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fathima_ashab's Reviews (159)
"All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead before I let him beat me."
I finished it last week but I needed time to circulate my thoughts and come to a conclusion of what I think about the book because I enjoyed it more than I expected.
This book is all about sisterhood and strong female characters surviving misogyny than anything else. It was heartbreaking, emotional but also uplifting. I am still not even sure if I can write a proper review about it. It was so powerful and raw that I have so much left in me to write them in words. It was all emotions and thoughts of oppressive community trying their best to survive through everyone who are constantly putting them down.
I loved how the protagonist, Celie's character was portrayed. Omg!! She has so much love in her that NOTHING not even recurring physical and mental abuse could stop her from what she believed in and what she wanted to become. I immensely loved the character of Shug. She was the pillar of strength to Celie. In fact, she was everything to Celie and nothing could change her love on Shug, not even a bit. That's the power of true love.
This book was nothing I expected of it. It was so much more. and it has to be read by everyone. it has a very important note and message to it to take home. I can't recommend it enough. Just read it if you haven't already.
"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
I finished it last week but I needed time to circulate my thoughts and come to a conclusion of what I think about the book because I enjoyed it more than I expected.
This book is all about sisterhood and strong female characters surviving misogyny than anything else. It was heartbreaking, emotional but also uplifting. I am still not even sure if I can write a proper review about it. It was so powerful and raw that I have so much left in me to write them in words. It was all emotions and thoughts of oppressive community trying their best to survive through everyone who are constantly putting them down.
I loved how the protagonist, Celie's character was portrayed. Omg!! She has so much love in her that NOTHING not even recurring physical and mental abuse could stop her from what she believed in and what she wanted to become. I immensely loved the character of Shug. She was the pillar of strength to Celie. In fact, she was everything to Celie and nothing could change her love on Shug, not even a bit. That's the power of true love.
This book was nothing I expected of it. It was so much more. and it has to be read by everyone. it has a very important note and message to it to take home. I can't recommend it enough. Just read it if you haven't already.
"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
"We left because some people choose to wait for news and others make their own".
This book is for the survivors who would live no matter what. even if they are the only soul left, they will live.
Malorie, who is left with two children survives an apocalyptic world with a hope that they will escape this one day and find a peaceful home somewhere. She trains them well with blindfolds. She is scared. she is horrified. but above all, she is strong and she wants to survive.
Oh God! this book was incredible. There are creatures out in the world wrecking havoc that if anyone sees them, that person will go mad and commit suicide. so the one who wants to survive will have no choice but to black out their windows and go out blindfolded if they need anything like food, water and other essentials. And there is no room for 'hopeless people', they will die.
"You can smell it, too. Death. Dying. Decay. The sky is falling, the sky is dying, the sky is dead".
There are so many questions left unanswered in the end. but it's the open ending that made it more realistic to me. I was not satisfied with the ending at first but when I think about it now, it was the only way to end such a horror story. It was not the creatures itself that made it scary but the blindness and the unknowing nature of world and the new creatures in it. The writing was so good. And the whole book was creepy af. I had nightmares last night after reading this lol. Such a spooky thriller and I would highly recommend it.
This book is for the survivors who would live no matter what. even if they are the only soul left, they will live.
Malorie, who is left with two children survives an apocalyptic world with a hope that they will escape this one day and find a peaceful home somewhere. She trains them well with blindfolds. She is scared. she is horrified. but above all, she is strong and she wants to survive.
Oh God! this book was incredible. There are creatures out in the world wrecking havoc that if anyone sees them, that person will go mad and commit suicide. so the one who wants to survive will have no choice but to black out their windows and go out blindfolded if they need anything like food, water and other essentials. And there is no room for 'hopeless people', they will die.
"You can smell it, too. Death. Dying. Decay. The sky is falling, the sky is dying, the sky is dead".
There are so many questions left unanswered in the end. but it's the open ending that made it more realistic to me. I was not satisfied with the ending at first but when I think about it now, it was the only way to end such a horror story. It was not the creatures itself that made it scary but the blindness and the unknowing nature of world and the new creatures in it. The writing was so good. And the whole book was creepy af. I had nightmares last night after reading this lol. Such a spooky thriller and I would highly recommend it.
This is my first book of Danielle Steel and I would say that she got me hooked to her writing style. And I guess I will pickup her books more often after this. There was a comfort and warmth in her story which is exactly my type and the book was little slow which was also a brownie point to me. I just adored the characters so much.
So this 'Silent night' is the story of two sisters named Paige and Whitney who are the daughters of famous Hollywood parents. Of which, Paige was attracted to Hollywood and wanted to be a star one day. On the other hand, Whitney just want to stay out of Hollywood as much as possible. So she ran away from that and graduated as a psychiatrist. Paige tried to get into the career but she couldn't do the acting well so she give birth to a daughter and just dump all her dreams on her daughter, turns out her daughter Emma grows up as an actress from the very young age with not so normal childhood.
It's when an unexpected thing happen in a blink of an eye, Emma loses all her memory and goes into coma. With the help of Whitney, her aunt, she recovers and achieve what she really wanted to do.
The characters of Paige and Whitney were so different but they loved each other and that love brought their lives close to each other in the form of Emma. I really loved the character 'Bailey'. He is #boyfriendgoals.
I felt some of the things were repeated throughout the book which isn't necessary but somehow I kind of liked that too. Repeating certain things made me close to the characters and helped me distinguish each character from the other. This story was emotional, heart breaking at times but I also had certain moments where I smiled and laughed with the characters genuinely. I really loved the book. I didn't want it to end.
So this 'Silent night' is the story of two sisters named Paige and Whitney who are the daughters of famous Hollywood parents. Of which, Paige was attracted to Hollywood and wanted to be a star one day. On the other hand, Whitney just want to stay out of Hollywood as much as possible. So she ran away from that and graduated as a psychiatrist. Paige tried to get into the career but she couldn't do the acting well so she give birth to a daughter and just dump all her dreams on her daughter, turns out her daughter Emma grows up as an actress from the very young age with not so normal childhood.
It's when an unexpected thing happen in a blink of an eye, Emma loses all her memory and goes into coma. With the help of Whitney, her aunt, she recovers and achieve what she really wanted to do.
The characters of Paige and Whitney were so different but they loved each other and that love brought their lives close to each other in the form of Emma. I really loved the character 'Bailey'. He is #boyfriendgoals.
I felt some of the things were repeated throughout the book which isn't necessary but somehow I kind of liked that too. Repeating certain things made me close to the characters and helped me distinguish each character from the other. This story was emotional, heart breaking at times but I also had certain moments where I smiled and laughed with the characters genuinely. I really loved the book. I didn't want it to end.
To put it simple, this book was informative, emotional and inspirational.
I started the book with no idea about both the book and Melinda Gates other than the fact that she is the wife of Bill Gates. But this book gave a lot of insights on their Gates foundation and family, Melinda's experience, and the impact their movements had in different parts of the world.
I was hesitant at first to read this because obviously she is privileged and could easily be ignorant of many things. But surprisingly, as I started reading the book, I understood that she accepts her ignorance at first and tries to learn from each people she meets and experience she goes through. Few things were repetitive at first but then she got hold of the writing slowly. still the only thing I didn't like about the book was irregular timeline. I couldn't follow it properly because she was skipping from one incident to the next. That isn't a big issue though. She has made this book inspirational enough for anyone to do what they want to do.
I didn't know a simple contraception could be so impactful in the journey of women empowerment. I was really mind blown. Also, she has touched many other topics such as child marriage, education and few things in between. It was really good to read and learn few solutions to make a change.
Empathy has Played a big role in her journey which she explains beautifully as "Other cultures already have a 'full cup' when it comes to issues such as birth control, child marriage, house/family work, etc. For example, many cultures don't use condoms because it is a sign of distrust, child marriage has cheaper dowries, or certain work is forbidden for specific genders by religious beliefs. To help solve these problems, you need to understand what is in their 'cup'."
I loved the way she was honest about how she struggled to understand and maintain gender equality in her own life.
I would highly recommend it. This book is not just for women but for everyone to read and understand different cultures and how lifting women in the society lift the whole community.
I started the book with no idea about both the book and Melinda Gates other than the fact that she is the wife of Bill Gates. But this book gave a lot of insights on their Gates foundation and family, Melinda's experience, and the impact their movements had in different parts of the world.
I was hesitant at first to read this because obviously she is privileged and could easily be ignorant of many things. But surprisingly, as I started reading the book, I understood that she accepts her ignorance at first and tries to learn from each people she meets and experience she goes through. Few things were repetitive at first but then she got hold of the writing slowly. still the only thing I didn't like about the book was irregular timeline. I couldn't follow it properly because she was skipping from one incident to the next. That isn't a big issue though. She has made this book inspirational enough for anyone to do what they want to do.
I didn't know a simple contraception could be so impactful in the journey of women empowerment. I was really mind blown. Also, she has touched many other topics such as child marriage, education and few things in between. It was really good to read and learn few solutions to make a change.
Empathy has Played a big role in her journey which she explains beautifully as "Other cultures already have a 'full cup' when it comes to issues such as birth control, child marriage, house/family work, etc. For example, many cultures don't use condoms because it is a sign of distrust, child marriage has cheaper dowries, or certain work is forbidden for specific genders by religious beliefs. To help solve these problems, you need to understand what is in their 'cup'."
I loved the way she was honest about how she struggled to understand and maintain gender equality in her own life.
I would highly recommend it. This book is not just for women but for everyone to read and understand different cultures and how lifting women in the society lift the whole community.
I never knew that an anthology could have the same voice behind different faces. So I was astonished when all the stories in this book rooted from shared problems and ended with the same note. I always love women who lift each other up and who can understand each other's problems we hide behind our veils. like, telling the world, 'Yes, it's our problem but if we stand together there will be nothing between us and our better world'. I saw that unity in this book. Every women in these multitude of stories were fierce, strong and unbreakable without losing their femininity. They were the best examples for how to be women and how you can still slay it. Power is power and there is no gender involved.
Omg! I loved each and every story so much. And I guess they were the best in their short story format. It made their stories more powerful. That ending was epic and I would read it again and again to let those words burn etched in my skin forever.
I definitely can't recommend this book enough. Just read it if you love strong women in action. You will absolutely love it.
Omg! I loved each and every story so much. And I guess they were the best in their short story format. It made their stories more powerful. That ending was epic and I would read it again and again to let those words burn etched in my skin forever.
I definitely can't recommend this book enough. Just read it if you love strong women in action. You will absolutely love it.
This is the story of women who become surrogates/hosts in a farm named Golden Oaks, a private estate in NYC, for the privileged women who can't/won't reproduce their own babies. And in turn, the hosts will be promised a large financial amount in the end and that is only if they follow all the strict rules given by their clients.
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Even though the whole process of selecting the hosts, impregnating and what's happening inside the farm covers most of the plot, it is also about the immigrants and people from low economic class struggle with money, race, power and inequality while trying to fulfill their American dreams.
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This story was especially about a young Jane, immigrant from Phillipines who becomes one of the hosts in Golden Oaks to create a better future for her daughter Amalia. It is also the story of other Filipinos including her cousin sister struggling all their life in America to send money to their extended family in Phillipines. It was so touching and heartbreaking.
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"There are people who move through the world like they own it, and the world seems to bend to their demands." This quote just explains everything about modern world. it's like the only way to earn money is to already have money. This book especially speaks about the era where no blue collar job exists. And anyone who is not from the rich class, achieving their dream and making more money is just an illusion. It's the rich who is getting richer each day.
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It's totally a character driven story and it was heart wrenching at many places. There is a character named Lisa who mad me even laugh so much. but even though, the plot felt so promising initially, it felt short in the end. It was unrealistic and didn't fit the storyline well. I was keep on expecting a big twist or some ground breaking actions but nothing happened. It was an okay read for me. But what I understood from the ending is that these immigrants are still going to sacrifice and die working for the well being and future of their family. and the cycle is never going to end.
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Thank you @bloomsburyindia for sending me this review copy 🖤
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Even though the whole process of selecting the hosts, impregnating and what's happening inside the farm covers most of the plot, it is also about the immigrants and people from low economic class struggle with money, race, power and inequality while trying to fulfill their American dreams.
.
This story was especially about a young Jane, immigrant from Phillipines who becomes one of the hosts in Golden Oaks to create a better future for her daughter Amalia. It is also the story of other Filipinos including her cousin sister struggling all their life in America to send money to their extended family in Phillipines. It was so touching and heartbreaking.
.
"There are people who move through the world like they own it, and the world seems to bend to their demands." This quote just explains everything about modern world. it's like the only way to earn money is to already have money. This book especially speaks about the era where no blue collar job exists. And anyone who is not from the rich class, achieving their dream and making more money is just an illusion. It's the rich who is getting richer each day.
.
It's totally a character driven story and it was heart wrenching at many places. There is a character named Lisa who mad me even laugh so much. but even though, the plot felt so promising initially, it felt short in the end. It was unrealistic and didn't fit the storyline well. I was keep on expecting a big twist or some ground breaking actions but nothing happened. It was an okay read for me. But what I understood from the ending is that these immigrants are still going to sacrifice and die working for the well being and future of their family. and the cycle is never going to end.
.
Thank you @bloomsburyindia for sending me this review copy 🖤
"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" - "Don't let the bastards grind you down". This has become my slogan now haha.
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I am sure you all know what this book is about. but here is my short introduction to what it is. A totalitarian Christian government takes over United States and it is referred to as the republic of Gilead where misogyny is at its peak, women can't be on their own anymore and they have no values except when they can breed (our worst nightmare), extremism prevails, humanity died, uniforms everywhere. Reminds you of 1984? Well, yes, you can take it as a female perspective of 1984.
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It's all about men in that world. Women are mere objects and they can't decide anything on their own. I will give you an example from a conversation between our protagonist, Offred (Of Fred), a handmaid who belongs to the commander Fred where the he says, "We’ve given them more than we’ve taken away, Think of the trouble they had before. Don’t you remember the singles bars, the indignity of high-school blind dates? The meat market. Don’t you remember the terrible gap between the ones who could get a man easily and the ones who couldn’t? Some of them were desperate, they starved themselves thin or pumped their breasts full of silicone, had their noses cut off. Think of the human misery. Now, this way, they all get a man. This way they're protected, they can FULFIL THEIR BIOLOGICAL DESTINIES IN PEACE. With full support and encouragement".
.
And his view about love is this, "Was it really worth it, falling in love? Arranged marriages have always worked out just as well, if not better. Those days were just an anomaly. All we've done is return things to Nature's norm".
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All these things are perfect from a patriarchal perspective. What does women gain from it? Isn't it like going back to the bad old days? if not worse. Men aren't the problem in this republic of Gilead society but patriarchy. Although it was quite unbelievable at first because it is set place in U.S. where everything is moving ahead of time, it was more relatable when I saw it as a totalitarian government that could be ruling the whole world. But still it could have been better if Atwood had given a detail view in how things changed because it is not possible overnight like how she has portrayed but not to forget, dismissing women from job, transferring their money to their first male relative (husband/father/brother) was a dramatic change to begin with.
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I really loved how she classified women into different classes and how each of their duties were explained. Also, the names she has set for them was brilliant like Of-Fred, Of-Glen, Of-Warren, Aunt Lydia, Serena Joy (wife), Rita, Cora, etc.
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If one thing I didn't quite like about the book was 'A feminist perspective to clothes'. I think this is where most of the feminists slip from the actual point. Like, the fact that women have to cover their whole body in Atwood's world is difficult. But the way she has connected the length of the dress with going backwards in time doesn't sit on me well. So if they were all given Bikinis to wear, would they have viewed it as empowering? I doubt it. They will be still treated as dolls irrespective of what they are wearing. They will still get objectified if they were given Bikinis as uniform. The lack of choice of dress or anything of that matter was the problem, not the length of the dress. Wearing summer dresses, jeans, shirt and tank tops is not feminism. It is not freedom. It is choice. Freedom and feminism is much more than that.
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But Overall, I enjoyed the book quite a lot. I loved the writing style and choice of words. I read it word by word and annotated carefully. I can't wait for the next book. The ending left me with anxiety lol. And yes, I would definitely recommend this. Just read it. Especially if 1984 is your favourite classic.
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I am sure you all know what this book is about. but here is my short introduction to what it is. A totalitarian Christian government takes over United States and it is referred to as the republic of Gilead where misogyny is at its peak, women can't be on their own anymore and they have no values except when they can breed (our worst nightmare), extremism prevails, humanity died, uniforms everywhere. Reminds you of 1984? Well, yes, you can take it as a female perspective of 1984.
.
It's all about men in that world. Women are mere objects and they can't decide anything on their own. I will give you an example from a conversation between our protagonist, Offred (Of Fred), a handmaid who belongs to the commander Fred where the he says, "We’ve given them more than we’ve taken away, Think of the trouble they had before. Don’t you remember the singles bars, the indignity of high-school blind dates? The meat market. Don’t you remember the terrible gap between the ones who could get a man easily and the ones who couldn’t? Some of them were desperate, they starved themselves thin or pumped their breasts full of silicone, had their noses cut off. Think of the human misery. Now, this way, they all get a man. This way they're protected, they can FULFIL THEIR BIOLOGICAL DESTINIES IN PEACE. With full support and encouragement".
.
And his view about love is this, "Was it really worth it, falling in love? Arranged marriages have always worked out just as well, if not better. Those days were just an anomaly. All we've done is return things to Nature's norm".
.
All these things are perfect from a patriarchal perspective. What does women gain from it? Isn't it like going back to the bad old days? if not worse. Men aren't the problem in this republic of Gilead society but patriarchy. Although it was quite unbelievable at first because it is set place in U.S. where everything is moving ahead of time, it was more relatable when I saw it as a totalitarian government that could be ruling the whole world. But still it could have been better if Atwood had given a detail view in how things changed because it is not possible overnight like how she has portrayed but not to forget, dismissing women from job, transferring their money to their first male relative (husband/father/brother) was a dramatic change to begin with.
.
I really loved how she classified women into different classes and how each of their duties were explained. Also, the names she has set for them was brilliant like Of-Fred, Of-Glen, Of-Warren, Aunt Lydia, Serena Joy (wife), Rita, Cora, etc.
.
If one thing I didn't quite like about the book was 'A feminist perspective to clothes'. I think this is where most of the feminists slip from the actual point. Like, the fact that women have to cover their whole body in Atwood's world is difficult. But the way she has connected the length of the dress with going backwards in time doesn't sit on me well. So if they were all given Bikinis to wear, would they have viewed it as empowering? I doubt it. They will be still treated as dolls irrespective of what they are wearing. They will still get objectified if they were given Bikinis as uniform. The lack of choice of dress or anything of that matter was the problem, not the length of the dress. Wearing summer dresses, jeans, shirt and tank tops is not feminism. It is not freedom. It is choice. Freedom and feminism is much more than that.
.
But Overall, I enjoyed the book quite a lot. I loved the writing style and choice of words. I read it word by word and annotated carefully. I can't wait for the next book. The ending left me with anxiety lol. And yes, I would definitely recommend this. Just read it. Especially if 1984 is your favourite classic.
Me: I bet this is the easiest book of Murakami and I am enjoying it so far.
(5 hours later)
Me: At this moment, I feel everything is the imagination of the protagonist right from his girlfriend to this exploring some weird sheep. Like, How could anyone find one sheep that has a star mark on its back when there could be thousands of sheep there? Do you think it's possible?
Friend: Umm, I don't get what this book is about. You mean is it literally about chasing a wild sheep?
Me: Kind of. but it has some deeper connections and it's not just about finding the sheep.
Friend: So what's the use of searching that sheep then?
Me: You don't get it, do you? His books are like that. The protagonists could be searching for something trivial but it will be surreal and realistic at the same time with much more deeper connection than you could imagine. You could relate to their loneliness and the things they go through so closely but you know very well that you have never been there or you would never be in the future. Reading his books is like living through his dreams. For example, 'Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit.'
Friend: Okay. But you sound like that weird guy now.
(10 minutes later)
Me: Hey, have you ever attracted to someone's ears and that improved your sex drive thousand fold? Isn't it awesome though?
Friend: Ewww, what?
Me: oh, so you haven't? Neither me.
(1 hour later)
Me: Yaay! I finished the book finally. I loved it. You should read it too.
Friend: Oh, What the book was actually about?
Me: It's hard to explain.
Friend: What's so hard? You said you loved it?!
Me: uh-uh. I loved it. It's his easiest work but I still can't explain it.
Friend: For God sake! What happened to you? Do you want me to come over?
Me: Nah, I am fine. I am going to read 'After dark' next.
Friend: By the same guy?
Me: Yup. It will be lot better. I have read it before.
Friend: Anyways, you have read it already. so let's go out?
(left on seen)
(5 hours later)
Me: At this moment, I feel everything is the imagination of the protagonist right from his girlfriend to this exploring some weird sheep. Like, How could anyone find one sheep that has a star mark on its back when there could be thousands of sheep there? Do you think it's possible?
Friend: Umm, I don't get what this book is about. You mean is it literally about chasing a wild sheep?
Me: Kind of. but it has some deeper connections and it's not just about finding the sheep.
Friend: So what's the use of searching that sheep then?
Me: You don't get it, do you? His books are like that. The protagonists could be searching for something trivial but it will be surreal and realistic at the same time with much more deeper connection than you could imagine. You could relate to their loneliness and the things they go through so closely but you know very well that you have never been there or you would never be in the future. Reading his books is like living through his dreams. For example, 'Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit.'
Friend: Okay. But you sound like that weird guy now.
(10 minutes later)
Me: Hey, have you ever attracted to someone's ears and that improved your sex drive thousand fold? Isn't it awesome though?
Friend: Ewww, what?
Me: oh, so you haven't? Neither me.
(1 hour later)
Me: Yaay! I finished the book finally. I loved it. You should read it too.
Friend: Oh, What the book was actually about?
Me: It's hard to explain.
Friend: What's so hard? You said you loved it?!
Me: uh-uh. I loved it. It's his easiest work but I still can't explain it.
Friend: For God sake! What happened to you? Do you want me to come over?
Me: Nah, I am fine. I am going to read 'After dark' next.
Friend: By the same guy?
Me: Yup. It will be lot better. I have read it before.
Friend: Anyways, you have read it already. so let's go out?
(left on seen)
I can't believe this is only the debut book of the author but true to his words, he really has had a compelling story to tell which made his writing amazing thousandfold. This book is not about who is right or wrong although it started with that atmosphere, it ended up just gray. This story is about a place called Pathri Aali in Kashmir and how a heaven in Earth fell under the wrath of Mujahideens who call themselves Muslims and justify their actions in the name of God and turned the heaven into hell. I was little hesitant before picking it up when I read the blurb because what if it ends up like the usual love story or what if he ends up representing the Muslims in a wrong way. But it was more than what I anticipated. The underlying plot had more significance than the love story itself but nevertheless I loved how both stories blended together in a more appropriate way. I especially loved the representation of Kashmir muslims so much. It couldn't have been better. This was that kind of book where I started with no idea of it but ended up loving so much. I guess this book should be read as an awareness about what is happening inside Kashmir which media fails to show us even though this book takes place between 1980's and 90's. At first, having too much characters to the story felt like a flaw to me and got me confused but in the end I understood why there were so many characters and why were they important. I highly recommend it. please do read it.
I had no idea and expectations on what this book was about when I bought it. I have never seen anyone talk about it, at least, not anywhere on bookstagram. But I wanted to give it a try since it is Murakami's book. And I am glad that I did. I was blown away totally. It is underrated tbh.
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So this story has two sides. One is about a girl named Mari sitting in a restaurant at night and reading a big book. There a guy appears and strikes up a conversation with her. And the story starts there. (This is written in 3rd person)
And on the other side, it is Mari's sister named Eri is sleeping on her bed and some weird things start happening there. (This is written in second person)
I don't want to tell anything more. The less it is said is better.
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Not every author can pull of second person narrative but this one was awesome. It was more vivid and weird. He has combined contemporary with magical realism. This book didn't have all the Murakami elements we usually tick off but it did felt like a Murakami in a different way. And to me, it felt like a short version of 1Q84 and Norwegian wood mixed up together. It kind of synced with them. I am not sure if others would feel that way though. But this was really good. And this is the only Murakami book so far that I would recommend to underaged people. It didn't have any explicit adult contents like his other books usually have. And no surprise, it is one of my favourites now.
Trigger warning: 1. Physical abuse. 2. If you are that kind of person who really go mad about loose ends, you better don't pick this up. He has finished it with an open ending with endless possibilities. But I understand why, this whole thing has happened in one night so which can take different level in the next day and anything can happen after that. So I loved how it ended. It made me think a lot.
.
So this story has two sides. One is about a girl named Mari sitting in a restaurant at night and reading a big book. There a guy appears and strikes up a conversation with her. And the story starts there. (This is written in 3rd person)
And on the other side, it is Mari's sister named Eri is sleeping on her bed and some weird things start happening there. (This is written in second person)
I don't want to tell anything more. The less it is said is better.
.
Not every author can pull of second person narrative but this one was awesome. It was more vivid and weird. He has combined contemporary with magical realism. This book didn't have all the Murakami elements we usually tick off but it did felt like a Murakami in a different way. And to me, it felt like a short version of 1Q84 and Norwegian wood mixed up together. It kind of synced with them. I am not sure if others would feel that way though. But this was really good. And this is the only Murakami book so far that I would recommend to underaged people. It didn't have any explicit adult contents like his other books usually have. And no surprise, it is one of my favourites now.
Trigger warning: 1. Physical abuse. 2. If you are that kind of person who really go mad about loose ends, you better don't pick this up. He has finished it with an open ending with endless possibilities. But I understand why, this whole thing has happened in one night so which can take different level in the next day and anything can happen after that. So I loved how it ended. It made me think a lot.