Welcome, Seniors!

Good Morning Class!

The three books that you will be reading this summer are:

1. A Moon for the Misbegotten (1947). A short, but intense, play by Connecticut native son Eugene O'Neill.
2. Goldengrove (2008), by Francine Prose. A novel that deals with grief, loss and death. And what's the opposite of death? Desire.
3. The Return of the Native (1878), by Thomas Hardy. This is Honors/AP English after all, so here is your ponderous 19th century novel. (Actually, once you get past the first chapter or two, you can get swept up with the plot and characters. Personally, I love Thomas Hardy.)
   

When you check back here in a few days, you will see an entry for each of these books. As you work your way through each of these books, please leave an entry consisting of your comments and/or questions. If this works as it should (as it has in the past), a little back and forth will get going among the readers.

I expect that each of you will leave a minimum of one substantial comment (i.e., a comment of substance rather than mere length) for each book, but more than one is a good idea. Don't be afraid to be provocative; please feel free to respond. [Note: be sure to leave your name when you leave a comment, so that you mat get full credit for your effort.]

You will also be required to write a Formal Academic Essay (3 - 5 pages), which will be due on Friday, August 27, 2010. (You may submit it electronically to jmacarthur@tolland.k12.ct.us.)