End of the semester thoughts

So the semester is almost over so I'd like to use this blog post to post some of my final thoughts about the books that we read. To my surprise, I actually liked all of the books that we read, although to different levels of like.
1. The Mezzanine
The Mezzanine was definitely not what I was expecting to read in the class first. It was right after summer break and school was just beginning. The Mezzanine was also rather boring to read at first and it became more of a chore, especially after I saw the extremely long footnotes. It was the discussions in class that saved me. With all the interesting points that people were making about the novel, it was difficult not to get into the story. Beneath the seemingly everyday life that is portrayed in the novel lies tons of interesting details and tidbits that all tie back to his thoughts.
2. Mrs. Dalloway
I found that Mrs. Dalloway was a good book to transition to right after the Mezzanine. One of the recurring features of all the novels that we have read is that they seem simple or straightforward in the beginning but often become much more complex beneath. I really liked the dynamic between Clarissa and Septimus, how they are completely different people and yet share many of the same struggles that Clarissa has. It's very ironic that Septimus is unable to control his emotions from coming out while Clarissa is unable to express herself. The fact that the whole novel took place in a single day is astonishing. What is even more exciting is how Woolf manages to seamlessly weave all of the characters into one narrative without having the story seem awkward or disconnected.
3. The Sun Also Rises
I think that this book was the one that exceeded all expectations. This was the first book by Hemingway that I have read and I wasn't disappointed. Hemingway is so masterful in his use of the subtext and manages to convey a novel that is filled with details and richness with a minimal amount of pages. It was especially great for conversation because of the open statements that Hemingway leaves for the readers to interpret leading to occasional heated debates between opposing sides.
4. The Stranger
The novels just keep getting better and better. The Stranger was probably the novel that I had the most fun reading. This was also the time that we had our first open discussion. It was difficult for me at first to pick up on whether or not Meursault was as he is portrayed, apathetic at best. To read this book right after The Sun Also Rises led to me trying to pick through the minimal amount of details to attempt to portray Meursault in a better light.
5. Wide Sargasso Sea
Wide Sargasso Sea ties with The Stranger and The Sun Also Rises as the top novels of the semester. I've never read Jane Eyre but reading Wide Sargasso Sea will definitely change my opinion of Bertha if I do read it. Reading the back story is always interesting and portraying to story from both Antoinette and Rochester leaves the readers at a standoff of whether to support Rochester or Antoinette.
6. Song of Solomon
Reading this book is....weird. I'm really not sure how else to describe it. Perhaps it is the names or the scenes that Toni Morrison describes but it is a big change from Wide Sargasso Sea, which I found to be more tame and emotional. Nevertheless, Toni Morrison does a wonderful job telling the stories of all the characters in a compelling and interesting way that just draws the readers in.

\Overall, this was a very interesting semester. I'm kind of sad that it is ending because all of the books and discussion have been really beneficial and interesting to me. I think the best part about reading these books is that you can continue to read them over and over and just pick up on new details that weren't there before. Anyways, this was a fun semester and good luck on finals!