Sotto Voce's Blog, page 11

Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

 

To me, this book is interesting, it is easy to follow as we dive into the head of the main character.

From the start, there is something odd about it. The way everyone has initials as their last names, the terms used, and the flashbacks.

The story is predictable, there are no spectacular revelations or twists. You can follow around the narration, make your guesses, and peel the story like layers of an onion. It explains everything as if the narrator is speaking with you and try to make you unders...

REVIEW: The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)

 

I finally got to read this classic and finished it in two hours. What a ride.

It seems like there is not much to the story about an old man who gets and loses a fish, but there is a lot to unpack, and to me, they are sad and depressing but hopeful at the same time.

Reading this, it brings me back to my memory of the sea (Damn you, Covid!). I have spent a fair amount of time, not as a fisherman, thankfully. 

Like the old man, I also love flying fish on the sides of the boats, that would be the high...

REVIEW: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

I really don't know how to rate this book. It is written under very specific circumstances, and the author didn't even know that one day, it would be out there as a witness of such a dark history.

Can you imagine living in Anne Frank's world? Unfortunately, there are people who experience it, even in this modern time. Robbed from your right to exist and constantly living in fear, hiding like hunted preys with the very little thing you have.

When the world went into quarantine in 2020, people were ...

REVIEW: Animal Farm (George Orwell)

I finally got to read Animal Farm after accidentally reading 1984 a couple of days earlier.

And finally, there are pigs.

In many ways, Animal Farm sends similar messages to 1984, although it is presented differently and emphasized from different angles. They are both depressing. While 1984 is overwhelmingly a world I wouldn't survive for even a day, Animal Farm is sort of limited by the characters, although they are adequate enough to represent many. The slacker and sneaky cats, the loyal dogs, in...

REVIEW: 1984 (George Orwell)

P.S. I am embarrassed to admit that I thought I was reading Animal Farm by the same author. I had some Kindle mix-up. 1984 was in my far TBR as I wanted to read something 'lighter' (OH how I was surprised!). I was only aware of this blatant mistake after already posting this review under Animal Farm and moving on to read others' reviews. Pig? What pig??? Wait a minute!

Almost a decade ago, I was in a 'debate' with a Professor in an online forum. A professor, or so she said. It sounds prestigious ...

REVIEW: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

*spoiler review

This book is...

I have mixed feelings about this book. I was borderline annoyed with the first half of it, fascinated with the second half, and found myself stroking my chin and scratching my forehead after reading it. It doesn't help that I took some time off between reading the two halves.
In short, I like the book, but many things are going through my mind, hoping that I understand this book the way it is meant to be understood.

There is a perfect quote that I think is fitting to ...

REVIEW: Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

 

*spoiler review*

My first John Steinbeck, another selective pick from Goodreads' recommendation.

This book is an easy read, it flows, there are not too many but enough characters. We can imagine the people, the setting, and even the smells emitting from the rundown place and denim, a lot of denim. 

The story is simple enough, in a regular, continuous timeline about George and Lennie. I can't help but get some Rain Man vibe at the beginning of the book. There are some funny moments as well, but ove...

REVIEW: The Reader (Bernhard Schlink)

*spoiler review*

Just before Covid era, I picked up this book from a tiny shelf at the corner of a cottage on a weekend getaway. I have to shamelessly admit that my knowledge about books out there are very limited. Well, this looks familiar, I thought. And that was because I had watched the movie a couple of years ago, not knowing it's also an adaptation.

It helps a lot that I like the movie. In fact, I'm very sure that this review is biased because of the movie. All characters come to life, inclu...

REVIEW: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)

 

First of all, I really like the title. And after reading the book, I like it even more because of how fitting it is.

This is the second book I chose and read based on Goodreads' recommendation. Didn't know anything about it, besides having been a fan of Oscar Wilde's quotes since a teenager, I used to sprinkle them a lot in my younger day's blog about mundane life's observations.

The book was fascinating to me, I went in without expectation and came out impressed. I have to put in a disclaimer th...

REVIEW: The Giver (Lois Lowry)

*Spoiler review

I knew nothing about The Giver by the time I decided to read it just a couple of days earlier, picking it from recommendations by Goodreads, based on what I have already read.

I feel quite guilty with my final rating because up until the last few chapters, I had it between 4-5 rating, so I'll try to justify (if possible) about why I settle at 3.

The book is well written, it is easy to read, very interesting, and I didn't put it down when I had the time. Reading the bizarre world rev...