“Mansfield Park” is not my favourite book by Jane Austen. It doesn’t stop me, though, from rereading it from time to time as I do with all this author’s books. For a long time, “Northanger Abbey” remained my least favourite Austen novel. But after the last rereading a few years ago, it moved up my... Continue Reading →
“Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck
It took me a while to get to writing the review of "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. Still, having sat down to do it today, I feel that my impressions are as fresh as they’d been back in September when I’d read the book. "Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink,... Continue Reading →
“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
This book has crushed me. Pressed me down like no other book has done – and I’ve read plenty. The story is so raw and so startingly real that if you have a heart, it can’t but start bleeding when you get to the last page. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a... Continue Reading →
“The Sound and The Fury” by William Faulkner
It was a chore to read this book. Yet, after I finished it, I felt as if I had lived among the troubled Compsons rather than read about them. The stream-of-consciousness narrative isn’t for every reader to digest and to enjoy. And when it’s a stream of a person with a mental disability and the... Continue Reading →
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
My son came over to me when I was writing this review and, peering over my shoulder, asked: “2K words in a review? Really, Mom?” I replied that this book deserves it, for it is one of the greatest books I have ever read. Probably the greatest. “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, a... Continue Reading →
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin
I don’t like writing reviews of the books that left me frustrated, and that’s why I haven’t written one for “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, even though I finished reading it a while ago. Still, for the sake of objectivity, I’ve finally decided to share my thoughts about this novel. I don’t want to sound nasty, but... Continue Reading →
“The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
It is always difficult to share your thoughts about classics. Especially when you’ve struggled with some aspects of the book. At least this is the way it is for me. I don’t think my critical opinion holds any value on a global scale. Legendary books will be read irrespective of my subjective impressions. Still, on... Continue Reading →
“The Thorn Birds” by Colleen McCullough
This isn’t a story of forbidden love between a girl from Australia and a priest. “The Thorn Birds” by Colleen McCullough is so much more. To be honest, Maggie and Ralph de Bricassart’s love story plotline was the one that fascinated me the least in this book. If anything, it even annoyed me a little. Reading... Continue Reading →
“The Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James
An excellent portrait of a modern woman's woe.Yes, Henry James wrote “The Portrait of a Lady” almost one hundred and fifty years ago. Still, when I was reading it, the thought that Isabel Archer could live in the 21st century and make the same mistakes, absolutely refused to leave me.The novel, regarded by critics as... Continue Reading →
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
This is not an easy task to write about your favourite books. Especially when a book has been your loyal friend for longer than the majority of your real friends. You get protective of that book, just like you would if you had to protect a person.Like the majority of legendary books, "Pride and Prejudice"... Continue Reading →