Before reading- While I found the cover of The Hot Zone by Richard Preston to be somewhat dull, the subtitle intrigued me. I personally am extremely interested in the subject of pathology and biology in general, and I look forward to reading this particular piece. This is the first time I have heard of the author, but I am anticipating a captivating, provocative read. The creator, Richard Preston was born on August 5th in the midst of the summer heat of 1954. He originated out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Preston graduated from Wellesley High School of MA before going on to attend Pomona College in Claremont, California. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University. His journalistic nature lead him to become a writer
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That specific article became the basis for his bestselling novel The Hot Zone.
During reading One Third- Within reading the first chapter of the book I was completely hooked. It was similar to a horror movie that you just can't stop watching through the space between your fingers. The Author's brilliant descriptive account of what such a small life form can do to a human being causes you to be fascinated and sick to your stomach all at once. As previously mentioned, the writer uses an incredible amount of sensory imagery throughout the novel. A perfect example of this can be found on page 105 as Preston informs the reader of the effects of Ebola Zaire on the body, "The skin bubbles up into a sea of tiny white blisters mixed with red spots known as maculopapular rash. This rash has been likened to tapioca pudding." Additionally an example can be found on pages 17-18 as Charles Monet's current state is described in excruciatingly vivid terms, "The connective tissue in his face is dissolving, and his face appears to hang from the underlying bone, as if the face is detaching itself from the skull." Another prominent literary device employed by the author is personification. He gives the viruses human like qualities when going into depth about the hot agents gradual takeover of its host. One particular instance …show more content…
"The cell was a world down there, and somewhere in that jungle hid a virus." Referring to the virus as a world is a powerful metaphor used to describe the vast microscopic plane. On the very next page we can see personification being put to use as he states " Then his stomach screwed up into a knot and turned over,..." In this particular example the writer personifies the internal organ to help the reader have an understanding of the sensations Tom Geisbert was experiencing as he discovered the Marburg virus in a cell. Personification is applied on page 324 when reading about Jerry Jaax's fatigue is beginning to set in. " His knees were killing him." The sentence is simple but is a appreciable representation of the current physical condition on Jaax and how much the job takes out of a person. The last excerpt I decided to use are my favorite two sentences in the entire book. It has multiple literary devices but I could not resist using both sentences. On page 355 Preston writes with an eerie undertone "Nature seemed to be closing in on us for a kill, when she suddenly turned her face away and smiled. It was a Mona Lisa smile, the meaning of which no one could figure out. " Within that short passage one can see the presence of personification, allusion and imagery. One could almost visualize a powerful, mysterious smirk appear on Mother Nature's face as she turns
That specific article became the basis for his bestselling novel The Hot Zone.
During reading One Third- Within reading the first chapter of the book I was completely hooked. It was similar to a horror movie that you just can't stop watching through the space between your fingers. The Author's brilliant descriptive account of what such a small life form can do to a human being causes you to be fascinated and sick to your stomach all at once. As previously mentioned, the writer uses an incredible amount of sensory imagery throughout the novel. A perfect example of this can be found on page 105 as Preston informs the reader of the effects of Ebola Zaire on the body, "The skin bubbles up into a sea of tiny white blisters mixed with red spots known as maculopapular rash. This rash has been likened to tapioca pudding." Additionally an example can be found on pages 17-18 as Charles Monet's current state is described in excruciatingly vivid terms, "The connective tissue in his face is dissolving, and his face appears to hang from the underlying bone, as if the face is detaching itself from the skull." Another prominent literary device employed by the author is personification. He gives the viruses human like qualities when going into depth about the hot agents gradual takeover of its host. One particular instance …show more content…
"The cell was a world down there, and somewhere in that jungle hid a virus." Referring to the virus as a world is a powerful metaphor used to describe the vast microscopic plane. On the very next page we can see personification being put to use as he states " Then his stomach screwed up into a knot and turned over,..." In this particular example the writer personifies the internal organ to help the reader have an understanding of the sensations Tom Geisbert was experiencing as he discovered the Marburg virus in a cell. Personification is applied on page 324 when reading about Jerry Jaax's fatigue is beginning to set in. " His knees were killing him." The sentence is simple but is a appreciable representation of the current physical condition on Jaax and how much the job takes out of a person. The last excerpt I decided to use are my favorite two sentences in the entire book. It has multiple literary devices but I could not resist using both sentences. On page 355 Preston writes with an eerie undertone "Nature seemed to be closing in on us for a kill, when she suddenly turned her face away and smiled. It was a Mona Lisa smile, the meaning of which no one could figure out. " Within that short passage one can see the presence of personification, allusion and imagery. One could almost visualize a powerful, mysterious smirk appear on Mother Nature's face as she turns