The I Ching
Book
The I Ching , also known as Classic of Changes or Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination...
The Places in Between
Book
The Places In Between, Rory Stewart's moving account of his walk across Afghanistan in January 2002...
The Fifth Child
Book
A classic tale from Doris Lessing, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, of a family torn apart...
Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories
Book
The only annotated edition of M. R. James's writings currently available, Count Magnus and Other...
Complete Prose
Book
Although Woody Allen is best known for his cult movies, he is also a writer of outstanding wit and...
Pleasures of the Table: A Literary Anthology
Book
This beautifully illustrated collection of food writing includes delectable scenes of cooking and...
AmyBee (4 KP) rated The Bell Jar in Books
Sep 5, 2018
The Bell Jar is narrated in a similar vein to and is quite reminiscent of Virginia Woolf's novel 'Mrs Dalloway', although it has a decidedly more risqué tone as the narrator talks in great detail about subjects which would not have been deemed acceptable in the 1920's (such as losing her virginity!).
What particularly gripped me about this novel is that Esther's mental illness seems to sneak up on her and this is reflected in the novel, as it almost seems to take the reader by surprise that this seemingly normal young woman is falling deeper and deeper into her illness.
Mental health stigma is also clearly represented in the novel, as it almost seem is at points that Esther's illness is treated as a joke, and definitely not taken seriously by most. It's also interesting to read about the archaic means of treatment for mental health sufferers eg Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) AKA Electroshock therapy, and it's aftermath.
All in all, a very thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended for lovers of classic literature surrounding mental health issues.
K'oben: 3,000 Years of the Maya Hearth
Book
K'Oben traces the Maya kitchen and its associated hardware, ingredients, and cooking styles from the...
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Paper Towns in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Quentin is a senior in high school. Graduation is right around the corner and then he's off to Duke. When his next door neighbor, Margo knocks on his bedroom window late one night, he's reminded of a time when they were younger and used to truly be friends. Margo is extremely upset about the current status of her relationship with her boyfriend and is looking for someone to help her pull of the ultimate revenge. When Margo goes "missing" the next day, Quentin will stop at nothing to use her breadcrumbs and find her.
I decided to read this book for two reasons. Reason 1: It was coming on HBO and of course I had to read the book before I could watch the movie. Reason 2: I loved The Fault in Our Stars and when I enjoy a book by a particular author, I like to read everything they have written. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie.
This whole book is based around a group of high school seniors who are out searching for their quirky friend, Margo. I liked the book because it was a quick easy read. It kept my attention throughout and I had to know how it was going to end. The book brought me back to my high school years(especially with my 20 year reunion coming up) with the references to poetry and prose I read during that time. During my 11th grade year we read a lot of poetry and classic literature. Interpreting poetry either as the author intended or by your own life experiences. Also this book made me thing about how far I would go to help someone else. Quentin and Margo are neighbors, but as time has gone on and their lives have changed, they aren't close friends, more like acquaintances. So when she disappears for yet another time, why does he feel it's his duty to be the one to find her?
This is a good YA book that may make some more interested in the poetry and classic literature featured in this and other John Green books.