Review A Book

I Am Lord Voldemort By Nemesis

Today, I have read the best Harry Potter fanfiction of my life and that is I Am Lord Voldemort By Nemisis. Someone told me about it a year and a half ago. I looked at the given link but it was no longer there as author had removed it and then yesterday, someone asked me about some good Harry Potter fanfics and I suddenly remembered it. I really wanted to read it so I used way back machine and finally found it!

It's a great fanfiction, about Lord Voldemort's years at Hogwarts and how he changed from an innocent (not really innocent but far more innocent that he was later) boy into a dark wizard. It's a great read, style is very much similar to that of Rowling's and I am really thankful to Nemisis for writing it.

It was written in 2001, I think. And I have noticed that old fanfiction writers are better than those who lurks around today, writing nothing but slash between Snape and Harry.

Oh well, this fanfiction (a kind of book as it's very long) deserves 10/10!

Ah I see that someone had just finished Joyce's, A Portrait. I am reading about halfway through it at the moment and I love it. But I finished Joyce's grander and infinitely more difficult Ulysses just today, quite the toil and trouble. Well worth it though, for the relaxing nature it gives to read a more relaxed book such as "A Portrait" right after it/at the same time. I feel after reading Ulysses I will approach and divulge the more difficult in the literary world with more ample preparedness, and possibly training? To those who can consume Ulysses readily and wittingly I commend you, that power is beyond me, but the beautiful and intricate meanderings of the narrative allusions, poetry, and wit drew me to work for what I was reading and it was rewarding nearly everypage

André Gide’s Straight is the Gate strikes me as a story of tortured and self-sacrificing love that only a European could write: it’s all muted shades of feeling and delicacy. To me, this is Chekhov territory, and this just doesn’t compare—that said, it does have a number of beautifully realized moments and the occasional burst of emotional truth that makes it worth reading.

I've just read Slaughter house 5 Or The Children's Crusade by Kurt Vonnegut. There is this satirical tone he employs; it's quite appealing, to me anyway. I think that his choice of approach , this "black humour" kind, adds an element of tragic reality to the whole portrayal of the Dresden bombings...
It was a pleasant read , not too long and not too short

Yesterday, I completed reading a book including Notes From The Underground and The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Having always loved Dostoevsky, and enjoyed several of his novels (Crime And Punishment, The Brother Karamazov, and The Idiot), I expected nothing less than genius, and certainly read more of the author's profound talent in literature.
Much like how Jean-Jacques Rousseau and St. Augustine wrote their Confessions, I thought the same of Notes From The Underground, but not, of course, the thoughts of Dostoevsky himself, and the fact seemed obvious. Parts of it seemed rather lewd, invasive, and well thought, yet more involved with late Sophism than the logic I would subscribe to and prefer.
The Double started somewhat slow-paced, yet soon enough, as goes the nature of Dostoevsky's fiction, picked up with all sorts of whims, expressions of inevitable human nature (in a dark way), and the author's often dark, brutal honesty. Overall, it seemed well written, but, thus far, nothing quite dominates The Brothers Karamazov.

My rating: 10/10.

Gothic horror fiction mmmm... exquisite. I have just completed reading Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. This novel explores quite thought-provoking and perhaps controversial themes such as ... aestheticity (not sure about spelling), homosexuality, and hedonism, etc. The narrative is impressive, though I found myself very much in disagreement with many, or most, of Lord Henry's critiques/views concerning "beauty" and life in general.
Nevertheless, a delightful read, definitely worth it.
:nod:

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
A governess's story.

I felt like I couldn't sympathize with the main character (Agnes). She sounds snobbish just because she happens to be a daughter of a reverend and is, by that time's standard, "educated." There are a few occasions when she humbles herself, but her consistent holier-than-thou attitude can be annoying. Her pupils are even more annoying, though, so you can't help siding with her anyway.

There's no real plot, and this in fact sounds too much like an autobiography. I'm sure Bronte did a good job in portraying how important education is to every social class, but as a whole, not too enjoyable. Bronte was smart and perceptive, I'll give her that. (At least, some of her sarcastic comments are amusing. :p)

As I began reading Cuba, I Remember You by Oscar M. Ramirez-Orbea, I was intrigued by the unusual layout of the pages. The collection of short stories is presented in both English and Spanish in a way that is easily read and followed.

Although I have never been to Cuba-and probably never will go there-the author took me there with his descriptive words of the island, houses where he lived, introduction of family members, vivid images of childhood friends, and other memories of his life before and after the revolution. I was surprised to see the introduction, acknowledgements, and dedication all combined; however, this was effective and served as an overall introduction to the intriguing and informative stories.

The author begins his writings on a light note as he describes his Aunt Carmita whom he calls a character with an eccentric personality, but does so with strong feelings of respect and love. His description of her as she attempted to sing classical opera brought tears of laughter to my eyes. When this beloved aunt died at the age of ninety-two in California, having been forced to leave Cuba years earlier, the author relates how her death marked the end of a period in his life-the end of an age.

Dr. Ramirez-Orbea, who was forced to leave Cuba at the age of ten, realized that with her death and that of other family members, he needed to do something to keep these people alive through his words. He didn't want the memories to be lost with the passing of time. Thus he began writing an extensive journal for his private use, and this book contains selected content from this journal.

The author's relationship with others is paramount to the stories that he tells. Though it is definitely not a political or historical book, we see some aspects of both as his stories unfold through narrative that is written with deep feelings and honesty. Love is the thread that binds all the stories together-the love of a small child for his homeland, parents and relatives. His experiences, before and after the revolution, are told in a truthful and often humorous way, but there is no doubt that they eternally impacted his life.

As he relates memories of his grandparents' house-a home for all-as well as the more modern house into which his family moved, readers see the world clearly through his young eyes. As an adult, the author uses his talent for writing to share both the bad and good memories of his early years in Cuba. There were terrifying experiences and situations-ones that he was happy to leave behind when he came to America. Still, they do not take away the memories of the way it once had been.

Cuba, I Remember You is a book about family, love, relationships, and survival in difficult circumstances that all readers will find to be a wonderful reading experience. Family photographs illustrate the 14 short stories, making the narrative even more interesting. It is a personal story, and though autobiographical, it is a fascinating book, blending humor and love with adventure and reality. The author succeeds in giving his family and homeland immortality through written words. This is a MUST READ!

This morning, I finished reading Ulysses by James Joyce. Usually, I would not read such a challenging book so swiftly, yet I could hardly place the book down to rest my eyes.
As with any book I have read by the same author (Dubliners, A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man, and Finnegans Wake), Ulysses posed an immense feat to comprehend, and I found that out of all of his books, A Portrait . . . probably read the most simply.
Before reading Ulysses, I made it a point to review The Odyssey by Homer, hoping it may help, but, I warn everyone, it merely helped with the several abstract allusions made by Joyce. Regardless, this seems a gem of stream-of-consciousness literature, and its challenge appears far worth the diligence of attempting to comprehend the difficulty of James Joyce. The plot, itself, wanders, and, though a rather long book, takes place over a small amount of time, mostly showing multiple events in different places. Throughout the fragmented sentences, the peculiar descriptions, and allusions, however, one reveals the brilliance and uniquity of the plot - of moral dilemmas, science, adultery, and culture.

My rating: 9.5/10.

I'm kind of cheating here, since this wasn't technically the last book I've read, but I did read it fairly recently and have to mention it as one of the all time greats - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This is not for the casual reader. The unabridged version is well over 1,000 pages, and Hugo takes many side trips into history, scene descriptions, etc. But the journey is well worth it - this could be a book that changes your life. The story of Jean ValJean is the story of the transformation of a soul.

Forbidden Love By Norma Khouri

I completed it just now, a few minutes ago. The novel gripped me badly. It's about the life of women in Jordan. The writing style and the basic theme is very much similar to that of Jean Sasson, I think.

The story inside the book is Norma's own story, her friend's story, the story of all women who wanted to bring change in their countries. I wouldn't say that I was impressed by Norma's choosen words or grammar but what gripped me was the novel's theme, Jordan's woman telling her story. The story, I found, very much similar to those we have here in Pakistan, even worse.

I never had the idea that a country like Jordan, which is thought to be succeeding very fast has the same desert values and morals.

I will put the novel at 7/10.

I just finsihed reading Perfume by Patrick Suskind, a very very good book, I must say that this is the only book that I have heard of that is completely devoted to the sense of smell. This gave the book uniqueness. Grenouille the Main Character/Murderer was incredibly interesting, even though he was hard to relate too, it was hard to imagine 18th century France, although my love of history seems to be doing its jobs. Perfume is an excellent example of literature written in the modern day about the old world. A great pieces.

Thibs' Rating: 8/10

Also I have read a few other books at the start of our school year and I thought I would mention them.

Treasure Island-Stevenson- 7/10
Slaughter-House 5- Vonnegut- 9/10
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde- Stevenson- 5/10
The Loved One- Evelyn Waugh- 3/10

One of Conrad's short stories I had to read for my English Literature course. We also had to express our opinion about it in about 100 words and give it a rating. Here's mine:

I liked Heart Of Darkness because it is both a very dark and a very real story. Not only because of its exotic location or because it has part of Belgium’s past as its theme, but mainly because Conrad managed to create an atmosphere that constantly sucks you into the story. Various elements contribute to this atmosphere: the fact that the story is told by another – mysterious – narrator, the quest for Kurtz and Marlow’s eagerness to meet him, the vivid jungle descriptions, etc. Even when Kurtz has been found and the story is nearly finished, Conrad manages to keep your attention by making you wonder – along with Marlow himself – how he will deal with Kurtz’s death and how he will be able to pick up his normal life after these morbid last words.

(For the record, I am from Belgium, that's why I mentioned it in the review :). Not that I was very proud of it when reading the story...)

I have just finished Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. I haven´t seen the movie, but decided to read the book. It´s a very interesting book, that shows, in several vignettes, stories lived or witnessed by Kaysen in her two-year stay at the psychiatric hospital she´d been. Although it doesn´t follow a linear narrative structure, the stories help us to understand what it was like to be in such a situation. She was (later) diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and in the end managed to live her life normally (reading this book we begin to think what this word, normal, really means).
I´ve read that the movie changed some events and characters present in the book (the author was one of the screenwriters), and tried to follow a more-Hollywood-like style. I liked the book, and don´t intend to see the movie (even liking the actresses of the movie).

My rating: 8/10 (interesting, but not a masterpiece):D

I finished Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser on Sunday. It's a history, so I'm not sure if it's okay that I review it on here. But I enjoyed it enough that I wanted other readers to know a little about it in case they might be interested. Please let me know if I shouldn't post about historical biographies or literary biographies because I tend to read both.

Royal Charles is about King Charles II of Great Britian. I knew nothing about Charles II other than he was Mary Queen of Scots great grandson, and what little they show of him in The Libertine (which I didn't take as fact because it was a movie about Rochester, not Charles II). It was a very interesting read. I had no problems even though I know nothing about the period. Fraser did an excellent job of explaining all the politics. I found the whole Glorious Revolution, followed by the Restoration to be most interesting and surprising.

Often when I read historical biographies I find that the writer obviously was biased and had a hidden agenda (either to vilify or sanctify the subject). Fraser did a good job of stating what is known, then listing her entrepretation, without it sounding like she had an agenda, or that her entrepretations were set in stone and must be the only way to entrepret events. I finished the book having enjoyed every single page, with a new knowledge of the period and of Charles II. I've read historical biographies on Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, but I found Royal Charles better written and more interesting than the other two.

I found Charles II likeable as both a King and a man, though I did not see him as perfect. This has never happened to me before when reading a biography of a King or Queen. I'm usually able to understand why they make the decisions they make as a ruler, but I can't justify their actions as a person. Or I understand that they made the best decisions as a person, but not the best decision for their position in their country. Charles did an excellent balancing act (being a good ruler, while being a decent man). Not to mention his balancing acts between the Netherlands and France, French money and Parlimentary power, and Monmouth and James II. I really respected his treatment of the Catholics. That is one of my favorite things about his great grandmother, Mary Queen of Scots. I'll never understand why no one was allowed religious freedom for so long. And the people seemed so changeable. I don't know if I would have returned for the Restoration, or stuck it out so long with such a fickle people and such an uncooperative and manipulative parliment. I honestly think I would've given up, but Charles never did.

9 out of 10

Courtny