saint_eleanor's Reviews (295)

fast-paced

Read this to compare w the Seamus Heaney translation and decided i like them both alot! But i like this one better i think, its more poetic even though the use of modern slang at times is slightly jarring. But i think there’s more description and i like the focus on grendel’s mother. Can’t wait to read the Mere Wife! 
fast-paced

Ok i read this one to compare w the Maria Dahvana Headley version and i have decided i like them both a lot! Hers is contemporary and more poetic and this one is more old classic myth vibes w less description and i think i like hers a little more. Such a sad story. 

Girl when is yaya gonna figure it out!!!!
adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I loved this book so much 
It raises a lot of questions about “myth” and storytelling and like what gives validity to a story and makes the reader challenge their own ideas about that. 
Its very short, very beautiful visually, you love the characters, not a happy ending so watch out for that if thats not ur thing. Definitely a page turner i probably only spent a couple days on this. Heavy on police brutality and colorism fyi

Heres a  line from ch.15 that i liked a lot:
If a man flies in Jamaica, and only the poor will admit to seeing it, has he still flown?
dark mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

So ouchie
Like natural born killers if they were both decrepid hill people w horrible horrible kinks 
Great read 👍

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional inspiring mysterious relaxing slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was really really sweet and enjoyable
I wanted to like it more than i did but i was kind of Tee’d up for a magical realism story and this really wasn’t that. Therefore i kept holding onto details that weren’t really relevant
for instance i was really excited about the talking kangaroo and when his skin started coming off his forehead?? And the sleep paralysis demon. None of which are part of the story at all.

It seemed very possibly autobiographical despite being a ‘novel’, about a young gay muslim man in diaspora from Lebanon living in Australia. Coming of age story fs.
It’s pretty sad but also not like devastating or anything just about the intricacies of family and religion and culture which of course are always hard. The ending is sweet and hopeful and you kind of just follow him as he grows up. 
The author’s writing style is also lovely. 
P.s. Omar Sakr is doing cool poetry/writing and stuff rn in support of Palestine and Lebanon so thats sick 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

Mary Shelley. El Sueño Eterno

Alessandro Di Virgilio, Manuela Santoni

DID NOT FINISH: 56%

Returned
challenging informative slow-paced

Ok goddamn i finally finished this 
Heres what you need to know: 
  • Dense as hell, 
  • extremely interesting, 
  • the enlightenment was maybe triggered by a Native Wendat Chief named Kondiaronk? 
  • Women were hunters too 
  • Agriculture is not the catch-all for the beginning of civilization and inequality
  • Technological advanced heightened the general load of work people do, didnt lighten it
  • How different cultures treat violence & torture can be indicative of philosophy

If you can get through this i highly recommend it!!
emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

🤍 luv chobits 🤍