This book came so close to being better than 'good'. I'm not often interested in traditional 'romance' novels, but the author's grasp of Russian history kept me involved and turning the pages. I greatly enjoyed her evocation of the pre war, and interwar eras. She had a strong grasp of the times and a wonderful way of bringing the characters to life, as well as a way of creating a believable family dynamic. Her picture of the post war era was not as clear, nor as compelling, largely because she jettisons her strength in favor of lengthy descriptions of sex.
Yeah, yeah... I know that is part of the bread and butter of modern day romance novels, but at this aspect she failed for me. Part of how this novel fails is that the sex is frankly overblown and told in eyerollingly purple prose. Our heroine (who has her own issues-back to that in a sec) goes from virgin to 'oh my God' screamer in record time, and rocks it like a porn star. And one twist near the end had me banging my head on my desk and yelling, "Can't you just be happy? After all you've been through?"
The real weakness of his book is the heroine. She vacillates between dull and silly, and ultimately brings the story to a weaker level. It's clear that the author has more respect and admiration for her hero, as he is a much more clearly defined character, and much more human.
Silly sex and a weak heroine plague the last quarter of this book, but the strong historical base that was established at the beginning kept me reading. It was, at the end of the day, good... but it could have been better.
Monday, June 13, 2011
"Ape House" by Sara Gruen
This is a hard one to review. Gruen again captures her characters beautifully, presenting people that seem real. The story is compelling-I had never even heard of bonobos, and their grasp of human speech and ASL was fascinating. However, the book left some storylines unfinished, and had other sections that seemed completely superfluous to the main story. It really seemed like this was a longer book that was truncated too severely, as if the writer was working under a word or page limit. Bottom line: I liked this book, but I could have loved it.
"Full Dark, No Stars" by Stephen King
"Full Dark, No Stars" was an interesting book, and it took two readings to appreciate what it has to offer. First off, this book is DARK, in terms of it's outlook on the human heart. This is no monster book; there's barely a whiff of the supernatural. We see the devil (maybe) and a re-animated corpse (perhaps), but King himself said it best when he quoted R.L. Stevenson's own estimation of the potion in "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" as, "so much hugger mugger". The 'out there' elements in these four stories are a means to an end, and that end is clearly to make us look at the monster within ourselves--to REALLY look, unflinchingly.
This he accomplishes well. The characters in all four stories are flawed, some fatally, but all are very human and relatable, even if we'd rather not see their less savory elements in ourselves. Ever been fixated on one idea (even pig stubborn)? '1922' will speak to you. Been hurt and want to retaliate? Try 'Big Driver' (in my opinion, the weakest story of the quartet). Thought you'd do ANYTHING to get what you want? 'Fair Extension'is your nasty little treat. Think you know all about your significant other? 'A Good Marriage' actually gave me a nightmare! After having read King's work for more years than I care to admit!
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I want you to get the full impact when you read this book (in fact, don't even read the book jacket--it gives away too much). Read these stories. Mull them over. Then go back and read them again. You won't be sorry.
I've only read one review of this book, and it was fairly negative. Fair to say that I think the reviewer didn't 'get it'. He was picking at similes and losing the forest for the trees. King's writing has changed over the years. He's no longer an idealistic twenty-something; he's got a mature person's view of life and what lies within us that can be unsettling. However, what he's lost in starshine he's more than made up for in heart. He's seen that dark (whether within himself or in others I wouldn't even hazard a guess), he acknowledges it... but he still has hope. All wrapped up in his characteristically realistic characters and dialogue that's hard to beat. This man knows people, and he's not afraid to show us with our halos balancing ever so precariously on our horns.
Now I want to go read this again...
This he accomplishes well. The characters in all four stories are flawed, some fatally, but all are very human and relatable, even if we'd rather not see their less savory elements in ourselves. Ever been fixated on one idea (even pig stubborn)? '1922' will speak to you. Been hurt and want to retaliate? Try 'Big Driver' (in my opinion, the weakest story of the quartet). Thought you'd do ANYTHING to get what you want? 'Fair Extension'is your nasty little treat. Think you know all about your significant other? 'A Good Marriage' actually gave me a nightmare! After having read King's work for more years than I care to admit!
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, because I want you to get the full impact when you read this book (in fact, don't even read the book jacket--it gives away too much). Read these stories. Mull them over. Then go back and read them again. You won't be sorry.
I've only read one review of this book, and it was fairly negative. Fair to say that I think the reviewer didn't 'get it'. He was picking at similes and losing the forest for the trees. King's writing has changed over the years. He's no longer an idealistic twenty-something; he's got a mature person's view of life and what lies within us that can be unsettling. However, what he's lost in starshine he's more than made up for in heart. He's seen that dark (whether within himself or in others I wouldn't even hazard a guess), he acknowledges it... but he still has hope. All wrapped up in his characteristically realistic characters and dialogue that's hard to beat. This man knows people, and he's not afraid to show us with our halos balancing ever so precariously on our horns.
Now I want to go read this again...
"The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" by Walter Mosley
The 'Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' is without a doubt one of the best books I have read in a very long time.I picked it up on a whim, and was captivated from the beginning, quickly getting caught up in the life and misty mind of Ptolemy. From the chaos, fear, and betrayal of the opening pages to the poignant ending, Mosely had my attention trough deft use of language, detail, and especially dialogue.
Ptolemy Grey is a man nearing the end of his life. His mind is a misty mixture of old stories from the past, current events from the ever-present television and radio, and a murky recognition of his surroundings. At the wake of his closest relative, he meets Robyn, a seventeen year old orphan, who sweeps into his life and cleans out the squalor while still leaving him dignity. They come to depend upon one another, taking care each other; eventually Ptolemy makes a decision that will both shorten and enrich his life, and allow him to care for her forever.
Though I'd often heard of Mosely, of course, this is the first novel of his that I've read. It won't be the last. His characterizations are achingly real and sharp, and the pace of the story is quick, allowing us a look into a proud man's last days, a glimpse at his past, and hope for the future... all without bogging down in detail at any point. No scene seems cavalierly added; this is obviously a carefully crafted, carefully plotted book. I also admire his dialogue. Ptolemy, his young friend, Robyn, and even greedy Neicie come to life through voices that sound authentic.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' is a quick read--277 pages--but not a light read. I found myself stopping to think about many scenes, and I can see that it will definitely be a book I read again.
Ptolemy Grey is a man nearing the end of his life. His mind is a misty mixture of old stories from the past, current events from the ever-present television and radio, and a murky recognition of his surroundings. At the wake of his closest relative, he meets Robyn, a seventeen year old orphan, who sweeps into his life and cleans out the squalor while still leaving him dignity. They come to depend upon one another, taking care each other; eventually Ptolemy makes a decision that will both shorten and enrich his life, and allow him to care for her forever.
Though I'd often heard of Mosely, of course, this is the first novel of his that I've read. It won't be the last. His characterizations are achingly real and sharp, and the pace of the story is quick, allowing us a look into a proud man's last days, a glimpse at his past, and hope for the future... all without bogging down in detail at any point. No scene seems cavalierly added; this is obviously a carefully crafted, carefully plotted book. I also admire his dialogue. Ptolemy, his young friend, Robyn, and even greedy Neicie come to life through voices that sound authentic.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey' is a quick read--277 pages--but not a light read. I found myself stopping to think about many scenes, and I can see that it will definitely be a book I read again.
"Left Neglected" by Lisa Genova
I picked up 'Left Neglected' at my library on a whim, and I'm very glad that I did. This is the story of a driven, Type-A employee, wife, and mother, who is able to 'do it all', keeping multiple very expensive, very fragile balls in the air by barely breathing. An accident that injures part of her brain forces her to slow down and reevaluate what is really important to her in her life.
Sounds pretty standard, right? A few pages in, I was preparing for the eyerolling to begin, expecting another 'bad wife/mother discovers her real place is in the home' novel, and to some extent that is what lies here. The difference is that this wife/mother clearly loves her family AND clearly loves being intellectually stimulated, and finds a balance between the two; that rarely occurs in modern 'women's lit' novels. Why we continue to try to 'one way or another' ourselves is beyond me, but that's a whole other bucket of worms that I don't intend to dump out here.
The bulk of the novel concerns Sarah's journey to her 'new normal', and the steps of denial and regret and acceptance that get her there. I'd never heard of left neglect, a condition where the affected person 'forgets' there is a left side of anything, and frankly it's frightening to contemplate trying to cope with that. I really liked that she seems so 'normal'--I can't count the women I know that do the balancing act she does, every day. Unlike many other books like this, she has a strong bond with her children and with her husband, and she is making everything work when catastrophe strikes; there's no 'her life was falling apart anyway' melodrama that I associate with women's lit. The dialogue is true to life, and the characters are believable (that's big for me).
On the negative side, the end was sort of pat, and some chapters felt clipped off instead of coming to a natural end (I'm seeing more and more of that lately, and it's troubling). The subplot with her mother felt a bit unnecessary (though I really liked the mother's character).
All in all, though, Genova has written a story with more strengths than flaws. Coming from a medical background as she does, it was gratifying to find description that was just enough for me as a reader to grasp without overwhelming me with detail. The story made me laugh often, tear up a little, and read it straight through. That right there is golden. Definitely something I'd recommend.
Sounds pretty standard, right? A few pages in, I was preparing for the eyerolling to begin, expecting another 'bad wife/mother discovers her real place is in the home' novel, and to some extent that is what lies here. The difference is that this wife/mother clearly loves her family AND clearly loves being intellectually stimulated, and finds a balance between the two; that rarely occurs in modern 'women's lit' novels. Why we continue to try to 'one way or another' ourselves is beyond me, but that's a whole other bucket of worms that I don't intend to dump out here.
The bulk of the novel concerns Sarah's journey to her 'new normal', and the steps of denial and regret and acceptance that get her there. I'd never heard of left neglect, a condition where the affected person 'forgets' there is a left side of anything, and frankly it's frightening to contemplate trying to cope with that. I really liked that she seems so 'normal'--I can't count the women I know that do the balancing act she does, every day. Unlike many other books like this, she has a strong bond with her children and with her husband, and she is making everything work when catastrophe strikes; there's no 'her life was falling apart anyway' melodrama that I associate with women's lit. The dialogue is true to life, and the characters are believable (that's big for me).
On the negative side, the end was sort of pat, and some chapters felt clipped off instead of coming to a natural end (I'm seeing more and more of that lately, and it's troubling). The subplot with her mother felt a bit unnecessary (though I really liked the mother's character).
All in all, though, Genova has written a story with more strengths than flaws. Coming from a medical background as she does, it was gratifying to find description that was just enough for me as a reader to grasp without overwhelming me with detail. The story made me laugh often, tear up a little, and read it straight through. That right there is golden. Definitely something I'd recommend.
"A Fistful of Rice" by Vikram Akula
This is a tough book for me to review. My feelings are mixed.
If we're talking about writing ability and readability, "A Fistful of Rice" is a success. The chapters are clear and well-thought out, and the picture of his microloan program in India is very interesting. Akula has given a formidable amount of statistical information without overwhelming the reader, and his anecdotes about the people he helps/has helped are affecting.
What I had a very hard time stomaching is the motivation behind the book. As is evident from the first chapter, much of it is a defense of running his microloan business as a 'for profit' venture. No matter how much good his loans have done, and the success rate is high according to his estimation, the thought of making money (more than it takes to keep the operation in business) off the sweat of some of the poorest people in the world is hard for me to stomach.
As a picture of India and what can be done to help manage poverty there, "A Fistful of Rice" is a good book. My heart, though... my heart dislikes his justifications.
If we're talking about writing ability and readability, "A Fistful of Rice" is a success. The chapters are clear and well-thought out, and the picture of his microloan program in India is very interesting. Akula has given a formidable amount of statistical information without overwhelming the reader, and his anecdotes about the people he helps/has helped are affecting.
What I had a very hard time stomaching is the motivation behind the book. As is evident from the first chapter, much of it is a defense of running his microloan business as a 'for profit' venture. No matter how much good his loans have done, and the success rate is high according to his estimation, the thought of making money (more than it takes to keep the operation in business) off the sweat of some of the poorest people in the world is hard for me to stomach.
As a picture of India and what can be done to help manage poverty there, "A Fistful of Rice" is a good book. My heart, though... my heart dislikes his justifications.
"Fanfare" by Renee Ahdieh
I wanted to like this book. I really did. New authors need the boost up,and I like being able to give that. 'Fanfare' has all the makings of a passable romance novel: the feisty heroine. The handsome movie star who is fascinated with her. A colorful cast of ethnic friends. Romance heaven, right?
Ahdieh is not an untalented writer. Her prose is clear, and she has a nice, sharp-witted turn of phrase at times. I liked her female lead (Chris), on the whole, and she did a good job at making her secondary characters more than stock characters or puppets.
There is trouble in paradise, though, and it hits in the first chapter: repetitive word choice and badly thought out adverbs where a more descriptive verb would have been far better. In fact,this whole novel could have used another draft and suggestions from a tough editor. There are many passages that are very flat, giving us no more information than that Chris is fabulously lovely in all ways, often punctuated with unnecessary exclamation points and capitalized words. Far more irritating, though, were long passages in text and email speak. Yes, I know that such communication is intrinsic to every day life, but reading it in print gets annoying quickly.
As much as I liked her female characters, though, I have to take issue with the male lead. Thomas is very clearly a lightly-disguised Very Famous Celebrity (VFC), from the beanie to the hair, accent, car, name... That VFC quite memorably tagged the author of the book his first major movie was based upon as lusting after the character he portrayed, and evidence of that is clear with Ahdieh, as well. It gets almost embarrassing as Thomas fawns upon Chris, singing her praises in words and phrases that I dare say wouldn't cross the lips of any man. It goes without saying that Thomas is perfect, too. Perfect with Chris' friends, perfect with her mother, even perfectly jealous when the ubiquitous ex-boyfriend makes his short visit. Perfectly unbelievable.
I give this two stars for Ahdieh's potential. She certainly has some, as evidenced by the times her snark made me laugh. 'Fanfare' could have some appeal to those in love with fan fiction (even of the recycled variety) and its almost inevitable lack of character and plot development. It's not overly sexual, though the hint is there; in fact, if not for the liberal use of the f-bomb, this could be YA (This is not intended as a criticism--badly written sex is far worse than none at all).
'Fanfare' didn't do it for me, but I'd be interested in what Ahdieh does next.
Ahdieh is not an untalented writer. Her prose is clear, and she has a nice, sharp-witted turn of phrase at times. I liked her female lead (Chris), on the whole, and she did a good job at making her secondary characters more than stock characters or puppets.
There is trouble in paradise, though, and it hits in the first chapter: repetitive word choice and badly thought out adverbs where a more descriptive verb would have been far better. In fact,this whole novel could have used another draft and suggestions from a tough editor. There are many passages that are very flat, giving us no more information than that Chris is fabulously lovely in all ways, often punctuated with unnecessary exclamation points and capitalized words. Far more irritating, though, were long passages in text and email speak. Yes, I know that such communication is intrinsic to every day life, but reading it in print gets annoying quickly.
As much as I liked her female characters, though, I have to take issue with the male lead. Thomas is very clearly a lightly-disguised Very Famous Celebrity (VFC), from the beanie to the hair, accent, car, name... That VFC quite memorably tagged the author of the book his first major movie was based upon as lusting after the character he portrayed, and evidence of that is clear with Ahdieh, as well. It gets almost embarrassing as Thomas fawns upon Chris, singing her praises in words and phrases that I dare say wouldn't cross the lips of any man. It goes without saying that Thomas is perfect, too. Perfect with Chris' friends, perfect with her mother, even perfectly jealous when the ubiquitous ex-boyfriend makes his short visit. Perfectly unbelievable.
I give this two stars for Ahdieh's potential. She certainly has some, as evidenced by the times her snark made me laugh. 'Fanfare' could have some appeal to those in love with fan fiction (even of the recycled variety) and its almost inevitable lack of character and plot development. It's not overly sexual, though the hint is there; in fact, if not for the liberal use of the f-bomb, this could be YA (This is not intended as a criticism--badly written sex is far worse than none at all).
'Fanfare' didn't do it for me, but I'd be interested in what Ahdieh does next.
"Starter For 10" byt David Nicholls
In 'Starter for 10', David Nicholls takes a risk that not many writers of popular fiction care to take: he creates in his lead character a young man that is not always admirable. Brian is not terribly attractive, he's moody, he often has a terribly timed sense of off the wall humor, and he's overly concerned with 'what people think'. Even Nick Hornby (to whose books this story is often compared) doesn't risk creating a lead that the reader doesn't always like.
That, however, is the genius of 'Starter for 10'. Brian is us (or at least the way many of us perceived ourselves when nineteen and spotty). He says stupid things, he does stupid things... even at the end of the story, when we should comfortably be able to like him, he's in the midst of lying to a character to whom he should be grateful. And we like him anyway.
Brian is in his first year at University. It's 1985. His dream is to compete on the televised 'University Challenge', as a sort of connection to his deceased father who followed that show closely. From first page to last, Brian is a social climber, determined to 'be somebody' at uni; more particularly, he wants to be more than the lower middle class kid from Surrey. He takes social risks that had me cringing even as I laughed... and I laughed a LOT while reading this book. Nicholls' dry, droll sense of humor is punctuated with broad gags and crude snickers, making Brian a believable manchild in a world that is difficult for him to navigate.
Vulnerability is also contained within. Brain's flashbacks to life with and immediately after his father's death, events that absolutely shaped who he is in the literary present, are touching, as is his terrible love/pity relationship with the friends he leaves behind (and indeed with his mother). One of the painfully funny clips comes as Brian returns to uni after Christmas break and faces loneliness. When he begins to suspect that HE is one of 'those people', the ones that are avoided once first term friendships are formed, I had a heart pang for him even as I smiled.
I came to this book after seeing and thoroughly enjoying the film of the same name, but (no surprise) this book is better than the film. The Brian of the film is still the same lovable loser, but the screenwriter chose to dump many of his darker, more unlovely traits in favor of making a good vehicle for likable actor, James McAvoy. In that, the writer succeeded, but at the price of oversimplifying a complex (and ultimately more satisfying) character.
Read 'Starter for 10'. It's lovely.
That, however, is the genius of 'Starter for 10'. Brian is us (or at least the way many of us perceived ourselves when nineteen and spotty). He says stupid things, he does stupid things... even at the end of the story, when we should comfortably be able to like him, he's in the midst of lying to a character to whom he should be grateful. And we like him anyway.
Brian is in his first year at University. It's 1985. His dream is to compete on the televised 'University Challenge', as a sort of connection to his deceased father who followed that show closely. From first page to last, Brian is a social climber, determined to 'be somebody' at uni; more particularly, he wants to be more than the lower middle class kid from Surrey. He takes social risks that had me cringing even as I laughed... and I laughed a LOT while reading this book. Nicholls' dry, droll sense of humor is punctuated with broad gags and crude snickers, making Brian a believable manchild in a world that is difficult for him to navigate.
Vulnerability is also contained within. Brain's flashbacks to life with and immediately after his father's death, events that absolutely shaped who he is in the literary present, are touching, as is his terrible love/pity relationship with the friends he leaves behind (and indeed with his mother). One of the painfully funny clips comes as Brian returns to uni after Christmas break and faces loneliness. When he begins to suspect that HE is one of 'those people', the ones that are avoided once first term friendships are formed, I had a heart pang for him even as I smiled.
I came to this book after seeing and thoroughly enjoying the film of the same name, but (no surprise) this book is better than the film. The Brian of the film is still the same lovable loser, but the screenwriter chose to dump many of his darker, more unlovely traits in favor of making a good vehicle for likable actor, James McAvoy. In that, the writer succeeded, but at the price of oversimplifying a complex (and ultimately more satisfying) character.
Read 'Starter for 10'. It's lovely.
"The Help" by Katherine Stockett
Set in Mississippi in 1962, "The Help" is the story of three women and their fight to have a voice in their society. First is Aibileen, an older black woman who is facing a life crisis when she begins to resent the way she is treated in her world. Next, we have Minny. Possessed of the best cooking skills and the sassiest mouth is Jackson, Minny is at a point where she is almost unemployable. She fights both her employer, her husband, and her society for the right to speak her mind. Finally we have Skeeter, a twenty-three year old debutante who is feeling the pressure to marry and 'settle' when she'd rather write. The three come together largely in reaction to the mounting sense of injustice they both feel within themselves and see in their society, and end up changing both their own lives and the lives of others.
I had to give this a couple of days to settle before I was ready to review. First, let me say that I was up quite literally all night reading this book. I shut the back cover at 4am. I found the story interesting and enjoyable, and was quite captivated by the author's use of language--she's very good at choosing the best verb/descriptive word, without resorting to a lot of messy adverbs. I found the intertwining of the three stories believable and compelling.
The thing is, I felt a real uneasiness from the beginning, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost had to be the author choosing to write in patois when writing as Aibileen or Minny. White authors doing this always strikes me as vaguely... condescending is the best word that I can come up with. It always smacks of Butterfly McQueen and her "I dwan know nuthin''bout birfin baybees" (Gone With The Wind). I was disappointed by 'stock' scenes: Aibileen rescuing the toddler from her evil society mother; Minny getting the declaration from her employers that she has a job forever (as they all sob in the kitchen, no less); Skeeter getting her dream break... they all seemed very Hollywood. In fact, this book, with its highly charged emotional moments and theme is a Hollywood dream. The fact that the only black male character is an abuser didn't go over well either. The use of non-date appropriate songs and details bothered me; I think that those should have been dinged by an editor
I kept coming back to "The Color Purple", in fact. Minny seemed to be drawn directly from that book (I could clearly see Oprah, in her role as Sofia), but with fewer shades of gray. As an examination of black Southern life, I found Walker's narrative far more compelling (and far better than Spielberg's movie). Just as many high points and low points as "The Help", but more believable-they ring true where Stockett's book verges on emotionally manipulative.
Still. I did stay up all night, so the good things were enough to keep me reading. I just don't see myself reading it again.
I had to give this a couple of days to settle before I was ready to review. First, let me say that I was up quite literally all night reading this book. I shut the back cover at 4am. I found the story interesting and enjoyable, and was quite captivated by the author's use of language--she's very good at choosing the best verb/descriptive word, without resorting to a lot of messy adverbs. I found the intertwining of the three stories believable and compelling.
The thing is, I felt a real uneasiness from the beginning, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost had to be the author choosing to write in patois when writing as Aibileen or Minny. White authors doing this always strikes me as vaguely... condescending is the best word that I can come up with. It always smacks of Butterfly McQueen and her "I dwan know nuthin''bout birfin baybees" (Gone With The Wind). I was disappointed by 'stock' scenes: Aibileen rescuing the toddler from her evil society mother; Minny getting the declaration from her employers that she has a job forever (as they all sob in the kitchen, no less); Skeeter getting her dream break... they all seemed very Hollywood. In fact, this book, with its highly charged emotional moments and theme is a Hollywood dream. The fact that the only black male character is an abuser didn't go over well either. The use of non-date appropriate songs and details bothered me; I think that those should have been dinged by an editor
I kept coming back to "The Color Purple", in fact. Minny seemed to be drawn directly from that book (I could clearly see Oprah, in her role as Sofia), but with fewer shades of gray. As an examination of black Southern life, I found Walker's narrative far more compelling (and far better than Spielberg's movie). Just as many high points and low points as "The Help", but more believable-they ring true where Stockett's book verges on emotionally manipulative.
Still. I did stay up all night, so the good things were enough to keep me reading. I just don't see myself reading it again.
So here we go...
Yeah, I know there are a hundred book blogs. Most are genre specific.
This is not one of those blogs.
I started reading at about two years old, so at forty-four... that's a lot of books. I read widely, and I'm not intimidated by any genre. I just like to read!
Some might know me from my work at Fictionista Workshop, where I am in charge of the "Courting The Classics" program. In that milieu, I encourage writers to also be readers; to take the best of what's out there and make it part of themselves. I truly believe that literacy is the mark of a society in growth, and the stories that make up our cultural underpinning are massively important to read and understand.
However, I read more than classics, and have been feeling the urge to share my thoughts on the things I read, see, and listen to with a larger group. So here I am!
Feel free to take what you will from these reviews. I love to debate books, and I don't care if we're in agreement or not. The important thing is to read.
-Classicista
This is not one of those blogs.
I started reading at about two years old, so at forty-four... that's a lot of books. I read widely, and I'm not intimidated by any genre. I just like to read!
Some might know me from my work at Fictionista Workshop, where I am in charge of the "Courting The Classics" program. In that milieu, I encourage writers to also be readers; to take the best of what's out there and make it part of themselves. I truly believe that literacy is the mark of a society in growth, and the stories that make up our cultural underpinning are massively important to read and understand.
However, I read more than classics, and have been feeling the urge to share my thoughts on the things I read, see, and listen to with a larger group. So here I am!
Feel free to take what you will from these reviews. I love to debate books, and I don't care if we're in agreement or not. The important thing is to read.
-Classicista
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)