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lectrixnoctis's reviews
57 reviews
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Graphic, personal real-life deposition of the holocaust from a Polish survivor and the trauma of second-generation Holocaust survivors. (The children of the Shoah survivor are known as second-generation survivors.) This second generation has tried to make sense of their experiences, which are frequently obscured, especially where their parents have been incapable of talking about their backgrounds.
Maus is two parallel stories, not one story. It hops back and forth between the two storylines, one set in the past (Poland) and the other location in the present time (New York City).
Story One: It is set in Poland in the 1940s. Vladek Spiegelman relates how he endured the Shoah as a Polish Jewish Man, from the attack to the spreading of the Nazi ideology during his Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp as a tin employee at the gas chambers. His father is one of the only surviving camp survivors with secret knowledge of how the gas chamber installations worked because he operated there and lived to tell the story. Vladek saw how pesticide (Zyklon B) was dropped into the hollow columns to gas crying victims and how they burned in crematoriums afterwards. Most Jewish prisoners who worked close to the gas chambers and crematoriums were killed, so they could not give their stories of the trauma they endured.
Story 2: It is set in New York City around the 1980s. Art documents his creative approach to writing his book about his dad's Shoah ventures. Artie has a bizarre and challenging relationship with his father, Vledeck. We see Artie trying to question his hesitant father, forcing his father to narrate his experiences. The Shoah permeates every detail of Spiegelman's daily life, even though it occurred numerous years ago.
There is a need in our civilisation to push the Shoah into the past. Keep it there, but this is impossible throughout this novel. Survivors and their children do not have the luxury of forgetting about it and moving on. You can stop talking about it and try to act like it never happened, but the memories of those horrible incidents never go away. You cannot erase and unsee them. They torment their victims to this day.
A dominant topic in the novel is how traumatic occasions like the Shoah continue to distort and shape people's generations even after they are over. Children of Shoah survivors are also affected by the Shoah, secondhand, through their parental figures. They frequently regret leading pampered lives compared to their parent's terrible experiences. Vledeck's parenting technique is twisted by the long-term psychological effects the holocaust has on his behaviour. In turn, Art's childhood is distorted by Vledeck's post-shoah worldview, a secondary repercussion of the Shoah.
The graphics add fuel, context, and style to the text, delivering more profound insight into the mixed feelings and opinions of the people. You can read a person say one thing in the text, but you might even see them thinking/doing something very unlike, expressed in graphics.
Most of the text in the book is direct quotes from Art Spiegelman's father, Vladik. Sometimes the graphics will reflect the same happening or story simultaneously.
Artie Spiegelman also uses animals to portray different races and nationalities. It is a very effective metaphor. Jews are drawn as mice, reflecting the anti-Semitic stereotype of Jewish people being subhuman rats. Germans are cats; who prey on mice. Americans are dogs; they oppose cats. The French are frogs. The Polish are pigs; Nazis thought the Polish people to be pigs. Jewish Mice sometimes even pretend to be Polish pigs to disguise themselves from the German Cats. They do this by wearing pig masks.
While making the book, Artie struggles to draw his French wife. She converted to Judaism to please his father. It encourages the reader to think about the roles of race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion.
I understand that the holocaust can sometimes seem like a ghastly but impersonal genocide of countless, faceless victims. The magnitude and horror of it all can be so hard to stomach. But each of those six million people was an individual with their own story. Individual stories may not seem as important compared to famous historical figures like Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, but learning about each unique story is critical to understanding the magnitude of the holocaust. Recorded memories are the only way Holocaust survivors can maintain a connection to the stolen lives of those who were erased from the face of the earth by the Shoah.
Maus is two parallel stories, not one story. It hops back and forth between the two storylines, one set in the past (Poland) and the other location in the present time (New York City).
Story One: It is set in Poland in the 1940s. Vladek Spiegelman relates how he endured the Shoah as a Polish Jewish Man, from the attack to the spreading of the Nazi ideology during his Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp as a tin employee at the gas chambers. His father is one of the only surviving camp survivors with secret knowledge of how the gas chamber installations worked because he operated there and lived to tell the story. Vladek saw how pesticide (Zyklon B) was dropped into the hollow columns to gas crying victims and how they burned in crematoriums afterwards. Most Jewish prisoners who worked close to the gas chambers and crematoriums were killed, so they could not give their stories of the trauma they endured.
Story 2: It is set in New York City around the 1980s. Art documents his creative approach to writing his book about his dad's Shoah ventures. Artie has a bizarre and challenging relationship with his father, Vledeck. We see Artie trying to question his hesitant father, forcing his father to narrate his experiences. The Shoah permeates every detail of Spiegelman's daily life, even though it occurred numerous years ago.
There is a need in our civilisation to push the Shoah into the past. Keep it there, but this is impossible throughout this novel. Survivors and their children do not have the luxury of forgetting about it and moving on. You can stop talking about it and try to act like it never happened, but the memories of those horrible incidents never go away. You cannot erase and unsee them. They torment their victims to this day.
A dominant topic in the novel is how traumatic occasions like the Shoah continue to distort and shape people's generations even after they are over. Children of Shoah survivors are also affected by the Shoah, secondhand, through their parental figures. They frequently regret leading pampered lives compared to their parent's terrible experiences. Vledeck's parenting technique is twisted by the long-term psychological effects the holocaust has on his behaviour. In turn, Art's childhood is distorted by Vledeck's post-shoah worldview, a secondary repercussion of the Shoah.
The graphics add fuel, context, and style to the text, delivering more profound insight into the mixed feelings and opinions of the people. You can read a person say one thing in the text, but you might even see them thinking/doing something very unlike, expressed in graphics.
Most of the text in the book is direct quotes from Art Spiegelman's father, Vladik. Sometimes the graphics will reflect the same happening or story simultaneously.
Artie Spiegelman also uses animals to portray different races and nationalities. It is a very effective metaphor. Jews are drawn as mice, reflecting the anti-Semitic stereotype of Jewish people being subhuman rats. Germans are cats; who prey on mice. Americans are dogs; they oppose cats. The French are frogs. The Polish are pigs; Nazis thought the Polish people to be pigs. Jewish Mice sometimes even pretend to be Polish pigs to disguise themselves from the German Cats. They do this by wearing pig masks.
While making the book, Artie struggles to draw his French wife. She converted to Judaism to please his father. It encourages the reader to think about the roles of race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion.
I understand that the holocaust can sometimes seem like a ghastly but impersonal genocide of countless, faceless victims. The magnitude and horror of it all can be so hard to stomach. But each of those six million people was an individual with their own story. Individual stories may not seem as important compared to famous historical figures like Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, but learning about each unique story is critical to understanding the magnitude of the holocaust. Recorded memories are the only way Holocaust survivors can maintain a connection to the stolen lives of those who were erased from the face of the earth by the Shoah.
Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Alice May Oseman is a British author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17 and had her first novel "Solitaire" published in 2014. They are also the author of the books "Radio Silence", "I Was Born for This", and "Loveless". The webcomic "Heartstopper", published as multiple graphic novels and adapted into a TV series, was also written by Oseman. Her books focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received several awards, including Inky Awards and United By Pop Awards.
Nick and Charlie are now best friends. Nick knows Charlie is gay, and Charlie is one hundred per cent sure that Nick is not.
But love works surprisingly, and Nick discovers all kinds of things about his friends, family, and himself.
I finally found the time to read the second volume of hearts, and I cannot lie to you guys. I am so in love with this storyline. It is so cute to follow along with the love story of Charlie and Maike, and I still think it is reality-based, and the representation is just bomb. I cannot wait to get this third volume in my hand, and I recommend the book to everyone. I even think this one stuck more with me event the first one.
Overall I would recommend the book, and I am going to read the third part of the series and cannot wait to see how everything goes with Nick and Charlie. I appreciate the hard work behind the book, and I can get that. I would encourage everyone to pick it up and read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
TW: Homophobia, Bullying, Homophobic Slurs
Nick and Charlie are now best friends. Nick knows Charlie is gay, and Charlie is one hundred per cent sure that Nick is not.
But love works surprisingly, and Nick discovers all kinds of things about his friends, family, and himself.
I finally found the time to read the second volume of hearts, and I cannot lie to you guys. I am so in love with this storyline. It is so cute to follow along with the love story of Charlie and Maike, and I still think it is reality-based, and the representation is just bomb. I cannot wait to get this third volume in my hand, and I recommend the book to everyone. I even think this one stuck more with me event the first one.
Overall I would recommend the book, and I am going to read the third part of the series and cannot wait to see how everything goes with Nick and Charlie. I appreciate the hard work behind the book, and I can get that. I would encourage everyone to pick it up and read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
TW: Homophobia, Bullying, Homophobic Slurs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Homophobia
Returning to Carthage by Ben Sharafski
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
3.0
In his spectacular new short story collection, Israeli-Australian author Ben Sharafski explores the dramas creeping under the surface of ordinary life in suburban Sydney in six intertwined stories. Passionate, open, and at times disturbing, "Returning to Carthage" does not shy away from dealing with the significant issues: love, loss, betrayal, family bonds and the skill of living.
Thank you, Ben Sharafski, for sending me an advance copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!
Most of the stories are written in the past tense, with even a few flashbacks to older days or someone's life in the past. The writing style is quite detailed and may not be for everyone, but I did enjoy it immensely.
However, this book is not without flaws, and some parts of the book left me feeling a bit weirded out. I thought that the only purpose of women in the first few stories was their relationships with their male counterparts and was only described by their physical appearance. It felt superficial only to use women as a part of belonging/treasure. I am nonetheless grateful that portraited changed in the upcoming stories. That is why I had particular issues with the first story, and I think it is below the other stories' standard of content and writing.
I would recommend this book since the topics are quite important and how it is described excellent, but if you're not really into challenging issues or even short stories, this book is in for you.
TW: Cheating, Loss, Grief, War
Thank you, Ben Sharafski, for sending me an advance copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!
Most of the stories are written in the past tense, with even a few flashbacks to older days or someone's life in the past. The writing style is quite detailed and may not be for everyone, but I did enjoy it immensely.
However, this book is not without flaws, and some parts of the book left me feeling a bit weirded out. I thought that the only purpose of women in the first few stories was their relationships with their male counterparts and was only described by their physical appearance. It felt superficial only to use women as a part of belonging/treasure. I am nonetheless grateful that portraited changed in the upcoming stories. That is why I had particular issues with the first story, and I think it is below the other stories' standard of content and writing.
I would recommend this book since the topics are quite important and how it is described excellent, but if you're not really into challenging issues or even short stories, this book is in for you.
TW: Cheating, Loss, Grief, War
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Grief
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
Alice May Oseman is a British author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17 and had her first novel Solitaire published in 2014. They are also the author of the books "Radio Silence", "I Was Born for This", and "Loveless". The webcomic "Heartstopper", published as multiple graphic novels and adapted into a TV series, was also written by Oseman. Her books focus on contemporary teenage life in the UK and have received several awards, including Inky Awards and United By Pop Awards.
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a joyful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at an English all-boys grammar school. Companionship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year has not been too great, but he is not being mocked anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the academy rugby team. He is heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and mocked for a few months - but he has never had the chance to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie falls hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works surprisingly, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...
It was my first time reading a graphic novel, and I am confident it will not be my last one. I did not think that I would enjoy this book as much as I did since I am usually a person who wants a thick and long box with a lot of words. We all know graphic novels are like that, but I did not mind. I found the writing style quite cute, and all the little details of the little sketches and drawings were perfectly executed. I can see how much work the author has put into the results, which certainly did pay off.
When I think about the story, I think about such a reality-based story that could happen in real life. I'm not part of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, I believe this book has excellent representation. It has a lot of depth and discusses topics like coming out or sexual assault. I know this book might not be for everyone; however, I encourage you to pick it up and see it for yourself because before I had this book in my hands, I didn't think I would like it as much.
Overall I would recommend the book, and I am going to read the next part of the series and cannot wait to see how everything goes with Nick and Charlie. I appreciate the hard work behind the book, and I can get that. I would encourage everyone to pick it up and read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
TW: Abusive Relationship, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Bullying, Eating Disorder, Self-Harm
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a joyful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at an English all-boys grammar school. Companionship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year has not been too great, but he is not being mocked anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the academy rugby team. He is heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and mocked for a few months - but he has never had the chance to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie falls hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works surprisingly, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...
It was my first time reading a graphic novel, and I am confident it will not be my last one. I did not think that I would enjoy this book as much as I did since I am usually a person who wants a thick and long box with a lot of words. We all know graphic novels are like that, but I did not mind. I found the writing style quite cute, and all the little details of the little sketches and drawings were perfectly executed. I can see how much work the author has put into the results, which certainly did pay off.
When I think about the story, I think about such a reality-based story that could happen in real life. I'm not part of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, I believe this book has excellent representation. It has a lot of depth and discusses topics like coming out or sexual assault. I know this book might not be for everyone; however, I encourage you to pick it up and see it for yourself because before I had this book in my hands, I didn't think I would like it as much.
Overall I would recommend the book, and I am going to read the next part of the series and cannot wait to see how everything goes with Nick and Charlie. I appreciate the hard work behind the book, and I can get that. I would encourage everyone to pick it up and read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
TW: Abusive Relationship, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Bullying, Eating Disorder, Self-Harm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Self harm
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Octavia E. Butler was the renowned author of the novel numerous groundbreaking novels like "Kindred", "Wild Seed" or "Parable of the Sower". She has won many awards for her works and is a pioneer in her genre exploring black injustice, women's rights, global warming and political disparity.
In 2032, Lauren Olamina endured the destruction of her home and family and realised her vision of a friendly community in northern California based on her recently founded a religion, Earthseed. The fledgling community supplies shelter for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly separated and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive territory minority religious coalition led by a young black woman--becomes a mark for President Jarret's rule of terror and oppression.
Years after, Asha Vere reads the diaries of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. She struggles to negotiate with her mother's estate as she searches for solutions to her past. She is caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to guide humanity into a better future.
This book is written as a diary and employs the identical style as the first in this duology, getting the same issues with it. The protagonist has the propensity to distance herself from what transpired to her through her diary documenting as a way of self-therapy. However, it does not necessarily ensure an engaging read because of how healing this factual representation of events can be. The lived experiences make for a fascinating story, but the tone is not there to empathise with the individual you are meant to be sympathising with.
There is a silver lining, yet Where the first piece of the series was a monologue by Lauren Olamina, new narrators are brought into this volume. Lauren's spouse gets a pair of pages, and so does one of her brothers, but these contributions are so small they are entirely meaningless in hindsight. The star narrator of this novel is Olamina's daughter. She delivers a new and fresh mindset, which is not an unexpected feeling she grew up without and far away from her mother. This voice offers the reader a break from Lauren's self-indulgent narrative and, for those like me who had hardships relating to the self-declared Messiah, a representative of reason one could connect to.
I do not doubt that this book, like the first one, is an absolute classic and a dystopian masterpiece; however, I had The same problems with this book as the first one.
In 2032, Lauren Olamina endured the destruction of her home and family and realised her vision of a friendly community in northern California based on her recently founded a religion, Earthseed. The fledgling community supplies shelter for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly separated and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive territory minority religious coalition led by a young black woman--becomes a mark for President Jarret's rule of terror and oppression.
Years after, Asha Vere reads the diaries of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. She struggles to negotiate with her mother's estate as she searches for solutions to her past. She is caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to guide humanity into a better future.
This book is written as a diary and employs the identical style as the first in this duology, getting the same issues with it. The protagonist has the propensity to distance herself from what transpired to her through her diary documenting as a way of self-therapy. However, it does not necessarily ensure an engaging read because of how healing this factual representation of events can be. The lived experiences make for a fascinating story, but the tone is not there to empathise with the individual you are meant to be sympathising with.
There is a silver lining, yet Where the first piece of the series was a monologue by Lauren Olamina, new narrators are brought into this volume. Lauren's spouse gets a pair of pages, and so does one of her brothers, but these contributions are so small they are entirely meaningless in hindsight. The star narrator of this novel is Olamina's daughter. She delivers a new and fresh mindset, which is not an unexpected feeling she grew up without and far away from her mother. This voice offers the reader a break from Lauren's self-indulgent narrative and, for those like me who had hardships relating to the self-declared Messiah, a representative of reason one could connect to.
I do not doubt that this book, like the first one, is an absolute classic and a dystopian masterpiece; however, I had The same problems with this book as the first one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Torture
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British young woman living in London, perching two cultures and slotting into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she is frequently forced to compare herself to her white middle-class equivalents. After a messy break-up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places, including several hazardous men who do an excellent job of occupying brain space and a bad position of establishing self-worth.
As Queenie reels from one debatable decision to another, she wonders why she is doing all this or why does she not stop, although it might not be something she wants —all of the inquiries today's women must encounter in a world trying to reply them for her.
This story is incredibly raw, and I think that everyone in his early adulthood would enjoy this piece of fiction. I can see why this novel has won the award. I found it fascinating to read about all these different characters and how they intertwine in the story, but the focus is still on the protagonist herself. I think it has so much nuance that you probably don't get in mainstream books by white authors.
How the author approaches tough topics like anxiety or racism is astonishing, and I cannot get enough of her writing style. Although it was so raw, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading; although it was so natural, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading.
Sadly, I had a big reading slump; however, I finally found the time again to pick it up and finish it in one go, and I think it has a lot to do with the book itself. I don't believe that every reader could've done that; I did not have a reading slump because of it.
Overall I highly recommend this book. When you're in your early 20s are becoming an adult, you should read this book. All women or female-presenting people can relate to a situation somehow. The nuance with interracial dating and racism was so interesting that I will read more of the works.
As Queenie reels from one debatable decision to another, she wonders why she is doing all this or why does she not stop, although it might not be something she wants —all of the inquiries today's women must encounter in a world trying to reply them for her.
This story is incredibly raw, and I think that everyone in his early adulthood would enjoy this piece of fiction. I can see why this novel has won the award. I found it fascinating to read about all these different characters and how they intertwine in the story, but the focus is still on the protagonist herself. I think it has so much nuance that you probably don't get in mainstream books by white authors.
How the author approaches tough topics like anxiety or racism is astonishing, and I cannot get enough of her writing style. Although it was so raw, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading; although it was so natural, it was so beautifully written that I just wanted to keep reading.
Sadly, I had a big reading slump; however, I finally found the time again to pick it up and finish it in one go, and I think it has a lot to do with the book itself. I don't believe that every reader could've done that; I did not have a reading slump because of it.
Overall I highly recommend this book. When you're in your early 20s are becoming an adult, you should read this book. All women or female-presenting people can relate to a situation somehow. The nuance with interracial dating and racism was so interesting that I will read more of the works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Octavia E. Butler was the renowned author of the novel numerous groundbreaking novels like "Kindred", "Wild Seed" or "Parable of the Sower". She has won many awards for her works and is a pioneer of her genre exploring black injustice, women's rights, global warming and political disparity.
When international climate instability and economic emergencies guide social chaos in the early 2020s, California evolves full of threats, from pervasive water poverty to the abundance of nomads who will do anything to stay alive.
Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated neighbourhood with her priest father, family, and neighbours, harboured from the surrounding lawlessness. In a civilisation where exposure is a risk, she suffers from hyper empathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' pain.
Developed and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard to save her loved ones from the coming disasters her tiny neighbourhood stubbornly disregards. But what starts as a fight for survival soon directs to something largely more: the birth of a renewed faith and a startling vision of human destiny.
The main themes of this book are dystopian. It talks about a not so bright future or even an awful lot where people fight for their lives. It is expected that people are getting killed just like that, and whole cities are destroyed due to climate change. It may seem horrific and terrible. Still, I think that the author made a strong point with it. We live in a global pandemic, and seeing all these things that could happen is pretty relatable to our current times. This novel is more for younger readers; however, I recommend it for anyone.
The author has an exciting writing style while following the main character throughout the story via journal entries. We see all the horror of the future, set in the early 2020s. I do not doubt that this book is an absolute classic, and it is a dystopian masterpiece; however, I am not that fond of dystopian works, and it is prolonged and a bit confusing at first. This book shows you that the journey is the end goal that took me a lot of time to get into it. While reading it, I felt disheartened because I couldn't connect with the characters at the first end. After all, the horrific topics this book talks about made it even harder. Yet, this book is probably worth reading, especially nowadays due to climate change and the black lives matter movement. I will read the second part of the book, and I hope it will be easier for me to follow along for the sequel after I get into this book.
When international climate instability and economic emergencies guide social chaos in the early 2020s, California evolves full of threats, from pervasive water poverty to the abundance of nomads who will do anything to stay alive.
Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated neighbourhood with her priest father, family, and neighbours, harboured from the surrounding lawlessness. In a civilisation where exposure is a risk, she suffers from hyper empathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' pain.
Developed and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard to save her loved ones from the coming disasters her tiny neighbourhood stubbornly disregards. But what starts as a fight for survival soon directs to something largely more: the birth of a renewed faith and a startling vision of human destiny.
The main themes of this book are dystopian. It talks about a not so bright future or even an awful lot where people fight for their lives. It is expected that people are getting killed just like that, and whole cities are destroyed due to climate change. It may seem horrific and terrible. Still, I think that the author made a strong point with it. We live in a global pandemic, and seeing all these things that could happen is pretty relatable to our current times. This novel is more for younger readers; however, I recommend it for anyone.
The author has an exciting writing style while following the main character throughout the story via journal entries. We see all the horror of the future, set in the early 2020s. I do not doubt that this book is an absolute classic, and it is a dystopian masterpiece; however, I am not that fond of dystopian works, and it is prolonged and a bit confusing at first. This book shows you that the journey is the end goal that took me a lot of time to get into it. While reading it, I felt disheartened because I couldn't connect with the characters at the first end. After all, the horrific topics this book talks about made it even harder. Yet, this book is probably worth reading, especially nowadays due to climate change and the black lives matter movement. I will read the second part of the book, and I hope it will be easier for me to follow along for the sequel after I get into this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Torture
The Stopover by T.L. Swan
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
T.L. Swan is the bestselling author of the Miles High series and has a degree in psychology. She is based in Austria and is known for her erotic romance novels.
When Emily Forster was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York after an incident with a drunk man, she met Jim. He is sitting right beside her, unknowing that Jim is exactly Jameson Miles, the CEO of a significant new company called Miles. Media in New York. After hours of drinking Champaign, talking about all the world and his wives and even watching Magic Mike XXL. The pair decide to hit it off by shagging at a stopover in Boston. After 12 months, they meet again, but this time under different circumstances: He is now Emily's boss. She has been given an enormous opportunity to move out of California to live in New York and work t Miles Media. Will they brush their one night stand under the rug to work professionally from now on, or will they continue where they left off?
The tropes of this book are pretty straightforward. It is an erotic romance novel with a hot CEO as the love interest. At the same time, Emily is a bright and aggressive young woman coming from an average middle-class family. Jim is quite the opposite. He comes from old money, has four brothers, and grew up in the heart of New York. The novel is about the difficulty of physical attraction in A workspace and the concept of friends with benefits.
Sadly, the theme of this book was relatively flat. However, Emily and Jim had significant interactions and moments with each other. They were just after another page wholly shattered, and they would begin to fight. I think the novel could have been a little bit short since all the ups and downs were a bit boring after a time. Moreover, I have to say the story is a bit unrealistic since why would a billionaire like Miles go for a middle-class woman after shagging her once. But that is my main problem with romance books, and I am sure it will be a recurring theme.
Moreover, I had a few issues with the characters of this book. Sadly, Jim and Emily always fight over nothing, have three-year-olds, and always fight about the same dull things. Furthermore, was the depiction of Aaron, Emily's coworker, a gay stereotype which I do not think was necessary to the storyline. Besides the main characters, most characters did not have a fleshed character.
Overall I did enjoy this book, and I am sure that I will read more erotica in the future. This has been my first royal erotica read, and I was glad that it had some storyline and not just sex scenes. However, I think some of the characters are a bit flat and that the book could have been shortened.
When Emily Forster was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York after an incident with a drunk man, she met Jim. He is sitting right beside her, unknowing that Jim is exactly Jameson Miles, the CEO of a significant new company called Miles. Media in New York. After hours of drinking Champaign, talking about all the world and his wives and even watching Magic Mike XXL. The pair decide to hit it off by shagging at a stopover in Boston. After 12 months, they meet again, but this time under different circumstances: He is now Emily's boss. She has been given an enormous opportunity to move out of California to live in New York and work t Miles Media. Will they brush their one night stand under the rug to work professionally from now on, or will they continue where they left off?
The tropes of this book are pretty straightforward. It is an erotic romance novel with a hot CEO as the love interest. At the same time, Emily is a bright and aggressive young woman coming from an average middle-class family. Jim is quite the opposite. He comes from old money, has four brothers, and grew up in the heart of New York. The novel is about the difficulty of physical attraction in A workspace and the concept of friends with benefits.
Sadly, the theme of this book was relatively flat. However, Emily and Jim had significant interactions and moments with each other. They were just after another page wholly shattered, and they would begin to fight. I think the novel could have been a little bit short since all the ups and downs were a bit boring after a time. Moreover, I have to say the story is a bit unrealistic since why would a billionaire like Miles go for a middle-class woman after shagging her once. But that is my main problem with romance books, and I am sure it will be a recurring theme.
Moreover, I had a few issues with the characters of this book. Sadly, Jim and Emily always fight over nothing, have three-year-olds, and always fight about the same dull things. Furthermore, was the depiction of Aaron, Emily's coworker, a gay stereotype which I do not think was necessary to the storyline. Besides the main characters, most characters did not have a fleshed character.
Overall I did enjoy this book, and I am sure that I will read more erotica in the future. This has been my first royal erotica read, and I was glad that it had some storyline and not just sex scenes. However, I think some of the characters are a bit flat and that the book could have been shortened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Classism
The Odyssey (100 Copy Collector's Edition) by Homer
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
"The Odyssey" is an epic lyric in 24 texts traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The poem tells Odysseus, the monarch of Ithaca, who wanders for ten years (although the poem's action covers only the final six weeks), trying to get home after the Trojan War. He is acknowledged only by his faithful hound and a nurse on his return. With the contribution of his son, Telemachus, Odysseus kills the insistent suitors of his devoted wife, Penelope, and several of her maids who had socialised with the suitors and reestablished himself in his kingdom.
"The Odyssey" is described from a third-person point of view by a narrator who has gathered the divine control of the Muse, which authorises the narrator to know everything and understand all the characters' thoughts and emotions. The poem establishes a point of view that is all-seeing, all-knowing, and near to god. The poem transitions between narrative paths and natural speech, periodically reproducing one character within another character's lecture, such as when Menelaus contains several realistic quotes from other characters in his prolonged address to Telemachus in Book four. The narrator defines characters' feelings and perspectives with brief descriptive phrases.
The point of view moves entirely to Odysseus during books 9-12, when he speaks about his experiences at sea before dismounting on Calypso's isle, making the poetry feel like a first-person portrayal for a lengthy period of narrative. In these provinces, the narrator interrupts Odysseus rare moments to remind the reader where they are and who is speaking, but especially Odysseus's report is ongoing and first-person. This amount of the lyric roles as a story-within-a-story as Odysseus gives a clear and vivid depiction of his experiences since departing Troy on what he expected would be a short journey home. As most of the poem's action has already happened by the time we first read Odysseus on Calypso's isle, this change to the first person creates those circumstances better gripping and direct than if they were related in the third person singular the narrator. The audience has the feel of sharing Odysseus' brutal battles with the Cyclops, Circe, Scylla, and Charybdis as they occur, further supporting us in Odysseus's fate. The various perspectives the verse is narrated different supply voices for the honourable problems at the heart of "The Odyssey". Odysseus meets many "hosts" on his travels, and most of them do not act by the traditions of Greek hospitality. Because we witness much of through Odysseusoint of view, we comprehend the contrast between his anticipations of hospitality versus the truth of his adventures. The gods present another viewpoint on the anticipations of hospitality. Athena, for example, battles alongside Odysseus and Telemachus to massacre the suitors as retribution for their misuse of the guest-host association. While the gods are rarely the main priority of locations within the poem, we comprehend their view on Greek values through their lecture.
The initial action that hindered many Achaeans' homecoming was creating an Achaean himself: Ajax raped the Trojan priestess Cassandra in a temple while the Greeks were looting the collapsed metropolis. That action of impulse, impiety, and idiocy carried the wrath of Athena upon the Achaean fleet and set in motion the chain of circumstances that shifted Odysseus's homecoming into prolonged suffering. It is fit that "The Odyssey" is encouraged by such an occasion, for many of the traps that Odysseus and his fellows face exist likewise blocks that arise out of human frailty and the incapability to regulate it. The surrender to trick or recklessness either enrages the gods or delights Odysseus and his crew members from their travels: they yield to hunger and massacre the Sun's communities. They devour the fruit of the lotus and forget regarding it in their houses. Even Odysseus's desire for kleos is a kind of allure. When he reveals his name to Polyphemus, he submits to it, carrying Poseidon's anger upon him and his fellas. In the case of the Sirens, the music is revisited merely for its welfare. With their ears blocked, the crew sail safely by the Sirens' isle, while Odysseus, yearning to attend the Sirens' lovely song, is rescued from foolishness only by his creative power to his crew to hold him resolved to the ship's mast. The author is intrigued with depicting his protagonist tormented by temptation. In general, Odysseus and his men desperately want to meet their nostos or homecoming, but this passion is frequently at odds with the other delights that the earth proffers.
Prematurely in "The Odyssey", Zeus presents his idea of justice. He says the gods mete out suffering somewhat, but some mortals sorrow more due to their foolish or hostile actions. In some circumstances, "The Odyssey" offers its characters sorrow due to their efforts. Polyphemus is overwhelmed after he kills several of Odysseus's gentlemen. Odysseus's men pass when they neglect the management of Odysseus and the gods not to destroy the Cattle of the Sun. The poem's most dramatic comeuppance befalls the suitors slain for humiliating Odysseus and destroying his wealth. It is questionable, however, whether the murder of the suitors is. Odysseus thinks one of the admirers, Amphinomus, is innocent. Odysseus even risks messing up his body to warn Amphinomus about the peril to his life. However, Amphinomous is murdered along with the rest of the suitors.
In other cases, "The Odyssey" shows that the gods place their pride ahead of justice unambiguously. "The Odyssey" is greatly concerned with the ethical code binding hosts to treat strangers and travellers generous. Throughout the poem, Zeus penalises anyone who disregards this regulation. When Poseidon whines to Zeus that the Phaeacians have insulted him by growing hospitality toward Odysseus, Zeus does zero to watch these excellent keepers. The Phaeacians not only offer their visitor Odysseus cover, but they also restore all his missing assets and give him a direct path home to Ithaca. The Phaecians allow Odysseus because they are good hostelers, not because they desire to block Poseidon. There is no way to know that they are offending Poseidon by doing their duty and helping a guest. However, Zeus endorses Poseidon's plan to stop the Phaecians from assisting travellers again. In assuring his fellow god, Zeus refuses judge to the blameless Phaecians.
"The Odyssey" is the highest approval of nostos, or homecoming, the idea that a heroic warrior's most significant victory arrives when he returns from battle to his own home and household. Odysseus's hardships end with the request of not one but two alternative wives and two alternative locations to live. As Calypso's spouse, Odysseus could live eternally in holy luxury. As Nausicaa's groom, Odysseus would be a prince in the wealthiest, most untroubled country he has visited. Without hesitation, he rejects both of these suggestions. He chooses Penelope and Ithaca, not necessarily because they are more reasonable, but because they are his. At the exact time, Nostos is not an uncomplicated belief in "The Odyssey". When Agamemnon bears home, he is killed by his wife. Menelaus and Helen have an unhappy marriage destined to last for all eternity. Even Odysseus's own home is troubled. Telemachus speaks harshly to Penelope and criticises her to additional individuals, even after Odysseus has produced and revealed his originality.
Nostos is only feasible if a warrior's house is always there when he returns, whole from when he departed. Therefore, what makes a home valuable in "The Odyssey" is not its happiness as much as its stability and continuity. Odysseus and Penelope are reunited when Odysseus can describe their marriage bed, which is unshakeable because it is rooted in the ground of Ithaca. Nestor means that Agamemnon is profitable, even though his wife has murdered him because his son has avenged him. What matters is the continuation of Agamemnon's family and reputation. Odysseus's homecoming is not done until he has demonstrated himself to Laertes so that Laertes can enjoy the continuity of his own family and reputation.
Although "The Odyssey" starts with the Trojan Wars that differentiate Odysseus from Ithaca and touches on warfare themes, cognitive skill is as important as material prowess to Odysseus's homecoming. Athena glorifies Odysseus for being slick, a trait she thinks herself to have as well and maybe especially willing to assist him because she respects his cognitive ability. Even Odysseus's handle, the man "of twists and turns," suggests a sense that functions cleverly and not consistently in a straightforward, honest way. Odysseus's guile is most clearly displayed in the episode with Polyphemus the Cyclops. Odysseus fools Polyphemus twice. First, Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is "Nobody," so the Cyclops is compelled to say that "nobody" is hurting him. Double, Odysseus instructs his men to conceal under the Cyclops' sheep as they leave the cave so that the now-blind Cyclops will only feel his sheep's wool as they go out the cave door. Odysseus also uses sly at the end of the poem when he hides as a beggar to discover who on Ithaca remains loyal to him after his long want.
Okay, do not get me wrong, this is an absolute masterpiece, and it was beautifully written, and I think it is a must-read for anyone. However, I couldn't get into the story. This was my first book written in ancient Greece, and I am only a bit familiar with the mythology, but this part wasn't that hard to get into. Instead, I had extreme difficulty relating to some of these characters and even like Odysseus. Sadly, I can only give this book 3 out of 5 stars, and I do not know how to feel about it.
"The Odyssey" is described from a third-person point of view by a narrator who has gathered the divine control of the Muse, which authorises the narrator to know everything and understand all the characters' thoughts and emotions. The poem establishes a point of view that is all-seeing, all-knowing, and near to god. The poem transitions between narrative paths and natural speech, periodically reproducing one character within another character's lecture, such as when Menelaus contains several realistic quotes from other characters in his prolonged address to Telemachus in Book four. The narrator defines characters' feelings and perspectives with brief descriptive phrases.
The point of view moves entirely to Odysseus during books 9-12, when he speaks about his experiences at sea before dismounting on Calypso's isle, making the poetry feel like a first-person portrayal for a lengthy period of narrative. In these provinces, the narrator interrupts Odysseus rare moments to remind the reader where they are and who is speaking, but especially Odysseus's report is ongoing and first-person. This amount of the lyric roles as a story-within-a-story as Odysseus gives a clear and vivid depiction of his experiences since departing Troy on what he expected would be a short journey home. As most of the poem's action has already happened by the time we first read Odysseus on Calypso's isle, this change to the first person creates those circumstances better gripping and direct than if they were related in the third person singular the narrator. The audience has the feel of sharing Odysseus' brutal battles with the Cyclops, Circe, Scylla, and Charybdis as they occur, further supporting us in Odysseus's fate. The various perspectives the verse is narrated different supply voices for the honourable problems at the heart of "The Odyssey". Odysseus meets many "hosts" on his travels, and most of them do not act by the traditions of Greek hospitality. Because we witness much of through Odysseusoint of view, we comprehend the contrast between his anticipations of hospitality versus the truth of his adventures. The gods present another viewpoint on the anticipations of hospitality. Athena, for example, battles alongside Odysseus and Telemachus to massacre the suitors as retribution for their misuse of the guest-host association. While the gods are rarely the main priority of locations within the poem, we comprehend their view on Greek values through their lecture.
The initial action that hindered many Achaeans' homecoming was creating an Achaean himself: Ajax raped the Trojan priestess Cassandra in a temple while the Greeks were looting the collapsed metropolis. That action of impulse, impiety, and idiocy carried the wrath of Athena upon the Achaean fleet and set in motion the chain of circumstances that shifted Odysseus's homecoming into prolonged suffering. It is fit that "The Odyssey" is encouraged by such an occasion, for many of the traps that Odysseus and his fellows face exist likewise blocks that arise out of human frailty and the incapability to regulate it. The surrender to trick or recklessness either enrages the gods or delights Odysseus and his crew members from their travels: they yield to hunger and massacre the Sun's communities. They devour the fruit of the lotus and forget regarding it in their houses. Even Odysseus's desire for kleos is a kind of allure. When he reveals his name to Polyphemus, he submits to it, carrying Poseidon's anger upon him and his fellas. In the case of the Sirens, the music is revisited merely for its welfare. With their ears blocked, the crew sail safely by the Sirens' isle, while Odysseus, yearning to attend the Sirens' lovely song, is rescued from foolishness only by his creative power to his crew to hold him resolved to the ship's mast. The author is intrigued with depicting his protagonist tormented by temptation. In general, Odysseus and his men desperately want to meet their nostos or homecoming, but this passion is frequently at odds with the other delights that the earth proffers.
Prematurely in "The Odyssey", Zeus presents his idea of justice. He says the gods mete out suffering somewhat, but some mortals sorrow more due to their foolish or hostile actions. In some circumstances, "The Odyssey" offers its characters sorrow due to their efforts. Polyphemus is overwhelmed after he kills several of Odysseus's gentlemen. Odysseus's men pass when they neglect the management of Odysseus and the gods not to destroy the Cattle of the Sun. The poem's most dramatic comeuppance befalls the suitors slain for humiliating Odysseus and destroying his wealth. It is questionable, however, whether the murder of the suitors is. Odysseus thinks one of the admirers, Amphinomus, is innocent. Odysseus even risks messing up his body to warn Amphinomus about the peril to his life. However, Amphinomous is murdered along with the rest of the suitors.
In other cases, "The Odyssey" shows that the gods place their pride ahead of justice unambiguously. "The Odyssey" is greatly concerned with the ethical code binding hosts to treat strangers and travellers generous. Throughout the poem, Zeus penalises anyone who disregards this regulation. When Poseidon whines to Zeus that the Phaeacians have insulted him by growing hospitality toward Odysseus, Zeus does zero to watch these excellent keepers. The Phaeacians not only offer their visitor Odysseus cover, but they also restore all his missing assets and give him a direct path home to Ithaca. The Phaecians allow Odysseus because they are good hostelers, not because they desire to block Poseidon. There is no way to know that they are offending Poseidon by doing their duty and helping a guest. However, Zeus endorses Poseidon's plan to stop the Phaecians from assisting travellers again. In assuring his fellow god, Zeus refuses judge to the blameless Phaecians.
"The Odyssey" is the highest approval of nostos, or homecoming, the idea that a heroic warrior's most significant victory arrives when he returns from battle to his own home and household. Odysseus's hardships end with the request of not one but two alternative wives and two alternative locations to live. As Calypso's spouse, Odysseus could live eternally in holy luxury. As Nausicaa's groom, Odysseus would be a prince in the wealthiest, most untroubled country he has visited. Without hesitation, he rejects both of these suggestions. He chooses Penelope and Ithaca, not necessarily because they are more reasonable, but because they are his. At the exact time, Nostos is not an uncomplicated belief in "The Odyssey". When Agamemnon bears home, he is killed by his wife. Menelaus and Helen have an unhappy marriage destined to last for all eternity. Even Odysseus's own home is troubled. Telemachus speaks harshly to Penelope and criticises her to additional individuals, even after Odysseus has produced and revealed his originality.
Nostos is only feasible if a warrior's house is always there when he returns, whole from when he departed. Therefore, what makes a home valuable in "The Odyssey" is not its happiness as much as its stability and continuity. Odysseus and Penelope are reunited when Odysseus can describe their marriage bed, which is unshakeable because it is rooted in the ground of Ithaca. Nestor means that Agamemnon is profitable, even though his wife has murdered him because his son has avenged him. What matters is the continuation of Agamemnon's family and reputation. Odysseus's homecoming is not done until he has demonstrated himself to Laertes so that Laertes can enjoy the continuity of his own family and reputation.
Although "The Odyssey" starts with the Trojan Wars that differentiate Odysseus from Ithaca and touches on warfare themes, cognitive skill is as important as material prowess to Odysseus's homecoming. Athena glorifies Odysseus for being slick, a trait she thinks herself to have as well and maybe especially willing to assist him because she respects his cognitive ability. Even Odysseus's handle, the man "of twists and turns," suggests a sense that functions cleverly and not consistently in a straightforward, honest way. Odysseus's guile is most clearly displayed in the episode with Polyphemus the Cyclops. Odysseus fools Polyphemus twice. First, Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is "Nobody," so the Cyclops is compelled to say that "nobody" is hurting him. Double, Odysseus instructs his men to conceal under the Cyclops' sheep as they leave the cave so that the now-blind Cyclops will only feel his sheep's wool as they go out the cave door. Odysseus also uses sly at the end of the poem when he hides as a beggar to discover who on Ithaca remains loyal to him after his long want.
Okay, do not get me wrong, this is an absolute masterpiece, and it was beautifully written, and I think it is a must-read for anyone. However, I couldn't get into the story. This was my first book written in ancient Greece, and I am only a bit familiar with the mythology, but this part wasn't that hard to get into. Instead, I had extreme difficulty relating to some of these characters and even like Odysseus. Sadly, I can only give this book 3 out of 5 stars, and I do not know how to feel about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Blood, War, Violence, Slavery, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexism
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Bleak House" opens in the evening of foggy London, where fog absorbs the city most densely in the Court of Chancery. The mysterious case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, in which legal expenses gradually devour an inheritance, the romance of Esther Summerson and the secrets of her origin, the sleuthing of Detective Inspector Bucket and the fate of Jo the crossing-sweeper, these are some of the lives Dickens invokes to portray London society, rich and poor, as no other novelist has accomplished.
Almost every personality in "Bleak House" is foraging for love, a search that proves to be equally rewarding and challenging. Esther calmly searches for love, even though she seems too occupied taking care of others to think much about her unrealistic situation. She abstains from concentrating on her romantic feelings in her report, often displaying her emotions only via her stammering evasions of the matter. When she willingly meets Mr Woodcourt, she hardly mentions him or relates to him, which is a stark difference from the specific medicine she offers everyone else who travels her path. Only when her quest for love is over, topping in her marrying Mr Woodcourt, does she devote straight awareness to it? Other symbols carry on their investigations more sincerely. For example, Caddy Jellyby gleefully matches Prince Turveydrop, and Rosa and Watt Rouncewell plan to wed. The quest for attachment is not victorious for everyone, and it finishes with heartbreak for some. Mr Guppy attempts and falls to evolve committed to Esther, making two stupid recommendations that Esther roundly denies. Esther takes Mr Jarndyce's proposal, but he calls off his quest for love when he realises that their devotion is not the type of love that will make Esther truly satisfied. Although she finds true love with Richard, Ada is ultimately heartbroken when Richard passes. Sometimes the search for passion is literal, and these searches never end well. For example, Lady Dedlock deliberately searches for love when she finds out her former lover is. Sir Leicester endeavours to discover Lady Dedlock when she vanishes from Chesney Wold. Whether acceptable or tragic, the search for love still proves to be a force that transforms characters dramatically.
Love is necessary and dangerous in "Bleak House", sometimes wholesome and satisfying, occasionally hazardous. Many characters realise the essence of passion for a fulfilling life. For example, Mr Jarndyce and Esther are distressed when Richard cannot find a profession. Both hope he will settle on a job that he will feel touching about, but Richard darts from one thing to the next, never finding anything truly compelling. Esther identifies the significance of attachment in love, which is why she calls as she chooses to accept Mr Jarndyce's recommendation—she adores him, but not in the touching, romantic way she was desired of a loving person. Even Mr Jarndyce comprehends the essence of passion. Although he learns he and Esther could maintain a joyful life jointly at Bleak House, he also understands their attachment is built on affection rather than desire. He unleashes her from her approval and settles her with Mr Woodcourt, who he knows is Esther's true love. Although passion is a critical element of a fulfilling life, it can be destructive when taken to an unhealthy level. Mrs Jellyby, tormented with her "mission" to support Africa, is criminally careless of her family and has pulled herself from them so much that she barely cares about Caddy's meeting and wedding. Mrs Pardiggle, the compassionate worker who forces her young sons to give up their capital for her causes, is clueless about her sons' despair and can't see that she is an unbearable person. Richard's violent passion for the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit is more sinister. He is excited about something for the first time, willing to devote himself wholeheartedly to it and make it his single goal. This passion was absent from his earlier pursuits, but it is not welcome or beneficial here. Rather than animate and benefit him, it robs him of reason, restraint, and, eventually, his life. Devotion, though essential, can be dangerous when it becomes all-consuming.
Throughout "Bleak House", the mother's position is served by women who usually are not "real" mums at all. Charley, a child herself, manages for her two young siblings, all of them orphaned and labouring. Jenny and Liz, the brickmakers' wives, watch for each other's youngsters. Liz cares for Jenny's youngest when it is ill, and after it dies, Jenny calls Liz's child her own. Lady Dedlock exposes a motherly side in her devotion to Rosa. And Mrs Rouncewell evolves a kind of mother formation to Sir Leicester when he evolves ill at the end of the fiction.
Esther is the character who best understands the designation "mother." Esther serves the role of mother for several someones, including Ada, Richard, Caddy, and Charley. To a lower capacity, she mothers Jo, Jenny's sick baby, and Peepy Jellyby—in other expressions, almost every child who travels her path. When Ada has her youngster behind Richard dies, Esther is so active in the child's upbringing that the offspring says it has two mothers. Miss Barbary and Mrs Rachael raise Esther, neither her "real" mother. Sometimes, other women tend to Esther, including Mrs Woodcourt, the woman at the inn she meets when she searches for Lady Dedlock, and, in a reversal of roles, Charley, who tends to Esther when Esther gets smallpox. Lady Dedlock, Esther's birth mother, is the least motherly figure in Esther's life. Their relations are fleeting, and though Esther sees comfort when Lady Dedlock hugs her, it is temporary. When Lady Dedlock vanishes, Esther carries up the mothering role again, frantically searching for Lady Dedlock in the middle of the night.
Secrets are about in "Bleak House". The most surprising secret belongs to Lady Dedlock, who must conceal her past violations to save her and her family's prestige. Her secret carries on a life of its own, ultimately roaring into her life and guiding her to her death. Esther has secrets, despite her ordinarily reliable narration. For example, she does not tell us directly about her emotions for Mr Woodcourt or his feelings for her, although she slips some obscure hints. Mr Jarndyce has mysteries as well. He had forever designed to make Esther his wife, although he never revealed those plans until he penned a message to her. Later, he secretly puts her reunion with Woodcourt. Some feelings are not so reasonable at preserving their mysteries. For example, Ada and Richard endeavour to hide that they are falling in love but are unsuccessful. They are more practical at hiding the fact that they got discreetly wedded. Mr Tulkinghorn and Inspector Bucket make their possession of other people's secrets. Tulkinghorn causes it his task to find out what Lady Dedlock is masking, and Bucket is charged with the task of investigating her. Their success in finding the truth means that no matter how committed one is to keeping a secret, that secret is not safe from anyone smitten with telling it.
Suicide occurs several moments in "Bleak House", and the deaths and attempted deaths emphasise the sense of sorrow at the novel's heart. First, we discover Tom Jarndyce, who committed suicide over the Jarndyce and Jarndyce suit. Indeed, the case proves dangerous to anyone who gets too wrapped up in it. Richard, who becomes obsessed with the claim at the cost of his and Ada's satisfaction and wellbeing, eventually passes. Although he did not kill himself, one could claim that he laboured himself to death. Suicide is usually directed to in passing, such as when George and Grandfather Smallweed discusses a prosperous man who tried to destroy himself and when Tulkinghorn reflects about a mate who hanged himself. When Tulkinghorn and Lady Dedlock maintain a challenging talk about the unknown, Tulkinghorn fears that Lady Dedlock will hop out the window and kill herself. When Bucket engages Mademoiselle Hortense about the killing, he fears that she'll try to jump out a window as well. Lady Dedlock finally kills herself by running into the cold night, which was undoubtedly her choice when she put out.
Children are around in "Bleak House" but rarely comfortable or sufficiently managed. First, we have the "communities of Jarndyce" themselves—Ada and Richard—sent off to a cousin they have never met. The Jellyby youngsters are woefully ignored by Mrs Jellyby, who is more concerned with her African "mission" than her household. The children are dirty, starving, unhappy, and cold. The Pardiggle children are no less painful, as their offensive mother moves them to give all their banknotes to her charities, ignorant to their displeasure. Charley and her two siblings are orphaned, and Charley, a very child, must work to sustain them. Yet, there is the street Jo, moving from establishment to establishment and still, it appears, in someone's way. Some of these offspring do find care and satisfaction:
Ada and Richard contain a happy home at Bleak House.
- Caddy Jellyby finds a gentle husband.
- Charley and last her younger sister, Emma, evolve Esther's maid.
The same cannot be articulated for Jo. He finds provisional kindness and protection at Bleak House but is quickly threatened by Bucket into leaving and dies soon after.
Let me preface this by saying this novel is a literary masterpiece. It truly deserves all the hype it is getting, especially its many metaphors, motifs, themes and symbolism; however, I think it is pretty hard to get into it, but surely worth it. I would not say it's one of my favourite books of all time. Still, I would re-read it later in life because I have read the second novel by Charles Dickens and will read more of his works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Gore, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Classism, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Suicide, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Blood