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The buried giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

I picked this book not knowing much about it or the author except for the fact that he have won the Nobel Prize. As I started reading I soon become very dissapointed with the fact it happens in medieval Britain/King Arthur times. But I kept reading.

At the begining the world of the world seems very mysterious and alien to the one I associate with middle ages. The rules of the society in which the main heroes live in are weird and nobody seems to remember anything. Speaking of which, the main heroes are also rather atypical.  We have an elderly couple, whose son has left their village some time before the novel started. Their relationship is the cornerstone of the novel. We can observe their deep, understanding love for each other as they embark on a journey to find their son. The middle part of the book, and the main part of the journey, were not the best. We meet some other equally mysterious characters who seem weird and a little bit lazily written. At this point I was very much sick of the novel and kept on reading only because I try to always finish books.

The ending, however, made everything worth it. All the things that seemed to be lazy writting were actually explained. The ending again showed us how powerful love can be. And the last scene was very touching.

All in all, this is certainly not my favourite novel, as the middle did drag a lot. But the ending was very nicely written, I’m sure it will stay with me for a long time.

My rating 6/10

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Killing commendatore by Haruki Murakami

This was my fourth Murakami story I read and by now I was used to his way of writing things. So I was expecting the plot to be unclear and have a few hanging threads at the end. At this point I learned that his books are about the journey, evoking feelings and atmosphere and not about story in particular. ( I learned that reading 1Q84 the hard way). But that being said I have a love/hate relationship with him, I either really like his books or dislike them. Luckily, this one goes to my “liked” pile. 

The book follows a story of a painter who has been living a fairly normal life in Tokio. He had a wife and was paintinng portraits for rich people to hang in their office. A typical Murakami hero, also having the personality of one, which usually entails having not much of a personality and being rather calm in the weirdest situations. Then one day, his wife announces that she does not want to live with him anymore. He is shoked and decides to move out into the small cabin in the middle of nowhere where a very famous painter once lived. There he has time to start painting for himself again. While he’s there he finds never seen before painting of the painter who used to live there before. He also meets his eccentric neighbour who comissions him to paint his portrait. With that a bizarre adventure starts. 

As always with Murakami there is a certain, unexplained supernatural element involved but in my opinions this time is at an acceptable level. Sure there are some things left unanwsered but it is in the range of things being mysterious. Another thing that’s also sadly consistent with his other books is the unnecessary amount of sex scenes that don’t really further the plot in any way and are just kind of there for whatever reason. 

But in general, I found the book captivating. As it is with Murakami it is more about the emotions than the plot. And reading this book made me feel nostalgic and serene. The way the creative process is described in the book is very interesting but also very relatable. The main character whose life became suddenly very crazy, who just wants to take a break, look at the beautiful nature, listen to classical music and paint is also extremely relatable. As a first year university student I feel that.

 In the end, I couldn’t put the book down, I wanted to learn more about the mysterious man with white hair. I wanted to understand the painting. And I simply wanted to go on this journey, flowing through Murakami’s distinctive writing style.

My rating: 8/10

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Harry Potter and the Peasants

Harry Potter and the Secret History

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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

After a long time I have finally read Nabokov’s world famous and, to many, controversial novel. And honestly I don’t see what the controversy is about. Yes, it is a story about pedophilia. But it depicts the topic realistically, it doesn’t romanticize pedophilia. Humbert Humbert is a disgusting man, who kidnaps little girl and emotionally (well financially also) blackmails her into having sex with him. It’s as sick in the book as it’s supposed to be. That being said I wouldn't say Lolita is an interesting book. The concept of the pedophile's POV got boring quite fast. It was entertaining for first 100 pages. So the premise didn't last for long. Whatever you may think about the topic, but pedophilia is a premise, just as murder in Crime and Punishment. Protagonist are wicked, but we enjoy reading about people like that. But for me Humbert was too static to be enjoyable. His character wasn't really explored. He "loved" Lolita. He was handsome. That's pretty much all I can remember about him. I would say that Lolita herself was much more interesting, I'd love to see her version of events. But instead I had to stick with Humbert. Another problem I had, was always-present description of all the places Lolita and Humbert went on their journey. I couldn't care less about some random villages and minor attractions scattered across America. It came to the point when I was flipping through pages just to get past those parts. While I enjoyed Nabokov's style at the beginning, to a point I considered reading some of his other works, but later descriptions killed it for me. Also the second part of the book is absurd. The plot doesn't make much sense, things just happen. The final scene is so bizarre and random, it's agonizing to read. A lot of critics say that Lolita is a game between author and the reader. But I didn't catch that while reading, so I couldn't enjoy all the little hints and things like that. But I think that in order for book to be an fun and interesting game, it firstly must be an enjoyable book.nand Lolita wasn't that for me. I found it very hard to finish it.

 My rating: 4/10

 Note: While I found this book to be quite boring, I don't say it's not artistically good. I'm in no position to say that. And well if people really found that many sublime hints and eastereggs as they claim (as I said I didn't) then they were probably writer's intention and thus was fun for those who found it.

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The Wheel of Time

I’ve finally finished the Wheel of Time series, and it’s been a long one. I love epic fantasy with all my heart but 14 books can be a little bit overwhelming. But here I am, after thousands of pages later and I don’t regret time spent reading them. Honestly, this is one of the best fantasy series I’ve read in my life. And it’s finished, which is also nice. The thing I liked the most was it’s world. It’s amazingly written. The way readers learn about it is very natural. We start our journey with those bunch of farmers, for whom the whole world is their cottage. Yet they start this epic journey to learn that there’s so many more places to discover. The characters are as clueless about the world as the readers are, at the beginning at least. Later, as the number of POVs increases, our understanding of the countries and their inhabitants does so as well. The world smoothly unfolds before us. And there are so many amazing cultures carefully placed in the wast world of Wheel of Time. There’s a lot of considerably “normal” ones, which even though they would fit well into the standard fantasy setting, are still distinguishable from each other. They all have something special about them, which usually feels very natural, considering the geopolitical situation of each country. Those countries feel more real to me than some of the existing ones. And then, we have also the “weird” and not as standard cultures such as the Seanchan and Aiel for example. And even though they feel strange at the beginning, later we understand them as well as the others. Interactions between cultures are nicely done and all the nations create an unforgettable world which I will happily revisit many times in the future. As any fantasy series with self-respect, Wheel of Time has it’s own magic. And it’s magic is magnificent. The concept of One Power is rather simple, a person who can wield said Power, can shape it in “weaves” that, depending of their complexity and the type of the Power, can have numerous effects. Even though it sounds generic, when it’s described from the channeler POV it’s truly captivating. The One Power was the only thing that kept me reading this series, which has a one weak point, the first book. I found it rather boring and very LOTR-like. It has also one of the most random pieces of lore in the entire series. I definitely wouldn’t sign up for the 13 more books like this, if it wasn’t for the One Power and Aes Sedai (group of Power wielding women). What can I say, I have a soft spot for sorceresses. So I started the second book and fell in love with it. So I beg if anyone feels discouraged to continue after reading the first book, please give the second one a go. From that point plot is less LOTR-like with a lot of tropes being changed or used in a creative way. I mean, we need to congratulate an author, who managed to make the “battle of hero from the prophecy with the evil power” feel interesting and new. And that couldn’t be achieved if not for the characters. The plethora of characters. So many diverse characters. Honestly, there are hundreds of names and personalities to choose from, everyone will find someone they’ll like. While the main cast may be a little be annoying and have many trivial problems (that’s an issue I think up to the third or fourth book, at least for me), those problems make them more real and natural. Because people are annoying, they have problems with communication and they do have irrational fears. That can be irritating from readers point of view but it’s important, they need a space to grow. And they do grow. These book have really well-done character development arcs, which I found highly enjoyable. To talk more about the characters, I need to talk a little bit about the plot and events, so if you don’t want to know anything it’s a good place to stop reading your review and start reading the books. But I won’t talk about any major spoilers so don’t worry about it.

Okay, let’s start with my favorite, Egwene Al'Vere. Her arc is simply the best in my opinion, her growth from just a simple farmer girl to a powerful woman who is a force that has to be reckoned with is magnificent. The way she deals with all the obstacles that are placed before her is realistic and interesting. The only thing I didn’t like about her arc was her lover (not going to name him, cause it’s kind of spoilery) but I suppose that everyone needs somekind of flaw and love is blind after all. Many people are irritated by Rand Al'Thor, who is the closest person to protagonist of these series. He’s often called most annoying protagonist and stuff like that. I don’t understand where such hatred comes from. I mean, he’s a very flawed person, but his flaws makes sense. He struggles with the power and responsibility, that is so suddenly given to him. And that’s normal. He grew up to be a farmer, noone should expect him to be the perfect leader. That makes him a believable character. That makes him interesting. He tries as hard as he can, but he doesn’t always get the best results, he sometimes misunderstands the situation or gets lost between the things that need to be done and the ones that shouldn’t be done. I also enjoyed the aspect of a voice he hears in his head and how we’re not really sure, weather it’s real or not. But to such an intresting protagonist we need some good villans to balance the odds. And Wheel of Time doesn’t dissapoint in that aspect. Although the Dark One is not that fascinating, his subordinates, the Forsaken certainly are. They a group of 13 ancient mages, with their own motives, their own agendas and plans. They are rivals, fighting for the appreciation of their master. They plans deliver a lot of suprises and interesting obstacles, and their personalities are amazing as well (my favourites were Mesaana, Semmirhage, Asmodean, Ishmael and Lanfear). There are so many more awesome characters such as Elayne Trakand, Aviendha, Siuan Sanche, Moiraine Damodred, Galad Damodred, Lan Mandragoran or Tuon, to name just a few. There are just too many of them to write about each of them individually. Obviously the Wheel of Time isn’t perfect. I already mentioned the issue I had with the first book. It’s not the only thing that could be fixed. Another problem lies within pacing that extremely slowed down in the middle of the series. There were just hundreds of pages where nothing important would happen and some of the plotlines where needlessly prolonged ( Malden and Succession arcs I’m looking at you). The thing is I didn’t really mind that while I was reading. I would just get lost in the world and not care about the plot that much. But then, hours later, I would emerge back to reality only to realise that the story didn’t progress in any way during that time. The other problem I had was characters’ problem with communication and mutual lack of respect between everyone, but that mostly happened in the beggining. During the first five books there were so many problems that could be solved just by a frank conversation that it was painful to read sometimes. But, luckily the characters grown as the action progressed and they learned to respect each other and talk to each other, solving my main complaint about the books. Summing up, I would strongly recommend this series, it has its flaws, but there are so many pros that the problems don’t bother reader that much. And believe me, it’s an adventure worth expieriencing.

 My rating: 9/10

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Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

After reading, and falling in love with, Brandon Sanderson’s series “Mistborn” and “The Sormlight Archive” I decided to give his debut novel a go. And I definitely don’t regret that choice. First of all, I really appreciate that it’s only one book. Nothing more. While I love epic fantasy series, the number of books in them (Wheel of time I’m looking at you) can be a little bit overwhelming. Reading a fantasy book that’s not really a part of larger series felt refreshing. Even though the whole story is “crammed” into one book it doesn’t feel forced in any way. The plot is cleverly built with all the arcs nicely tied together. If you love fantasy you should read this, maybe while waiting for your favourite series to finally get a continuation. If don’t love fantasy it may be a good start. 

*Now comes the part where I discuss the plot more closely, so if you don’t want to know anything about the history before reading I suggest you stop now. I won’t write any huge spoilers though so no need to be afraid to carry on*

The first thing that made me keep reading the book was its premise. It’s one of the more interesting ones I’ve seen in a long time. The Elantris, city inhabitated by almost godlike creatures, has fallen. The Elantrians have changed into monsters. In the begining of the book we get the POV of the one of the people who has just turned in such a monster. Not only his probably one of my favourite characters, everything about city itself and its inhabitants is extremely intresting in my opinion. The way the fallen Elantrians function, with the pain of even the smallest bruises and cuts staying with them forever, slowly accumulating and driving them insane. The always present hunger, even though they don’t need food to survive, cause as many characters like to remind us “they’re already dead”. The misterious slime covering the once amazing city. And, finally, the magic itself. The mystery behind it. Why has it suddenly stopped working? How exactly did it work? The questions haunt Raoden (and the reader aswell) while he’s trying to find a way to survive in this dangerous city crammed with madmen.

Like that wasn’t enough Sanderson spoils us with another amazing arc of the city outside Elantris, the capital of Arelon. The story starts with two very imporant personas arriving to the city, which will soon become the field of their political battle. First one, princess Sarene of Teod is a widow of the Arelon’s prince (or “the man she has never met” again amazing premise and concept), she arrived to Arelon to get married only to find her betrothed dead, and acually already married to her. The second “guest” is Hrathen, high priest of Fjordell Empire. His mission is simple, to convert the Arelon to Fjorden religion in order to gain control over it peacefully. And Sarene is not going to let him do that. Through the pages of the book we observe their battle of wits, their amazing strategies and ways to deal with obstacles. It’s even more intresting, because Arelon’s political situation isn’t really a one of a stable country, people mostly hate the king and his system, so there can be seen signs of revolution scattered across the capital. It is truly a captivative story, in which every detail is relevant to the plot.

The only thing that wasn’t perfect in this book, were the characters. They didn’t feel 100% real, like they do in any other Sanderson’s novel. Let me get this straight, they weren’t bad, but for me, they didn’t have that special feel to them. Raoden was great, but he’s a little bit too perfect, although one might argue that it was author’s intention to create him that way. Sarene and her strong, feministic (not sure if thet’s a word, but well) in a way personality was also cool but annoying from time to time, falling in the stereothype. I can argue that Hrathen was probably the most original and intresting one. A priest who is guided mostly by logic is something unique I think. Plus, it’s always nice to see things from the invader’s point of view. Most of the secondary characters (with few notable exceptions such as Galladon, Karata, Roial and Dilaf) were kind of unmemorable and flat. Still I’m not saying they were horrible, just not as perfect as I know they could be. With amazing premise and general idea for the plot and the world characters were only great. 

My rating: 8/10 

In general I give this book a solid 8 out of ten, because it’s a good-written fantasy novel. Wordbuilding and plot design are top-notch, while characters could use a little work with them. Still the novel is intresting and gives you that just one more chapter feel. And I could write another book on how great it is it’s just one book not a series. You should definitely read it. 

P.S. just a quick side note I really love the Aons, the alphabet system similar to hieroglyphs in its concept. At the end of the book there are drawings of it, and they’re so pretty and I want to quickly adress the back cover of the book, which in my edition has hilarious text on it. It’s supposed to foreshadow the story, but it’s amazingly absurd once you read first 50 pages 

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Thoughts on “Les caves du Vatican” by Andre Gide

Well this book turn out to be huge disappointment. My parents presented it to me as a one of books that changed their view on the world. I found it mostly boring. With amazing ideas killed by extremely mundane plot. I liked Lafcadio’s “murder without a reason“ and loved how it actually had a reason hidden in his psyche. That part was great. But that was 20 pages out of 150. Everything else was horrible. The struggles of the family were uninteresting, characters unlikable. I simply didn’t care what will happen to them. I kept on reading just because I hoped for a part that would make sense. I found those 20 pages that I liked and found them somehow new and intriguing. But I don’t understand why author haven’t chosen to focus on the motive of murder, the book would have been much more intresting.

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This is amazing

Illustrated Book Clutches Offer a Stylish Way to Celebrate Your Favorite Novel

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Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulhakov

This book is extremely chaotic, it’s a mess. But I love it. I love mysterious Woland, beautiful Master’s and Margarita’s love and intriguing Pontius Pilate arc. Bułchakow ties it together very elegantly, creating a thought-provoking story.

Let me start with how great this books mocks the life in Soviet Russia. All the citizens just live nicely, trying to balance their will with all the absurd bureaucracy. But then comes Woland and his group to show them how fragile that balance is. They use the bizarre laws and traditions against the system. They create chaos, by simply pulling a few strings.

Story of Master and Margarita themselves was very touching. Their unconditional love that could overcome any obstacles is truly inspiring. But, what’s also very important it feels very real. It’s important to them, but doesn’t define them. They are human being with their own personalities and characteristics that go beyond their love. I will always remember Margarita as a brave woman who wasn’t afraid to ask the devil to stop the suffering of Frieda. And Master. The amazing writer and person courageous enough to ask for help when he needed it. And I will always remember what they were ready to do for their love, especially Margarita, who literally made a deal with the devil. And how they needed only eachother to be happy. Plus, I love the story of their meeting, the whole scene is so poetic with the flowers and everything.

I could never express in words how Pontius Pilate arc made me happy. As a person, who doesn’t really like the Church and what it represents, I love every desacralizing take on Bible I encounter. It’s so amazing to see these characters as just people without all the pathos that Bible provides. Seeing the situation from Pilate’s POV was really refreshing. And Bułchakow created him as such a likeable and interesting person. He was portrayed as a man of reason, who suddenly encounters this mystic and his life is turned upside down. The said mystic, Jesus is aswell fascinating. A charismatic philosopher who wants to share his way of thinking with others. His inteligent and perceptive but has a little bit of magic inside him. He infuences his surrounding greatly but it doesn’t seem forced. He is also very likeable. I consider the Galilea parts the most interesting in the whole book, just because they feel so fresh and original.

My Rating: 9/10

I found this book to be extremely close to perfection. But, as much as I enjoyed Pilate’s arc, this book as a whole didn’t resonate with me so strongly as some other books had in the past. Reading is a very subjective expirience after all.