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44% complete! ralentina has read 11 of 25 books.
A una cena ufficiale, circostanza che generalmente non si presta a un disinvolto scambio di …
A novella imagining what would happen if the queen became a passionate reader, thus becoming humane. Ironic and intelligent, adorably British: subtle and understated, but delivering some real satirical punches. Notes: I read this book in the Italian translation by Elena Pavani.
The novel is set somewhere in the north of England. Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, …
Aged 12 or so, I read this book - along with another bunch of gothic novels and mickey mouse comics - and all that stuck with me was the memory of a needlessly tormented, addicting-to-read romance. Nearly 20 years later, the romance is there, it is needlessly tormented, and addicting too. Victorian morality is tiresome to read about - I cannot imagine to live by. Of course, it is also racist, colonialist, ableistic, and classist in ways that are (even) more extreme than our own. The obsession with marriage makes one want to escape into a hippie commune asap.
And yet, there is something so ineffably modern about Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. Jane is independent, strong-minded and sarcastic. I am tempted to believe that even her religious talk is more of a language to express human feelings, thoughts and impulses that it is piousness. And Edward is such an …
Aged 12 or so, I read this book - along with another bunch of gothic novels and mickey mouse comics - and all that stuck with me was the memory of a needlessly tormented, addicting-to-read romance. Nearly 20 years later, the romance is there, it is needlessly tormented, and addicting too. Victorian morality is tiresome to read about - I cannot imagine to live by. Of course, it is also racist, colonialist, ableistic, and classist in ways that are (even) more extreme than our own. The obsession with marriage makes one want to escape into a hippie commune asap.
And yet, there is something so ineffably modern about Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. Jane is independent, strong-minded and sarcastic. I am tempted to believe that even her religious talk is more of a language to express human feelings, thoughts and impulses that it is piousness. And Edward is such an imperfect hero: not handsome, throwing tantra over small things, not too noble to try a trick. And their banter and sexual tension are so believable and enthralling, they put many of the latest Netflix series to shame.
As the oldest daughter, willful, outspoken Sophie knew that her life could lead to nothing …
A week ago, when I found Miyazaki's film was based on a book, I was so surprised, and so frustrated by my ignorance, that I couldn't wait. I was not disappointed. I wonder if, had I read it at a younger age, I would have found the plot easier to follow, or more compelling. Somehow, however, the story did not seem to matter because the world of Howl's almost doesn't need one to be worth your time. It's at once as story tale as it gets, and also radically original and imaginative. I also loved the characters: Sophie and Howl are such likeable, imperfect heroes! My edition includes an interview with the author, which was very worth reading.
"I have been sleuthing my mother's symptoms for as long as I can remember. If …
Tascha said Hot Milk made her think of Mary Gaitskill, only perhaps less complex. I thought of Murakami, because of the slightly surreal atmosphere and writing. A mix between Mary Gaitskill and Murakami should then be absolutely fantastic. Somehow, Hot Milk wasn't absolutely fantastic, though it was good. As I know from experience, summing up the plot makes this book seem lame: a protagonist going through her mid-20's crisis, a controlling, hypochondriac mother, a holiday in Spain, a handful of love/sex affairs. The writing is beautiful, and if one is into surreal writing there are some beautiful scenes that are worth the time in themselves (to avoid spoilers, I'll only say two words: fish theft).
A novel of breathtaking sweep and emotional power that traces three hundred years in Ghana …
More than a novel, it is a collection of short stories moving from generation to generation, from the age of slave trade in Ghana to present day USA. This structure is both effective and frustrating. It's effective because it allows the author (and the readers) to explore the connections between colonialism, slavery, black-labour exploitation, civil-rights battles, and today's racism. It's frustrating because some stories are so short that they feel like necessary links, or vignettes, without leaving the time to "grow emotions" for the characters. Some of the plot-patterns in the book were also a bit forced and already-seen (for those who read the book already: black stones, romantic resolution...). That said, it was a fine read and an important one, delving into the horrors of colonialism.
245 pages ; 21 cm
'For three days in a row, there is not a single victim in the entire precinct. No rapes. No murders. No rape-murders. No kidnappings. No child pornography made, bought, or sold. No molestations. No sexual assaults. No sexual harassments. No forced prostitution. No human trafficking. No subway gropings. No incest. No indecent exposures. No stalking. Not even an unwanted dirty phone call. Then, in the gloaming of a Wednesday, a man wolf-whistles at a woman on her way to an AA meeting. The whole city releases its held breath, and everything returns to normal'.
The quote is taken from the fourth and longest story in this collection, Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order SVU. I should say that this was the story I enjoyed the least, possibly because I haven't not watched a single episode of Law & Order (and have no burning desire to do so anytime …
'For three days in a row, there is not a single victim in the entire precinct. No rapes. No murders. No rape-murders. No kidnappings. No child pornography made, bought, or sold. No molestations. No sexual assaults. No sexual harassments. No forced prostitution. No human trafficking. No subway gropings. No incest. No indecent exposures. No stalking. Not even an unwanted dirty phone call. Then, in the gloaming of a Wednesday, a man wolf-whistles at a woman on her way to an AA meeting. The whole city releases its held breath, and everything returns to normal'.
The quote is taken from the fourth and longest story in this collection, Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order SVU. I should say that this was the story I enjoyed the least, possibly because I haven't not watched a single episode of Law & Order (and have no burning desire to do so anytime soon). But I would say that it encapsulates what is so brilliant about Machado's writing: without ever falling into moralism or preachiness she relentlessly brings out the absurd and the unjust in society. To my mind, this one of the best quality a book can have.
There are several themes running through the collection. Sex, a lot of sex: good sex, bad sex, violent, explicit, queer. The female body: a haunted house with no doors but a hundred windows, as the beautiful quote by Jacqui Germany says at the start of the book. And myths and fairy tales, in the broades sense of the world: isn't Law & Order one of those? The Husband Stitch, Eight Bites and The Resident were my favourites.
In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis …
I don't know how or why I didn't come by this book before, since it's such a classic. Even though I didn't know this was THE book, I was familiar with the plot: Charlie Gordon becomes a genius through an operation, until (mini-SPOILER, though you probably already know, too) the effects of the operation fades, and he goes back to being 'stupid'. The description of this parabol is fascinating, especially, in my opinion, on the way up. I don't know if a person like Charlie would relate, but it felt realistic, and quite frankly, heartbreaking. He goes through his memories, and, step by step, is forced to re-interpret them. More often than not he realises that people have been meaner to him that he could see the first time around. In my opinion, the author mastered the uneasy task to ascribe stupidity to his main character without being gimmicky or …
I don't know how or why I didn't come by this book before, since it's such a classic. Even though I didn't know this was THE book, I was familiar with the plot: Charlie Gordon becomes a genius through an operation, until (mini-SPOILER, though you probably already know, too) the effects of the operation fades, and he goes back to being 'stupid'. The description of this parabol is fascinating, especially, in my opinion, on the way up. I don't know if a person like Charlie would relate, but it felt realistic, and quite frankly, heartbreaking. He goes through his memories, and, step by step, is forced to re-interpret them. More often than not he realises that people have been meaner to him that he could see the first time around. In my opinion, the author mastered the uneasy task to ascribe stupidity to his main character without being gimmicky or disrespectful.
For some reason, the downward half of the parabola didn't work for me in the same way, but I really think it was me and not the book, as most readers seem to have given in to tears at this stage. I also didn't love the way in which women and their relationships with Charlies are described but a) maybe it shows the book as a product of its times b) I suppose the point was to suggest that (extreme) intelligence goes hands in hands with loneliness.
Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind …
I don't know how or why I didn't come by this book before, since it's such a classic. Even though I didn't know this was THE book, I was familiar with the plot: Charlie Gordon becomes a genius through an operation, until (mini-SPOILER, though you probably already know, too) the effects of the operation fades, and he goes back to being 'stupid'. The description of this parabol is fascinating, especially, in my opinion, on the way up. I don't know if a person like Charlie would relate, but it felt realistic, and quite frankly, heartbreaking. He goes through his memories, and, step by step, is forced to re-interpret them. More often than not he realises that people have been meaner to him that he could see the first time around. In my opinion, the author mastered the uneasy task to ascribe stupidity to his main character without being gimmicky or …
I don't know how or why I didn't come by this book before, since it's such a classic. Even though I didn't know this was THE book, I was familiar with the plot: Charlie Gordon becomes a genius through an operation, until (mini-SPOILER, though you probably already know, too) the effects of the operation fades, and he goes back to being 'stupid'. The description of this parabol is fascinating, especially, in my opinion, on the way up. I don't know if a person like Charlie would relate, but it felt realistic, and quite frankly, heartbreaking. He goes through his memories, and, step by step, is forced to re-interpret them. More often than not he realises that people have been meaner to him that he could see the first time around. In my opinion, the author mastered the uneasy task to ascribe stupidity to his main character without being gimmicky or disrespectful.
For some reason, the downward half of the parabola didn't work for me in the same way, but I really think it was me and not the book, as most readers seem to have given in to tears at this stage. I also didn't love the way in which women and their relationships with Charlies are described but a) maybe it shows the book as a product of its times b) I suppose the point was to suggest that (extreme) intelligence goes hands in hands with loneliness.
"Phoebe is a factory girl who has come to Shanghai with the promise of a …
Set between Shanghai and Malaysia, Five Star Billionaire is made up by a series of intersecting stories, the lives of a generation of migrant workers from different social classes. Every character is struggling to be successful. Everyone fails, though often one is left thinking that that's for the best, because the price of success is loosing oneself. The book it's easy to read. It is about the generalised obsession with making money and appear successful, but it doesn't fall into the trap of being patronising, or of dividing the world into idealists and money-thirsty: everyone is caught up in the same system. This is what I appreciated the most about it.
It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse …
Content warning Major spoilers!
Until the last few chapters, I was enjoying this book just fine. I don’t frequently read murder mysteries, but there is no denying we all want to find out who did it. So, I let the story capture me and went along. The social background against which the facts take place in rural Sweden, with its nostalgia for a lost past, its growing inwards migration, and xenophobia, I thought they added just a little weight to the book, in a positive sense. Granted, the celebration of the police and the benevolent understanding of the resentment towards foreigners are not right up my alley, politically, but I was willing to let that go. I even appreciated that the protagonist is himself quite conservative in this respect. [spoiler alert] But towards the end, when it becomes clear that not only the murders are indeed undocumented migrants, but that there is no explanation for their sadistic cruelty, I felt cheated, from a reader’s point of view (why indulge in the murder’s brutality, if it isn’t a clue?), and annoyed, from a citizen / occasional migrant. Really? If a book is going to play with the xenophobia of the public, it needs to do better than this!
"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet. So begins the story of this …
I read this book in just two sessions, which is generally a good sign. It’s the story of the making of a family, its coming apart, and its patching itself back together, however imperfectly. Although at times I found the character a little too one-dimensional, there was something touching about everyone’s frailty and desire to do good by the others (if only we knew what is ‘good’). Especially towards the end, reading felt a little like watching a good American movie: emotionally manipulative, but soothing - I was wallowing in the drama.
Un bambino di undici anni sparisce nel nulla in una Bolzano diafana. Intorno a lui, …
Del dirsi addio is a crime story set in Bolzano, where the mystery around the disappearance of a kid is little more than a backdrop to the personal story of the detective investigating the case. Sergio is in love with a younger man, is in the closet, and is trying to patch up his relationship with his dad, and his memories of his deceased mum.In spite of these intricacies, I found the book easy to read, and read it whole on a single plane journey (admittedly a 20 hours one). The characters - including Bolzano, the town where the story is set - are not explored in great depth, but they are alive enough to make for an interesting read. I don't understand why authors so often need to let you know what they have read and learnt, but that's probably just me.
Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a …
Don't let the two stars fool you: this book is funny, at times even laugh-out-loud funny. If you are an academic, or someone who has had to deal with the absurd rituals of recommendation letters (on either side of the equation), you'll almost definitely laugh. I cannot speak from experience, but I suspect if you are an academic in an American institution, you'll laugh even harder. If you are an academic at a Literature/English department in an American institution, you'll probably cry a little too. In spite of all the laughter, the story is a little too thin to carry the book: after the 25th letter, one gets the gist. I also grew to dislike Prof. Fitger so much, that I became unable to appreciate his sarcasm.
SPARKS ARE IGNITING. FLAMES ARE SPREADING. AND THE CAPITAL WANTS REVENGE.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger …
Originally published in 1932, this outstanding work of literature is more crucial and relevant today …
Brave New World is on every must-read list, and it belongs there. Huxley's longsightedness is undisputed: as far back as 1931, he picked up on some of the most disturbing features of what was becoming our society, and showed their darkest side. I don't know why I couldn't get more into the story. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing. In fact, I remember reading it as a teenager, and liking it a lot more. Truth be told, I must have been on a sci-fi binge, because I definitely remembered it all wrong - I think my mind collated 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World in a major, majorly inconsistent dystopia of its own. I don't know if it was just me, but I have the impression that our collective memory has boxed the book as a warning bell against the dangers of a world driven by escapism, sensual …
Brave New World is on every must-read list, and it belongs there. Huxley's longsightedness is undisputed: as far back as 1931, he picked up on some of the most disturbing features of what was becoming our society, and showed their darkest side. I don't know why I couldn't get more into the story. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing. In fact, I remember reading it as a teenager, and liking it a lot more. Truth be told, I must have been on a sci-fi binge, because I definitely remembered it all wrong - I think my mind collated 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World in a major, majorly inconsistent dystopia of its own. I don't know if it was just me, but I have the impression that our collective memory has boxed the book as a warning bell against the dangers of a world driven by escapism, sensual pleasure, and the obsession with being happy. I had completely removed the fact that 'the Savage' actually also comes across as fairly obsessed - with religion, purity, and purification through pain - is it just me, or that is also supposed to be a little creepy? As an aside, the representation of the 'uncivilised' as a sort of native Americans was hella problematic (yes, I know, it's easy to practice critical analysis from 90+ years in the future)