Laelia
Not sure what to think about this book, it made me quite upset about how the protagonist is treated by adults, especially by his parents...
This was a lovely read. A stream of consciousness storytelling and I just loved the way Woolf wrote it.
Nothing is clear but rather a blur, no distinction between direct and indirect speech and the mode of narration changes a lot. I like how one moment you were with one character and then the next you're somewhere else because that character remembered something, for example. The way you slowly get to know their history and their stories. And keep returning to the present and then back to the past.
I really enjoyed this although it took me a while to read it and it was a very slow read.
I truly enjoyed this book!! It feels a bit like a short story collection, since every chapter focuses on something and someone in particular, but I had a really nice time getting to know all the characters individually and I just really love the writing!! Not a lot going on plot wise though.
I enjoyed reading this book and it was exactly what I expected but at the same time it wasn't. The writing was great and I really loved the descriptions. You have to read a lot between the lines, however, and I was often confused about what was going on and where I was and had to go back and reread what I've just read. There's really a lot to this story and even though I didn't like the characters, I did enjoy following their story and seeing how their lives change and how this novel ends.
3.75
I really enjoyed this translation. It was fun to read although there were some parts that felt a bit too slow with not much going on, but for the most part it was very interesting to read about Odysseus' adventures.
3.25
I really had to think about this book because I enjoyed the act of reading it but the story was not that impressive and mind-blowing. It was rather predictable for me and while I don't usually mind that, it does get a bit tiring if it's quite clear how this story ends when you aren't even halfway through the book. Some characters are great and I enjoyed reading about those but the main characters... some things they said... hm.
And the writing was okay-ish great? It was easy to read and I enjoyed it most of the time but it felt so forced in the beginning. Maybe I just needed to get used to it but it felt like the narrator and the characters just inserted some ‘quotes' about life into some casual conversation about random things. To me it felt so out of place..
I am glad I've finally read this but I'm slightly disappointed.
4.25
It was such a fun read, I loved it although some short stories I didn't connect with as much as some others, but overall I love Wilde's writing.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm glad to have read it but it's not the kind of book I would like to read again. While I laughed at some parts, I was mostly bored reading this novel. I would've enjoyed this a lot more, if the story wouldn't have kept introducing me to characters and narrating events that didn't seem necessary for the main story and weren't interesting enough for me to enjoy reading about them. I love Aziraphale and Crowley and would've enjoyed reading more about them rather than Adam and his friends. The way the novel ended was brilliant - I loved how everything came together. So, I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, the middle parts were a bit too long and uninteresting for me.
There's just something about French classics translated into English. While it was a bit difficult to understand what is going on in some parts - and perhaps that is on purpose - I really enjoyed this book. I do think I need to reread this to fully understand what is going on and maybe to appreciate it more because when stuff was happening I struggled a bit trying to follow the story.
4.75
I really enjoyed this collection. Some parts in the third book didn't interest me as much but I still enjoyed the characters, the writing and the story. I loved following young characters and watching them grow up and learn how to deal with the things that are thrown their way.
I enjoyed reading this novel, but I wasn't as invested in the story and the characters in the end as I was in the beginning.
After 5 months I have finally finished reading Les Misérables!! And I now understand why this is called a masterpiece. There is so much detail and so much background info included in this book to make the readers understand the characters and their motives. And that does not only include the main characters of the plot but all those that have a hand in it, even if it was just one small scene in which they interacted with the main characters. And if someone told be that before I have read this book, I'd be like, why would I care about all this? Just give me the main characters, the story and the plot. But I have to say that I really love the structure of this book!! It made me care about these side characters and their stories and it was so quite exciting to me finding out why we are focusing on them later. I am still processing this book, the last part had a lot going on, so I managed to read it all in one sitting.
Such a fun little book!! I love this book because it made me feel nostalgic and happy and cosy inside. I read this at the time when I needed it the most and I will forever cherish this sweet, adorable little book and its characters..
There are some things that bother me in this book.
First of all, this is definitely not a fresh and funny, light-hearted novel.
Trigger/Content warnings include: panic attacks/disorders, mental illness, emotional abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, toxic relationship and mention of biphobia
Second of all, I have some issues with this being YA because to me it borderline romanticises people with mental illnesses as it is one of the (perhaps also the only) defining characteristics of one of the main characters. Some may be able to pick up on it and see it as more of the book addressing this issue of casually talking about it but not really taking it seriously, which could lead to some more serious consequences.
But I understand and perceive it as romanticising mental illnesses in particular anxiety and panic attacks because the other protagonist, Jubilee, describes them as cute and dorky and almost endearing..? Being teenagers they are definitely not able to deal with this on their own but do they talk to some adults before something really bad happens? No. So this is maybe realistic but also very frustrating because it basically shows that all these characters just accept Ridley has panic attacks all the time. Even Vera witnessing one and not being concerned enough to talk to him about getting some help? Or talking to Jubilee? Or considering to talk to his parents? Then there's also the toxic relationship. Jubilee neglecting everything but her relationship with Ridley/Bats and her friends talking to her once about it and they got better but when it gets worse again, where did they go? Also, this whole relationship is built on what exactly? Some attraction they felt at that comic con? Some texts they sent each other? Liking the same comics? Ridley also says that she's a good influence on him and has shown him some good things.. Like what? There is so much telling but no showing, so I have no idea what he's talking about. She's amazing and has her life together. How does that influence him? We only see him being sad that he does not have such a loving relationships with other people, in particular with his family. But how is that a good influence? It doesn't really show me how.. Because if she has a healthy relationship with her mums, the novel could've shown that and Ridley may have some realisation or something. Learn from seeing. But nope, she only gets told that she's a good influence and all I saw was her taking care of him because he can't do it himself, because he's struggling and has a lot of panic attacks and a lot of anxiety that lead to bad decisions. Even Frederick or what's-his-name, he could've done something because Ridley apparently talked to him. Have none of these characters heard of therapy or something? That accident was really not necessary and really stupid. At that point I was just disappointed. I couldn't care any less about these characters. Jubilee knowing it's wrong but for once she doesn't think of her audition. Weird. What kind of character development is this?
There are some parts that I really liked in this novel though, so it wasn't all too bad. But I was just very disappointed because it started out nicely until I caught on what is really going on and after that it all went south for me at least.
3.5
I loved the writing but overall, the book was really confusing to read. I didn't mind it because I could tell that there was a bigger picture to it and I'd hopefully find out at the end (and I did). The storylines of each individual character was rather straightforward although the relation to each other was a bit too confusing. I also enjoyed the way the book deals with so many different topics and themes; I am really impressed by the way it was all executed.
4.5
I enjoyed this book; it was fun and very entertaining to read!! There's a lot of commentary on Western vs Eastern culture and people (as well as their opinions), but mainly this little book is about the tea ceremony and the culture and tradition behind it all. There were some detailed descriptions and explanations, so it took some time to get through it but just like drinking tea or coffee - I savoured the precious time I was able to spend with it.
A middle-grade which is realistic and doesn't have completely perfect characters or writing but has beautiful storytelling. Based on real event, we get to know the survivors and their lives after they have lost their loved ones in the war and the bomb. Since it's from the perspective of a twelve-year-old, you are finding out about the stories as Nozomi, the protagonist, is just starting to understand what has happened and how it affected the people around her as well. I really loved that it was from her perspective because she remembers some things from when she was younger but never really questioned or asked her parents and grandparents about it. She's slowly putting together her memories and the things she was told when she was younger and finding out more about the people around her and understands them much better. The stories told in this book capture the emotions really well, so that anyone who reads it knows how tragic and devasting the loss of so many people at once was like. It doesn't really teach you about Hiroshima but you follow Nozomi and how she slowly learns the stories of the people around her, who have survived the war and the bomb, how it changed them and how they keep on living.
I definitely recommend this to people who like to read middle-grade books and Japanese-translated books. There's some repetition in this book which I personally didn't mind but some people might. Those who have enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold and How Do You Live? might also enjoy this book.