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emmaisnotavampire's reviews
136 reviews
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Have you ever looked at someone and wondered, what is going on inside their head? Well, it seems like Virginia Woolf tries to answer that very same question with this book.
Being the Pirandello nerd that I am, this felt like Woolf’s version of Sei Personaggi in Cerca di Autore, but if Pirandello’s characters look for someone to tell their story so that they can live, these live without the need for a story, telling themselves only through their thoughts. From innocence and infancy to old age and death, a bildungsroman of the brain.
The book is a beautiful exploration of the mechanisms of the mind, split into different sensibilities and mindsets with one thing in common: dissatisfaction. Bernard looks for sense, Neville for beauty, Louis for perfection, Susan for peace, Jinny for fun, Rhoda for self. They are all after a goal, a purpose, happiness and contempt, but they fail: what Woolf seems to say is that ultimately we are all doomed to succumb to the innate melancholy of the human conscience, whatever we do to try and escape it.
As always, the author’s prose is mesmerisingly poetic, and I especially appreciated the parallels she built between the characters’ inner worlds and the outside one, through highly metaphorical natural descriptions. However, it is precisely the lyrical quality of the soliloquies which makes it difficult to follow the narrative, and though it surely fascinates the reader its abstract elements also leave them lost.
I love Virginia Woolf, but I will never cease to believe it takes a lot of brains to fully understand her work.
Being the Pirandello nerd that I am, this felt like Woolf’s version of Sei Personaggi in Cerca di Autore, but if Pirandello’s characters look for someone to tell their story so that they can live, these live without the need for a story, telling themselves only through their thoughts. From innocence and infancy to old age and death, a bildungsroman of the brain.
The book is a beautiful exploration of the mechanisms of the mind, split into different sensibilities and mindsets with one thing in common: dissatisfaction. Bernard looks for sense, Neville for beauty, Louis for perfection, Susan for peace, Jinny for fun, Rhoda for self. They are all after a goal, a purpose, happiness and contempt, but they fail: what Woolf seems to say is that ultimately we are all doomed to succumb to the innate melancholy of the human conscience, whatever we do to try and escape it.
As always, the author’s prose is mesmerisingly poetic, and I especially appreciated the parallels she built between the characters’ inner worlds and the outside one, through highly metaphorical natural descriptions. However, it is precisely the lyrical quality of the soliloquies which makes it difficult to follow the narrative, and though it surely fascinates the reader its abstract elements also leave them lost.
I love Virginia Woolf, but I will never cease to believe it takes a lot of brains to fully understand her work.
The Garden of Time by J.G. Ballard
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Why so short? Tell me, why deny me the possibility to indulge further in something so beautiful?
I loved the concept of this little tale, I want to live in it! I want to live in the garden, fleeing the troubles of the outside world, find refuge in beauty, in nature, in love. I wanted this to last longer, to convince myself I could. I even decided to use this as an album title, as my music in the past year has been exploring that very same bucolic comfort and consolations.
I get that it is sort of the point of the story to condemn escapism, to state that all our silly attempts at peaceful delusions are but a brief moment of joy destined to end, still the poetry of it conferring this desperate recreation of Eden a bittersweet and romantic aftertaste. But how frustrating to find the perfect exploration of my recent obsessions only for it to last less than ten pages!
I loved the concept of this little tale, I want to live in it! I want to live in the garden, fleeing the troubles of the outside world, find refuge in beauty, in nature, in love. I wanted this to last longer, to convince myself I could. I even decided to use this as an album title, as my music in the past year has been exploring that very same bucolic comfort and consolations.
I get that it is sort of the point of the story to condemn escapism, to state that all our silly attempts at peaceful delusions are but a brief moment of joy destined to end, still the poetry of it conferring this desperate recreation of Eden a bittersweet and romantic aftertaste. But how frustrating to find the perfect exploration of my recent obsessions only for it to last less than ten pages!
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Truly a beautiful writing style to portray an even more beautiful love story, nothing else can be said about that. However, all of the surrounding elements to this lovely romance are so interesting that I can’t help but be a little sad that they are not explored any further!
When I started reading, I was so excited for what seemed to be a forbidden “Romeo and Juliet”-like love set in a world that heavily reminded me of “The Umbrella Academy” and “Loki”, with their agencies working towards preservation of canon events in one or more timelines, except this sounded even cooler, for this once there were two rival agencies fighting for control over… well, that’s the point, we don’t know. We don’t really get to know what their intentions are, how they behave, why, how they came to be, why, what is going on, what the world is like etcetera etcetera. Now, I totally agree that sometimes worldbuilding is not the focus of the story, sometimes it is not needed to know how things are and the reasons behind them, but what a missed opportunity! To have such interesting dynamics already, so mysteriously complex, so unique-sounding, and simply leave them aside. To not tell the reader anything at all.
While I absolutely loved the epistolary romance, one of the most wonderful I have ever read, so sweet and poetic, a way of loving as hyperbolic and extreme as the way I personally love my partner, that made me feel understood and touched my heart despite my non being a romance person at all, I continuously had this thought at the back of my mind that I wanted to know more, I wanted not the feelings, but the intricate plot that I could spot going on underneath them. I kept thinking I wished the book had more pages, the narrative chapters were longer, that more context was given in order to appreciate not the focus of the story itself, which was already perfectly captivating, but its entirety.
However I did undoubtedly really really like the book, loved the twists, the imagery, the genius and creativity behind each letter, each name, each alternative form of writing… it’s just that I spent the whole time wishing for more! Everything I wanted was already there, but out of reach, and the frustration kind of distracted me from simply consuming all of that mere poetic love.
When I started reading, I was so excited for what seemed to be a forbidden “Romeo and Juliet”-like love set in a world that heavily reminded me of “The Umbrella Academy” and “Loki”, with their agencies working towards preservation of canon events in one or more timelines, except this sounded even cooler, for this once there were two rival agencies fighting for control over… well, that’s the point, we don’t know. We don’t really get to know what their intentions are, how they behave, why, how they came to be, why, what is going on, what the world is like etcetera etcetera. Now, I totally agree that sometimes worldbuilding is not the focus of the story, sometimes it is not needed to know how things are and the reasons behind them, but what a missed opportunity! To have such interesting dynamics already, so mysteriously complex, so unique-sounding, and simply leave them aside. To not tell the reader anything at all.
While I absolutely loved the epistolary romance, one of the most wonderful I have ever read, so sweet and poetic, a way of loving as hyperbolic and extreme as the way I personally love my partner, that made me feel understood and touched my heart despite my non being a romance person at all, I continuously had this thought at the back of my mind that I wanted to know more, I wanted not the feelings, but the intricate plot that I could spot going on underneath them. I kept thinking I wished the book had more pages, the narrative chapters were longer, that more context was given in order to appreciate not the focus of the story itself, which was already perfectly captivating, but its entirety.
However I did undoubtedly really really like the book, loved the twists, the imagery, the genius and creativity behind each letter, each name, each alternative form of writing… it’s just that I spent the whole time wishing for more! Everything I wanted was already there, but out of reach, and the frustration kind of distracted me from simply consuming all of that mere poetic love.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A brilliant combination of fiction and non-fiction, of idyllic and dystopian, of real and fake, of perspectives, opinions, societal models and roles. Perkins Gilman wrote a novel so absurd yet so believable, in a way. By depicting such an unrealistic system, she had her own characters - white, wealthy, privileged men - point out that, nonetheless, the society that we consider to be normal is no better, but in fact a lot worse, for no justified reason at all.
Weaved within a surreal fantasy narration, some passages, statements and aphorisms read like travel journals, science reports, some even like proper essay writing. However, despite the mesmerising juxtaposition of genres, there are also stylistic choices I wasn’t so sure about, like the pace, which felt a bit flat, probably for the lack of major plot twists… not that they weren’t there at all, but I think they weren’t really treated as such.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the theme of motherhood in here, or rather, of its portrayal of the ultimate form of love, though I see where the author was coming from in choosing that as the core of her alternative national system. I liked the importance of community and this almost marxist utopia, in which work, education, duties all come not for retribution nor imposition, but from a sense of society, sharing, of common good for the present and future generations especially. Still, I didn’t really agree that all this links to the innate female desire for parenthood, as I believe there is no such thing; however, considering the time this book was written, I guess it was already incredibly innovative and provocative like this.
Weaved within a surreal fantasy narration, some passages, statements and aphorisms read like travel journals, science reports, some even like proper essay writing. However, despite the mesmerising juxtaposition of genres, there are also stylistic choices I wasn’t so sure about, like the pace, which felt a bit flat, probably for the lack of major plot twists… not that they weren’t there at all, but I think they weren’t really treated as such.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the theme of motherhood in here, or rather, of its portrayal of the ultimate form of love, though I see where the author was coming from in choosing that as the core of her alternative national system. I liked the importance of community and this almost marxist utopia, in which work, education, duties all come not for retribution nor imposition, but from a sense of society, sharing, of common good for the present and future generations especially. Still, I didn’t really agree that all this links to the innate female desire for parenthood, as I believe there is no such thing; however, considering the time this book was written, I guess it was already incredibly innovative and provocative like this.
Someone Like You by Roald Dahl
dark
mysterious
tense
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
3.25
One day I will learn not read short stories. One day I will accept the fact that they’re not my thing. One day. But that day is not today.
My problem with short stories is that they are always compared to fairytales, and I love fairytales. I love the combination of folklore, fantasy, myth, morals, magic, and sometimes even some beloved underlying darkness; yet I never seem to understand that none of those elements are indeed the source these comparisons originate from. Short stories are like fairytales in length, pace, development, but hardly ever in themes, tropes, atmosphere which I hold so dear to my heart.
I picked up this book because I was curious to read the peculiar, playful yet dark Roald Dahl version of tales, without realising that there was no “fairy” in front. I thought I was going to be met with macabre magic, some horror elements, but these short stories read more like thrillers.
That being said, they were brilliant short thrillers. The rhythm was immaculate, the twists coming exactly at the right time, never too early, never too late, never rushed, never too long, surprising the reader without giving them time to digest. I was expecting a bit more of a horror anthology, but even without the typical elements of the genre I still got the nice little eerie, unsettling feeling of unease in my stomach.
I guess to sum it all up we could say that I don’t love thrillers nor short story collections, but if I ever were to pick one it would definitely be this.
My problem with short stories is that they are always compared to fairytales, and I love fairytales. I love the combination of folklore, fantasy, myth, morals, magic, and sometimes even some beloved underlying darkness; yet I never seem to understand that none of those elements are indeed the source these comparisons originate from. Short stories are like fairytales in length, pace, development, but hardly ever in themes, tropes, atmosphere which I hold so dear to my heart.
I picked up this book because I was curious to read the peculiar, playful yet dark Roald Dahl version of tales, without realising that there was no “fairy” in front. I thought I was going to be met with macabre magic, some horror elements, but these short stories read more like thrillers.
That being said, they were brilliant short thrillers. The rhythm was immaculate, the twists coming exactly at the right time, never too early, never too late, never rushed, never too long, surprising the reader without giving them time to digest. I was expecting a bit more of a horror anthology, but even without the typical elements of the genre I still got the nice little eerie, unsettling feeling of unease in my stomach.
I guess to sum it all up we could say that I don’t love thrillers nor short story collections, but if I ever were to pick one it would definitely be this.
BIBLIOMANIA by おおばる (Obaru), マッチロ (Macchiro)
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Let’s all thank my boyfriend for forcing me to read mangas every once in a while, and for always giving me the most accurate recommendations for them, because holy crap how I loved this little gem right here. At this point I think he unironically knows me better than I know myself.
I don’t believe there can be anyone out there in the world who can be more of the intended target audience than me. The thirst for knowledge, the perpetual risk of literary escapism, the danger of words, the horror elements, the satanic references, the Alice in Wonderland parallels… a dark, twisted fable built on one of my favourite hobbies, what can ever be better than that? It seems like it was made for me.
It wasn’t just the themes that captivated me, though they definitely were what made me feel called out: the drawings as well were absolutely beautiful, secretly uneasy children’s books illustrations meeting disturbing supernatural gore, with lovely style variations to match the different rooms… the plant lady pages reminded me so much of an obscure version of Art Nouveau, of a modern Beardsley, I was in love! So in love that I even challenged my usual belief that all stories can be best narrated in literary prose: this was perfectly right just like this.
Although this work never really tried to hide what it was saying, I found it incredible how it managed to constantly change the focus, initially making the reader believe that the bigger themes were only marginal, the marginal ones central, then slowly unraveling its topic hierarchy. Most of all, I was amazed by how at first the enemy of humanity seemed to be the snake, alias Satan/temptation, alias escapism, when really it was humanity itself: it was the Odysseus archetype, stubborn intellect, ambition, curiosity, that little part of us that can devour us from within and consume everything around us, just for the sake of knowing all that there is to be known. Maybe it isn’t all that destabilising, all that true, all that universal, not to all; but to me, always praised for this tendency of mine, it definitely felt like it. It was the sudden realisation that the best part of me has the power to be the worst too.
I am genuinely so sad that my boyfriend and I are probably the only two people on Earth to have read this, because what one gets out of this story is honestly the truest presentation of myself that I could ever give.
I don’t believe there can be anyone out there in the world who can be more of the intended target audience than me. The thirst for knowledge, the perpetual risk of literary escapism, the danger of words, the horror elements, the satanic references, the Alice in Wonderland parallels… a dark, twisted fable built on one of my favourite hobbies, what can ever be better than that? It seems like it was made for me.
It wasn’t just the themes that captivated me, though they definitely were what made me feel called out: the drawings as well were absolutely beautiful, secretly uneasy children’s books illustrations meeting disturbing supernatural gore, with lovely style variations to match the different rooms… the plant lady pages reminded me so much of an obscure version of Art Nouveau, of a modern Beardsley, I was in love! So in love that I even challenged my usual belief that all stories can be best narrated in literary prose: this was perfectly right just like this.
Although this work never really tried to hide what it was saying, I found it incredible how it managed to constantly change the focus, initially making the reader believe that the bigger themes were only marginal, the marginal ones central, then slowly unraveling its topic hierarchy. Most of all, I was amazed by how at first the enemy of humanity seemed to be the snake, alias Satan/temptation, alias escapism, when really it was humanity itself: it was the Odysseus archetype, stubborn intellect, ambition, curiosity, that little part of us that can devour us from within and consume everything around us, just for the sake of knowing all that there is to be known. Maybe it isn’t all that destabilising, all that true, all that universal, not to all; but to me, always praised for this tendency of mine, it definitely felt like it. It was the sudden realisation that the best part of me has the power to be the worst too.
I am genuinely so sad that my boyfriend and I are probably the only two people on Earth to have read this, because what one gets out of this story is honestly the truest presentation of myself that I could ever give.
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, after all the classics I’ve been reading I feared that I would find young adult fiction a bit too childish and disappointing. Still, I was in need of a lighter read, so I decided to give it a try anyway. And am I glad I did.
I am not usually the kind of person to pick up something random without looking into reviews, themes, plot, opinions, yet for some reason this book called out to me. After having read it, I know that the reason was that I am precisely the intended target audience for it (except I don’t really love to read romance, but I’ll let it slide since I don’t mind it when it’s a marginal thing alongside an interesting plot - well, an interesting novel, should I say, as the importance of vibes here definitely overpowers that of events). Greek-mythology-inspired fantasy like in “Percy Jackson”, combined with historical fiction and an academic setting that made this feel like XVIII/XIX century dark academia, perfect to match basically the whole of my library at the same time.
Of course, I recognise that the book itself, despite being really good, is far from genius, it was a lovely read but pretty ordinary in terms of writing style, characters, plot twists and so on. In fact, nothing was unpredictable enough to really shock me, and as I said the plot isn’t all that complex, but I still think that the atmosphere created was pretty unique and fascinating in its unusual combination of elements, and not everything needs to be a literary masterpiece in order to be loved. Personally, I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and I’m so happy I picked this up at exactly the right time.
I am not usually the kind of person to pick up something random without looking into reviews, themes, plot, opinions, yet for some reason this book called out to me. After having read it, I know that the reason was that I am precisely the intended target audience for it (except I don’t really love to read romance, but I’ll let it slide since I don’t mind it when it’s a marginal thing alongside an interesting plot - well, an interesting novel, should I say, as the importance of vibes here definitely overpowers that of events). Greek-mythology-inspired fantasy like in “Percy Jackson”, combined with historical fiction and an academic setting that made this feel like XVIII/XIX century dark academia, perfect to match basically the whole of my library at the same time.
Of course, I recognise that the book itself, despite being really good, is far from genius, it was a lovely read but pretty ordinary in terms of writing style, characters, plot twists and so on. In fact, nothing was unpredictable enough to really shock me, and as I said the plot isn’t all that complex, but I still think that the atmosphere created was pretty unique and fascinating in its unusual combination of elements, and not everything needs to be a literary masterpiece in order to be loved. Personally, I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and I’m so happy I picked this up at exactly the right time.