Nuno

Pour un oui ou pour un non is a very unique play. It’s not very long, at about 25 pages but it’s still very complex. Exploring the power of language and words, the author Nathalie Sarraute depicts a verbal dispute between two life long friends who began separating due to their different values and a specific sentence one of them said. It’s a hard book to understand while reading, as many times an ironic tone is present which is better understood with actors playing the parts. I really like how naturally the dispute evolves, it all flows very well. The two main characters, H1 et H2, are very interesting and all the many examples and situations they talk about are engaging. The part with the neighbors is very good as well, portraying a real trial while evolving drastically both of the main characters. The last few pages are very good but I’m not sure about the ending, I get it we’re supposed to decide wether they separate or not but I don’t know it all feels a bit too weird in those last lines. I really like how we don’t loose time describing them physically as it wouldn’t make sense at all and it pays to the believability that the two of them are friends for a long time. The moral debate between conservatives and liberals, as well as forcing their values on others is very good and very well explored. I also like how the play portrays the difficulty of expressing ourselves, the pauses, silences and reformulations are really powerful. The writing is fantastic, the punctuation never misses, Nathalie Sarraute is phenomenal. I really liked this play and the theme of the power of words is very interesting and very well explored in here.

Amor de Perdição is a good novel. It has some very positive aspects, primarily the story and how the narrator brings us to it. Simão Botelho and Teresa Albuquerque are good characters but I don’t really buy all their love, as I strongly believe Mariana deserved better, she was the best character for sure. I also enjoyed João da Cruz very much and especially his attitude and loyalty. Simão’s family is also interesting, especially his father and his brother, both having an important role in the story. Teresa’s father was a very good antagonist as well as Baltasar Coutinho. His death was probably the best moment of the book, a true climax in my opinion, with a huge build up with that amazing sequence of the killing of the other two guys. I believe Teresa get super sidelined for the majority of the last half of the book, as once she gets into the second convent she just basically disappears, while we get a lot of focus on Simão in prison, which at times can indeed feel a little bit repetitive. The ending was not that great in my opinion. Her death is just whatever as well as Simão’s death, only Mariana had a deserving death. Camilo Castelo Branco’s writing is very solid, the descriptions are precise and interesting and I like the way he makes the story flow and the pace of it all. The message of individual freedom, love and facing society is very well transmitted as well. My biggest issues with this really come from the story just not being that interesting for most of the time, with a lot of it feeling either repetitive, incoherent or boring. But overall I would say I had a good experience with it and that it is indeed worth it.

Manon Lescaut is a hard book to evaluate. On the one hand, I didn’t really had a good experience with it, it was boring some times and the story just isn’t that great. Also there aren’t many memorable episodes in my opinion, the main ones sure but the rest just isn’t kind of meh. However, when it is good it really hooks you. I was the most invested when Des Grieux tried to rescue Manon while she was going to the boat, tensions were high, the anticipation was really good, but in the end nothing much happened and it was a bit disappointing honestly. I don’t really like Des Grieux as a character nor do I do as a narrator, he’s super manipulative and he’s also very annoying and stupid a lot of times. Manon is not great either, she just doesn’t get much to do honestly, and constantly seeing her through Des Grieux’s eyes gets a bit tiresome as he always keeps repeating how perfect she is and all that. The rest of the characters are pretty forgettable to be honest, Des Grieux’s father is alright, Manon’s brother is fine but his death is a little bit anticlimactic in my opinion it should’ve gotten more attention, and then the other guy that helps them is also fine as well as the characters in America. The prison stuff is solid, the escape was good too. The stuff in America was also interesting, the ending was very good until Manon’s death as I think from there it kind of derailed a bit. Prévost’s writing is good but nothing outstanding, it’s a cool idea however to have Renoncour serve as like this figure of authority. The book surely feels a bit revolutionary, due to everything about love prevailing over duty but it still doesn’t do it very interestingly. Yeah I guess in the end Manon Lescaut is just fine, not bad but kind of hard to get through some times, even if when good comes it is rewarding.

Dom Juan is a really fun book, I really enjoyed it. It is very easy to read, very easy to imagine everything going on and the story is just fantastic. I love Dom Juan as a character, a true anti-hero and his many speeches convincing others of his ways are incredible. He really is a one of a kind character, so over the top that you can’t not be interested by him. Sganarelle is also very funny, I loved his constant superstitions and being the voice of reason was good too, and the two of them make for an incredible duo. I really loved the stuff with the poor guy and the fighting in the forest as well as the things with Elvire and her brothers. Dom Juan’s father is also a great character and that whole act in the dinner is great as well. The ending with the statue is really good, impressive and shocking. Molière’s writing is phenomenal, so complex and especially knowing what he went through to make it acceptable to the standards of the time. Dom Juan is a revolutionary play for sure, and it totally deserves all the praise, its critiques are very well done as well. The book is very satisfying, quick and an overall very nice reading experience. The jokes also work in text form, not necessarily needing actors for them to be funny which speaks to Molière’s habilites. I was really hooked to the book, it is just really interesting. I highly recommend reading this play, and watching it can also be a fun experience.