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elle_reads's Reviews (446)
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[Melmoth] Characters run to and from the wanderer, the watcher.
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WHAT I LIKED
Wow. Emotions. Humans can experience multiple conflicting emotions at once. Sarah Perry’s characters are great case studies of this overlooked everyday occurrence. Perry’s characterization through metaphors of emotion bring small quirks of each plot to life. My personal favorite is the comparison of different aspects of a character’s life to a prologue and a footnote. I also loved an expression liken to “a child concealing spiders in a bag of sweets."
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Melmoth is a reimagining of the 1820 gothic horror Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin. I’ve never heard of it before, but it may make an appearance on my future spooktober tbr list. The description reminds me of The Monk.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Melmoth is composed of Helen Franklin’s overall actions, as well as many texts the character comes across. I wish each text within a text had a different author’s voice. All inner pieces sounded the same. It took me out of the story and reminded me one author - Perry - created the universe.
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Perry’s sentence fluency reminded me of Russian literature. There are lots of long sentences. Perhaps this is purposeful? I’m not sure. Get ready for near entire pages of one paragraph.
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Melmoth (by Sarah Perry) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5
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Favorite locations (Kindle): 106, 639, 731, 862, 1051, 1333, 1461, 1507, 2053, 3114, 3350
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Recommended for lovers of: 1001 Nights, American Gods
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BOOK REVIEW
[Melmoth] Characters run to and from the wanderer, the watcher.
//
WHAT I LIKED
Wow. Emotions. Humans can experience multiple conflicting emotions at once. Sarah Perry’s characters are great case studies of this overlooked everyday occurrence. Perry’s characterization through metaphors of emotion bring small quirks of each plot to life. My personal favorite is the comparison of different aspects of a character’s life to a prologue and a footnote. I also loved an expression liken to “a child concealing spiders in a bag of sweets."
//
Melmoth is a reimagining of the 1820 gothic horror Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin. I’ve never heard of it before, but it may make an appearance on my future spooktober tbr list. The description reminds me of The Monk.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Melmoth is composed of Helen Franklin’s overall actions, as well as many texts the character comes across. I wish each text within a text had a different author’s voice. All inner pieces sounded the same. It took me out of the story and reminded me one author - Perry - created the universe.
//
Perry’s sentence fluency reminded me of Russian literature. There are lots of long sentences. Perhaps this is purposeful? I’m not sure. Get ready for near entire pages of one paragraph.
//
Melmoth (by Sarah Perry) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5
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Favorite locations (Kindle): 106, 639, 731, 862, 1051, 1333, 1461, 1507, 2053, 3114, 3350
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Recommended for lovers of: 1001 Nights, American Gods
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Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[Celestial Bodies] Three sisters must find their own path through Oman's changing society.
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WHAT I LIKED
I loves al-Harthi's play with plot structure. She described each event through multiple characters' eyes with such empathy. Every reason is inferred, but no one is blamed by the omnipresent narrator. The result is a shifting narration with a new understanding at the apex of each dune.
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In order to keep this review spoiler free, I'll simply say I loved learning about the generational changes in Omani culture. Times, they aaaaare a-changing.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
As an English reader with little knowledge of Omani culture, I had to reference the family tree many times during the beginning of the book. This didn't bother me, and its not something an Arabic reader encounters at all. In al-Harthi's original languages, readers understand a character's family connections, religion, and cultural background through their name. Don't let the flipping back and forth get you down!
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Celestial Bodies (by Jokha al-Harthi, translated by Marilyn Booth) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️5/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[Celestial Bodies] Three sisters must find their own path through Oman's changing society.
//
WHAT I LIKED
I loves al-Harthi's play with plot structure. She described each event through multiple characters' eyes with such empathy. Every reason is inferred, but no one is blamed by the omnipresent narrator. The result is a shifting narration with a new understanding at the apex of each dune.
//
In order to keep this review spoiler free, I'll simply say I loved learning about the generational changes in Omani culture. Times, they aaaaare a-changing.
//
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
As an English reader with little knowledge of Omani culture, I had to reference the family tree many times during the beginning of the book. This didn't bother me, and its not something an Arabic reader encounters at all. In al-Harthi's original languages, readers understand a character's family connections, religion, and cultural background through their name. Don't let the flipping back and forth get you down!
//
Celestial Bodies (by Jokha al-Harthi, translated by Marilyn Booth) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️5/5
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Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[The Return of King Lillian] A girl king finds herself despite amnesia.
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WHAT I LIKED
Lillian’s voice is SO UNIQUE! I absolutely loved her archaic spellings, abounding optimism, and general glee! Plakson’s plot choices easily careen this book into a safe haven for difficult moral dilemmas. I loved unending colorful characters (Hank) and objects (the music box)! Lillian’s voice has an amazing balance of showing versus telling her stories. It is easy to tell where the importance lies!
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I want to break this long book down into edible chunks for 5th to 8th grade readers. There are so many adorable episodes as Lillian confides each event to her journal. Plakson has a gift for including just the right amount of challenging vocabulary for this reading level. As it is, there isn’t enough continuity for a mature reader to want to keep going. I would be more likely to read more of Lillian's little adventures if they were reformatted into a series of smaller stories.
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The Return of King Lillians (by Suzie Plakson) ⚡️⚡️2/5
This would easily be a 5/5 if the book was reworked for 5-8th grade!
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BOOK REVIEW
[The Return of King Lillian] A girl king finds herself despite amnesia.
//
WHAT I LIKED
Lillian’s voice is SO UNIQUE! I absolutely loved her archaic spellings, abounding optimism, and general glee! Plakson’s plot choices easily careen this book into a safe haven for difficult moral dilemmas. I loved unending colorful characters (Hank) and objects (the music box)! Lillian’s voice has an amazing balance of showing versus telling her stories. It is easy to tell where the importance lies!
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I want to break this long book down into edible chunks for 5th to 8th grade readers. There are so many adorable episodes as Lillian confides each event to her journal. Plakson has a gift for including just the right amount of challenging vocabulary for this reading level. As it is, there isn’t enough continuity for a mature reader to want to keep going. I would be more likely to read more of Lillian's little adventures if they were reformatted into a series of smaller stories.
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The Return of King Lillians (by Suzie Plakson) ⚡️⚡️2/5
This would easily be a 5/5 if the book was reworked for 5-8th grade!
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(Instagram @elle_reads)
BOOK REVIEW
[The Odyssey] Odysseus finds his way home while his son and wife protect his seat.
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WHAT I LIKED
As I say all the time, I'm a sucker for old world literature. Robert Fagle's translation of The Odysseus is amazing. I love his translation's balance of beautiful words and alignment to the original. This is my third read of the o' epic. This reread I took more time to appreciate the epic similes and the theme of testing people while reading big chunks of it aloud to myself. I also spend more energy comparing the word choices in this translation to others, such a Emily Wilson's translation.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
If you don't know what to expect, the chronology can be a little confusing. The story begins en media res with Odysseus's son, Telemachus, and constantly refers to previous characters in The Iliad. For someone familiar with the text, there are many awesome and meaningful shoutouts! Without the previous knowledge, it could be a little confusing. It takes a bit for the narrative to actually reach the episodes with which most people are familiar. Trust that with a little research, all of the scenes are just as important! Homer never wastes a word!
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The Odyssey (by Homer, translated by Robert Fagle) ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ 5/5
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#theodyssey #odysseus #telemachus #robertfagle #homer
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
BOOK REVIEW
[The Odyssey] Odysseus finds his way home while his son and wife protect his seat.
//
WHAT I LIKED
As I say all the time, I'm a sucker for old world literature. Robert Fagle's translation of The Odysseus is amazing. I love his translation's balance of beautiful words and alignment to the original. This is my third read of the o' epic. This reread I took more time to appreciate the epic similes and the theme of testing people while reading big chunks of it aloud to myself. I also spend more energy comparing the word choices in this translation to others, such a Emily Wilson's translation.
//
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
If you don't know what to expect, the chronology can be a little confusing. The story begins en media res with Odysseus's son, Telemachus, and constantly refers to previous characters in The Iliad. For someone familiar with the text, there are many awesome and meaningful shoutouts! Without the previous knowledge, it could be a little confusing. It takes a bit for the narrative to actually reach the episodes with which most people are familiar. Trust that with a little research, all of the scenes are just as important! Homer never wastes a word!
//
The Odyssey (by Homer, translated by Robert Fagle) ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ ⚡️ 5/5
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#theodyssey #odysseus #telemachus #robertfagle #homer
#ellesbookreviews2019
#ellereadstheword
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[The Good Earth] O-Lan continues to serve her husband Wang Lung as their family gains wealth.
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WHAT I LIKED
I appreciated The Good Earth more when I first read it. Now that I’ve read other works by Chinese authors (particularly my current read Wild Swans by Jung Chang), The Good Earth has lost some of its luster. It is important to remember this book was written by an expatriate. Pearl S Buck did become familiar with Chinese farmers while traveling with her husband. He was responsible for collective statistical data of Chinese farming populations. Yet, she was an outsider to the actions she describes. She doesn’t delve deeply into the mentality of the characters, which I believe was a smart choice.
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The Good Earth is a nice soft introduction to traditional Chinese culture. Buck explains everything because she writes for other foreigners.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Buck’s text emphasizes Wang Lung’s continuous hard work and business ingenuity. While hard work is an important principle in many societies, I think Buck’s focus on hard work is quite influenced by her western perspective.
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I see this particularly in the case of the eldest son. *mini spoiler* Wang Lung’s eldest son is consumed by what others think of him - his ‘face.’ In Buck’s text, this is a great fault. His son should be just as hard working as Wang. However, I think it would be more reflective of the time’s culture if the eldest son and Wang were equally worried about what others think of them. Wang uses this idea as an excuse to acquire a concubine earlier in the novel. I don’t think Wang would have seen it as an ‘excuse.’ I think it would have been seen as his right as according to his station.
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A LAST NOTE
That being said, Buck’s text greatly impacted foreign views of China in the 1930s. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature!
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The Good Earth (by Pearl S. Buck) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[The Good Earth] O-Lan continues to serve her husband Wang Lung as their family gains wealth.
//
WHAT I LIKED
I appreciated The Good Earth more when I first read it. Now that I’ve read other works by Chinese authors (particularly my current read Wild Swans by Jung Chang), The Good Earth has lost some of its luster. It is important to remember this book was written by an expatriate. Pearl S Buck did become familiar with Chinese farmers while traveling with her husband. He was responsible for collective statistical data of Chinese farming populations. Yet, she was an outsider to the actions she describes. She doesn’t delve deeply into the mentality of the characters, which I believe was a smart choice.
//
The Good Earth is a nice soft introduction to traditional Chinese culture. Buck explains everything because she writes for other foreigners.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Buck’s text emphasizes Wang Lung’s continuous hard work and business ingenuity. While hard work is an important principle in many societies, I think Buck’s focus on hard work is quite influenced by her western perspective.
//
I see this particularly in the case of the eldest son. *mini spoiler* Wang Lung’s eldest son is consumed by what others think of him - his ‘face.’ In Buck’s text, this is a great fault. His son should be just as hard working as Wang. However, I think it would be more reflective of the time’s culture if the eldest son and Wang were equally worried about what others think of them. Wang uses this idea as an excuse to acquire a concubine earlier in the novel. I don’t think Wang would have seen it as an ‘excuse.’ I think it would have been seen as his right as according to his station.
//
A LAST NOTE
That being said, Buck’s text greatly impacted foreign views of China in the 1930s. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature!
//
The Good Earth (by Pearl S. Buck) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
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Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[Night Boat to Tangier] Two Irish gangsters wait for a girl.
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WHAT I LIKED
Kevin Barry creates a dark, misty world at the edge of a river steeped in memories and drugs. I loved his beautiful heavy prose. Everything about this little book was deceivingly heavy. I enjoyed the time flips slowly revealing the complex relationship between the gangsters and the girl for whom they search. Barry writes obvious beautiful reflections on the human condition.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I almost DNFed this book. But I bought it, so I had to finish it. I didn’t feel empathy for the characters. It was difficult to follow who was speaking without there really being a reason for the confusion. Quite a few of the longlisted Man Booker used this kind of dialogue structure, but the others seemed to have a purpose for the choice.
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Night Boat to Tangier (by Kevin Barry) ⚡️⚡️2/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[Night Boat to Tangier] Two Irish gangsters wait for a girl.
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WHAT I LIKED
Kevin Barry creates a dark, misty world at the edge of a river steeped in memories and drugs. I loved his beautiful heavy prose. Everything about this little book was deceivingly heavy. I enjoyed the time flips slowly revealing the complex relationship between the gangsters and the girl for whom they search. Barry writes obvious beautiful reflections on the human condition.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I almost DNFed this book. But I bought it, so I had to finish it. I didn’t feel empathy for the characters. It was difficult to follow who was speaking without there really being a reason for the confusion. Quite a few of the longlisted Man Booker used this kind of dialogue structure, but the others seemed to have a purpose for the choice.
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Night Boat to Tangier (by Kevin Barry) ⚡️⚡️2/5
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