1st Short Story

Shansho the Steward

This story had a lot of unexpected turns. Surprisingly, it was pretty interesting to read. When the parents and children got split up at the beginning, I kind of guessed that was what was going to happen. I thought it was kind of weird when the sister just kind of got cut off from the brother and didn't talk to him like she used to for a while. She must have been plotting her plan the entire time. I don't understand why she killed herself though?...Maybe it was to lure the searchers her way, so they didn't get on her brother's trail so fast. I had no clue that she was going to do that, until in the story when it said her sandals were found by the water, and the guards think that she killed herself. All of the different Chinese names were a little bit confusing, but overall it was a pretty easy read. At first I judged the story and thought I would not like it, but I was proven wrong.

I compared him to Jesus too, with the whole him sacrificing himself thing. I too noticed sex taking a huge part of this novel. Mike mentions something about how humans brains work during sex. This even intrigues him. I didn't really like the book, but only because I don't have the greatest imagination. The plot was good thought, the end was definitely unexpected. What did you think of the book?

Well obviously the religion is going to be crazy. A person not even from this planet is running it. Dawn was sent to comfort Jubal, not Ben. I think you might have mixed up the names. Do you think that one of the secretaries children is Mikes? What did you think about his death?

I thought hippy was the perfect word for it. It was seriously the exact word I thought of when the book mentioned his church. In the beginning it was mentioned that the Old ones always took a very long time to make decisions, but I didn't expect that to be foreshadowing anything. I am worried that now Mike can make things disappear without anything being wrong, that he might do something bad with his powers. This seems to happen in most stories.

To be honest, it could represent a lot of different themes. Two of these are love and hate. Maybe it could even represent just what Mike thinks. Fear, science, philosophy, religion, love, and hate are all things that Mike has to pick up living on Earth. I guess I would kind of compare him to Hellen Keller. They both have overcome so much just to understand basic concepts. What did you make it out to be? (Theme wise)

I thought maybe because it was his first religion he ever heard. I thought that Mike also wouldn't really like Ben. But seeing that Ben was Mike's second choice to take care of his finances, he must trust him. The General also kind of switched sides to be with Jubal, Jill, and Mike. Jubal kind of bargained with him to make it that way thought.

I'm not sure why only Ben disappeared. I did think it was funny though how all of the girls thought that Mike was such an amazing kisser. When Ben came back though, I think he was a little bit jealous of Mike. I always knew he had a thing for Jill, but I never thought he would propose. That was kind of random. I thought that this might turn into something bad by the end of the book.