lit_terary's reviews
499 reviews

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

3.0

This was cute, I guess? As a child I loved the movies, and in comparison this was a bit underdeveloped, strangely so. The world building is a bit lacking, but this being a children book I'm not that bothered. I enjoyed the characters, with the exception of the oh-so-righteous Aslan. Lewis sure was a conservative, judgemental prick, I can tell that now. Jeez.

The King of Crows by Libba Bray

3.0

[IN-DEPTH RTC]

Not gonna lie, utterly disappointed. This was a very anticlimactic finale and it brought nothing new, no development from book 3. Bray struggled with plot construction and didn't manage to keep thing interesting and fresh. So much filler content, so much that I feel like this book didn't need to exist. Can't give it less than 3/5, though, it’s still Libba Bray, and even her mediocricy is above average.

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

3.0

It pains me to say it, but, once again, the movie adaptation is better than this. A bit underdeveloped in many areas, mainly world building and characters, which is probably due to the target audience. All in all, it was rather pleasurable, but I'm starting to despise Aslan and the whole catholic metaphor. it's honestly getting heavy and unnecessary. Onto the next!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

3.0

Well, it can't be a C. S. Lewis book if there isn't at least one sexist/misoginistc remark, lol. Putting *that* aside, this one was rather pleasurable. Still appallingly average and simple, but it's eventful and fast-paced, which makes it kind of good for a children book. To my delight, Aslan appearances and christian metaphors were reduced to a minimum. Few points for that.

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

2.0

(Finally finished a book, omg) This was so mediocre at best. I didn't enjoy it as well as I enjoyed the others, don't exactly know why. The whole quest was really underwhelming and anticlimactic, and the characters especially bland and two-dimensional. The catholic metaphor is also SO heavy in this one. I can't handle this shit anymore.

The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro

2.0

I'm very sorry to be giving this such a low rating, but it completely missed the mark for me. Mostly, I failed to see the point of each story, and what ties them together. To me it felt like random recollections that were headed nowhere, not even gripping enough to keep me engaged/interested. I did appreciate the concept of mixing fiction and biography, though.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

4.0

Actually impressed by how gripped, engaged and intrigued I was throughout the whoe read despite me knowing 100% of the plot. The short length, the simplicity of the story and the complex characterization were more than enough to keep me enthralled. The writing was also delightful to say the least, not over-flowery, and with just a light touch of pretentiousness.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

1.0

This book is pointless. Painstakingly uneventful, with a barely-there plot, I swear, there’s nothing holding this together. An absolute void, a black-hole. Seriously though, I feel like I can't stress this enough: nothing happens. There’s no story-line, no direction, no purpose. Nothing. The idea (or at the least the seed of it) could've been interesting if properly developed, but saying that the author did the bare minimum with it would be an understatement. The “world” is shockingly unexplored and underdeveloped, and what is the poing of this book if you’re not willing to spend time on its world-building? I’m at a loss of words. This was a waste of time and pages. Sad. Hoping they made a better job with the adaptation.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

3.0

It was ok. I was expecting a little more history and a little less (melo)drama.

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

3.0

I swear, I was *this* close to the right solution, but somehow, as always, Agatha had been one step ahed of me the entire time. I don't know why, but I still find her mysteries very enticing and compelling despite the fact that Christie seldom uses the same formulas and ingredients. Her talent lies in her capacity to always deliver thanks to her wit and cleverness.
Also, Poirot + Hastings are the best duo ever. Pure comedy.