false 1 51 42 true 5701918 read 1 true 4295895 currently-reading 8 true 4295894 to-read 7 false 5062334 no-copy http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74800420 Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Paperback) by Anne Frank
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70936843 to: The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, The Accident (Paperback) by Elie Wiesel
“The Night Trilogy” is a three separate novel of Elie Wiesel’s narrative on his experience at the concentration camp and struggle within himself and his faith. Although, the first novel “Night” was a factual testimony of Wiesel’s experience at the hands of the Nazis, the other two stories were fictional, an outcome of his experience told in “Night”. Of all three stories, my favorite would be “Dawn” because there are many essential aspects discussed in this short novel such as what’s really at stake in war, why do people go into terrorist acts and to see war in a man’s perspective (like what was going through the mind of a man who’s about to kill a hostage). All three novels were equally compelling, but I found the “Night” was poorly translated in this edition. Some words and phrases were repeated. It was different from the other two novels, or maybe because the other two novels were fictional.

“Night” is not just an account of Wiesel’s experiences but also his struggle to believe that there’s God amidst the cruelty he experienced. The book would either compel you to believe in the existence of God or would lead you to think there’s no God. After reading this, it justified my belief that there is none.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61736913 to: Of Human Bondage (Signet Classic) by W. Somerset Maugham
This book is perfect! I tried to prolong my reading because I know this kind of book is rare. I read it slowly to grasp every insight the book offers. I find myself realizing that I'm not alone. There’s someone who has the same thoughts and who’s longing to find meaning in this life.

It’s partly autobiographical and according to the author, the emotions were real. I liked the “clubfooted” protagonist, but there were times I find his character annoying. Philip made wrong decisions, but it made him real. I empathized with Philip’s passion and love for Mildred. I was also once a fool! What a bitch! I read those parts feeling uneasy. It reminded me of something, and so reading it was like OUCH!

Oh I remember that funny part when Philip said when he imagines himself doing something. He would always imagine himself having normal feet :P lol

I recommend this book to everyone especially those trying to find meaning in life. “Of Human Bondage” would make you want to live, go to places, observe the sunrise and sunset, and to read more! The book really has everything. It dealt with every kind of human emotions and relations. I think the book gave the best answer to the meaning of life. I’m looking forward on reading another Somerset Maugham novel. And I’ll definitely read this novel again.

To the philistines, you won't appreciate this. Maugham is an anti-philistine :P ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67466986 to: The Great Gatsby (Paperback) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Well this book is awesome! I was expecting the plot would be something deep and hard to grasp, but it was remotely different from what I've expected. It was short and direct to the point. Everything essential to the story was told, no lengthy gibberish talk about how beautiful the Gatsby's mansion was etc lol. Nothing of that old sort of classic literature, this was indeed modern. The Great Gatsby was engrossing, short and genius! For a classic novel written as short and simple as this, it's worth-reading :)

Gatsby did everything for a girl who wasn't even worth it ( in my opinion ) I think he was in love with the idea of Daisy, but not to Daisy herself. Some of us live in pursuing happiness that we thought (Gatsby thought) that we once had, not realising that we drifted from it long ago and we can never put them back together. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67584439 to: Siddhartha (Mass Market Paperback) by Hermann Hesse
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67467026 to: The Prince (A Mentor book) by Niccolò Machiavelli
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67466952 We Were the Mulvaneys (Paperback) by Joyce Carol Oates
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56581901 to: Rebecca (Mass Market Paperback) by Daphne du Maurier
I had a lot of expectations for this book. This was compared to the book which I thoroughly enjoyed, "Jane Eyre". But this didn't come close to that book. I was disappointed. I was waiting for that moment that would amaze me, but nothing happened. It wasn't suspenseful nor romantic as it was described in the back cover of the book.

Don't get me wrong. This book is good. It's just that it fell short from what I expected. It's enthralling and I felt intrigued about Rebecca. But Daphne du Maurier made her seemed evil, very evil at the end that it seemed she deserved to die. Where lies justice? Fiction, exquisitely absurd fiction! And then the book end abruptly which I reckon Daphne got tired and couldn't think of anything more to write. The best part of the book is the unexpected twist. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56587057 to: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Paperback) by Edward Albee
This play is provocative and eccentric. I admire the ingenuity of Albee. But it didn't leave me a good feeling after finishing it. I felt dismayed and bewildered. I dislike all the characters. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56581685 to: Surfacing (Mass Market Paperback) by Margaret Atwood
To summarize this book in three words: it's gloomy, dull, and abstruse. I'm not certain whether I liked it or not. It took me months to finish it, because I don't see anything interesting on it other than, it is well-written and the protagonist who doesn't have a name depicts how a human mind's work; her emotions, recollections and thoughts are loose, contradicting and varying.

The story was told in a first-person narrative, so it welcomes the reader to the thoughts of the protagonist. However, she is confused, aimless and uncertain whether her recollections ever happened or just made up by her imaginations, which made this book a difficult read. She's apathetic towards life and insensitive to the people around her. It puzzled me until the very last pages, and when I finished reading it, all I can say was: that's it? Its like trying to grasp something out of a dark landscape.
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