The God Of Small Things
Arundhati Roy
Harper Perennial, 2004
Review:
It's been a while since I read this, and also I did devour it, so I'm just going to get straight to the point. This is an amazing book, completely original and portraying a part of the world which I hitherto have been quite unfamiliar with. As I say for much of Kurt Vonnegut's work, it has one of my favourite qualities - a certain humanness - to it. Beautifully written, observant and well-planned so as to not satisfy the reader's curiosity until the very end. It made me so very sad and happy at the same time. Do your soul a favour and get your hands on this beautiful thing.
Rating: Outstanding!
Showing posts with label tragedies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tragedies. Show all posts
June 03, 2012
April 22, 2010
The Human Stain
The Human Stain
Philip Roth
Vintage Books, 2000
First impression:
So far, the novel has been nothing but captivating, although Roth has a slightly confusing tendency to "insert in an uncommon order his adverbial phrases". In style he reminds me of both Paul Auster and Kurt Vonnegut, however not as respectively crude or comical, but brutally honest and hosting a number of interesting perspectives.
Review:
I enjoyed this very much initially, because of its sympathetic objectivity, or perhaps subjectivity, I'm not quite sure. As I continued reading, however, I was slightly bored with the dramatic indulgence common in American literature. The issues were made clear relatively early and then dwelled upon for a little too long to keep me focused. But as the theme admittedly is very interesting, I will not be too harsh in grading the work. Roth interests me as a writer, and I hope to have a go at Portnoy's Complaint before I judge him any further.
Rating: Good
Philip Roth
Vintage Books, 2000
First impression:
So far, the novel has been nothing but captivating, although Roth has a slightly confusing tendency to "insert in an uncommon order his adverbial phrases". In style he reminds me of both Paul Auster and Kurt Vonnegut, however not as respectively crude or comical, but brutally honest and hosting a number of interesting perspectives.
Review:
I enjoyed this very much initially, because of its sympathetic objectivity, or perhaps subjectivity, I'm not quite sure. As I continued reading, however, I was slightly bored with the dramatic indulgence common in American literature. The issues were made clear relatively early and then dwelled upon for a little too long to keep me focused. But as the theme admittedly is very interesting, I will not be too harsh in grading the work. Roth interests me as a writer, and I hope to have a go at Portnoy's Complaint before I judge him any further.
Rating: Good
January 24, 2010
Hamlet
Hamlet
William Shakespeare
Edited by Harold Jenkins
The Arden Shakespeare (Methuen), 2005
First impression:
I am since before only acquainted with Hamlet in translation by Britt Hallqvist (see Bottom #10), so reading it in the original English is new and pleasant to the eye. I know it is a wonderful piece of work and watching the adaptation with David Tennant has made me even more fond of it.
Review:
The only thing that drags the rating down for Hamlet is its length. There are bits in the beginning and between Hamlet's deportation and the final scene that feel unncessary and drawn out, but in all else, there is very little to say to criticise this work. To me, it is an important source of meditation, a delight in its language, and an introspective view on human socialisation. I do not know if I can agree that it is the most important work ever written, but it is by all means an excellent drama that I shall have pleasure in revisiting.
Rating: Impressive
William Shakespeare
Edited by Harold Jenkins
The Arden Shakespeare (Methuen), 2005
First impression:
I am since before only acquainted with Hamlet in translation by Britt Hallqvist (see Bottom #10), so reading it in the original English is new and pleasant to the eye. I know it is a wonderful piece of work and watching the adaptation with David Tennant has made me even more fond of it.
Review:
The only thing that drags the rating down for Hamlet is its length. There are bits in the beginning and between Hamlet's deportation and the final scene that feel unncessary and drawn out, but in all else, there is very little to say to criticise this work. To me, it is an important source of meditation, a delight in its language, and an introspective view on human socialisation. I do not know if I can agree that it is the most important work ever written, but it is by all means an excellent drama that I shall have pleasure in revisiting.
Rating: Impressive
October 11, 2009
A Handful Of Dust
A Handful Of Dust
Evelyn Waugh
Penguin Books, 2000
First impression:
School work, which makes it slightly less exciting because I know we will analyse it to bits. Nonetheless, so far a very pleasant and relaxing read, light-hearted in its jaunty, English manner but still ironically tragic behind the veil.
Review:
Having been immersed in Mary Shelley's world the past week, the structure of this book when I took it up again appeared somewhat half-arsed. In one way, it is incredibly shallow; the reader is given everything from a distance, listens in on conversations and observes fates unfold, without any given motivations. In another, it is incredibly complex, full of omens, allusions, and a high degree of tragicomical and satirical influences. I have a hard time making up my mind about whether I actually enjoyed it, but I do know that I appreciated its message of society corrupted, and as long as it sets the gearwheels in motion, it's good enough for me.
Rating: Good
Evelyn Waugh
Penguin Books, 2000
First impression:
School work, which makes it slightly less exciting because I know we will analyse it to bits. Nonetheless, so far a very pleasant and relaxing read, light-hearted in its jaunty, English manner but still ironically tragic behind the veil.
Review:
Having been immersed in Mary Shelley's world the past week, the structure of this book when I took it up again appeared somewhat half-arsed. In one way, it is incredibly shallow; the reader is given everything from a distance, listens in on conversations and observes fates unfold, without any given motivations. In another, it is incredibly complex, full of omens, allusions, and a high degree of tragicomical and satirical influences. I have a hard time making up my mind about whether I actually enjoyed it, but I do know that I appreciated its message of society corrupted, and as long as it sets the gearwheels in motion, it's good enough for me.
Rating: Good
June 06, 2009
Something Happened
Something Happened
Joseph Heller
Ballantine Books, 1975
First impression:
Having read and enjoyed Catch-22 a few years back, I find Heller's type of writing amusing but this work is more repetitive and lacking punchline.
Review:
For such a title, surprisingly little does happen, which gives the impression that it could have been significantly shorter without missing the point. At 530 pages, something doesn't happen until page 524, and even then I wonder how it relates to the rest of the novel. The theme "something happened" is treated more thoroughly in its abstract forms in the beginning of the work, a very interesting discussion about closed doors, sexuality and hierarchic fear. The rest is basically a narrative of thoughts by a middle-aged suburbanist male who worries constantly about the past and the future, what happened and what should have happened. I do not regret having read this book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not extremely patient and interested in in everyday psychosis.
Rating: Decent
Joseph Heller
Ballantine Books, 1975
First impression:
Having read and enjoyed Catch-22 a few years back, I find Heller's type of writing amusing but this work is more repetitive and lacking punchline.
Review:
For such a title, surprisingly little does happen, which gives the impression that it could have been significantly shorter without missing the point. At 530 pages, something doesn't happen until page 524, and even then I wonder how it relates to the rest of the novel. The theme "something happened" is treated more thoroughly in its abstract forms in the beginning of the work, a very interesting discussion about closed doors, sexuality and hierarchic fear. The rest is basically a narrative of thoughts by a middle-aged suburbanist male who worries constantly about the past and the future, what happened and what should have happened. I do not regret having read this book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not extremely patient and interested in in everyday psychosis.
Rating: Decent
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