vividvoid's reviews
242 reviews

Going Home, Coming Home/Ve Nha, Tham Que Huong by Truong Tran, Dana Goldberg, Ann Phong

3.0

The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf

4.0

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

4.5

Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker

2.0

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

I have not heard much about Backman before, just that i've seen several of his book all over the internet. This is one of the most talked-about. I have no expectation whatsoever about his writing, and turns out I enjoyed reading this book. Although I'm more on the middle ground about its quirkiness, I get why some people love it and some other hate it. To me, none of the characters have the depth that makes me care about at least one of them. A few times when I was reading it, i feel like the writing style –several povs that eventually connected the whole plot– a bit tedious. Maybe that's just me, or not. Who knows. I don't dislike this book, but this is not my favorite either. So.

Bunny by Mona Awad

3.25

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

4.25

Tartuffe by Molière

tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This book was banned and censored. Sometimes it's difficult to grasp that we're in a much better times than the past, though reality right now can feel like a nightmare.

I do enjoy some of the characters a lot. This book's setting is only revolving Orgon's Estate, so plot wise, things are not very interesting. I guess what I enjoy the most from this play is the dialogues. It can be a bit long-winded, but it was very entertaining. 

Though this book is titled Tartuffe, I find myself feeling disappointed that there's not much to learn about this supposed religious hypocrite who deceives and such. Yes, there are displays of his actions betraying his words, but we get the impression of his wickedness more by proxy than from the character himself. 

I don't really have any expectation going into this, so it's still okay. What grated me the most is probably the depiction of the noble ladies in here. A cardboard would have much personality than those characters. Sigh.

So in conclusion, I was entertained, but I was also dissapointed. Take that as you will.

But what is love worth, if it has no courage?

There are false heroes—and false devotees;
  And as true heroes never are the ones
  Who make much noise about their deeds of honour,
  Just so true devotees, whom we should follow,
  Are not the ones who make so much vain show.

The Beggar Student by Osamu Dazai

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

Dazai has an excellent skill to write miserable characters in a humorous albeit a little sardonic way. Acting as his own narrator, i love that he throws a bit of inside jokes revolving his other works. I read this in one sitting. This is one of those short books that you randomly pick up then immediately read on your way back home. Not the greatest read you'll ever have, but good enough to record the whole sensation of reading this.

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks

informative slow-paced

2.0

I think a lot of the other reviewers have articulated the problems that I had with this book enough. But my personal gripe with this book is this book have so many anecdotal arguments yet inadequate data to back it up. Not mentioning how a lot of things in here aged like milk to the point that it is being weaponized by incels, I just think there's other books you can read that explore on the topic of masculinity better than this one.