Disgrace

Hello fellow readers! I finished and now have time to write about another book on my list I have recently read. The book was Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee. Now, I had heard a lot about this author and many of his books are on my list as ones you should read before you die. Therefore, I was quite excited to read this one. 

After finishing it, I won’t say I was disappointed by it because the writing style was utterly phenomenal; Coetzee has a real talent that is evident in this book alone. However, the story line was not incredibly exciting overall. Really, it was a pretty depressing book. The book follows the tale of a professor fired for an affair with one of his students. Once he has lost his job, he travels to visit his daughter in a little village and discovers how hard life is for females in her village. His journey to his daughter’s farm is meant to be one of redemption but all he truly finds is more depression and sorrow, leaving him feeling more hopeless than before.

If you are looking for a book that is quite serious and deals with serious issues, then this is the book for you since it addresses mostly race and gender relations in South Africa. And, while it is not normally something I would choose to read, it was very informative and I learned a lot about a culture I hadn’t really considered before. And this is something I love when I read; I always want to be learning new things. However, if that doesn’t exactly sound like your cup of tea, it is not a book I would recommend. It is especially not what I would suggest picking up if you are looking for a nice, light read. 

However, that being said, I would suggest reading other works of Coetzee because his writing really is incredible. And, I will admit, I am a sucker for incredible writing. I feel I can overlook many faults in a book if the writing is wonderful and grabs my attention. For many writers, while the plots are amazing, they lack the style of writing that draws me in completely. Not that I don’t love their books but writing and writing style are things that always stand out to me in a novel. And J. M. Coetzee is one of the best I have found so far. I look forward to reading his other books on my list for that reason alone. 

As for next time, I will be talking about the second volume of the Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have always been a Sherlock Holmes fan but haven’t had much chance to truly delve into the original stories. Really, I know about the famous ones everyone has heard of. But there is so much more to them. So far, I am absolutely loving it and I look forward to telling you all about it. Until next time, keep reading!

Cat's Cradle

Hello my wonderful readers,

I hope this post finds you well and in the middle of a great book.  Anyway, the book I want to talk about this time is Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Honestly, I don’t really know where to begin with this one. While I have had very little experience with Vonnegut, I must say I am not incredibly overwhelmed by him. This book was one of those books that leaves you scratching your head by the end and not necessarily in a good way. Mostly, I found myself confused and wondering what the point of the book was.

Cat’s Cradle centers around a writer who is working on a book about a man who played a large role in the building of the atomic bomb. However, his writing takes him on some odd adventures where he encounters an invented religion, meets a midget, falls in love with a foreign woman, and survives natural disaster. I honestly wish I could give a better summary but that is about all I got out of it. However, in the long run, I feel the plot of the book is less important than the message Vonnegut is trying to convey.

The theme of the book seems to be religion and its value in society. However, it was almost impossible to tell what Vonnegut actually believed on this topic. The book seems to waver between talking about how it doesn’t matter if religion is true if it gives people hope…and talking about how religion is just a hoax that doesn’t make a difference. Perhaps that is what makes Vonnegut a great writer, that you can’t understand what his meaning is so you have to come up with your own. I guess that is one theory anyway.

However, despite all this, I will say that I would be willing to read the book again. Not necessarily because I particularly enjoyed it but because I am willing to give it a second chance. Considering the nature of the book, I am willing to admit it may be a book that takes several reads to truly understand it. Also, this book might be confusing on purpose and meant to imitate life. If that is the case, then the story is perfect for that message. But I can’t really give a definite answer about this theory because I am not the writer. And, as a reader, I didn’t really grasp that meaning from the book. 

Sorry, I feel this post is as convoluted as the book itself. But perhaps that is a good thing.

Overall, I found this book to be confusing and I’m not sure I would say it belongs on the list. However, maybe I am wrong and the true meaning will come to me some starless night at 3am when I can’t sleep. Who knows? Well, until next time, enjoy your literary wanderings! And check out my blog on my own version of 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die. You can find it at classicsnotincluded.blogspot.com. 

Happy reading!

The Bell Jar

Happy Spring my fellow bibliophiles! Even as I write this, it is raining lightly outside, a cool breeze is blowing in the window, and I am sipping on a cup of tea; it is perfect. Anyway, I recently got to delve into another treasure from my list, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I know I have said this about several books before, but this one honestly changed my life. I must say, this is one of those books that came at just the right time of my life. 

This book tells the tale of a young girl trying to discover what she wants in life; the only problem is that she wants everything, all at the same time. She wants to live in the country and the city, wants to be single and married, wants to travel, wants to stay home. And this intense desire for the world drives her slowly into madness. It eventually leads her to a suicide attempt and a hard recovery afterwards.

The pure genius of this book is that Plath portrays this descent into insanity in such a way that the reader does not really feel her insanity is truly insane. Rather, it makes sense, as if there was no other option for the character but madness. It makes her lunacy seem rational. The reason why I loved this book so much is that I could relate to the character in many ways. Now, before you start judging me, let me explain. No, I am not insane (or maybe I am and just don’t know it), but I could relate to her desire for everything all at the same time. It is the story of my life every single day. Most people long for security and routine; this is not me. I get bored with routine, with jobs, even with where I live. Recently, I have discovered that I will never be the person suited for an office job. I want to travel, to own my own business, to write, to do everything and experience all that I can before I die. Reading this book made me realize that I am not alone in this desire. Sylvia Plath addresses an issue I feel many people face in their life, especially in their twenties. There is so much confusion and pressure to figure out exactly where life is going and what they want to do for the rest of their life. But this book discusses the fact that many people actually have no idea what they want. And that’s okay.

With all that is going on in my life right now, this book touched me deeply. I no longer feel alone in my daily struggle to figure out where I am headed. There are many others out there that feel the same way that I do. If you are one of those people or if you just want a glimpse into how people like that think, read The Bell Jar. I promise you will thank me later. Until next time, happy reading!