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The Rosie Project: No. 1: Don Tillman
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The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is a story about love, life and lobster every...
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books
Mar 15, 2018
The Marsh Kings Daughter was huge before and around the time of its release. People were raving about the novel for a long time and they still are, so I was really excited to read it. While I did love it, I think all the hype made me expect something different to what I got, hence a 4 star rating, not a 5.
What I loved about this book was that it didnt hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didnt write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.
The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. Its so dark and disturbing but you cant stop reading becasue the way in which its written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionnes writing takes you away, whether its into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.
One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, its far more about Helenas life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didnt have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.
This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If youre not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.
Will I read Karen Dionnes work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one Id imagined in my head.
What I loved about this book was that it didnt hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didnt write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.
The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. Its so dark and disturbing but you cant stop reading becasue the way in which its written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionnes writing takes you away, whether its into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.
One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, its far more about Helenas life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didnt have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.
This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If youre not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.
Will I read Karen Dionnes work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one Id imagined in my head.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Wildwing in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Wildwing by Emily Whitman
Genre: YA, romance, time travel, historical fiction
ISBN: 9780061724527
Published: September 21st 2010 by Greenwillow Books
Rating: 5
Addy isn't satisfied in her world, with her life, with the mean girls from school always telling her that she's worthless. She wants to be free, be respected, not have to work for her food every night. She knows she's better than what she's been given… and she's determined to find it. So when she stumbles into a time machine that brings her back to the time of castles and lords and falconers, and she is mistaken for a rich lady betrothed to marry the king, she believes she has found exactly what she wants to do.
But she didn't count on falling in love with a falconer, a nobody. If only she hadn't gone along with the lie, she'd be herself, a nobody too, and Will could be hers.
Addy must decide what she wants, and what is more important, and then fight to get home. But in the process she might lose the people she loves.
Wildwing drew me in from the first line and held me captive until the last words. A poor sweet lovable main character who isn't being treated fairly, she makes every girl understand her pain. Her insecurities are ours. She is one of the more relatable female protagonists I've read this year.
One thing I really liked about the story was Addy and Will's relationship. It wasn't based on pure physical attraction—although I'm adding Will to my list of literary crushes—they spent time together, they learned, they talked, they argued. It wasn't a shallow empty relationship, which is why it hurt so much in the end, and why the resolution was so sweet.
The plot started off so simple, and got more complex with every page. Addy's little schemes and ideas didn't always go through, and she had to improvise. It kept my heart pounding and my mind curious. The writing was very good, though nothing extraordinary. The characters were quickly developed, some became my friends and some were despicable.
This was more than a love story with a time machine; it was a beautiful enchanting story about a young girl who finds out for herself what is important, how to sacrifice, and how to truly fight for what she loves.
All in all I adored this story and recommend it to anyone ages 12+. No sex or language.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews. Do not copy without permission.
Original review here: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-wildwing.html
Genre: YA, romance, time travel, historical fiction
ISBN: 9780061724527
Published: September 21st 2010 by Greenwillow Books
Rating: 5
Addy isn't satisfied in her world, with her life, with the mean girls from school always telling her that she's worthless. She wants to be free, be respected, not have to work for her food every night. She knows she's better than what she's been given… and she's determined to find it. So when she stumbles into a time machine that brings her back to the time of castles and lords and falconers, and she is mistaken for a rich lady betrothed to marry the king, she believes she has found exactly what she wants to do.
But she didn't count on falling in love with a falconer, a nobody. If only she hadn't gone along with the lie, she'd be herself, a nobody too, and Will could be hers.
Addy must decide what she wants, and what is more important, and then fight to get home. But in the process she might lose the people she loves.
Wildwing drew me in from the first line and held me captive until the last words. A poor sweet lovable main character who isn't being treated fairly, she makes every girl understand her pain. Her insecurities are ours. She is one of the more relatable female protagonists I've read this year.
One thing I really liked about the story was Addy and Will's relationship. It wasn't based on pure physical attraction—although I'm adding Will to my list of literary crushes—they spent time together, they learned, they talked, they argued. It wasn't a shallow empty relationship, which is why it hurt so much in the end, and why the resolution was so sweet.
The plot started off so simple, and got more complex with every page. Addy's little schemes and ideas didn't always go through, and she had to improvise. It kept my heart pounding and my mind curious. The writing was very good, though nothing extraordinary. The characters were quickly developed, some became my friends and some were despicable.
This was more than a love story with a time machine; it was a beautiful enchanting story about a young girl who finds out for herself what is important, how to sacrifice, and how to truly fight for what she loves.
All in all I adored this story and recommend it to anyone ages 12+. No sex or language.
This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Night Owl Reviews. Do not copy without permission.
Original review here: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-wildwing.html
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Dancing on Broken Glass in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I think this is the best book I've read in a really long time.
Let's start with a critical analysis and break down the text: First, the writing was really good. Like, Dianne Dixon good, or JK Rowling good. It was filled with flowing and descriptive prose and beautiful metaphors. I could probably write a ten-page paper on some of the literary themes in this novel. It wasn't just fiction for the sake of the story: There was so much beauty about the meaning of life and love and commitment and… well, I'll let you read it.
The pacing was excellent. The very first sentence caught me by the hair and dragged me the whole way through the book. I read most of it in one setting, stopping only to readjust the pillow behind my back.
Now for the really important stuff:
The characters in Dancing on Broken Glass were so epic that I truly didn't want this book to end. They were so wonderful, but so terribly and humanly flawed, just like real people are, that I feel like if I saw Mickey or Lily on the street, I'd recognize them right away.
And boy did I relate to some of these characters!
The ending was just superb. It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was destined from the moment I started reading. It was so perfect and fulfilling that it was worth all the emotional turmoil the rest of the novel put me through.
On that note, it wasn't one of those books that are so hard to read that you can only take it in small doses or that it makes you cry, or extremely emotional readers can't handle it. Nor did it have any offensive language or sex scenes (okay there was some mention of sex, but it wasn't explicit in any way). In fact, it was one of the least offensive novels I've read in a very long time. We're talking years.
The romance was better than anything I've read in any teen novel. The relationships were true and realistic to the core. The flawed characters were just as real to me as I am to myself. The message of hope and grief and dedication and sacrifice will stay with me forever. I hope I never forget this story.
Dancing on Broken Glass was an absolutely beautiful novel. Ka Hancock is going on my Author Watch, and this novel is staying on my "re-read" bookshelf. I recommend it to absolutely anyone willing to hear a really good story.
Let's start with a critical analysis and break down the text: First, the writing was really good. Like, Dianne Dixon good, or JK Rowling good. It was filled with flowing and descriptive prose and beautiful metaphors. I could probably write a ten-page paper on some of the literary themes in this novel. It wasn't just fiction for the sake of the story: There was so much beauty about the meaning of life and love and commitment and… well, I'll let you read it.
The pacing was excellent. The very first sentence caught me by the hair and dragged me the whole way through the book. I read most of it in one setting, stopping only to readjust the pillow behind my back.
Now for the really important stuff:
The characters in Dancing on Broken Glass were so epic that I truly didn't want this book to end. They were so wonderful, but so terribly and humanly flawed, just like real people are, that I feel like if I saw Mickey or Lily on the street, I'd recognize them right away.
And boy did I relate to some of these characters!
The ending was just superb. It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was destined from the moment I started reading. It was so perfect and fulfilling that it was worth all the emotional turmoil the rest of the novel put me through.
On that note, it wasn't one of those books that are so hard to read that you can only take it in small doses or that it makes you cry, or extremely emotional readers can't handle it. Nor did it have any offensive language or sex scenes (okay there was some mention of sex, but it wasn't explicit in any way). In fact, it was one of the least offensive novels I've read in a very long time. We're talking years.
The romance was better than anything I've read in any teen novel. The relationships were true and realistic to the core. The flawed characters were just as real to me as I am to myself. The message of hope and grief and dedication and sacrifice will stay with me forever. I hope I never forget this story.
Dancing on Broken Glass was an absolutely beautiful novel. Ka Hancock is going on my Author Watch, and this novel is staying on my "re-read" bookshelf. I recommend it to absolutely anyone willing to hear a really good story.
Second Look: Hitchcock: The Birds; Edwards: The Party; Scott: Blade Runner; Ruzowitzky: Anatomy; Scott: Gladiator
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Text in English & German. Like literary texts, films often tell stories on multiple levels. Ridley...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Bring Me Home in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
To tell the truth, despite knowing that Alan Titchmarsh is a celebrity gardener and TV presenter, I was unaware that he was also a novelist; so I honestly had no idea what to expect. <i>Bring Me Home</i>, Titchmarsh’s latest piece of fiction, is located in the Scottish Highlands and tells the life story of Charlie Stuart who lives in Castle Sodhail.
The opening chapter is set in the year 2000 at the end of a summer party hosted by Charlie in the castle grounds. We find out that Charlie needs to tell his children about something he has done and he is worried about their reactions. I immediately assumed this would be something along the lines of financial difficulties: someone who owns a castle must be in need of a vast amount of money. This assumption, however, was way off the mark.
The subsequent chapters tell of Charlie’s past, beginning in 1960, when he was ten years old, and progressing chronologically until 2000 where we, once again, meet with the familiar opening scene. Throughout these sections we read of Egglestone Academy in Inverness, which he attended with his friend, Gordon Mackenzie; we learn of his mother’s death and how he copes with his new, typically not very nice, stepmother. He marries a childhood friend, Eleanor – this happened a bit too suddenly in my view – and this is where things begin to transpire; events which could be what Charlie wants to speak to his children about.
To be frank, I sometimes found the narrative a little boring, particularly throughout the first half in which, I felt, nothing particularly significant occurred. The latter half was better with more events taking place, which made me wonder how things would be resolved. There was one part of the storyline which, although keeps Gordon in the book as an important character, felt rather pointless particularly as it had nothing to do with the final few chapters.
One thing I did like about this book was that Titchmarsh and included relevant quotes from various sources at the beginning of each chapter. These always related in some way to what that particular chapter was about. As I have not read any other books by the author, I do not know if this was a one off idea or whether he always does this, but it reminded me of the character Gordon Mackenzie who has a literary quote for every occasion.
Overall I did not think much of this novel but it was not terrible. The writing style was easy to read and understand but I personally thought the storyline needed to be stronger.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Will Shaksper's Secret in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
As there is nothing to prove otherwise I have to label Will Shaksper’s Secret by John Hole as a work of fiction through the way it is written would almost suggest otherwise. Without a works-cited or a bibliography or anything saying it is even loosely based in fact I can not give this book any other category.
In 1584 John Heminges is dismissed from his job largely due to sleeping with his boss’s wife. During his interactions with her, she robs him, leaving him penniless and alone. It is because of this that he ends up on the outside of a playhouse and saves Henry Condell thus connecting him to the theater. Within the preforming group he meats Christopher Marlowe and Will Shaksper.
As it happens Christopher Marlowe gets into quite a bit of trouble for preaching atheism in a time when the church is struggling to begin with. This results in the threat of execution hanging over him. To protect him from this fate, other performers create a plan to make it appear that Christopher Marlowe is dead, allowing him to disappear. After he has been gone for some time Will Shaksper stars producing some wonder plays of amazing quality but they always come following a visit from a messenger.
The concept of Will Shakespear not actually being the famous playwright that everyone knows him to be is interesting. Also, the circumstances that allowed to trade of writing from Christopher Marlowe to Will Shaksper was strange in a way that makes one question if things could actually have worked out that way. Sadly to say thought the title and description on the back promise an interesting read yet the book fails to deliver. The book itself ended up being very dry and the “blustering, boiserous journey” ended up dragging and slow.
Adults who enjoy Shakspere both in language and historically would be the type of person ideally interested in this book. They dry style and language used best suits this book for those who are true fand of literary classics. Others may attempt to read it but might find the language a bit difficult. I rate this book 1 out of 4. The back of this book promises a much more interesting story than what it actually is. Besides being dry the plot is largely lost among the language. I understand what was being attempted and give the author credit for it, but I believe it largely missed the mark.
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In 1584 John Heminges is dismissed from his job largely due to sleeping with his boss’s wife. During his interactions with her, she robs him, leaving him penniless and alone. It is because of this that he ends up on the outside of a playhouse and saves Henry Condell thus connecting him to the theater. Within the preforming group he meats Christopher Marlowe and Will Shaksper.
As it happens Christopher Marlowe gets into quite a bit of trouble for preaching atheism in a time when the church is struggling to begin with. This results in the threat of execution hanging over him. To protect him from this fate, other performers create a plan to make it appear that Christopher Marlowe is dead, allowing him to disappear. After he has been gone for some time Will Shaksper stars producing some wonder plays of amazing quality but they always come following a visit from a messenger.
The concept of Will Shakespear not actually being the famous playwright that everyone knows him to be is interesting. Also, the circumstances that allowed to trade of writing from Christopher Marlowe to Will Shaksper was strange in a way that makes one question if things could actually have worked out that way. Sadly to say thought the title and description on the back promise an interesting read yet the book fails to deliver. The book itself ended up being very dry and the “blustering, boiserous journey” ended up dragging and slow.
Adults who enjoy Shakspere both in language and historically would be the type of person ideally interested in this book. They dry style and language used best suits this book for those who are true fand of literary classics. Others may attempt to read it but might find the language a bit difficult. I rate this book 1 out of 4. The back of this book promises a much more interesting story than what it actually is. Besides being dry the plot is largely lost among the language. I understand what was being attempted and give the author credit for it, but I believe it largely missed the mark.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Perfect on Paper in Books
Mar 11, 2021
A cute teen love story
Darcy Phillips is excellent at doling out relationship advice. So good, in fact, that she secretly runs locker 89 at her high school where her fellow classmates drop off letters asking for help and Darcy answers them (for a $10 fee). But her secret identity is challenged when Alexander Brougham catches her at the locker after school. So Darcy reluctantly agrees to help him get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Winona. At a hourly cost, because Alexander is loaded and Darcy's a rare scholarship student. And after all, if everyone finds out she runs locker 89, not only will her secret be out, her best friend/crush, Brooke, will realize she's done some questionable meddling in Brooke's life via the locker. All she needs to do is help a rich, entitled guy win his former girlfriend back? How hard can it be?
"Why was it so much harder to answer my own relationship questions than everyone else's?"
This is a really cute and fun read. It totally stressed me out in places. I'm not good with lying, and here we have Darcy not only fibbing about "being" locker 89, but then she's using the locker to meddle with her friends' relationships? Ahh! Cue my blood pressure going up.
But I couldn't help but feel fondly for this girl who so meticulously researched her letters, who so desperately wanted to help others, but was afraid to take risks in her own world. She's starry-eyed in love with Brooke, but too scared to say anything. Who hasn't been there?
Gonzales gives us a huge handful of diverse representation--such an excellent set of queer characters. Darcy is part of the Queer and Questioning Club at her school. There's an episode at the club covering bi-phobia that made me cheer out loud and honestly is worth the read alone. I love the trend of all these YA books with such strong, positive queer messages. I could have used this as a teen, for sure. Now if we could normalize bisexuality in literary and contemporary fiction!
There's some melodrama in this one and Darcy's self-centeredness and angst got to me, at times--perhaps this book could have been just a bit shorter. But, it was probably a fair representation of the turmoil teens experience.
Overall, this is an easy read covering both serious and fun (romance! Disneyland!) topics. It offers an excellent cast, lots of cute moments, and some strong insight into bisexuality and other LGBTQIA issues facing teens today.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
"Why was it so much harder to answer my own relationship questions than everyone else's?"
This is a really cute and fun read. It totally stressed me out in places. I'm not good with lying, and here we have Darcy not only fibbing about "being" locker 89, but then she's using the locker to meddle with her friends' relationships? Ahh! Cue my blood pressure going up.
But I couldn't help but feel fondly for this girl who so meticulously researched her letters, who so desperately wanted to help others, but was afraid to take risks in her own world. She's starry-eyed in love with Brooke, but too scared to say anything. Who hasn't been there?
Gonzales gives us a huge handful of diverse representation--such an excellent set of queer characters. Darcy is part of the Queer and Questioning Club at her school. There's an episode at the club covering bi-phobia that made me cheer out loud and honestly is worth the read alone. I love the trend of all these YA books with such strong, positive queer messages. I could have used this as a teen, for sure. Now if we could normalize bisexuality in literary and contemporary fiction!
There's some melodrama in this one and Darcy's self-centeredness and angst got to me, at times--perhaps this book could have been just a bit shorter. But, it was probably a fair representation of the turmoil teens experience.
Overall, this is an easy read covering both serious and fun (romance! Disneyland!) topics. It offers an excellent cast, lots of cute moments, and some strong insight into bisexuality and other LGBTQIA issues facing teens today.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Gather the Daughters in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The first thing which attracted me to this book, was the cover; I think it’s absolutely stunning and incredibly mysterious. The second reason why I picked it up, was the blurb; cult on an island, I was absolutely intrigued with this, and it absolutely drawn me in once I started it.
This book absolutely hooked me with its diverse and complex characters. This novel is told by children, sharing different perspectives of the events happening in the book, and beautifully opening up their personalities and feelings. I loved how Melamed is giving insight into different lives, first of children, and then how it feels, once you are forced into adulthood. There is a great variety of characters to choose from, and everyone will be able to find their favourite. My favourite one was Janey, I absolutely loved her strength and her wish to do something, to change the lives of young girls. All the characters are carrying so much pain and sadness that it literary breaks your heart while reading the book. That’s why, if you are sensitive towards child abuse and incest, you might want to skip this one.
The plot of this book was incredibly well thought through and very amusing. Melamed’s experience with traumatised children was shining through in this novel. The whole narrative travels through seasons, starting in spring and finishing in spring again. Every season brought in different stories and different feelings. I really enjoyed the creative twists and turns in this novel, which made it more enticing and didn’t leave me bored. The topics discussed in this book are endless; every girl shared the issue they were facing, that’s why this book is really fascinating and intriguing. Even though this is a work of fiction, there are some of the described things still happening in this world. For example, child marriage and abusing children as soon as they hit puberty, is still a common practice in South Asia and Middle East, and is absolutely horrifying.
The writing style of this novel is gorgeous and I absolutely loved it. The chapters are decent length and didn’t make me bored while reading. The ending of the book rounded up everything really nicely, leaving me satisfied, but questioning at the same time. I think it is absolutely stunning debut of Melamed and I will be looking forward to read more of her books. So, to conclude, this is a very dark and sorrowful novel filled with complex family relations and children, who want to be children as long as they can. I do strongly recommend this book and I hope people find it as fascinating, as I did.
Was given this book by publisher for honest review.
This book absolutely hooked me with its diverse and complex characters. This novel is told by children, sharing different perspectives of the events happening in the book, and beautifully opening up their personalities and feelings. I loved how Melamed is giving insight into different lives, first of children, and then how it feels, once you are forced into adulthood. There is a great variety of characters to choose from, and everyone will be able to find their favourite. My favourite one was Janey, I absolutely loved her strength and her wish to do something, to change the lives of young girls. All the characters are carrying so much pain and sadness that it literary breaks your heart while reading the book. That’s why, if you are sensitive towards child abuse and incest, you might want to skip this one.
The plot of this book was incredibly well thought through and very amusing. Melamed’s experience with traumatised children was shining through in this novel. The whole narrative travels through seasons, starting in spring and finishing in spring again. Every season brought in different stories and different feelings. I really enjoyed the creative twists and turns in this novel, which made it more enticing and didn’t leave me bored. The topics discussed in this book are endless; every girl shared the issue they were facing, that’s why this book is really fascinating and intriguing. Even though this is a work of fiction, there are some of the described things still happening in this world. For example, child marriage and abusing children as soon as they hit puberty, is still a common practice in South Asia and Middle East, and is absolutely horrifying.
The writing style of this novel is gorgeous and I absolutely loved it. The chapters are decent length and didn’t make me bored while reading. The ending of the book rounded up everything really nicely, leaving me satisfied, but questioning at the same time. I think it is absolutely stunning debut of Melamed and I will be looking forward to read more of her books. So, to conclude, this is a very dark and sorrowful novel filled with complex family relations and children, who want to be children as long as they can. I do strongly recommend this book and I hope people find it as fascinating, as I did.
Was given this book by publisher for honest review.
Becs (244 KP) rated A Raisin in the Sun in Books
Oct 2, 2019
They honestly need more books like this. When my husband found out that I was getting A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, he grew excited and he never does that unless it’s a science-related book. That was when I knew I was going to like this beautiful novel. When I started to read it, I rushed through it. Not in a “I just want to finish this book” way, more like “I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK AND I DON’T EVER WANT IT TO END” way. That says something, right?
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Genre: Literary Classic, Play, Drama, Fiction
Synopsis: First produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and hailed as a watershed in American drama. Not only a pioneering work by an African-American playwright – Lorraine Hansberry’s play was also a radically new representation of black life, resolutely authentic, fiercely unsentimental, and unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred. In her portrait of an embattled Chicago family, Hansberry anticapted issues that range from generational clashes to the civil rights and women’s movements. She also posed the essential questions – about identity, justice, and moral responsibility – at the heart of those great struggles. The result is an American classic.
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School +
Interests: Plays, dramas, literary classics, racial segregation, women’s movement, 50s era.
Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Difficulty Reading: Not at all, I rushed through it because I loved it so much! As in some of Shakespeares plays, you don’t get stuck on the general language of the era it was written, as it’s written close to a book you would get from this era.
Promise: “Award-winning drama of the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America–and changed American theater forever.” – It did. 🙂
Insights: I love reading plays as it’s a way to step out of a comfort zone of reading Young Adult novels. It gives me a chance to dip into my theater/acting side and use what I’ve learned from theatre classes. A Raisin in the Sun is a well-written American classic that honestly should be read in every school from middle school and up. The lessens that are taught throughout the play are subtle yet obvious which creates a background that we can use in our every day life.
Ah-Ha Moment: The moment that Beneatha came into the picture and was a total feminist. Man, she’s my favorite character besides Mama (Lena Younger) and her little plant.
Favorite Quotes: “Beneatha: Love him? There is nothing left to love. Mama: There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. (Looking at her) Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ’cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning – because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ’cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”
“Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t acept. It’s not important. I am not going out and commit crimes or be immoral because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. It’s just that I get so tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no God! There is only Man, and it’s he who makes miracles!”
What will you gain: A haunting yet revealing play that will be as fresh of a read today, as it was in the 50’s.
Aesthetics: The entire play. The cover. The characters. The underlying meaning beneath it all. The era it was written and is based off of. Just everything about this little book.
“I want to fly! I want to touch the sun!”
“Finish your eggs first.”
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Genre: Literary Classic, Play, Drama, Fiction
Synopsis: First produced in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and hailed as a watershed in American drama. Not only a pioneering work by an African-American playwright – Lorraine Hansberry’s play was also a radically new representation of black life, resolutely authentic, fiercely unsentimental, and unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred. In her portrait of an embattled Chicago family, Hansberry anticapted issues that range from generational clashes to the civil rights and women’s movements. She also posed the essential questions – about identity, justice, and moral responsibility – at the heart of those great struggles. The result is an American classic.
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School +
Interests: Plays, dramas, literary classics, racial segregation, women’s movement, 50s era.
Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Difficulty Reading: Not at all, I rushed through it because I loved it so much! As in some of Shakespeares plays, you don’t get stuck on the general language of the era it was written, as it’s written close to a book you would get from this era.
Promise: “Award-winning drama of the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America–and changed American theater forever.” – It did. 🙂
Insights: I love reading plays as it’s a way to step out of a comfort zone of reading Young Adult novels. It gives me a chance to dip into my theater/acting side and use what I’ve learned from theatre classes. A Raisin in the Sun is a well-written American classic that honestly should be read in every school from middle school and up. The lessens that are taught throughout the play are subtle yet obvious which creates a background that we can use in our every day life.
Ah-Ha Moment: The moment that Beneatha came into the picture and was a total feminist. Man, she’s my favorite character besides Mama (Lena Younger) and her little plant.
Favorite Quotes: “Beneatha: Love him? There is nothing left to love. Mama: There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. (Looking at her) Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ’cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning – because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ’cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”
“Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t acept. It’s not important. I am not going out and commit crimes or be immoral because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. It’s just that I get so tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no God! There is only Man, and it’s he who makes miracles!”
What will you gain: A haunting yet revealing play that will be as fresh of a read today, as it was in the 50’s.
Aesthetics: The entire play. The cover. The characters. The underlying meaning beneath it all. The era it was written and is based off of. Just everything about this little book.
“I want to fly! I want to touch the sun!”
“Finish your eggs first.”