Book Blog #187: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
# of Pages: 432 (paperback)
Genre: Classics, Romance, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Pride and Prejudice—Austen's own "darling child"—tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.
Review: It surprised me that I was able to get this far along in life without actually knowing what Pride and Prejudice was about.

At one point the whole 1995 BBC series was played in front of me, but I didn't care enough to pay attention. Years later, when I opened this book, the only part of the story I could remember was that there is character named Mr. Darcy.

I'm a sucker for cheesy romance, and this fits the bill quite well. In a world filled with plenty of romance novels (not to mention the fanfiction), I doubt this book would have done as well as it did in its time.

Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the book very much. I sent hours straight reading it just so I could find out more about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. What I am trying to say is that the plot is incredibly predictable, but maybe that's part of the charm of the book. Or maybe this book has been so revolutionary that it has shaped how modern romances are depicted.

While the writing style may take some a little getting used to, this story is filled with all the romance and humor I expected from it. Would recommend.

Book Blog #186: Candide by Voltaire

Title: Candide
Author: Voltaire
# of Pages: 176 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Philosophy, Classics
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: One of the finest satires ever written, Voltaire’s Candide savagely skewers this very “optimistic” approach to life as a shamefully inadequate response to human suffering. The swift and lively tale follows the absurdly melodramatic adventures of the youthful Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, shipwrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cunégonde, and tortured by the Inquisition. As Candide experiences and witnesses calamity upon calamity, he begins to discover that all is not always for the best.
Review: In the past two weeks, I've read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Antigone, all of which (spoilers) end generally in an unhappy manner.

Candide, a book directly challenging the philosophy of optimism, just puts the icing on the cake for my series of "downer" reads.

The beginning of Candide was definitely enjoyable; Voltaire's use of satire and irony made a story I initially had no interest in more than endurable. However, Candide's numerous encounters with the world's misery not only lowered the morale of the characters, but the morale of the reader. While the ending is somewhat hopeful, I have been shocked so much by the despair and pessimism that I have realized that I do no like this book as much as I did initially.

Very depressing. Although the story is pretty interesting, I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a "feel-good" book.

Book Blog #185: Antigone by Sophocles

Title: Antigone
Author: Sophocles
# of Pages: 80 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Classics, Plays
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: The curse placed on Oedipus lingers and haunts a younger generation in this new and brilliant translation of Sophocles' classic drama. The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone is an unconventional heroine who pits her beliefs against the King of Thebes in a bloody test of wills that leaves few unharmed. Emotions fly as she challenges the king for the right to bury her own brother. Determined but doomed, Antigone shows her inner strength throughout the play.
Review: I believe this is the first play I've read.

I was intimidated at first of reading something by Sophocles, but I found the translation by J.E. Thomas very easy to read, even with very limited knowledge of Greek history/mythology.

The Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition provides plenty of background information and a glossary to guid understanding of the story. Throughout the play, little notes were made in the margin to explain allusions in the dialogue, which is incredibly helpful.

A very short and simple read, I recommend it to anyone who is already interested.

Book Blog #184: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Author: Gabriel García Márquez
# of Pages: 429 (paperback)
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Classics
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the family. It is a rich and brilliant chronicle of life and death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the noble, ridiculous, beautiful, and tawdry story of the family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America.
Review: A past teacher recommended this book to me, praising it as "favorite book". But I don't get it.

After I finished reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,  a book that actually takes place in an insane asylum, I thought I (foolishly) thought I couldn't read a book any weirder this year. But, of course,  I was wrong.

This book reads more like a history book for Buendia family with very little dialogue. Combined with the absurdities of this families life (including loose morals and plenty of incest to go around), I had a hard time reading, let alone enjoying, One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Winner of the Nobel Prize? I MUST be missing something. But right now, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Book Blog #183: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Author: Ken Kesey
# of Pages: 325 (paperback)
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Psychology
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: In this classic of the 1960s, Ken Kesey's hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, back by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story's shocking climax.
Review: This was a very...strange read. But I should have expected as much from a book that takes place in a mental hospital.

I'm a bit hesitant in writing this review, although I find myself writing it nonetheless, following the habit of writing reviews almost immediately after finishing the book. But I feel I have not actually READ the book; I just did a "quick," surface-level read through.

However, I did find the whole mentally ill (or not?) vs Nurse Ratched conflict very interesting. I'm cheering for McMurphy in his fight against the evil nurse and yet I can not entirely support him and the other patients due to some of their reckless decisions (i.e. their last "victory" in part 4). The prevalent misogyny also attributes to my slight distaste for the book.

This is among the many book on my required reading list. If I had been given a choice, I would not have read it. Would I chose to read it over other books? Definitely - although some parts of the book are confusing (when the narration is by a patient in a mental hospital, what can you expect?) and make it a difficult read. But would I read it again? Not if I can help it.