Jake
It really is amazing how well this story, the writing, and the use of allegory has stood the test of time. It is just as relevant today as it was the day that it was published considering our current political climate. I read this in high school for my AP Lit class in like 10th grade and I remember thinking it was good then but I'm really glad I revisited it as an adult, fully being able to appreciate it for what it is.
Orwell heavily utilizes allegory in this novel with a fable about farm animals taking full control of their farm and overthrowing their human farmer representing events and figures of the Russian Revolution and the corruption of communism. Orwell uses the animal characters to explain how the ruling class abuses the working class, using their resources and labor for their own pleasure, how the working class is being brain washed that they are happy and satisfied and free despite of the obvious slavery they have been undergoing, and the timeless cyclical structure of revolution.
This is a timeless classic for the political satire genre and definitely a must-read for the younger generation. How sad that this novel is still being banned in different places across the world.
Medea has been one of my favorite characters in the history of literature for many years now and yet I never actually got around to reading the original ancient greek text written by Euripides until now. I know the Robinson Jeffers play adaptation nearly by heart and have read numerous mythological retelling novels about Medea and I think that Euripides' original version of this character is so cunning and fierce in all that ways that I have wanted from other versions.
Euripides wrote so many fantastic and descriptive lines of text in this play. I couldn't wait to read Medea's next line because her words were so impactful. The story is so iconic which is why it has lasted and been retold over two centuries, and I couldn't agree more with that impact. I think this is a staple in literature and is a must read for all.
- “To me, a wicked man who is also eloquent seems the most guilty of them all, because he knows he can dress up murder in handsome words.”
- “To say what I have to say will ease my heart; to hear it said will make you wince.”
- “Let no one think of me as humble or weak or passive; let them understand I am of a different kind: dangerous to my enemies, loyal to my friends. To such a life glory belongs.”
If you were to ask me “What is the perfect YA novel?” I would have to say this one. Benjamin Alire Sáenz constructed a beautiful coming of age story of two boys growing up together (and apart) into their adulthood and discovering love while exploring their sexuality. If this book was meant to be classified as an adult novel, I wouldn't think it's quite as good but as a YA novel, to me, it is very impressive. The author uses language that is generally straightforward and not flowery but was also profound at times.
- “When will it feel like the world belongs to us?”
- “I don't always have to understand the people I love.”
- “Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer morning could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.”
- “When I was drying myself off after my shower, I stared at my naked body in the mirror. I studied it. How strange to have a body. Sometimes it felt that way. Strange. I remembered what my aunt had told me once. ‘The body is a beautiful thing.' No adult had ever said that to me. And I wondered if I would ever feel like my own body was beautiful. My aunt Ophelia had solved a few of the many mysteries of the universe. I felt as though I hadn't solved any at all. I hadn't even solved the mystery of my own body.”
I can see why this story wouldn't be for everyone and I'd understand why some people wouldn't connect with it. But for me personally, I felt like I really saw myself in Ari and almost like I was experiencing my own past years coming of age in my personal young adulthood. This book certainly isn't the most interesting novel I've ever read, it's not some crazy concept, or twists and turns and villains and magic. But that's part of the charm for me, it is sort of simple but expertly done. If I had this book when I was at the age of these characters, I can see myself obsessing over it. I'm excited to read the sequel (probably next year).
This book feels near impossible to describe but I will try my best. The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions is a fantastical fable rooted in the history of queerness between the Stonewall riots and the AIDS epidemic. It explores solidarity, anti-patriarchy, feminism, and anti-capitalist ideologies elegantly through one of the most unique voices and story structures I have ever seen (and in only 112 pages). We are introduced to a small handful of whimsical queer characters for a short period of time and get to view beautifully unnerving illustrations as we make our way through the story.
The author dreams up a fantastical utopian future where all marginalized people can live together in harmony without men. In many ways, it reads as a manifesto and almost religious text for the queer community. This is perhaps one of the most important queer texts I've ever read and I can't wait to read about the history of the book post-publication in 1977.
“The strong women told the faggots that there are two important things to remember about the coming revolutions. The first is that we will get our asses kicked. The second is that we will win.”
I was quite nervous going into this retelling. I have heard many great things about Rosie Hewlett's writing and her adaptation of Medusa so I had hopes that this would be great but I have also read numerous adaptations of Medea before and they can never seem to get her right and not make her seem simply a victim and innocent to her circumstance. I am so glad that this adaptation did not follow the same trope.
Rosie Hewlett completely understood this character and allowed her to still be evil while also letting us see exactly why. I have read too many myth retellings that paint the female protagonist as an innocent woman and claim to be a feminist story but this feels like one of the first TRULY feminist retellings I have read. Hewlett expanded and created opportunities for female connection with Medea and other characters in a way I have not seen before in other versions of this story. I also loved that (no spoilers) Hewlett made a slight change to the delivery of the iconic wedding present at the end of the story and it was so menacing. This gave me everything I wanted from Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid and satisfied that itch for me.
The only thing that I would possibly make this retelling better is having the dialogue feel less modern and feeling more placed in ancient times. There were a few moments where I noticed characters encouraging consent and using all too modern sayings which took me out of the world a bit but those moments were a small handful sprinkled across a fantastically detailed novel.
Halfway through, if you told me that this would have ended up as a 5 star read, I would have never believed you. It felt important to me to read Maurice as it feels like such an iconic part of LGBTQIA+ history and literature, but, I found such trouble in liking the actual story itself until the conclusion. The actual story of Maurice is almost bland and can be described very easily. Though it has its profound moments, I don't think this novel was made iconic for its story.
E. M. Forster wrote from the eyes of a character that was so insufferable and mostly unlikable that I was struggling to appreciate anything about the story and this was a good distraction because I was quite taken aback by the growth of Maurice by the end of the novel because of its subtly. The story itself is not really anything special and in fact, not much happens. But the growth of Maurice as a character was stretched out so discretely that it caused me to have quite an emotional attachment by the end of it. He begins as a stiff, classist, uptight, snooty, terrified boy and ends as a man who fully accepts himself and his sexuality regardless of the societal implications or even the legality of it.
The thing that brings this book from an okay story to an iconic piece of literature is how it came to be and the circumstances in which it was written. This book was published in 1971 and if that is when it was written, I think how it is remembered would be much different. But it was sitting in a desk for 58 years before it was ever published. In the novel, we live through Maurice's struggle with self-acceptance of his homosexuality because of how culturally sinful, and even illegal, it was in edwardian London. Much like the reality that E.M. Forster found himself before writing this novel in 1913. Forster wrote this book for himself and made a plan for it to only ever be published after his own death. Forster did not seek to publish this book due to the public opinion of same-sex relationships. It was illegal for men to privately engage in homosexual acts in England until 1967, 3 years before Forster passed away. Forster decided to keep this novel hidden until it could be published posthumously for his own safety.
I found that the most interesting part of this entire book is the Terminal Note, written by Forster himself, where he explains his inspiration to write the book and breaks down every single nuance that went into crafting these characters and why he didn't feel like he could publish his book yet. I especially found his conviction to write a happy ending to be profound, especially reading it over a century later when queerness in media is STILL represented by a majority of traumatizing stories.
“A happy ending was imperative. It shouldn't have bothered to write otherwise. I was determined that in fiction anyway two men should fall in love and remain in it for the ever and ever that fiction allows, and in this sense Maurice and Alec still roam the greenwood. I dedicated it ‘To a Happier Year' and not altogether vainly. Happiness is its keynote - which by the way has had an unexpected result: it has made the book more difficult to publish. Unless the Wolfenden Report becomes law, it will probably have to remain in manuscript. If it ended unhappily, with a lad dangling from a noose or with a suicide pact, all would be well; for there is no pornography or seduction of minors. But the lovers get away unpunished and consequently recommended crime. Mr Borenius is too incompetent to catch them, and the only penalty society exacts is an exile they gladly embrace.”
I feel like I could write an entire essay about this so for now I'll just say that this was an essential read.
I have only been familiar with the Jean Anouilh adaptation of this play and I have to say I was astonished with how easy it was to read but also how much more dramatic and narratively strong the circumstances are in this original version. I regret not giving this one a read before now! Definitely the most easily digestible ancient text I've ever read. The story and circumstances presented are perhaps more poignant today than when it was written, considering the current political climate.
I wanted so badly to LOVE this and there were many aspects about this novel that I adored, such as the strong and impactful writing of Ava Reid, however it is glaringly difficult to look past the SIGNIFICANT creative liberties that were taken to tell this story. Lady Macbeth is an unrecognizable character that shares almost zero attributes with her Shakespearean counterpart in this version. I'm ALL for feminist retellings, they're some of my favorite books to read, but it's okay for characters to not be victims all the time. Let women be villains! One of the most interesting aspects of Lady Macbeth as a character and why she has stood the test of time as one of the most iconic characters ever written is because of how cunning and strong willed she was and how she was essentially the mastermind behind all of the schemes portrayed in Macbeth. To see all of that completely missing from this interpretation was definitely disappointing. I would have much rather read about what made Lady Macbeth into the cunning mastermind she was rather than read a story that completely changes her entire personality and background to make her more sympathetic. I will say though, I really loved the writing of this book and would 100% read another novel by Ava Reid just for the quality of the internal monologues. It was also a super engaging read and easy to finish quickly.
“She empties a bucket into the hearth, where the flames sizzle and die. Bits of gray fabric are caught amid the charred wood. But the room only smells of Ash now. There is no rust tinged treachery in the air. In that moment, Roscille slips out of herself and, like a specter, Lady Macbeth slips in.”
This book may have taken me a bit to work through but that truly is no reflection on the content of the book and more so reflects the time I have had to dedicate to reading as of late. In fact, there were parts of this book that I liked even more than the first in the series which is one of my favorite reads of the year. I just absolutely adore the world that TJ Klune has created in the Green Creek series and I truly never want it to end. I would read 10+ more books in this series focusing on different characters and their love stories. Living in the head of Gordo Livingstone for this one was particularly fun for me as I can certainly relate to who he is and how he presents himself as a very guarded and lonely man with a jaded demeanor. I loved the narrative device of switching off every other chapter with telling stories from the past and the present until the meet in the middle and then continue the story. It was a fantastic way to learn the background and origin story of Gordo and the other characters while still being able to further the story that was established in the first novel. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, but truly I never want this to end.
this book was incredibly relatable in its themes of existentialism and longing for purpose in a life of repetition and burn out. it was incredibly cozy and warm and felt like a fuzzy blanket at times. for me it sometimes felt like a chore to get through which is odd for such an incredibly short book. part of its difficulty to read is as knowing that not much story was going to occur along the way, i tend to struggle with books that are more about the vibe than an eventful story. nevertheless i still enjoyed it and found it adorable yet profound.
This was most certainly one of the most interesting retellings of Medea that I have ever read and I loved every second of it. There were so many elements in this interpretation that were original to this book that I found to be SUCH imaginative additions to the myth and full scope of Medea's story such as how the author handles the storyline of Medea's brother. My only large critique is that I wish it was longer, and I rarely say that! The book was paced very well, always keeping me hooked, but I would have gladly read another 100 pages we had gotten to spend more time with the second half of Medea's story, especially since it is so action packed. There were some key moments in her tale that felt a little glossed over at time. Still, I would highly recommend this retelling for greek mythology fans. Medea remains one of my most favorite characters in all of greek antiquity.
“In the pale light of so many stagnant afternoons, the unwanted flicker of a thought seared through me. If only I had loved him a little less, had given less of myself over for him to hold and know. Perhaps then, his haunting would not be so potent, so permeating. But perhaps that was all love was in the end, a mutual haunting.”
i'm not sure where to begin to describe how much i loved this book so let me say that it is easily one of my favorite books i have ever read.
this story is told from the perspective of Daniel de la Luna, a 19 year old freshman at Ithaca college recounting the past year of his life where he falls in love with his roommate, Sam. the first 2 words of the book tells us that Sam will die in this story and we learn that Daniel is recounting this story by talking to Sam, after his death, as a way to preserve their memories and never forget what Sam's love taught him. we explore many themes such as sexuality, death, grief, trauma, and difficult family dynamics.
i am so moved by the writing in this book and i cannot believe this is the author's debut. there are so many memorable passages and many moments that moved me to tears. the voice and character of Daniel is so relatable and NOT in a quirky way, but rather in a tangible, human way. Daniel feels completely real and is someone that i think all young gay men can see themselves in. his character arc was such a beautiful thing to read. i was fully gripped by the writing in this book, i never wanted to put it down. i read the entirety of it in 3 sittings and it would have been less if i didn't have to go to sleep in order to function at work the following morning. it is such an impressive skill for a reader to feel like an author wrote a story just for you, especially when you may not have much in common with the characters. i am not mexican, i am older than 19, i did not fall madly in love in college, i did not experience the death of someone i romantically loved, i do not have a close relationship with my grandfather, etc. but yet i still felt like this was written just for me.
i will be on a one man mission to get everyone i know to read this book. Andrés N. Ordorica, i cannot wait to read what comes next.
MEMORABLE QUOTES:
- “I was happy, and now, looking back, I am grateful I have these memories of you, that I can remember it all with such vividness. Wherever you are, are you remembering it the same way? How the birds flew overheard, weaving from branch to branch, following us as we hiked the path. How the squirrels scaled trees, chasing one another. Everything had its purpose and understood its seasonality and temporality in that place. Just like us.”
- “All these questions I was too afraid to ask would be left behind until I was ready to face them. One day, I knew, we'd have to confront what had started around the fire, acknowledge how we first learned what burning desire felt like. We'd have to reckon with a flame that would eventually consume us, bringing with it all the light and pain to follow. But on that day, we would simply continue walking toward a future we didn't understand.”
- “I know I'm meant to be showing you what I was doing between leaving you in Ithaca and learning of your passing, but there is a voice reverberating within me. As I sit here, writing to you, it keeps asking me questions, longing to know what you were up to. This voice tells me that knowing will help me to properly say goodbye. Is that crazy? Yet I hear it. So tell me, Sam, what were your eyes seeing as time was winding down? What were you up to? Was your heart vibrating in a forest with another man's? It's okay if so, you can tell me. I won't be hurt. Maybe, I keep thinking; even if we were both with other people, there was a point in our time left together on this earth in which our rhythms were in sync, totally in tune with the love we were still carrying. Maybe there was a night in which we both looked up to the stars and thought about the language we shared, how we'd mapped ourselves to our ancestors. Because even as I made room for another, you were still there, buried in my heart. I couldn't totally leave you. I kept seeing the world through your eyes and longed to show you what I saw.”
there is so much to say about how much i loved this book so firstly ill say my obvious critique. i definitely think the age gap in the main relationship could have been easily avoided and i am only choosing to look past it because of the paranormal fantasy nature of the character that it involves and how their relationship gets explained throughout the book. it is the one thing that i wish i could change the entire time because it was otherwise a perfect book for my interests. it was uncomfortable for a portion of the book and i just wish this part of the story was different.
other than this, i am properly obsessed with this book. this is one of those books that i am pained about never getting to read it for the first time again but simultaneously filled with love and joy to have gotten to experience it. this story, and specifically TJ Klune's writing, had me GRIPPED every time i picked it up. i knew that if i had decided to read it that night that i had to be prepared to have enough time to read at least 100 pages because i never wanted to put it down. there aren't enough words to say how much i adore the love, yearning, and PASSION that the two love interests have for each other and it is such a breath of fresh air to read about it in the context of a young gay relationship. the story was constantly moving and never dragging or slow but also never confused you by moving on to the next thing. it was filled with action but allowed so many moments of intimate stillness as well. i wish i could read a full series about the relationship of these two lead characters, i never wanted their story to end. i will truly miss getting to read another story through Ox's narrative.
tragically boring and unbelievable and corny in a bad way. i wanted to love this book so much but i kept waiting and waiting to connect with it and it never happened. edwin is still obsessing over his ex and never appears to get over it and the romance just appears out of nowhere and is completely surface level and made me feel nothing.
Though I craved more nuance, character development, and overall just MORE from these characters and their role in each of their stories, I found this book very enjoyable. It is very rare that I enjoy a split perspective book but I found that all 3 of these women had equally interesting storylines and were all equally enjoyable characters which is very rare in split perspectives. Though the subject matter is very intense and uncomfortable, the author found a way to create a comfortable space in the setting of a cottage with a connection to nature that I absolutely loved. I loved that not only were the 3 narrators related but that all of their stories connected with each other and I loved the concept of legacy in this book. I also really enjoy reading stories about witches that are not your typical spell casting sorceress but rather a scorned woman with a connection to nature.
TW: rape, sexual assault, physical assault, abuse, suicide mention, abortion, etc.
what a queer fantastical little joy this book was. i have not read the apollo series (at least not in a long time) so i was not familiar with the character of Will but i was familiar with Nico from the original percy jackson series and i absolutely loved getting to see much more depth and character growth from him. it was refreshing to read a YA queer romance that had mature dynamics and issues and choosing to be together even when it was difficult rather than everything just working itself out. rick you have done it again.
this is my first time reading this series in full and i decided to read in chronological order rather than publication order, simply because that's how my box set was numbered. i'm glad i started with this one because it gave me a lot of interesting things to think about that were origins of the iconic story of the lion the witch and the wardrobe that we all know and love. great quick read!
an interesting yet somber read that i wish i could've loved a little bit more. the auto-fictional story that reads like a memoir follows the life of Young Park, our narrator (note the author's name), while he lives his life as a gay man in a big city in his 20s and 30s and all of the trials and tribulations that come with that as well as his struggle with becoming HIV positive. the story is split into 4 parts and the first part was my favorite following his dynamic between him and a best friend. unfortunately each part was not as great as the last and the last 2 parts were very slow. i think a lot of people can relate to this character, it is a very real and accurate depiction of an average queer person coming of age but it felt very sad at times and not in a way that i love to read. Young never truly finds love in the big city and though he is much older by the end of his story, he fails to become any wiser.
i was hoping for so much more. the writing was wildly inconsistent, sometimes producing beautiful lines but then following them up with cringey lines that are entirely too modern.
“I don't want my death; i hadn't come this far to die. Deep, deep in my heart, all I wanted was for Perseus to do what Stheno had said: to see me for who I was - not a myth, not a monster, but an eighteen-year-old girl who cooked a mean octopus stew and loved her dog.” LIKE???
it also changes the end of her story from the original myth which is fine but there felt no reason for it. i wish that this had explored more of how deeply traumatized Medusa is and exploring the effects of her being raped and punished for it too, it lacked perspective and depth. at least it was short and a very quick read.
i really enjoyed this one once i adjusted to it. i feel it drops you right into the story instead of setting up what it is which can be quite confusing but thankfully that melted away after a few chapters. i would have loved to read this from Amara's perspective rather than 3rd person. i think that would have added a lot of depth to the trauma and female rage that is explored throughout the book. though there isn't a lot of plot, i highly enjoyed reading about these women and their relationships with each other through trauma bonding and being forced into an awful nightmare of a situation. i also think that at times the writing and dialogue came off too modern and i had to remind myself that we were in the ancient world at times. this is part of a trilogy but it stands alone as its own book very well!
Britney's story is heartbreaking, emotional and baffling and she is no doubt a completely resilient person for all that she has been through while still maintaining compassion for those who have wronged her. However, I felt the writing was completely underbaked and never reached a deep perspective or reflection of the effect that everything had on her. Everything was super rushed, it felt more like a quick recap of her life rather than exploring the effects that each traumatic event had on her ability to be a functioning person. I wish that i'd could've dug a little deeper.
