aclassicalmess's reviews
135 reviews

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

“The happiness of one man and woman is the greatest thing in the world.”
Miss Julie by August Strindberg

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sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

“Not for me. I’m insured.”
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

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inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

‘Works of art are infinitely solitary and nothing is less likely to reach them than criticism. Only love can grasp them and hold them and do them justice.’
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I feel like it’s becoming a common theme for me when reading books that when I finish one, I immediately know that I’ll enjoy it more when it comes to a re-read.
For me One Hundred Years of Solitude started strong and ended strong, however the moment the war started I was lost and felt like the magic that the novel had in the beginning was lost, I realize that that was the point but that doesn’t mean I can’t wish that there was more of it.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

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challenging dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was one I had to read for school and probably the one that I have enjoyed the most so far from all those that I had to read.
I just loved how Palahniuk subtlety illustrates the fractured mind of the reader and irony in how Fight Club basically becomes everything that it’s trying to fight. I honestly don’t want to say too much because it’s just something that you’ll either enjoy or hate. You just have to stick with it!
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It’s quick, it’s cute and it’s gay. What more could one want from a book, I greatly enjoyed this!!!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So Taylor Swift has good taste, what a shock. In all seriousness I loved this, especially the vividness of the imagery when it came to the descriptions of nature, simply stunning. The marsh has officially become a close second to The Moors, which I still love with all my heart. I can’t wait to see the movie when it comes out and finally listen to ‘Carolina’ by Taylor Swift
The House of Bernarda Alba: A Drama About Women in Villages of Spain by Federico García Lorca

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challenging dark funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was one I had to read for school and the first time I read it I went through it so quickly because I just wanted to get it over with. This time round I annotated every single page and had the ability to appreciate a lot more what Lorca was trying to say. Now this doesn’t mean I love it by any chance but it’s definitely something worth your time, just remember to do a bit of pre-reading on Lorca and his life and ideologies to get a better understanding of everything he was trying to do and achieved in doing with House of Bernarda Alba.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

One thing I was not expecting when I picked this up was how funny it would be, all you hear about are the trigger warnings but never really Plath’s critic of 1950s society. This does not mean that the novel is not filled with trigger warnings but it was rather refreshing.
Overall, I did really enjoy this but it lost me a little bit towards the end. This is more my fault though as I was pushing myself through to finish it, probably something I shouldn’t have done, but too late. 
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a reread for me and I enjoyed it so much more this time round knowing that it’s a tragedy instead of expecting the passionate romance of the ages. That doesn’t meant the “love story” wasn’t passionate but expecting tragedy will just make it more enjoyable to read. 
Reading this novel just felt like a beautiful twisted dream because of how much it made me want to visit the Moors, Cathy and Linton argue about their perfect summers day on the moors while I’m there thinking both ideas sound like absolute heaven. 
I really enjoyed this!