The Purloined Letter

Hello all my fellow readers! I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and have had plenty of free time for reading and discovering new stories. Despite my busy life, I have made it a priority to read and write every single day, even if it is only for a little while. And it is something I recommend to all of you because it truly is wonderful stress relief. 

My entry today will be a bit different since it is not on an actual book. However, it is on the list and therefore demanded to be read. There are actually several short stories on the list and I feel they are just as important as the books. So I hope you give them a chance as well.

Anyway, my most recently read list item is actually a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Purloined Letter. Now, anyone who has met me knows I am a huge Poe enthusiast which is why I am sad to say that this particular story let me down. The story itself was fairly intriguing and, quite frankly, reminded me of something from a Sherlock Holmes saga. But, the story lacked Poe’s usual dark and twisted side, leaving the story lackluster and dull. I feel I went into the story expecting one thing and read something completely different. However, I will admit that I have a potential bias against this story because of my love for Poe. Perhaps if this story had been written by someone else, I would have enjoyed it more. But, again, that is just my personal opinion; I would love to know if you agree.

The one thing I did like about the story was the fact that it takes place in one setting. For this reason, I feel that it does deserve to be included on the list. Although the scenery of the story did not change, a plot was able to unravel. I have always believed that stories written in this manner deserve recognition because it takes true talent to accomplish. Furthermore, despite the lack of a dark side, Poe does offer some insight into the human mind through beautiful metaphors and analogies. And this aspect of all Poe’s stories is what makes me love him so much as an author.

So, to all my readers out there, I would recommend reading this story and let me know what you think. I hope that my somewhat negative review of it has not put you off too much. This story definitely deserves a chance and I will completely agree it deserves to be on the list even if it was not my favorite. 

Until next week, I hope you all keep reading! And I would love to hear what you think of the list so far...I know it has been an interesting and wonderful journey for me so far.

Aesop's Fables

So, this will be a very short entry and there is a reason for that.  If you are anything like me, once you start a book, you have to finish.  Well, for the next book on my list I chose Aesop’s Fables…and I do not recommend reading it.  

I am sure you all remember reading some of them as children, ones like “The Tortoise and the Hare”.  But, honestly, that is about as exciting at they get.  Aesop’s Fables was a 250 page book of story after story that all had similar morals. 

The only positive thing I can really say about this book is that, for children, it is actually quite useful. Children learn through repetition and this book definitely uses that angle by repeating the same lesson through a variety of stories. However, it was a very hard book to get through as an adult.

I really wish I could say more positive things about it but I lack words.  Until next time…keep reading!

Atonement

Hello readers! I apologize for once again posting this much later than I should. While I have been reading, my life got quite crazy for awhile and writing has sadly fallen by the wayside. However, it shall never happen again. Mainly because I quit my job to pursue my writing career. Crazy, I know! But if I don’t try, I’ll never know. Anyway, I bring to you yet another book review from my list and I must say, this one set the standards high!

So…I know I am not very far on this literary journey but any book I read now is going to have to be absolutely incredible to beat Atonement by Ian McEwan.  What a fantastic read!  Unlike other books that are told from several points of view, this particular one converges to one viewpoint which added so much more to the story itself.  Telling the story of a couple in Word War II, McEwan runs the gambit of human emotion and the importance of perspective.  And honestly, even reducing this book to a simple love story does it a great disfavor.  This book is about so much more and trying to explain it would be nearly impossible.  Atonement really delves into the differences of age, gender, class, and perspective. It starts with the misconception of a teenager, Briony, whose penchant for drama and fantasy lead to a man being falsely accused of rape. This simple misunderstanding ends up shaping the entire life of each character in the book. While the story does switch viewpoints, the majority is told from the perspective of Briony and demonstrates to the reader how she sees the world. And the story ends in one viewpoint: hers. This wonderful story jumps back and forth between the lines of fact and fiction, playing with reality versus conception versus make-believe. It also demonstrates how one event can have multiple interpretations depending on who is the one witnessing it. 

Furthermore, anyone who considers themselves a writer will love not only the fashion this book is written in as well as how writing is portrayed. The style in which this book is written made me fall not only in love with the story itself but with Ian McEwan as a writer. I look forward to reading many more of his books.

I really wish I could give you more about the plot of the story itself but I feel that it would ruin the experience of the book. While I strive to give accurate views and opinions of the books I read for this blog, this is one occasion where I cannot bring myself to release any spoilers. For me, this book was a new experience in every sense of the word and I could never live with myself if I ruined that experience for any future readers.  All I will say is that this is a book I highly recommend you read as soon as possible. Without a doubt it deserves to be on the list and any other recommended reading list out there.  And don’t rent the movie; it doesn’t do the book justice. But if you’re reading this, I have a feeling you would never even dream of it. 

Until next time my lovely readers...happy travels!