redheadreading's reviews
2111 reviews

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A perplexing little play - neither fully one thing nor another which makes it interesting to discuss! Cleopatra's final speech is glorious but I wish there was so much more of her throughout. There were some really comic moments here in between very historic and political scenes and really not as much tragic elements as I expected given the title. Really enjoyed looking at the different ways people betray and the way the concept of loyalty manifests, but not a play I can say I truly love. 

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I strongly dislike Florentino Ariza but I do love how Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes, so here we are!! Marquez writes with such stream of consciousness style that creates this slightly removed ephemeral feeling but then also focuses intensely on the body and its happenings (in terms of both love and cholera!) that you feel both outside of reality but also deeply rooted in the practicality of existence. The magical side of magical realism felt a lot stronger in the first half which I think is one of the reasons why I preferred that.

Didn't like this as much as 100 Years of Solitude - I think the sense of the town outside of time, the circularity of repetition etc was so effective in that which made the "yikes" elements of the plot work because that sense of sins repeating through generations etc is the whole point. With this, the more straightforward romance plotline meant that all the "yikes" parts felt so jarring and I really can't get past those horrid aspects. 

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

funny lighthearted medium-paced

3.25

Should have been gaaaaay! Listened to a full cast recording of this on Twelfth Night which was a fun little thing to do. I enjoy the gender play and hidden identity aspect, the Malvolio and "comedic" side plots weren't really my jam. 

Selected Poems by J.B. Leishman, Rainer Maria Rilke

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

The earlier part of the collection which has shorter poetry with lots of rhyme didn't entice me and led me to wonder if I've left it too long to return to Rilke and whether my taste has changed. Then the long and emotive poems hit and I was in heaven! Highlights for me are 'Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes', 'First Elegy', 'Ninth Elegy' and 'For Wolf Graf von Kalckreuth'. I just want to sit in Rilke's verse as he delves into grief, existence, purpose and ponders things philosophically - it is so so gorgeous. 

Just Sayin': My Life In Words by Malorie Blackman

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Agree so strongly with so much of what Blackman says, particularly about children's access to education, representation, the arts, etc. I knew very little about her so it was really interesting to discover more about her life, particularly the insights into her writing. I've not really explored her fiction so will he picking up Noughts and Crosses soon to start dabbling! My only critique is that sometimes it was a smidge confusing being given info in a non-chronological format. Because she had spoken about her husband earlier focusing on more recent history, when she then went back in time later and discussed the start of their relationship I got confused and was like "why is she kissing this random man when she's already married?" My fault probably for working while listening to the audiobook lmao!

On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Really love the Xuya universe - the more you read the series, the more you flesh out your understanding of the worldbuilding and it's just so freaking cool! Vietnamese history inspired scifi with sentient spaceships, what more could you want? I always love reading the descriptions of settings (overlays lend themselves to some really cool things) and as ever her descriptions of food are mouth-watering. 
 The plot of this one isn't my favourite in the series - I tired of how much of it revolves around two seemingly intelligent women just virulently hating each other and arguing. I think I prefer the ones that are more mysteru-based or more explicitly political. This has made me want to reread The Citadel of Weeping Pearls because I can't quite remember the role Linh has and it was one of my faves from the series so far. 

The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age by Simon Schama

informative slow-paced

3.5

Extremely thorough and encompassing, just a little dense and dry for my personal taste.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Extremely cool world which I would love to understand a bit better (I can imagine sequels will potentially give more info on the history of the clans/countries, I just want to understand more about what certain things mean/how certain powers work/what the Watchers do/the sense of history/all that jazz) and a bold opening scene. Quite slow pacing-wise and a lot more focus on a romance plotline than I anticipated. Certainly lots of intriguing elements, I did chafe against the pacing at times and would have loved more of a resolution to, well, anything!! For my first Roanhorse, I have had a fun time, still deciding whether to continue the series or try her others. 

If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho by Sappho

emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

Imagine being so good that even tiny fragments of your writing are knockouts?? Really loved reading all the translator notes at the end. 

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

A very fun engagement with the murder mystery genre (albeit with a very straightforward writing style), that one line reveal was cracking!