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Holes - a Novel Study

In: English and Literature

Submitted By nuckingfuts
Words 2730
Pages 11
The novel “Holes” is a fictitious tale, with mystery, comedy, and adventure. “Holes” was written in 1998 in Texas by multi-award winning author Louis Sachar.

Sachar was born March 20, 1954 in New York. He developed a love for reading in high school. He entered college and studied law. He needed to pick up a course, so he signed on to be a teacher’s aide. It became his favorite class (his first book mirrored his life as a teacher’s aide – “Louis the Yard”).

Sachar practiced law until 1981 and decided to devote his time to writing. “Holes” is his most popular novel to date selling over 8 million copies worldwide and it had been made into a major motion picture by Disney.

Sachar currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Carla and daughter Sherre. He continues to write daily focusing on stories for children and young adults.

The main character is Stanley Yelnats IV (his last name spelled in reverse is his first name). There were many male Yelnats named Stanley for this reason. Stanley is overweight, bullied, has low self-esteem and no friends. He was cursed with bad luck (as all Yelnats have been for 125 years) because of his “no-good dirty rotten-pig-stealing” great-great grandfather who failed to follow instructions by Madame Zeroni. He never did steal a pig but was “cursed” with bad luck along with future Yelnat generations for disobeying Madame Zeroni.

Stanley misses the school bus (a school mate put his books in the toilet), so he had to walk home. While walking, a pair of sneakers “fell from the sky” and hit him on the head. Stanley took the sneakers home hoping to help his father (an unsuccessful inventor). He has no idea the sneakers were donated by a famous athlete, Clyde (“sweet feet”) Livingston for charity. Stanley is promptly arrested and convicted of theft. Only his parents believed he was innocent but they are poor and have

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