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vacanthungarian's reviews
40 reviews
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A love story in its essence with strong religious tones. Though it is beautifully written, it was not my kind of book. If you look for romance, this is the one for you. Admittedly, there is a lot more to be taken from the story than "childhood sweethearts discover love again" and it pays to read between the lines.
Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny by Eric Butler, Eric Butler
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Gore. Much gore. It gets a bit rapey at some point..
Ok, so bear in mind that an in-depth, well structured story line can't exactly be crammed into 53 pages.
It's a short palate cleanser between the more serious books. Worth it.
Ok, so bear in mind that an in-depth, well structured story line can't exactly be crammed into 53 pages.
It's a short palate cleanser between the more serious books. Worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Cursing
Harvest by Jim Crace
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It is a quiet, unassuming book. It's not about being dramatic or shocking..
or the predictably unpredictable plot twist that occurs circa 75% of nearly all books. It stands apart from all that. A beautifully written sad story of how progress for one ends the world of another. Of how people can be so wrapped up in their world, that they don't see others as a reflection of themselves. How one man seeks only to be part of a world that he wasn't born to. We see this behaviour even in modern times, where working class people consider others to be outsiders, different, for one reason or another, failing to see them as... Just another working class person. Like themselves. Anyway, it's a great read. So much reflection to be had. A real message. I love it.
Ps. No teenagers saved the world.
or the predictably unpredictable plot twist that occurs circa 75% of nearly all books. It stands apart from all that. A beautifully written sad story of how progress for one ends the world of another. Of how people can be so wrapped up in their world, that they don't see others as a reflection of themselves. How one man seeks only to be part of a world that he wasn't born to. We see this behaviour even in modern times, where working class people consider others to be outsiders, different, for one reason or another, failing to see them as... Just another working class person. Like themselves. Anyway, it's a great read. So much reflection to be had. A real message. I love it.
Ps. No teenagers saved the world.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A beautiful story of instinct, growth and adaptation.
I kind of went in blind with limited knowledge of what the book was about. So it was a pretty big surprise that the protagonist was in fact a dog. I genuinely didn't expect this book to be so great! Highly recommended.
I kind of went in blind with limited knowledge of what the book was about. So it was a pretty big surprise that the protagonist was in fact a dog. I genuinely didn't expect this book to be so great! Highly recommended.
Incel by Matt Duchossoy
dark
tense
fast-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
4.0
So this was my first indie. To me, as a woman, the subject matter is of course the true definition of horror. So this book certainly hit the mark in completely bypassing all clichés. Very original and keeping the reader interested. I was a little bit blindsided by some scenes that were actually spectacularly graphic and extremely hard to read. Overall, it's a great read if you've got a strong stomach.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Murder
No, really. It's a difficult read.
Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings by Henry N. Beard, Douglas C. Kenney, The Harvard Lampoon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
3.25
Ok... So. If you liked spaceballs, this book is for you. If you like off the wall slapstick comedy, this book is for you. On the scale of 1 to Terry Pratchett, this is Douglas Adams level of forced humour.
Alright, I'll be fair. It's not that terrible in terms of writing. Occasionally the author(s) got a little carried away with trying to cram as much funny description in as possible, that they kind of dragged it out needlessly.
But it is readable. But also a bit stupid.
Not my cuppa. Maybe if I was 8.
Alright, I'll be fair. It's not that terrible in terms of writing. Occasionally the author(s) got a little carried away with trying to cram as much funny description in as possible, that they kind of dragged it out needlessly.
But it is readable. But also a bit stupid.
Not my cuppa. Maybe if I was 8.
Before Adam by Jack London
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A nice little story of a different kind of man. I really appreciated the ease of reading (for a classic) and to find such a simple, uncomplicated story for a change. I'm not going to bore myself by trying to dissect some kind of meaning and bring theories about dreams and instinct in o it. Just appreciate the story for what it is. A story.
The Iron Heel by Jack London
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald
fast-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
3.5
A nice little quick read. I feel like I got it out of a Sunday supplement in the Guardian or something. The style is typical of Fitzgerald with generous helpings of excessive description that takes so long, the reader will lose focus and forget what the point was.
I guess it's Fitzgerald's way of looking at the "formerly wealthy and glamorous" instead of his usual affluent characters. Didn't entertain it for very long though, with the novel weighing in at 70-something pages.
Still, it was a nice little book.
I guess it's Fitzgerald's way of looking at the "formerly wealthy and glamorous" instead of his usual affluent characters. Didn't entertain it for very long though, with the novel weighing in at 70-something pages.
Still, it was a nice little book.
The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Novel for Serious People by Charles Osborne, Oscar Wilde
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A great little novel version of the famous play.
Largely revolving around two men, both having invented a person as an excuse to get out of terribly dull social engagement and take some time out of their mundane lives.
It all goes horribly wrong. Everyone is really opinionated and dramatic.
Two things I took from this story is that middle class society really talked some absolute drivel on philosophy and young women had absolutely no expectations beyond the superficial.
Perhaps it was Wilde's satire on the middle class.
Excellent plot twist at the end.
Largely revolving around two men, both having invented a person as an excuse to get out of terribly dull social engagement and take some time out of their mundane lives.
It all goes horribly wrong. Everyone is really opinionated and dramatic.
Two things I took from this story is that middle class society really talked some absolute drivel on philosophy and young women had absolutely no expectations beyond the superficial.
Perhaps it was Wilde's satire on the middle class.
Excellent plot twist at the end.