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May 20, 2008
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Mike
is currently reading:
Shortcomings (Hardcover)
by
Adrian Tomine
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currently-reading
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Mike
added:
365 Days: A Diary by Julie Doucet (Hardcover)
by
Julie Doucet
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my rating:
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read in May, 2008
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Mike
marked as to-read:
Guards! Guards! (Discworld, Book 8)
by
Terry Pratchett
bookshelves:
to-read
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May 19, 2008
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Mike
marked as to-read:
No Country for Old Men (Paperback)
by
Cormac McCarthy
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to-read
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May 18, 2008
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Mike
marked as to-read:
A Case of Exploding Mangoes (Hardcover)
by
Mohammed Hanif
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to-read
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May 04, 2008
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Mike
marked as to-read:
Incognegro (Hardcover)
by
Mat Johnson
bookshelves:
to-read
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May 03, 2008
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Mike
gave  to:
The Bell Jar (Paperback)
by
Sylvia Plath
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my rating:
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read in May, 2008
Mike said:
"The danger of reading Sylvia Plath is to have the tragic circumstances which formatted her death precede her work. However, when considering The Bell Jar it is extremely difficult to separate the two, especially considering the semi-autobiographical...more
The danger of reading Sylvia Plath is to have the tragic circumstances which formatted her death precede her work. However, when considering The Bell Jar it is extremely difficult to separate the two, especially considering the semi-autobiographical nature of the novel. Echoing her own experience through that of her protagonist Esther Greenwood, The Bell Jar is the life of a young, talented English major who attempts to cope with a society which expects her sensitive, gifted self to set herself into preordained roles, causing her to break down as her identity becomes suppressed. The novel chronicles Esther's slow descent into a profound depressive state, marked by a growing sardonic dislike of the world and repeated suicide attempts.
Atop the novel's feminist values is the most palpable account of depression I have ever read. Plath's poetic prowess is charged to spectacular levels, and the attributes she endows people, objects and situations with are touching, cutting, impressionistic, and soul-splitting, but beautiful without reproach. The world of a person in such as state has never been more disturbing, clear, or human.
It is within this ensemble which lies truly the gift of The Bell Jar: a novel of rich, living language which conveys with stunning imagery the darkest slants our spirits can bend to.(less)
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Mike
gave  to:
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel (Paperback)
by
Dai Sijie
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my rating:
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read in April, 2008
Mike said:
"Taking place at the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, two privileged fresh-out-of-high-school youths are sent into a rural, mountainside village for “re-education,” in which they are expected to lose their bourgeois ways by learning life...more
Taking place at the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, two privileged fresh-out-of-high-school youths are sent into a rural, mountainside village for “re-education,” in which they are expected to lose their bourgeois ways by learning life in a harsh, impoverished community. Through the discovery of a forbidden stash of classic Western novels and the romantic liaison developed with a beautiful seamstress girl, their story becomes a fable of the unwavering strength of the human spirit in the face of complete darkness. Placed in an environment which is supposed to “break” them, the novels nourish their souls and give them faith in the beauty, wonder, and simplicity of life.
Being a semi-autobiographical novel, we are presented with the opportunity to peek into a China which was wrestling against itself, defying the reality of a changing social landscape and evolving global trends. Shards of modernity puncture the musty, oppressive veil, with the conclusion of the novel setting the ultimate message that society will change through the will of individuals, no matter how oppressed they may be.
It’s a very textured and impressionistic book which is easily gobbled up.(less)
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April 12, 2008
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Mike
marked as to-read:
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
by
Philip Pullman
bookshelves:
to-read
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Mike
marked as to-read:
The Color Of Magic (Discworld, Book 1)
by
Terry Pratchett
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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