Published: April 26, 1993
Pages: 180
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
In short: The Giver by Lois Lowry is clearly a very special book with a profound thoughtfulness to it that I don't usually see in the dystopians of today.
But thankfully, The Giver didn't read to me as "been there, done that" as many dystopians do these days. Even with the same basic format that I've seen again and again in this genre, The Giver brought to the table a profound thoughtfulness that I don't usually see in the dystopians of today. The Giver keeps things simple when it comes to world building, which would normally be a problem for me in any other book in the same genre, but here it works because it puts the focus on the important messages of the novel, rather than in the details of the world.
I am SO late to this party, but I'm glad I have finally read this classic novel! The Giver is clearly a special book and it doesn't surprise me that it is often a staple in classrooms for study. I do regret that I never read it in school growing up because it would have been a great and powerful introduction not only to the dystopian genre, but to many profound life lessons. I am pretty doubtful that the movie adaptation will do this book justice. Thoughts?
Question to those who have read the entire series: is it a must for me to read the final three books? I am a bit conflicted about the end of The Giver because part of me feels it is incomplete, but another part of me thought the book on the whole to be a solid read and I don't want my experience of it to be ruined.
Author Links:
Website
Goodreads
I haven't read the rest of the series, but from my knowledge they're not really direct follow-ons. I think Jonas comes in briefly, but I think only in the final books. It's kind of the same deal as the Howls Moving Castle series- books all told by different narrators but featuring the same characters briefly/in minor roles.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching the movie progress and think it's going to be incredibly different from the book, and since the casting doesn't fit my idea at all I don't plan on watching it (the age difference, making him, like, 17, really frustrates me, too), though hopefully it's good for those who do.
Excellent review, though, Aylee! I'm so glad you loved this so much and found it to be a fresh dystopian, even being the starting point for many new ones- I love the book so much, and I'm happy more people are still reading it. It's so thought-provoking a read.
Humm, that's interesting. I'm not sure what I think of that. I guess it's cool and it's a way of keeping it fresh, but I'm not 100% sure I'm going to continue on with the series. We'll see.
DeleteYeah, I think the thing that frustrates me the most about the movie is it's clearly a different story. They're trying to appeal to the YA dystopian crowd by making the protag older. It won't be the same as the book, but maybe it can still be a good movie...
Thanks, Romi! I'm glad the imminent release of the movie finally got me to read the book at any rate. I adored its thoughtfulness so much.
I think part of what makes The Giver different than many of the dystopians out there today is the fact that it is not some epic adventure or battle, they do not rise up to over throw the leaders of the society. It is more simple than that. I think that's what is going to be lost when they make the movie. From the trailers it looks like Jonas is some rule breakin teen who found the Giver and of course there's action! and romance! I just don't hold out much hope for the movie.
ReplyDeleteMy sister got me to read The Giver for the first time years ago and I hated it. I reread it a couple of years later and was able to appreciate it. I'm glad you liked the book, it certainly is an interesting read.
Yes, exactly!! It's a much quieter dystopian, a simple one with a strong message. And the movie they made just seems like they're trying to appeal to the YA dystopian crowd by infusing action and romance that isn't there, as well as turning Jonas into the typical rebellious dystopian teen. Grrr, I don't like it. Though I do understand why they have decided to go that route.
DeleteHeh, that's interesting and I'm glad you came to appreciate it in time :) Pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten as much out of it if I had read it as a young person.
I haven't read this book in SO LONG but once I saw that it was a series AND when I saw that a movie was being released, I think I'll have to check them all out -- including a reread of this one! It's not that long of a book which is nice, but I remember it being so powerful.
ReplyDeleteA reread would be nice if it's been a long while since you first read it! And yeah, you could whiz through it in no time. But it might not make a lot of difference when it comes to the movie because it seems like a way different story.
DeleteI haven't read this since 7th grade! I really should do a re-read before the movie. You know what is odd, is that our teacher kept referring to it as a utopia. This was way before dystopian was popular in YA lit. I think what she meant was that the society was trying to sell it as a utopia, but really we see it for what it is, a dystopia. Kind of reminds me of Matched. I also have the rest of the series sitting on my tbr shelf.
ReplyDelete7th grade is when I should have read it in school! But my English class didn't for whatever reason. That's a really great point that the society is supposed to be utopian, but we see it as dystopian, which is interesting. And yeah, I can see now that Matched borrowed HEAVILY from The Giver.
DeleteYou're not the only one late to the party, I still haven't read this! So glad you enjoyed it though. The movie probably won't do it justice but I'm going to watch it anyway (will definitely try to read the book before I see it). And who knows, maybe it will wow us! Great review, thanks. Will try to bump this up my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteWow, and here I thought I was the only one! You should definitely read it before seeing the movie because I have a bad feeling the movie would ruin your experience of it if you watched it before reading the book. But yeah, who knows - it could still be a good movie in its own right, even if its way different from the book!
DeleteDitto what Liz said. I haven't even arrived at this party yet Aylee! I think the movie looks fascinating, so I think I'd like to watch it first and then pick this one up (if I do it the other way around, I'll only nitpick at the movie). Glad that despite your small misgivings about the end, this one was a winner overall for you!
ReplyDeleteHmm, well that could be an interesting approach and I would definitely be curious to hear your thoughts on the movie and book as someone who saw the movie first and read the book second. I'm going to try my best not to nitpick at the movie and view it in its own right because it just seems so different to me.
DeleteI am late to the party, too, since they started reading it in school long after I left. I need to read this, though, and it's nice to read a review of someone who is experiencing it for the first time.
ReplyDeleteKate @ Ex Libris
It's definitely a must! I hope you enjoy it and get a lot out of it when you do eventually get around to reading it!
DeleteI loved The Giver but have yet to read the others. I liked filling in the blanks myself I think.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know what you mean! I kind of like filling in the blanks on my own, as well.
DeleteI read The Giver for school when I was young, and I remember really loving it. I should re-read it again sometime soon. I never read any of the other books, so I feel like it's fine to see The Giver as a stand-alone.
ReplyDeleteI would be interesting in hearing what you think of it after so many years later! And yeah, I don't think I'll have a problem viewing it as a standalone.
DeleteThe Giver is like THE dystopian classic, but I've never read it! I always thought it was a story about an old man in an attic with a candle, don't even ask why, so that put me off for a while. When the movie trailer came out I was quite surprised by what it actually is about so hoho, might be reading this before running off to the cinema!
ReplyDeleteAlicia @ Summer Next Top Story
LOL! Well, that is the image on the cover! I'm not sure I even knew what it was truly about until I read it... I think I had in my mind that the old guy was the protag >_< And the movie trailer seems to present a completely different story so make sure to read the book first!
DeleteAm so glad you liked The Giver! I read it a few years back for the first time and couldn't believe I'd never read it before.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I felt about the other books in the series:
Gathering Blue- brand new characters to get to know, really neat to read about a dystopian culture where art is highly prized (usually art is neglected in a post-apocolyptic struggle)
The Messenger- Hated. Too many supernatural elements mixing into the story and taking away from the core of what makes the society so powerful Also the narrative was too simple.
Son- Hated, but not as much as The Messenger. Was interesting to read about this character (mother of the main character in The Giver) but the middle of the book was painful and the supernatural/magical elements once again took over and ruined it all for me
I recommend not reading any the others or just reading Gathering Blue and not going any further.
Hmmm!! Now this is interesting and this is exactly the info I had hoped to receive. I could see myself appreciating Gathering Blue because that really is interesting to me to have art prized in such a dystopian society, but I don't know about The Messenger and Son! And I don't know how I feel about new characters picking up the narrative... I'll have to think it over some more, but I think I'll take your advice and either read Gathering Blue only or no others! Thank you for the advice!!
DeleteI haven't read The Giver yet. It's just I'm too burned out by dystopian novels these days and I feel like I really need a break. It's really good to know that this one is thought-provoking and has more depth. Like you, I really wish we have this book as part of our required reading cause it does seem like the themes of this novel might really benefit a young mind. Lovely review, Aylee!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've been off dystopians for a while now so I was honestly very surprised when I picked this one up and was able to get into it! It just gave me so much more to think about than a regular dystopian, which I loved. I hope you get to this one eventually because it's a wonderfully meaningful read!
DeleteI feel like I need to read this book, because it's one of those things you have to read at least once. I wish we had to read this book for school too, it sounds like it would be more fun than some of the English books we had to tackle.
ReplyDeleteYup, it's a must, for sure! And yeah, I certainly found myself getting more into it than I did in some of the other novels we were required to read in school...
DeleteI was super late to the part on this one too, I only read it a few years ago and I remember thinking I was the only person who hadn't read it yet. For whatever reason, this book failed to have the impact on me that I was expecting it would. I think it was partly due to having read the story before, through imitators,as you mentioned. It might have just been a case of it not being the right book for my mood at the time...but I've always promised myself I'd re-read it at some point. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and was invested in the story, just not as much as I'd hoped. Like you,I do feel that the film will NOT do it justice in the least, to me The Giver isn't really a book the lends itself well to a film adaptation. Too much of of the message lies in it's simplicity and that's not something Hollywood does well >.< Fantastic review though, you've convinced me to re-read it sooner rather than later :)
ReplyDeleteAwww, sorry to hear that, but I totally know what you mean! There could be a ton of reasons explaining why you weren't really able to get into it as much as you hoped. And even if there wasn't any particular reason, it's not a big deal if you just simply weren't in love with it. But it's still very good to hear that you would like to do a reread sometime just in case!
DeleteAnd yeah, I definitely feel the same way about the movie and the book. It's not an easy book to translate into media. Simplicity is definitely NOT something that Hollywood does well!
I haven't read a dystopian in a long time due to burnout but I hear this one is very good and a step above the rest.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Well, I certainly thought so! I don't think I could have gotten into it otherwise because I'm pretty burned out on dystopians myself!
DeleteI read this way back in Grade 6 and remember not liking it very much because I found it to be very slow. My cousin (who's now going to Grade 9) on the other hand read this last year though and enjoyed it so much that she ended up reading all of the other books in this series. I don't think you need to read the entire series though ... weren't the other books written years later?
ReplyDeleteI think I might not have liked this one as much either, had I read it in Grade 6, though it's hard to be sure. I think I wouldn't have appreciated it as much anyways. I would have to look up when the other books in the series were published because I really don't know - but it wouldn't surprise me if they were published later.
DeleteAh, the person on the cover reminds me of Gandalf. I've never heard of this book before, but it sounds really interesting. And it's a classic! And a dystopian at that. Wow. I am truly intrigued. I'm so glad you loved it so much! Great review!
ReplyDeleteSarika @ The Readdicts
Haha!! I can sort of see a resemblance. And he's very wise like Gandalf! Excellent, I really hope you have an opportunity to read and enjoy this one sometime, Sarika!
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this one and finally read it! It truly is a classic in the dystopian genre! I need to reread it sometime soon, especially before I see the movie. I agree about the movie adaptation. I just don't see how the movie will do it justice. As for the rest of the series, I'd recommend reading it. I personally loved Gathering Blue and I think I also enjoyed The Messenger, but it's been awhile. I have yet to read The Son but I hope to someday. Is it necessary to read them? No. But it's definitely worth it! Lovely review, Aylee!
ReplyDeleteUgh, yeah I think it would be a very hard book to translate into a movie so I can't say that I'm too surprised... but I'm still a bit disappointed because I know it's not going to live up to the book.
DeleteAnd hmm! It's interesting to hear a contrasting point of view because other folk have been saying to skip the last books in the series. Well, it's something to think about and it's not like I have to read them anytime soon. But maybe someday!
YAY! I've loved this one since I was a kid. Truly, a special book!
ReplyDeleteAs for reading the other books, I remember highly enjoying GATHERING BLUE, feeling a bit mixed on MESSENGER (but I read both so, so long ago), and I still need to read SON. I'd recommend checking them out, you might like them!
I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to the movie. The trailers I've seen make it seem like they're changing so much...let's hope they don't ruin a classic story!
Hmm, at this point I'm thinking I'll read Gathering Blue, but maybe not the other two, we'll see. Thanks for your input, Lea! And yeah... I'll try to keep an open mind about the movie going into it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about it.
DeleteI haven't read this either, but it sounds very good! I love that it's the progenitor of many of today's dystopians but doesn't feel overdone if you go back to it after having read many of the books it inspired.
ReplyDeleteYeah!! It's pretty great :) I hope you have the opportunity to try it out sometime!
DeleteOh, Aylee! I'm even later to the party than you! I haven't read it yet though I've been meaning to forever. It just sounds so interesting!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
I hope you can get to it sometime soon and you enjoy it!
DeleteEver since I met Lowry earlier this year, I've been meaning to re-read The Giver. I was fortunate enough to have read it as a child, and I do think you're right - it's a great introduction to the dystopian genre and much better than the vast majority of dystopians that have been published recently.
ReplyDeleteI like how thoughtful and cerebral it is, how it focuses on major themes and ideas over action. Though that makes me really nervous/skeptical when it comes to the movie. I doubt I'll be seeing that unless it gets super positive reviews.
And for me personally, I refuse to read the next three books. I think they may be more companion novels than sequels, but still. The ending is open-ended, but it ends on a note of hope and is perfect in my mind.
I think I'll still see the movie, but I don't have high hopes in the slightest that it'll be good because the reviews haven't been great. But I'm still curious! As for the next three books, I've been going back and forth about them. I might continue, I might not. I am a bit curious what happens next, but I like where it left off. So who knows!
DeletePhew, I'm glad you didn't spoil it. I just got a book voucher for my birthday and I really want to get this. It'll be good to see the original too. I'm hoping there won't be a romance subplot...
ReplyDeleteHa, of course I wouldn't spoil it! There is no romance in the original book, it's something they've included in the movie. Hope you enjoy!
Delete