"Holes"
By
Louis Sachar
"If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony.
The book "Holes" was made into a movie a few years back, having watched the movie in pieces I want to read the book. It sounds like a light "Popcorn" read as I like to say.
I loved the book. We listened to it on our way to Colorado. We just watched the movie and I was surprised how well the movie followed the book.
ReplyDeleteThis is really one of my favorite books. I enjoy books that I can read over and over and it does not get old. I can read this one many times hand still enjoy it. I like the progress that Stanley makes throughout the book. I also like how the book bounce from the past to the present. I really did enjoy the book.
ReplyDeleteI just finished the book via audio while going to work. Stanley is different from the movie which I think was important because you had one over kid and the smallest kid becoming great friends. Similar to a childhood I know. The auther had many stories with in the story that took some skill to tie all together. Happy Splush.....
ReplyDeleteI loved the book. It was easy to read, and I was surprised how much the movie followed the book. They even used many of the actual conversations from the book. I loved the idea of how everything came full circle from the filthy-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and madam Zeroni to Stanley and Hector. I guess there is always a plan.
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