The term is just about over (finals next week! AGGGGGHHHHHH!) so I'm going to share a little bit about the books I read. This post focuses on the novels I read for my English Novel course.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens:
This is my favorite Dickens story that I've come across. I can't say it's my favorite novel, really, because I've only read this one and A Christmas Carol. But this book is epic! In every way. "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!" Well not really, but mostly! Lucie's fainting annoys me, but I love the French Revolution and the rest of the history in it, and the sillies like Miss Pross and Cruncher, and I love Darnay and of course most of all Carton, and I love all the drama and court scenes and slaughters and murders and imagery and blood and Furies and heads and oh my. I have a lot of love. It's epic. Go read it.
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins:
I had noooo idea what to expect from this book, so I was, of course, surprised and pleased. My favorite element in this book is the extremely unreliable narrators: they rocked my world. I also have an engulfing crush on Ezra Jennings, but we don't need to talk about that. The mystery was engrossing, because of the wealth of tiny details and the aforementioned unreliable narrators. But this book is VERY long and the mystery gets dragged on for an eternity, so if that annoys you, don't read this. Oh I also loved the entire sub-plot with the Indians (except for the racist bits of course).
She by H. Rider Haggard:
I loved the first half of this book. And then Certain Things Happened, and I was like wuuuut, and there was never any going back from those certain absurd events. Gah. There was a LOT of potential in this story, but in the end, it's really just a story about how two awesome guys get seduced by a hot chick. There were still scenes and characters (like Billy Goat! And Job!) that I loved, but I can only take so much philosophical and historical ramble by an arrogant b....er, c....er, WOMAN. Hahahahaha I sound so misogynistic. I am a woman. I love women. I hate this particular woman. But maybe that's the point.
Dracula by Bram Stoker:
*beams* I loved this book even more the second time around, despite the fact it has the most anticlimactic climax in the entire history of novels written in English, or possibly any other language. I love all those crazy vampire-hunting boys and girl (especially the girl, Mina is my HEROINE) and all the research and silliness and offensiveness and Transylvanianess. Whoooo, best review ever! But seriously, if you like vampires or horror or scary at ALL, you must read this. It's like the original awesome scary.
(also, it was weird reading this at the same time that I was reading The Sherlockian.)
1 comment:
Wait, Moonstone has unreliable narrators? DUDE, that explains so MUCH. I think I read that before I know that people could lie to you on paper. Ahem.
Also, Dickens is my BFF for his imagery, I'm glad we share this delight.
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