of the book because it is long and I don't believe they provide much in the way of new information that isn't covered in the actually autobiography.
I will definitely be seeking out Keller's other books that she wrote in her lifetime, for her life is truly fascinating and she is a great writer.
I think it is a book that everyone should read, for it forces the mind to look at the world in another way, or at least try to. Because in the end, those of us who have sight and sound cannot begin to imagine what it is like without them. It was difficult at times for me to comprehend how she got along in life so well and had such a joyful attitude about it all--I do not know that I would be so resilient.
The only reason I give it a three star rating is that it can be quite dry at times, especially in the later parts. She goes into great detail of all the classes she is taking in college, and it gets a little repetitive. Also, I'd advise skipping the letters section at the back of the book because it is long and I don't believe they provide much in the way of new information that isn't covered in the actually autobiography.
I will definitely be seeking out Keller's other books that she wrote in her lifetime, for her life is truly fascinating and she is a great writer.
I'm so glad I finally listened to this autobiography of Helen Keller. It is striking to think of what it took for her to not only learn to communicate and read, but then to be able to do so in several different languages! The loyalty and perseverance of Miss Sullivan to open up the world to Helen and then continue by her side for many years were inspiring. Finally, to my unexpected delight, she shared a chapter in which she talked about her favorite books! A book lover's delight!