harry_lemon's Reviews (159)

4.75⭐
I originally wanted came to this to learn about Tim Gunn (as I find him extremely fascinating and lovely), but ended up learning a lot more about how important teaching and role-modeling is in life. 

I loved reading little anecdotes from Gunn's life and his experinces. What I especially adored was hearing his struggles with redefining the Parson's Fashion Program; truly inspiring and amazing to see how he persisted for what was right. 

Although I loved pretty much the entirety of the work, I have to knock it a little bit, just because it's not very "2024". There are a few remarks that can border on being non-PC. 

However, that aside I still think this is an amazing work to read. I think that anyone can get something from this and learn new ways of viewing the world, oneself, and how we each move and interact with each other. 

5⭐

This was such a treat! So many funny moments that are purely Trixie and Katya. What's more: there was actually some good bits of advice. A great, quick read and a source of laughter.

5 ⭐
"Prejudice is art's greatest enemy. If you walk into a gallery thinking you already now what a Picasso looks like, you will never really see a Picasso. How you look circumscribes what you see."

Probably one of the most honest memoirs I've had the pleasure of reading. Fierstein gives honest and telling moments from their life, looking without staring, and allowing us to learn along with the narrator.

I didn't know a ton about Harvey Fierstein and his life, but I not think this was for the best; because, now I have all the more respect for him, his craft, and the life he has lived thus far. I laughed, cried, and contemplated my own life through the eyes of Mr. Fierstein and walk away having a deeper appreciation for this life I have to live. Absolutely wonderful!

4.5⭐

Wow! This book is intense and not for the faint of heart. 
Plath's writing is so powerful in depicting depression, pain, womanhood, and just the scariness of being a person. It's a very quick read. This book made me feel things and think on important topics not only in my life, but life in general. 

I can't count how many of the narrator's internal dialogue resonated with me. The writing was extremely well done and I felt for Esther Greenwood deeply. Again, this book is not for the faint of heart; suicidal thoughts and ideation are a HEAVY theme in this book, so read with caution. 

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is lost in their life or is going through a hard time. It helps to read books that share similar thoughts and feelings and seeing your own thoughts put to paper. It also helps to know that you are not alone in what you are feeling, that there are others who have felt what you feel and resonate with your experience. 

4⭐

This was an interesting one! What would the world look like if we were all exactly the same, if we were predetermined to fill a certain role, that we had no agency and that mass-consumption was the norm? Where would we be without the ability to live?

Huxley's book is very well-written, a style I've yet to see, which I'll admit, it took me a minute to get into. 
The beginning was a slow start, as I'm not really into Big Science talk. A little too much of that for my taste! BUT! Once the story gets into the main plot, I was extremely intrigued and was eager to see how this "experiment" ended! There are some pretty good twists and a great overarching message throughout the book. 

Overall, I'd say this book was very successful in depicting a "dystopian" future (that sadly looks a little too close to home 👀). I think this book has a lot of great ideas and is worth reading to examine how we view the world around us and what the future may hold. 

I'll say this, the story isn't bad, per se. 

I appreciate the work for what it was at its time. However, for this work of "poetry", the rhyme scheme and pacing are far too difficult to keep up with throughout the whole book. It might be easier to just read it like any other book. The writing, otherwise is pretty nice. 

Character-wise, it doesn't seem like there is any development. Maybe that's because this is part of a three-part story, but the protagonist just doesn't move anywhere. I think that's my problem with the ending too, it doesn't end on a decent note; I'm just kind of left hanging a bit. 

A big pro for this version though is the extensive footnotes and synopsis at the beginning of each canto. If you get confused by the references or writing (which, odds are you will) these come in clutch to help you out!

 3.5 ⭐

Overall, I like that this version has been made available to fans of Wilde. If you wanted to read this story for the first time, I'd say read this version, just because it is more authentic to what the author originally intended to be published.

It's nice to read this work in it's original form. I still like Wilde's style of writing, but I forgot how dark this book is compared to that of his lighter works like "The Importance of Being Earnest." This version is "more" homosexual in its content, but don't expect much since it was still penned in the late 19th century. The General and Textual Introductions at the beginning are good for context, but if you don't want to read them, they are not necessary to reading the story. 

"The Time Machine": 2.5 ⭐
"The Invisible Man": 3.5 ⭐

"Time Machine" was ok. I wasn't crazy about the "plot" of the book or where it went as far as story goes. It did keep me guessing, which is good and some of the ideas and themes are interesting and imaginative in typical Wellsian fashion. But, would I recommend this work? Probably not, unless you want a quick <100 page sci-fi read.

"The Invisible Man", while I felt there was stronger story, didn't really pick up until the last 1/3 of the book. I felt there was a lot of needless moments throughout the entirety of the story and you never get that much information until you've had to schlog through the majority of the book. My biggest qualm though is I was unsure how to feel about the titular Invisible Man; do I pity him? Envy him? Maybe that's part of the point. 

Overall, I'd say I'll break even on 3 stars for the book. It's ok, but not a "Must-Read."

I loved reading this collection of essays and learning new and interesting things about myself through the eyes of Manuel Betancourt. 

He is a phenomenal writer and offers powerful insight and asks the reader what it means to be a "man", who is queer, and what it all means in the end. 

I hope he writes something else soon for me to enjoy!