The only thing I knew about Hyperion is that it ends on a cliffhanger. This is crucial to know as it may affect your enjoyment of the book if you wereThe only thing I knew about Hyperion is that it ends on a cliffhanger. This is crucial to know as it may affect your enjoyment of the book if you were expecting a conclusion.
Hyperion follows the journey of 7 pilgrims on the last pilgrimage of The Shrike and their tales of the past. Through each interconnected story, we learn about the Hyperion, The Shrike, the Worldweb and the Hegemony of man.
The book has a slow start and It took me a while to become engaged with the story. It took me 8 days to read the first half and then 2 to finish the whole book. I must confess I’ve struggled a bit with the first two stories and considered DNF. I’ve started enjoying the book with the poet tale but it was Sol’s the true turning point.
”Sarai had treasured every stage of Rachel’s childhood, enjoying the day-to-day normalcy of things; a normalcy that she quietly accepted as the best of life. She had always felt that the essence of the human experience lay not primarily in the peak experiences, the wedding days and triumphs which stood out in the memory like dates circled in red on old calendars, but, rather, in the unself-conscious flow of the little things - the weekend afternoon with each member of the family engaged in his or her own pursuit, their crossings and connections casual, dialogues imminently forgettable, but the sum of such hours creating a synergy which was important and eternal.”
This was a beautiful journey. The only reason why it does not get my 5 stars is the slow start. ...more
“Whenever she takes her pictures of these palazzos and piazzas and churches and fountains I wander off aways, but always looking back to get a picture“Whenever she takes her pictures of these palazzos and piazzas and churches and fountains I wander off aways, but always looking back to get a picture of her and her unadorned beauty.”
This book is somewhat difficult for me to rate. It is exceptionally well written, as expected as Philip Roth is considered one of the greatest American writers. However, I don’t think I liked as much as I expected and I wouldn’t recommend it to most of my friends.
The story is written in 4 chapters and follows the life of David Kepesh, in different stages of his life and feelings. It chapter is dominated by different emotions and the impact of his desires on them. I especially enjoyed the last 2 chapters as they created more layers to David personality.
David Kepesh exists in a state of constant discontent. He oscillates between feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, loneliness and between the desire to live freely all parts of his sexuality and of being loved and cared for.
“I am ready to think it is something about me that makes for the sadness; about how I have always failed to be what people want or expect; how I never quite pleased anyone, including myself; how, hard as I have tried, I have seemed never quite able to be one thing or the other, and probably never will be…”
I believe this book is of greater interest to anyone who has studied, or has more knowledge, of literature as it has many references to Chekov and Kafka which, unfortunately, I don't have enough knowledge to theorise their impact on the character.
“We are born innocent, we suffer terrible disillusionment before we can gain knowledge, and then we fear death - and we are granted only fragmentary happiness to offset the pain....more
This book is a sweet retelling of Achilles story, brilliantly written through Patroclus point of view. Patroclus balances Achilles ambition for glory, This book is a sweet retelling of Achilles story, brilliantly written through Patroclus point of view. Patroclus balances Achilles ambition for glory, helps him grow more human and show us a side of him beyond the Demi god. Madeline Miller wrote a different side for all the characters and I will forever see them this way.
This was beautiful!
I am excited to read the other Madeline Miller books.
P.S: I accidentally bought the audiobook and, despite my typical dislike for them, I am going to give this one a chance. Fraser Douglas voice is absolutely perfect for Patroclus....more
“Flip a coin, Eleanor. If the answer you get disappoints you, do the opposite." We already know the right answer, even when we think we don´t.”
I liked “Flip a coin, Eleanor. If the answer you get disappoints you, do the opposite." We already know the right answer, even when we think we don´t.”
I liked it a lot! It made me feel a lot of things, many of which I am still digesting and ruminating.
I finished and immediatly wanted to find someone to discuss the story and its ending.
Ultimately, I feel this is a book about the beautiful and the ugly of life, family and love. About the long lasting impacts of choices and forgiveness.
The book follows the story of Molly, who appears to be neurodivergent, although there is no direct diagnosis inThis was definitely not my cup of tea.
The book follows the story of Molly, who appears to be neurodivergent, although there is no direct diagnosis in the text. Molly is a 25 years old who loves her job as a maid in a luxury hotel. She struggles with social interactions, has difficulty in understanding conversations and intonations and I found her very childish. Cleaning plays an important role in her life, largely through the influence of her grandmother, who raised her and established daily cleaning tasks that seem to work as a calming and coping strategy for Molly. Molly finds a dead man in one of the rooms and ends being the lead suspect of the investigation.
What I didn't like: - The book summary includes almost the entire plot leaving little room for discovery. - Molly's personal characteristics seem overly based on existing stereotypes of people on the spectrum. I am not an expert on the subject in the least, but I have read other books with characters on the spectrum, some written by people on the spectrum, and they have a different depth. - The only reason why there is a plot is because Molly is neuroatypical and everyone is increadibly mean and take advantage of her. This left me very unconfortable, to the point I almost quit reading the book. I believe books are a good way to teach and promote diversity. However, I think the way to do it should be by focusing on more than their differences. It feels wrong to me and I don't think it is inclusive at all if the story does not work without that specific difference (excluding historical and non fiction obviously).
I really hope that people who struggle as much as Molly have more support on their daily lives and interactions.
The only confort I take of this is that it felt too unreal, I really do not want to believe that this would happen, especially from the police and detective side.
This is obviously an unpopular opinion as there is a lot of hype around the book and it is even being adapted to screenplay by Universal....more
It has a lot of heavy science and math, which I won’t pretend to grasp, but was really interesting to reThis book is an ode to the scientific method.
It has a lot of heavy science and math, which I won’t pretend to grasp, but was really interesting to read.
I loved the characters: Ryland kindness, humour and curiosity, Eva Stratt fierceness and everything about Rocky. The dialogue was fluid, engaging and emotional enough to make laugh and cry.
I am very impressed with Andy Weir and I couldn’t recommend this book enough. ...more
“Grow up and be different and don’t let anyone tell you not to be different, because all superheroes are different.”
Fredrik Backman has a storytelling“Grow up and be different and don’t let anyone tell you not to be different, because all superheroes are different.”
Fredrik Backman has a storytelling gift. As all his books, My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises is beautifully written and hard to put down.
This book tells us the story of a fearless Granny, her beloved granddaughter and the family they choose.
While I still enjoy it very much, I've found this book less engaging than his other works. The story is told between reality and make believe, which is not a new theme in books. Although I don't consider this to be a problem, the magical realm terms were often confusing, making it more difficult to follow the plot.
As usually, I specially admire how Fredrik creates its characters. All of them are multi-layered, connected and have deep back stories that make us love them or, at least, to empathize with them. It is truly a gift when I spend the whole book annoyed with one character and end up deciding that I really want to know more about her.
“I want someone to remember I existed. I want someone to know I was here.”
This was a wonderful reading! Rebecca had a very slow start but once we get to Manderley the story picks up and I was completely hooked. I loved the wThis was a wonderful reading! Rebecca had a very slow start but once we get to Manderley the story picks up and I was completely hooked. I loved the way the story was structured, the flawed characters and the emotions it caused.
The book has a beautiful prose and has some of the most odious characters ever written. I just didn’t want to stop reading on the last third of the book and, although I was expecting some of the twists, I was surprised with others.
This is another perfect example of why some books became classics....more
This is a very hyped book and because of that, and of how much I loved Elantris, I was afraid of feeling disappointed. Against most opinions, I still tThis is a very hyped book and because of that, and of how much I loved Elantris, I was afraid of feeling disappointed. Against most opinions, I still think Elantris is a better book. However, I did enjoy this one very much.
“Plots behind plots, plans behind plans. There was always another secret.”
Brandon Sanderson created a very interesting world and I was particularly impressed with the magic system. Allomancy and Feruchemy felt very original and will probably stay as one of my favourite magic systems. His writing style is simple but engaging and creates a story that is coherent and feels complete.
Mistborn trilogy was written straight through, and it notices. It's refreshing to start reading a fantasy trilogy where you can tell the story has been thought through and will remain consistent.
What I loved about the book: - The characters. This book has a lot of strong and interesting characters and I loved all of them. I enjoyed the banter between the group, especially Breeze and Ham but my favourite characters, so far, are Sazed and Marsh and I can’t wait to learn more about them. - I think it is something quite special to have characters whose magic is focused on preserving knowledge to teach future generations. - I liked to read the epigraphs and see its parallelism with bits of the story - How the story slowly builds to reach its climax in the last part. I said it on Elantris and it still applies to this case. I’m very impressed how Sanderson is able to make so many things happen in the story and still tie those ends, completing the book with no cliff-hangers. Mistborn is indeed a trilogy, but you can easily read The Final Empire as a standalone and not commit to the series if you find it is not for you.
What I think it could have been done better: - Vin and Elend's connection does not feel very profound/ strong / believable. I hope it develops further in the next book. - Sanderson could have included more female characters in the central group of characters. However, he did include strong female characters in the story and I don’t think it is really fair to complaint on this issue when so many writers still don’t do it. - To some, this book might feel too slow paced as the action is condensed in the end of the book. Not to me however, I do love Sanderlanches.
The problem when reading a book with a lot of hype are the expectations created around it. I’m not saying this one doesn’t deserve it, but I’ve felt aThe problem when reading a book with a lot of hype are the expectations created around it. I’m not saying this one doesn’t deserve it, but I’ve felt a bit disappointed by it. This book follows the story of two identical light-skinned colored twin sisters who decide two leave their hometown at 16, for different reasons. Despite being identical, Desiree and Stella could not be more different and, after a difficult beginning living by themselves, Stella disappears without trace, leaving no notes or signals behind. Some years later we see Desiree returning to her hometown with a child as black as could be and learn that Stella is passing for white in a destination unknown. As the years pass, the story starts following Stella and Desiree daughters, allowing us to read more perspectives on the main issues included in the book.
What I liked about the book: - The story was beautifully written, and I particularly enjoyed Desiree and Stella POV. - I loved how racism was captured in the book, both from the white, light skinned and black perspectives, showing that there could be (and are) very different oppressors in society. - I liked how the book showed that we may try to run away or avoid our past, living as someone entirely different, but we will always carry something from it because our life experiences mould us.
What I think it could have been done better: - This book tried to tackle too many issues at once, ending not developing any of them with the depth they deserved. Some if the issues depicted on the book: o Racism o Domestic violence o Child abandonment o New identities o Queer issues o Mental health o Alzheimer - I enjoy the inclusion of diverse character on books, but I like them to feel realistic. In my opinion, Reese character was poorly developed and felt unrealistic. Analysing Reese perspective, it would appear to be easy to be a Trans at the time. I don’t think it is easy to be Trans nowadays, much less in the 80’s. Everyone immediately saw Reese as a cis man, much too beautiful to be dating Jude, but that is mainly it. I also have difficulties believing it would be easier at the time to find a group as inclusive as Jude’s, including black people, gays, trans, drags, all from different origins, with no particular issues or problems on their daily lives. - Underwhelming end
I liked the book and would recommend it to historical fiction readers, particularly the ones who prefer a lighter focus on the characters development.
"Atrás das persianas fechadas, no jardim seco, árido e tostado ardia o verão com a sua última raiva, como um incendiário que no seu furor delirante, a"Atrás das persianas fechadas, no jardim seco, árido e tostado ardia o verão com a sua última raiva, como um incendiário que no seu furor delirante, abrasa o campo antes de ir pelo mundo fora."
Uma história de amor, amizade, traição e intrica, envolta numa prosa linda.
Recomendo aos apreciadores dos clássicos de literatura....more
This story enters the horrifying and terrifying category of books where enjoyment while reading it cannot be applied.
"We lived, as usual, by ignoringThis story enters the horrifying and terrifying category of books where enjoyment while reading it cannot be applied.
"We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it."
The book describes a totalitarian regime where women lost her rights, free will and individualism. They are not allowed to read, write, work, love, own property, have enjoyments, pleasures, or hobbies. All women wear variations of the same outfits, covering the whole body, and are treated as objects for their utility in the society: - Red for the Handmaids: fertile women used to produce offspring. They have no names and are considered property of the Commanders they are assigned to - Blue for the Wives: higher ranking women on society that are married to the Commanders - Green for the Marthas: household servants - Brown for the Aunts: responsible for the training of the Handmaids
The scariest part of the story is that all of these happens in a world that was just like ours in the recent past. All these women use to have normal lives and had to adjust to this new reality where they are men’s property. It feels terrifyingly possible which is scary as hell.
What I “liked”: - It is well written and feels dreadfully real.
What I think it could have been done better: - The timeline is intentionally vague but the story only functions if Gilead was implemented in a short time frame. However, most women behaviour on the book would require severe unsatisfaction with her lives and their world, or unimaginable amounts of coercion, brain washing and torture. I think more details would made their apparent state of acceptance over their condition more believable. - There’s a lack of details about how Gilead happens. We learn it started with a military coup in which the president and most members of Congress were killed but the remaining details remain quite vague. I wanted to know more, not only to understand how something like this could happen, but also so I could feel more reassured that we are not there (yet?) - The bit including the handmaids sharing child labour pains and leaking milk was a complete non-sense.
When I was traveling in India I’ve met a hitchhiker reading this book and became curious about it. Then, I completely forgot it until one of my best fWhen I was traveling in India I’ve met a hitchhiker reading this book and became curious about it. Then, I completely forgot it until one of my best friends recommended it to me a few years ago, and it stayed on my TBR list since then. We are almost always right about what each other likes and, therefore, I don’t have an excuse for why it took me so long to pick it up. He was of course right.
This was such a fun read I ended up needing to explain to my family why I was laughing my eyes out.
I’m glad I now know the answer to the main question of Life and the Universe.
If you like British humour, enjoy Sci-fi and never read this book please do it. ...more
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