Ash
Here's the thing: 1) I'm a big fan of Schwab and the “Shades of Magic” series, but 2) I'm not a fan of graphic novels. Even though I like Japanese manga, I've always had a hard time getting into heavily coloured and stylized graphic novels. That being said, this GN was very beautiful to look at, and the story was interesting, but I found the pacing to be too fast for such a short amount of pages. I would have expect the fight between Arisa and Maxim to drag out over several volumes, so I was surprised by how quickly everything was resolved. As much as I enjoyed the art in this GN, I don't think I'll be reading the next volumes in this series.
This was a wonderful short read about what Farland calls ‘resonance' in literature. From what Farland explains, I gather that this idea of resonance in writing can be simplified to literary inspiration. Farland makes a great case of proving that by using Tolkien as an example and showing how other works influenced or inspired him to create his masterpiece [b:The Lord of the Rings 33 The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566425108l/33.SX50.jpg 3462456]. As for ‘internal resonance,' Farland explains how themes and plotlines can echo one another within the same piece of writing, creating an effect of familiarity for the reader. All in all, this little book held a lot of information that might seem to be common sense at first, but is nevertheless important to put down on paper and to explore. This idea is worth thinking about when starting out as an aspiring writer.
DNF at 14%
Wow, I didn't even make it to my usual 30% DNF rate. I picked it up because 1) the cover is gorgeous and 2) Neil Gaiman recommended?? But honestly, I don't see why Gaiman raved about it. The pacing is all over the place, the magic system isn't explained all that well, heck the competition isn't even explained.
There are too many characters/POVs, and I really dislike the names in the book. I take offence that great literary magicians like Merlin and Prospero are associated to this book. Did the author run out of ideas in terms of naming her characters? Or was it deliberately done to attract high fantasy readers and rope them into this urban setting? Either way, I think it was a terrible choice, and I'm surprised no other reviewer has mentioned this.
Also, a lot of reviewers mention the writing/language as being spectacular and I really don't see it. The author reuses the same vocabulary over and over again to create an eerie/unsettling atmosphere, but it gets redundant very fast. Furthermore, the writing really isn't that fabulous. The amount of fragmentary sentences and run-ons is staggering, and while I can appreciate that it might be part of the author's style, it is not what I would qualify as “spectacular.”
Unfortunately, the pretty cover is the only good thing about this novel, but it's not enough to keep it on my shelf.
Pretty cute overall, despite the teacher being a major creep. Sajo and Kusakabe are slowly getting to know each other better. It feels like they've been doing things out of order, dating first then learning basic things about one another such as birthdays and life goals, but I think their budding relationship is cute regardless. Kusakabe is really sweet; he's very devoted to Sajo and serious about their relationship. It's nice to see, especially since they're still young and in high school. Anyway, I could really do without Hara-sen and his creepy vibes, but at least he isn't too central in the story.
Tl;dr
- Caesar and Antony are bros, until they're not, because war/greed/Cleopatra.
- Eno has a tragic, senseless death because of his misguided interpretation of events.
- Eros has a tragic, senseless death because Antony is an idiot.
- Cleopatra betrays Antony, twice, so she kills herself, but not really. However, Antony thinks she did, so he (tries to) kill himself too, à la Romeo & Juliet.
- Meanwhile, Caesar rules pretty much the whole world because he's gotten rid of all of his friends and taken their lands.
Tl;dr
-Henry is just a kid, he can't make his own decisions, so he relies on his uncles Gloucester and Winchester to guide him.
-Joan Pucelle (Arc) is a witch, but not really, kinda unclear. She has familiars/spirits she can call on...it's all very strange.
-Talbot, the undefeatable warlord, basically runs the show; his death is the most tragic thing in the play.
-Meanwhile, Plantagenet (York) and Somerset (Lancaster) duke it out for the right of succession. The famed “war of the roses” is the backdrop for Henry VI and Charles le Dauphin's fights.
“Venus and Adonis”
In which Venus is a thirsty cougar who pursues a young boy. Adonis would rather die than be anywhere near her, so he runs off in the dead of night on a hunt, and ends up getting killed by a boar.
“The Rape of Lucrece”
In which Tarquin spends half the poem rationalizing his decision to rape his friend's wife, and Lucrece spends the other half plotting her own death and linking her misery to the fall of Troy.
“The Phoenix and the Turtle”
In which two birds, a phoenix and a turtle (dove), fall in love and die.
“The Passionate Pilgrim”
In which Shakespeare rewrites a few sonnets, summarizes “Venus and Adonis,” and talks about an English lady.
“A Lover's Complaint”
In which a lover complains a lot, using ‘O's to convey his feelings.
The fact that some of the top comments on this page are based on anti-Stratfordian sentiments is beyond ridiculous. Shakespeare regularly co-wrote with other playwrights. How does that possibly infer that Shakespeare is not a real person?
Unfounded conspiracy theories aside, Pericles is a tragic adventure story that has many common points with other more famous Shakespearean plays, namely The Tempest and The Winter's Tale (there's even a little bit of Lear in Pericles if you squint). The play also draws on many literary traditions and myths, such as the riddle (Sphinx, anyone?), knighthood (medieval lit 101), and ancient Greek/Syrian politics. Pericles is actually a pretty cool dude who is noble and upstanding. It's not his fault that some depraved king wants his head for figuring out his secret
5 stars for the golden hero, -1 star for having heard all of it through Patroclus' fanboy voice.Aristos AchaionWow, what can I say, I love me some Greek mythology, all day, any day. It just so happens that the story around Troy is one of my favourites (even though it is pretty stupid to start a war out of pride). I thought that this book would be really heavy on the war narrative but surprisingly, it really wasn't. I enjoyed reading about Achilles and Chiron the most and seeing how he grew into being a hero, albeit a bloodthirsty one. For all of Patroclus' praises, Achilles was still a vicious man in the war, completely losing himself over vanity and pride. Like a true Greek god, nothing good ever comes from being one of them and Achilles was no exception. The Pat/Ach romance was cute and I was 100% on board with it. Let's be honest, it wasn't historically accurate, but it was lovely just the same. I would have liked to see Patroclus being more manly and a better fighter as Homer intended, but the ‘switch scene' was pretty epic. All of a sudden, Patroclus is aristos achaion, showing that anyone brave enough can become “the best of the Greeks.” Regardless of what others think, he was always the best to Achilles anyway. Credit to the artist for this super cute fanart.Now that I've read my first Miller novel, I really want to dive into [b:Circe 35959740 Circe Madeline Miller https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508879575s/35959740.jpg 53043399] and see how the author improved (although don't get me wrong, I think that TSOA was wonderful).
This play is very frustrating. The fragmentary sentences, unfinished thoughts, and misinterpretations all contribute to making this play painful to read. Is it an anti-feminist play? Is it pro-feminism? Pro-academia? Anti-academia? These themes are so twisted throughout the narrative that it's hard to make out what the playwright is trying to say through this work. Ultimately, it just left me feeling angry with the characters (which, in retrospect, might actually be the point of this whole charade).
In this day and age of unhinged politicians, dictators, and world-wide pandemics, who hasn't heard of George Orwell's science fiction classic Nineteen Eighty-Four? This novel has been both loved and reviled ever since its post-war publication in 1949. Written as a warning against totalitarianism on the back of the horrors of WWII and the Cold War, Orwell explores the dark sides of complete government control and the dangers of mindlessly following orders and the authorities.
Book content warnings: violence, physical and psychological torture, gaslighting, sexually explicit scenes.
Summary
In the totalitarian state of Oceania, citizens are brainwashed into following the Party and its all-seeing leader, Big Brother. The citizens are constantly monitored by an entity who works for Big Brother, known as the Thought Police, and are often taken away by the government when found ‘guilty' of going against society, never to be seen again. One such divergent thinkers is Winston Smith, who slowly starts to rebel against the system by joining other dissenters called the Brotherhood. However, Winston is eventually caught by a government spy for having committed thought-crime, and is subsequently imprisoned and tortured until his spirit is broken. He then returns to being a brainwashed, obedient citizen who follows Big Brother.
Winston represents a hope for freedom and free thought in a society where everything is highly controlled by an overseeing group. His tragic end of returning to his original way of thinking shows how these groups can exert their power and control over ordinary citizens by using their fears as weapons against them. The Party's slogan in itself showcases how control is achieved: the ignorance of the people is the evildoers' source of strength. The less that people are educated and aware of what the governing body is up to, the less they will want to rebel and overthrow the system and, by breaking individuals who have a fighting spirit, like Winston, control is achieved over the masses. The strength and power of the leaders lies in making an example out of one or two ‘antis' and showing to the rest of the population that disobedience and resistance are very dangerous things.
This theme of extreme surveillance and scrutiny was reprised by the philosopher Michel Foucault in his book Discipline and Punish (1975) in which he established that there is a self-governance at play when one knows (or thinks) that one is being watched. Foucault adapted Orwell's idea and applied it to the prison system, but the idea of self-surveillance and self-punishment is something that can be seen outside of the prison cell. It is an action that is performed by all humans, regardless of the level of external surveillance and its associated threat (for example, a child may behave better if they know that their mother is potentially watching).
Why Was It Banned?
Ironically, Nineteen Eighty-Four was banned in the United States for being “pro-communist,” no doubt because of its representation of the disdain of authority and the novel's conclusion of Winston returning to blind obedience. [1] In Poland, the novel was made illegal from 1976-1989 because it was too political. [2]
It is no surprise that such a book would be unpopular with certain governments. However, to think that Orwell's novel is pro-communist is to miss its entire point: the dangers of having communist and totalitarian regimes as governing powers are highlighted through the fact that Winston is re-indoctrinated into believing in these powers. The novel clearly warns its readers through this allegory to not repeat the same mistakes of the past, most notably the mistakes that led to and supported WWII.
Why Should You Read It?
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a cautionary tale about giving away too many freedoms and too much power to a governing body. Its ideas are about resistance and the importance of free will and freedom of thought. The novel's unique language of “newspeak,” “thought-crime,” “doublethink,” and “2+2=5” all reveal a truth about linguistic and political control of information. This probably sounds familiar to readers of this novel in the 21st century, in an age where notions of “fake news” and “alternative facts” have infiltrated society and are used to push forward certain political agendas.
Orwell's novel has been called prophetic because of the similarity between its themes and recent developments around the world, but in fact, it is not prophetic as much as it is saying “what happened during WWII and the Soviet era can happen again, and it will reoccur if we as a society are not more careful with how we distribute power.”
__________
Sources:
[1]. www.thefileroom.org
[2]. “1984.” Beacon for Freedom of Expression.
This lovely epistolary precursor and source of inspiration for Austen's own masterpieces is a real treat to read. A great coming-of-age narrative in true eighteenth-century fashion, Burney shows the world why she is as great a writer as any other from her time. Must read for those who love fashionable balls, nights at the opera, beautiful and witty ladies, and dashing Lords.
for my full review, check out my blog: https://vicsense.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/starry-night/
This book sounded so promising. At first, I was drawn in by the teenage love story, that sounded so relatable and brought back memories of my own teenage years. However, the initially cutesy narrative soon took a backseat to a very annoying, boring, and drawn-out plot. I'm not kidding, the middle of the book was so long and boring, I stopped reading and put the book aside for–wait for it– 8 MONTHS. I only just pushed through the last 100 pages, just to say I'd have something solid to review. Yes, it was that painful.
Somewhere around the middle mark, the characters became increasingly more and more juvenile. As in, acting like ten year olds rather than fifteen year olds. I'm sorry but, I was 15 once too, and I definitely wasn't as air-headed as these characters.
The language was beyond annoying with all of the “oh my gosh!!1!1!!” and “... like...” in every two sentences. I was especially offended when Wren meets a French lady at the museum and, in true stereotypical fashion, the lady's dialogue is written like this:
“Zis is one of ze great paintings in all of time, in all of ze world. It's Ze Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, a genius” (Starry Night, p.312).
I mean come on, really?? French people don't speak like that. As a native French speaker, I am legit insulted.
My other problem with this book was the side story of one of her friends, Farah. This girl (read: child) of only 15 years, is dating a 30 year old man, who encourages her to snort cocaine (?!?!?), have sex with him, and dress like a 40 year old. As much as Wren's story of abandoning her dream was frustrating, Farah's story was downright sickening. I can't believe that the author thought this would be a good idea to incorporate in her book, which is targeted at (emotionally vulnerable and impressionable) teenagers. PEDOPHILIA IS NOT OKAY. FORCING A MINOR TO TAKE DRUGS IS NOT OKAY. What the hell was she thinking, turning this into a weird side-romance to go along with the main love story. EWW. Yes, the other characters constantly point out that Farah's relationship to this man is twisted, BUT NONE OF THEM DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. How come these so-called best friends can't find the courage to tell an adult about this?!? This is ILLEGAL for crying out loud.
I just want to erase this whole book from my memories. It's going straight into my goodwill pile (although, I do feel sorry for the next person who'll pick it up... but honestly, I can't stand having it on my shelf any longer).
2 STARS OF SHAME FOR THIS VAN GOGH INSPIRED FAILURE.
Visit my blog for the full review: https://vicsense.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/arc-the-oddling-prince/
I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
SUMMARY
Alric is the only son and heir to the throne of Dun Caltor, until a mysterious, otherworldly being appears one night, claiming to be the king's other son. Albaric, born from the queen of fey and king Baldric (Alric's father), he develops a fierce love for his half-brother and vows to protect him and follow him to the ends of the earth, if need be. Meanwhile, their father grows to hate his second son, more and more with each passing day, until he starts to hate his first son and his wife for wanting to protect Albaric. The more the king hates Albaric, the more the latter loves his brother and follows him everywhere, never leaving his side. The two brothers must stand united against their raging father, as well as against the threat of a looming war.
REVIEW
I was attracted to this novel for two main reasons:
1) it's based on an old Scottish legend
2) it promised a strong brotherly love, which is hard to come by these days.
This novel reads like a long fairy tale, with elements of magic interspersed throughout the narrative, blending with the very real day-to-day life in medieval Scotland. I thought the characters were well thought out and I especially loved the intense and unshakable brotherly love. I thought that the king was downright mad because of his incessant hatred of Albaric, despite him not doing anything to be hated for (on the contrary, he is the most useful, capable, and skilful person in the castle). Albaric was sweet and utterly devoted to his half-brother, which made the pair very endearing. I wanted Albaric to be loved by his father, the way that he loved him. His innocent fey personality made him vulnerable and warranted protection and love from those around him. Luckily, Alric loved him as fiercely as he did, so at least he wasn't completely alone in the human world.
The narrative flowed beautifully and was very lyrical. I loved the way old medieval Scotland came to life and was painted so vividly. The characters described very realistic and historically accurate things that they encountered in their daily lives. The writing style might be a turn-off for some readers, but personally, I really enjoyed the ‘old English'-ness of the text. It added to the overall feeling that I was reading an ancient fairy tale.
If you like fairy tales, old Scotish legends and a fierce brotherly love, you should give this one a shot. I was pleasantly surprised and I'm happy I picked it up to read while on holiday.
Listen, Linda, is this guy an authority on dating in the digital age? No, I really don't think so. Is he a good author? No, not really. Is he a good comedian? Perhaps when doing stand-up comedy, but not in the written format. Did I retain anything from this really long and obtuse book? That's debatable. If you want to read stats about online dating, you can google the information. You don't have to read this book.