spectracommunist's reviews
372 reviews

“Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.”

The Outsiders is a poignant story of the rivalry between the teenagers of The Greasers and The Socs - two hoods of socioeconomic differences. The story has a great flow of stream which can truly metaphorise the classic as well as contemporary conflicts in various parts of a nation thriving with immigrants. The story is told from the perspective of a Greaser but it isn't totally one-sided, it portrays the relativity of good and evil - the similarities though all the differences among the groups. It describes the relationship between three orphaned brothers - Ponyboy (the protagonist narrator) the youngest, Sodapop and Darrel the oldest among themselves and hoods. Ponyboy is defined as a reluctant hoodlum who is inclined towards literature and drawings and an introvert that dig real things around.

The book being published in late 60's is very well structured i.e. there are scenes where Ponyboy loses his consciousness multiple times which actually distances the narrater after some intense action so that the reader is given some rest which is needed and it is even effective in skipping some unnecessary plots and that makes this a true Classic!

"If you hold back on the emotions--if you don't allow yourself to go all the way through them--you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid. You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief. You're afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your heard even, you experience them fully and completely."

I usually don't read much self-help due to it's mainstreamness, phoniness ( okay, I'm being Holden Caulfield here, lol) and some are too capitalist... The reason I've read this is it's a biography and it was better than I expected.

Coming to philosophy, It's not much of a prophecy... It's something your grandparents advices usually advices you and that's fascinating in a way :D. The teacher - student relationship was very heart-warming and the book is overall very touchy in times.

I recommend the audiobook read by Mitch Albom himself as that recording contains a conversation between Mitch and Morrie only few days before Morrie passed away which is quite tear jearking.

4.5 stars
“There is no story that is not true, [...] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”

The African literature after the colonialization was mostly written by the Europeans, so this series of books a.k.a 'The African Trilogy' was written by Achebe an African Cristian who then rejected his Christian name and settled on the traditional one in the response of the books such as 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad who claimed Africans as cultureless savages.

The plot was an utmost fascination for me to read this book as I was seeking for historical religious conflicts. Overall, this book is awesome, but the initial half of it is too much revolving around culture, tradition, and values to unprove the European's perspective that it lost its structure and charms at many a times. But the half of it - after the arrival of Christians - it's damn interesting.

There's a lot of varieties in characters - Okonkwo being stubborn, manly, aggressive, a hustler, a classic hero with tragic flaws to bring his own wrath. Nwoye and Unoka being the opposite with traits and flaws. Even the British were distinguished from each other - the benevolent Mr. Brown and the totally Black/White Reverend Smith. There are great symbols and motifs that personify every aspect of the history.

Despite some of its flaws, it was a great read to understand Africa ...

“When a golden girl can win
Prayer from out the lips of sin,
When the barren almond bears,
And a little child gives away its tears,
Then shall all the house be still
And peace come to Canterville.”

It was so sweet and funny. And Gosh, the writing style of Oscar Wilde nails every single time. The story was good and is actually a parody of Americans by an English.

The American family is not at all afraid of the sinister Canterville Ghost and makes him so embarrassed and frightened every single time he attempts to scare them. The Ghost perceives the parents as too materialistic but they aren't as, in the end, they don't accept the priceless necklace and the twin boys are described so annoying but they care a lot for their sister.

The funny thing was that the Ghost considered himself as the artist to the people who get scared (the admirers of his great work) and so he's totally ridiculed by the American family as of lacking brains to understand his art ... Lol!

“There's the Scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.”

A great introduction to the most famous literary character 'Sherlock Holmes' that has been adapted the most in screens and other works in literature unlike anyone, along with his partner 'Dr. John Watson'. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing is undoubtedly sublime and the most special feature of 'A Study in Scarlet' is all the humanitarian quotes.



There was lot of suspense in the story as expected but the surprising part was it's transition to a Western as a part of the criminal's history, there were lots of historical significance i.e. reign of Mormons, the Birmingham Young, dangers of organised religion and hypocrisy in it.

The theme consists of Modernism at that time, the advancement of technological use on criminal science and Doyle's invention of 'the Science of Deduction' in his works was even followed for the development of criminology.

I now want even more of Sherlock Holmes and thus: Next => The Sign of Four [Sherlock Holmes #2]...

Just a classification of various beasts inspired from several mythologies. Totally avoidable. No original base, completely dependent on HP series. Waste of time - except for * Yes, I remember this creature from HP Series *.
Go watch Planet Earth instead, you'll find how real life animals can be far more fascinating

Another beautiful and touching piece from Lois Lowry. With a 10-year old girl protagonist during the WWII in Denmark. A great children book.

Absurd Gibberish Repetition ... Western Modern Art? Outrageous!

How sad it is! I shall grow old and horrible and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June... If it were I who was to be always young and the picture that was to grow old! For that I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!

This is a magnificent piece of English literature. It's Sublime! Beautifully written deep story with memorable characters.
It describes shallowness, cruelty, selfishness and vanity beautifully. The dialogues and prose were delivered excellently by Oscar Wilde.
The initial part i.e. like 1/3rd was quite humourous and the rest a Gothic Horror! and existential philosophy.
Despite the dark, it's very compelling. The book has a great reflection and an association with Art! and that is painting.
A painting symbolically described as the imagery of Dorian Gray's vices hiding the ugliness behind the mask of eternal youth.
It is a tale of enthrallment in corruption under the influence of an extreme hedonist (Lord Henry Wotton).
Alas, It is a deeply moving story of inhuman callous (but not a monster) and it's consequences ...

It's my FAVOURITE ... RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE!