Product Description: Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.
Amazon.com Review: In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.
Theme - a utopian society will always be relevant and always be thought provoking. Especially when its well written like The Giver is. I find the theme to be incredibly interesting, especially since I have only ever read one other similar novel which was 1984.
Size and syle - It was short, very easy to read and follow. The thing I liked about it is that even though its technically a young adult novel, it can be read by all ages.
The characters were interesting. The plot was fast paced and engaging.
Overall, its a must read for all ages.
A Thought-provoking, Original Story Lois Lowry's The Giver has just made my top-ten list of favorite books. Although I am a senior in college, this is the first time I have ever delved into the intriguing world of The Giver, and I found it fascinating. The story revolves around a young boy named Jonas. Jonas has grown up in a supposedly perfect society where no one experiences pain or suffering and no one has to make their own choices. Everything about their lives is carefully controlled, from how they wear their hair, to their jobs within the community and their assigned spouses. At the beginning of the book, Jonas is about to become a twelve and receive his assignment within the community. Jonas learns that he has been selected to be the new receiver of memories. The giver is the man who currently holds those memories, and he begins to give some of those memories to Jonas. As Jonas receives these memories, he learns of a long forgotten world, a world full of pain, full of sorrow, full of color, full of joy and full of love. It is as he begins to learn about things such as sunshine, war, holidays, and family that he begins to realize what is missing from the society he lives in--depth of feeling and the ability to make choices for oneself. Jonas struggles as he tries to adjust his new knowledge in to the perfectly ordered society that he lives in. And the more he thinks about how things were, and how they could be, the more he begins to wonder if things can change. I gave this book five stars for two reasons. Number one, as a life-long lover of books, I particularly enjoy reading a story that is very unique, even for its genre. Although one could argue that The Giver is similar to other dystopian novels such as 1984 or Anthem, I thought that Lowry's approach was quite original. The second reason that I loved this book is because it was thought provoking. It truly made me ponder the importance of choice, the necessity of experiencing pain and sorrow to understand true joy, and the significance of feeling and being loved. Unlike other dystopian novels, this book didn't seem to be a political statement or a warning of what society could become, but rather just a story that raises questions about what is most important, and what a perfect society truly is.
Good thought provoking read
I found the book intriquing, perhaps a little rushed towards the end, but intriquing and thoughtful.
Lois Lowry has created a world to think about. What if we could all live together happily, politely? Lots of people think we can, but as we are all different could we. Would we have to take those basic of human emotions and suppress them beneath drugs and courtesy. Would we stop hunger by the simple expedient of choosing how many could procreate and who would live once they're done. Would we stop seeing the differences between ourselves by denying them? And is this society unrealistic? I think with the right circumstances, we could be there and that's what makes it frightening.
An excellent book by an excellent author.
From compassion to acumen, Lowry incorporates all there is to learn to develop maturity in this little wonder of a book. In a self-contained community lives eleven-year-old Jonas. This community differs from real life settings. Citizens receive primary duties and adhere to community's regulations. Transgressors are chastised regardless of their age. There is uniformity in everything, from appearance to experience. Freedom does not exist because no one is aware of it. Religion is also nonexistent yet everyone lives in harmony because there is only one group called "the elders" who decide what is right and wrong; what is good and evil. Every child who turns twelve acquires a vocation suitable to his or her capacity and personality. Upon reaching the age of twelve, Jonas is assigned the single most important role, the giver. However, during his training Jonas discovers that outside the community there is life completely discordant from what he is exposed to. That people in this kind of life experience all sorts of emotions foreign to him. Finally, Jonas makes sudden decision to escape.
This is a valued reading for youths and adults as well. The repercussion of Jonas' escape is a healthy fodder for dialogue between parent and child. As part of his Language Arts project, my son has to make a movie poster based on a particular story. Co-incidentally, he picked up this book. Not only he and Jonas are the same age, they also have similar disposition.
A Realistic Utopia This book sets the stage for a utopian society, and it's very believable. Who's to say that this couldn't really happen sometime in the future? However, what I really liked about this book, is that once Jonas found himself, he wasn't afraid to take action and stand up for what he knew was right. Loved it. The first time I read it was the sixth grade, and I still enjoy it. It's one of my favorite books of all time, it's a relatively quick read for an adult, but it really makes you think.
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