My Most Excellent Year

While some may be instantly put off with the seemingly stereotypical portrayal of high school students, My Most Excellent Year was a very interesting story. For starters, the novel doesn't just use one form of writing, but rather encompasses a lot. By including instant messages, emails, diary entries, and various other forms of communication, the author easily relates the novel to a young audience, much like that found in our English 110 classroom. The various points-of-view shown keep the reader intrigued throughout the novel and make it a very quick read. The use of more than point of view also makes the novel comparable to My Year of Meats. With the use of this literary element, the reader is always kept active in trying to keep track of different lives. It ensures that the story is interesting and fresh.

Also, the themes addressed in the novel are ones that many students deal with in today's world and would find easy to relate to. Throughout the novel, the author uses a variety of literary elements, such as symbolism, tone, theme, and point-of-view. Mary Poppins is a symbol for comfort and compassion, seen by many characters as someone who would take care of them. Since most people can understand who Mary Poppins is, this is an easy symbol to relate to. The tone of the novel is also very inviting and positive, with a few somber moments here and there. Overall, the storyline is very strong and enjoyable to a variety of readers. By containing various forms of writing, the novel will be found pleasurable by a variety of readers. The writing is very easy to understand. However, this does not mean that it isn't complex. There is a great deal to be taken from the novel, but as it goes on, it is easy to dissect due to the fact that each character writes and speaks in a different manner, allowing the reader to keep track of who is saying what. I truly think this novel would be a great starter for the course. It is upbeat, interesting, and would be a nice transition from high school reading to college reading. I think My Most Excellent Year would be an excellent addition to the curriculum for next semester.