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farbooksventure's reviews
359 reviews
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
My most favorite work of Emezi, so far.
Macondo, Para Raksasa, dan Lain-Lain Hal: Seputar Sastra Amerika Latin by Ronny Agustinus
informative
reflective
4.0
Tidak hanya informatif, gaya penulisan luwes membuat Macondo, Para Raksasa, dan Lain-Lain Hal begitu menyenangkan ketika dibaca. Sebagai seseorang yang tertarik dengan semua hal berbau sejarah, berbagai esai dalam buku ini berhasil menggabungkan dua minatku: sejarah & sastra. Di akhir hari sepertinya sejarah dan sastra memang tidak terpisahkan ya?
Selain menambahkan apresiasi pribadi terhadap karya sastra Amerika Latin secara umum, buku kumpulan esai ini juga mendorongku untuk kembali mempelajari bahasa Spanyol lewat Duolingo. Kalau gayung bersambut, aku harap aku bisa menikmati karya sastra dari wilayah ini tanpa mengandalkan terjemahan lagi di masa depan.
Secara umum, aku akan menyarankan buku ini untuk pembaca yang sekadar mencari bacaan nonfiksi lokal yang menarik, informatif, dan ditulis dengan baik.
Secara khusus, Macondo, Para Raksasa, dan Lain-Lain Hal juga bisa menjadi bacaan awal yang tepat untuk yang ingin mencari tahu tentang booming sastra Amerika Latin ditahun 1960-an & keterkaitan erat fenomena ini dengan sejarah dan kondisi sosial-politik di sana. Catatan kaki & daftar bacaan di akhir buku ini adalah sumber yang kaya untuk yang ingin memulai riset mandiri mereka.
Selain menambahkan apresiasi pribadi terhadap karya sastra Amerika Latin secara umum, buku kumpulan esai ini juga mendorongku untuk kembali mempelajari bahasa Spanyol lewat Duolingo. Kalau gayung bersambut, aku harap aku bisa menikmati karya sastra dari wilayah ini tanpa mengandalkan terjemahan lagi di masa depan.
Secara umum, aku akan menyarankan buku ini untuk pembaca yang sekadar mencari bacaan nonfiksi lokal yang menarik, informatif, dan ditulis dengan baik.
Secara khusus, Macondo, Para Raksasa, dan Lain-Lain Hal juga bisa menjadi bacaan awal yang tepat untuk yang ingin mencari tahu tentang booming sastra Amerika Latin ditahun 1960-an & keterkaitan erat fenomena ini dengan sejarah dan kondisi sosial-politik di sana. Catatan kaki & daftar bacaan di akhir buku ini adalah sumber yang kaya untuk yang ingin memulai riset mandiri mereka.
Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
dark
sad
fast-paced
I truly encourage you to read this (very thoughtfully done) graphic novel if you're able to do so. I personally read it through Scribd. The story of Comfort Women is another story in the dark page of human history that we must remember & be aware of. Yet again, another reminder about the horror of war & the devastating effects they have on countless life (all of this and for what exactly?).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence
Moderate: Trafficking and War
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
From the moods that I listed in this review, you can glean that Dawn is not exactly an easy-breezy & fun read featuring extraterrestrial beings.
As the 1'st book in the Xenogenesis trilogy, Dawn really doesn't hold back. It's thought-provoking, it's uncomfortable, it also makes you question what being "human" even means, especially in a post-apocalyptic situation when assimilating with unknown ET beings seeming inevitable.
It explores the dilemma & the pain of starting something new and not sure what exactly you're supposed to do in this brave new world that oh-so-similar but absolutely different from the old one. The old world that don't really exist anymore, no matter how hard you try to deny it.
I love & hate Dawn at the same time. I love it because as a science fiction book it's incredibly accessible & well-written. I hate it because being able to understand the story clearly, I can't help but feeling scared for these characters & the world that they thrust into.
I wouldn't continue the trilogy (at least right now) because in ~the trying times~ I can't really handle this level of anxiety. But, I still implore you to it check out, especially if you're a fan of science fiction & post-apocalyptic stories.
As the 1'st book in the Xenogenesis trilogy, Dawn really doesn't hold back. It's thought-provoking, it's uncomfortable, it also makes you question what being "human" even means, especially in a post-apocalyptic situation when assimilating with unknown ET beings seeming inevitable.
It explores the dilemma & the pain of starting something new and not sure what exactly you're supposed to do in this brave new world that oh-so-similar but absolutely different from the old one. The old world that don't really exist anymore, no matter how hard you try to deny it.
I love & hate Dawn at the same time. I love it because as a science fiction book it's incredibly accessible & well-written. I hate it because being able to understand the story clearly, I can't help but feeling scared for these characters & the world that they thrust into.
I wouldn't continue the trilogy (at least right now) because in ~the trying times~ I can't really handle this level of anxiety. But, I still implore you to it check out, especially if you're a fan of science fiction & post-apocalyptic stories.
Kerang Memanggil Angin by Deasy Tirayoh
Kalau mempertimbangkan kecenderungan tema ini, tidak mengherankan mungkin kalau aku merasa cerpen yang menutup buku Kerang Memanggil Angin agak mengejutkan. Bukan hanya karena temanya yang beda sendiri (cerita romansa), tapi juga karena mood cerita yang secara keseluruhan terbilang hangat & penuh harap. Berbeda sekali dengan sebagian besar cerpen lain yang terbilang miris.
Secara keseluruhan aku sangat menikmati buku ini. Unsur kebudayaan masyarakat Sulawesi yang penulis selipkan dalam cerpen Kesaksian di Titik Didih & " Mandi Mayah" sendiri menciptakan pengalaman baca berkesan & sangat menyenangkan.
Di sisi lain, aku rasa gaya bahasa & penulisan cerpen-cerpen ini memiliki potensi hit/miss untuk beberapa pembaca. Aku sendiri merasa canggung ketika membaca satu cerpen yang ditulis dari sudut pandang orang kedua (it's a hard POV to write on). Gaya bahasa dalam beberapa cerpen lain juga entah kenapa terasa kaku & kurang mengalir. Meskipun tidak terlalu menyukai gaya penulisan ini, aku tetap mengapresiasi tema yang diangkat cerpennya.
Aku akan merekomendasikan Kerang Memanggil Angin untuk pembaca yang mencari cerpen yang beda & kaya dengan unsur kebudayaan yang belum terlalu sering kita baca di media secara umum.
emotional
reflective
sad
3.0
Ketigabelas cerpen dalam buku kumpulan cerpen yang terbilang tipis ini merupakan potret dari berbagai skenario kehidupan yang kadang sendu dan seringkali pilu.
Terlepas dari keragaman skenario kehidupan yang ada, pembaca bisa melihat bahwa penulis fokus pada beberapa tema besar dalam cerpen-cerpennya:
Terlepas dari keragaman skenario kehidupan yang ada, pembaca bisa melihat bahwa penulis fokus pada beberapa tema besar dalam cerpen-cerpennya:
- Hubungan rumit dalam keluarga (seperti hubungan antara orang tua & anak ataupun suami & istri, bisa ditemukan dalam cerpen Bahasa Keheningan, "Mass in B Minor", Museum Keluarga, Tabung Uterus, Anjing, Ciku, dan " Mandi Mayah")
- Hubungan manusia dengan alam (dapat ditemukan dalam cerpen Tuhan Dalam Hara, "Mandi Mayah", Kesaksian di Titik Didih dan Udumbara)
Kalau mempertimbangkan kecenderungan tema ini, tidak mengherankan mungkin kalau aku merasa cerpen yang menutup buku Kerang Memanggil Angin agak mengejutkan. Bukan hanya karena temanya yang beda sendiri (cerita romansa), tapi juga karena mood cerita yang secara keseluruhan terbilang hangat & penuh harap. Berbeda sekali dengan sebagian besar cerpen lain yang terbilang miris.
Secara keseluruhan aku sangat menikmati buku ini. Unsur kebudayaan masyarakat Sulawesi yang penulis selipkan dalam cerpen Kesaksian di Titik Didih & " Mandi Mayah" sendiri menciptakan pengalaman baca berkesan & sangat menyenangkan.
Di sisi lain, aku rasa gaya bahasa & penulisan cerpen-cerpen ini memiliki potensi hit/miss untuk beberapa pembaca. Aku sendiri merasa canggung ketika membaca satu cerpen yang ditulis dari sudut pandang orang kedua (it's a hard POV to write on). Gaya bahasa dalam beberapa cerpen lain juga entah kenapa terasa kaku & kurang mengalir. Meskipun tidak terlalu menyukai gaya penulisan ini, aku tetap mengapresiasi tema yang diangkat cerpennya.
Aku akan merekomendasikan Kerang Memanggil Angin untuk pembaca yang mencari cerpen yang beda & kaya dengan unsur kebudayaan yang belum terlalu sering kita baca di media secara umum.
The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you are looking for a thriller book that doesn't necessarily hinge on the plot, but on the characters instead, I think The Majesties will be an interesting book for you.
The Majesties is not your typical high octane anxiety-inducing thriller. It's not full of plot twists. It doesn't focus on weird or unnerving events. There are horrifying happenings, for sure (it's on the synopsis). But, in the end, It's a slow-burn thriller about dysfunctional families that ruin themselves from the inside.
Instead of dwelling on the event, The Majesties brings readers to explore the insidious history of families that refuse to see the reality in everything that they have built. How this attitude leads to their eventual downfall by one of their own. It is also a story about sisterhood, class (the Rich™), and the hardship that comes with being Chinese in Indonesia.
The story also deals with the shock of discovering uncomfortable truths & refusal to deal with them. It's a story about being stuck in a vicious cycle & doesn't see any way out.
If you love quiet character study, I think you would enjoy The Majesties as a thriller. For readers who are used to thriller books in the "exciting"-end of the spectrum, The Majesties might feel frustratingly slow & not that eventful. But I read it for what it is & truly enjoy it.
The Majesties is not your typical high octane anxiety-inducing thriller. It's not full of plot twists. It doesn't focus on weird or unnerving events. There are horrifying happenings, for sure (it's on the synopsis). But, in the end, It's a slow-burn thriller about dysfunctional families that ruin themselves from the inside.
Instead of dwelling on the event, The Majesties brings readers to explore the insidious history of families that refuse to see the reality in everything that they have built. How this attitude leads to their eventual downfall by one of their own. It is also a story about sisterhood, class (the Rich™), and the hardship that comes with being Chinese in Indonesia.
The story also deals with the shock of discovering uncomfortable truths & refusal to deal with them. It's a story about being stuck in a vicious cycle & doesn't see any way out.
If you love quiet character study, I think you would enjoy The Majesties as a thriller. For readers who are used to thriller books in the "exciting"-end of the spectrum, The Majesties might feel frustratingly slow & not that eventful. But I read it for what it is & truly enjoy it.
Slaughterhouse-Five: The Graphic Novel by Ryan North, Kurt Vonnegut, Albert Monteys
adventurous
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Masalah di Teluk Pollensa by Agatha Christie
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
WOW. Okay, first thing first...
A personal confession: The Song of Achilles is one of those books that I grow weary of over time, thanks to its immense popularity. I avoid it completely for a while. Eventually read random pages out of curiosity some time later. But, in the end never actually get around to read the whole thing.
Years later I decided to give this book another chance after I watched Ellias' video of it on 2021. I think I get it now... My appreciation of it is quite mild in comparison to another fellow reader, but I understand why so many people feel so strongly about the book. The tragedy of Achilles & Patrolus finally gets to me in the end. Even though I know what's going to happen for the most part, the pain & the emotion is still there.
I blow through the last part of The Song of Achilles because I'm so invested. This is definitely my favorite part out of the entirety of the book because the drama never end & it's painfully satisfying to read.
The writing style is not something that I would necessarily seek on daily basis, but it fits the story it's trying to tell. Miller does a pretty good job at making this epic story accessible, in my opinion. I still struggle because there are so many names, but the author doesn't make it difficult for the reader to be immerse in the story. A compliment is also in order for the audiobook narrator for bringing these characters alive.
Overall, I'm glad I give The Song of Achilles another try. It doesn't really get into my all-time favorite reads, but it's still a fun read in the end.
Ps. This is the closest I would get to read The Illiad in the near future 🙃
A personal confession: The Song of Achilles is one of those books that I grow weary of over time, thanks to its immense popularity. I avoid it completely for a while. Eventually read random pages out of curiosity some time later. But, in the end never actually get around to read the whole thing.
Years later I decided to give this book another chance after I watched Ellias' video of it on 2021. I think I get it now... My appreciation of it is quite mild in comparison to another fellow reader, but I understand why so many people feel so strongly about the book. The tragedy of Achilles & Patrolus finally gets to me in the end. Even though I know what's going to happen for the most part, the pain & the emotion is still there.
I blow through the last part of The Song of Achilles because I'm so invested. This is definitely my favorite part out of the entirety of the book because the drama never end & it's painfully satisfying to read.
The writing style is not something that I would necessarily seek on daily basis, but it fits the story it's trying to tell. Miller does a pretty good job at making this epic story accessible, in my opinion. I still struggle because there are so many names, but the author doesn't make it difficult for the reader to be immerse in the story. A compliment is also in order for the audiobook narrator for bringing these characters alive.
Overall, I'm glad I give The Song of Achilles another try. It doesn't really get into my all-time favorite reads, but it's still a fun read in the end.
Ps. This is the closest I would get to read The Illiad in the near future 🙃
Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair by Sarah Schulman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
I simply lost any interest in this book.