To read A Little Life is to want to hold every single sentence fragment as tightly to yourself as you possibly can while simultaneously wanting to rouTo read A Little Life is to want to hold every single sentence fragment as tightly to yourself as you possibly can while simultaneously wanting to round up every character within its pages and get them as far away from Hanya Yanagihara as plane, train, and automobile will allow. To give a summary would be to spoil the plot elements Yanagihara pulls out of her (very near to collapsing) house of cards as the story progresses, but we begin our story with four best friends - Jude, JB, Willem, and Malcolm - who find themselves in that blissful, chaotic juxtaposition of our mid-20s where we all have dreams of grandeur for our Adulthood but no idea how to make them come to fruition. And so their Little Lives, past and present, begin to unfold.
I’m in no minority when I say this is the hardest novel I’ve ever read, and the most intense catharsis I’ve ever felt from a story came on the final pages of this because I knew its hold on me would be loosened upon its ending. That’s also not to say I didn’t love this - because I did, completely and passionately. These characters will never leave me; their story brought out an emotional response in me that rarely (if ever) happens in fiction. Hanya Yanagihara writes with some of the most lyrical yet direct prose I’ve read in quite some time. At seven-hundred pages (800+ in some formats), this never once feels like it’s meandering - every plot turn and tangent feels earned; it could’ve been two hundred pages longer and I would’ve drank that in too. In a novel whose conflicts are nearly exclusively internal, there isn’t one weak or flat characterization in its (core) cast of characters - you feel them living in this narrative even when they’re nowhere on the page.
However, I can’t truly let this novel sit this indelibly on my mind without coming to terms with the fact that the plot begins a slow descent into manipulative, ruthless masochism. Somewhere around the halfway mark when things really start to go haywire, authorial intent bled crimson down every page. I’ve read her interviews; I know what Yanagihara was doing. But there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, if you want to take your story from the light to the pitch darkness, how do you bring it back again? How much pain do you need to pile on before we get the point? The novel never answers that question. Part of me admires that - the choice to let your narrative seep that far into darkness and barely make an effort to throw it a lifejacket. But as a reader, I couldn’t always discern if my intense emotional reaction to the story was due to the author’s gorgeous prose detailing that darkness or from the hopelessness of knowing nothing is going to save these characters from their story’s hold.
Despite how suffocating it can sometimes be, this not-so-Little story is a journey to be experienced, even if you have to set it down and walk around the room every once in a while. If nothing else, its cast of characters and their fervent wish for something better will stay with you long after you’ve swam through the murky plot they were forced to endure. There isn’t always enough light to balance out the inherent darkness of this story, and the beams that do break through that surface are just dim enough that you can decipher what could’ve been if these people were given better circumstances. And sometimes, in that darkness, that’s all you have to keep yourself afloat. ...more
I could wax poetic all day about how Call Me by Your Name was one of the most well-written, powerful stories I've ever read, but reviews including thaI could wax poetic all day about how Call Me by Your Name was one of the most well-written, powerful stories I've ever read, but reviews including that and quotes of its beautiful prose have been posted hundreds of times already. What I will say, though, is that André Aciman has created a story that completely transcends the "LGBT romance" box that some people try to shove it in, even though it navigates that box better than I've ever seen a novel do before. Elio's narration operates on two levels - deeply profound, intelligent, yet impulsive, all-or-nothing introspection; and the awkward, clumsy attempts of a seventeen-year-old to lay all these emotions bare out loud. Young love is so often written in a suffocating, rose-colored sheen, and it was refreshing to see such a realistic first-person perspective.
Yes, I sobbed throughout nearly all of the latter half; you probably will, too. But once you meditate on this novel's final chapter, its themes soar far beyond my initial, gut-wrenching reaction. We aren't granted parallel lives to pick and choose which of life's many paths have the best outcome. We're not in a trial run where you can reset everything if you wake up one day and find the life that passed you by isn't all you wanted it to be - all we have is now. Find your passion - whatever or whomever that may be - and hold onto it as long and as tightly as you can. "We had the stars, you and I. And this is given once only." This novel was pure magic diffused into prose....more
I don't even know where to start. Forty Rooms is the most powerful, emotionally resonant novel I've read in years. Forty "is God's number of testing tI don't even know where to start. Forty Rooms is the most powerful, emotionally resonant novel I've read in years. Forty "is God's number of testing the human spirit," and much like "Noah's forty days and nights of rain, Moses' forty years in the desert, [and] Jesus' forty days of fasting and temptation," this novel follows our narrator through the forty rooms in which she lives throughout her life.
But even that description doesn't do it justice; all its power lies in Grushin's execution. This is a story of aftershocks - the reflection and small emotional responses that occur after the dust from life's biggest events have settled. Our narrator is unnamed, known only by her married name (Mrs. Caldwell), and that is both significant to her story and the experience of reading it. In becoming an every(wo)man of sorts, her internal monologue becomes our own: How did I get here? Is this the life I was meant to live? Is there a way to take it all back? Was it all worth it in the end? Heavy questions for sure, but the way Grushin arrives at a conclusion (if not a definitive answer) to them at the novel's end is a beautiful thing.
I could go into story specifics and dissect all of its complex layers, but with a novel like this, it would ruin the experience. Forty Rooms manages to be subtly haunting, consistently heartbreaking, sophisticated without ever feeling pretentious, and simply one of the best reading experiences I've ever had....more
Wicked is one of my favorite books of all time. Not only is Gregory Maguire's writing one of the great joys of modern literature, but the expertise wiWicked is one of my favorite books of all time. Not only is Gregory Maguire's writing one of the great joys of modern literature, but the expertise with which he created Oz within the boundaries put out by L. Frank Baum before him was enchanting. However, when he decided to write Son of a Witch a decade later and then A Lion Among Men, some of the magic was lost. Maguire's writing was still top-notch and kept me enthralled throughout reading those novels, but I couldn't help noticing it seemed as though he wasn't entirely sure where to take his story after killing off the Wicked Witch of the West. The groundwork of where he wanted to take his story was there, but they, in my opinion, didn't really come to fruition due to - possibly - the short length of those two novels.
Out of Oz is a monster. Clocking in at 563 pages, it's even longer than Wicked and tackles concepts much more grand. Oz is in complete disarray, with Munchkinland at war with the Emerald City, Glinda is under house arrest, Dorothy has returned and is being charged with the murders of both Wicked Witches, etc. To say the least, the land of Oz is not the one to which you were introduced in the 1939 film.
To be frank, the first two hundred (or even three hundred?) pages of this novel are long and tedious. Even painfully so. Without giving too much away, it involves a lot of walking through landscapes and visiting different places of Oz that have little importance except for the fact that certain characters are hiding out from the persecution of the army. If you've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I think you have a sense of what I'm talking about. However, as tedious as they may be, these scenes seem to offer a final farewell to places throughout the Oz landscape that have been visited in previous novels in the series, so they were for the most part forgivable. It's just the getting through it that's hard.
Once you pass those sections, however, it becomes much easier to appreciate the work as a whole. Maguire finally shows his vast talent at winding different, convoluted plotlines around each other, with twists that are both completely unexpected but make perfect sense. The characters introduced throughout this series that never really had a chance to be developed properly (Brr, Glinda, Candle, Nor, Trism, and of course, Rain and Liir) are all illustrated in this novel with great skill and care, making each character interesting.
Needless to say, Out of Oz is the best Maguire novel since Wicked. In equal parts heartbreaking, funny, melancholic, and rewarding, it gave the series a conclusion that is fully deserved and left just enough unanswered questions to keep the reader guessing at to what truly happened within its pages. Elphaba would be proud....more
The Virgin Suicides is one of those books that you wish you could erase from your memory after finishing just so you can experience it all over again.The Virgin Suicides is one of those books that you wish you could erase from your memory after finishing just so you can experience it all over again.
Jeffrey Eugenides has the unique ability to transform a very simple story into one of complete beauty. Suicide isn't the most pleasant of topics, especially when it's the suicide of five adolescents, but Eugenides writes it so well that it is impossible not to appreciate it. He blends just enough dark humor in to keep it tasteful and incorporates melancholy passages that completely numbed me. Almost every page of this book had a meaningful quote on it.
I think this is mentioned in almost every review, but the first-person plural narration is done expertly. By using "us" and "we," Eugenides drew me into the story and made me feel as if I was one of those neighborhood boys obsessing over the Lisbon girls.
I don't really know what else to say about this since the real beauty of this story comes through when you're reading it. I can't really begin to explain it through a review. The movie is one of my favorite book-to-film adaptations as well....more
“We are all puppets in the hands of Fate, and seldom see the strings that move us."
The Marrow of Tradition is incredible. I loved it so much that I st“We are all puppets in the hands of Fate, and seldom see the strings that move us."
The Marrow of Tradition is incredible. I loved it so much that I stayed home from school for the first half of the day just to finish it. I think I enjoyed this book so much because it reminded me of A Tale of Two Cities in the way the plot unfolded. It involved a complicated web of characters and subplots, but as the story evolved, all the characters intertwined and came together. Any author who writes a story with a huge lot of unconnected characters and, through a story, can slowly connect all of them can win over my heart in a snap.
This novel is a fictional depiction of the social and political struggles that led up to the Race Riot of 1898. Even though Chesnutt's narrator has a very straightforward way of relaying the events that take place in the story, I still felt the superficiality of the white people's worries regarding the African Americans of Wilmington. Chesnutt did a very nice job of making the whites' disgust seem unwarranted, especially toward the end.
Like I said before, I find it impressive how the author intermingled so many separate storylines while simultaneously building complex, interesting characters. Racism, love triangles, murder, gambling addictions, family drama, and possessed babies can all be found within these pages, but not once did the plot seem too bogged down. Chesnutt did a fantastic job of letting each separate storyline run smoothly into the next, and I forever applaud him for it.
This book may not be for everyone, but I still recommend you give it a try. I loved every page of it....more
NOTE: Most of this review is about the last book. Because of this, there are some minor spoilers of that novel.
This is possibly the most unnecessary rNOTE: Most of this review is about the last book. Because of this, there are some minor spoilers of that novel.
This is possibly the most unnecessary review I've ever written. Everyone in the free world has read these books, and I'm probably the last person on earth who just finished reading Deathly Hallows for the first time. I'm sure my opinions have been stated at least ten times before me, but that's okay. Onward with the review!
My absolute favorite thing about this series is how normal most of it is. Yes, there's magic and spells, but these book still take place at a school. While most novels involving teenagers seem to skim over the fact that their characters are busy academically, Harry Potter is a nice exception to that rule. While learning about Voledmort's past and vulnerabilities, practicing Quidditch, and learning what Horcruxes are, the characters still have to deal with a jam-packed school schedule. In that aspect, the storyline was, strangely, very relatable.
Final books are very tricky to get right. Mockingjay had some definite problems, and Breaking Dawn was far too sugar-coated, to name a couple. Deathly Hallows was the best finale of any series I’ve ever read. Before reading, the main comment I heard was everybody dies. Going into reading this, I figured J.K. Rowling was going to be killing people off left and right, simply because it was her last book and she figured she could. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Whatever deaths did occur (and I must admit, there were quite a few) seemed completely realistic given the situation. I mean, come on, they’re in the middle of a war, and most of the casualties occur in the middle of battles.
I know I said I liked how normal the first six books are, but I really enjoyed the new angle Rowling took with the final book. There are no normal school days to be found there, and most of the scenes have such knotted tension that it’s not hard to be absorbed into the story. The tone is almost dismal, because it’s basically three characters (who we’ve spent about three thousand pages with) worrying about whether they’re going to survive the next day. The passages are melancholic, and sometimes downright depressing. Call me crazy, but that’s what really drew me into the story. What can I say, I like dark books.
Of course, Deathly Hallows did not come without issues. The long stretches hiding from the Death Eaters in the wilderness were sometimes tedious to get through. I know J.K. Rowling was trying to stay in the same timeline as the other books (August to May/June), but they were still pretty slow. I also didn’t see much need for the Deathly Hallows side-story. The plot involving the Horcruxes was enough to fill up a whole book, in my opinion. They also came without any justification whatsoever, since they were never mentioned anywhere before book seven came along.
And, obviously, I’m going to have to talk about the epilogue. It was the weakest part of the whole story; it didn’t even fit with the rest of the book. It was as if J.K. Rowling wrote it when she first started writing the series and decided to throw it into the end simply because she had it lying around. I realize she was trying to show what a nice life Harry is living years after his turbulent teenage years, but it could have been executed so much better. I almost wish she would have shown that Harry is still haunted by the events that occurred years ago. He could have thought he saw Voldemort in his peripheral vision or something, anything to make it less sugar-coated. And Albus Severus?! Who in their right mind would ever name their child that?
Despite its flaws, Deathly Hallows is still my favorite of the series. These books have gotten consistently better with every book, and if you’re one of the few who haven’t read this series yet, I fully recommend it. This is a series that comes by once in a lifetime....more
There are partial spoilers ahead. I allude to plot elements, which might bother some people. But, if you want my opinion, go into this book knowing noThere are partial spoilers ahead. I allude to plot elements, which might bother some people. But, if you want my opinion, go into this book knowing nothing about it. It will only make it more enjoyable when you slowly learn what's really going on.
Never Let Me Go is easily one of the best books I've ever read. Ishiguro is a master of subtlety, and that's really the only the way this novel could have worked. It was beautifully crafted, and I was left thinking just as much about the world around these characters as the characters themselves.
One of the worst things you could do is start this novel expecting science fiction. I really don’t know how this book was shoved under that category in the first place, but it was. There are dystopian undertones, but that’s about it. I know plenty of others have commented on that, but I figured I’d say it again.
The narrator, Kathy, is a thirty-one-year-old "carer" as the novel begins. From there, she spends the novel reminiscing about her childhood to the present day, and her two best friends, Ruth and Tommy. Even though her story spans a couple decades or so, there is nothing particularly suspenseful or exciting about it. But that's where this novel's power lies: you still feel heart-wrenching pain about these characters' dilemmas. I don't know what it is, but this book emotionally drained me. All these characters wanted was something to live for, or something/someone to help them live, and watching them all slowly fade broke my heart.
Other reviewers seem to think Kathy is an altogether tedious and boring narrator. I can see where they're coming from, since she does tend to meander from the point and seems to feel completely detached from reality at times. But that's why I full-heartedly sympathized with her, because she has no idea what life could really be like, and doesn't seem to realize the extent of her situation. Even, towards the end, when she learns what her life has meant, she doesn't seem to respond, but goes about her life as usual. Even as others around her "complete," she believes that's the only thing they were ever meant to do anyways. And it was painful to see her (and, for that matter, all the other character's) vision of reality so distorted.
Will you like this book? Maybe not. It's very melancholy, and requires the reader to spend a lot of time thinking about what's between the lines. But let me tell you, it's probably the most moving and thought-provoking book I've ever read....more
Never has a book/series had such an impact on me as His Dark Materials, specifically The Amber Spyglass. It still stands as the only book that has eveNever has a book/series had such an impact on me as His Dark Materials, specifically The Amber Spyglass. It still stands as the only book that has ever made me cry. I was a wreck after finishing it, to the point where I literally could not sleep because I couldn’t believe it was over. Not only was the ending beautifully heartbreaking, but I had to accept the fact that these characters' journeys had come to an end, the series was over, and it was time for me to move on in my life. I just couldn't accept that, because I had become so unbelievably attached to these characters over the span of the trilogy. And because of that, this is the best reading experience I've ever had in my life.
I'll admit it, I read this series because of the movie release of The Golden Compass, and, of course, the appeal of how "controversial" it is. The film was incredibly disappointing (they stopped two-thirds of the way through the book, for God's sake) and wanted to see if the books helped clarify some of the plot holes in the movie. What I found was an incredibly absorbing and inventive world that the filmmakers only skimmed the top of. The alternate universe Philip Pullman has created is much darker than the movie (especially as you move into The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass).
I know everyone's heard of how controversial this series is. Most prominently in The Amber Spyglass, Pullman subtly (and in other places, not so subtly) deals great blows to the Christian faith, or religion in general. He reacts to the Church's view of the afterlife, free will vs. obedience, the portrayal of God, and even gay rights. But he does this so unabashedly that it's hard not to appreciate (or in my case, adore) his declarations on religion.
Through it all, though, this is simply a story about growing up. It is truly a masterpiece, and deserves to be more widely read. This is one set of books I will never part with for as long as I live. ...more
Before going into this, I heard nothing but bad things about it from others. "Dear Lord, it's the most boring book ever," "I can't take it anymore," aBefore going into this, I heard nothing but bad things about it from others. "Dear Lord, it's the most boring book ever," "I can't take it anymore," and "I'm having suicidal thoughts because I'm being forced to read this" were all common reviews. (That last one may be an exaggeration but whatever.)
I think this book has a bad reputation (at least, from people my age) because of its beginning. Not only is it unbearably slow, but I found myself frustrated with most of it. I was expecting the novel to be entirely about an epic love affair between Catherine and Heathcliff. However, I found myself irritated because Emily Brontë, in my opinion, did not give the two characters enough time together within the pages of the book, and I had trouble believing they were really as in love as they said.
It isn't until the half-way mark that this book became truly enjoyable. It takes until that point to really appreciate everything you had to wade through in the first half. That was one of my favorite things about this novel: the true point of the book comes through after the love affair ends. For me, this wasn't really a novel about Heathcliff and Catherine but a story about how Heathcliff deals with mourning the loss of his one true love.
Speaking of Heathcliff, he was easily the most fascinating character. Brontë writes him in a way in which I completely hated him but felt sorry for him and forgave him for his cruelty at the same time. The most interesting thing about him, though, is how he takes a background role in his own story. The last half focuses on the love affair between Catherine (the second one) and Linton, but in my opinion, the story is still very much about Heathcliff and his journey through the grief process.
Lastly, the ending was beautifully done. Without giving anything away, I loved how Emily Brontë both gave a finality to their story but, at the same time, gave the reader the hope that the two were still roaming the earth together.
My advice with this story is to force yourself through the first half because you'll fall in love with the last. It truly is a beautiful story, and people miss the opportunity to enjoy it because they can't get past the beginning, which is, admittedly, quite lackluster.
Oh, and I strongly recommend you purchase a copy of this book that has some sort of family tree in it. For the first 150 pages or so, I had to keep looking back at mine because all the characters names are so similar or, in some cases, the same....more
What a book! After reading this, I've come to appreciate Charles Dickens as so much more than "that guy who wrote the Christmas Carol."
One thing I lovWhat a book! After reading this, I've come to appreciate Charles Dickens as so much more than "that guy who wrote the Christmas Carol."
One thing I love is his ability to create a perfect storyline. Everything in this book fits together in the end like a perfect, intricate puzzle. Components that were thought to be gratuitous at first will come back in major ways at later points in the book. Maybe it's just me, but I adore authors who blatantly show that they know exactly where they're going with every sentence of the story. The ending packs a serious punch, too.
The characters in this book are exceptional, as well. My personal favorite was Madame Defarge. It's probably me and my general love for "the bad guy" in stories, but I loved every scene she was in. I also like the fact the Dickens gave her a reason for hating the aristocracy so much, as compared to her husband. The wood-sawyer/roadmender was interesting, too, if only for entertainment value. But of course, I'm sure anyone going around screaming, "My little guillotine! Off with her head! Off his his head! Hahahaha!" for no apparent reason except to please the majority might interest anybody.
This book was also a strong commentary regarding the Revolution. It was interesting to see the ironic way in which Dickens compares the aristocracy to the angry revolutionaries. The revolutionaries are mad for the aristocracy hurting and killing the innocent. Then, they turn right around and start killing plenty of innocent people for the sake of watching their heads roll.
I understand this book isn't for everyone. The plot is complex, there are plenty of characters to keep track of, and it takes a long time to get exciting. But, trust me, if you stick with it, it will pay off in the end....more
After reading this book, I realized one thing: the immense praise this book received did not come unwarranted. With The Book Thief, Markus Zusak has cAfter reading this book, I realized one thing: the immense praise this book received did not come unwarranted. With The Book Thief, Markus Zusak has created one of the most spellbinding, absorbing, fascinating, and beautifully heartbreaking books I have ever read.
Whenever I go back and reread books that I loved the first time I read it, I get nervous thinking about the chance that I won't like it the second timWhenever I go back and reread books that I loved the first time I read it, I get nervous thinking about the chance that I won't like it the second time around. I read The Scarlet Letter for the first time when I was a sophomore in high school, and four years later, quite a lot has changed.
This novel was just as incredible as I remember it to be, though. I realize that this is one of the most despised novels of all time, but I think it has to do with the age at which people have to read it. I think it's fair to say that a majority of readers are in high school and are being forced to read it for their English class. Required reading is bad enough as it is, but having required reading such as this is another monster entirely. Hawthorne is wordy (very wordy). There are a lot of lengthy, gratuitous descriptions about things that have no relevance to the plot. There also is not a lot of action to drive the story forward. I still think it's incredible, though. I love diving into the lives of characters and discovering the inner workings of their psyche, and Hawthorne is great at this. And I still found myself absorbed into the plot even though I knew everything that was going to happen.
No, this type of novel isn't for everyone. Still, though, even if you don't particularly enjoy reading it, I think it's still easy to appreciate it as a work of literature. ...more
I originally purchased and read The Inferno back when I was fifteen years old because I figured it would give off the impression of how sophisticated I originally purchased and read The Inferno back when I was fifteen years old because I figured it would give off the impression of how sophisticated I was because I was reading epic poetry dated back from the fourteenth century. Not going to lie, I still say to people, "Oh, you've only played the video game? I've read the original, hohoho!"
However, my appreciation for this poem resurfaced about a year ago when I wrote a research paper comparing this to Ibsen's Ghosts. (Don't ask me how I accomplished this; I still don't really know.) Before, I basically read this just to say I had, but rereading it made me truly love it. I find it impossible to read this and not be in awe of Dante's vision of Hell. He illustrates each layer of it so perfectly; each one is different from the others, but they all carry the same general theme along with it. I also found it interesting how he made his meeting with Lucifer so anticlimactic. It is clear his true climax will come in the last part of The Divine Comedy, but I have yet to read the next two parts.
I just found this whole poem fascinating. From when he finds himself "within a forest dark" until he and Virgil "rebehold the stars," I enjoyed every line....more
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