Scan barcode
tiltedpages's reviews
29 reviews
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Just imagine how ethereal it would feel if life bestowed you with an opportunity to devote yourself in the world of books giving you a break from its unpleasant realities. You are living in a bookshop amidst a mountain of musty old books; reading, sleeping, taking walks, socializing, sipping coffee and falling in love in between. How magical the whole affair sounds like? this is how 'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' effortlessly seized the attention of all booklovers. It is nothing but the whole aura of the book that fascinated me although it appeared a bit exotic. Nevertheless it was a sweet, fast-paced, soul-soothing and a hopeful narrative of a young woman whose life took a sudden halt in the hustle and bustle of a city redirected its way back to her roots. She ended up in an old used bookshop owned by her uncle with whom she kept a grudge all the years. However it is where her real life began.
Find some quotes I fall in love with:
"I don't think it really matters whether you know a lot about books or not. I don't know that much myself. But I think what matters far more with a book is how if affects you."
"Maybe it takes a long time to figure out what you're truly searching for. Maybe you spend your whole life just to figure out a small part of it."
"Don't be afraid to love someone. When you fall in love, I want you to fall in love all the way. Even if it ends in heartache, please don't live a lonely life without love. Love is wonderful. Those memories of people you love, they never disappear. They go on warming your heart as long as you live."
~ fathima
Find some quotes I fall in love with:
"I don't think it really matters whether you know a lot about books or not. I don't know that much myself. But I think what matters far more with a book is how if affects you."
"Maybe it takes a long time to figure out what you're truly searching for. Maybe you spend your whole life just to figure out a small part of it."
"Don't be afraid to love someone. When you fall in love, I want you to fall in love all the way. Even if it ends in heartache, please don't live a lonely life without love. Love is wonderful. Those memories of people you love, they never disappear. They go on warming your heart as long as you live."
~ fathima
Sugarbread by Balli Kaur Jaswal
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"It is important to forgive others for their mistakes because we too yearns for forgiveness."
"Everybody wants to prove they are right all along, even if the whole world says they're not."
Ten year-old Pin is all confused. She couldn't figure out the imbalance between her ma and grandma. Her love towards her ma seems obstinate. She couldn't resist bombarding her dad with impulsive yet serious questions.
She can't get along with her racist friends and annoying teachers. She couldn't understand the point in following the restrictions imposed by her religion.She is playing hide and seek with God as she is getting more and more anxious each passing day at home and school.
It's the story of a girl and her mother born and brought up in a middle class household who struggles to get along easily with life. The brilliance of the narrative lies in it's ability to catch up with every nuances of such a family in it's little to complicated details. It felt like a revisit to my own childhood living with parents and the innocence in thinking what mattered the most is their happiness and well-being.
Balli Kaur Jaswal's 'Sugarbread' is an outstanding piece of literature that meticulously squeezes the essence of racism, sexism, misogyny and religious supremacy cemented to the foundation of a society. It is hard to believe how cultural and religious mismatches swallow the aspect of humanity and compassion among people. We all are raised in a manner in which sticking to a specific set of values and traditions are considered paramount that further imposes stringent rules in many aspects of our life. Did you ever think of questioning this trend? How many of us can break this chain abruptly? How many times we questioned the necessity of doing things in an expected way? Did you ever get a rational, legitimate or precise answer to this question? Reading this book helped me realize a lot about it.
"Everybody wants to prove they are right all along, even if the whole world says they're not."
Ten year-old Pin is all confused. She couldn't figure out the imbalance between her ma and grandma. Her love towards her ma seems obstinate. She couldn't resist bombarding her dad with impulsive yet serious questions.
She can't get along with her racist friends and annoying teachers. She couldn't understand the point in following the restrictions imposed by her religion.She is playing hide and seek with God as she is getting more and more anxious each passing day at home and school.
It's the story of a girl and her mother born and brought up in a middle class household who struggles to get along easily with life. The brilliance of the narrative lies in it's ability to catch up with every nuances of such a family in it's little to complicated details. It felt like a revisit to my own childhood living with parents and the innocence in thinking what mattered the most is their happiness and well-being.
Balli Kaur Jaswal's 'Sugarbread' is an outstanding piece of literature that meticulously squeezes the essence of racism, sexism, misogyny and religious supremacy cemented to the foundation of a society. It is hard to believe how cultural and religious mismatches swallow the aspect of humanity and compassion among people. We all are raised in a manner in which sticking to a specific set of values and traditions are considered paramount that further imposes stringent rules in many aspects of our life. Did you ever think of questioning this trend? How many of us can break this chain abruptly? How many times we questioned the necessity of doing things in an expected way? Did you ever get a rational, legitimate or precise answer to this question? Reading this book helped me realize a lot about it.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
// On earth we're briefly gorgeous //
"Sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined."
"You once told me that the human eye is god's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil and still it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesn't even know there's another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hungry, as empty."
"When does a war end? When can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not what you left behind?"
"They say nothing lasts forever but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it."
"A person beside a person inside a life. That's called parataxis. That's called the future."
"If, relative to the history of our planet, an individual life is so short, a blink of an eye, as they say, then to be gorgeous, even from the day you're born to the day you die, is to be gorgeous only briefly."
"Do you remember the happiest day of your life? What about the saddest? Do you ever wonder if sadness and happiness can be combined, to make a deep purple feeling, not good, not bad, but remarkable simply because you didn't have to live on one side or the other?"
"Everything good is always somewhere else."
"Sometimes, when I'm careless, I think survival is easy : you just keep moving forward with what you have or what's left of what you were given, until something changes - or you realize, at last, that you can change without disappearing, that all you had to do was wait until the storm passes you over and you find that - yes your name is still attached to a living thing."
"three people on the floor, connected to each other by touch, made something like the word family."
If there is any book I would like to revisit, this one tops the list. It must've been beautiful with its lyrical rhythm and the absolute mundanity of a war-torn country and its memories cascading the depths of human minds. But as of now, I couldn't love it for the same reason. However, it left me with a hope, let me embrace the hope and come back.
"Sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined."
"You once told me that the human eye is god's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil and still it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesn't even know there's another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hungry, as empty."
"When does a war end? When can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not what you left behind?"
"They say nothing lasts forever but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it."
"A person beside a person inside a life. That's called parataxis. That's called the future."
"If, relative to the history of our planet, an individual life is so short, a blink of an eye, as they say, then to be gorgeous, even from the day you're born to the day you die, is to be gorgeous only briefly."
"Do you remember the happiest day of your life? What about the saddest? Do you ever wonder if sadness and happiness can be combined, to make a deep purple feeling, not good, not bad, but remarkable simply because you didn't have to live on one side or the other?"
"Everything good is always somewhere else."
"Sometimes, when I'm careless, I think survival is easy : you just keep moving forward with what you have or what's left of what you were given, until something changes - or you realize, at last, that you can change without disappearing, that all you had to do was wait until the storm passes you over and you find that - yes your name is still attached to a living thing."
"three people on the floor, connected to each other by touch, made something like the word family."
If there is any book I would like to revisit, this one tops the list. It must've been beautiful with its lyrical rhythm and the absolute mundanity of a war-torn country and its memories cascading the depths of human minds. But as of now, I couldn't love it for the same reason. However, it left me with a hope, let me embrace the hope and come back.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
challenging
dark
informative
fast-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
It's darkness over there. Choatic slums. Unkempt households. Men leaving home for hard labour. Women taking care of the family. Trucks loading and unloading hundreds of human labour a day. Schoolteachers stealing lunch money. Boys given no identity contrived to work in local shops. Girls having no access to schools left behind as home makers and forced to child marriage, exploited by the dowry system. Families sharing a single room, no tasty meals were served, no fine suits were seen or worn. Humans left to death in haphazard hospital pavements. Huge mansions built and kept-up for landlords who are nothing less than animals. Unfulfilled promises of the politicians during elections. Corruption, abuse and mistreatment in the air.
It's light over there. Bungalows standing proudly on either side of the luxurious villas. Deluxe cars embellish the elegant courtyards. Politicians marching to and from the mansions. Servants bowing politely before their masters. Men in white rule the kingdom. Women in their charismatic outfits flutter around as butterflies. The seductive aroma of money and power pervades the mansions. Decisions taken purely based on religion and caste. Men and women leisurely stroll around malls, parties and night outs. Nepotism, inequality and materialism creates a smokescreen over democracy and human values.
This is India ! Two countries in one: an India of darkness brought by the river and an India of light brought by the ocean. No one, absolutely no one can resist this fact about our country. It is well cemented in the sociopolitical structure that precisely draws a line between the rich and the poor. It is what 'The white tiger' is all about, a subtly written classic that catches every nuance of India and its people ranging from afflicted to affluent in its flawless, authentic and unfiltered form. An excellent, darkly humorous, fast-paced, and character-driven narrative that kept moving a step ahead my anticipations. There is a kind of awakening in this whole chronicle of Balram, an awakening to rise from the feet and stand straight to achieve anything an Indian has dreamt of irrespective of all the tussles and humiliations he has to undergo in the process. I loved the book for this one solid reason !
It's light over there. Bungalows standing proudly on either side of the luxurious villas. Deluxe cars embellish the elegant courtyards. Politicians marching to and from the mansions. Servants bowing politely before their masters. Men in white rule the kingdom. Women in their charismatic outfits flutter around as butterflies. The seductive aroma of money and power pervades the mansions. Decisions taken purely based on religion and caste. Men and women leisurely stroll around malls, parties and night outs. Nepotism, inequality and materialism creates a smokescreen over democracy and human values.
This is India ! Two countries in one: an India of darkness brought by the river and an India of light brought by the ocean. No one, absolutely no one can resist this fact about our country. It is well cemented in the sociopolitical structure that precisely draws a line between the rich and the poor. It is what 'The white tiger' is all about, a subtly written classic that catches every nuance of India and its people ranging from afflicted to affluent in its flawless, authentic and unfiltered form. An excellent, darkly humorous, fast-paced, and character-driven narrative that kept moving a step ahead my anticipations. There is a kind of awakening in this whole chronicle of Balram, an awakening to rise from the feet and stand straight to achieve anything an Indian has dreamt of irrespective of all the tussles and humiliations he has to undergo in the process. I loved the book for this one solid reason !
The Night Train at Deoli and Other Stories by Ruskin Bond
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I lay down on the floor in preference to the cot. I liked the touch of things, the touch of a cool floor on a hot day; the touch of earth - soft, grassy, grass was good, especially dew-drenched grass. Wet earth, too was soft, sensuous and smelt nice; splashing through puddles and streams."
"I knew that I was free, that I always had been free. Only my own weakness, hesitation, and the habits that had grown around me had held me back. All I had to do was to sit in a bus and go somewhere."
"Yesterday I was sad, and tomorrow I might be sad again, but today I know that I am happy. I want to live on and on. One lifetime cannot satisfy my heart."
"And then the rains were over and it was October; I could lie in the sun, on sweet-smelling grass, and gaze up through a pattern of oak leaves into a blinding blue heaven. And I would praise God for leaves and grass and the smell of things, the smell of mint and bruised clover, and the touch of things - the touch of grass and air and sky, the touch of the sky’s blueness."
"A blessing rests on the house where falls the shadow of a tree."
It became more like a tradition reading Ruskin Bond in the beginning of a year as I found his books impeccable for this season. It promises new hopes and aspirations to life. 'The night train at Deoli' isn't an exception. It is a collection of short stories that touches the memories of the author surrounding his childhood, adulthood and old age well-spent in the outskirts of Himalayas. Having read over ten books by Ruskin Bond, I get accustomed to many of his stories that came repeating in multiple books. Still, I couldn't skip a chapter as reading them again was such a delight. I keep coming back to his stories on the bright days of summer and the pleasant twilights of spring.
"I knew that I was free, that I always had been free. Only my own weakness, hesitation, and the habits that had grown around me had held me back. All I had to do was to sit in a bus and go somewhere."
"Yesterday I was sad, and tomorrow I might be sad again, but today I know that I am happy. I want to live on and on. One lifetime cannot satisfy my heart."
"And then the rains were over and it was October; I could lie in the sun, on sweet-smelling grass, and gaze up through a pattern of oak leaves into a blinding blue heaven. And I would praise God for leaves and grass and the smell of things, the smell of mint and bruised clover, and the touch of things - the touch of grass and air and sky, the touch of the sky’s blueness."
"A blessing rests on the house where falls the shadow of a tree."
It became more like a tradition reading Ruskin Bond in the beginning of a year as I found his books impeccable for this season. It promises new hopes and aspirations to life. 'The night train at Deoli' isn't an exception. It is a collection of short stories that touches the memories of the author surrounding his childhood, adulthood and old age well-spent in the outskirts of Himalayas. Having read over ten books by Ruskin Bond, I get accustomed to many of his stories that came repeating in multiple books. Still, I couldn't skip a chapter as reading them again was such a delight. I keep coming back to his stories on the bright days of summer and the pleasant twilights of spring.
The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond
3.0
Read this simple, elegant and sweet tale of a girl who falls for a pretty blue umbrella.More than that, the book put emphasis on the art of giving and taking.It has elements of compassion, innocence, greediness, jealousy and generosity.Having read over ten books by Ruskin Bond, this one was the shortest and the most lucid.Glad I started and ended last year with him.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-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
3.5
A man called Ove. Grumpy old sod according to his neighbours. Reverent and dutiful according to his co-workers. Solid yet sweet according to his love. He is a man of simplicity and austere. He is uptight and diligent. He is enthusiastic about cars and construction works. He lives a slow and methodical life. He is disciplined, down to earth and clever. He is cranky, humorous and straight-forward. He is less demanding when it comes to life; a house where things go wrong at regular intervals, a faithful woman, a job with a proper schedule and a well-functioning car. He grew taciturn and adorkable living most of his life alone. Time has played tricks on him, some years were empty, and then he came across some other years which were everything, the best days of his entire life. Perhaps Sonja, Rune, Parvaneh, the kids, the cat, Adrain can be those best years of his life.
Well, I think I missed experiencing the hype of the book, it's definitely a heart-warming tale encompassing the daily life of an utterly ill-tempered old man with a good heart and stiff-necked values. Besides that, I felt nothing special about Ove. It was Parvaneh who made the book a little cheerful with her crazy things. I really appreciate her consistent efforts that eased Ove a bit. I was wondering why someone needs to be this much unforgiving if everyone around them genuinely wishes to make them smile a little wide? Is there anything wrong with it? Maybe Ove has reached an age where there is more to look back on, while looking back evokes memories of all the losses he carried on the way and the grief followed. People like Ove should be observed in silence and approached with patience to understand them properly. Glad the book turned out to be in line with my expectations.
Well, I think I missed experiencing the hype of the book, it's definitely a heart-warming tale encompassing the daily life of an utterly ill-tempered old man with a good heart and stiff-necked values. Besides that, I felt nothing special about Ove. It was Parvaneh who made the book a little cheerful with her crazy things. I really appreciate her consistent efforts that eased Ove a bit. I was wondering why someone needs to be this much unforgiving if everyone around them genuinely wishes to make them smile a little wide? Is there anything wrong with it? Maybe Ove has reached an age where there is more to look back on, while looking back evokes memories of all the losses he carried on the way and the grief followed. People like Ove should be observed in silence and approached with patience to understand them properly. Glad the book turned out to be in line with my expectations.
If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A thirty-year old postman finds himself dying soon on a fine day.He has offered one more day to live if he gets rid of one thing from the world.From next day, he started thinking about his existence and the impact it has in the world around him.There begins a journey to himself, to his incomplete stories, to his secluded emotions.Believe me, this is such a sweet narrative ! it points to the normal life of a normal human being who has been raised in an ordinary family leading a simple living.
Living in a single apartment accompanied by a cat, the protagonist looks mundane, he seems to have untold stories, he looks abandoned, he confines himself to his own world, he speaks less like his father, he has the innocence of his mother, he loves collecting stamps and imagining about the pictures in it, he has less people to talk to or to think about; his ex-girlfriend with whom he watched movies and took errands throughout the city, an old friend who sells dvds, his father who runs a clock-repair shop on the other side of the town, his mother whom he loved the most and the two cats that lived with the family.
When I grew older reading books, I could feel how I adore such simple themes that seem more real, more relatable and more close to normal life.I desperately needed such a story at this point in my life, I took it slow, completely indulging in the piece of literature I'm in, learning and unlearning things, it was a memorable and an amazing journey.Post the journey, I could feel I'm one among the eight billion humans, feeling as simple as a drop in the ocean, what I can have is a happy life with no more regrets, satisfied with who I'm and how I've lived.
Living in a single apartment accompanied by a cat, the protagonist looks mundane, he seems to have untold stories, he looks abandoned, he confines himself to his own world, he speaks less like his father, he has the innocence of his mother, he loves collecting stamps and imagining about the pictures in it, he has less people to talk to or to think about; his ex-girlfriend with whom he watched movies and took errands throughout the city, an old friend who sells dvds, his father who runs a clock-repair shop on the other side of the town, his mother whom he loved the most and the two cats that lived with the family.
When I grew older reading books, I could feel how I adore such simple themes that seem more real, more relatable and more close to normal life.I desperately needed such a story at this point in my life, I took it slow, completely indulging in the piece of literature I'm in, learning and unlearning things, it was a memorable and an amazing journey.Post the journey, I could feel I'm one among the eight billion humans, feeling as simple as a drop in the ocean, what I can have is a happy life with no more regrets, satisfied with who I'm and how I've lived.
An Educated Woman In Prostitution: A Memoir of Lust, Exploitation, Deceit by Manada Devi
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Women in prostitution are often beheld with a frown in Indian society.We aren't oblivious to the woeful stories encompassing prostituted women that are lately bought into notice in popular articles and television shows.Prostitution isn't a modern term, it is evidently cemented to the cultural history of India that is allied to devotion and workship in Hindu community later flourished to Muslim and British era.
'An educated woman in prostitution' is a meticulous narrative that scrutinizes the moral system of the Bengal society pre-independance.Manada has born into a respectable and prosperous family with the purview for higher education and fortune.Manada's enthusiasm for knowledge and enlightenment brought her to the world of literature and cinema.I still wondered how a woman from such an opulent culture can end up in prostitution.
It is the same question that haunted her thereafter, she herself asks why she abandoned her home.From the lifestyle she has been indulged herself in, one can effortlessly spot the fragility of her circumstances.Neglected by parental affections, lost herself amidst vigorous young men, bewitched by immature carnality and temptations in the onset of womanhood, unleashing her imaginations drifting in the trance of love stories and poetry left her astray.
I was wondering how paralyzed girls are at that tender age without the right guardianship from people of virtue, it makes them easily vulnerable to misuse and deceit.It is the same happened with Manada, she was beguiled by desire that had taken leave of her education and intelligence.
It is worthwhile to notice that the memoir is written in a time period where patriarchy took deep roots in the households, child marriage and child birth were practiced ruthlessly and the cursed caste system shaded its dark clouds over the society.Manada's life as a prostitute was dedicated to create a social reform that will transition the outlook of people towards the women in prostitution.Her memoir is nothing other than a revelation of the evil spirits persisting in the society and shattering the myths that enfolds it.
'An educated woman in prostitution' is a meticulous narrative that scrutinizes the moral system of the Bengal society pre-independance.Manada has born into a respectable and prosperous family with the purview for higher education and fortune.Manada's enthusiasm for knowledge and enlightenment brought her to the world of literature and cinema.I still wondered how a woman from such an opulent culture can end up in prostitution.
It is the same question that haunted her thereafter, she herself asks why she abandoned her home.From the lifestyle she has been indulged herself in, one can effortlessly spot the fragility of her circumstances.Neglected by parental affections, lost herself amidst vigorous young men, bewitched by immature carnality and temptations in the onset of womanhood, unleashing her imaginations drifting in the trance of love stories and poetry left her astray.
I was wondering how paralyzed girls are at that tender age without the right guardianship from people of virtue, it makes them easily vulnerable to misuse and deceit.It is the same happened with Manada, she was beguiled by desire that had taken leave of her education and intelligence.
It is worthwhile to notice that the memoir is written in a time period where patriarchy took deep roots in the households, child marriage and child birth were practiced ruthlessly and the cursed caste system shaded its dark clouds over the society.Manada's life as a prostitute was dedicated to create a social reform that will transition the outlook of people towards the women in prostitution.Her memoir is nothing other than a revelation of the evil spirits persisting in the society and shattering the myths that enfolds it.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
"Please forgive me if I've done anything bad to you in this lifetime" says my grannie to him.
"Why do you need to be forgiven for sins that you haven't done? It was me who mistreated you, It is me who should ask your forgiveness" my grandpa replied while he was at that late stages of his life in a hospital room.
He desperately needed my grannie's attention those days, they had the most profound conversations for the whole days and nights like they didn't talk to each other in all those years they lived together.It is the damn truth ! their conjugal life was absolutely obnoxious especially hers was utterly abusive, he traumatized her physically, emotionally and in almost all ways possible.When I asked her what kept her swimming in the dark, her answer was "the child."When I asked the child what his childhood felt like, his answer was "terrible."It is about women, she is addictive when it comes to love, she has her own reasoning to keep someone in her life if she intends to, she can move the mountains for that one person simply because of love and that's exactly how she embraces her family with all its contradictions.
Reality can take two different dimensions, one is to stay and confront the torture, the other is to walk away and start over.Believe me, both the decisions are hard, one should have an invincible degree of courage to choose either of the two and no one other than the wounded will ever understand the reasons for her choice.Lily says "how easy it is for humans to make judgements when we're standing on the outside of a situation.I spent years judging my mother's situation.It's easy when we're on the outside to believe that we would walk away without a second thought if a person mistreated us.It's easy to say we couldn't continue to love someone who mistreats us when we aren't the ones feeling the love of that person." Stop being judgemental when someone happened to choose one of the two options, they might have put their whole feelings to that final decision, they might have gone through days and nights of thinking, they might have sacrificed themselves in the whole process, they might be tired of crying, they might have gone through a million emotions at a time, they might have that tiny beacon of hope when they chose to move forward.
/Spoiler alert/
'It ends with us' is an engrossing tale about the journey of Lily Bloom from an abusive childhood to an abusive marriage which she never braced her for.It is all about her life as a teenager witnessing her mother being tortured by her father and the unexpected intimacy she shared with Atlas.She ended up with Ryle and the tragedy that followed took her somewhere with absolute hollowness.The story grew fascinating each passing day which I never expected it would be.When someone asked me who was your favourite character, I would say it is Atlas surpassing Lily.I simply fall for his humbleness, loyalty and demeanour.I don't really want to label the book as a tragic one, it is not ! it has everything, it is bitter sometimes but more than that, it is sweeter.I'm damn happy about the ending, just wanted to say good bye to all those sleep deprived nights and simply wishing them a happily ever after !
"Why do you need to be forgiven for sins that you haven't done? It was me who mistreated you, It is me who should ask your forgiveness" my grandpa replied while he was at that late stages of his life in a hospital room.
He desperately needed my grannie's attention those days, they had the most profound conversations for the whole days and nights like they didn't talk to each other in all those years they lived together.It is the damn truth ! their conjugal life was absolutely obnoxious especially hers was utterly abusive, he traumatized her physically, emotionally and in almost all ways possible.When I asked her what kept her swimming in the dark, her answer was "the child."When I asked the child what his childhood felt like, his answer was "terrible."It is about women, she is addictive when it comes to love, she has her own reasoning to keep someone in her life if she intends to, she can move the mountains for that one person simply because of love and that's exactly how she embraces her family with all its contradictions.
Reality can take two different dimensions, one is to stay and confront the torture, the other is to walk away and start over.Believe me, both the decisions are hard, one should have an invincible degree of courage to choose either of the two and no one other than the wounded will ever understand the reasons for her choice.Lily says "how easy it is for humans to make judgements when we're standing on the outside of a situation.I spent years judging my mother's situation.It's easy when we're on the outside to believe that we would walk away without a second thought if a person mistreated us.It's easy to say we couldn't continue to love someone who mistreats us when we aren't the ones feeling the love of that person." Stop being judgemental when someone happened to choose one of the two options, they might have put their whole feelings to that final decision, they might have gone through days and nights of thinking, they might have sacrificed themselves in the whole process, they might be tired of crying, they might have gone through a million emotions at a time, they might have that tiny beacon of hope when they chose to move forward.
/Spoiler alert/
'It ends with us' is an engrossing tale about the journey of Lily Bloom from an abusive childhood to an abusive marriage which she never braced her for.It is all about her life as a teenager witnessing her mother being tortured by her father and the unexpected intimacy she shared with Atlas.She ended up with Ryle and the tragedy that followed took her somewhere with absolute hollowness.The story grew fascinating each passing day which I never expected it would be.When someone asked me who was your favourite character, I would say it is Atlas surpassing Lily.I simply fall for his humbleness, loyalty and demeanour.I don't really want to label the book as a tragic one, it is not ! it has everything, it is bitter sometimes but more than that, it is sweeter.I'm damn happy about the ending, just wanted to say good bye to all those sleep deprived nights and simply wishing them a happily ever after !