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Alice (117 KP) rated The Enchanted in Books

Mar 3, 2021  
The Enchanted
The Enchanted
Rene Denfeld | 2014 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>4.5 stars</b> (I may change this in the future but for now let's leave it at this)

My rating for this book is slightly confused because I went through a vast majority of the book feeling. "hey this book is really good I'm so glad it was recommended to me" but <i>only</i> feeling that. It didn't get me excited but it was still very, very good. However, the last couple of pages had such a huge impact and it really made the whole story come alive which meant I gave it the extra 0.5 for the pure sense of awe I felt after finishing.

When you read the title "The Enchanted" you expect it to be about fairies or some other sort of magical creature, the last thing that you expect is a book about a prisoner on death row but let me just say that this book is a gem. The language (especially as a debut novel) is exquisite. The use of metaphors and flowery almost pretty language juxtaposed perfectly to describe the scenes which should be gruesome and dark emphasising with the magic-realism style of the novel. Having the entire story told from the inmate's point of view made for an interesting read too because he was narrating the others' thoughts, so the only parts we know to be true are the things that he himself thought. As I mentioned above, the whole story is development, even as I was nearing the end no part truly felt like the climax.

All in all, I highly recommend this book even if you only read it for how beautiful the language is ( that's pretty much what inspired me to read it), it deals with harsh subject matters in a really raw way and makes you think and you will likely leave with more questions than with which you entered.
  
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Terry Gilliam recommended Pinocchio (1940) in Movies (curated)

 
Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio (1940)
1940 | Animation, Classics, Family

"""Let’s go to Pinocchio, Disney’s Pinocchio. That was a truly, utterly magical movie. The world was so beautifully detailed and so fantastical, and yet believable at every point. I love that movie. It’s really stuck with me, because it was at a level of craftsmanship that was so unbelievably high, and it’s maintained that position in my head for all the years. Great songs, great everything. Great characters. I don’t know what else one can say about it. It’s just a great story. I think the first film I saw was probably Snow White. That’s the advantage of being old. You get these films when you’re at the right age. But those two in particular really, really stuck with me because I just hadn’t seen anything so beautifully crafted. The great thing, it made me a big fan. It took me years to discover that Cliff Edwards was the voice of Jiminy Cricket. I always loved “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and he was singing that. Now I’m a great fan of Cliff Edwards. His music is brilliant, but most people have forgotten him. I just think he was known as a singer, and he played the ukulele. He just ended up with a wonderful voice. I think his voice was also used in one of the other Disney films, which I can’t remember. But it was his singing that is just right. I think that’s Pinocchio. I saw Pinocchio maybe 20 years ago again, and what amazed me about it is how, as a child, I remembered this vast universe, huge world. In fact, it’s tiny. You go from Geppetto’s workshop and the little village to the bad boys’ island just like that. Bing. It’s so tight the way that they do it. The next thing, you’re in Monstro’s belly. It’s a great one to watch just to see how succinct you can be and still create a universe. It’s a lesson I’ve never learned, the succinct part."""

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ClareR (5667 KP) rated Gun Island in Books

May 21, 2021  
Gun Island
Gun Island
Amitav Ghosh | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gun Island is a beautifully written story about a rare book dealer Deen Datta, and how his trip to a small island in the Sunderbans sets in motion a series of events that affect him deeply, opening his eyes to the world around him - a world far beyond his own experience. His journey takes in history, folklore, magic, climate change and ecological disasters. We see how climate change has an effect not just on animals, but also on people - causing the refugee crisis and the consequent reaction of Europe - especially those countries who feel they’re most at risk of being overwhelmed by the flood of refugees.

Deen Datta certainly gets around on his journey. From New York where he lives, to the Sunderbans in India, then onto a California on fire and a more flooded than usual Venice. This could have been a book that preached about the perils of climate change, but it didn’t. It did lay the stark reality out for the reader, but this was just as much a part of the story as the relationships Deen has with the people he meets, and his friends. There is a real feeling that Deen doesn’t have a firm identity: he’s detached from his Bengali roots, and he doesn’t fit in to New York either. But I think he does feel a sense of belonging by the end of the book, with the help of his friends. Cinta, a Venetian, is an old friend, and someone who always seems to push him into doing what’s good for him. Then there are his Indian friends, Piya and Tipu who help him to learn new things about himself and the world he lives in.

I loved this book. It ticked a lot of boxes on my favourite themes list: the environment, India, history, folklore, the search for identity. It’s such a thought provoking, magical novel.
  
Twice Magic (The Wizards of Once #2)
Twice Magic (The Wizards of Once #2)
Cressida Cowell | 2018 | Children, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, Xar and Wish meet once again after running away from the places they been kept in. Their goal is to kill the witches, and after Wish finds a magical potion, they set out on another adventure to find the missing ingredients. The story is once again told by “Unknown Narrator”, and I still have no idea who that is. &#x1f600; The characters remain more or less the same, but there are some new characters introduced to this story, who play quite vital parts.

I have very mixed feelings about the narrative of this book. I did like the adventure part, but rest of the things seemed very stretched out and it had too much detail going on. The author created quite interesting surprises in the plot, incorporating some romance into the story. This part can easily be read without reading the first book, as the author explained most of the things, which might seem a little confusing to a new reader.

The writing style remains as in the first book, it feels raw, just like the way you would be telling the story, and explaining bits and pieces along the way. Which feels unique, but at the same time, makes the chapters longer and more detailed. The illustrations once again are absolutely stunning, and I enjoyed the texture, which they give to every chapter and overall reading experience. I liked that the setting of this novel keeps changing as the characters travel, it gave a more adventurous feeling to me. The ending was quite dragged for my liking and I think that there are way more books to come in this series, so, if you are a fan of these characters, it is good news to you. &#x1f642;

To conclude, it is a fun read with same characters, (who can be quite a negative influence sometimes to a young reader) but new, romantic and adventurous findings, and if you liked the first part, you might enjoy this one as well.
  
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