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sercem_w_ksiazkach's reviews
418 reviews
The Chase of the Golden Meteor by Gregory Benford, Jules Verne
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Jules Verne's books are surprisingly fun. They're very adventerous and humorous, which I appreciate. The worst thing about this author is that he's a man of his time, and the characters have a colonialist perspective. Thankfully those are only small bits of the book, so the rest is enjoyable.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I feel like this book wanted to be a deep philosophical dive into the hapiness of little moments, but it just didn't deliver. It was bland to me, which is a pity.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-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
5.0
Rosshalde by Hermann Hesse
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rosshalde is a story about a middle-aged painter whose marriage is broken, one of his sons hates him, and the other is an object of a fight between him and his wife. Johann Veraghut has achieved it all: lived his youth veraciously, created a family, and became a well-acknowledged, rich artist. But his life lacks love, a purpose and energy to drive it forward. Johann’s only driving force is his younger son Pierre, but it isn’t so easy to keep a growing boy close.
The plot of this book starts when Veraghut’s old friend Otto Burkhardt arrives at his possession with magical stories of his travels to India. He gets on with everyone in the family, brightens up the atmosphere and helps Johann recalibrate. He’s a very colorful character and reading about him was incredibly fun. You could almost feel his energy from the page. Hesse is great at writing secondary characters that feel real, are very interesting and feel like main characters. Burkhardt reminded me of Demian and I loved that.
Hermann Hesse creates an incredibly charming story about one’s mind, friendship and familial bonds. He paints a portait of a man who lost touch with reality, delved into art so deeply he forgot to live and cherish what he has. He created a very real portrayal of a family - with struggles, good and bad moments, and one that’s hard to keep. There beauty of this book lays in its simple structure and reflections on life made by Hesse. I don’t think everyone will love it like I do, but nonetheless it’s a story worth reading.
The plot of this book starts when Veraghut’s old friend Otto Burkhardt arrives at his possession with magical stories of his travels to India. He gets on with everyone in the family, brightens up the atmosphere and helps Johann recalibrate. He’s a very colorful character and reading about him was incredibly fun. You could almost feel his energy from the page. Hesse is great at writing secondary characters that feel real, are very interesting and feel like main characters. Burkhardt reminded me of Demian and I loved that.
Hermann Hesse creates an incredibly charming story about one’s mind, friendship and familial bonds. He paints a portait of a man who lost touch with reality, delved into art so deeply he forgot to live and cherish what he has. He created a very real portrayal of a family - with struggles, good and bad moments, and one that’s hard to keep. There beauty of this book lays in its simple structure and reflections on life made by Hesse. I don’t think everyone will love it like I do, but nonetheless it’s a story worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Terminal illness
The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse by Hermann Hesse
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Hermann Hesse's fables are as beautiful as his writing: picturesque, dreamy and philosofical. All of the stories were told through a very poetic languange and vivid images, and most of them had great endings. The theme connecting those tales was that there were very bright, innocent characters that emerged into the world and have experienced its depth and/or cruelty for the first time. They were incredibly imaginative, but also their plotlines were beautiful. Here are my favourites:
<b><i>Augustus</i></b>
In this story, a recently-widowed young woman is expecting to give birth. Her neighbour, old and peculiar man offers her help and a wish: anything she wishes for her son when the angels sing will happen. Running out of time, she wishes that he's loved by everyone - which turns out to be a curse.
The themes reminded me of "The Picture of Dorian Grey": two beautiful young men with a curse, using their beauty and alliances to get power. For both of them, love is the start of their downfall, albeit Dorian focuses more on romantic one and Augustus on platonic as in care for others.
<b><i>Faldum</i></b>
Every year, everyone near the village Faldum comes there for the fair. There also comes a rather weird man who starts granting wishes for everyone in the village. I especially liked the latter part of the story, from the perspective of the mountain, as it felt very sentimental and sweet.
<b><i>Strange News from Another Planet</i></b>
After an avalanche that falls on a village, there aren't enough flowers to decorate every tomb. A boy volunteers to ask their king for more flowers, however along the way he meets a bird that flies him to another planet - on a battlefield. The pureness of the main character and his desire to make others' lives easier touched me, and this was a sad, but beautiful story.
<b><i>Poet</i></b>
The main character, aspiring poet Han Fook, is soon to marry a beautiful girl from his village. However he values art more than arranged marriage, and wants to practice his skills before settling down. During a festival, he sees a man that recites the most beautiful poems he has ever heard who offers to teach him. He does so after getting a permission from his father, expecting to come back after a year or two. But when passion meets ambition, is it possible to adhere to societal norms and remember your responsibilities?
<b><i>Augustus</i></b>
In this story, a recently-widowed young woman is expecting to give birth. Her neighbour, old and peculiar man offers her help and a wish: anything she wishes for her son when the angels sing will happen. Running out of time, she wishes that he's loved by everyone - which turns out to be a curse.
The themes reminded me of "The Picture of Dorian Grey": two beautiful young men with a curse, using their beauty and alliances to get power. For both of them, love is the start of their downfall, albeit Dorian focuses more on romantic one and Augustus on platonic as in care for others.
<b><i>Faldum</i></b>
Every year, everyone near the village Faldum comes there for the fair. There also comes a rather weird man who starts granting wishes for everyone in the village. I especially liked the latter part of the story, from the perspective of the mountain, as it felt very sentimental and sweet.
<b><i>Strange News from Another Planet</i></b>
After an avalanche that falls on a village, there aren't enough flowers to decorate every tomb. A boy volunteers to ask their king for more flowers, however along the way he meets a bird that flies him to another planet - on a battlefield. The pureness of the main character and his desire to make others' lives easier touched me, and this was a sad, but beautiful story.
<b><i>Poet</i></b>
The main character, aspiring poet Han Fook, is soon to marry a beautiful girl from his village. However he values art more than arranged marriage, and wants to practice his skills before settling down. During a festival, he sees a man that recites the most beautiful poems he has ever heard who offers to teach him. He does so after getting a permission from his father, expecting to come back after a year or two. But when passion meets ambition, is it possible to adhere to societal norms and remember your responsibilities?
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was absolutely not for me. I didn’t like the writing style, sentences seemed disjointed and the story didn’t really have a direction. I couldn’t connect with this book, so it left no emotional impact on me, although it did for many others. A big disappointment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5