Whenever I hear or read or write this phrase, "Merlin's Beard," I always finish it and think "Merlin's beard, Harry." Why? Because Professor Slughorn always uses this phrase in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and it's just stuck with me. (Yes I tied it back to Harry Potter, aka Bae.) There's a little side note about yours truly.
I’ll preface this next part by saying I took 2 English courses last semester: European Modernism and Arthurian Legend and Literature. The deep books I read in fall 2015 are for the European Modernism class, mostly. I’m not complaining here. I loved the books I read this past semester. But I’m just explaining the situation.
Here are those reviews. I'm sorry this post will be super long. You can pick and choose what to read. I won't be offended if you don't read it all and just skip to the end. Totally understandable. I do it too.
Fruits of the Earth by André Gide
Started: August 26, 2015
Finished: August 30, 2015
Stars: 3.5/5
A classmate of mine described this as a book (I'm paraphrasing here) "a pretentious jerk would read in a hipster coffee shop and quote it to make people feel stupid when really he doesn't understand what he's reading." I thought it was pretty funny and pretty spot on because Gide is a little pretentious. But nonetheless I loved what he had to say about the fruit and desire and pursuing one's dreams and hopes.
Nathaniel is the subject to whom Gide is writing and giving advice. But Nathaniel is actually the audience, the world, anyone reading. He is a universal character that is used to make everyone feel like Gide's words are intimate and informal and personal.
Gotta love those French philosophers.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Started: September 12, 2015
Finished: September 15, 2015
Stars: 4.5/5
Hemingway at his rudest. He pokes fun at all of his friends while he recounts all of his time he spent in Paris. It's beautifully written and in the form of vignettes. Each episode revolves around a certain subject and theme and you feel as if you were there living with Hemingway in his modest dwelling.
After the Paris Terrorist attacks (I learned this from CBS Nightly News or something like that), this book was in high demand because it paints Paris in a beautiful light, as it should be. People want to remember Paris as this city of light and love, not one of terror and Hemingway's episodic piece is the perfect way to pay respect to the city, especially in the time of suffering and pain that recently occurred.
Hemingway at his rudest. He pokes fun at all of his friends while he recounts all of his time he spent in Paris. It's beautifully written and in the form of vignettes. Each episode revolves around a certain subject and theme and you feel as if you were there living with Hemingway in his modest dwelling.
After the Paris Terrorist attacks (I learned this from CBS Nightly News or something like that), this book was in high demand because it paints Paris in a beautiful light, as it should be. People want to remember Paris as this city of light and love, not one of terror and Hemingway's episodic piece is the perfect way to pay respect to the city, especially in the time of suffering and pain that recently occurred.
Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf
Started/Finished: September 8, 2016
Stars: 4.5/5
This story focuses on one snail as it observes different couples on a causal day in a Garden. You are literally viewing the world through the perspective of a snail. Like who does that??? Woolf does. That's who. And she's the Queen of this stuff.
This story focuses on one snail as it observes different couples on a causal day in a Garden. You are literally viewing the world through the perspective of a snail. Like who does that??? Woolf does. That's who. And she's the Queen of this stuff.
The Mark on the Wall by Virginia Woolf
Started/Finished: September 5, 2015
Stars: 5/5
Woolf is known for her stream of consciousness and her tendency to emphasize the insignificant in the world. Her descriptions seem like rambles, but are filled with an amazing amount of imagery. She forces us to change how we look at menial and small parts of our everyday lives. That's what is so great about her writing. You get stuck in her head as you read her words and it feels like you are reading a reflection of your own thoughts on paper and in her words.
Reading her work is like opening your eyes to the same world in a new light. This is my favorite piece that displays all of Woolf's wonderful tendencies.
Woolf is known for her stream of consciousness and her tendency to emphasize the insignificant in the world. Her descriptions seem like rambles, but are filled with an amazing amount of imagery. She forces us to change how we look at menial and small parts of our everyday lives. That's what is so great about her writing. You get stuck in her head as you read her words and it feels like you are reading a reflection of your own thoughts on paper and in her words.
Reading her work is like opening your eyes to the same world in a new light. This is my favorite piece that displays all of Woolf's wonderful tendencies.
Blue & Green by Virginia Woolf
Started/Finished: September 8, 2015
Stars: 5/5
I had to read this short story at least 5 times. It's not even a page long so it's not like it was long and took me a long time. But I took me forever to understand what Woolf was describing. And when I figured it out, it was like a lightbulb went off and I wanted to jump around and dance because it's that beautiful. Her writing and descriptions are beautiful and magical. The two parts almost contradict each other in mood, but, in order to put the whole piece together, you need to put the two stories together. It does not make sense if you neglect one part of the story.
The String Quartet by Virginia Woolf
Started/Finished: September 5, 2015
Stars: 3/5
Music and nature are two things that aren't usually described in tandem in one story. But Woolf does it beautifully. It's beautiful. I really can't say enough on how eye-opening and satisfying it is to read Woolf's words.
Music and nature are two things that aren't usually described in tandem in one story. But Woolf does it beautifully. It's beautiful. I really can't say enough on how eye-opening and satisfying it is to read Woolf's words.
Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca
Started: September 19, 2015
Finished: September 20, 2015
Stars: 1.5/5
Ugh. This play was dark and frankly I was bored most of the time. It had good literary merit. But I think the problem was that I had an edition that had a mediocre translation. Classmates of mine had editions with completely different wording and, in my opinion, it changed the entire meaning of the play. Maybe I would've enjoyed the play had I read the edition of a majority of my classmates.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Started: September 24, 2015
Finished: September 25, 2015
Stars:
This book is always a classic. The more I read this book, the more I appreciate this book. I really hated this book the first time I read it in high school. But I really saw that Kafka is supposed to be portraying alienation and loneliness that I think we can relate to, at least in the slightest bit. Family issues and self-image are important too.
If you hate it at first, think about what Gregor goes through. And then you won't hate it.
A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka
Started/Finished: September 29, 2015
Stars: 4/5
This is equally as depressing as Metamorphosis, but different. It focuses on the search for something you desire and love. It's short and pretty easy to read, but carries a ton of underlying meaning. Go on. Read it. Enjoy it. You can thank me later.
Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Started/Finished: October 15, 2015
Stars: 2.5/5
Frankly, I only remember the plot to this book. It's not one of Hawthorne's best work, but it's good. It's set in the Salem witch trials era. But it's theme revolves around secret societies and conspiracy.
No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre
Started: October 5, 2015
Finished: October 6, 2015
Stars: 4/5
This is such a great play. It preaches the whole concept of "hell is other people" because these three people spend the afterlife with each other. It's not said that they are in hell, but who knows. These three characters are in a "hate triangle:" they feed off of each other and drive each other crazy by pushing each other's buttons. Like Camus, it also touches on the ideas of bad-faith and honesty and decisions. Existentialism man. It's the best.
This is such a great play. It preaches the whole concept of "hell is other people" because these three people spend the afterlife with each other. It's not said that they are in hell, but who knows. These three characters are in a "hate triangle:" they feed off of each other and drive each other crazy by pushing each other's buttons. Like Camus, it also touches on the ideas of bad-faith and honesty and decisions. Existentialism man. It's the best.
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
Started/Finished: October 19, 2015
Stars: 3.5/5
Very philosophical. It deals with decisions and actions and what that determines about our character and essence.
That’s all you really need to know about it.
The Adulterous Woman by Albert Camus
Started/Finished: October 21, 2016
Stars: 4/5
My favorite Camus story. I don’t want to say much without giving away the point of the story because the ending is amazing. This story is short enough and intriguing enough that you could finish it in 30 minutes.
It focuses on bad-faith and existentialism and regret for doing something because it was comfortable and not because you were 100% committed and excited about it. Something I’m sure a majority of people can relate to and understand.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Started: October 20, 2015
Finished: October 21, 2015
Stars: 2.5/5
No. Just no. I get that this play is mostly about existentialism and the idea of action to determine oneself instead of thought or word. I get it. BUT NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE PLAY.
It’s two men talking about waiting for Godot. It’s almost as if there is an attraction between Estragon and Vladimir and the two of them hold their own attractions and fascinations with Godot. Also are in they in hell? Are they in purgatory? Are they on Earth and literally just waiting? We. Don’t. Know.
Nothing in this play is known except the names of the characters and that they are waiting for Godot. It’s all left to interpretation. Have at it.
Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino
Started: October 28, 2015
Finished: November 1, 2015
Stars: 3/5
Light and humorous but also deep and slightly depressing. It talks about struggles in Italy in post-World War II and the Mussolini regime. It all centers around the life and struggles of Marcovaldo and his family while trying to adjust to city-life after living in the country.
It’s structured much like The Moveable Feast where it is like a montage of episodes strung together.
It’s beautifully written with the abundant imagery and colors used. It’s also funny. While Marcovaldo struggles to survive, what he comes up with to try and get ahead in life is funny. He is naive and hopeful in a world of capitalism and selfishness. It is a battle of nature versus industrialization and machinery.
The Lover by Marguerite Duras
Started: November 8, 2015
Finished: November 10, 2015
Stars: 5/5
Is it an autobiography? Or is it fiction? It’s difficult to tell with Duras’ book. She talks a lot about photography and image in the book and is conscious of her own image, literally. The writing in this book is phenomenal (hence the five star rating).
She talks about race in a colonial country. She talks about abuse. Attraction, desire, lust. Familial relationships. Self-worth and self-image. Duras covers a lot of issues and topics in this short book.
While this book’s plot and characters are slightly bothersome, you are so focused on the plot that you don’t really care about the uncomfortable age gap between the main character (who doesn’t have a name) and the Chinese (also name-less) as soon as the writing sucks you in to the book.
Same relationship as Lolita, but I’ve never read Lolita so I can’t really compare the two other than the general fact that there is an older man having a sexual relationship with a much younger girl.
But really, this is such a great book. 10/10 would recommend.
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Started: November 18, 2015
Finished: December 2, 2015
Stars: 4.5.5
Reading this book is like reading a story and not knowing what the heck is going on. But in a good way, I promise. To get the whole beauty of the book, you have to read the page from cover to cover. You have to read the preface, the note, the poem, the appendix, the index, everything. Nabokov sets up this chess match that you don't even know you're a part of. And he wins. Every. Time.
I read this book twice because the first time, I was like what the heck did I just read. And then the second time I noticed the brilliance. There are definitely two different schools of thought on how to interpret the characters and the whole point to the book. I won't get into that to prevent this from sounding like a preachy paper.
It's great. You'll love it. Go read it now.
This post is also as long as Merlin's beard so it's fitting.
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