Larsas
Immensely sad and touching, a story about love, the kind of love few of us know, the brotherly love that is born rather than formed and grown. It also speaks about the importance of art versus mind, how neither is rather superior than the other, but that they are equal and even complement each other.
4 stars
I found the main character of J.D. Salinger???s Catcher in the Rye, Holden, relatable without much difficulty. The book is a story about a day in the life of a 16-year-old guy, who cusses a lot and makes even more questionable choices, but does so without coming off as stupid, instead just quite directionless and lost. Holden Caulfield is not a bad guy in a sense of the word, he is afflicted by a malaise that most of come in contact with at least in passing ??? he is unsure, anxious and often depressed, he can???t seem to fit in.
I recommend that you read it if you often feel similar to Holden and you would like to have someone to relate to.
A great but very non-chalant description of the Spanish civil war. Very interesting to see it from the perspective of an insider.
4 stars
Although I dislike murder mystery stories overall, I initially thought that a murder mystery set in a monastery would be an atmospheric and comfortable read. It fulfilled that expectation, more or less, but I couldn???t get into the theological debates much, on account of me not being a god-loving Christian and all. Overall, the plot is engaging, the prose is very descriptive and even humorous, for instance, when a group of monks did not agree about whether Christ espoused poverty or not, and started pulling each other???s beards.
I recommend you read it if you enjoy theological discussion on sin and virtue, or you would like a mystery in a non-standard setting.
P.S. The untranslated parts were novel, but a little pretentious and quite annoying to follow, as I had to read translations on a website every time they came up.
4,75 stars
???The Count of Monte Cristo??? is a truly epic and lengthy tale of imprisonment, personal growth, liberation and most importantly ??? revenge. A young man, named Edmond Dantes with a perspective career and happy marriage ahead of him is incarcerated in the Ch??teau d'If for 14(!) years, where he vows not to rest until he has his revenge on the plotters who arranged his wrongful incarceration.
Alexandre Dumas explores motifs of justice and revenge, gratitude and love. It could be said that Edmond is guided by the hand of god, for he, although plotting and vengeful, is a truly good person who is justified in his vengeance.
Besides these motifs, this story examines what is filial and romantic love, how strong it can be and how it can last for decades.
I would recommend it if you are a naturally vengeful person, if you love drawn out dramatic stories of love, intrigue, plots and the very cornerstone of this book ??? revenge.
Golding portrays the rapid disintegration of civilized society when there is no real authority holding a big stick over our heads. First come the clothes, then the hunt, then warpaint. It's eerily daunting how easily we could all fall prey to this, were we to find ourselves in a similar situation.
I initially enjoyed this book, but further I listened the more realized that only small tidbits of the proposed “laws” can really be applied by the average person. No, it didn't make me “evil” or “immoral” or any other edgy term that others proclaim the book allowed them to be, maybe if I was more business savvy, but even then it's unlikely. The vignettes are very interesting, but by law 40 I found that the book had dragged on, overstayed its welcome with vaguely similar laws, without much of a concise point.
If you do ever listen to it, like I did, listen to the High Bridge version, since the narrator is perfect for the contents of the book.
4,5 stars
???If on a Winter???s Night a Traveler??? makes for a great story, or rather, many stories. It was honestly devilish of Calvino to write so many good hooks for stories only for them to never be further explored. Although, perhaps they are so good precisely because they are never finished. The overarching narrative is quite whimsical and mystical at the same time while pulling you into it.
Although I had temporarily lost interest in the book for a time and would have rated it less, the final chapter of ???If on a Winter???s Night a Traveler??? tied it up too well for me to rate it any less.
???Do you believe that every story must have a beginning and an end? [...] The ultimate meaning to which all stories refer has two faces: the continuity of life, the inevitability of death.???
I would recommend it for anyone wanting to read something fresh and experimental, especially if you like unfinished cliffhangers.
4 stars
A terrific finisher (?) to the Rincewind - Twoflower story. Picks up the cliffhanger of the first book and carries the same energy and humor to the very end of it.
I recommend that you read it if you like light-hearted comedy fiction or are a Pratchett fan!
A bit worse than the standard Discworld book, but with a great ending nonetheless. All characters are quite defined and interesting, especially Death, on what could be called the first of his book series.
The bravest heroes are the ones scared out of their boots. An interesting fable untamed sourcery on the Disc.
I have likely listened to this book more than 10 times now, but it doesn't get old. The first book in the Discworld series is everything I ever wanted as a child, shame I got it so late. But this is just the start as progressively the series become more and more interesting with every book.
Slightly worse than the usual fare, likely because of my dislike of Granny or small children, but still very enjoyable.
Fantastic piece of sci-fi classic. I've never seen any other book built around the time travel/time dilation concept. The ending is a bit cheesy, but great nonetheless.
For someone unfamiliar with life in a small southern town, I loved this book. I somehow had assumed that it would portray the lives of the children passing into adulthood, but by avoiding that, Harper used the innocence of children to juxtapose and highlight the “corruption” of adults.
I understand why this is a classic, and honestly, it's still as significant and important today, as it was then.
5 stars
Absolutely incredible, start to finish. About man???s indomitable will to persevere and succeed, beautifully captured by the quote “a man can be destroyed but not defeated.” The prose is poetic and enrapturing throughout, made me put the book down several times, just to admire some passages and go back and reread many others.
I recommend it to you if you do not really know where to begin with Hemingway and would like to start strong. It???s very short, an evening???s reading too.
5 stars
Cheerful, lighthearted, like a common fairytale in a way, but with way more weight and substance behind it. The legendary journey of the hobbit Bilbo and the dwarves to the lonely mountain, to take back what rightfully belongs Thorin Oakenshield.
About the movies - it???s crazy how they managed to stretch the book???s material to its breaking point, for example when comparing the thickness of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Recommended to everyone, young and old, adventurous and not, you cannot miss this classic piece of literature, which serves a rightful introduction to the finely crafted world of Tolkien???s literature.
There is little more I could add with my review. A fantastic world, rife with culture and lore, with a tremendous tale of a quest so grandiose and perilous, with little coming close to its glory.
4,5 stars
Drrr... drrr.... drrr.....
Great creepy manga, snippets of which had been floating around the internet for a long time, before I read it. It's worth finishing, if just for the art.
I'd recommend it to you if you like body horror and well-drawn manga.
5 stars
Kurt Vonnegut???s Slaughterhouse-Five is a non-linear story, following a private in World War II, Billy Pilgrim, on his path through the war, the bombing of Dresden, the rest of his life, and even his brief stay on an alien planet. It is a fantastically horrifying dissection of the human psyche in war. This book was great from start to finish. No matter what, humans will find ways to maim and kill each other, atomic bombs or not.
So it goes.
I recommend it to absolutely everyone. It???s not hard to be anti-war in the 21st century, but it is a very interesting perspective on how the human mind ???breaks??? during times of great stress, trying to preserve a kind of sanity.
4,5 stars
???Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind??? is a simply explained, but somewhat broad history of the human race. In it, you will find possible explanations for our dominance of the globe, anthropology, politics, and many other facets.
It allowed me to realize, that most of the technical and farming advancements we have made have granted us more stability and safety, but may not have made us any happier and likely even brought down our contentedness with life from what it was when were hunter-gatherers.
I would recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about human anthropology, technological advancements, made over the years, and so on.
3,5 stars
I must admit, this was a difficult read and a lot of it likely went over my head. I intend to return it, possibly a couple of years later when I am more knowledgeable and well-read. It???s likely that the book would be more enjoyable if there weren???t so many chapters describing whaling, whale anatomy.
Seeing things from Ishmael's perspective was quite interesting, albeit quite odd, especially when Queequeg was involved. The plot of the book was amazing, especially the final chapters, the intense chase, the ignored omens.
Read it if you???ve read your bible (optimally), like slow-progressing whaling stories, loaded with metaphors and complex motifs, symbols, etc.
I have only read the titular story, likely the greatest one. It was a terrific springboard for stories on human suffering, the nature of hell and loneliness.
4,5 stars
A wild ride, never boring, never tiresome, about a man living the American dream, and getting in and out of new jobs on a weekly basis. It has energy and style like Hunter S. Thompson???s ???Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas???.
It???s a must read if you enjoy dark humor.
5 stars
???He who controls the X controls the Y.???
A familiar concept, but very few writers have managed to adapt it so succinctly as Frank Herbert with the spice of Arrakis. The spice ??? a highly addictive substance, that makes your eyes blue and grants you powers similar to clairvoyance, is highly prized in the universe, especially since withdrawal from it is lethal. It is up to a young duke of the house Atreides to inherit his father???s throne and become the rightful prophesied ruler of the planet together with the help of the unique Fremen.
Recommended to fans of sci-fi, since Dune is a certified science fiction classic and people to whom guerilla warfare on a desert planet seems an attractive background for the schemes and disputes of nobles.