I read this book probably 20 years ago but had zero memory of it when diving in again this time around. As the title indicates, this is about three brI read this book probably 20 years ago but had zero memory of it when diving in again this time around. As the title indicates, this is about three brothers (Ivan, Alexei, and Dmitri) who have followed vastly different paths in life. After their father is murdered, one of the brothers is arrested for the crime and the brothers all try to reconcile what's going on with what they know about life. There's a lot of philosophy, a lot of foreboding, a lot of discussions, and very little "action" as the book goes on. This is definitely a very dense philosophical novel, vastly difference from plot-driven contemporary novels!
There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed and other parts that were a slog to get through, so dense that I had trouble following what was going on. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and the narration jumped around between characters so it was occasionally difficult to remember what had last happened with each individual when the text suddenly shifted. Someone who read this book along with me said of course it wouldn't have a happy ending because it was a Russian tragedy, and she wasn't wrong, although I felt like it wasn't a tragedy so much as an examination of human nature.
I can see why this book has had so much time dedicated to discussing certain passages, such as the Grand Inquisitor (which I still don't think I fully understand). Some parts of this book were truly fascinating with its philosophical critiques. However, this isn't the easiest book to get through and there were multiple times when I had trouble getting through more than one chapter at a time because of how slow it moved and its lack of a true hero to root for. Not my favorite Russian novel, and not my favorite of Dostoevsky's novels either (from what I remember, anyway; I need to reread others to confirm!), but it's certainly worth a read, if only to understand the novel's themes and to see why this book is lauded as one of the biggest achievements in literature....more
There's nothing I can say about this book that hasn't already been said a million times. I'd never had to read it in school, however, and had held offThere's nothing I can say about this book that hasn't already been said a million times. I'd never had to read it in school, however, and had held off on doing so because I knew the general story and figured the diary would simply be sad and tough to get through.
Now that I've read it, I can say it was way less depressing than I expected. Anne is completely likable, very funny, and brought so much life and personality to their hiding space. Although the threat of being discovered was always real, what made this book so powerful is that it put a personal face on the situation. Instead of simply hearing about what happened (as I had previously), reading all of Anne's thoughts made the place come alive. I loved all her observations about the people around here and their situation in general; because she wrote at length about who and what was driving her crazy - petty stuff as well as major stuff - it felt so much easier to relate. Even when big events are taking place, there are still smaller ones that affect you.
I don't know if I would have been able to fully appreciate this book, had I read it in school when younger - at least I doubt I would have been able to appreciate it on the same levels. But it definitely made an impression on me now and I'm so glad that I read it. What an amazing legacy this diary is!...more
4.5 stars. Set in the middle of the 19th century, Etienne is a man who wanders into a community looking for a job and ends up working in the coal mine4.5 stars. Set in the middle of the 19th century, Etienne is a man who wanders into a community looking for a job and ends up working in the coal mines. The conditions in the mines are horrible, but the workers don't complain too much because despite the constant danger and roughness, this is how life has been as long as they can remember. Meanwhile, at the top, the owners continue to live in luxury and grow richer off the hard work of the miners. When a new method for calculating wages is proposed, no doubt resulting in a pay cut for all the miners, Etienne calls for a strike that takes off with the goal of improving the conditions in the mines and making the ones doing the work (the miners) equal to the ones profiting off it.
One of my coworkers gave me a copy of this book, saying it was one of the best written books of all time and that this version was an excellent translation. I'd never heard of this before, nor had I heard of the author; I believe this is my first translated-into-English French classic, and it was definitely powerful. Judging by the rave reviews on Goodreads, clearly this book and its author have a following, and now that I've read it, I can understand why.
Zola brought to life all the struggles in this book so well, detailing all sort of little things that allowed me to truly feel the harshness of life then. Although I finished the book with a definite sense of how unequal life was and the unfairness of the wage system, this didn't feel like a completely one-sided account of miners' struggles. So many characters were featured, all with their own problems and personalities; no one was perfect, and even the miners gossiped and complained about their neighbors. Families were large, people were concerned about the bigger picture but mostly focused on what their own family would get, and no one truly seemed happy. The families who owned the mine were also complex, living lives that were obviously much more comfortable but still not without struggle or problems - just different struggles and different problems. There were characters I hated, but even they weren't without their strengths. I suppose that's one of the things that makes this such a strong novel.
The descriptions of the mines were intense. It's one thing to read about conditions in a history book; it's another thing to see the conditions spring to life in a novel, with characters actually living them day in and day out. The work was dangerous and hard, with plenty of health risks, but it was also a job and something that everyone seemed to simply accept as part of life. One horrifying detail included was about the use of horses in the mines, with them lowered into the pitch black mines for work and never again allowed to roam above ground again. It's crazy to think that this standard procedure and that no one thought twice about it.
Although this novel didn't contain constantly new events or a strong plot - it's mainly about the day-to-day lives of those involved and how the resulting strike affects everyone - it was a gritty depiction of life and kept progressing throughout. I was impressed by the tenacity of many of the miners and their determination to see the strike through, no matter the cost, because it could hopefully bring about better working conditions and pay. The depictions of mob mentality were insane but felt very realistic - a scary reminder of what mobs can bring out in people!
This isn't a book that I'll be rereading anytime soon, but the story is definitely one that will linger in my mind. ...more
3.5 stars. There were things I really liked in this book, but overall it didn't completely blow me away. Set in the future, a reporter is interviewing3.5 stars. There were things I really liked in this book, but overall it didn't completely blow me away. Set in the future, a reporter is interviewing Dr. Susan Calvin, who's been instrumental in the development of robots, and she tells stories to him, reminiscing about various incidents where robots have acted in ways that surprised humans. Her narration ties everything together, but the book is really a collection of short stories about robots, some with the same characters in them, others nearly stand-alone tales.
The vision of a future where humans have invented robots to serve them while obeying three laws (a robot can't harm a human or let them come to harm, a robot must obey a human, and a robot must protect its own existence so long as this doesn't conflict with laws one and two) is well done. The author does an excellent job imagining scenarios where robots act in unexpected ways despite these laws and how humans respond; some of the responses are incredibly clever.
While I really enjoyed the stories in this book overall, I felt like parts lagged and lacked excitement, instead focusing on philosophical aspects. There were great parts that inspired deep thinking, and although some of the debates in this book will likely stick with me for a long time, the book was not as engrossing as it could have been, had the characters been equally as alive as the decisions they debated.
As a side note, this book is in no way the same as the movie of the same name, even though they both feature robots that adhere to the three laws and some of the character names are the same. Both the movie and the book are good, just in very different ways....more
I'm not exactly sure how to summarize this book except to say that it was interesting and thought provoking. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a bird whoI'm not exactly sure how to summarize this book except to say that it was interesting and thought provoking. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a bird who doesn't fit in with the rest of the seagulls because he wants to fly for fun, pushing the limits, instead of flying only to eat; he is deemed an outcast by the rest of the seagulls for this behavior.
At the beginning I wasn't sure that I would like this, but then it started picking up, with all sorts of philosophy thrown in. This is definitely not a book that sold for is plot; people read this because of the messages in it. My favorite quote is when Jonathan says, Your whole body... is nothing more than thought itself, in a form you can see.
I imagine this story won't appeal to everyone, but at least it's a quick read. For all the talk I've heard about this book, it wasn't nearly as great as I'd expected, but I did enjoy it. ...more
This is a sweet story very similar to Anne of Green Gables (though, in my opinion, not quite as good), originally published in 1903 and set in Maine aThis is a sweet story very similar to Anne of Green Gables (though, in my opinion, not quite as good), originally published in 1903 and set in Maine around that time. Rebecca is eleven or twelve when she's sent to live with her two aunts, one very stern and the other a little gentler. The book covers the time through her high school graduation, when she's seventeen, and shows how she changes through the years and how she makes everyone along the way fall in love with her.
I loved the setting of the book and thought there were some very sweet moments throughout; my favorite tidbit is the way Rebecca learns to write using the more eloquent term of "one" instead of "you". She's certainly an interesting characters with quite a life, but although the story was a simple, fun one, it seemed all too often like Rebecca was just too perfect and too lovable; everyone she met was completely enthralled and enchanted by her, and the book never fully showed me why. I wish I could have seen the amazing traits in Rebecca that the other characters saw instead of just being told she was so perfect that people could barely remember anyone else existed while in Rebecca's presence.
I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Rebecca and her two aunts, as they warmed up to her a little more as time went on. This was probably the strongest part of the book. Other characters fell flat, not being fully three-dimensional; I wish there would have been more character development of the secondary characters instead of having them simply stand in when convenient, then disappear when no longer needed. I don't feel like this complaint is simply due to when the book was written, as there are a number of books from this time (and even earlier) with stronger characters. I was also a bit confused about one of the characters, a bachelor in his early 30's who seems to fall in love with Rebecca; she in turn considers him her best friend... a little strange. However, the book is pretty charming overall and its simple characters are probably sufficient for younger readers, who would probably enjoy this book a lot.
I was never required to read this book in school, so when I found a copy of Tuck Everlasting at a thrift store for only 29¢, I decided it was high timI was never required to read this book in school, so when I found a copy of Tuck Everlasting at a thrift store for only 29¢, I decided it was high time to begin reading it.
This is a slow, sleepy read - very dreamlike - and definitely does not have the quick pace or snappy dialogue that you find in many newer books. Of course, that is probably to be expected, seeing how this was published over 30 years ago. Winnie is a ten-year-old girl who stumbles across the Tuck family; the family drank from a spring of water that granted immortality and have not aged in nearly 90 years. To protect their secret, the Tucks take Winnie back to their home and try to convince her that immortality is not necessarily a good thing - and they are followed by a sinister man who has plans of his own for the water.
While the book brings up interesting ideas, I think it could have benefitted from being a little longer, a little more fleshed-out. It wasn't too short; I just would have enjoyed a little deeper conversation between the characters, as a lot is left unspoken. Then again, there are some interesting discussions that could come from the book, the least of which is the question of whether having everlasting life is a curse or a blessing. I did think that the speed at which Winnie feels attached to the Tuck family was awfully fast, but other than that, I don't have much to complain about. I really enjoyed reading this and think that it would be a great one for kids to enjoy at school. It's short, interesting, and a good read - what more can students ask for?...more
This wasn't quite as good as all the hype makes it out to be, but it was still quite interesting to read.This wasn't quite as good as all the hype makes it out to be, but it was still quite interesting to read....more
This started off slowly but finally picked up about halfway through when the suitors were fully developed and introduced and when the problems with thThis started off slowly but finally picked up about halfway through when the suitors were fully developed and introduced and when the problems with the love stories became clear. I enjoyed the book quite a bit and was kept entertained throughout; my only complaint is that I occasionally had a difficulty following the action because of the old-fashioned language and phrasing used in the book, so I had to read extra carefully to differentiate the characters, who were often referred to as "Mrs. ___" and therefore got hard to keep track of! Overall, a good read, and if I decide to read it again, I feel sure I will enjoy it more....more