Ash
Ahhh I picked this up on a whim, and now I feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. This story was so cute! I'm a sucker for slow burns and intense pining. Kakeru is adorable, and I feel so much for Yamato! Poor Yamato, who is so misunderstood by his best friend ;__;
I'm looking forward to vol 2 ♥
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.
3½ stars for cleverness despite the redundancy.
I really liked this little novella for its take on traitional fairy tales and its reversal of expectations/roles. The princess saves herself instead of waiting around helplessly, which is a nice change of pace. I was a bit on the fence about the random scenes of violence and gore, but I see how they were used to shape (and harden) Floralinda. Cobweb was a cute yet fiesty companion throughout and, even though I'm not too sure about the 'romance' between the two, they did make a formidable pair when faced with all manners of creatures, mythological and otherwise.
I feel that the narrative was repetive in places, and the use of the same ‘trick' to slay the beasts over and over again lacked excitement. The fights could have been more interesting if Floralinda had used different ways for defeating the creatures, but the parade of beasts on each floor was fun to read about, nevertheless. I'm also not so sure about the conclusion; I expected Floralinda to go on her way as a changed woman, not remain in the tower that had kept her prisonner for so long. In a way, it's as though she can never leave her captivity even though she changed tremendously.
Overall, this was a fun, subversive read!
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.
Art: 4Characters: 4Plot: 4Total: 4I've been a Takarazuka fan and scholar for many years, so Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this manga that deals with this exact topic: all-female theatre in Japan! This manga is a prequel to the [b:Kageki Shojo!! Vol. 1 56550461 Kageki Shojo!! Vol. 1 Kumiko Saiki https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612742425l/56550461.SX50.jpg 88294611] series which follows the lives of newly admitted Kouka theatre students. The prequel introduces the main characters, Sarasa and Ai, as well as a slew of classmates, seniors, and teachers at the school. Ai is an ex-idol with little to no motivation in life other than to be in a place far from men (hence why she chose to join Kouka). On the other hand, Sarasa has always dreamed of being a Kouka actress, especially in the iconic role of Oscar in [b:The Rose of Versailles, Omnibus 1 28577172 The Rose of Versailles, Omnibus 1 Riyoko Ikeda https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563516388l/28577172.SX50.jpg 50114452]. Soon, we discover that these two have many secrets and often dark reasons for joining the school, as do the other girls in their class. Above: The girls attend a Kouka show of Romeo and Juliet and are dazzled by what they see.I was surprised that this manga introduced hard-hitting topics such as eating disorders, sexual abuse, and the dark world behind the glitzy façade of entertainment. The girls at Kouka all have different motivations for being there, but they are all unified by their love of Kouka theatre and the allure of the stage. Even though they don't always see eye-to-eye, the girls can agree on the fact that Kouka is all but lifesaving to them.All in all, I really enjoyed this volume, and I'm excited to read the main series from here on out. If you're already a Zuka fan, then this is a must-read or you. If you're new to the glamourous world of showbiz in Japan, then maybe this will be a good entry point for you to discover this fairly niche cultural area.
This review contains spoilers! Proceed with caution.
First of all, before I dive into a scathing review, let me just say that this book is seriously miscategorized. It is not a “fantasy book with elements of romance,” but rather a “romance/erotica book with a vague nod towards fantasy as a theme.” Seriously, whoever though this was deserving of the fantasy label clearly never read a fantasy book in their lives (fyi to other reviewers: this is most definitely not high fantasy. Where did you get that idea from? Badly implemented magic does not equal high fantasy...)
Yet again, I find myself disappointed with a very hyped-up book. I've figured out by now that 4 and 5-star ratings mean nothing and that glowing reviews cannot be trusted for fault of lack of depth in said reviews.
What is this book about, you ask? Well, I have a hard time articulating that thought despite having finished reading the book not 15 minutes ago. The book is technically about magic in Edwardian London and a queer romance at its centre, but in actuality, this book isn't about anything, really.
Robert “Robin” Blyth is an ordinary, typical lordling who ends up in a job that is anything but ordinary. Without his knowledge, he gets thrown into a position where he should act as a liaison between the magical and non-magical worlds. The only problem is that Robin has zero knowledge of magic and has no idea what he's supposed to do. Enter Edwin Courcey, a stuck-up and condescending magician who knows everything, except why Robin is in this job nor how to get rid of him. Hijinks ensue, and Robin finds himself cursed by a strange lot of faceless people who are after a mysterious artifact called the Last Contract. In order to help Robin (and himself) out of this mess, Edwin takes his new colleague on romp through the countryside in search of a cure for the curse and with the hopes of finding the artifact.
Now, as far as plots go, this sounds pretty good, right? Well yes, in theory, except that the book then proceeds to give us the most drawn out, useless, and uninteresting scenes in the history of literature. I made a list of things that were especially bothersome, so here we go:
The magic system
Edwin and his fellow magicians, with the exception of old lady Flora, use a system called “cradling” to perform magic. Basically, it's like the kid's game of cat's cradle, but make it magical. Everyone in this universe cradles without assistance of any kind, except Edwin. He needs to use a piece of string to help him focus his magic. Why? Who knows, it's never truly explained. All we know is that some people need string to help them along, although we're not given another example of this outside of Edwin. There's also the idea of notations as being part of the process, but we as readers are never explained what notations are or how they work. Then, there's Flora Sutton who uses an entirely different system of magic, but once again, this isn't explained. There doesn't seem to be other people who can do what she does, but it's all brushed aside anyway like the rest of this system. In brief, what we have here is a case of very soft magic with little to no background information about how it works or how it came about.
Edwin and Robin's relationship
In a nutshell, it is so comically unbelievable, it hurts. The two have known each other for nine days by the time they have their big breakup.... NINE DAYS, during which time they've gone from being enemies to lovers to heartbroken to lovers again. What??? Does no one else think this is ridiculous? Robin's mushy inner thoughts of “let's make a life together, my future is you, blah blah” ... PLEASE. Calm down, it's been nine days. Also, allow me to point out that during the nine days of their acquaintance, they've had time to sleep together TWICE in between death threats, Robin's debilitating curse, Edwin's insane family, and acquiring a magical estate for their personal use. .... ????????
Robin's curse
What was the point of the curse? Who are the weird faceless people who attacked him in the first place? Why was it such an important plot point that took up more than half the book, only to be resolved in the most anticlimactic way possible, with no further thought afterwards of “huh, well this was a pointless exercise?”
Robin's sister, Maud
Why is she even there? Seriously, what is her purpose in this story other than being Robin's little sister and an unwanted guest at the Courceys? She was, 1000% useless to the plot. Actually, make that 10 000%.
The infamous Last Contract
Again, why? How is the cup, coin, and knife even remotely related to Robin? Why would a non-magical person be cursed, nearly murdered a few times, and then left to his own devices with all that knowledge on the basis that “he won't tell anyone, scout's honour?” The shadowy “Assembly” that is pulling the strings behind all this remains a mystery even after the last chapter (which yes, I understand that it leaves room for a second book, but still). There's mention in the very beginning of all this that the Contract is related to the Fae, but we never hear from them, nor that connection, ever again. (This is an old motif btw, it is not an invention proper to this book. There are tons of legends about Fae striking deals with mortals. Look it up.)
Death (in general)
When a certain (unremarkable) character dies towards the end of the book, there is exactly zero human emotion tied to it. Zilch. None. The person dies pretty horribly when you think about it, and is actively killed by our loving MCs, and their first reaction afterwards is to be all kissy-face and touchy-feely beside a dead body. Also, the fact these guys are not murderers and have never killed anyone before now, the lack of reaction to taking someone's life is all the more worrying. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd be feeling very much in the mood with a dead man lying at my feet. Just saying.
The Wokeness(TM)
Ok, look, I know it's 2022, and being woke is the default now unless you want to be cancelled from this planet, but come on. This was wokeness for the sake of being woke. Robin asking about consent every two seconds (both in and out of bed) was a bit much. Like, we get it. Consent is important, of course, but you don't have to keep asking the same damn thing over and over again just for the sake of it. What's the point of going off on a huge speech about magical consent? Why do we care about magical contracts and how they're executed? Makes no sense. Even the blood pact/contract thing requires consent between the two parties, and Edwin makes a big show of it, except that one of the two parties is tied to a magical wall and can't move when he “consents” to the blood pact.... That's hardly consensual, now is it? Sounds like token wokeness to me. Do you know what we call that in legal terms? Coercion (with a dash of threat of bodily harm), not consent.
Then, there's the Strong Female(TM) trope, of course. Flora Sutton? The OG Strong Female(TM) with her merry band of girlfriends who “defied expectations” when they found the artifacts before the men did. Nice. Then there's Adelaide and Kitty, the two Strong (sister) token POC Females(TM) who save the White Males(TM) because they're so clever. Okay, cool, but then they vanish from the narrative completely and we don't hear from them again. Very woke indeed (read: sarcasm).
I could keep going, but I've already given this book too much of my attention. The only reason I finished it was because it was a library loan and I wanted to get ‘my money's worth', so to speak (10 hours of reading time over 21 days of rental, to be exact). Might I add that the book is only 400 pages long.... It shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to read it. I very nearly gave up around 60% of the way in, but then felt bad for having invested so much time already and giving up after more than half was done. I am infinitely grateful that my library had a copy I could borrow so that I could save myself a whole 36 Canadian dollars on purchasing this book that would have hereafter served as a doorstopper.
Summary
Honeysuckle “Honey” Jones has a problem: she's been in many relationships, but none have succeeded, and she finds herself alone and frustrated. Her two best friends, the sexually confident air hostess Tash, and the straight-laced married school teacher Nell, come up with a plan to find Honey a new man, a pianist to be exact. He has to be tall and sexy, and have magic fingers to fix Honey's little “problem”...
In the meantime, a grumpy neighbour settles in the flat opposite from Honey. The mysterious man has her heart racing despite all odds. The only problem is, he's constantly grouchy, rude, obnoxious and downright mean to Honey. And he's not a pianist. He's just a really, really hot blind chef. What is a girl supposed to do to get a decent date?
Review
This book was funny and lighthearted, and all of its characters were very endearing. Honey is a haphazard type of girl who rarely gets down and is always a ray of positivity for her friends, coworkers, and neighbour. Honey is very selfless and wholeheartedly helps those in need around her, including Hal (her less than friendly flat mate). Hal, on the other hand, has had the world tuned against him. He used to be a hot-shot celebrity chef with a pretty fiancé, a house, and fast cars. Now, having lost everything, he becomes a recluse, never leaving his apartment, and depends on Honey's goodwill to bring him food and company (although he doesn't appreciate it).
Honey and Hal's relationship was a wild roller coaster ride, mostly because of Hal's mood swings and bad temper. All the while these two are trying to find common ground, Honey is sent by her friends on hilarious blind dates that only serve to bring Honey and Hal closer to each other.
The backdrop of the romance is a story about pensioners fighting for the right to keep their home. Honey takes part in their woes and soon becomes the spokesperson for the home, appearing on TV and in the newspapers. The pensioners are endearing and I was moved by their story of survival.
Overall, The Piano Man Project was a quick read, funny, heart-warming, and sexy throughout. I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys slice-of-life comedy and romance.
Art: 3½Plot: 4
Characters: 4Overall rating: 4
Click here for my review of vol 1 [b:Don't Call Me Dirty|48888144|Don't Call Me Dirty|Gorou Kanbe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575831918l/48888144.SY75.jpg|74276045] !
Vol 2, or perhaps better labelled as the spin-off of vol 1, focuses on Shouji's dad, Ryuuji, and his childhood friend, Hanao. The story follows closely the timeline set in Don't Call Me Dirty, which is nice, and shows how the two “dads” of the story overcome their insecurities to be together.
When Shouji was born, Ryuuji had no clue what to do so he relied on his best friend's help in raising the child. Hanao stayed with them and took care of Shouji until the age of 6, when Shouji started displaying signs that he was gay. Frightened that Shouji was being influenced by the adults in his life, Hanao decided to leave the household–and his love–behind in favour of a career in a law firm. Fast forward 20 years, Hanao and Ryuuji are reunited, but Hanao's old feelings for his friend are too much to bear, causing a fresh rift to open up between the friends.
This volume did a lot of things really well. It dealt with the topic of unrequited love in a poignant way, it presented an older couple at the centre of the narrative, and it showed how perceptions of oneself are entirely based upon the opinions of society. Hanao struggled most of his life with his feelings for his friend because of the social stigma attached to loving someone of the same sex, as well as his fear of losing his friendship all together should his friend be suddenly revolted by him.
Hanao's perception is entirely built up through a six-year-old child's innocent outlook on life. When Shouji tells his school friends that Hanao and his dad are “married” and that they all “play together and eat together,” this triggers Hanao's fears that what Shouji sees in him will be seen by the outside world. Even though he loves and cares for Shouji, he cannot stand to see himself reflected in the boy and laid bare in front of the society he lives in.
The manga does a great job of showing this tug and pull of Hanao's feelings and the result of his eventual admission is both satisfying and a relief. After everything that Ryuuji and Hanao have been through, they definitely deserve their HEA.
If you liked the first volume, then you should definitely read this one too. Even though we don't see Hama in this one, past and present Shouji make up for it in how he helps Hanao (and his dad) in becoming more honest with himself.
Art: 4Story: 3 1/2
Pace: 3*
I'm not the biggest fan of slice of life stories, but I make exceptions for anything BL related. I was drawn into this story by the beautiful art and, even though the pacing is incredibly slow (I'm not sure anything actually happened in vol 1), I'd like to stick with the series and see where it goes. I love slow burns, but this is just slow without the burn ^^; Still, the story so far is enjoyable. I like Yamato and Seki the most. Yuiji is a bit (a lot) of a jerk for the first half of the volume, so it's a bit hard to like him (or ship him with Yamato, even though that's clearly where the story wants to take us).
I'm worried that it took the author 3 years to write vol 2 after the publication of the first one. I hope that it doesn't take another 3 years for the vol 3, or worse, that the series is never finished. If you decide to try out this series, go in knowing that it might be a long wait until it's completed.
Art: 3½Plot: 4Characters: 4Overall rating: 4I went into this manga not knowing anything about the story, but it turned out to be such a nice experience! The concept of this one revolves around being perceived as dirty by society. Hama, a homeless man, is seen as dirty, unsanitary, and scary despite his good heart and willingness to help others. Shouji, the owner of a liquor store, is also seen as being dirty, but that is because of his homosexuality. While many people in Shouji's life support him, his boyfriend, Hiro, treats him as something gross and dirty. Hama and Shouji meet one day by chance and, even though Shouji has prejudices against Hama, he quickly learns to see past his dirty exterior to the kind and gentle man inside.Hama and Shouji's relationship develops very slowly, and Hama struggles with his feelings as he is used to being let down and mistreated by people. As for Shouji, he learns to value himself more and that his feelings are not something to be ashamed of. The other characters in the story all contribute to the warm and fuzzy feelings of the manga, and everyone's openness towards Shouji eventually translates into acceptance of Hama as well. Old man Kaji's side story all pulls at the heartstrings, and Mita and Hanao's relationship immediately recall strong family love (see Gorou Kanbe's spin-off [b:Don't Call Me Daddy 51768779 Don't Call Me Daddy Gorou Kanbe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589257209l/51768779.SX50.jpg 76287185] for more on these two).This manga was honestly very refreshing in the themes it explored, and the characters were all lovable and memorable. I love that this is not a typical BL by the fact that it tackles important social issues such as homelessness, old age, and homosexuality in a clear, non-judgemental approach. All in all, this is a really nice, quick read that is sure to make you smile!
Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 1h20
Tags: fantasy, lgbt (m/m), light horror, adventure
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 8/10
It's been well over a year since I read the first book in this duology, Silver in the Wood, so in all honesty, it took me a good 20 pages to situate myself in the story and remember what happened in the other book before truly enjoying this one. Obviously, this is a me problem, and should I reread this duology, I would read the two novellas back-to-back to fully appreciate them.
From what I remember of the first book (and after checking my reading notes to refresh my memory) my main issue I had with the first book was that the characters didn't have enough depth, and Tobias and Henry's relationship didn't have a very strong foundation.
In this book, however, it's quite the opposite. The focus of this story was more so on the characters' growth and development, which gave more depth to their relationships to one another. In this novella, we also meet a new character, Maud, who reveals herself to be an interesting catalyst for the plot, and we learn more about Henry's monster-hunting mother (who is a pretty cool lady when you think about it).
The use of flashbacks in part two “The Queen of Fairyland” added a lot of useful information on how and why things went wrong at the end of the first book. I found this a clever device to use in a novella.
Where the first book focused on Tobias' voice, and the emphasis was on the task of being (or becoming) the guardian of an ancient forest, this second book was from the perspective of Henry Silver, which was a welcome change in my opinion. I personally like Henry more out the two because of his more engaging personality, but Tobias in this book was very endearing too.
Drowned Country takes us on a magical adventure to a sunken forest and a lost fairy kingdom and, despite the length of the book (only 176 pages!) the scenes are compelling and action packed.
I feel that this second book is a significant improvement on the last, and the fact that it is so short and easy to consume in one sitting makes this duology a very likely reread in the future.
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.
DNF @ 15%I quite enjoyed Polk's other Regency-inspired fantasy story, [b:Witchmark 36187110 Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle, #1) C.L. Polk https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505338133l/36187110.SY75.jpg 57809962], but Midnight Bargain feels like it was written by a different person. I understand that Witchmark is marketed as adult SFF, while this one is YA, but I still found the writing here too juvenile compared to the author's other works. For example, right from the beginning of chapter 1 we are bombarded with a bunch of exclamation marks... and to what effect?The doorbell jingled as Beatrice crossed into the book-keeper's domain. Harriman's! O dust and ink and leather binding, O map-scrolls and star-prints and poetry chapbooks–and the grimoire, somewhere within!Who writes like this? And worse, who thinks like this?? Beatrice sounds like an overly excitable tween, which is not supposed to be her personality since she is a young woman on the cusp of marriage. The faux-Regency language is exaggerated, and anyone who has read an actual Regency novel knows this. This I find is a pitfall of many faux-Regency novels, but that might be more of a personal preference thing.The fact that the story jumps right into the romance is also a bit jarring as it feels like there's no set up for the magic system, nor any time for the reader to discover who the characters are. From the first few pages I could already guess the whole plot, which is obviously not a very exciting read. Beatrice's meeting with the siblings is so contrived, it's hard to suspend disbelief. This random guy declares that a nobody (Beatrice) and his aristocratic sister should be friends because they want the same book... yeah, ok, and the sister, who is a witch and logically can sense Beatrice the same way Beatrice senses her, decides to play the ignorance game because....???Like I said at the start of this ‘review,' I like Polk's adult books, but this YA one just doesn't hit the same way. There are some fantastic YA fantasy books out there, but this one doesn't make my list.
Format read: ebook (Kindle)
Reading time: 7+ hours
Tags: fairy tale, romance, lgbtq+, magic, fantasy
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 4/10
Summary
Mr. Richard and Mr. Moncharmin are the two newly appointed managers of the grand Paris Opera House in the late 1800s. Their predecessors, Mr. Debienne and Mr. Poligny, warn them about a certain “ghost” who lives in the opera house and requires a monthly allowance of 20000 francs. On top of these unreasonable demands, the ghost asks that he have full control of box 5 all year round so that he may be able to attend performances. Richard and Moncharmin quickly dismiss this whole affair and resort to trying to uncover who the ghost is. In the meantime, frequent opera goers Phillipe, Compte de Chagny and his brother Raoul, Vicompte de Chagny can often be seen at the opera house on packed nights, enjoying performances by La Sorelli, and old friend and prima ballerina, and Christine Daae, an angelic opera singer who is cursed with having only minor roles due to La Carlotta being the current prima donna.
As Richard and Moncharmin continually test the ghost's patience by selling his box, dismissing his letters and firing his box keeper, the ghost exacts vengeance upon the artists of the opera house, namely La Carlotta where, in her place, he orchestrates a plan for Christine to take lead roles in major operas. One evening, after an especially otherworldly performance, Christine faints on stage and is sent to her quarters where Raoul, an old childhood friend tends to her. We soon learn that Raoul, being desperately in love with Christine, intends to marry her, much to his brother's opposition, and without knowing about the curse that plagues his lady.
Christine reveals to be in contact with “the angel of music”, who is none other than the famed ghost of the opera house. While he coaches and trains her voice relentlessly, she is never once graced with his physical presence. Once, however, after the ghost takes notice of Raoul, Christine is kidnapped from stage during a performance and brought down to the basement of the opera house where the ghost, now known as Erik, has a house built on the side of an eerie subterranean lake. There he tells her of his masterpiece, “Don Juan Triumphant”, an opera entirely composed by himself which will require several years of writing before its completion. This is also where Christine, being curious as to who her “angel of music” really is, removes his mask and sees his retched face. Afraid that she will leave him, Erik confines Christine to the lake house and refuses to let her go. Christine bargains with him that, if he lets her go, she will come back of her own free will to visit him. This arrangement is agreed upon and Erik, after giving her a ring to wear on her finger, let's her return to the world above ground.
During her release, Christine and Raoul devise a plan to escape together far from Paris and from the ghost's reach. This however backfires when the ghost hears of Christine's betrayal. He kidnaps her once more and this time, he has no intention of letting her go back. She is forced to make a decision: either marry him and live, or refuse his hand and die.
During Christine's disappearance, Raoul is frantic to find her and tries to convince everyone that the ghost is real and that he is the mastermind behind everything at the opera house. Naturally, he is dismissed as a lunatic, mad with love for a pretty singer who will not have him. One man, however, comes to Raoul's aid and leads him through a series of adventures in between the walls, floors, trap doors and basement of the opera house. This man, known as the Persian, is a longtime acquaintance of Erik and knows his secrets well and how he moves about the opera without being seen or heard. On the ultimatum that Christine should either marry the ghost or refuse him, rests the fate of the whole opera house. Finally, Raoul and the Persian reach Erik and Christine in the lake house where, if not for Christine's ultimate sacrifice, they and most of Paris would have been annihilated by the ghost. Raoul and the Persian are ultimately saved by the ghost who, upon hearing Christine's plea, decides to spare their lives in exchange for her hand. After the Persian is found alive and well, however, we find out that Raoul and Christine are still held captive by the ghost.
Several years later, in a little apartment in Paris, the Persian is visited by Erik, now haggard and “dying of love.” The ghost reveals how he released both Raoul and Christine from his hold and let them escape and live together on the condition that Christine would come back one day and bury his body. Erik leaves and returns to his house underneath the opera house and dies. Christine hears of his demise and, as promised, comes back and dutifully fulfills his wishes.
Review
Very short and easy to read, Gaston Leroux's novel is the background work for the famous musical of the same name. The whole story reads much like a report of historical events rather than a fiction novel. The author is active in the story and narrates by retelling each character's story via “writings” and “manuscripts” supposedly left behind and found by the author himself. Even though this is the original work, some things are very unclear to the reader such as, for example, the origin of the Erik's disfigurement. This is in fact never explained and leaves the reader wondering how he became afflicted with such “ugliness.” I use here the word ugliness, as per the book, but I believe that that is not the case. Erik's disfigurement, whether by birth or caused, should not be considered as such. Of course, keeping in mind the late 1800s France, it is quite obvious why people around him were terrified and disgusted by his appearance. Anyone who was not deemed “normal” in those days was cast aside and made the center of ridicule, as seen in other major works of the time such as “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”
Erik's appearance aside, one of the major difficulties I found was in the last quarter of the book, when the Persian and Raoul go off in the basement of the opera house to try and save Christine. This whole arc becomes nebulous and hard to understand as Erik's various contraptions illicit the imagination (and delirium) of the characters and readers alike. The final battle, which happens in a torture chamber, is a sequence of disjointed events that make it hard to follow the action. Nonetheless, this style brings forth feelings of excitement and wonder at what the outcome will be. The mirror room (aka the tropical forest) reminds us strongly of the mirror room at the Musée Grévin in Paris and, if anyone has been lucky enough to see it in person, one can understand the distress felt by Raoul and the Persian when they were trapped in it for hours.
The characters in this book have very high strung emotions and are not afraid to display them at any given moment. Raoul is childish and dependent, Christine faints at every occasion, Philippe is possessive, and, of course, the ghost is all but psychotic. Because of their common obsession with Christine, both Raoul and Erik display similar traits. Both are madly in love with Christine and would move heaven and earth for her, and both are insanely jealous of one another. Unlike the musical adaptation, however, there is no great battle scene betwixt the two. In fact, Raoul never meets Erik until the very end of the book when he and Christine are released. Even then, their encounter is not described, but rather assumed. As far as what is known, 3 people have been in close contact with the ghost: the Persian, the Maharajah, and Christine. All three happened to see his face and, contrary to the legend, all three survived. Erik propagates that anyone who sees his face shall die; however, thrice as he been unmasked, and thrice have the perpetrators gone unharmed.
In the end, The Phantom of the Opera is as intriguing and entertaining as the musical, and remains a timeless classic that will forever spark the imagination of its readers. Was the ghost real? Was Erik really a mastermind architect, forsaken by society because of his looks, and forced to live in the depths of the opera house? The question that remains forever unanswered is surely that of the subterranean lake and its house.
You see, the lake beneath the opera house is very real. In order to support the structure of the opera house, its architect Garnier used the flooding of the basement to his advantage and created an artificial lake beneath his construction. Another noted historical event that is recaptured in the novel is the fall of the great chandelier in the auditorium. It broke its chain and feel on stage, killing one member of the audience and injuring others. This scene is repeated in the novel, where the ghost is the one to blame for the accident. Maybe Mr. Leroux's fantastical tale of a brilliant man who lived by the lake is not as far-fetched as one might think.
Poor, poor Erik. No matter how evil, ugly and terrifying he was, one cannot help but pity this poor misunderstood creature. In the Persian's words, he was a “demigod;” incredibly genius yet so terribly cursed. His final act of kindness towards Raoul and Christine shows how innocent and childlike he could be, and how madly in love he was with the Swedish angel.
Audiobook review
To have the ancient Greek myths retold and read to me by Stephen Fry himself is a treat beyond belief. I have always admired Fry's wit and seemingly unending pool of knowledge, and this book really cements that idea further. Fry's humour comes through in unexpected places such as when he takes on different voices to narrate his story, or adds little quips here and there between the gods. Plus, his frequent break with the narration to include encyclopedic-like information about etymology, food, culture, etc. is truly wonderful and adds to the whole experience by showing how the things of old are still very much alive in our modern traditions.
For fans of Greek mythology, I recommend giving this retelling a shot! I'm looking forward to reading (or rather, hearing) Fry's next instalment in this series.
Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 9h 9 min
Tags: fantasy, lgbt (m/m), found family,
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 8/10
Summary:
The House in the Cerulean Sea starts off very Kafkaesque and Orwellian. Linus Baker, our protagonist, works for the Department of Magical Youths (DICOMY) as a caseworker in orphanages. DICOMY is a government-run institution that places magical children in orphanages “for their safety” because of the rest of society's prejudiced views about them. Linus is very good at his job because he follows and applies the rules to their maximum. Every day, Linus goes to work in in his tiny grey cubicle, takes the bus in the rain, walks to his little grey house, and starts all over again the next day. Because of his clinical efficiency, Linus is chosen one day by Extremely Upper Management to visit a particular orphanage that is off the beaten track. Linus is told that this place is peculiar, and its master even more so, and is given a file with the names and attributes of the children who live there.
When Linus arrives at his destination, he is struck by the beauty of the remote island. Soon, he meets the children and the master, Arthur Parnassus, and begins his investigation of the orphanage. In the beginning, Linus is set on following his rules, as always, but he soon discovers that DICOMY's way of doing things isn't as righteous as what he thought, and that prejudice is well and alive on the idyllic island. Against, his better judgment, Linus begins to develop an attachement to the children, and to Arthur, and finds himself in an increasingly difficult position: carry on with DICOMY's wishes and shut down the island orphanage, or follow his heart and do what's right for the children and, by extension, all magical persons.
Review:
This story was so warm and fuzzy, it was like being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket. Linus' character growth is well executed and a pleasure to witness as the story unfold.
I have a soft spot for Arthur in particular. His carefree attitude is endearing, and his love of philosophy comes through in all of his conversations with the children and with Linus.
Among the cast of characters, we have: Lucifer “Lucy,” the 6 year old son of Satan, Chauncey, a land jellyfish of sorts (no one is quite sure), Sal, a shapeshifter (he turns into a Pomeranian), Phee, a forest sprite, Talia, a garden gnome, Theodore, a wyvern, Zoe, an island sprite and caretaker alongside Arthur, and Calliope, Linus' cat.
The children themselves are endearing, especially Chauncey. His simple dream of being a bellhop is so deeply contrasted to who and what he is, and how people perceive him as a monster, that it makes the whole thing bittersweet and heart wrenching. As with all the children, you want them to be happy and for their dreams to come true, but the world they live in his harsh outside of their island home, and one cannot help but worry for them.
Linus and Arthur make a sweet couple. The first real sparks start off after Linus' visit to Lucy's room, and the tension only continues to grow after that. I liked the slow progression and how realistic their relationship is. It's not all rainbows and butterflies all the time, which is refreshing to see portrayed in a novel.
The author's writing is wonderful, and I enjoyed it very much. Klune describes the world in this book so vividly that it's as though you are a part of it. Linus' postcard on his desk says it all; “don't you wish you were here?” And indeed, I really wished I could be on Marsyas island with the characters.
”There was green. Bright and beautiful greens of waving grass, and what appeared to be flowers in pinks and purples and golds. They disappeared into white sand. And beyond the white was cerulean. ... Don't you wish you were here?”
”The others don't know, but I do. I can see things, sometimes. I don't know why. You. Arthur. He Burns. Did you know that?”
Under the Whispering Door
I have never suffered so much emotional pain from a novel in all of my life, and I've read hundreds of books...
I don't think I'll ever recover from this.
10/10, will read again, and again, and again...........
I tried reading this book twice. The first time, I made it to 30%, lost interest, and didn't go back to it. The second time, I read up to 20%, lost interest, and here we are. As much as I loved the TV series, I don't gel with the book at all. I love historical fiction, fantasy, fairy tales, etc., but the writing here is what slows me down. There are too many very long passages that say and add nothing to the plot, and it takes way too long for the action to build up.
I'm really sad that I can't bring myself to read this book in it's entirety, but c'est la vie.
3½ stars for this debut novella!
The premise was interesting, the execution was on point, but the pacing was a bit off considering that it's such a short piece. I felt that apart for Tobias the characters weren't as developed nor properly introduced for me to get attached to them, especially Fabian and Silver. The romance was very light, which is fine, but the downside was that I didn't feel much for the relationship. There wasn't much buildup or tension between the two characters, and the resulting relationship felt a bit out of place (a sad result of the short number of pages and the nature of the novella).
The leading up to the action scene was much too long so that when we got to the climax of the story, it felt rushed. Although not a bad piece by any means, I think this novella could have been expanded into a full-length novel instead since it is clear that the author has wonderful ideas and very good writing skills. The descriptions of the forest were enchanting and really showed the author's strengths.
All things considered, I look forward to reading the second part to this story in the author's other novella “Drowned Country.”
Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 37 minutes (!!!)
Tags: romance, lgbtq+, high school, slice of life
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 8/10
As with the previous volume, this was also super cute and cozy! It's also an incredibly quick read once again (as a manga reader, I'm surprised by how fast I get through these volumes). In this one, we get to know Nick a bit more as the focus of the story is on his (conflicting) feelings about himself.
The cast of characters is more developed in this volume compared to the first. We see Charlie's friends more often and they are given more substantial roles in the two boys' lives.
Let's see what happens in book 3!
Short and sad little story about Philoctetes' fate after Heracles' death. Ah, long live the tragic Greek myths! Miller could very easily expand on this idea and write their whole journey together in a novel-length book, but the short story here echoes nicely with the ephemerity of it all. Poor Philoctetes :'( He deserved better than being abandonned, but this shows how conceitedness and cockiness can have dire consequences.
3½ ★This is pretty cute! It reminds me a bit of [b:I Hear the Sunspot 36844972 I Hear the Sunspot (I Hear the Sunspot, #1) Yuki Fumino https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525639162l/36844972.SX50.jpg 43195194] because of the slice-of-life, every day drama aspect of the plot. As someone who lives for slow burns, this isn't it. By page 30, Sajo and Kusakabe are together, but everything that happens after makes up for the instalove of the first chapter. So far, I have more of a soft spot for Sajo even though he has the personality of a cardboard box (as a fellow introvert, I say this lovingly).The teacher, Hara, is pretty creepy, and I know that he gets more air time in the next volumes, so I wonder how that's going to go.
Why is this book so popular? Seriously, why? Was everyone knocked on the head or something?
The fact that this book is hailed as being the next big modern classic, and that it's listed on the Times Next 100 is an insult to actual modern classics and all the other books on that list that are really deserving of the high praise and title.
First of all, the blurb is nothing like the story at all. Where it's supposed to be a “great romantic story,” it becomes a plotless, sex-filled story with detestable characters who have no redeeming qualities. Every other page contains a fairly vivid depiction of sex between teens and later, between young adults, that adds zero value to the story and doesn't advance the plot in any way. Furthermore, the frequent comments on female characters' bodies is gross and unnecessary. Do I really need to read about Marianne's breast every two minutes? Obviously no. The male gaze is strong with this one, even though it was written by a woman (misogyny strike 1?).
The characters themselves are incredibly flat and underdeveloped. Marianne and Connell, our main characters, are one-trick-ponies who continuously repeat the same mistakes and never learn nor grow as people. Connell in particular is incredibly infuriating. These characters are supposed to be representations of today's world, but news flash, they really aren't. Real people don't casually fantasize about beating their (abused) girlfriend. Real people don't walk around in shame of their partner for no apparent reason. Real people aren't insufferable a-holes who treat their mother like a third class citizen.
Both Connell and Marianne are constantly pegged as being “smart” and “different” in a I'm not like all the other girls/boys way which is annoying as hell. Marianne is super smart and knows everything, but Connell is even smarter still and outshines everyone because he reads and knows about books (seriously, this is the main reason why he's soooo smart). Marianne is quick to sing his praises and tell everyone how smart he is and how much smarter than her he is... okay then (misogyny, strike 2!).
The plot in this book is nonexistent. Nothing happens in this story; instead, Marianne and Connell simply orbit around one another and go through rince and repeat cycles of emotional abuse for reasons?? Plus, outside of these two, the other characters are basically just background props because they had no value to the story, serve no purpose in terms of teaching or helping the MCs, and are so woefully underdeveloped that I barely remember their names. For example Rachel, the stereotypical high school mean girl (misogyny, strike 3!): what is her point? Why is she even there (other than to serve as a contrast to poor (but smart) little Marianne who is unjustly bullied and mistreated by her classmates?
Overall, I do not recommend this to any living soul. Do yourself a favour and save your eyes (or ears) by reading something, anything, else. This book isn't worth the paper it's printed on.