dilfpercyshelley's reviews
74 reviews

Dracula by Bram Stoker

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

what a read!!! i will not lie, this book took me many months to finish. partly because i read it through the medium of Daily Dracula and partly because i’m a busy little guy. either way, even with such gaps, i enjoyed the story thoroughly. the characters felt rather numerous at times, yet the main band of monster hunters were fleshed out enough for me to feel for them. 

 the writing style was truly enthralling. i felt their torment! i felt their pain! those worried diary entries, scribbled in spare moments, do wonders for the tension and authenticity of a tale. thanks bram!

The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

what a wonderful story!

i am genuinely confused as to why everyone i have spoken to about this novel despises it. are you all taking this read at face value? even then it is an entertaining fantasy tale. are the long sentences off putting? after a stretch of reading any complex or different reading style the brain adapts to ease access. even then,  the long sentences add to the fantastical ramblings of this beautiful piece of escapist fantasy. 

naturally, with any good piece of literature, there are multiple interpretations. one may consider this a piece of pro-colonial fiction, yet i am confused as to this interpretation. is there not a lack of any racial hierarchies in this utopia? is it not explicitly stated that one race should not try to overthrow another in this peaceful world? naturally, the segregated idea of utopia is one to be criticised in modern interpretations, however, i would argue that this piece is not referencing colonialism at all (although if it was, it would most certainly be anti-colonial) and instead is simply a genius work of escapism from a woman shunned by her own society for her mental illness. nobody will read this, i am sure, but i would like to say fuck you guys in particular who do not take this piece seriously because of Cavendish's mental illnesses. This is a wonderful work from a woman trapped in stigmas of her own society, who yearns for a new lease at life in a world without judgement. 

The Widow Ranter: or, The History of Bacon in Virginia by Aphra Behn

challenging medium-paced

2.0

i did not enjoy this at all. in fact, the only reason it is rated higher than 1 star is for the titular character herself, whom i think has some wonderful characterisation. The rest of the play, however, is lacking entirely. There are too many characters and they are all two dimensional. The plot is disjointed, and one can just about make out Behn's criticisms through the pointless and confusing filler dialogue; not to mention the horrible mockery made of colonial violence. this bored me to death!

Food Isn't Medicine: Challenge Nutrib*llocks & Escape the Diet Trap by Joshua Wolrich

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

my first nonfiction of the year! what a crime! 

i loved this book - it was informative yet equally segmented into bitesize (excuse the pun) chunks, often interwoven with basic biological information that most people are able to use as a stable grounding to build on their information. it was both wonderfully encouraging and incredible inclusive and gentle with the sensitive topics broached. what a genuinely interesting and enjoyable read! 

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

a very conflicting read. i constantly flitted between enjoying the poetical nature of the piece and cringing at some of the dialogue choices. it was as if 60% of the word choices hit home poetically, and the other 40% bordered on pretentiousness. i feel as if the second person perspective amplified this. 

the characters, whilst having a detailed and interesting relationship, were overwhelmingly two dimensional with no real depth. i did consider that i feel this way about the characters because i have no relation to their experiences, however, i have read other books where this has also been true and felt incredibly close to the cast of personalities (e.g Adichie’s Anericanah.)

 all in all a read felt most beautifully in the descriptions, rather than the characters. 

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

me when i am too transgender to leave my room.

The Trojan Women by Euripides, Gilbert Murray

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

that was so sad. what the fuck.

it’s so sad to read such ancient texts and see, reflected back at me, struggles that still remain today. beautiful stuff, and certainly revolutionary writing.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Unknown

mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

SO FUN! SO CAMP! 
i loved every second of this. it sure would be a sin not to kiss that man you just met.

Electra by Euripides

adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

i enjoyed this! it felt like an insight into an ancient greek reality tv show. a very helpful insight into inter-family relations, women’s position in society, and just revenge. enjoyable, definitely best read out loud, but not the the extent that i would like to reread.

Prologue to Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

lighthearted fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

i had to read only the general prologue for class and, to my surprise, i enjoyed it rather a lot. i think the rhyming nature of this verse really adds a layer of jovial enjoyment and, despite the seemly mundane contents of the text, the character descriptions were very enthralling and easy to analyse.