Wow, what an absorbing experience! A true gothic romance, it's one of those books you just fall into and luxuriate. The tension in it is almost physicWow, what an absorbing experience! A true gothic romance, it's one of those books you just fall into and luxuriate. The tension in it is almost physical, smothering at times. It builds and builds so painfully perfect, I was sure my chest would explode before I got to the end. Never before have I come across a book that never tells you the main characters age...what she looks like...her backstory... NOT EVEN HER FRIGGIN NAME! But because of the exquisite prose you get to know her so intimately, I was completely absorbed in her thoughts, what she sees and feels. THIS is what a good book does to you, for people that don't read I almost feel sorry for you for I wouldn't give up this feeling for anything. I've found out that Alfred Hitchcock made a movie of this book and I can't think of a better pairing, this story was made for the Hitchcock touch. I can't wait to see his translation, maybe it will help me curb the nagging need to reread the book immediately! It's been a long time since I've added a book to my favorites of all time and this story has taken it's spot, hell, it deserves it's own shelf....more
Google the word atmospheric and this book should be the first result of the search. This story is a full sensory experience transporting you back to 1Google the word atmospheric and this book should be the first result of the search. This story is a full sensory experience transporting you back to 1981 in a cold, gray suburb in Sweden. What is billed as a horror story is less horror and more heartbreak. The sheer terror of this story is brilliantly tempered with the tragic lives of two children, Oskar and Eli, who both find themselves living on the periphery of a life they desperately wish to belong.
"Why can’t I be allowed to live? Because you should be dead."
This is so much more than a vampire story. Even in the world of vampire novels this one is head and shoulders above any other modern-day interpretations.
I've read so many reviewers express the heartbreak they felt over Oskar, and while that is a given, it is little Eli that captured my heart and then crushed it. Although the glimpses we were allowed were horrifying beyond compare, I really wish the author would have allowed the readers an even broader view of Eli's backstory. Actually, I would love to read a prequel novel on Eli's life and death prior to our meeting her on the playground with Oskar. And that alone is my only criticism of this beautifully tragic book, although I would hardly describe wanting more as a criticism.
I am a super fan of the movies based on this book, both of them doing a splendid job at reducing this story into the time allotted without completely destroying it's complexion. But, as with all page-to-screen endeavors, the magic is in the details, more so in this story than most. So, if you've seen the movies and thus feel as though there's really no reason to dive into the book at this point, you couldn't be more wrong....more
The greatest dystopian novels make you think it could actually happen. On that note... this book scared tf outta me. I'll never forget this story. DefThe greatest dystopian novels make you think it could actually happen. On that note... this book scared tf outta me. I'll never forget this story. Definitely adding to my list of favorite books EVER....more
"Wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour"Wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air."
The Bell Jar has been on my tbr since before the term tbr even existed. That being said, I'm so thankful that I didn't read it sooner, that I read it now, at this exact particular time in my life. My younger self would not have had the life experience to understand this story on such a profound level.
Plath's writing is beyond reproach. I found myself reading many passages over and over again so that I could completely absorb and digest the feelings they invoked in me.
"I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I should any more. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I shouldn’t..."
This story is without any doubt the single greatest fictional achievement in capturing the mind of a person drowning in depression. It's not endless crying or any of the other dramatics displayed in the movies.
It's quiet. It's subtle. It's stealthy. Until it's not.
"But when it came right down to it, the skin of my wrist looked so white and defenseless that I couldn’t do it. It was as if what I wanted to kill wasn’t in that skin or the thin blue pulse that jumped under my thumb, but somewhere else, deeper, more secret, and a whole lot harder to get at."
This was a Traveling Friends group read and I couldn't be more thankful for the ladies that shared this read with me. Not one of us was left unscathed by this story....more
This book is beautiful, which is a really strange word to use to describe a book about grief, but I'm at a loss for a better word. It's one of those sThis book is beautiful, which is a really strange word to use to describe a book about grief, but I'm at a loss for a better word. It's one of those stories that sticks to you and won't let go. I bet I've highlighted half of the text...it's THAT kind of book....more