Little Things, complex matters: Poetic musings on the joy of the simple and the power of the complex by P. C. Menezes
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The Author
The Author
A instant dystopian classic. The Handmaid’s Tale is thought-provoking, terrifying, and keeps the reader asking What if? A scary tale on how women is perceived in a society where the "I" is decided by "others" since the first breathe and the dangers of control, stereotyping and role incredulity.
Behind the simple plot of "Building the greatest Gothic Cathedral ever" is a 900 page epic saga, filled with historical details, action, murder, death, love and numerous other sub-plots which depicts the dark scenery of 12th century Medieval England in a very accurate way. Despite very minor historical deviations the book presents the readers with an action-packed plot that keeps historic fiction fans intrigued and eagerly waiting for the resolution.
By writing about the upper-class setting, pompous balls, fancy dresses and ribbons, Jane Austen transforms the trivial into a witty, elegant, first enemies-to-love deep novel and gives us a timeless classic. The criticism hidden behind the characters' most everyday conversations depict the role incredulity scenery which women was inserted at the time. My all-time favorite book from the now immortalized opening to the very final dot.
The "warning dystopia" genre taken to another level. No matter how one chooses to understand the bunch of symbolism, metaphors and hidden messages included in this work, no one could be immune to the extreme and fierce irony depicted in a book about burning books. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a must read to those who understand the value of words and the power of being allowed to used it freely.
Reading this book as an early teen right after the success of the movie of the same name I was fascinated by the wonders of the science described in the book and of course by the thought of reviving such fantastic giant ancient creatures. The dangers of such experiment and horrors of unleashing such power were also not taken for granted by my teen mind. I confess, however, that more moral and ethical questions about the message transmitted by the author were to populate my mind only a bit later as more dense and complex topics would show up in my adult mind: What would humanity do if such power of (re)creation was sudden really in its hands? To use it or not to use it? The answer is getting clear by the day...
Agreeing or not on the beginning of this story and on Why homo sapiens has "sudden" developed on Earth, Sapiens is a quite witty and enjoyable novelization on the How Humankind came to spread, rule and spoil this turf. An interesting (but not that brief) read both for history lovers and for those who enjoy some of the more obscure topics from the Creation tales.
Whomever payed attention to the last 3 years and ever had the change to read Oryx and Crake will certainly notice the familiarity between Atwood's sharp depiction of a pre- and post-apolitical world and the world of today. Going back to a naive 2005 when I first read this book, I imagine if Atwood's dystopia lies in the realm of prophecy, analytical prediction or just a pure and vivid fantastic fiction. One thing is for sure, the naive fascination and deep admiration for her work that I felt as a first time reader remains untouched despite the sight of a future that looks each day more like fiction.
I read this book as a 18-year-old following the great anticipation built by the upcoming movie with a bit of "you're an adult and should not read a children's book bias". I am glad I gave in to the FOMO (fear of missing out) and all the hype about the book: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" is a fast-paced, pleasant read, suitable for all ages. And to think J. K Rowling wrote a great bunch of this now "All times best seller/World phenomenon book" in little pieces of napkins seated in alone in a cafe... Certainly a great lesson on the power of giving a try...
I have won a copy of Martian Florist through a Giveaway, so thanks to the author for the book.
Like most Poetry books and collections it is quite impossible to expect readers to be moved and identify themselves with 100% of the content. That was my case with this book (and I can say that about many others...): there are some poetry that I enjoyed more, some much less and some that are for sure too personal for the author that most probably will make total sense only in his mind and in the realm of his experiences. As a poetry author myself, I can say that writing poetry is like becoming completely transparent in front of strangers, so putting emotions, thoughts and moods in written form and share this with the world is not something to be taken for granted. My rate is 3.75 for the reasons above.
Like most Poetry books and collections it is quite impossible to expect readers to be moved and identify themselves with 100% of the content. That was my case with this book (and I can say that about many others...): there are some poetry that I enjoyed more, some much less and some that are for sure too personal for the author that most probably will make total sense only in his mind and in the realm of his experiences. As a poetry author myself, I can say that writing poetry is like becoming completely transparent in front of strangers, so putting emotions, thoughts and moods in written form and share this with the world is not something to be taken for granted. My rate is 3.75 for the reasons above.
Well...it is literally Shakespeare
Whether one agrees or not with the answers offered by the author, the book succeeds in being true to its title: giving the reader brief, digestible answers to complex and big questions. A typical Hawking reading, full of controversies, the title is must read for those who do not mind or are even satisfied about agreeing in disagreeing.
Well...it is literally Shakespeare
Was Huxley prophetically talking about the World of today when he imagined his "Brave New World"? Maybe the author had a strong intuition or maybe he was just a keen observer of humanity, but Huxley's insights in last century's early 30's resemble a lot the society of today: a society in which individual liberty, is replaced by an all-powerful-state, a surge of individualism and isolation in detriment of independent thinking and authenticity, the rise of authority, surveillance and control. The "Brave New World" depicted by Huxley does not look brave nor new anymore, but Huxley's message is still fresh and the words written almost 100 ago echo now as loud as ever.
Do not go into the Foundation series expecting a pure and simple science-fiction set of books. The series develops around themes like sociopolitics, human development, the rise and fall of civilizations, the uniqueness of the individual against the predictability of the masses and more. It is a complex story and the saga spans through thousands of years. A must read for fans of science-fiction but also for the ones that enjoy psychohistory and more human focused topics. Not a book for all tastes considering the lack of action but certainly a good choice for those whose minds enjoy imagining the future of humanity and its possibilities.
By mixing together bits of mythology, ancient history and as some say, some of his own personal experiences about war, love and friendship, Tolkien takes us through an epic journey packed with action, conflict and pain. The Lord of the Ring is basically a reinvention of the fantastic genre, as fantastic is the most accurate word to define the detailed world building. What to say about inventing a whole new World, with its own language and demography? The world building only is worth the 5 stars. Just mind blowing.
Fantastic, massive world building, packed with multidimensional flawed characters. It can be a long reading especially considering the nonparallel and time-displaced character arcs. And to think it is not even over yet...
Physics made easy and even more interesting. Simple and readable explanations for complex universal problems.
A 1000 page revenge journey filled with the most clever, well-designed, carefully-crafted plans and set-ups. A master-class in pay-back, The Count of Monte Cristo is witty, and surprisingly fun. And that is for sure a weird comment considering the painful ordeals to which the protagonist is put through. How surprise and ashamed I am to say that revenge can be lots of fun (at least in fiction)...
Any coincidence...Animal Farm reads too much like human politics. As it should. A true human tale about human characters and systems narrated and acted by players from the Animal Kingdom.
Well...it is literally Shakespeare
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