Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heroes... was it engaging? Unfortunately not. When I was reading the book, I didn't feel that, at any point, I was fully engaged in the text. Instead, I felt I was following along a story without a real, gripping plot. I kept trying to like the book but I just couldn't find anything to make me go "wow".
I think the main problem is that the book is so short (just under 100 pages long), that there isn't a chance to really dig deeper into the characters, their motives and the real meaning behind certain parts of the book. Nevertheless, Cormier's moral of the story is clear and I do like how the message is conveyed - it's definitely thought provoking. "We weren't heroes, we were only there" - who are the real heroes in life?
I think the main problem is that the book is so short (just under 100 pages long), that there isn't a chance to really dig deeper into the characters, their motives and the real meaning behind certain parts of the book. Nevertheless, Cormier's moral of the story is clear and I do like how the message is conveyed - it's definitely thought provoking. "We weren't heroes, we were only there" - who are the real heroes in life?
CATEGORIES SATISFIED: REQUIRED READING
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I was afraid it would be too dark for me, and it was quite dark, but in a way I found touching and meaningful. Francis, the main character, has just returned from war, and during the war he lost most of his face to a grenade. He was awarded a Silver Star for sacrificing himself to protect his comrades, but he doesn't feel like he deserves it. He returns home, but doesn't tell anyone who he is and no one recognizes him. His only goal is to kill a certain someone who should also be returning to the town. You eventually learn that the man he wants to kill was his childhood hero who raped his (Francis's) girlfriend. Francis knew what was happening but didn't do anything to stop it and has felt terribly guilt since. Instead of killing himself he decided to go to war to find a war to die in battle (it's less dishonorable that way), and his desire to die is what led him to jump on the grenade that took his face. Now Francis just wants to kill his childhood hero, and then himself. Ultimately he confronts his childhood hero, and then the childhood hero kills himself. Francis visits his old girlfriend planing to kill himself afterward, but the story ends ambiguously, and you don't actually know whether or not Francis decides to kill himself.
This book was very well written. It explores the horrors of war and the effect war has on soldiers, who can rarely talk about their experiences. It also questions what a hero really is as it explores the lives of the "war heroes" returned home who don't feel like heroes, because really they were just there.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I was afraid it would be too dark for me, and it was quite dark, but in a way I found touching and meaningful. Francis, the main character, has just returned from war, and during the war he lost most of his face to a grenade. He was awarded a Silver Star for sacrificing himself to protect his comrades, but he doesn't feel like he deserves it. He returns home, but doesn't tell anyone who he is and no one recognizes him. His only goal is to kill a certain someone who should also be returning to the town. You eventually learn that the man he wants to kill was his childhood hero who raped his (Francis's) girlfriend. Francis knew what was happening but didn't do anything to stop it and has felt terribly guilt since. Instead of killing himself he decided to go to war to find a war to die in battle (it's less dishonorable that way), and his desire to die is what led him to jump on the grenade that took his face. Now Francis just wants to kill his childhood hero, and then himself. Ultimately he confronts his childhood hero, and then the childhood hero kills himself. Francis visits his old girlfriend planing to kill himself afterward, but the story ends ambiguously, and you don't actually know whether or not Francis decides to kill himself.
This book was very well written. It explores the horrors of war and the effect war has on soldiers, who can rarely talk about their experiences. It also questions what a hero really is as it explores the lives of the "war heroes" returned home who don't feel like heroes, because really they were just there.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I needed to read Heroes by Robert Cormier because it is on the WJEC high school English curriculum. I work in a high school and the GCSE literature students studied it this year and are likely to next year. However, I hadn’t read it and was pretty much useless in their final revision lessons. Instead of stressing out about it I figured I should just give it a read. At only 144 pages I could have it finished in an afternoon. I’m awfully glad that I read it.
Looking at the book from a purely pleasurable read level Heroes is really good. Our protagonist, Francis Cassavant has returned home after serving in the Second World War. At only 18 years old he has been witness to more death and destruction than he cares to admit. After forging details on his birth certificate Frances is sent to a war that he was far too young to be in. He left for war a boy and returned a man. Disfigured and harbouring guilt, Frances has come home with one mission. That mission is murder.
Sounds good doesn’t it?
On an academic level, Heroes is a great book to dissect. Themes of heroism, brotherhood, forgiveness and what is right and what is wrong all feature heavily. It is easy to understand why it is a GCSE book to read.
If you like historical fiction – especially if it is set during wartime – then you must give Heroes a read. It is a book you can finish in a day but one that will leave you thinking about morality long after you have finished it.
Heroes by Robert Cormier is available now.
Looking at the book from a purely pleasurable read level Heroes is really good. Our protagonist, Francis Cassavant has returned home after serving in the Second World War. At only 18 years old he has been witness to more death and destruction than he cares to admit. After forging details on his birth certificate Frances is sent to a war that he was far too young to be in. He left for war a boy and returned a man. Disfigured and harbouring guilt, Frances has come home with one mission. That mission is murder.
Sounds good doesn’t it?
On an academic level, Heroes is a great book to dissect. Themes of heroism, brotherhood, forgiveness and what is right and what is wrong all feature heavily. It is easy to understand why it is a GCSE book to read.
If you like historical fiction – especially if it is set during wartime – then you must give Heroes a read. It is a book you can finish in a day but one that will leave you thinking about morality long after you have finished it.
Heroes by Robert Cormier is available now.
Here is my review:
http://caponomics.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-heroes-by-robert-cormier.html
http://caponomics.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-heroes-by-robert-cormier.html
after reading it for three months I finished it a whole three days before the exam!
I read this book because I'm tutoring someone who is studying it and wanted to be on the same page to help with his work. He assured me it was pretty boring, and that he preferred the other text they were studying, so I didn't jump in with too many expectations as I know that feeling too well from my own school days studying war books.
I finished it in a day (not too difficult considering the size). It was an excellent study on how we perceive veterans and reasons young men may have signed up to war other than anticipated glory. The character of Francis was extraordinarily portrayed and the novella was a perfect length for what the story needed to be.
I'm just waiting to see my student again and tell him my thoughts. It's the first time I acknowledge I will be considered a giant nerd, and the first time I'm totally okay with that.
I finished it in a day (not too difficult considering the size). It was an excellent study on how we perceive veterans and reasons young men may have signed up to war other than anticipated glory. The character of Francis was extraordinarily portrayed and the novella was a perfect length for what the story needed to be.
I'm just waiting to see my student again and tell him my thoughts. It's the first time I acknowledge I will be considered a giant nerd, and the first time I'm totally okay with that.
I really liked this book. Especially because I've already read a lot of Cormier's works. I expected it to have a completely hopeless ending, but somehow he managed to make it still painfully powerful (Oh my God, Larry - how could you?) but with a hopeful-ish ending.
And he accomplished all of this in 135 pages. Outstanding. I have a lot of affection for this book. It's really good. i highly recommend it.
Have a fabulous day everyone.
And he accomplished all of this in 135 pages. Outstanding. I have a lot of affection for this book. It's really good. i highly recommend it.
Have a fabulous day everyone.
I didn't enjoy this book at all. Although this is probably just because I had to read it for my English Literature GCSE. It just wasn't my thing