Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1-60)

Summary:

Santiago Nasar always dreamt about trees, and his mother thought it meant something, she thought dreams stood for something. Nasar was the type of  person that never left his guns loaded. He is described as merry, peaceful, and openhearted. The door in his house that lead to the Square was known as the fatal door. A note was placed in his house that had the information of  Nasars planed death. It included the motive and the place  it was going to occur. Though, this note was not found before he was killed, it was found after the murder occurred. Two men were going to kill Nasar. Luisa Santiaga tried to warn Nasars mother that they were going to kill him, but she was too late, the two men had already killed him He was killed by Angela Vicarios two brothers. She had lost her virginity to Nasar and as a result her fiance, Bayardo San Romar, took her back to her parents and did not want anything to do with her. Her brothers told everyone in town that they were going to kill him, but no one warned him, and thus he was killed.    

Quote:

" The weather was funereal, with a cloudy, low sky." (Marquez 4)

Reaction:

I picked this quote because I found it weird how they described the weather as funereal, a word that looks a lot like the word funeral. It almost depicted the whole death of  Nasar. As I was  reading I was constantly reminded that Nasar was going to die and that there was no way he was going to live.  The author constantly said that the twins were going to kill him, and I found this a bit repetitive. Though, I would like to know the consequences that are going to occur to the twins because of the murder. 

Secrets & Mysteries of the World (163-237)

Summary:

Human combustion is when a human body bursts into flames for no reason at all. Though, the feet, hands and fingers are left untouched. According to Francine, it is caused by a buildup of 

Phosphorus, which is highly flammable thus causing the body to in implode upon itself  and start burning from the inside out. People called physical mediums are people who harness kinetic energy which is the power to move objects. Auras are said to be able to change with our daily moods.  To add on, the world has many enigmas including black holes. They are known as vacuums. Browne says that it is a star that implodes or explodes a crater in the atmosphere. Then it creates a funnel which also shows up in a parallel universe. There are forty-four other universes out there. Polar tilts were said to be the cause  of the destruction of Atlantis. It causes climate changes and natural disasters to occur.  Halloween is a holy day for Wiccans, an ancient religion dominated by white witches. Dunking apples also has a meaning, the more apples you get the luckier you will be for the following year. Bonfires are said to ward off evil. 

Quote: 

" Belief is a powerful thing, and if people feel as if they've been cursed then they begin to almost fulfill their own prophecy." (Browne 174)

Reaction:

This quote opened my eyes because it told me to believe in my beliefs, and that is a very strong message. On the other hand, I wish I could fly, but believing that I can will not help my cause.  I picked this quote because it was a very strong quote. It wraps up Browne's whole book on the mysteries of the world. Browne believes in her powers to communicate with ghosts and in her spiritual guide, Francine. It shows how belief can actually power  the answers to these  universal puzzles.  Overall, Browne's book was very insightful in the history of all these mysteries, what people thought about them back then, what she thinks about them, and what people think about them now. It helped me realize that everyone has a different view and aspect of what occurs on Earth. It was very eye opening when it came to what Browne thought about these mysteries and why she thought the way she did. 

Secrets & Mysteries of the World (129-160)

Summary:

The pyramids and the Sphinx has been a mystery to how it has been made. It is very old and the way it is build is spectacular! The Sphinx is questioned when it comes to who it was modeled after. The Crop Circles, which are near Stonehenge, are very complex circles. They are mostly found  on the British Isles, but they can be found all over the world and the designs get even more complex as more appear. There are many theories about how they got there from a secret military experiment  to an underground archaeological theories. Others believe that these are just hoaxes and are completely fake. Browne adds on to say that the media does not always give the truth. Crop circles seem to have the world wondering about how they got there, and it is still a mystery to all.

Quote: 

" I believe that this was to show how humans could "morph" into a type of totem, to take on the qualities of animal and human and combine the two from bravery to cunning or strength." (Browne 138)

Reaction:

This quote shows what Browne believed in and how her mind worked. She believes that the Sphinx shows how people were able to morph into animals. It is interesting to me because I have never heard of this before. It is interesting how she her own theories that add on to the theories that others had in the past. I also googled the crop circles and found the many designs that Browne was talking about. I believe that an extraterrestrial might be responsible for these crop circles but scientists have no proof of anything or where it came from. I want to keep reading on the history of these mysteries, I wonder if any of these mysteries have an actual reasoning behind them.

Secrets & Mysteries of the World (90-128)

Summary:

Browne goes on to talk about the imaginary friends that children have when they are younger.  She believes that actually are spirit guides, like her own spirit guide, Francine. Though what is interesting is that the belief in these imaginary friends keeps them alive, that is why as children grow older they do not have any more imaginary friends. They also have special powers that show the future, spirit guides come from God and the angels , and thus they are good. Adding on, Browne also has encountered extraterrestrials and so has her grandmother Ada. It mentions that they look very similar to humans to make sure they fit in and are not detected. She says that during her encounter will aliens they said they were from planet PX41 in the Andromeda galaxy. Another encounter was with an alien who called himself John, he was puzzled at the way people on Earth functioned. Browne met him in a restaurant and he asked to sit with her and he asked many questions about his surroundings.

There are other things that puzzle people, such as the crystal skulls and the ice stones. No one really knows where they come from or how they got there, it's a mystery to everyone. The Nazca lines, which personally give me the chills, are said to be made from the Nazcas, but no one knows how they did it with such precision or how they even got it done! The World has many mysteries that even scientists can not answer.

Quote: 

"We are observing and trying to help." (Browne 102)

Reaction:

This quote scares me, because this is what Browne claims the alien said to her. I do no know if there is such things as aliens but this creeps me out a lot! This quote shows how she actually has proof & shows what the alien said to her during her encounter. Overall, this book has me wondering about these unsolved mysteries and what they actually mean. I even googled Nazca lines because I was so intrigued by them! This book makes my skin crawl and my mind wander to what could be. Now I wonder if there are actually aliens out there, or if Browne is just making this up. The history of these mysteries is very interesting!

Secrets & Mysteries of the World (47-90)

Summary:

This section is about the creatures that roam the Earth and what they do. First off is a Tulpa, which is a ghost. It is believed that you can summon  a Tulpa by creating your own. Sasquatch is another creature, footprints have even been found of this hairy beast. Leviathan are known to by sea creatures that eat stranded ships and people aboard. Fairies have also been found in Ireland. Described as small because women in dresses with golden hair. Demons are probably the most common thing people believe in, but is also a way that people explain misfortune. Gargoyles, on the other hand, were created to ward off quote. Witches have had a bad reputation but others say that they cast spells for positive ends. There are also white witches that use their spells for good and to cure people. Werewolves come from a Greek myth. In Germany in 1891, some say that they saw a man turn a wolf into a human in the town. They are assumed to appear when there is a full moon. Vampires are said to not be able to see their reflection, garlic keeps them away, and the only way to kill them is with a stake. Lastly, Cupacabras are found in Mexico and are known as creatures who drink goats blood. Some believe that they can fly.

Quote: 

"I really believe that we'll never know it all, but the beauty of life here and on the Other Side is to keep researching God and the world's mysteries." (Browne 73)

Reaction:

Overall, this quote basically speaks on behalf of the whole book. Browne seems to research on all these mysteries creatures and to also find people that are doing the same thing. She believes that she can contact the other side and that it helps her uncover the mysteries of the world. I liked this section because it spoke about the different creatures that are believed in, worldwide. It also helped me see what others in other countries believe in and their superstitions. I really cannot wait to read on to the next section! These mysteries keep me on my toes.

Secrets & Mysteries of the World (1-46)

Summary:
This world contains many mysteries that still are not fully understood. In the Salisbury Plains in England, many Stonehenge have been found. Some believe that it is used for religious ceremonies, and that it has been rebuilt many times. Others think that there is a spiritual meaning behind it, many others think it's some kind of calender. To add onto the list, some think that it's good luck and that it keeps negativity and promotes safety and grace. The Stonehenge is also believed to have been a place where justice was served. It was told that the closer you are buried, the higher rank you were. Egyptians also believed in superstitions like this, though, they were more interested in the phases of the sun and the moon and the configuration of the stars. Easter Island is in the South Pacific, it was discovered by Jacob Roggeveen on Easter in 1722, thus where it gets its name from. 887 statues, called Moai's, have been found on that Island. Though, the question is why they stopped building them, many believe that they some how ran out of wood. These statues were made to keep people out. Shangri-La is a place that is on top of the Himalayas and  a place where people are hiding the evolution  of humankind. It is said that this place is protected by snow guardians, and people that look for Shangri-La have never been seen again. The Bermuda Triangle is another place where strange phenomena occurs. Some say that it has healing power, even the power to  heal cancer. More than 1,000 people have been lost while crossing the Bermuda Triangle, it is believed that they might have crossed a portal to another planet. The Bermuda Triangle is also known as  "The Devil's Sea." Atlantis is believed to be a lost continent lost by electromagnetic energy. Pyramids of Atlantis have been found underwater. It is said that they had an 800 year life span and that they were from 8 to 12 feet tall! They had control over the weather and people believe that they are from the Lyran Star System. Lemuna is also thought of as a lost continent underwater. Though, these people were short and dark and lived in pyramid shaped homes, they also did not have a real leader. Atlantis and Lemuna are believed to rise again between the years 2020 to 2030 

Quote: 

"I find it amazing that when humankind can't explain something, more often than not we give it a negative connotation, especially if it was before the common era of Christianity." (Brown 9)

Reaction:

This quote is so strong, in the sense that I feel the same way. It seems like humanity gives everything they do not know much about a negative meaning. The history behind these places blew me away! I was afraid of  the outcomes of these weird places. I still question if I really believe in these historical facts, or if I doubt them at all. I believe this quote shows exactly what Browne is trying to say throughout the book, that just because we do not know something that does not mean we just add a negative meaning to it. Overall, I cannot wait to read about the mythical creatures that roam the Earth.

Four Past Midnight (324-399)

Summary:

Amy calls Mort and tells him that someone burned their house down.  Then he finds out Shooter killed both Tom and Don with his tools.  Mort thought about how the first story he published was a story he stole from a student in one of his creative writing classes in college. After it got accepted and was published he went on to publishing more stories, but the rest were his own. he goes to pick up the magazine that shows that his story that was published in 1980. When he turns to the pages of his story, the pages were ripped out. Confused and angry, Mort doesn't understand how he even got into his mail and ripped the pages of the magazine out. Mort put on Shooters hat then realized, there was no John Shooter, there never had been. Mort had made him up and started to believe his own lies. Mort was Shooter. He was the one that killed those people. A car slowly drove into the driveway, it was Amy. She found the door unlocked and went inside only to find "SHOOTER" written everywhere on the walls. Mort came out in Shooters hat. He took a pair of scissors and walked toward her, she scurried away. She then fell on a stack of paper, Mort stabbed her in the thigh. She kicked him and he fell. She tried to run away and he caught up with her again and stabbed her again, then a bullet was shot into his chest. Someone saved Amy, shot Mort and got rid of Shooter. 

Quote: 

"There was no Shooter. There never had been." (King 380)

Reaction:

Once I read this quote I was literally blown away. I couldn't believe that Mort was Shooter the whole time! He had made him up and made himself believe that he was an actual person! Mort was the killer. He killed his cat and burned his house and even killed Tom and Don and he blamed it on Shooter, he blamed it on an imaginary figure. He did not want, and could not get rid of these people any other way, so he killed them and decided to say that Shooter did it. This is a very strong quote because it flips the whole story around. This was also my favorite quote because it showed that Shooter was not even a real person, just someone that Mort made up.