Boekverslag: Being There
Kosinski, Jerzy, being there, Bantam books, NewYork, ninth printing 1980.
Main exercise
1: what do you expect of the book before reading.
I heard very good things about the book so I think it will be a very good book.
2: i think this story is............(one word).
good
20: are you inclined to give another opinion after you made the readingreport.
no, i didn't got another opinion after the reading report because the book will still be the same
21: summary.
--Sunday. Chance is working in the garden from the Old Man. He is watering the plants, after that he goes to his room to watch t.v. Then he hears the maid scream. Chance doesn't like her, he only liked black Louise who was for this maid. He goes to the room from the Old Man and sees that he is dead. Chance isn't very upset of his death, the only thing he says is 'goodbye'. Then he goes to his room to watch t.v.
--Monday. Mr Franklin and his assistent Mrs Hayes arrive at the house. Mr Franklin is one of the lawyers handling the Old Man's estate. They are very suprised to find Chance living in the house, because his name is never mentioned in any papers. When they ask him how long he lived there, he can't answer them. He knows that he was there before there was television. He tells Mr Franklin that he didn't get any money for his work in the garden, but that he was given a place to live, food, a t.v. set and the clothes he wanted. Mr Franklin tells Chance that he house will be closed the next day. Chance has to leave the house.
--Tuesday. Chance leaves the house. He is surprised that every- thing outside is like he has seen on t.v. When he crosses the street he is knocked down by a car. The lady in the car sees that Chance hurt his leg and invites him at her house to see the doctor, who is at her house. The doctor is looiking after her husband who is almost dead. In the car, the lady says her name is Elizabeth Eve, EE for friends. Chance introduces himself as 'Chance the Gardiner', but EE misunderstands him and calls him Chauncey Gardiner. At EE's home she tells him that she wants to stay him there untill he is healed again. Then she introduces him to her husband. Mr and Mrs Rand like Chance because he is handsome, well-dressed, a bit mysterious and he listens very good. When they are at dinner, Mr Rand talks most of the time. When he asks Chance something, answers in terms of the garden. Mr Rand thinks he compares the garden with the economy and thinks Chance is very wise.
--Wednesday. Today is the President of the USA coming to Mr Rand for advice about the bad economic situation. The President asks Chance what he thinks about the economy. Chance don't know what they are talking about and what to say. He tells about the garden, he says that 'growth has its season, but plants can survive in the winter if they are not cut off from their roots. Then inevitably spring and summer will come and plants will blossom again.' The president is very impressed by Chance's optimistic view on the economy. After a speech in wich he mentioned Chance's name, Chance becomes a celebrity. He is asked for a t.v.interview, his name is in the newspapers and people like him. Mr Rand asks him to take care of EE. That night EE tries to tempt Chance, but he lays only a arm around her. EE thinks he wants to wait untill Mr Rand is dead. She admits she loves him.
--Thursday. Chance goes together with EE to a United Nations reception. People see him as an important man. Chance talks to many diplomats of several countries, many pictures are taken. He also talks to Mr Skrapinov, the Russian ambassador. Mr Skrapinov is very impressed by Chance and his knowledge of Russian literature. Some journalists want to interview him, but Chance says he doesn't read any newspapers, he only watches t.v. A journalist says it is very couragious to admit. At a party after the reception Chance meets a gay (chance doesn't know he is homosexual). This man invites him to go upstairs and do it. Chance doesn't know what he menas and goes upstairs with him. There the man kisses him and masturbates in his presence. Chance doesn't know what's happening, he has never seen something like this on t.v., so he doesn't know how to behave. That night EE comes to his room and wants to make love with him, Chance only says 'I like to watch'. She statisfies herself. After that EE says she is in love with him, because he makes her feel free.
--Friday. Chance is on the front of all newspapers. He is invited for t.v. interviews and interviews in a lot of magazines. The secret services of many countries are trying to get more information about Chance, but they can't find anything about him. This is why the Soviet secret sevice has given him a codename, 'Blank Page'. On Friday also must be decided who will be candidate for the Vice Presidency. After a few names, someone mentions Chance's name. Everyone thinks it is a good choice, because it seems that he has nothing to hide. When he is at a party that evening, he gets rid of all photographers and goes into the garden. He does not think, he is totally at peace with himself there.
32: tell something about the writer.
'Being There' is written by Jerzy Kosinski,. Kosinski was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1933 and died in 1991. He grew up in the Nazi Holocaust in a Polish-Jewish family. Although he managed to build up a relatively comfortable life under Communism as a university professor, Kosinski fled the country in 1957. Within half a year of his immigration to the United States he taught himself English. He continued his academic training at Columbia University and the New School for Social Research and started a career in academe, eventually holding such posts as Professor of English Prose and Criticism at the Yale School of Drama. Kosinski's first novel, 'The Painted Bird', appeared in 1965 and won him immediate international fame. His powerful and bitter first novel is a nightmarish depiction of childhood during World War II, which reflects the years he spent hiding from the Nazis in the Polish countryside. It's sequel 'Steps' for which he won a 1969 National Book Award, is in a similar vein. Jerzy Kosinski's sardonic humour and grim pessimism were also evident in such later novels as 'The Devil Tree', 'Blind Date' and 'Pinball'
41:after reading the story i think that the book is..............
i really liked the book, but i thought that there was to less intention in it. I could stop reading the whole time, but what i like in books is that you can't stop. But i thought the book was very good it's very good written and easy to read.
42: continue. I understood the story..................
i understood the story almost completely, but some parts i didn't understand The main reason was that i didn't wanted to get a dictionary. If you ask me whereabout the book was going i can tell you it all
Free choice exercises.
7:does the writer want you to think about something.
I think not but if you have to think about something that will be the answers that change gave to the president, mr.rand and to this evening. What he tell them is really good if you try to translate it to the economie or anything els.
27:how has the intetion been built
I don't think there was alot of intention but the intention that was in the story has been built by telling the whole time a little bit and so that you can't know it before the end.
36: discribe the title.
Chance didn't need to do anything, other people organized everything for him. Chance had just to be there. Another explanation is that most people are like Chance, they have no personal feelings or thoughts. They are blank pages that can be filled in by others. They are just there.
Kosinski werd geboren als Jerzy Lewinkopf in het Joods-Poolse gezin van Moses en Elzbieta Lewinkopf. In 1939 veranderde zijn vader wegens het antisemitisme zijn achternaam in het Pools klinkende Kosiński. Het gezin verhuisde naar het oosten van Polen en fingeerde niet-Joods te zijn. Anders dan vele andere Joodse kinderen overleefde Kosinski de Tweede Wereldoorlog in relatieve veiligheid bij een rooms-Katholiek gezin in Polen alwaar hij zat ondergedoken, mede dankzij een vervalst doopbewijs dat een katholieke priester voor hem had afgegeven. Na de oorlog werd Kosinski met zijn ouders herenigd. Zijn vader koos partij voor de communisten waardoor Kosinski een tamelijk onbezorgde jeugd had. Hij studeerde af aan de universiteit van Łód, zowel in de geschiedenis als in de politieke wetenschappen.
Boek informatie
- Being There
- Jerzy Nikodem Kosinski
- Nederlands
Handige opties
- Meer boeken van:Jerzy Nikodem Kosinski