jasmin_awoodun's reviews
3 reviews

Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them by John Yorke

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

This book definitely gave me some insights into archetypal structure that I hadn't considered before - it is, however, quite dense (as are most books on writing that I've read, to be fair) and at times felt repetitive. There were some points I wasn't totally convinced by or that seemed a bit wishy-washy, although maybe that was me failing to fully understand them. Despite my gripes with it, it was an enlightening and informative read, and a good resource for writers of all kinds (not just screenwriters). Plus I now realise that everything I thought I knew about Freytag's pyramid was wrong!

No Longer Human by Junji Ito

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This was the first manga I read by Junji Ito, my favourite mangaka of all time, and on the third reread it's as powerful as ever. No Longer Human delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche, charting the unfortunate life of Yozo Oba, a damaged and deeply flawed individual who digs himself into a hole so deep it seems impossible to get out. Junji Ito's art style compliments the narrative beautifully, with some truly nightmare-inducing imagery. The manga also touches on the life of original author Osamu Dazai, with Oba and Dazai coming into contact at a crucial point in both their lives, and then again shortly before the end of Dazai's. A gripping story where just when you think things couldn't possibly get worse, they always do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Death of parent

True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway

adventurous reflective relaxing slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

I read Green Hills of Africa last summer, and enjoying that immensely, was excited to discover Hemingway had written another novel about his travels in Africa. Although I'm vehemently against big game hunting myself, I love the reverence in Hemingway's description of wildlife and landscapes. It makes me feel nostalgic for a place I've never visited, which is no mean feat. True at First Light didn't disappoint in that respect; however, it felt much more political than Green Hills of Africa. Hemingway draws a lot of attention to his own highly flawed and problematic nature, and although I appreciate the author's honesty and self-awareness throughout the novel, it can at times be uncomfortable to be reminded of the kind of person the author was. If you can get past that, though, this was a truly transportative and clearly heartfelt ode to Africa.