#• g reviews books • | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

garadinervi · 6 months

Text

Aimé Césaire, (1950, 1955), Discourse on Colonialism, Translated by Joan Pinkham, Introduction by Robin D. G. Kelley, Monthly Review Press, New York, NY, 2000, pp. 43-46

#graphic design #book #aimé césaire #joan pinkham #robin d. g. kelley #robin kelley #monthly review press #1950s #2000s

55 notes · View notes

raiquen · 7 months

Text

Book Review: The Invisible Man, H. G. Wells

My review in a Tweet:

"Would men turn evil if they were free from society?" is a frequent question in fiction and phylosophy in general, and while it's present in this book, it has been exaggerated on literary analysis that followed it. Overall, an interesting read with a very dull middle part.

Complete Review:

I decided to pause my other readings to dive into special thematic books for Halloween, while also complementing the nights I watch movie classics. So, for the first special review, I chose "The Invisible Man", by Herbert George Wells.

Years ago, I read "The Time Machine" by the same author, and it left a good impression of his writing skills. This time, while it wasn't bad, I'd say it left me a little unimpressed. The prose and descriptions, like the dialogues, were precise and well written but a bit dense. Wells would go over too many details, and although it's probably a common product of its time, it lacks a more deep or meaningful story.

The book it's divided in chapters, but I think the plot it's separated in four parts:

The arrival of the Invisible Man to a small town, his secret protected by the costume he wears.

The reveal of the secret and the following chaos.

The origin of the Invisible Man, told by himself to an old friend he runs into.

The manhunt of the Invisible Man.

The first part it's quite interesting as a reader, because we know what his secret is, so it's fun to read the guesses of the townspeople and the "mysterious events" that surround the stranger.

The second part is also fun, because of the paranoia and desbelief that the reveal of the Invisible Man provokes.

This third part, his backstory, the one I was most eager to read about (driven by the curiosity of getting to know how would the author explain or justify Griffins' invisibility) turned out to be so dull and slow. The proccess is a bit uninteresting (applying the refracting properties of an object to another thanks to a machine barely described), but the tedious first days of Griffin as an invisible man and his laments for all the unfortunate stuff that happens to him because no one can notice him is so... unsufferable. Specially because H.G. Wells decides to describe a lot the most boring stuff. We barely get to see a truly evil Invisible Man.

He does tell to his old friend that he needs an accomplice to declare his Reign of Terror, but by the time we reach this point, we have 10% or 15% of the book left, so the last part is mostly his friends saying No to him and helping the local police capture him (because the narration of his first days invisible gave him the information he needed). Griffin kills a man and injuries badly a few more men, but besides that and stealing money and food, he's no more evil than any person left behind by society.

So maybe, another possible interpretation to this story is not "Do men turn evil when free from society's watchful eye?" but rather "Men will do what they must to survive in a society that won't notice (help) them". Then, maybe, after a life like that, they will grow resentful and bitter like Griffin.

Score: 6.5/10.

My other 2023 readings.

#book reviews #book review #invisible man #h g wells #science fiction #literature #book #2023 readings #my 2023 readings #me

18 notes · View notes

readlikeido · 11 months

Text

review:

positives - so sharply funny at times. i really enjoyed how the scene on page would be a gruesome killing or her cooking human meat and then she would just say the funniest, most unhinged stuff ever. dorothy came across as very cool, detached and clinical which i heavily enjoyed. her murder plans came across as realistic to me, nothing too outrageous or hard to believe. the only part i'm a bit confused about is her claiming to be a psychopath and still falling in love? admittedly, i don't know much about psychopaths or just human psychology in general. negatives - i had the exact opposite problem with this than I've had with several others. the first and the last 50 pages were quite confusing or simply lacked excitement, the middle, however, was extremely interesting to me. the first 50 pages almost made me lose interest because of how clueless i felt, but i'm very glad i pushed through. just a lot of (and i mean a lot of ) talk of sex, it got repetitive after a certain point... in conclusion - 3.5 stars, i enjoyed it very much. i think i might give it a higher rating on a second read simply because i would have the added context.

37 notes · View notes

daydreamingmiller · 6 months

Text

get to know me tag game!

thank you for the tag angels @cowgurrrl @clickergossip @ilovepedro @demonjoel @reddedmiller @wethairjoel <3

what is your astrological big 3? scorpio sun, cancer rising & taurus moon

last song? glock in my lap - 21 savage

currently reading? i'm reading a few books about the moment! finding jessica lambert - I'm not far in but I'm a sucker for sapphic romance and have loved what I’ve read so far all that matters - a ridiculous smutty cowboy novel that was written in the 80's. my coworker and I are obsessed with swapping dumb old smutty books we find in op shops and this is gold orlando - a reread! Virginia Woolf is a genius <3

last movie? donnie darko rewatch bc I saw a gif of that silly little rabbit and it reminded me the movie exists

it's karaoke night at your fave dive bar, which song are you singing? probably a one direction song

currently working on? gifs & edits! also writing some stuff that will likely never see the light of day

late as always so consider yourself tagged if you see this and haven't done this yet <3

#literally nobody asked for a mini book review yet here I am #boy do I love yapping #tag games #g shut up challenge

18 notes · View notes

garciapimienta · 1 year

Text

Chapter 13 of Cleopatra and Frankenstein

#g’s reading updates #this book is going to destroy me #why did I let reviews make me scared that I wasn’t going to like it #cleopatra and frankenstein #coco mellors #books #reading #read

31 notes · View notes

shadowydoes · 1 year

Text

“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston.

★★★★/☆

I think for what this book is, cute romance between two young men, it is a good one. I understand the hype, completely.

The reason why I didn’t give it five stars it is because of the political aspect of the story. it feels often like an outsider perspective of the world they are supposed to be living in. Also, the problems the characters face are sometimes resolved easier than you would expect.

The biggest highlight of the book is the characters and how they interact with each other. You can see them grow and develop themselves as you read. It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship it is: friendship, romantic, siblings, coworkers. By the end you fond of then as a family. It is so nice and wholesome.

But yeah, I need my Henry, please.

33 notes · View notes

wishblown · 10 months

Text

May the days be aimless. Let the seasons drift. Do not advance the action according to plan.

— Don DeLillo; White Noise

June Reads!

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers — 4/5: a friend recommended this one to me as kind of a mix between Hannibal and American Psycho with a female protagonist which got me hooked. it definitely delivered on that regarding the plot and food-motif (?). the food descriptions were definitely very beautiful and the protagonist compelling. liked that she was telling her story from prison. only thing was that some of her inner monologue came across a little ‘girl boss-y’ at times which I found corny but maybe that’s just me. I guess you’re allowed to be a bit of a corny #girlboss when you’re literally eating men

The Hauntings of Playing God by Chris Dietzel — 2.75/5: this one was kinda meh? was very excited about the concept (last ‘living’ woman on earth left to care for her patients who’re all suffering from locked-in syndrome (ig?) left to make tough choices) but it just didn’t deliver. it got kinda repetitive towards the middle and could’ve done with some shortening for sure imo. also a little too kitschy in some parts for my taste.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy — 5/5: even better than expected! I had high hopes for this one and it didn’t let me down! not only is McCurdy’s story incredible and gripping but she’s also a really talented writer.

White Noise by Don DeLillo — 5/5: read this for the first time last year and suddenly got this intense craving to re-read it; turned out I liked it even better the second time round! this one truly has it all: coming to terms with mortality (and failing badly), portrait of family life and marriage, critique of consumerism and modern life, there’s an airborne toxic event, it’s a great satire overall, yet its so earnest at the same time and treats its characters with such fondness and care; such nice structure of the novel too. would recommend this to everyone

Idol, Burning by Rin Usami — 3.75/5: short and bittersweet! a story of an obsessive fan of a j-pop idol; the way she devotes herself to studying her idol as the rest of her life falls apart around her — really enjoyed the contrast between her absolute focus and dedication to her idol and how she struggles in her regular life, school and work especially due to her (probable) learning disability. some passages really hit home for me

Severance by Ling Ma — 4.5/5: enjoyed this one a lot! liked how the narration went back and forth between the current “zombie” pandemic the protagonist is trying to survive (and the dynamic of her companions) and the years leading up to that point. it felt kind of like a coming-of-age story but in a settling into your adulthood kind of way? I liked that vibe and could definitely relate to it as well. also, always a fan of when stories give me the very beginning stages of apocalypses etc. the writing’s really nice too! def recommend

13 notes · View notes

usergreenpixel · 1 year

Text

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 14: AT ABOUKIR AND ACRE (1898)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Dear Neighbors, and welcome back to Malmaison Media Salon. So, as I’ve said before, today we’re going to talk about a book by G. A. Henty, one of my archenemies!

Why archenemy?

That’s just how I label authors whose shit I reviewed before. Henty’s “wonderful” book about Frev left a bad taste in my mouth for a long time, so I was understandably mistrustful of any other piece of his.

However, after finding out he has one more Frev book AND several Napoleonic ones and this one (About the Egyptian Campaign, between the two eras), I had to make another review in spite of my lower than six feet expectations. So I went on Project Gutenberg to download the ebook for free. That’s where you can get it by the way.

But hey, maybe this book is better than the one I reviewed before. It’s always a possibility, right? The short answer is no. The long answer is not at all.

For an even longer answer, let us finally proceed with the review, which I dedicate to @koda-friedrich , @blackwidowmarshal123 and @aminoscribbles .

2. The Summary

As you might guess from the title, the book is set during the Egyptian campaign and, in classic Henty fashion, has a young English boy as the protagonist.

Edgar Blagrove, the boy in question, is a son of an English merchant who is left behind in Egypt during the war, so the book follows his adventures as he’s trying to survive, reunite with his family and have adventures along the way (as you do).

Even though Henty’s books are targeted at young boys, the premise sounds like something that I would actually enjoy, but I didn’t.

Let’s dissect this book to find out just how bad it gets, shall we?

3. The Story

The beginning isn’t so great. At first the opening scene promises some action, yet the immersion is broken like glass a couple of pages in with heaps upon heaps of Edgar’s backstory. Nice job, Henty…

Luckily, it’s the only time an extensive flashback like this is used, but the pacing can get about as fast as snail because often pieces of information get repeated in dialogues when nothing bad would’ve happened if the author avoided said repetition.

Moreover, while in the first half or so of the story the hero’s ways of getting out of problems stay realistic and justifiable, the second half has Edgar cross so far into Mary Sue territory that he may as well be called Gary Stu.

(Spoilers ahead)

This kid gets hired by SIDNEY FUCKING SMITH as a midshipman and interpreter. I’m not kidding, that’s an actual plot point!

Let me repeat: A kid who DID NOT previously serve in the navy is made midshipman and interpreter by SIDNEY SMITH, who meets said kid by pure coincidence! And only the interpreter part is justified, since Edgar was educated in several languages from a young age and learned the mother tongues of servants and citizens of Cairo too.

That, in all honesty, was the point where I just lost what little investment I had because it just became too apparent that everything will be fine and Edgar will have a happy ending.

4. The Characters

Before crossing the Gary Stu threshold, Edgar actually had potential to be a good character.

He is a reckless kid who was so bored with his monotonous life in Cairo that he wanted to see the English kick the French in the ass.

He cares about his friends, is kind and ready to help his loved ones and sometimes makes risky decisions.

But then he just becomes somebody who is always right and he gets too perfect. So all the potential goes down the drain like a dead goldfish. Hooray…

Sidi, an Arab boy Edgar rescues in the beginning of the story, is a bit more interesting, mainly due to his dynamic with Edgar as basically adopted brothers. He and his family provide Edgar with shelter in their oasis and help him out in a time of need too. Unfortunately, Sidi is a bit of a flat character for someone who gets a pretty major role in the story, but Henty isn’t too good with characters anyway.

Other characters are flat too. To various degrees. Unfortunately, that’s all I can say because there’s a ton of characters.

However, English officers like Nelson and Sidney Smith are whitewashed and glorified to no end. Henty loves sucking the dick of English nationalism, but I already saw that in my other review so no surprise there.

As for the French side of things… I was genuinely surprised that Napoleon was NOT portrayed as Devil Incarnate and it’s mentioned that he does care about his troops.

Many historical figures are name dropped but don’t appear in person, such as Kleber, Desaix, Junot, Menou, etc. Personally, I’m glad they don’t get a cameo in person for several reasons:

A) the book isn’t about them

B) it would be too unrealistic for Edgar to meet those people

C) after the atrocious portrayal of Montagnards, I DO NOT trust Henty with accuracy when it comes to French Republican generals

Eugene de Beauharnais is omitted once again, even though I’m pretty sure he participated in that campaign. Oh well, shout-out to Eugene from me!

5. The Setting

Henty is, once again, bad with settings and his descriptions are, at times, too minimalistic.

I didn’t feel the action in battle scenes, I couldn’t envision the oasis, the streets of Cairo or any other settings. There’s just not enough to achieve immersion.

6. The Writing

The writing is old fashioned, as it was a book written in the 19th century, but for people who are fluent in English there shouldn’t be a lot of issues with comprehending the vocabulary, except maybe all the naval terms that have no definitions given. Grrr…

I can’t necessarily call Henty’s writing awful, but it’s not for me so it didn’t help my overall impression of the book.

7. The Conclusion

Even though it’s not as bad as “In the Reign of Terror” was, it’s still not a book I would recommend and the improvements are insignificant.

Most characters are still flat, the annoying nationalism has still reared its head, the pacing is longer than the Amazon River and the protagonist becomes a Gary Stu in the end.

The verdict? Please find something else to read.

Anyway, the soirée is officially coming to an end. Please stay tuned because more updates are coming soon.

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

#malmaison media salon #history #historical art #french history #napoleonic literature #napoleonic media #napoleonic art #g a henty #at aboukir and acre #book review #napoleon bonaparte #louis charles antoine desaix #jean baptiste kleber #general menou #eugène de beauharnais #sidney smith #horatio nelson #jean andoche junot

40 notes · View notes

geolato · 6 months

Text

Thanks for tagging me @yearningsea and @polar-bears-making-pancakes!!

Here's the thing. I post about books because I like reading and I like talking about the books I'm reading and I do read more than your average person my age but I haven't... read a lot of books... in total (trying to do it more now, which is part of why I post about it). Yes I am trying to prepare you guys. This is a very mixed bag.

That being said, here's some books I've read that I really liked!

Yes there are two children's books in there. They are both 10/10 FIGHT ME.

Tagging @the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see @jamiegeode @gendernutralghost @newtness532 @sugaroto @frog-in-a-jumper

#if they've already tagged you on this im sorry. on the other hand double tags!!!#this is a mixed bag. like phm is a perfect book imo. the one id genuinely recommend without hesitation #to nearly everyone #carry on i think sets to do something and does it amazingly. also we love gay wizards.#but also like. the ut book is here. and like. im one of those people that this book just hits a niche. i love looking into translations #and i love undertale so win win #the anthropocene reviewed i also think is amazing. it reminds me the word is beautiful #g reads #g talks #tag games

5 notes · View notes

n0namey · 2 months

Text

A CERTAIN HUNGER – CHELSEA G. SUMMERS

if patrick bateman and hannibal lecter had a daughter

5/5 ★★★★★

#womanhood #girlblogging #books #literature #a certain hunger #hannibal lecter #patrick bateman #femcel #gaslight gatekeep girlboss #female manipulator #book review #book recommendations #books and reading #female rage #chelsea g. summers

4 notes · View notes

garadinervi · 6 months

Text

Aimé Césaire, (1950, 1955), Discourse on Colonialism, Translated by Joan Pinkham, Introduction by Robin D. G. Kelley, Monthly Review Press, New York, NY, 2000, pp. 31-34

#graphic design #book #aimé césaire #joan pinkham #robin d. g. kelley #robin kelley #monthly review press #1950s #2000s

44 notes · View notes

azazel-dreams · 9 months

Text

Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual by G S Denning

Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤

#My Grave Ritual #Warlock Holmes: My Grave Ritual #Warlock Holmes #G S Denning #Sherlock Holmes pastiche #books #book recommendations #book reviews

7 notes · View notes

adonis-koo · 3 months

Note

THIS IS TELEPATHY I TELL YOU! I was going to ask you about haunting Adeline and whether it's worth reading or not!!

LMAOOO unfortunately I have not read it, however I am bored and currently reading on mobile and I’m definitely intrigued so far, but I’m only three chapters in so I can’t make any judgement calls yet, I can definitely do a book review with my thoughts once I’m finished though if you and others are interested!

#missy answers #h-g-bts #havent done a book review since the folk of aire series!!! v excited at the idea of bringing book reviews back

5 notes · View notes

violettesbooks · 11 months

Text

A young girl, living on a deserted island with her magician Guardian, longs to travel to the bustling mainland but finds her efforts rebuffed until one day when her Guardian dissapears.

I enjoyed the story, it's more speculative than fantasy and it was well written. The setting adds a historical fiction layer to it and it works well with the plot line

We start off with Biddy basically dying to leave this magical island that is deserted except for her, her magician Guardian and his familiar. No one can visit because it keeps people out but Rowan, the magician leaves often to get supplies by transforming into a raven. One night, he travels to the mainland and doesn't return, prompting Biddy to use whatever magic she can find to figure out what happened and ultimately leading her to understand why she was kept on the island and what lurks outside.

Out: Now

#book review #books by women #books #fiction #bookworm #arc #the magician's daughter #H. G. Parry

7 notes · View notes

leer-reading-lire · 2 years

Text

Last read:

Title: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume One

Author: Alan Moore (writer) and Kevin O'Neill (illustrator)

Number of Pages: 192

Rating: ★★★★☆

First published: March 1999 - September 2000

Read: 1 - 9 September 2022

Thoughts:

Mina Murray unsurprisingly is the best and most interesting character. Deservedly, she is the leader of the team. She's smart, resourceful, brave, direct and industrious. I expected to learn more about her past. If memory serves, there are events not covered between the end of Dracula and how Mina started to work with agent Campion Bond. For example, why Mina and Jonathan got divorced?

The next best character has to be Captain Nemo. I rejoiced that he didn't trust Campion Bond and, therefore, decided to send Griffin to investigate.

I was shocked and delighted to see C. Auguste Dupin in this story and I wish he had a bigger role.

After, I guess we have Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde. They're fine.

Then, there's Griffin (the Invisible Man), he could have ranked higher as his wit makes me chuckle. Nonetheless, I can't forgive him for what he did at the girls' school.

Finally, Allan Quatermain. He wasn't that bad in comparison to other male characters on the book. What bothers me was his never ending complaints about Mina; and what was worst was that supposedly he's in love with her! Well, no. The truly worst bit is that she seems to like him too.

About the story, it was intertaining. I like adventure, action and mystery stories, so it was good. Also, I appreciated all the intertextuality: Arsène Lupin (Maurice Leblanc) and Dodger (Charles Dickens) were also around, although briefly.

In general terms, I liked it. However, I can't say I enjoyed all of it.

The thing I'm really fed up with is the Smurfette Principle (to include only ONE woman in an otherwise entirely male team). I can only dream to see another woman join the league.

What's more, the treatment of the female characters was often sexist, objectifying and in Marisa's case, racist (I likewise noticed racisim against Captain Nemo).

Concerning Allan and the Sundered Veil, it was long and dull for me. It took me more time to read this short story than the rest of the book. The only aspect that I could appreciate was the penny dreadful format (even though it gets repetitive for obvious reasons, such as the formulas).

37 notes · View notes

novella-lover · 1 year

Text

Seven Days in June

by Tia Williams

Rating: 4.5/5

-> a #studyblr w/knives reading challenge

• | • | •

The joy and out-of-this-world sadness I endured while reading has me both overwhelmed and elated to have picked up this gem of a book.

A true, raw love story with so much trauma and healing. It was beautifully written and every character really had their own voices, which is hard to find in books sometimes!

Also my absolute favorite character was Audre! She was such a joyful and funny 12 year old that she nearly stole the show every time she showed up!

• | • | •

Overall:

The hype is so well worth it! What Williams is able to capture in 325 pages is magic.

I am glad I decided to pick it up and add this to my tbr!!

• | • | •

posted for the winter mini reading challenge (second chance prompt) 🤍🖤

#studyblr w/knives reading challenge #reading #booklr #books #reading challenge #tia williams #seven days in june #review #me talking to the void #• g reviews books •

17 notes · View notes