ANNOTATED BIBLOIGRAPHY OF RECOMMENDED TEXTS/MOVIES:

The following is a list of recommended novels and movies that explore the concept of multigenre. Pay close attention to voice, perspective, and audience when reading/viewing the items on this list. Try to find similarities and differences between various genres – such as poems, narratives, first person narration, third person narration, journal entries, etc. Keep in mind that each genre’s voice and perspective is unique, and all narrators are different. Ask yourself: what is this narrator trying to portray? Who is this narrator trying to reach? Is this narrator reliable? Why or why not? The concept of unreliable narrator is definitely an important one to keep in mind when exploring multigenre works. Read each annotation to get an idea of what to look for in each item.

(Check out Amazon.com for the following titles)

TEXT SET

Aidinoff, E. V. (2004). The garden. New York: HarperCollins. (400 pgs). ISBN: 0-06-055605-6.

This book is a retelling of the Adam and Eve story from the bible, as told from the perspective of Eve. This book will be great for a multigenre unit plan, because it takes a well-known story and portrays it from a very controversial perspective – thus forcing readers to evaluate the credibility and motives of the narrator.

Anonymous. (1971). Go ask alice. New York: Simon Pulse. (185 pgs). ISBN: 0-689-81785-1.

This is a novel written in the form of a journal, as narrated by a young teen girl who is struggling with drugs. This book not only portrays the power of voice and perspective, but it also facilitates readers’ learning of the journal genre, and how this genre influences the way a story is told.

Engdahl, S. L. (1970). Enchantress from the stars. New York: Walker & Co. (288 pgs). ISBN: 0-8027-8764-9.

This novel is a science fiction novel about a young girl who travels to different worlds. She keeps a book of memoirs about her journey. The story is also told from the view point of another character in the book, who is from a very different world than her own. In this way, the reader gets to see one story from two diverse perspectives – thus portraying how different narrators can influence a story differently.

Garden, N. (1995). Dove and sword: A novel of joan of arc. New York: Scholastic Inc. (337 pgs). ISBN: 0-590-92949-6.

This novel is a historical fiction novel as told from the perspective of a female follower of Joan of Arc. The young narrator tells the entire story in first person, and gives the reader a glimpse of the common story from a different perspective. Again, this is great for a multigenre unit plan, as it urges the reader to examine the narrator for credibility.

Grimes, N. (2002). Bronx Masquerade. New York: Dial Books. (167 pgs). ISBN: 0-8037-2569-8.

This book is a collection of short stories and poems from a fictional high school English class, in an inner city school. The various narrators in this story portray their individual stories through multiple genres, such as poems, journal entries, and dialogues. This fits well with a multigenre unit, because readers can observe diverse voices working together at explaining a common theme. Readers also gain knowledge about various genres and how these genres can fit together to tell a story.

Hoffman, A. (2003). Green angel. New York: Scholastic Inc. (116 pgs). ISBN: 0-439-44385-7.

This is a short novel about a young girl whose family perishes in a fire. She then goes through a difficult journey of self discovery. This fits into my unit plan because it is told in first person, and thus is easily examined for any evidence of an unreliable narrator. Furthermore, the narrator goes through a huge transition, which influences the way the story proceeds and is portrayed.

Hopkins, E. (2004). Crank. New York: Simon Pulse. (537 pgs). ISBN: 0-689-86519-8.

This is a book written entirely in free verse poem, about a young teenage girl and her addiction to methamphetamines. This is a very unique book, and should be part of the unit, as it portrays how the genre of poetry can impact the telling of a story. Also, since the narrator is under the influence of drugs, the aspect of unreliable narrator can be easily explored.

Knowles, J. (1960). A separate peace. New York: Bantam Books. (196 pgs). ISBN: 0-553-28041-4.

This novel is a classic about young boys and their competitive relationships at school. The narrator is looking back at his times at the school, and recalling significant events. The fact that there is an element of retrospect, that the narrator is speaking in first person, and also that the character has some flawed personality traits, make it a great example of the unreliable narrator concept.

Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner Books Inc. (281 pgs). ISBN: 0-446-31078-6.

This novel is about a young girl’s account of growing up in the deep south during segregation. Since this novel is told by a child narrator, it is interesting to explore why this narrator may be unreliable – perhaps due to naivety or lack of experience. It is a great addition to a multigenre unit plan because it reveals that not all unreliable narrators are essentially “shady” characters.

Lynch, C. (2001). Freewill. New York: HarperCollins. (148 pgs). ISBN: 0-06-028177-4.

This novel is about a young teenage boy who is struggling with the fact that his parents have recently died. His behaviors are bizarre and unexplainable, adding to the mystery of his character. This novel is very unique in that it is told from a 2nd person perspective. In this way, the narrator is very unreliable. This is a prime example of this concept, and has much room for deep exploration and interpretation by readers.

Lynch, C. (2005). Inexcusable. New York: Simon & Schuster. (165 pgs). ISBN: 0-689-84789-0.

This novel is about a senior boy who tries to persuade the reader that he is a “good guy.” However, as the novel progresses, it is obvious that he is an unreliable narrator, because some aspects of his story don’t add up. This is a great addition to the text set, as it forces readers to decide how truthful the narrator is, and what factors may influence the way he perceives and/or portrays the story.

McBride, J. (1996). The color of water. New York: Riverhead. (285 pgs). ISBN: 1-57322-578-9.

This is a novel told from two different perspectives – a son and his mother. Their cultural and religions backgrounds definitely influence the way they perceive events, and the fact that two voices are present definitely adds to the depth of the story. Students should read this book because it portrays a unique method of narration and “retrospective” genre.

Melville, H. (1851). Moby dick. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. (427 pgs). ISBN: 0-393-97283-6.

This is the classic story of a man who is obsessed with killing a large whale. It is told from the perspective of a sailor, who witnesses the struggle between Ahab and the whale. Again, this novel is a great example of an unreliable narrator, because it is told from the perspective of one man, who happens to be the lone survivor of a shipwreck. In this way, the reader must discern how much of the man’s account is biased or unbiased, and what factors may influence the narrator’s story.

Nafisi, A. (2003). Reading lolita in tehran: A memoir in books. New York: Random House. (347 pgs). ISBN: 0-8129-7106-X.

This book is a collection of memoirs written by a woman in the middle east, who held an underground reading club with other young women. The story is impacted not only by social factors but also cultural and political factors of the time. In this way, the reader must discern why the narrator sees things from her specific perspective. Also, this is a great example of the memoir genre, which gives students experience with a new way of writing.

Niffenegger, A. (2003). The time traveler’s wife. Orlando: Harcourt. (536 pgs). ISBN: 0-15-602943-X.

This novel is told from the perspective of two different people, who meet up at various places and “times.” This novel is unique in the way it is organized, because it is not chronological like most books. Also, each narrator has a very different perspective of events, thus forcing the reader to examine what compels each narrator. The unique genre and structure of the book, coupled with the unreliable narrator aspect, makes it a good part of a multigenre unit plan.

Palahniuk, C. (1996). Fight club. New York: Henry Holt & Co. (208 pgs). ISBN: 0-8050-6297-1.

This book, like the movie, is about a man who has an alter-personality, that he comes to realize as the book progresses. This is an awesome example of unreliable narrator, and it is unique in that it portrays a narrator who does not know he is unreliable. In this way, the reader must discern more information than the narrator is providing.

Poe, E. A. (1960). The fall of the house of usher and other tales. New York: Penguin Books. (373 pgs). ISBN: 0-451-52463-2.

This book is a collection of Poe’s stories, most of which are exercises with the concept of unreliable narrator. Again, the reader is forced to search for more information than the narrator is ready to provide. By looking at the narrators closely, students should be able to see what motivates a specific narrator to behave in a specific way. Furthermore, this is a great book because it portrays the short story genre, and shows how this genre works to relate a story differently than a novel would.

Sebold, A. (2002). The lovely bones. New York: Little, Brown & Co. (328 pgs). ISBN: 0-316-16881-5.

This novel is told from the perspective of a young girl who is brutally raped and murdered. Most of the story is told by her, after she is dead. This unique perspective definitely provides readers with much to explore on the topic of unreliable narrator, it also portrays how a different perspective can influence a story in a unique way.

Shakespeare, W. (1603). Othello. New York: Washington Square Press. (265 pgs). ISBN: 0-671-72281-6.

This is a play by Shakespeare, about a man named Othello who is driven to kill his wife. There are two reasons why I chose this for my text set: one is because it is written in the form of a play, which is a new genre that students should explore, to see how a story is told from the perspective of this genre. Secondly, the character of Iago is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. There are so many ways to interpret his character and his motives, and this would provide students with much to inquire about.

Shelley, M. (1818). Frankenstein. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. (189 pgs). ISBN: 0-312-24948-9.

This is the classic about a doctor who creates a “monster,” and then attempts to rid himself of his creation. I chose this novel because it is narrated by multiple narrators, and each narrator has a very different interpretation of events. This forces readers to examine the motives and reliability of each narrator. Furthermore, it is written in a journal genre, where it is actually a story within a story. This adds a unique dimension to the way the story is portrayed, and gives students the opportunity to explore a new genre.

Springer, N. (2001). I am morgan lefay. New York: Penguin Putnam. (227 pgs). ISBN: 0-698-11974-6.

This novel is based on the classic story of King Arthur and the witch Morgan Le Fay. However, this novel is told from Morgan’s perspective, which changes the story quite drastically. In this way, it is a great example of how perspective can alter a story. It is up to the reader to conclude whether Morgan is reliable or not, and what factors affect her perception of events.

Stoker, B. (1897). Dracula. New York: Back Bay. (427 pgs). ISBN: 0-316-01481-8.

This is the classic tale of a young man who ends up in the clutches of a vampire. I chose this novel because like Frankenstein, it is a story within a story. It is written in the form of journal entries and letters, and is told from multiple narrators. In this way, it forces the reader to evaluate each narrator and discern what factors influence their perceptions. Not only that, but since it is not written as a simple chronological novel, it provides readers an opportunity to study a different writing genre again.

Twain, M. (1885). Adventures of huckleberry finn. New York: Dover Publications Inc. (220 pgs). ISBN: 0-486-28061-6.

This novel is the story of a young boy living in the time of slaves. He is a first person narrator, and describes his adventures. I chose this book because, since Huck is a young boy, this definitely has an impact on his perception of events. The reader should see Huck as an unreliable narrator, because perhaps if he were older, he would relate the story differently. Again, this is a great novel for exploring the unreliable narrator and perception concepts. Lastly, the use of dialect adds a new dimension to the genre as well.

Yolen, J. (1992). Briar rose. New York: Tom Doherty Assoc. (200 pgs). ISBN: 0-812-55862-6.

This story is about a young woman who attempts to uncover the truth of her grandmother’s past. She finds out that her grandmother was a victim of the Holocaust. Although this novel is not narrated in first person, I still think it is an important part of the text set, because it is told from two different perspectives. The chapters alternate between the woman’s perspective and her grandmother’s perspective in the past. In this way, the reader gets to experience the story from two different people and time periods. I think this type of genre is worth exploring.

MEDIA SET

The following is a list of movies that I believe are beneficial to include in a multigenre text/media set. I chose these movies because they are visual examples of the unreliable narrator concept, which is something to keep in mind when studying multigenre works. Since they are movies, they reveal a different dimension of this concept. Most of them have controversial storylines, which adds to the depth of the narration aspect. Since they are controversial, they are also very adult in themes at times – and the majority of them are rated “R.” For this reason, it is optional for students to watch these movies, and parents should be informed of the content of these movies prior to the assignment.

Amenabar, A. (Producer/director). (2001). The others [Motion picture]. USA. Dimension Studios.

This movie is about a mother and her children who find out that their perception of events is drastically wrong, as they are actually dead and do not know it.

Guber, P. (Producer), & Maybury, J. (Director). (2004). The jacket [Motion picture]. USA. Warner Independent Pictures.

This movie is about a man who is placed in a mental institution, where he undergoes therapy which some how allows him to travel to the future. During this therapy, he is able to manipulate events to better his life. It is interesting to interpret whether he is actually traveling to the future, or if this is part of his mental condition.

Josephson, B. (Producer), & Polson, J. (Director). (2005). Hide and seek [Motion picture]. USA. 20th Century Fox.

This is a thriller about a man whose wife dies, and he and his daughter move to the country. Strange things start to happen inexplicably, and eventually the man finds out that he has a personality disorder.

Konrad, C. (Producer), & Mangold, J. (Director). (2003). Identity [Motion picture]. USA. Columbia TriStar.

This is another thriller about a man with multiple personalities. In his efforts to “kill off” the evil personalities, the viewer wonders if he has succeeded or not.

Lear, N. (Producer), & Reiner, R. (Director). (1987). The princess bride [Motion picture]. USA. MGM.

This is a kids’ movie about a young boy whose grandfather reads him a fantastical story. Interestingly, the viewer should note that the grandfather has total control over the narration of the story, thus could be making it up as he goes.

Linson, A. (Producer), & Fincher, D. (Director). (2000). Fight club [Motion picture]. USA. 20th Century Fox.

This movie is based on the book, listed above. It is about a man who ultimately realizes that he has a split personality, and he then struggles to control his alter-ego.

Nava, A. (Producer), & Anderson, B. (Director). (2004). The machinist [Motion picture]. USA. Castelao Productions.

This movie is about a man who keeps seeing things inexplicably, and ultimately realizes that he has blocked out the memory of a crime he has committed.

Singer, B. (Producer/director). (1995). The usual suspects [Motion picture]. USA. MGM.

This is about a man who is a con artist and a criminal, but he is able to trick people with his narration techniques. It is up to the reader to discern whether he is reliable or not, before the end of the movie.

Todd, S. (Producer), & Nolan, C. (Director). (2001). Memento [Motion picture]. USA. Columbia TriStar.

This movie is about a man whose wife died, but he has a memory problem that causes him to lose all memory of things after a short time. Despite this, he sets out to find the cause of his wife’s murder. It is up to the viewer to decide whether he is reliable, or perhaps he is making everything up in order to cover up the truth about his wife’s death and his “memory” condition.

Zanuck, R. (Producer), & Burton, T. (Director). (2003). Big fish [Motion picture]. USA. Columbia Pictures.

This is a kids’ movie about a man who reminisces about his younger life, and all the fantastic things he has done. It is up to the viewer to decide whether this man is telling the truth, or making things up – and what his motivation may be.