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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Classism
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not the biggest fan of Ayn Rand's philosophies but this has to be one of my favorite books of all time. Haven't read it in several years but will edit this review when I get a chance to dust off my copy soon.
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love Kira, first thing. I saw myself in her. The joy of being alone.
The first thing that Kira learned about life and the first thing that her elders learned, dismayed, about Kira, was the joy of being alone.
Individualistic too.
Don’t you know that we live only for ourselves, the best of us do, those who are worthy of it?
I don’t want to fight for the people, I don’t want to fight against the people, I don’t want to hear of the people. I want to be left alone—to live.”
And then there's Andrei Taganov. That red sweetheart. I myself was falling for him right off. An idealistic communist and a real gentleman thats true to his duty and word. But i knew he was gonna be the second man.
He’s the kind of saint that sleeps with red flags
“Well, I always know what I want. And when you know what you want—you go toward it. Sometimes you go very fast, and sometimes only an inch a year. Perhaps you feel happier when you go fast. I don’t know. I’ve forgotten the difference long ago, because it really doesn’t matter, so long as you move.”
Of course, there's a live triangle going on. But it's funny because there's no I in this state, but only "we".
“Is Kira nationalized state property, too?”
Poor Kira. My heart was wrenching for her all throughout the book with her struggle. With her bourgeois background and the discrimination that she faces along with it. But, really, these were hard times for most.
she asked herself helplessly, desperately: “Am I still different? Am I different from them? How do they know I’m different? What have I done? What is it I haven’t done?”
It's heartbreaking to learn that with the rigor of their every day, it's self-preservation to stop yourself from thinking and to just go with the laborious cycle. Thinking after all is very powerful...in a reality that places us very powerless.
she could think now, but after so many hours of such a tremendous effort not to think, not to think, to remember only not to think
It was spring again, and melting snow drilled the sidewalks, and blue hyacinths were sold on street corners. But those who were young had no thought left for spring and those who still thought were not young any longer.
It's never black and white. From this book I also learned that sometimes circumstances call for certain actions. Sometimes these actions violate our moral code of conduct.
She wondered dimly how simple and easy it was to lie.
How I love Lydia as well. For Lydia..well, she was just a girl that was hoping for love.
“Love,” said Lydia. “Romance. That’s it: romance. . . . Ah, love is rare in this world. They are few, the chosen few. . . . We wander through a barren existence without romance. There are no beautiful feelings left in the world. Has it ever occurred to you that there are no beautiful feelings left in the world?”
Sigh. Whatever happened to Leo, really. That descent of his..it's tragic how one can change in the process, when you two promised each other for something greater... People..just disappoint.
“Hide it from me. . . . For the escape. For Europe. . . . We’ll do it . . . some day . . . if you can keep me from thinking . . . until then. . . . If we can only keep from thinking. . . .”
Not Andrei though. Sigh. What a shame.
“Kira, the highest thing in a man is not his god. It’s that in him which knows the reverence due a god. And you, Kira, are my highest reverence. . . .”
Irina and her revolutionary lover was also a shame. Truly, that event also cooked up a storm and had everyone acting up, it was also fun.
“Why do they talk of honor, and ideals, and duty to one’s country? Why do they teach us . . .”
“Darling, not so loud! Don’t think useless thoughts. There are so many useless thoughts in the world!”
Iliked this quote most of all. Live for yourself.
Look into yourself, honestly and fearlessly. Look and don’t tell me, don’t tell any one, just tell yourself: what are you living for? Aren’t you living for yourself and only for yourself? Call it your aim, your love, your cause—isn’t it still your cause? Give your life, die for your ideal—isn’t it still your ideal? Every honest man lives for himself. Every man worth calling a man lives for himself. The one who doesn’t—doesn’t live at all. You cannot change it. You cannot change it because that’s the way man is born, alone, complete, an end in himself.
The first thing that Kira learned about life and the first thing that her elders learned, dismayed, about Kira, was the joy of being alone.
Individualistic too.
Don’t you know that we live only for ourselves, the best of us do, those who are worthy of it?
I don’t want to fight for the people, I don’t want to fight against the people, I don’t want to hear of the people. I want to be left alone—to live.”
And then there's Andrei Taganov. That red sweetheart. I myself was falling for him right off. An idealistic communist and a real gentleman thats true to his duty and word. But i knew he was gonna be the second man.
He’s the kind of saint that sleeps with red flags
“Well, I always know what I want. And when you know what you want—you go toward it. Sometimes you go very fast, and sometimes only an inch a year. Perhaps you feel happier when you go fast. I don’t know. I’ve forgotten the difference long ago, because it really doesn’t matter, so long as you move.”
Of course, there's a live triangle going on. But it's funny because there's no I in this state, but only "we".
“Is Kira nationalized state property, too?”
Poor Kira. My heart was wrenching for her all throughout the book with her struggle. With her bourgeois background and the discrimination that she faces along with it. But, really, these were hard times for most.
she asked herself helplessly, desperately: “Am I still different? Am I different from them? How do they know I’m different? What have I done? What is it I haven’t done?”
It's heartbreaking to learn that with the rigor of their every day, it's self-preservation to stop yourself from thinking and to just go with the laborious cycle. Thinking after all is very powerful...in a reality that places us very powerless.
she could think now, but after so many hours of such a tremendous effort not to think, not to think, to remember only not to think
It was spring again, and melting snow drilled the sidewalks, and blue hyacinths were sold on street corners. But those who were young had no thought left for spring and those who still thought were not young any longer.
It's never black and white. From this book I also learned that sometimes circumstances call for certain actions. Sometimes these actions violate our moral code of conduct.
She wondered dimly how simple and easy it was to lie.
How I love Lydia as well. For Lydia..well, she was just a girl that was hoping for love.
“Love,” said Lydia. “Romance. That’s it: romance. . . . Ah, love is rare in this world. They are few, the chosen few. . . . We wander through a barren existence without romance. There are no beautiful feelings left in the world. Has it ever occurred to you that there are no beautiful feelings left in the world?”
Sigh. Whatever happened to Leo, really. That descent of his..it's tragic how one can change in the process, when you two promised each other for something greater... People..just disappoint.
“Hide it from me. . . . For the escape. For Europe. . . . We’ll do it . . . some day . . . if you can keep me from thinking . . . until then. . . . If we can only keep from thinking. . . .”
Not Andrei though. Sigh. What a shame.
“Kira, the highest thing in a man is not his god. It’s that in him which knows the reverence due a god. And you, Kira, are my highest reverence. . . .”
Irina and her revolutionary lover was also a shame. Truly, that event also cooked up a storm and had everyone acting up, it was also fun.
“Why do they talk of honor, and ideals, and duty to one’s country? Why do they teach us . . .”
“Darling, not so loud! Don’t think useless thoughts. There are so many useless thoughts in the world!”
Iliked this quote most of all. Live for yourself.
Look into yourself, honestly and fearlessly. Look and don’t tell me, don’t tell any one, just tell yourself: what are you living for? Aren’t you living for yourself and only for yourself? Call it your aim, your love, your cause—isn’t it still your cause? Give your life, die for your ideal—isn’t it still your ideal? Every honest man lives for himself. Every man worth calling a man lives for himself. The one who doesn’t—doesn’t live at all. You cannot change it. You cannot change it because that’s the way man is born, alone, complete, an end in himself.
Soap opera of a book. A discussion between capitalism and communism set as a love triangle. Lots of twists and turns.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes