My favorite Dickens by far! There are so many witty sentences and paragraphs in here that you don’t get on your first read through. Of course, the lesMy favorite Dickens by far! There are so many witty sentences and paragraphs in here that you don’t get on your first read through. Of course, the lessons in here are unparalleled. ...more
Absolutely loved this. What an example Pollyanna is of having a godly, positive attitude no matter what. I aspire to be like Pollyanna and leave the mAbsolutely loved this. What an example Pollyanna is of having a godly, positive attitude no matter what. I aspire to be like Pollyanna and leave the mark of joy and gratitude on all that I meet. ...more
The Turn of the Screw: 2 stars. SO weird. Possibly sexual undertones? Long sentences. I almost completely gave up on Henry James. I did find the unrelThe Turn of the Screw: 2 stars. SO weird. Possibly sexual undertones? Long sentences. I almost completely gave up on Henry James. I did find the unreliable narrator to be fascinating, and now I see it popping up in other books.
Aspern Papers: 3 stars. I enjoyed the writing and storyline of this SO much better. I was an engaged in the story, the descriptions were realistic, the characters relatable. If only the protagonist had not thrown away a lovely future, just because he was so linearly focused. ...more
Reading plays is hard. I plan to watch the movie so I can get a better sense of the atmosphere. I don't think Chekov is the Russian author for me becReading plays is hard. I plan to watch the movie so I can get a better sense of the atmosphere. I don't think Chekov is the Russian author for me because I like a very strong moral and plot (yes to Tolstoy, no to Dostoevsky), and he simply wanted to show a snapshot of Russian life. ...more
Moderately enjoyable. I’m not one for actions books but there were moments I enjoyed in here. However, I come for the relationships, and let’s just saModerately enjoyable. I’m not one for actions books but there were moments I enjoyed in here. However, I come for the relationships, and let’s just say this book did not deliver. ...more
Ivan Ilych:Well-written and full of good lessons. If Tolstoy was a Christian he would have had a fabulous ending.
Confession: he was so close when he oIvan Ilych:Well-written and full of good lessons. If Tolstoy was a Christian he would have had a fabulous ending.
Confession: he was so close when he observed the faith of the common people. But he was way to practical about it and didn’t have any faith. I think in the end he turned to the Orthodox religion. ...more
After a year and a half, I have finally completed (for the second time, mind you) the trilogy of all trilogies. Even if the story wasn't necessarily mAfter a year and a half, I have finally completed (for the second time, mind you) the trilogy of all trilogies. Even if the story wasn't necessarily my thing (I'm not big on epics and journeys), Tolkien's genius automatically demands 5 stars. The story is top-knotch, his writing superb, but his creativity! I fully understood this when I read the appendices (for the first time). He didn't just write a story, he created an entire would, with its own languages, and histories, and customs, and calendars. The LOTR trilogy (and the hobbit) follows the third age of Middle Earth from the viewpoint of the hobbits. but reading the appendices is like zooming about and realizing there's a whole world that Tolkien is teasing us with. Moral of the story: Read the Appendices. Also, does anyone know of a good reference book/book of maps for Middle Earth?
For a much better review of the actual story, go look at Haven Alexander's thorough review....more
What would happen if we went to the extreme of living separately? What if we never actually saw another human being? What happens if we get so comfortWhat would happen if we went to the extreme of living separately? What if we never actually saw another human being? What happens if we get so comfortable with online interaction that that's all we know? What if we believe that somehow "viewing" is different than "Seeing"? Would we do things that we wouldn't be comfortable doing in person? What if the government controlled our procreation? We were assigned times to "see" our spouse? What if the government raised our children? What if actually desiring relationship and intimacy was considered "dirty" and unnatural?
This book is the answer to those questions and more. It's scary to see that conclusion. And it's scary to see the beginnings of that in our own culture. In Brave New World we get children indoctrinated by the government. But in The Naked Sun we get it taken to a new level. Humans are now merely machines, supposedly perfectly happy, with minimal human interaction. The government raises the children from one month post conception.
On the other hand, our main character Elijah Bailey discovers that his one world is the inside out version of this. Every man is a follower, and no one knows what open space is. So what happens if we spend our lives in our homes? If our days are no longer regulated by the rising and setting of the sun?
Overall I enjoyed this book and the obvious lessons it was trying to teach. However, I knocked off a star because this one needs a much older audience than the first one. As you can probably see from the questions above, this story largely focuses on a lack of human desires. There are many references to a desire for the other sex. This is considered unacceptable in the Solarian society. Trying not to give spoilers here, but this natural instinct is what the entire story hinges on. However, as a book written in the 1950's, it still remains pretty clean. The only other thing is implied nudity in the first couple of chapters. ...more
I did not expect to like this book very much and was skeptical until about the last 1/4. Now it's one of my favorite books! The story can pretty much bI did not expect to like this book very much and was skeptical until about the last 1/4. Now it's one of my favorite books! The story can pretty much be summed up in a sentence: The tale of two girls-Cynthia who loves herself so much that she is incapable of loving others and doesn't realize how she hurts them, and Molly who loves herself so little that she can watch the man she loves falling in love with others and sit by in patience. Molly was so selfless and caring, it was the perfect picture of what real love should look like.
And Roger was an amazing character. Even before he loved (view spoiler)[ Molly (hide spoiler)] he still care for her as a sister and made sure her needs were met.
oh and don't even get me started on the step mother! While not evil, she is insufferable! Think Mrs. Bennet but worse
The ending was quite abrupt because Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing it. But I think it actually helped the book in showing that you can have a sweet love story without any of the emotionalism....more
I don't even know where to start with this review. How do you capture the feelings of an 800 page book in a short review?
Did I enjoy Middlemarch? yes.I don't even know where to start with this review. How do you capture the feelings of an 800 page book in a short review?
Did I enjoy Middlemarch? yes. Was I bored sometimes? Also, yes. While I don't think it's "the greatest English novel," I can see why it has received that title. George Eliot has a way of writing people's emotions that just stabs you in the heart. Everytime I picked it up in the last 100 pages I just got this feeling in my gut. She doesn't write in a world-building, descriptive way. She writes in a way that you know the character intimately and you understand what everyone around them misunderstands.
I really don't know how I got through the middle of the book. You basically have to devour this book as you devour an elephant- one bite at a time. It's long. But really the only boring part is all the political blah blah blah that means nothing to me as a 21st century American. There is so much I could say about each character but I'll keep it short. Rosamund got on my nerves every times she appeared. May I never be like her. Lydgate starts out young and naive but proves himself as a man later. Dorothea was a toss up for me in the beginning but wow! She was the most godly of them all. Mr. Causabon... *puke face* Same with Mr. Bulstrode. Fred was odd. He never truly matured but he definitely changed.
At a certain point, I was very confused on what the overarching theme of the book was. But when I reached the end and read her conclusion it became evident. Eliot wrote a masterful work on marriage and how easy it is to create an unhealthy marriage....more
Haley Annabelle
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