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Classic

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Monday, 26 March 2018

BB Book Club | April's Book is...

As soon as I was told the prompt for the BB Book Club, I knew what I would be picking. It is one of my favourite shorter books and one that I am constantly trying to get people to read. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to carry on that cheerleading...

This book will be a little different from the other ones that we have read for the BB Book Club so far but I don't think that will be a bad thing. A little variety is always good, right? And I think this is a book that will inspire some discussion, which is one of my favourite things about sharing books that I have enjoyed. You might not think the same about me but it's a very rich book so I think you'll have something to say about it.

The book in question?

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

Technically a novella rather than a short story, this is a dark Gothic tale about love, obsession and the supernatural. When Laura and her father take a young woman named Carmilla into their home, their idyllic peace is disturbed. Despite the strange occurrences, the friendship between Laura and Carmilla grows, beyond what anyone thought. It is menacing and mesmerising in equal measure.

I first stumbled upon this book when I was studying Gothic literature and I've been a little bit in love with it ever since. For such a small book, it packs a lot in. As you can see from all the sticky tabs, it is a book that I have spent a lot of time reading, working with and thinking about it. It will haunt you long after you finish the final page...

Being a classic, Carmilla is widely available on both Amazon UK and iBooks. I also managed to pick up a lovely edition of it in a bookstore. If you do read it, use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub to let us know your thoughts and complete this Google Form by 20th April.

We hope that you're excited to read our April selection but don't worry if it doesn't sound like your thing - check back next month to find out more about our next book club pick!

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Monday, 7 September 2015

Thug Notes | Sparky Sweets, PhD | Review

Summary:

Thug Notes is a collection of summaries of classic literature, written in the common vernacular. It covers books like Pride and Prejudice, Fahrenheit 451, and A Raisin in the Sun. The summaries include not just summaries of the stories, but also summaries of the characters, themes and symbolism covered in each one.

Review:

I first heard about this book because I am subscribed to the YouTube channel, Wisecrack Studios, which hosts a regular segment called Thug Notes, hosted by Sparky Sweets, PhD.* I found the show to be very entertaining in some of its silliness, but it was also very informative. One of the biggest comments on the channel is "I wish I'd had this in high school!" Of course, that's video. Presenting the same Thug style in written form is a bit more challenging.

That said, Sparky Sweets and Wisecrack went about this in a great way. The spelling and grammar reflect the vernacular of the show. It can be a little tough to get into if you've never seen the show before, but without it, it wouldn't be Thug Notes. I can only explain it so much to someone unfamiliar with the show, so I'm going to provide an example instead:

"Learnin' 'bout literature is mo' than jus' memorizin' names, dates, faces, and book summaries-it can broaden our minds and open our hearts by remindin' us not to judge a book by its cover-and ain't nothin' mo' important." - Introduction

So, if you are struggling to understand some of the classics, or even if you greatly enjoy them, Thug Notes is a good read. It has sections that translate classic English to contemporary English. It has definitions of vital words and concepts. It makes learning about literature fun and easy.

Word of warning, there is a LOT of cussing. It is not bleeped. It is not crossed out. So if you're squeamish about such things, it may not be the book for you.

*The entire channel is a lot of fun, but the Thug Notes playlist can be found here.

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Monday, 15 June 2015

The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe | Peter Clines | Review

*Image courtesy of Amazon.com

Summary:

Most of us are familiar with the story of Robinson Crusoe, stranded on a deserted island for nearly three decades with only his wit and perseverance to help him survive it's many perils. In this book, Peter Clines takes the original story and combines it with elements of Lovecraft to create a supernatural version of the classic tale.

Review:

I'm almost always a fan of the retelling of classic stories with an unusual twist. Be it Pride, Prejudice and Zombies or Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (90's cartoon). I greatly appreciate when an author is able to breathe new life into a classic story.

To be honest, I only ever read the Great Illustrated Classics version of Robinson Crusoe. As a result, I may have missed some details of the original book that would have made it a lot less boring. To me it was a survival story without a lot of survival but with a lot of luck. That's what I was looking forward to this retelling. Crusoe as a werewolf gives his survival more credibility. It's easier for me to believe that a werewolf could survive almost 30 years on this island as opposed to a regular mortal man.

The inclusion of some Lovecraft elements, predominantly Cthulu, also gave the story a bit more flavor and even some legitimately scary scenes. It also helped to explain why the natives on nearby islands found this particular island to be sacred ground for their church, rather than another island to live on. Clines' inclusion of supernatural elements actually does help the overall story to make more sense than the version of the original that I had read.

Of course, for me, there were still some boring parts. This retelling still stays fairly true to the original, so it's not surprising that there were times when Crusoe's story seemed mundane. But, if you enjoy a classic with a twist, or supernatural elements as commonplace, I definitely recommend The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe. I happily give 4 out of 5.

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Monday, 2 June 2014

Penguin Clothbound Classics Collection | Reviewed by Laura

I thought I would do a slightly different post today, to show you my small but growing clothbound collection. I recently moved and have finally managed to get these books out of their packing boxes, but I now also have room to display them nicely in my lively them in order to show them off in their full glory.

I received my first clothbound book a few years ago and ever since, every birthday or Christmas my collection steadily grows. I was first drawn to them when I spotted them in Waterstones, instantly falling in love with the detailed and beautifully illustrated covers of some of my favourite books.

I have to say I have only re-read Pride and Prejudice in the clothbound version, they just look too pretty and I'm scared of damaging them! But as a collector of books in general anyway I have to say I do enjoy walking into my living room and seeing this gorgeous collection. The prices of these vary quite substantially from when they are first released at £16.99 to them going down to around £11 when they have been out for a few months.

Has anyone else let this collection catch their eye? Do you have any other collections of books you collect?

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image are my own

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Monday, 3 March 2014

On The Road | Jack Kerouac | Review

Described as ‘the novel that defined the Beat generation’, On The Road chronicles the story through the eyes of Sal Paradise as he meanders through 1950s America. The novel is split into various parts, each following Sal as he travels across America with some of his closest friends, including the feckless flight-risk, Dean Moriarty.

Based on Kerouac’s own life with his friends (and founders fathers of the Beat Generation) On The Road is a story of love, friendship and ultimately freedom of the open road. Though its centered on Sal and his comrades, the real protagonist of the tale is the America itself in all it’s tragic beauty.

So what’s my verdict?

I really, really, really wanted to like this. On The Road is probably one of the most hyped up books in American literature – and definitely one of the most quoted – and I think it’s this hype that really made the book disappointing to me.

The novel started off well, Sal as a character (even though he’s based on Kerouac) felt like Nick from The Great Gatsby in his storytelling, his descriptions of the places he visits in vivid, as are the emotions he feels throughout the journey. But as the book progressed I found myself getting more and more irritated by how pretentious and insincere some of the characters were, particularly Dean Moriarty, who seems to fling himself from coast to coast, marriage to marriage, with little consequence.

Maybe that’s how I’m supposed to feel about them, but in the end I felt little sympathy when these characters did break down – I hate to say to say it but sometimes they really deserved what they got.

The whole novel in itself felt like a road trip. But as with any journey, yes, there are the incredible life-affirming moments where nothing else matters but the beauty of the open road. But there are also moments when you're sat in the back of car watching the miles clock up on the dashboard waiting for the next exciting thing to happen.

On The Road isn't a bad book, but the balance of eye-opening narrative to the tedious listing of events was just off for me. It’s a shame, because when Kerouac does get the writing right, it’s wonderful and his use of language can be breathtaking.

This may not be one for everyone, but I think I'd be willing to give this another go, perhaps at a slower pace to really enjoy the language of the novel rather than the plot and its characters.

Reading Soundtrack:

Fire & Rain: James Taylor; Blue Jeans: Lana Del Rey; Keep The Car Running: Arcade Fire; Sad, Beautiful, Tragic: Taylor Swift; Here Comes The Sun: The Beatles; Towers: Bon Iver; Come Away With Me: Norah Jones; Sweet Disposition: The Temper Trap;

For lovers of

Allen Ginsberg, Into The Wild (2007) & Paper Towns by John Green.

*Photo (c) Ria Cagampang

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Thursday, 9 January 2014

Dickens at Christmas | Charles Dickens | Review

I saw this beautiful collection of Dickens Christmas stories in Waterstones in mid-November, and was desperate to buy it. It’s beautiful, right? It features Dickens Christmas stories – A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Battle of Life, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Haunted Man, but also stories that Dickens wrote for the special seasonal editions of his periodicals All the Year Round and Household Words and a festive tale from The Pickwick Papers. And although it’s not Christmas anymore, Dickens is a timeless author that really doesn’t need to be confined to one time of year.

I haven’t really read much Dickens. I’ve read Oliver Twist, but it was a few years ago. Does this make me a bad Brit? Oops. But this collection was so beautiful, and I’ve wanted to read more classic literature that I literally couldn’t let this pass me by.

The first story featured is from The Pickwick Papers and honestly I found it quite hard to get through. However, straight after that it went straight into A Christmas Carol, which I really enjoyed. This was probably in part because I knew the story, but it allowed me to immerse myself in Dickens writing style and from there I was able to enjoy the other stories. My favourite of the stories was probably The Haunted Man. It’s much more of a grisly tale than the much loved A Christmas Carol. However, it’s a truly moving tale and I absolutely loved it.

I am so glad I bought this collection of stories. It looks beautiful on my bookshelf and I’m sure I’m going to bring it out every winter to read it through.

This post was written by regular reviewer Kath, get to know her here.

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Monday, 23 December 2013

Little Women | Louisa M. Alcott | Review

*book cover via GoodReads

"Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without presents..."

Little Women follows the the four March sisters, in the middle of 19th Century New England, whilst their father is away at war.

There's the book's protagonist, second-oldest sister, Jo. She's a tomboy-ish, opinionated with a fire-ry personality but ultimately loves her family more than anything. The eldest March sister, Meg, is gentle, responsible and acts as the surrogate mother to her younger siblings. Beth is the third sister, the quiet centre of the story and similar in nature to Meg. Then there is the youngest sister, Amy, the artist, a little materialistic but a girl who appreciates the beauty in life.

The story follows their journey as they struggle with growing up in their society, love and loss, before ultimately learning and growing together.

So what's my verdict?

I read Little Women as a child and came across my old copy recently, I skimmed through a couple of pages and had started reading full on chapters without realising it!

Despite it's historical setting, Little Women still remains one of my favourite books of all time and the journey that the March sisters go through during the novel are easily translatable for the 21st Century. The March sisters themselves are so wonderfully complex, with each girl carrying her own positive and negatives traits, and it's great to read such fabulously strong female characters. What I love about the four of them is that they bring out the best and worst in each other, they fight and are definitely not perfect but what holds them together is their love for each other.

A must read and a classic that will keep hold of your heart for years to come!

Reading Soundtrack

Firewood: Regina Spektor; Sky: Joshua Radin; 1901: Birdy; Look After You: The Fray; Heartbeats: Ellie Goulding cover; Astonishing: Little Women Original Broadway Soundtrack; To Whom It May Concern: The Civil Wars

For lovers of

the works of Austen and the Bronte sisters, as well as Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden!

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Monday, 15 April 2013

Brave New World | Aldous Huxley | Review

“...reality, however utopian, is something from which people feel the need of taking pretty frequent holidays....”

Set in a far, distant future Brave New World catapults you into the newly created, ideal society within it first chapter. Science, technology and genetics have been perfected to the point where babies are literally churned out and raised in labs. Foetus’ are biologically conditioned from the moment of fertilisation to fit into the new social hierarchy. Infants are then psychologically conditioned to serve their purpose in the world – whether that be as a higher ranking Alpha-Plus or lower ranked Epsilon-Minus.

The result is a social order supposedly free of suffering, pain or fear of death itself, its inhabitants are free from the burden of becoming parents (the word ‘mother’ even seen as a disgusting term), consumption is encouraged, as is promiscuity, inviduality frowned upon, and if you’re feeling low? Take a holiday with some Soma pills; your mind will float into a blissful trance.

The book introduces two main characters: Bernard Marx, the introverted intellectual, who feels nothing but distaste for this way of living; Lenina Crowne, a girl very much brought up on the values of this Industrialist society.

The two agree to visit a ‘Savage Reservation’ in New Mexico, a place cut off from the ‘civilised society’. There they meet a young man named John, a ‘savage’ born and raised in the reservation by a woman who ran away from Bernard and Lenina’s world, and they decide to bring him back to London for the world to see.