The Fall: Book Two of the Strain Trilogy (The Strain Trilogy, 2)

I am missing 33 pages from this book. The book jumps from page 372 to 405...

Max Petrillo
English Period 10
Mr Dippell
14 January 2016
The Fall:book two in The Strain trilogy
Some people think that books are boring, and they would rather watch an entertaining movie. The Fall is far from boring, at first, when people read The Fall, they can only see one purpose to the book and one purpose only, to entertain. They say that it only entertains because of how violent it can be and how it can be compared to an action movie. Yes it does entertain with its violence and plot, but it also informs the reader about many topics. The book The Strain co-authored by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, two horror novelists, and was published by Harpercollins Publishers. This book is most certainly fiction due its plot about a vampiric plague. The authors are able to use text to world connections, major character development, and vocabulary to fulfill their purpose. The purpose of this book is to entertain the readers while informing them.
In the beginning, Setrakian reveals to the group the last resort they have at beating the virus and the master. The secret lies in an ancient book called the Occido Lumen,“This very book -not a facsimile, not a photograph- was crucial to understanding the enemy, the Strigoi. And vanquishing it” (Toro Hogan 14). But, the Lumen is being auctioned of for $15-$25 million dollars, so they must race to get the money before the auction, at the same time, Eldritch Palmer uses his fortune to help the Master.
The authors use text to world connections to inform the readers of real world problems and history. First, the book starts off with a diary entry from one of the main characters, Ephraim Goodweather. “The first stage of public response to any epidemic is always denial. The second, Search for blame...we never believed it could happen.We were too smart. Too advanced. Too strong” (Toro Hogan 2). The authors use these stages to represent how the world really is whether or not there is an epidemic. We believe that we are “too advanced”, “too strong”, “too smart” for anything catastrophic to happen to us. The next example of when the authors use a text to world connection to inform the readers of something real world is also in the diary of Ephraim Goodweather. In his entry he talks about his hopes for the outcome of the epidemic. He says “the dinosaurs left behind almost no trace of themselves. A few bones preserved in amber, the contents of their stomachs, their waste. I only hope that we leave behind something more than they did” (Toro Hogan 3). By using the phrase “more than they did” the authors show that Eph is willing to fight, not to win, but to go out with a fight. The authors compare humans to dinosaurs because humans are getting wiped out similar to the dinosaurs.
Next, the authors use major character development to inform the readers about the characters and their history. The first example of major character development is for Eph, as the 3rd person narrator gives insight on what Fet is thinking, the narrator says, “Fet thought of himself and Eph...Brothers in arms...One was a healer, the other an exterminator” (Toro Hogan 277). By using the term “healer” the authors remind the reader how Eph was a doctor for the CDC. He changes from a savior of people to a killer of vampires, and how he has become the complete opposite of what he was. The next example is for the development of Abraham Setrakian, While Setrakian explains to Eph his experience in an extermination camp during the Holocaust. Setrakian says “in the camp...many times I wanted to...take down one, maybe two guards. I would've died with them...at least my life-my death-would have meaning”(Toro Hogan 214). By using the phrase “my life-my death-would have meaning” the authors inform the readers of how Setrakian’s view of life has changed. And how he goes from wanting to martyring himself to desperately trying to keep himself alive in order to fulfill his original mission.
Finally, the authors entertain the readers using vocabulary and word choice. In the book, Gus Elizalde’s humor and profanity adds a refreshing tone to the story. In a specific scene in the book Gus is in the den of the ancient vampires. Gus says to the ancients“You think that you’re eating Mexican tonight? How ‘bout you come over and choke on it, b****” (Toro Hogan 72). By using profanity and humor, the authors change the tone and charge of the words that is said by a character. There is a small amount of profanity mostly because Eph, Nora, and Setrakian use more intelligent and complex words. This is entertaining because the different word choice between the characters are refreshing. The next example of the authors using vocabulary and word choice to entertain the readers is when Gus is still in the ancients den. The 3rd person narrator says, “Gus turned. He saw a hunter first, one of the badass vamps who who had grabbed him off the street” (Toro Hogan 73). By using the term “badass” the authors change the way the the narrator speaks and narrates the story, the narrator adjusts to the personality that Gus has. This is very entertaining because it adds a fresh new approach and view to the narration. Nobody likes repetition, so the change into practically a new narrator during Gus’s chapters adds a refreshing point of view and tone to the story.
The authors of the book The Fall use text to text connections, major character development, and vocabulary to not only entertain the readers but to inform them as well. The text to text connections and major character development help the authors inform the readers while the vocabulary used by the narrator and characters entertain the readers. The most redeeming part of the book is how the authors use vocabulary to add refreshing differences between how the different characters speak. This book would be enjoyed by high school students who do not like to read but have to for school purposes. This group of people would like this the most because of how entertaining it is and also has some informing pieces and literary elements that will be good for any essays like this one.

Lots of twists and turns keeps you glued, definitely can't put down! I read it in one sitting

Grandson loves the books

Have read the first 2 books, full of action. A good read on The Fall.

My son wanted this book. He enjoyed it very much. I'm not into this stuff, but it was just what he wanted.

Loved the first book. Could not get into the second. May try another time. Sometimes a book just doesn't resonate at the moment and I put it down for a few weeks and try again later and I love it. This time it didn't resonate and I couldn't get into it and stopped reading.

Love the book.

Scary!

This entire series was awesome. The books were way better than the TV show.