The Icarus myth is in fact rather short and only make up a small portion of this book.
The rest of the book consists of excerpts from Ovid's MetamorphThe Icarus myth is in fact rather short and only make up a small portion of this book.
The rest of the book consists of excerpts from Ovid's Metamorphoses which I've never read in its entirety – making this volume a bit of a mess.
Nevertheless, I've always loved the myth of Icarus; his very human need for more, throwing caution to the wind and soaring up towards the sun. It's hubris at its purest....more
It’s odd to read a story that’s so familiar and yet so utterly different from what we’ve grown up with. The Disney versions, the plays, the pop culturIt’s odd to read a story that’s so familiar and yet so utterly different from what we’ve grown up with. The Disney versions, the plays, the pop culture references only really got a gist of what this novel truly is; a masterpiece.
Of course Hugo can be a pain to read (and that’s putting it mildly). He loses himself in architecture, in history, in the streets of his beloved Paris and he doesn’t always succeed in inviting the reader to travel beside him. But even when he’s at his most flighty, there’s a powerful poetry to his words and metaphors.
At its heart, this book is a tribute to the Notre Dame; to the bustling streets of Paris; to the sinners and the saints; and to the distorted ideal of justice that still exist today.
While perhaps not as strong or in-depth as Les Miserables, this is a masterpiece in its own right. It’s a complex and slow story which perhaps explains its many simplified adaptations. It’s a hard novel to condense – and that is part of its attraction....more
This was fun! Perhaps my favourite Montgomery short story collection so far.
As the title suggest, these joyous tales revolves around romance and marriThis was fun! Perhaps my favourite Montgomery short story collection so far.
As the title suggest, these joyous tales revolves around romance and marriages. About family dramas and unlikely coincidences. About sudden elopements and larger-than-life weddings.
While Montgomery is often accused of being sentimental, I didn't read these tales as sentimental at all. I read them as lighthearted fun. They reminded me of the Montgomery who wrote A Tangled Web; an absurd comedy of manners and family drama. Montgomery's supposedly romantic tales are in fact very tongue-in-cheek. Or at least they can be read that way.
For instance, I couldn't help laughing at The Gossip of Valley View in which a bored boy starts a false rumor of two unmarried adults getting engaged; and the poor objects of the gossip starts believing it to be true. Or in Aunt Philippa and the Men where a seemingly stern aunt takes a sudden turn. Montgomery is at her best when she makes fun of village life, dives into grumpy characters or creates unlikely heroes; delighting in the ridiculous farce that a marriage truly is.
Of course, the stories are not necessarily great art; they were written for magazines with an expected word count and therefore some of them seems severely underdeveloped; the characters are most often completely unbelievable. But they're great fun nevertheless.
This is one of those instances where you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or even its title). These tales are fun, satirical and I imagine the author ending the stories with a playful wink rather than a heartfelt sigh....more
A powerful exploration of the Victorian view of gender and a woman's role in the society. Gaskell depicts a so-called "fallen woman" who builds a lifeA powerful exploration of the Victorian view of gender and a woman's role in the society. Gaskell depicts a so-called "fallen woman" who builds a life for herself, brick by brick, only to have it torn down by society's double standards.
Gaskell's writing flows beautifully and if this novel has a fault it is that its heroine is faultless; Ruth serves only as a plot device, allowing Gaskell to comment on her era....more
Montgomery's novels and short stories circles around the topic of orphans and the possibility of a home. Through her characters, she's constantly quesMontgomery's novels and short stories circles around the topic of orphans and the possibility of a home. Through her characters, she's constantly questioning what a home is and what it means to be at home; to feel kinship with strangers and to choose your own family.
This short story collection is no exception. In fact, it's populated by orphans, asking questions and searching for a place to belong.
The stories themselves aren't necessarily masterpieces but they offer key insight into Montgomery's most famous works and paved the way for Anne, Emily and Jane. While the structure of the stories seem a bit repetitive when read in one go, they're quite whimsical and wonderful when read over a longer stretch of time, allowing you to tell the characters apart. ...more
Kilmeny of the Orchard offers an interesting detour from Montgomery's well-known and beloved heroines. Perhaps because despite its title, this book isKilmeny of the Orchard offers an interesting detour from Montgomery's well-known and beloved heroines. Perhaps because despite its title, this book isn't about Kilmeny at all. She's only a minor character in a story centered around Eric Marshall.
The book is rather one-dimensional and almost reads like a fairy-tale with its built-in miracle and happy ending. Everything works out beautifully, the villains are defeated and punished and the hero is rewarded beyond his dreams.
The funny thing is, sentimental as her works may seem, Montgomery hardly ever wrote fairy tales....more
Despite living in a country that shares borders with Germany, I hardly know anything about German literature. This is perhaps because so many of my clDespite living in a country that shares borders with Germany, I hardly know anything about German literature. This is perhaps because so many of my classes at university reduced German literature to war literature – important too, no doubt but leaving so many gaps in its wake.
So it has taken me years and years to finally read Buddenbrooks and discover the magnitude of this novel. It's a family chronicle that spans not only four generations, but wrestles with the ever-changing pecking order of the class society and the historical changes, the industrialism and the loss of the so-called 'old virtues'.
While the book starts with grandeur in brightly lit salons, it ends with decayed teeth, the loss of a good name and the utter meaninglessness of money in the face of tragedy. It's a large plot, brilliant executed and populated by flawed characters, running around in blindness and ultimately causing their own destruction.
This undoubtedly sounds bleak. But it's not without humor; morbid irony seeps through the pages, and it's impossible not to huff or giggle at the ridiculous characters and all of their too convenient principles.
I'm in awe of this book. And now I need to read more by Mann....more
I quite enjoy reading short stories at the moment. The compact stories fits perfectly with my mood these days; only demanding me to remain concentrateI quite enjoy reading short stories at the moment. The compact stories fits perfectly with my mood these days; only demanding me to remain concentrated for as long as I can manage with my scattered thoughts.
This short story was delightful. A very elegant study of how it is to see something wrong unfold and yet stand by, paralysed and unable to act....more
This certainly did not turn out the way I thought it would.
Somehow Alcott always manages to contrive the most unlikely and unexpected romances for herThis certainly did not turn out the way I thought it would.
Somehow Alcott always manages to contrive the most unlikely and unexpected romances for her heroines, always saving them for the very last pages. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Alcott herself didn't necessarily want to marry off her heroines. She wanted to have them shine for themselves, to take the center place at the stage and keep them there.
Rose is no exception.
I quite enjoyed this little comedy of manners, romance and youth. There's tragedy here as well, but Alcott more than anything knew how to make light in the dark, so it always feels bearable. Conquerable, even....more
I traveled to New York recently; and as an addition to my map-including tourist guide, I brought this book with me across the Atlantic. After all, ficI traveled to New York recently; and as an addition to my map-including tourist guide, I brought this book with me across the Atlantic. After all, fiction often serves as the best travel.
This is a beautiful short story collection that both highlights the glamour and glitter of New York ball rooms, the alluring promise of wealth and fame – along with the crimes, the failures and disappointments. It's incredibly well-rounded.
I highly enjoyed Edith Wharton's elegant musings, James Baldwin's touching portrait of a musician dealing with drug abuse and John Cheever's brilliantly ironic tale of a family that seeks fortune and fame.
This was the perfect book to read in preparation for a city that's impossible to imagine beforehand....more
I recently watched the movie Colette with the breathtaking Keira Knightley portraying the french author who I hardly knew anything about. The movie toI recently watched the movie Colette with the breathtaking Keira Knightley portraying the french author who I hardly knew anything about. The movie told her incredible story well, and made me want to pick up this book. Colette's debut novel.
I've read my fair share of coming-of-age novels written in the beginning of the 20th century. After all, L. M. Montgomery was my idol when I was younger.
But I've never read anything like this.
Claudine is not your typical young heroine; she is perceptive, manipulating and almost cruel in her treatment of those she considers beneath her. She is witty and charming too, but it is her sharp intellect that really makes the book. Her youthful love affairs and flirtations almost reads like caricatures and it's easy to see why this book caused such a riot when it was first published.
It's fun. And it's biting.
While the book on the whole is very unsentimental (as a sharp contrast to L. M. Montgomery's writing), it does contain the most vivid descriptions of the the village of Montigny. I could almost see the village and its surrounding forests before me as I read the book. It was nostalgic. And utterly bittersweet....more
In its true form, the tale of Beauty and the Beast does not have any cute teacups or singing chandeliers. Disappointingly enough, the old folk tale coIn its true form, the tale of Beauty and the Beast does not have any cute teacups or singing chandeliers. Disappointingly enough, the old folk tale consists of a cursed man taking a beautiful woman hostage and asking her to dine with him over and over and over again.
It's tedious, repetitive and not very uplifting.
Much like this book.
Though Pamela is filled with absurdity, it quickly gets old. And while Richardson assures his reader that Pamela is rewarded for her virtue, it's rather the odious Mr. B that is rewarded for his abuse. Which one could argue is more realistic after all....more
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