How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Dad's present is a hardcover copy of The Age of Innocence. It's by Edith Wharton, who also wrote Ethan Frome, which I have been trying to read all summer. It is required reading for incoming ninth graders at Cedar Hill, where I will start school in two weeks. I have read the first thirteen pages of Ethan Frome five times. It is boring beyond belief. Dad says if I have to read a book by Edith Wharton, then The Age of Innocence is the one to read. (2.17)
This is a sweet gesture coming from her father. Dude has pretty high standards, and it's clear that he wants her to enjoy Edith Wharton, so he gives her a book that he considers better (and perhaps easier) than Ethan Frome.
Quote #2
James and Link are reading A Tale of Two Cities and are racing to see who will finish first. James will win because he skips any part of a book that bores him, whereas Link is devoted to each page. (2.35)
Skipping parts that bore you is an abomination, and James should be sentenced to a year of reading Tolkien's Silmarillion. Just kidding, you do you, James. But really, if it weren't important, the author wouldn't have written it. Most of the time, at least.
Quote #3
"It's hard to find a happy ending in a good book,' Dad says.
"What, only bad books have happy endings?" Link asks.
"You're simplifying," Dad says to him, and to me he says, "A good book is a reflection of some kind of truth." (3.23-25)
See, the problem here is how vague "good" is as a descriptor. You can find happy endings in many enjoyable books, and you can find them in many quality books as well. But Dad's implication is that a "good" book is one that challenges you to find the truth that is reflected in the story—and for some reason he doesn't think happy endings can be true. Hmm…