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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Certainly the best war book that is not about war at all.
I read the Dual Language book in German and English; very useful in that format. Generally a very interesting story, although the ending was peculiar, and I found myself contradicting some of the things Sinclair and other characters stated as fact, naturally.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't understand this book perfectly. There are sentences that I would read multiple times and still not quite understand what it was on about. But yet, that's part of the magic of this book. It's deeply resounding and impactful.
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Can I be a "stan" after reading only one book by an author? This was like honey on my tongue.
“I have no right to call myself one who knows. I was one who seeks, and I still am, but I no longer seek in the stars or in books; I'm beginning to hear the teachings of my blood pulsing within me. My story isn't pleasant, it's not sweet and harmonious like the invented stories; it tastes of folly and bewilderment, of madness and dream, like the life of all people who no longer want to lie to themselves.”
― Hermann Hesse,
“I have no right to call myself one who knows. I was one who seeks, and I still am, but I no longer seek in the stars or in books; I'm beginning to hear the teachings of my blood pulsing within me. My story isn't pleasant, it's not sweet and harmonious like the invented stories; it tastes of folly and bewilderment, of madness and dream, like the life of all people who no longer want to lie to themselves.”
― Hermann Hesse,
I'm sorry, Bangtan. But I'm pretty sure it's one of those "It's not the book, it's me" cases.
Maybe if I had read this a few years earlier, maybe I could have properly enjoyed it. Maybe I could have related to Sinclair, his feelings of loss and terror at the start of the adulthood.
As it is, I found it painfully hard to read. I couldn't stay focused on more than a few sentences at times, the book lost me quite a few time as well. I just wasn't in the right mindset. Finishing felt more like a chore than anything else (once again, read it because/thanks to you, Bangtan !).
A good chunk of it relies on mystical language, reinterpretations of passages of the Bible, like a huge metaphor for something I finally couldn't quite grasp.
The funny thing is I love some quotes from this book ! I found them interesting and thought-provoking ! So why couldn't I enjoy it more ? Perhaps Demian felt more like a succession of great quotes than a fleshed-out story.
Maybe if I had read this a few years earlier, maybe I could have properly enjoyed it. Maybe I could have related to Sinclair, his feelings of loss and terror at the start of the adulthood.
As it is, I found it painfully hard to read. I couldn't stay focused on more than a few sentences at times, the book lost me quite a few time as well. I just wasn't in the right mindset. Finishing felt more like a chore than anything else (once again, read it because/thanks to you, Bangtan !).
A good chunk of it relies on mystical language, reinterpretations of passages of the Bible, like a huge metaphor for something I finally couldn't quite grasp.
The funny thing is I love some quotes from this book ! I found them interesting and thought-provoking ! So why couldn't I enjoy it more ? Perhaps Demian felt more like a succession of great quotes than a fleshed-out story.