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carlacbarroso's reviews
752 reviews
Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
A Bruxa de Oz by Gregory Maguire
2.0
I had great expectations towards this book. I can't say I'm a big fan, but I love to watch The Wizard of Oz every time it's on tv, and I heard great things about the musical. About the book, I've also read good reviews and was curious to know about the 'true nature of evil' and why does the villain chooses to be... well, the villain. It was a good idea, but it seems badly done in this book. Everything seems just a bunch of tantrums. Even Elphaba, the protagonist and, maybe because of that, the most successful character in the book, as she has a brain and uses it, gives everything away when she throws a tantrum because of a pair of shoes.
The story is a bit confusing, with no reason, since it doesn't have so many characters and situations although the book is pretty heavy. There's a lot of stuff that could be better developed, but it seems that the author was feeling lazy or more interested thinking about other stuff that had no relevance, except maybe shocking the reader (which he couldn't also do), like a bestiality scene in which has contributed with little or nothing to the rest of the story.
I'm not saying the books isn't interesting, but its potential seems badly exploited and the fact that there's a continuation doesn't justifies so many untied strings.
The story is a bit confusing, with no reason, since it doesn't have so many characters and situations although the book is pretty heavy. There's a lot of stuff that could be better developed, but it seems that the author was feeling lazy or more interested thinking about other stuff that had no relevance, except maybe shocking the reader (which he couldn't also do), like a bestiality scene in which has contributed with little or nothing to the rest of the story.
I'm not saying the books isn't interesting, but its potential seems badly exploited and the fact that there's a continuation doesn't justifies so many untied strings.
Os Europeus by Henry James, Isabel Veríssimo
2.0
I picked up this book a bit by chance, encouraged by reviews that compared this to Jane Austen's works. However, it doesn't seem that similar to me, aside the romantic misunderstandings. As much as I do like a bit of romance, after all I'm a girl, like so many others, who longs to find her own Mr Darcy (actually, I long for a Capt. Wentworth), what I like most in Austen's books is her critic to society, which is practically nonexistent in this book.
This is the story of a brother and sister, who go to America in search of their cousins but also with the secret desire by Eugenia, a intelligent woman married to a German prince who wishes to get rid of her, to find a wealthy man and that way fulfil the separation with the German prince, while still living up to what she was used to in Europe. When they arrived, in Boston, they're received by their cousins, the Wentworths (no relation to Jane Austen's Captain, sadly), a puritan family.
Things presented this way, the story offered a great opportunity to criticize, and compare, both the American society and the European one, which, sadly, barely happens or, when it does, is very superficial. The critic seems to stick itself to 'puritan family vs. liberal foreigners' and even that isn't explored the best way. The characters also didn't appeal that much to me, me being hardly interested in their fates.
This is the story of a brother and sister, who go to America in search of their cousins but also with the secret desire by Eugenia, a intelligent woman married to a German prince who wishes to get rid of her, to find a wealthy man and that way fulfil the separation with the German prince, while still living up to what she was used to in Europe. When they arrived, in Boston, they're received by their cousins, the Wentworths (no relation to Jane Austen's Captain, sadly), a puritan family.
Things presented this way, the story offered a great opportunity to criticize, and compare, both the American society and the European one, which, sadly, barely happens or, when it does, is very superficial. The critic seems to stick itself to 'puritan family vs. liberal foreigners' and even that isn't explored the best way. The characters also didn't appeal that much to me, me being hardly interested in their fates.
Os Reinos do Norte by Maria do Rosário Monteiro, Philip Pullman
3.0
One of the critics I've heard, from someone which opinions I usually take, was that this book was very childish. I guess that happens when the main character is a young girl with only 11 years old, but is not so childish as that person seemed to say. And it isn't so phenomenal as other critics. But yes, is interesting.
I wouldn't compare, only having read this book, Philip Pullman to Tolkien. Both created new worlds, but Tolkien as also created a all new mythology, a all new world, new languages, new beings. Pullman seems to take on 19th century England, adds archaic words, so to speak, and creates 'daemons', a genius like being which is the physical manifestation of the human soul. I'm not taking away his credit. The world he created is still very interesting, such as the story.
The book follows Lyra Belacqua, an 11 years old girl, living in Oxford with Scholars, which practice something like experimental theology. You can see where the story is going to... New particles, or Dust, are discovered, which can put in doubt some dogmas of the religion set on Lyra's world, where the Church (supposedly the Protestant Church) holds a great influence. The story follows with a very nice pace, holding us to the book and not losing itself over complicated explanations of physics and theology. In fact, those who don't understand those matters still can understand what is being said (!). There's also very interesting characters.
The worst is really at the end. The last chapters seem somehow precipitate, with characters falling from the sky (almost literally) and some confusion in terms of description, but it leaves some interesting questions to be answered in the second volume.
I wouldn't compare, only having read this book, Philip Pullman to Tolkien. Both created new worlds, but Tolkien as also created a all new mythology, a all new world, new languages, new beings. Pullman seems to take on 19th century England, adds archaic words, so to speak, and creates 'daemons', a genius like being which is the physical manifestation of the human soul. I'm not taking away his credit. The world he created is still very interesting, such as the story.
The book follows Lyra Belacqua, an 11 years old girl, living in Oxford with Scholars, which practice something like experimental theology. You can see where the story is going to... New particles, or Dust, are discovered, which can put in doubt some dogmas of the religion set on Lyra's world, where the Church (supposedly the Protestant Church) holds a great influence. The story follows with a very nice pace, holding us to the book and not losing itself over complicated explanations of physics and theology. In fact, those who don't understand those matters still can understand what is being said (!). There's also very interesting characters.
The worst is really at the end. The last chapters seem somehow precipitate, with characters falling from the sky (almost literally) and some confusion in terms of description, but it leaves some interesting questions to be answered in the second volume.
Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
4.0
Nice good hearing. William Gaminara does a wonderful job. The story is also appealing and the description of the battles is amazing. Bernard Cornwell seems to have a way describing those.