A book that I want to read for a long time. And finally I did it!! I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it surprised me! The way in which A book that I want to read for a long time. And finally I did it!! I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it surprised me! The way in which Kafka presents his relationship with his father and at the same time his influence on him is simply wow! I was so amazed to find out how his father influenced Kafka, both in everyday life, in his attitude towards himself, in education, religion, and in writing, which was also the least influential field, by which he also says that he felt freer, but somehow by this he was referring to his father. Which leads me to another shocking discovery, I can say that I made at the time of reading. I found out the accent that his father's influence has in his works. And I can say that I was quite amazed to find out why Gregor Samsa from his work, Metamorphosis, was transformed into a cockroach and not into any other creature. The comparisons he made, likening the emotions he went through during the abuse with real situations, simply amazed me! I also have some favorites.
During the reading, at one point, I felt like I was reading his diary, which could only bring me closer to his life and to himself. And at the same time, through the prism of these books, I managed to learn much more both about him and about his family, which before, I admit, I didn't know much. I finally understood quite well why he thought he had failed in life and why he somehow didn't think his works were not that good, constantly underestimating himself and not only in this field, because of the influences what a father he had on himself. I'm so glad I got to this book! I managed to find out as much as possible about Kafka's life, which of course was not happy at all, and also, I ended up discovering this whole process that influenced him in his works, which later had and still have such a great impact in our society!!
My fav quotes:
‘That's how my father talks about my friend (whom he doesn't even know), just because he's my friend.’
‘Avarice is one of the surest indications of deep unhappiness;’
‘When it came to judging and valuing myself, I depended much more on you than on anything else, for example, on any external success.’
‘It is as if someone had five very low steps to climb, and another only one, which - at least for him - is as high as all five together; the first one will not only succeed in climbing those five steps, but will succeed in climbing hundreds and thousands of other steps, and it is said that he will have had a great and well-filled life, but none of the steps he has scaled will not have had as much importance for him as it had for the second one that single, high first step, which was impossible for his powers to climb, over which he cannot pass and which, naturally, he does not can bypass.’
‘after all, there is no need to fly directly into the middle of the sun, but to crawl to a clean place on earth, on which the sun sometimes shines, so that you can warm yourself a little.’
‘There were some obstacles, as always in life, but life consists precisely in facing such obstacles.’
‘There is an opinion that the fear of marriage sometimes comes from the fear that later your children will pay for what you yourself have sinned against your parents.’
‘I admit, now, that we are in battle with each other, but the battle can be of two kinds. The chivalrous fight, in which some independent opponents measure their strength, each for himself, loses for himself, wins for himself. And a battle of bugs, of bugs, which not only sting, but, in order to keep alive, each sucks the other's blood.’
‘Sometimes I imagine the map of the world spread out in front of me and you far away from its edge. And then I feel as if for the life of me I could only think of the regions which you do not cover or over which you could not extend.’...more
This book was recommended to me 2 years ago by one of my teachers, more precisely by my Romanian teacher. I knew why she recommended it to me, but I rThis book was recommended to me 2 years ago by one of my teachers, more precisely by my Romanian teacher. I knew why she recommended it to me, but I read it only now. Oops!! But not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't have the necessary time, so I read other, shorter books. But I am very glad that I came to it now and not then, because now I am sure that I understood it much better than I would have done 2 years ago.
It is a book with both positive and negative opinions. A book that addresses a sensitive subject, thus reminding me of another book that I also read this summer. I am glad that I am among those who thought this book was good. From the very first page I was caught up in the story, given the narrator's language, which I can say I have not encountered in other books until now. A rather animated and funny language that I can say really amused me. I also liked the character quite a lot, and the fact that he reminded me of another character and also one of my all-time favorite characters, gave the book a plus. The quotes were so beautiful!! I simply have the book full of sticky notes. I also loved the relationship between Holden and his little sister, Phoebe. It melted my heart! However, what I liked the most was to find out how the protagonist is affected by the trauma that is mentioned to us throughout the book. And it is not easy for him, I must admit. I have to admit that I identified with him in some aspects, but I don't know whether to scare me because I didn't go through what he went through. :)
But, again, it's a book that didn't disappoint me and I can only be more than happy because it reminded me at the same time of a book I read and of one of my favorite characters. It is worth reading, however, because, despite the negative opinions about the protagonist, I can only say that he is just a boy who faces a difficult situation, who loses himself in this process and who, in the end, tries and does everything possible to find himself and not fall worse into the abyss in which he is. It was really a good read for me!!
My fav quotes:
‘Then I was sixteen years old, now I'm seventeen and, from time to time, I act like a three-year-old. Which is ironic, because I'm 1.89m and have some white hair. I'm serious. In one part of my head, on the right, I am full of white hairs, millions, since I was little. And yet sometimes I act like I've barely turned two. The whole world calls me, especially my father. Honestly, it's somewhat true, but not 100 percent. People always have this impression, that something can be 100 percent true. I don't care a bit, except that from time to time I get tired of being told to behave like a boy my age. Sometimes I act like a much more mature person, but people don't notice. Nobody ever sees anything.’
‘But the best part about that museum is that everything always stayed in its place. No one was moving. You could go a hundred times and the Eskimo would have just finished catching the two fish, the birds would still be on their way to the south, the deer would still be drinking from the water hole, with their beautiful and thin horns, and the Indian girl, the one with the bare chest, would have woven the same blanket. No one would be different. The only thing that was different was you. Not that you were much older or anything. It's not that. You were simply different, that's all. This time you were wearing a jacket. Or the child who was your partner in the column last time got sick with scarlet fever and you had someone else as your partner. Or the group was led by a substitute, who replaced Miss Aigletinger. Or you heard mom and dad arguing terribly in the bathroom. Or you had just passed by a puddle, on the street, where you could see a rainbow of gasoline. What I want to say is that you were, in one way or another, different. I can't explain what I mean by that. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd feel like doing it.’
‘Why are they crazy about cars? They worry about every little scratch and they talk together about how much gas they use per mile and, as they buy a brand new car, they are already starting to think about changing it to an even newer one. Besides, I don't like already old cars either. I'm just not interested. I would rather get a horse. The horse, at least, is more human, for God's sake. With a horse you can at least...’
‘Then I thought about the others, how they were lining me up in a bitter cemetery, with the name written on a tombstone and all the cutlery. Surrounded by the dead. Brother, when you're dead, they even arrange for you to never escape. I hope with all my heart that when I do die, someone has enough sense to throw me in a river or something. Anything, just don't bury me in a graveyard. With people coming on Sunday and putting a bunch of flowers on your belly and all that shit. Who wants flowers, dead? No one.’
‘I know he's dead! You think I don't know? But I can still like it, right? Just because someone dies doesn't mean you stop caring about them and that's it... especially if they were a thousand times nicer than the people you know and they're living well, thanks.’
‘- This disaster towards which it seems to me that you are heading... is a certain kind of collapse, a horrible one. The man who plunges into the void is not allowed to feel or hear when he reaches the bottom of the abyss. He just falls, without stopping. All this arrangement is made for people who, at one point or another in their lives, were looking for something that the environment could not offer them. Or at least that's what they thought. So they gave up looking around. They gave up before it ever really got started.’
‘I'm not trying to convince you that only educated and studious people can make a valuable contribution to the world, because that's not the case. But I maintain that educated and studious people, if they have brilliance and creativity in the first place - which, unfortunately, rarely happens - tend to leave behind an infinitely more valuable legacy than those who are merely brilliant and creative. They tend to express themselves more clearly and they usually have the passion to follow their ideas to the end. And, most importantly, in nine cases out of ten, they show more humility than the uneducated thinker.’
‘I keep imagining a lot of children playing a game in a wide field of rye. Thousands of little kids and nobody around - nobody big, I mean - but me. And I am standing on the edge of a broken rock. What am I supposed to do, I have to catch anyone who goes over the rock. I mean, if they're running and not looking where they're going, I have to appear from somewhere and catch them. That's all I would do all day. I would stand watch in the rye field and that's it. I know it's crazy, but it's the only thing I'd really like to do. It's crazy, I know.’...more
The second book read by this author, and Kafka didn't disappoint me this time either!! Like metamorphosis, it is a book with many substrates that I waThe second book read by this author, and Kafka didn't disappoint me this time either!! Like metamorphosis, it is a book with many substrates that I want to discover (I still think about it since I finished it). It intrigued me so much when I read it.
The action was so interesting, even having a plot twist that I honestly did not expect. It is a book that I still think may be worth more, because I liked it so much!! I am so sorry that it is so underrated and it really deserves to be read by as many people as possible.
I can't wait to find out the message of the book, which I've been trying to understand for so many hours. And the ending was just so strange. It made me ask myself more questions, like the book itself. Just read it! I love books that make me so curious!! It is a book that I recommend along with metamorphosis.
Kafka addresses important topics in all his books, and I can't wait to discover the message of this book! Until then, I recommend it because I really think this one, as much as the metamorphosis, should be read!!!...more
I finally read Steinbeck!! I can't even say how many times this author appeared on the net recently, so that I want to read his books even more! This I finally read Steinbeck!! I can't even say how many times this author appeared on the net recently, so that I want to read his books even more! This is one of his most famous and appreciated books, being studied in schools in America! And I understood why while reading it.
The book follows the idea of the American dream of the Western world as well as the Great Depression that took place in America in the years 1929-1939. A book so easy to read due to the simplicity of the author's writing, but a deep book and a book that leaves you thinking even after you have finished it. Through each person present in the book, I noticed how their feelings and desires of those rather difficult times are transposed. Thus, everyone simply accepts their situation and the life they led during the 20s in California, where people at that time fought to receive money and to have land.
The character I liked and was attracted to the most was Lennie. At the same time, he is also the character that intrigued me the most and that I really thought about even after I finished the book and about which I will be interested. His childish attitude attracted me the most! I thought that was cute! But at the same time, the problem he had made me wonder what makes him do what he does.
I can't wait to learn more about him, as well as the book itself. I understood why it is studied in schools in America, having a rather important historical subject, but it is also a deep book that needs to be thought through and understood very well, from my point of view. And I will continue to do this, because I really want to understand both Lennie, as well as the message of the book itself. But yes, it's a book that I don't regret having read because I think it should be read!
My fav quotes:
‘You're reading books for nothing. Man needs others by his side.’
‘- A man is mean if he has no one. Be that as it may, let there be someone by your side. You say to yourself, shout, you say to yourself, man, when he is too lonely, he gets sick.’
‘You're all afraid of one another, that's all. Everyone is afraid, don't say something else from him.’
‘Take a really smart one, see that he is rarely a good man.’
‘- There's no reason. It seems that somewhere in this accursed world, one is afraid of the other. - It's much nicer to walk with a boy you know, said George.’
‘- No one knows what a man can do, he observed calmly.’
‘George doesn't do that, he repeats. George notices. Well, George doesn't hurt anyone. But he never hurt anyone, because he pays attention.’
‘A black man must also have some rights, even if he doesn't like it.’
‘- No, said George. No, Lennie. I’m not mad. I was never mad at you and I'm not now. You should know ya.’...more
I saw the movie 3 times and I liked it just as much every time! I found out a few years ago that the book also exists, but I haven't managed to read iI saw the movie 3 times and I liked it just as much every time! I found out a few years ago that the book also exists, but I haven't managed to read it until now. I liked it! It follows exactly the action of the movie and everything was wonderful! It seemed to me that it could have had a more complex writing, but anyway it was ok from this point of view.
I really liked that in the book, unlike the movie, I could follow the emotions the characters were going through much better. In the movie they were not so well outlined, but in the book they were described perfectly! Thus, this aspect made me like the book even more! I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that there are two scenes in the book, which are not present in the movie! I was happy to discover them and thus enjoy reading even more! But what I liked most was the appearance of the numerous poems that appear in the book, unlike the movie, where the action is more focused on the characters! How I loved the poems and expressions of the authors appearing in the film! Also, Professor Keating's advice, which is also present in the film, but not too much, and how he teaches the boys to discover their inner self, themselves. A reading that has a rather important topic for each of us!
Thus the book focuses on the role of the model! The action of the book takes place in a boys' school in the year 1959. A year in which society is faced with the various problems of that time and in which the presence of this teacher Keating helps the boys to discover themselves and discover what is good and evil. Since I saw the movie for the first time, I liked it quite a lot, and I can say the same about the book!
My fav quotes:
‘When you read, don't just think about what the author thinks, take time to think about what you think too. You must fight hard to discover yourself, boys, he continued, and the longer you put off this moment, the less chance you have of ever discovering it.’
‘And don't limit poetry to words. Poetry can be found in music, in a photograph, in the way a meal is prepared in anything that contains a revelation. It can exist in the most ordinary things, but it must never, ever, be mundane. Sure, write about the sky or a girl's smile, but if you do, let your poem invoke the day of salvation, the day of judgment, any day. I don't care which one, as long as it enlightens us, chills us, and if it's inspired, makes us feel immortal for a moment’
‘But there must be poetry, and we must stop and observe it even in the simplest poses of life, otherwise it is said that we have lost a large part of what life has to offer.’
‘The purpose of this experiment was not to single out Pitts and Overstreet. What he demonstrates is how difficult it is for any of us to listen to our own voice or to maintain our own convictions in the presence of others. If any of you think he would have marched differently, then ask yourself why he clapped his hands. Guys, there's a great need in all of us to be accepted, but you have to trust what's unique or different about each of you, even if it's weird or unpopular. As Frost said, "Two paths diverged in the forest, and I chose the one less traveled / And that changed everything."’
‘We read poetry because we are part of the human race, and the human race is full of passion! Medicine, justice, banks are also necessary to maintain life. What about poetry, romance, love, beauty? We live for them!’
‘because no matter what someone else tells you, words and ideas have the power to change the world.’
-"I went to the forest because I wanted to live life leisurely.”
-"To drive away everything that was not life", "Lest, when I have to die, to discover that in fact I did not live."
“If a man moves forward with confidence in the fulfillment of his dreams, he will meet with success often unexpected."
‘Because we will only live a limited number of springs, summers and autumns. One day, no matter how hard it is for us to believe, absolutely every one of us will stop breathing, get cold and die!’
‘Carpe diem! Live the moment! Make your lives extraordinary!’...more
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