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alisbalik's reviews
61 reviews
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
4.75
I was swallowing the past pages with waiting pauses when going home. I stood looking in, not being able to unsee a crying boy in snow being blindly and silently beaten by an older woman. How I stood in shock and then went on frozen inside. As I was waiting, my entire body yearned to run and hide that boy in me, not letting anything hurt him. At least at that moment. I could have helped him at least then.
So many things get in the way of us acting on that cry from inside. Yet what happens if we do?
So many things get in the way of us acting on that cry from inside. Yet what happens if we do?
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
slow-paced
4.0
„I would hope that readers approach the book, read it, and not necessarily take anything away, but perhaps just more of themselves. If they could see more of themselves in the book and they can carry that and participate in more part of their lives than before”
The book was so intricately crafted that the words turned into memories. It’s even more striking considering the concept of the storytelling: that we are reading a letter to a mother who can’t read. The possibilities that come with a language to make the distance so short that letters merge with meanings. The first time I picked this book up Ocean’s English was too challenging for me, almost incomprehensible. I gave it time and my vocabulary grew. I was reminded how grateful I am to have been able to access all the books I’ve finished since then, in languages that slowly took over my dreams and thoughts and reality.
Ocean’s language is beautiful, drowning in metaphors and comparisons. What was new to me is how he made them accessible to anyone who’s willing to read carefully. I’m very fond of lyrical prose, this one however hit home a bit too close. The close dissection of Little dog’s existence was very similar to how my autistic brain fails to filter everything that’s perceived. Some places reminded me too much of how inside of my head sounded like which added an interesting level of bitterness that I have yet to reflect on, almost as though I was uncomfortably exposed.
I suppose exposure and vulnerability are the key words to describe what “On Earth We’re Briefly gorgeous” is. The reader is constantly exposed with Ocean’s sentences. I felt stripped from my dignity a lot while reading it. That’s what makes the book’s messages so powerful: how both uncomfortable and beautiful honesty can get.
At last, I strongly believe that the themes that were explored are important and the book wasn’t written for a sole purpose of the uncomfortable honesty. As Ocean said in his interview, all people’s bodies are worthy of literature with a capital L.
The book was so intricately crafted that the words turned into memories. It’s even more striking considering the concept of the storytelling: that we are reading a letter to a mother who can’t read. The possibilities that come with a language to make the distance so short that letters merge with meanings. The first time I picked this book up Ocean’s English was too challenging for me, almost incomprehensible. I gave it time and my vocabulary grew. I was reminded how grateful I am to have been able to access all the books I’ve finished since then, in languages that slowly took over my dreams and thoughts and reality.
Ocean’s language is beautiful, drowning in metaphors and comparisons. What was new to me is how he made them accessible to anyone who’s willing to read carefully. I’m very fond of lyrical prose, this one however hit home a bit too close. The close dissection of Little dog’s existence was very similar to how my autistic brain fails to filter everything that’s perceived. Some places reminded me too much of how inside of my head sounded like which added an interesting level of bitterness that I have yet to reflect on, almost as though I was uncomfortably exposed.
I suppose exposure and vulnerability are the key words to describe what “On Earth We’re Briefly gorgeous” is. The reader is constantly exposed with Ocean’s sentences. I felt stripped from my dignity a lot while reading it. That’s what makes the book’s messages so powerful: how both uncomfortable and beautiful honesty can get.
At last, I strongly believe that the themes that were explored are important and the book wasn’t written for a sole purpose of the uncomfortable honesty. As Ocean said in his interview, all people’s bodies are worthy of literature with a capital L.
Die Mumins. Sturm im Mumintal by Tove Jansson
4.0
pure joy to read, felt like coming back home!
quirky soft worldbuilding completely won me over
quirky soft worldbuilding completely won me over