Review

The book “The Pursuit of Happyness” written by Chris Gardner and published in 2006 shows how you can recognize chances and use them to become successful.

When I started reading the book I was bored and didn‘t look forward to reading all those pages, but after a couple chapters I started really liking the way the story was written. I suddenly wanted to know more about the background of this whole book and the author itself.

While reading the book the main characters attitude really impressed me. I liked how he encouraged the reader to think more positively and to stay strong (even in hard times). Looking back, if I had to say what I learned and will try to apply in my own life, I would say: “If you really want something, you can reach it!” Sometimes a person becomes insecure due to the circumstances. It might seem as if nothing is working as planned and there is no way out, but Chris Gardner proves us different.

Furthermore I enjoy the way he describes the occurrences so close to reality. Chris Gardner private and very intimate matters, which is why the reader feels involved in his story or can identify with him. He talks about good and sad moments, the mistakes he has made and opens up about his fears and sorrows. All these aspects mentioned above make me think, that the author does not have any problem that the whole world knows private details about his life.

Similar to many other books, “The Pursuit of Happyness” addresses some deeper issues seen in your society nowadays. Unfortunately these problems still have not been solved, but I guess mentioning them is the first step of many to come. When I hear about some of the problems people are confronted with, I get very sad and realize how much I have myself. It is important to always be thankful, content and happy with what we have and I think it is also my responsibility to give back (to the others). For instance it is a shame that there are so many children who have to grow up without a father. I explained already that his writing style makes it easy for the reader to identify himself with the author or feel involved. Then it won‘t be surprising if I say that at some parts in the book I was astonished about the large amount of violence. Through his detailed description at some point I felt like getting up and fighting against this cruelty myself.

In conclusion this book really impressed me in a positive way. It has a profound message, and taught me to have a more positive view. Life is too short to be unhappy. Finally my advice to you is to take the time and read this book. It is really worth it and won‘t disappoint you.

Book Review

The novel ´The Pursuit of Happyness´, written by Chris Gardner together with Quincy Troupe, is an autobiography of Chris Gardner and his way from a poor and black boy to a rich and successful man.

He writes about his childhood by his aunt and his uncle and about the different relation to his stepfather Freddie.
Later Chris Gardner talks about his life as father and as stockbroker.
He had to bear some strokes of fate and some bad moments but he hasn´t never given up.

I liked the story because it was interesting to read her. The author has an easy and a fluent style but sometimes it was a bit confused to understand the different time shifts. So he talked about a theme and suddenly about something what he done earlier. Then he told and told and in the next moment he was in the present again and I noticed that was in the same passage like before. This was very fad but all in all I think the final message of the novel is very important for all people: Never give up when you are in troubles or when you have problems.
It is not important who or what you are because nobody have the right to condemn you.
You have to believe in your dreams and everyone can make them real.

Book Review: The Pursuit of Happyness

Book Review: The Pursuit of Happyness

The novel “The Pursuit of Happyness“, (published in 2006 and written by Chris Gardner and Quincy Troupe), is an autobiography of Chris Gardner and stresses the main topic of the gap between the rich and the poor. The story begins with Chris Gardner as he grows up in Milwaukee living with his aunt and uncle. His whole family is black and his mother has been imprisoned for a long time. Unfortunately Chris doesn’t know his father. Events take a turn for the worst, when Chris‘s mother gets a new boyfriend named Freddie. Freddie is always drunk and becomes violent whenever intoxicated. He is no father for Chris, and he and his family constantly live  in fear of Freddie.

As Chris grows up, his journey to become a successful stock broker begins. He never gives up his dream, the “American Dream“. The author intends to show this inspirational story to the audience, and to make the reader more self-confident. Even if the situation was as bad as Chris’s childhood, there is always a way to escape the negativity, and to reach something better. Chris experiences some really bad situations but he is relentless, and he remains strong and he continues to give everything to achieve his dream.

The reason I enjoyed the book is because of the Author’s intended message which is to never give up. Life isn’t always easy and Chris told us how he mastered these difficult times. Another part of the message is that first you have to work hard before you can relax. Chris has to work for years, sometimes under really bad conditions but after working for so long he is able to spend quality time with his family and to do everything he wants to do, both leisurely and business-wise. But it is important to remember that it had never been Chris’s goal to become rich or successful. His original goal and what he had wanted the entire time, was only to become happy first.

 

written by Isabell Pfeiffer

Personal Review of the story

The book ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’ by Chris Gardner contains a autobiographic of a black man with a very strong energetic and optimistic character.

To understand my personal review, you have to know something about the content of the book.

The author describes diverse experiences in his childhood, growing up near to San Francisco in a ghetto. Those experiences deal with familial and social interaction, domestic violence, violence in general, but also love and  Chris’ know-how to have fun, enjoy his life and be happy, is discussed.
After having passed nine-teen years in San Francisco, he joins the marine to see the world, meet women and get an education.
One day, he returns to San Francisco but does not know yet what he wants. He marries, divorces and has sex with some woman until one of them gives birth to his son Christopher. Chris has to raise the child without assistance, but he loves him heartily.
Many difficulties, racism, homelessness, hunger and concurrence in his life and job, complicate the aim to reach the American Dream. But in the end, Chris Gardner achieves and is able to give a home and enough to eat to his son.

In my opinion there are negative and positive aspects concerning the book “The Pursuit Of Happyness”.

On the one hand, I have to mention that there is a lack of structure. The author digresses often from the main story and does not care if his explanation is essential for the main story or not. He only reflects everything that comes to his mind.
Besides, the story is very long and risks to become boring at some points. This is especially in the beginning of the story what de-motivates the reader, but this is also at later parts where for example his homelessness is described. He considers every place where he and his son has to sleep. That’s why.  he does not go on with the main story.
At the same time, he often repeats parts. For example, he mentions every time that his stepfather is violent or that his whole family has fear. Those statements are forceful enough, that it is not necessary to say it again and again.

On the other hand, the autobiographic is very authentic. For instance, this is where Chris talks about his son Christopher and shows his absolute love to him: ‘He had to be the most beautiful, the most brilliant, the most agile, (…) the most athletic infant in the hospital ward.’ (page 176).
Furthermore, Christopher becomes Chris’  focus of existence and he only works to satisfy the necessities of his son. These are very human, dedicative and emotional traits of character that make him sympathetic and let the reader feel with Chris.
Furthermore, the book is written in a comprehensible language even if there is some colloquial speech. The colloquial speech just does supports the authenticity.

All in all, I am convinced that reading “The Pursuit Of Happyness” makes the reader advance mentally by accompanying a strong, optimistic and positive man who tries to realize the American Dream. He achieves in spite of many difficulties. The story motivates the reader to pursuit satisfaction, love, his dreams, his beliefs and to find piece in himself. He is motivated to pursuit Happiness.

Review

The Pursuit of Happyness

The novel “The Pursuit of Happyness”, written by Chris Gardner and published in 2006 tells the real story of the author who fulfill the idea of the American Dream.

In the beginning of the book the author explain his hard childhood with a lot of violence. He did not know his real father and his stepfather treat him very bad. He grew up at his Uncle Willie because his mother must go to prison. At the Navy and began a medical education. He married his wife and got a son, after leaving Navy. But she left him because of money. So Chris and his son Chris Gardner JR. lived homeless. Chris only had a dream. He worked hard and fulfilled the American Dream “from rags to riches”. He became a stock broker and get riches.

In my opinion it is a good idea to scribe about the realization of the American Dream. The American Dream is the aim of many people. Chris Gardner raises other people’s hope by never giving up.  He shows that you could reach everything.

But the American Dream is not the only thematic in the book, you also can find something about violence, sexual abuse, poorness, love, and education.

I read the book with my English class. At the beginning it is a bit boring because Chris tells a lot about his childhood. Also it is hard to understand the slang of Chris Gardner. But after the first chapters you will be interested and can’t stop reading.

If you have not enough time for about 500 pages you can watch the movie “the pursuit of Happyness” with Will Smith, which shows the childhood of Chris’s son and his.

Review

The book “The Pursuit Of Happyness” shows the central theme “from rags to riches”.

While reading the book, there were many chapters, which are more interesting than some others, but all in all it was a good book and not very difficult to read.

I like the character traits of Chris Gardner, who is a very strong man in my opinion. His development is the quintessence of the book and also the behavior of his son, who’s a young boy and has to handle the hard situation of his father. I think it’s also very interesting that the book appeals to many themes, like “domestic violence” or “poor and rich”.

To sum up, i would recommend the book to other people, because it shows the “American Dream” and an interesting way, how the protganist finds his way of happiness and experiences the ups and downs of his life.

Anna Z.

 

review

The novel “The pursuit of happyness” by Chris Gardner, published 2006, is about the authors life and the american dream.

I liked reading the book becouse the style it is written by the author. He explains his hole life from childhood to „now“.

Even if there are some boring and long parts in the book, he tells his way from a poor child that could not live with this mother to get a millionaire. By this he shows the way from „rags to riches“.

It is interesting to see that it is not impossible to succeed in reaching such a great goal. It shows you that you should never give up and always believe in yourself.

The author ofter changes the time he is talking about. This does not make it easier to read but i think it was the way he could tell this story best.

All in all i recommand to read the book to receive an impression of a person that lived the american dream.

 

Review

Review:

The book „the pursuit of happyness“, written by Christopher Gardner, was published by Amistad in 2006. Christopher Gardner describes in this book in a kind of autobiography his difficult way to become a successful stockbroker.

In my opinion, in general, the book is really interesting.

I like the main theme of the book and the message that it wants to tell the world: JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! Everybody is able to be successful in life independently how you grow up, or which color you have. You have to have the will and a little bit of luck. Then you get the chance to make your dreams come true.

On the one hand I think it is very good that the author describes many of Chris’s feelings and experiences in detail because in this way you are able to feel with him and understand his thoughts. For example his feeling about Freddie, he hates him so much because of how he treats his mom and that he is described as a drunk and aggressive man.

But on the other hand I think that the first part is a little bit too long. He explains things that the reader does not have to know for the content. Also in some parts of the book it is difficult to understand everything because the author uses lots of unusual vocabularies.

I really like to have an insight to a person that has so many different experiences and problems. It is very good to see also the dark side of life. At the beginning Chris and his family are really poor and you get to see how they have to fight for their life and how difficult it is to climb up the ladder of success. But it is fascinating to see how Chris reaches his goal.

I also like that he talks about his problem to grow up without his real father. Many kids in the world are in the same situation. It is hard for him to see how nice it is to have a father. He can see all the time when Ophelia is with her father. It is good to know how it feels without. Then you will be more grateful having a father.

I learned a lot from this book, I see the life from another side and I can understand those situations better now.

All in all I think the book can be recommended reading. You get to know lots of different problems in life and you can learn from it. Also it can motivate people who do not believe in themselves.

Review

Review

 

The book ”Pursuit of Happyness”, written by Chris Gardner in 1999 tells the life story of a simple, working-class man rising to be a millionaire.

On his way he manages his path through a terrible childhood, trough divorce, breaking relationships, careers and then even homeless life on the streets until he reaches financial success as a stockbroker.

 

During the hardest episode of his life he is able to continue to be a good, committed father to his son, always stays human.

 

Many stories the author tells are horrible but jet I feel some beauty in the way he describes situations. I feel happy and sad at the same time while reading and I am emotionally pulled in.

His story touches me.

Chris Gardner is always able to stay positive, see the good even at times when life seems hopeless.

His life story represents the American Dream, but I think he is even more a role model to all of us:

-Never give up

-Always believe in yourself

-Everything is possible to all times

 

I admire his strength that he always stays a good father to his child, for example during the time they have been homeless. I can learn from him always to try to do better.

 

I like the book very much and its message, jet I find the writing style hard to read.

The author uses many words and sentence-structures from spoken American- English, colloquial idioms.

Then he also often skips in time and place, the story takes place in the past, than continues somewhere else… back and forth.

 

So the reader is asked to puzzle and patchwork the story while reading.

I have to concentrate very much on the plot but jet it also is pulling me in. It is never boring to ”follow his footsteps”!

And sometimes it leaves me breathless that so many things happen all at once, doe to his style to write. This book is an inspiration, it is a request to make the best possible in your life and to live your dreams, not be afraid.

 

-Eva-

Review

In the novel “The Pursuit of Happyness” describes the author Chris Gardner his personal American dream story from rags-to-riches.

Firstly, the author explains that he had a difficult childhood in Milwaukee without a real dad.

Chris was living with his violent stepfather, some uncles and aunts or with his mother when she was not in jail. When he was of age, Chris left his family and went to the Navy. In the Navy he began a medical education and got married after he left the army. With his wife, Chris had a son called “Christopher Gardner Jr.”.

Because of financial problems his wife left him and they became homeless. Father and son had a hard time during homelessness and poverty but Chris had the dream to become a successful stock broker. While Chris fought for this dream and stand the homelessness and poverty, he turned his dream into reality and became a rich stock broker with an own company.

In my opinion, the idea of the real lived American dream is good but in the book you see that the author does not really know how to write a book. We can see this in some parts in the book. For example he describes his childhood too much in detail that the reader becomes sometimes bored. The author makes the same mistake while describing his job as a stock broker at the end of the book. On the other side it is interesting to read the real story of black man who became successful and realized his dream just written on the bottom of facts.

He uses his own language and does not spare the reader. That is why it is difficult to understand everything at the beginning of the book but with the time it becomes easier to understand the language and you become used to it.

For me it was impressive to see that everybody in America can realize his dream if he works hard enough for it. In my opinion there are two big impressions left out of the book. The first one is how hard the life in America can be if you do not live with a good background. The most impressing scene concerning this theme is, when Chris gets raped.

The second impression is, that the American Dream is real and everybody can realize his dream if he stands hard times and fights for his goals.