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mijtje's reviews
116 reviews
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
This is one of those books that I read and enjoyed but makes me feel like I should read it a hundred times more to get it. Which is a good thing.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Oh, silly Merricat.”
This is one of those books that I read and enjoyed but makes me feel like I should read it a hundred times more to get it. Which is a good thing.
The story is narrated by Mary Catherine (Merricat) Blackwood, who lives with her sister, her uncle, and her cat in their big mansion. They have been ostracised by the community they belonged to after a dark tragedy that played out in the mansion years before.
Merricat quickly drew me in with her childish, magical way of thinking. It’s crazy how fast this book managed to make me think “Yeah, these thoughts are logical. I get this”. However, Merricat isn’t a child. She’s 18. And pretty messed up in the head. Which was a delicacy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia
De hond van Baskerville by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In the first half of the book, I was annoyed by the whiny, gloomy, and passive main character. The writing felt like that of an angry teenager, it was all a little too smutty for my tastes, and I wasn’t expecting much. But halfway through, the book turned into a deliciously weird story that I could barely put down.
I feel like all the things that annoy me about the book were deliberate. But I’m not sure. I feel utterly manipulated by this book. Is it good writing? Is it bad writing? Is it Awad’s writing? Or the character’s? Awad plays with her language in a very smart way to drag you into the mindset of her main character.
The book is still a little too gloomy, not-like-the-other-girls, smutty to the point of sexual frustration, and edgy for me. But maybe that was part of the experience. 4/5 bunnies from me.
Recommended if you are okay with feeling detached and confused after reading this book. Side note: I am definitely never looking at bunnies the same way.
I feel like all the things that annoy me about the book were deliberate. But I’m not sure. I feel utterly manipulated by this book. Is it good writing? Is it bad writing? Is it Awad’s writing? Or the character’s? Awad plays with her language in a very smart way to drag you into the mindset of her main character.
The book is still a little too gloomy, not-like-the-other-girls, smutty to the point of sexual frustration, and edgy for me. But maybe that was part of the experience. 4/5 bunnies from me.
Recommended if you are okay with feeling detached and confused after reading this book. Side note: I am definitely never looking at bunnies the same way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm and Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Addiction, and Alcohol
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
informative
medium-paced
4.75
This book describes the challenges faced when trying to translate hieroglyphs, and how the two main characters that worked to understand them: Young and Champollion. It is a nice read, with a lot of fun facts and anecdotes that make this book much more than a historical review of the translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Probably the most fun non-fiction book I’ve read in a while.
Probably the most fun non-fiction book I’ve read in a while.
De gedaanteverwisseling by Franz Kafka
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Murder
Na de moord in Amsterdam by Ian Buruma
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
Ik verwachtte een meer hedendaagse omschrijving van tolerantie in Nederland sinds de moord op Theo Van Gogh, maar vond een historisch perspectief waar alle hoofdrolspelers uit 2004 uitgebreid besproken werden. Dat terzijde, het boek was boeiend geschreven, soms met humor.
De structuur was wel wat zoek. Het boek is verdeeld in verschillende hoofdstukken met verschillende paragrafen, maar elke keer was het weer zoeken wat nou eigenlijk de bedoeling van het hoofdstuk was, en wat de plaats in het gehele verhaal was. Dat bleef tot het einde van het boek voor een wat verloren gevoel zorgen. Ik heb het idee dat ik losse hoofdstukken heb gelezen, niet één samenhangend verhaal.
Ten slotte is het boek ook niet altijd even goed verantwoord. Buruma doet soms vrij stevige uitspraken zonder bronvermelding. Dat was af en toe wel storend, zeker gezien het gevoelige onderwerp.
De structuur was wel wat zoek. Het boek is verdeeld in verschillende hoofdstukken met verschillende paragrafen, maar elke keer was het weer zoeken wat nou eigenlijk de bedoeling van het hoofdstuk was, en wat de plaats in het gehele verhaal was. Dat bleef tot het einde van het boek voor een wat verloren gevoel zorgen. Ik heb het idee dat ik losse hoofdstukken heb gelezen, niet één samenhangend verhaal.
Ten slotte is het boek ook niet altijd even goed verantwoord. Buruma doet soms vrij stevige uitspraken zonder bronvermelding. Dat was af en toe wel storend, zeker gezien het gevoelige onderwerp.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Such a wonderful book. If I could, I would have finished it in one go.
It is a magical book and saying anything about what it’s about would be spoiling parts of it. The book drags you into an other worldly experience, and I kept wanting to go back, which I think is largely the point.
I also want to mention that the main characters is one of the most pleasant fictional characters I’ve ever read about. Love him.
It is a magical book and saying anything about what it’s about would be spoiling parts of it. The book drags you into an other worldly experience, and I kept wanting to go back, which I think is largely the point.
I also want to mention that the main characters is one of the most pleasant fictional characters I’ve ever read about. Love him.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Fascinating read. First, would I recommend it? Yes. It is a classic and fascinating story and a book that says a lot about the time it was written in. That, and I love the pretty old English that it is written in. The impact on the literary world is something that I also can't ignore. So read it for sure!
However, I can’t say I found it a very good book. It is impressive for sure, especially the themes that are intertwined with the story, but the story... often just doesn’t make sense. There are plenty of contradictions and mistakes. So the monster learned French by listening, then suddenly could READ French, then could READ German at the same time as well, but couldn't understand spoken German? Mistakes like these aren’t a problem in a book like this (which, surprise surprise, isn't super realistic). However, Shelley does her very best to make the story make sense, in a way that sometimes feels like she’s trying too hard. Because of this, these oversights are pretty obvious. It made the reading experience pretty annoying, especially in the beginning.
Also, dear mr Frankenstein, stop fainting and almost dying all the time. Seriously.