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.