Book Review: The Giver (1993)

I had been meaning to read this book for years, and finally got around to it because they're going to make it into a movie. I think it's always better to read the book first, that way your take on it isn't contaminated by Hollywood.

I really liked this book, even though it was a little hard to wrap my head around it at first. I think Lois Lowry should have painted a better picture of Jonas' world in the beginning using more imagery. After a while though, I had a clear picture of this dystopian world I had entered into, and it was pretty horrifying. This book makes me appreciate things I take for granted every day like love, diversity, and even color.

Jonas lives in "The Community" and everything is under the spell of sameness - it's been that way for as long as anyone can remember. There are no choices, no colors, and no real feelings. Everyone receives a bicycle when they're nine, everyone is assigned a job at twelve which you will begin training for, you can apply for a spouse and one will be assigned to you, etc. Oh everyone is well cared for, and there is no pain, war, or fear. But what are the consequences of that? Jonas is picked for a special job - the man who has the burden of the world's memories to carry with him throughout his life - called the Receiver. The man who transfers these memories is called the Giver.

This is an important book to read, and once you get into it you have to read it all the way through. I'm excited to see the movie, they're making Jonas sixteen instead of twelve, and he's played by a hot new Australian actor named Brenton Thwaites. Also, Jeff Bridges plays the Giver (he originally wanted his father to play the part, but he passed away before they could film it) and Meryl Streep plays the chief elder, which has a more prominent role in the movie than in the book. It comes out in August of this year.