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karenvol6's reviews
15 reviews
The Captain's Daughter: And Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Most of the stories in this book were really gripping & fun to read - especially The Queen of Spades & The Undertaker!! Even the darkest part of those stories are so funny to read through and picture in your head. I could probably reread most of these stories another 1,000 times before tiring of them.
Sadly though “the captain’s daughter” was a bit trite, boring & just had an obvious “moral of the story is …” ending. It was definitely a bit funny at times (especially at the start of the story), and you do see some character development of the protagonist, but I personally didn’t think it was very interesting. Immature boy is sent to military school, falls in love, and then becomes an honorable man who gets to save the lady. Also, despite the story being named after her the captain’s daughter isn’t actually given much of a personality (besides being modest & respectable) and she seems to only serve to push the protagonist’s character development along :’( Everyone has read a story like it before.
Sadly though “the captain’s daughter” was a bit trite, boring & just had an obvious “moral of the story is …” ending. It was definitely a bit funny at times (especially at the start of the story), and you do see some character development of the protagonist, but I personally didn’t think it was very interesting. Immature boy is sent to military school, falls in love, and then becomes an honorable man who gets to save the lady. Also, despite the story being named after her the captain’s daughter isn’t actually given much of a personality (besides being modest & respectable) and she seems to only serve to push the protagonist’s character development along :’( Everyone has read a story like it before.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
All throughout this book I kept wishing I’d read the content warnings before starting it. I kept reading because I wanted to know more about Eileen’s story but it’s such a rough read :/ The author’s other books are comedies compared to this one so maybe either skip this one or just go in prepared!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Empress and the English Doctor: How Catherine the Great defied a deadly virus by Lucy Ward
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Super well researched book on a very interesting topic! All of the illustrations included were also a very nice touch.
For cons: it was a tad too dense in some parts for my taste, and something I thought was strange was the fact that several times in the book, the author will criticize a historian for having been more obsessed with Catherine the Great’s sex life than her actual impact on Russia, but she repeatedlyyyy quotes bizarro comments and rumors that were made about the Empress’ sexuality. I’d forgive a mention of the types of rumors especially if it was connected to the culture of Russia at the time of her reign but the multiple quotes of the vilest rumors without a connection to inoculation seems like a bit much. She was so focused on condemning these stories but ultimately ends up perpetuating them in this book. So I guess in short: the book’s really informative; there’s just some details with questionable relevancy to the topic.
For cons: it was a tad too dense in some parts for my taste, and something I thought was strange was the fact that several times in the book, the author will criticize a historian for having been more obsessed with Catherine the Great’s sex life than her actual impact on Russia, but she repeatedlyyyy quotes bizarro comments and rumors that were made about the Empress’ sexuality. I’d forgive a mention of the types of rumors especially if it was connected to the culture of Russia at the time of her reign but the multiple quotes of the vilest rumors without a connection to inoculation seems like a bit much. She was so focused on condemning these stories but ultimately ends up perpetuating them in this book. So I guess in short: the book’s really informative; there’s just some details with questionable relevancy to the topic.
Inseparable by Simone de Beauvoir
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Destroyed me! If you’ve been raised as a woman in a catholic family, are wlw, and/or have struggled with wanting to please your parents at the expense of your sanity, this story will definitely hit you where it hurts. It’s a pretty bittersweet story & maybe will feel a bit TOO relatable, but I think definitely worth a read -especially if you’re a big fan of Simone de Beauvoir.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
hopeful
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
El Niño Estrella by Oscar Wilde
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Es un poco largo considerando que es un cuento para infantiles, pero sí fue una historia agradable. Me encuentro con una aprobación de Wilde mas grande que la que ya tenía por su habilidad de impecablemente incorporar temas como la pobreza y discriminación en una manera apropiada para niños. Es seguro que el libro le dará un entendido aunque sea básico de la manera en que la sociedad trata a los que consideran ser “otros” a todos los niños que lo leen o escuchan.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Austen’s storytelling is great as always, but the book is pretty difficult to get through in some parts, especially in the beginning when there are less unexpected twists and turns happening. Once I got to Volume III though I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it!! I kind of wish Volumes I and II had as many surprises as Volume III did/moved as quickly, but all in all it was still a fun read.