Scan barcode
73mona's reviews
28 reviews
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed reading a book so purely character driven. No plot, just vibes. What did bother me is how it introduced a lot of characters but never really develops (most) of them and their relashionships to Lydia. I also didn't like how the author didn't flesh out the inherent conflict between the protagonists and her overbearing mother. I would have liked to see her mother talk a bit more about herself and maybe why is the way she is.
The Meek One by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
First book of 2024 and also my first Dostojewski. What a way to start the year.
A short, around 50 pages, story inspired by a news article Fyodor read in the newspaper. An unequal marriage between a pawnshop-owner and a 16 year old orphan, twisted by pride and lack of communication. The young girl is driven to suicide by the unhappy union and her husbands gradual change from being cold and unnerving to an obsessive man, willing to die at her hands.
The narrator is as unlikable as it gets. With no consideration for her well-being and feelings, he forces his own ideas of marriage onto her, ignoring her needs in the process. Throughout the text, we rarely find the main characters actually contemplating how his young wife might be feeling and why. This clearly shows us that this love, he claims to feel for her oh so deeply, is very superficial and server only his self-interests.
I did like the writing style and will definitely have my go on a longer, more acclaimed Dostojewski work.
A short, around 50 pages, story inspired by a news article Fyodor read in the newspaper. An unequal marriage between a pawnshop-owner and a 16 year old orphan, twisted by pride and lack of communication. The young girl is driven to suicide by the unhappy union and her husbands gradual change from being cold and unnerving to an obsessive man, willing to die at her hands.
The narrator is as unlikable as it gets. With no consideration for her well-being and feelings, he forces his own ideas of marriage onto her, ignoring her needs in the process. Throughout the text, we rarely find the main characters actually contemplating how his young wife might be feeling and why. This clearly shows us that this love, he claims to feel for her oh so deeply, is very superficial and server only his self-interests.
I did like the writing style and will definitely have my go on a longer, more acclaimed Dostojewski work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
mysterious
sad
4.0
Normally I don't really like fantasy books, but this was just amazing!
First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5
I've previously read an earlier collection of Marukamis short stories, called 'Passion'. I enjoyed it very much, but this book was quite a mix of enticing stories and straight up boring ramble. I'm very disappointed and hope his other collections and novels are more my taste.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Very silly, I love it.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0