Having seen the Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep film, I felt it important to read the book. Unique in various ways, the author's view of the future is one that stands apart due to the monotone in human behavior. No robots or aliens, a world of correctness instead. Driven by a humanity theme, it raises questions. Will we dispense with emotion and replace it with rules? Will all things unique and visionary be cast aside? Will love be an unknowns emotion? Fortunately the movie adaptation runs very close to the book with lots of visual embellishments. I found it odd our library classifies this as a children's book, though Jonas, the protagonist is only 12. Regardless, this is a great story, well paced highly recommended.

Stirring.

In a futuristic utopian world, Community has reached maximum peace and stability. With all types of emotions eradicated from daily life, people live in perfect harmony, and without any kind of pain. Everyone in the Community has everything they need and a designated purpose in life. On the day of the Ceremony of Twelve, the day younglings are assigned their future life roles, twelve years old Jonas is set apart from the group. He’s to become the Receiver of Memories, the unique recipient of all emotions and memories of the world, passed on from the Giver himself, so the rest of the society doesn’t have to. The position holds great status and responsibility, but also a terrible burden. The ‘perfect society’ carries a hefty price, and secrets, so many secrets…

This was one of my first books and series, along with Percy, Divergent and Hunger, that sparked my passion for YA and everything dystopian. It’s been more than a decade and the stirrings still strong with this one. How can I ever forget Jonas and Fiona, the tiny helpless Gabriel, the glimpses of colour, the Stirrings, the memories, and the pains of the world,  or the terrible secrets of the Nurturer, the Caretaker and Elsewhere,  among many other things.

One of best and highly regarded works of dystopian fiction, and very justly lauded. An enjoyable and thought provoking novel that gives you pause, and leaves you wanting for more, especially regarding answers. The beginning and middle were great, and the revelations devastating. The ending was kind of ambiguous, unsatisfactory, and open ended; but it’s resolved by the end of the series, sort of. A story that truly makes you think. Emotions brings out the best in people, and more often too, the worst. Fairly Recommendable. And a must if you enjoy anything dystopian.

*** The movie (2014) is an ok adaptation I suppose. Well put together and reasonably faithful to the original work. However, sadly, although all the effort and main ingredients were clearly there, I believe the film doesn’t nearly make any justice to the book. Brenton Thwaites and Odeya Rush were unremarkable at best, and the whole feeling of the movie plainly lackluster and barely memorable. What I really enjoyed most about it was the artistic and beautiful scenography which was excellently done, and the aesthetic feel of it. But ultimately I think what really saves the movie and makes it worth it at all is Jeff Bridges, he shines whenever he’s on, as The Dude often does in any film he’s in.



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n  PERSONAL NOTEn:
[1993] [208p] [Dystopia] [MG/YA] [Recommendable]
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★★★★☆ 1. The Giver
★★★★☆ 2. Gathering Blue
★★☆☆☆ 3. Messenger
★★★★☆ 4. Son

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Ardor.

En un futurístico mundo utópico, la Comunidad ha alcanzado máxima paz y estabilidad. Con todos los tipos de emociones erradicados de la vida cotidiana, las personas viven en perfecta armonía, y sin ninguna clase de dolor. Todos en la Comunidad tienen todo lo que necesitan y un designado propósito en la vida. En el día de la Ceremonia de los Doce, el día en que los jóvenes son asignados su futuro rol en la vida, Jonás de doce años es puesto aparte del grupo. Se convertirá en el Recibidor de la Memoria, un único recipiente de todas las emociones y memorias del mundo, pasados a través del Dador en persona, para que el resto de la sociedad no tenga que hacerlo. La posición acarrea gran status y responsabilidad, pero también una terrible carga. La ‘perfecta sociedad’ trae consigo un alto precio, y secretos, muchos secretos…

Este fue uno de mis primeros libros y series, junto con Percy, Divergente y Juegos del Hambre, que encendió mi pasión por lo Joven Adulto y todo lo distópico. Ha pasado más de una década y los ardores todavía fuertes con esta novela. ¿Cómo podría alguna vez olvidar Jonás y Fiona, el pequeño e indefenso Gabriel, los destellos de color, los Ardores, las memorias y los dolores del mundo,  o los terribles secretos de los Cuidadores, Enfermeros, y el Otro Lugar entre tantas cosas.

Una de las mejores y más altamente aclamadas obras de ficción distópica, y más que justamente laureada. Una disfrutable y provocadora novela que te produce un quiebre, y te deja deseando más, especialmente con respecto a respuestas. La presentación y desarrollo fueron geniales, y las revelaciones devastadoras. El final fue algo ambiguo, insatisfactorio y abierto; pero es resuelto al final de la serie, más o menos. Una historia que verdaderamente te hace pensar. Las emociones despiertan lo mejor en las personas, y muy a menudo también, lo peor. Bastante Recomendable. Y un deber si disfrutás de todo lo distópico.

*** El Dador (2014) es una adaptación aceptable supongo. Bien armada y razonablemente fiel a la obra original. Sin embargo, lamentablemente, aunque todos los ingredientes principales y el esfuerzo claramente están, creo que el filme no le hace ni de cerca justicia al libro en absoluto. Brenton Thwaites y Odeya Rush fueron regular cuando mucho, y toda la sensación de la película simplemente carente y apenas memorable. Lo que más disfruté de todo fue la artística y hermosa escenografía que fue excelentemente hecha, y toda la vibra estética de ella. Pero en última instancia creo que lo que realmente salva la película y hace que valga la pena es Jeff Bridges, que realmente brilla siempre que aparece, como El Tipo con frecuencia hace en cualquier película que actúa.



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n  NOTA PERSONALn:
[1993] [208p] [Distopía] [Grado Medio/Joven Adulto] [Recomendable]
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Was not expecting to like this, yet alone LOVE this! So good!

The Giver by Lois Lowry is one of my favorite books of all time! I first read it in 6th grade and have legitimately lost track of how many times I have reread it since.

PRESCIENT INDEED!

Hang on to your books...

In these days when memories, and indeed history, are being overwritten by bland sameness we still think of Lois Lowry.

We have indeed come much too far to regress, and I think - now that all Givers are segregated from the heap, and pretty well left to their own devices - that we are all forced to cut our losses and smile wistfully at our lost pasts.

Our pasts seem, more and more now, jagged and uneven - but my own past I am not willing to sever from my soul.

For:

We who Give must still give optimally.

We must share our Memories with Anyone willing to listen.

We must enrich our conversation with archaic usages that carry a valuable lost TREASURY of MEANING.

And above all, we must be OURSELVES stubbornly in a world that puts us on hold and plays Muzak to soothe our ruffled feathers.

We must LIVE.

We must be OURSELVES.

We must never FEAR THE CROWD!

My friends, someday we may be given a BLUNT CHOICE:

Les Paradis Artificiels -

Or Freedom.

I only hope I personally will always choose the second option.

I can’t believe I never read this book sooner! It’s a definite classic. It’s refreshing to read a young adult dystopian novel that doesn’t put an emphasis on violence or romance. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy those types of books, but I find the message that the author is trying to convey is often lost.
In The Giver the message is front and centre, and it isn’t without its horrors. The world is depicted as a utopia, but as the story progresses, it’s revealed just how much tinkering humans have done with themselves and the world around them to make this place. There are no animals. People don’t see colour. Twins aren’t allowed to exist, because it would be “confusing”. There is no love.
The Giver brought me to tears more than once, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt dystopian novel, regardless of age.

Imagine my surprise when I started reading this book and realized it had a science fiction vibe to it. Since I'm not a big fan of science fiction, I didn't hold out much hope that I would enjoy this book but enjoy it, I did! The ending was a little disappointing but I guess that's because this is the first book in the series, something I didn't know. I might read the others in the series somewhere down the road just to see how the author ends the story.

Yesterday, I took a road trip with my two daughters to get pick up my 88 year-old grandmother, who will be staying with us through the holiday season. At 5 and 9 years-old, my usual audiobook choices were clearly not an option. So, I found myself listening to some books that definitely are not my usual type, yet again.

With over 4 1/2 hours in the car each way, we were able to finish 2 audiobooks from start to finish. By pure coincidence, they both ended up being authored by Lois Lowry. I have never been more engaged in a children's book than I was during this road trip. I was completely lost in these stories, as were my children.

The first book that we listened to was 'The Giver'. What a captivating, albeit bleak, fictional world Ms. Lowry has created! I was absolutely spellbound by her storytelling.

Set in the future, Jonas lives in a community that has traded their humanity for the illusion of safety. They block anything that would trigger the emotional highs and lows that define a person's life as we now know it. They don't experience the heartache of loss, but they never give in to the joys of life either. They are shells, robotic in their day to day existence and devoid of emotion.

Although this is a children's book, it had a feeling eerily similar to George Orwell's '1984'. Independent thinking was non-existent. People "confessed" their thoughts, dreams and rule violations. The presence of the omnipresent leaders in their homes, ruling their lives, was pervasive and all-powerful.

Jonas is getting ready to experience the ceremony of 12. This particular ceremony is an important one in the community, a rite of passage into adulthood. It is at this ceremony that each child is assigned their job within the community. They will remain in their assigned role until they are no longer productive and they are "released".

Unlike the other children, Jonas is unsure of his calling within the community. He doesn't feel a clear draw to one occupation or another. He is worried of what the future holds for him and he is beginning to notice some unusual things that others do not.

Jonas is ultimately assigned a very prestigious role within the community. It is perhaps the most important role in the community, but comes with a tremendous burden. He cannot share his experiences with anyone other than the man that he will be replacing, the current "receiver". As his training progresses, Jonas comes to question everything that he has ever been taught.

From beginning to end, this book held my rapt attention. It was beautifully written and thought provoking. 'The Giver' serves as a cautionary tale to the human race, warning of what can become when we censor our very emotions and blot out all of the differences that make us unique individuals.

There was plenty of action and suspense along the way. It was also a much more emotional read than I had anticipated. I'll never forget the look on my 9 year-old's face when some of the true meanings of different phrases, like "released", truly sunk in. Don't even get me going on baby Gabe! Luckily, I think most of that went over the head of my 5 year-old.

Overall, I thought that this was a spectacular book! It is one that I would not have normally read, but I'm so glad that I did. I can only hope that the lessons learned will resonate with my daughter and the other children that read it. An all-around great story! I'll probably download the next books in the series for our next road-trip to take "Nana" home after the holidays.

See more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

n  

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

n



If I read The Giver before The Hunger Games or Divergent, this book would be the best of this genre. I decided to read the book after watching the movie, which is not much clarified . But I liked how ingenious the movie was, it dragged me too very simple things, such as opportunities, lives and rules of the society. I felt the power from its narration alone, it hit me straightly and made me regret that I hadn't read this book sooner.



n  

“The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without colour, pain or past.”

n

The book is not what I expected. Admittedly, it's not descriptive and lacks of the dynamic. I found out that this platform intends to teach us about morals and abstract feelings for humans. Yet it was so easy to understand those details put between the lines. Other than that, the book taught me how I can grow up potentially with a goal in my mind. It's important to consider what you want to you thoroughly and its effect to other people.



The narration of this book was quite languid. However, I liked the ending because it left something to us to make an assumption, and it was a big likable thing that made The Giver a 4-star read.

n  

“It's the choosing that's important, isn't it?”

n

https://goo.gl/qbRxJs

This isn't my preferred reading material, but I can certainly appreciate the flow from a black and white world into a world full of color. (And yes, I am both writing directly and metaphorically, as the writer has done.)
I found myself wanting more action, or intentionality, but them's the breaks. As a piece of traditional literature, this novel works better, in the way that Margaret Atwood tends to gravitate toward that genre and away from a more serious dystopian sci fi, falling into singular themes and attempting to focus the reader into the same kind of straight jacket that the characters have had to endure. As a prospective fantasy, I would rather have seen a greater fall into darkness before the eventual climb into light, rather than the razor's edge of memories-as-conflict-resolution.

Again, it just didn't speak to me as much as I'd hope it would. I can still appreciate the craft put into it, and it was still good. I just can't bring myself to say it was great.

نمی‌تونم بگم این ریویو کتاب رو اسپویل می‌کنه، ولی اگر از کسانی هستید که دوست دارید از داستان مطلقاً هیچی ندونید، لطفا نخونید

تمام مشکلات دنیا رو تصور کنید، بزرگ و کوچک
فقر؟ گرسنگی؟ جنگ؟ بیماری؟ جمعیت زیاد؟ نابرابری؟ دین؟
هرچیزی که زندگی رو براتون سخت‌تر کرده
سرما و گرما؟ سؤالات اذیت کننده‌ی مردم؟ گریه‌ی نوزادی که شب‌ها نمی‌خوابه؟
تمام انتخاب‌های زندگی که گاهی آرزو می‌کنید انقدر سخت نبود
انتخاب شغل؟ همسر؟ مسیر زندگی؟ اینکه صبح چه بپوشید؟
تمام دردهای روح
از دست دادن؟ قلب شکسته؟ ناامیدی؟
تمام این‌ها رو تصور کنید. بعد دنیایی رو تجسم کنید که هیچکدام از این‌ها در اون وجود نداره
به دنیای داستان "بخشنده" خوش اومدید

درباره‌ی داستان
جامعه‌ای که جوناس در اون زندگی می‌کنه با هارمونی محض اداره میشه و هیچ درد و جرمی در اون وجود نداره. شغل افراد در دوازده سالگی براساس توانایی‌هاشون براشون مشخص میشه و همسر و فرزندانشون بعد از ثبت درخواست بهشون تعلق میگیره. عشق اینجا بی معنیه. روابط جنسی دست‌و‌پا گیرند و با قرص سرکوب می‌شند. همه‌چیز در این دنیا کاربردی و به‌ درد بخوره. اگر بیش از حد پیرید، نوزاد مشکل‌داری هستید یا بیش از سه بار از قوانین سفت و سخت جامعه تخطی کردید، یعنی به درد نمی‌خورید و "آزاد" می‌شید

زندگی جوناس روزی که به عنوان "نگه دارنده خاطرات" انتخاب میشه برای همیشه عوض میشه. فردی که باید بارِ تمام خاطرات گذشته رو به دوش بکشه و تمام دردها، رنج‌ها و مشکلات رو به یاد بیاره در حالی که بقیه از آرامش ندانستن لذت می‌برند. اما این به این معنیه که جوناس تمام زیبایی‌های گذشته رو هم از " بخشنده"، پیرمردی که نگه دارنده‌ی قبلی خاطرات هست دریافت می‌کنه. لذت‌هایی مثل حس عشق، خانواده، دیدن رنگ‌ها، لذت سورتمه سواری و حس کردن نور آفتاب روی بدن

با داشتن این خاطرات، جوناس دیگه نمی‌تونه به هیچ چیز مثل قبل نگاه کنه. آرمان شهری که فکر می‌کرد در اون زندگی می‌کنه رازهای سیاهش رو بهش نشون میده و بهای سنگین این نظم و رنج نکشیدن رو متوجه میشه. اینجاست که تصمیم میگیره که باید کاری کنه و زندگی خودش و بقیه رو تغییر بده

اهمیت کتاب
این کتاب که در سال ١٩٩۴ نوشته شده، پدر سری کتاب هایی مثل هانگر گیمز و داورجنت محسوب میشه و از این جهت اهمیت زیادی داره. در سال های اول بعد از انتشارش در بعضی از مدارس آمریکا به دلیل اشاراتش به خشونت و مسائل جنسی برای کودکان بدون اجازه والدین ممنوع میشه. ولی سال‌هاست که به عنوان یکی از بهترین کتاب‌های یانگ ادالت و نوجوان در این ژانر در نظر گرفته میشه چون به مسائل مهم و ریشه ای می‌پردازه. به وضوح ترسیم می‌کنه که سانسور و محدودیت‌های دولت با از بین بردن آزادی، لذت‌های زندگی رو هم با خودش از بین می‌بره و از این جهت طعنه‌ی سنگینی هم به کمونیزم می‌زنه

آزادی =خوشحالی؟
اما من نزدیک به سی سال بعد از انتشار این کتاب، می‌خوام لحظه‌ای به آن سوی داستان بپردازم، به مزیت‌های زندگی بی رنگ و روح جوناس و اینکه چرا انسان تصور کرده که به این شکل زندگی بهتری داره

تعداد تصمیماتی که انسان مدرن باید بگیره کشنده‌است. هر روز باید صدها تصمیم ساده و دشوار بگیرید، از اینکه غذا چه بخورید تا اینکه در این زندگی اولویت‌هاتون چیه و این زمان کوتاه روی زمین رو می‌خواید چطور بگذرونید. هر تصمیمی که بگیرید، جایگزین‌ها و مقایسه‌های بی‌پایانی با خودش به‌همراه داره و روی تک‌تک افراد جامعه اثر می‌گذاره. برای همین برام قابل درکه که چرا این جامعه با محدود کردن تصمیمات به دنبال آرامش و خوشحالی مطلق بوده

شاید مثال خوبی از ارتباط بین خوشحالی و آزادی، رابطه ماهی و آکواریوم باشه. ما همه ماهی‌هایی در آکواریومی هستیم که مرزهای محدودیت‌های ما رو مشخص می‌کنه. برای رشدمون و دستیابی به شادی بیشتر، فکر می‌کنیم که به آکواریوم بزرگ‌تری نیاز داریم که آزادی بیشتری بهمون بده. اما گاهی با تقلامون برای خلاص شدن از این محدودیت ها، در واقع داریم خود آکواریوم رو می‌شکنیم و بدون اون، ما ماهی‌های مرده‌ایم. عجیب به نظر می‌رسه ولی گاهی همین محدودیت‌ها، باعث ایجاد آرامش و خوشحالی می‌شند

دنیای کتاب رابطه‌ی خوشحالی و آزادی رو یک رابطه معکوس می‌دونه. آزادی بیشتر، خوشحالی کمتر. ولی به نظرم این رابطه بیشتر به این شکله و جهان ایده‌آل کتاب نتونسته این بالانس شکننده‌ی نقطه‌ی پیک رو رعایت کنه


پایان متفاوت
پایان کتاب یکی از قسمت‌های جالبشه که هرکس می‌تونه با دیدگاه خودش تفسیرش کنه. اگر بدبین هستید داستان جوناس برای شما متفاوت از خوشبین‌ها تموم میشه. ولی نکته مهم اینه که جوناس بالاخره یک تصمیم برای خودش میگیره و این یعنی زندگی واقعی رو برای بار اول واقعاً تجربه می‌کنه

نکته مهم: اگر در یک حکومت توتالیتر زندگی می‌کنید که آزاد‌ی‌های اصلی شما رو ازتون سلب کرده، شما [و من] اول همون نمودار موندیم و اون قضیه شامل ما نمیشه. ازش نوشتم چون دلیل نمیشه که چون توی تُنگ زندگی می‌کنیم، از آکواریوم و دریا حداقل حرف نزنیم

کتاب رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

امتیاز واقعی ۳/۵
۱۴۰۰/۱/۶

3.5 but decided on a 4 bc I think the tweens would really appreciate this story as well as adults. It was engaging from the beginning. A boy in a community of sameness without memories, love, hate, colors, anger gets chosen to be a receiver of memories from an Elder as a Twelve. The memories are transferred to him and many are painful like War or happiness like birthdays. He suddenly sees the unfairness of his community and wants to change it. Very intriguing story line as a story but if you are looking at it deeply like a politically charged book perhaps you will not enjoy it only based on imagination...