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booksarebrainfood's reviews
277 reviews
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
4.0
I really enjoyed getting to know this story again after having seen the film in my teenage years.
I think this story is a really good exploration of friendship, insular communities, the edges of morality, and creation. *spoilers*
Plot 0.5 stars: I was really compelled by the story and the drip-feed of information that you get about Hailsham, the characters, and why they are special. It isn't the most intricate of plots but it was enough to keep me interested throughout.
Characters 1 star: This is where this book really shines. The trio of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy with the other students at the school and at the Cottages really showed an in-depth understanding of friendship dynamics at a teenage level and how these mature through life and undergo various strains. It also looks at dynamics in insular communities, how they rely on each other for everything and make rumours into a reality by not having a clear structure. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are very flawed but very real characters, and their reality only adds to the argument that even though they are artificially created life they are still as real as the people they were modeled off. Their depth supports the novel's argument that creating life is more of a responsibility than they are aware of, and makes their story all the more tragic.
Writing 1 star: I forgot throughout almost all of this novel that it was a male author because Kathy's viewpoint was so well nuanced she was so real to me, which is a good sign of Ishiguro's writing style. Ishiguro's writing is a pleasure to read, and the idyllic descriptions of Hailsham were captivating and intriguing. He does a lot with very little and does the first-person narrative in a way that is not easy to achieve.
World Engagement / Building 0.5 star: This book engages with a lot of different issues, it explores morality in a literal sense and the responsibility of creating life and what we owe to each other. The children's emphasis on art and creation links to their physical donations and shows the dangers of what our system demands from us in terms of output and productivity. In terms of its own world-building as a dystopia I'm not sure how well it did, you never get a full explanation of why they are created to donate or what time period it is meant to be (probably commenting on how little the protagonists know about the world and their own creation). The sense of mystery does add to the story and I think it is a comment on how little we actually know about the systems that sustain our lifestyles and things we turn a blind eye too while others are suffering (eg. eating meat, fast fashion, fossil fuel mining etc). In terms of payoff, I was expecting a little bit more but I think it allows us to focus on the characters as this is a character-driven novel.
Enjoyability 1 star: I blazed through this in a couple of days, I found the story compelling, the characters interesting and the prose easy to digest. It would make a great holiday read or something quick and captivating to get you thinking about the moral issues that we face on a daily basis as our knowledge of science becomes more powerful every day.
I think this story is a really good exploration of friendship, insular communities, the edges of morality, and creation. *spoilers*
Plot 0.5 stars: I was really compelled by the story and the drip-feed of information that you get about Hailsham, the characters, and why they are special. It isn't the most intricate of plots but it was enough to keep me interested throughout.
Characters 1 star: This is where this book really shines. The trio of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy with the other students at the school and at the Cottages really showed an in-depth understanding of friendship dynamics at a teenage level and how these mature through life and undergo various strains. It also looks at dynamics in insular communities, how they rely on each other for everything and make rumours into a reality by not having a clear structure. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are very flawed but very real characters, and their reality only adds to the argument that even though they are artificially created life they are still as real as the people they were modeled off. Their depth supports the novel's argument that creating life is more of a responsibility than they are aware of, and makes their story all the more tragic.
Writing 1 star: I forgot throughout almost all of this novel that it was a male author because Kathy's viewpoint was so well nuanced she was so real to me, which is a good sign of Ishiguro's writing style. Ishiguro's writing is a pleasure to read, and the idyllic descriptions of Hailsham were captivating and intriguing. He does a lot with very little and does the first-person narrative in a way that is not easy to achieve.
World Engagement / Building 0.5 star: This book engages with a lot of different issues, it explores morality in a literal sense and the responsibility of creating life and what we owe to each other. The children's emphasis on art and creation links to their physical donations and shows the dangers of what our system demands from us in terms of output and productivity. In terms of its own world-building as a dystopia I'm not sure how well it did, you never get a full explanation of why they are created to donate or what time period it is meant to be (probably commenting on how little the protagonists know about the world and their own creation). The sense of mystery does add to the story and I think it is a comment on how little we actually know about the systems that sustain our lifestyles and things we turn a blind eye too while others are suffering (eg. eating meat, fast fashion, fossil fuel mining etc). In terms of payoff, I was expecting a little bit more but I think it allows us to focus on the characters as this is a character-driven novel.
Enjoyability 1 star: I blazed through this in a couple of days, I found the story compelling, the characters interesting and the prose easy to digest. It would make a great holiday read or something quick and captivating to get you thinking about the moral issues that we face on a daily basis as our knowledge of science becomes more powerful every day.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
5.0
“My life now, my whole life, regardless of all that may happen to me, every minute of it, is not only not meaningless, as it was before, but has the unquestionable meaning of the good which it is in my power to put into it!”
The Troubles with Us by Alix O'Neill, Alix O'Neill
5.0
I don’t normally review books on Goodreads but since I enjoyed this so much I wanted to give it a good send off before it goes out into the world!
The troubles with us is a brilliant blend of northern irish history and the life of Alix growing up and going out into the world - being from NI myself I felt a strong connection with her story and also filled a few gaps in my own knowledge about the history of NI and Belfast.
It is accessible, funny, educational, and just so compelling I read it in just over 24 hours - I found the writing well balanced in terms of giving life to the events of NI through the events of Alix’s life and importance is carefully placed.
It never feels overwhelming in its approach to history and I think it would be a great springboard for someone interested in learning a bit more about NI and why the recent events here have been so scary - if you are like me and get your history through anecdotes then this is perfect.
It was also so refreshing to see elements of my own time growing up in a Catholic school in NI and all of the underage drinking and debauchery that came with. Alix’s connection with those around her and her drive to sponge up more of the world were healing to read about, and the story of her mother was deeply touching and an honour to the lives of Irish mammies everywhere , dutiful daughters and silent soldiers that they are.
I just really loved this with my whole heart , I will be pushing it into the hands of my friends and family until Alix writes something else! Very enjoyable.
The troubles with us is a brilliant blend of northern irish history and the life of Alix growing up and going out into the world - being from NI myself I felt a strong connection with her story and also filled a few gaps in my own knowledge about the history of NI and Belfast.
It is accessible, funny, educational, and just so compelling I read it in just over 24 hours - I found the writing well balanced in terms of giving life to the events of NI through the events of Alix’s life and importance is carefully placed.
It never feels overwhelming in its approach to history and I think it would be a great springboard for someone interested in learning a bit more about NI and why the recent events here have been so scary - if you are like me and get your history through anecdotes then this is perfect.
It was also so refreshing to see elements of my own time growing up in a Catholic school in NI and all of the underage drinking and debauchery that came with. Alix’s connection with those around her and her drive to sponge up more of the world were healing to read about, and the story of her mother was deeply touching and an honour to the lives of Irish mammies everywhere , dutiful daughters and silent soldiers that they are.
I just really loved this with my whole heart , I will be pushing it into the hands of my friends and family until Alix writes something else! Very enjoyable.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
3.0
Characters 0.5pt - Purely for how outrageous it was to write a character like Catherine Earnshaw in 1847. Rebellious / rejecting Christian values / rough and wild in a time of female compliance and piousness. I also liked the character of Joeseph how he was the only religious character yet he was villainous and hypocritical, saw someone say it could be a reflection of Emily's encounter with religious types in her childhood. Lost half a point for Heathcliff. References to his skin colour undoubtedly go hand in hand with the violent and barbaric way that he is written, nevermind the abusive and horrific way that he treats Isabella. Has the effect of a violent "foreigner" abusing the pale, delicate and English Isabella, harmful and has no place in 2020 whatever way he is redeemed. I am not sure if I like this dislikeable likeableness, however rebellious, but I will excuse it in Catherine's case just for Emily's bravery.
Writing 1pt - I enjoyed the Gothic and nightmarish elements of Wuthering Heights, was truly spooky and Emily Bronte does a good job at atmosphere creation. Enjoyed the Gothic references to faeries and the devil as well as Wuthering Heights as a Gothic mansion and the misty moors and violent weather that make the Gothic so enjoyable to read. The dream part with Lockwood was great. Really good engagement with the sublime through hysteria and passion, very Romantic more than romantic. Liked the various fragmented point of view, through Lockwood / Catherine's diary / Ellen / Isabella etc , added an extra layer of mystery and unreliability that gave the story texture.
Plot 0- Found it extremely lacking. I know it's a tale of revenge but it just seemed like someone was going up the lane for a chat, then someone else was coming down the lane for a chat, then someone died in tragic circumstances. Was a bit difficult to pace through, redeemed only by the Gothic package for me. Not sure if there was a moral, other than like forgiveness and love? Seems flimsy to me, maybe this needs further analysis.
Enjoyable 1/2pt - I enjoyed the Gothic elements a lot, the part in particular where Lockwood spends the night at Wuthering Heights and has the horrific dream and reads the diaries. Felt like Dracula. I think I enjoyed the bits that resembled Dracula and Jane Eyre, not sure about the rest. Enjoyed Catherine as an unlikeable and rebellious female character.
World-Building / Engaging 1pt - It's a classic and it has lasted the test of time, it also challenges notions of femininity and heroism which is interesting. For a novel of its time, it is extremely controversial and some of the themes at the time would have been scandalous, it is so brave. It is very separate from the world, but I think in that way it creates its own world for Heathcliff to terrorise. Not sure if it had such a hard-hitting message or if it was revolutionary in any way, but its legacy and messages can't be ignored.
Overall 3 stars: This feels treacherous but it was good in some respects and not in others. Not much more to say than I mildly enjoyed it but it didn't offer me as much as I'd hoped.
Writing 1pt - I enjoyed the Gothic and nightmarish elements of Wuthering Heights, was truly spooky and Emily Bronte does a good job at atmosphere creation. Enjoyed the Gothic references to faeries and the devil as well as Wuthering Heights as a Gothic mansion and the misty moors and violent weather that make the Gothic so enjoyable to read. The dream part with Lockwood was great. Really good engagement with the sublime through hysteria and passion, very Romantic more than romantic. Liked the various fragmented point of view, through Lockwood / Catherine's diary / Ellen / Isabella etc , added an extra layer of mystery and unreliability that gave the story texture.
Plot 0- Found it extremely lacking. I know it's a tale of revenge but it just seemed like someone was going up the lane for a chat, then someone else was coming down the lane for a chat, then someone died in tragic circumstances. Was a bit difficult to pace through, redeemed only by the Gothic package for me. Not sure if there was a moral, other than like forgiveness and love? Seems flimsy to me, maybe this needs further analysis.
Enjoyable 1/2pt - I enjoyed the Gothic elements a lot, the part in particular where Lockwood spends the night at Wuthering Heights and has the horrific dream and reads the diaries. Felt like Dracula. I think I enjoyed the bits that resembled Dracula and Jane Eyre, not sure about the rest. Enjoyed Catherine as an unlikeable and rebellious female character.
World-Building / Engaging 1pt - It's a classic and it has lasted the test of time, it also challenges notions of femininity and heroism which is interesting. For a novel of its time, it is extremely controversial and some of the themes at the time would have been scandalous, it is so brave. It is very separate from the world, but I think in that way it creates its own world for Heathcliff to terrorise. Not sure if it had such a hard-hitting message or if it was revolutionary in any way, but its legacy and messages can't be ignored.
Overall 3 stars: This feels treacherous but it was good in some respects and not in others. Not much more to say than I mildly enjoyed it but it didn't offer me as much as I'd hoped.