14. The Dead School 15. Hamlet 16. Mythology
Title: The Dead School
Author: Patrick McCabe
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: I'm still in two minds about this book, I really am. It seems to be one of those books which I can admire for thematics and writing, but which I don't actually enjoy reading. Thus, leaving me with the question: if you have to choose, is it better for a book to be well-written, or engrossing?
I mainly focused on the Gothic aspects of this book, and so it's hard for me to think past that, but the main issue I have is with the idiolect the book is written in. It's so so quickly paced, almost breathless, and it makes the whole thing feel very rushed. Add to this the fact it's trying to take in the entire lives of two characters, often through very short chapters and the pace is just too quick to sustain over 300 pages It's a hard novel to get into as it constantly switches between telling the story of the two narrators, and between fantasy and reality, with little differentiation.
Once you get past that, the book is better. But it does seem slightly overlong: there tend to be sections which seem to be repetitive, basically telling you exactly the same thing through different snapshots of Malachy and Raphael's life.
_____________
Title: Hamlet
Author: William Shakespeare
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: Another read for school, and one of my set texts for my summer exams. And thank God because it's my favourite Shakespeare play. I'll admit, I haven't seen it performed, so my impressions are just from reading and copious amounts of studying. But the play is so dense, and it's based around an amazingly intricate, 3D character. In fact, many of the main characters have scope for discussion and questioning and I do really love that.
The speeches are infamous, the writing is amazing, the intrigue is constant. Hurrah!
And I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with Hamlet.
______________
Title: Mythology
Author: Edith Hamilton
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: It's really hard to know what to say. I knew a few of the greek myths as a child (yes, I was THAT child: sitting in the corner listening to the stories of Jason and the Argonauts on a tape I borrowed from the local library) but over the years I've completely forgotten them.
And reading this, I remembered why I adored the stories so much: they're all very epic, and dramatic and shocking. (Although I had the cleaned-up versions, minus the incest etc.) I wanted to tackle the original texts, but without the time to read them, I think this collection is the next best thing, especially if you're just looking for a grounding on Greek and Roman mythology.
Up Next: Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Author: Patrick McCabe
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: I'm still in two minds about this book, I really am. It seems to be one of those books which I can admire for thematics and writing, but which I don't actually enjoy reading. Thus, leaving me with the question: if you have to choose, is it better for a book to be well-written, or engrossing?
I mainly focused on the Gothic aspects of this book, and so it's hard for me to think past that, but the main issue I have is with the idiolect the book is written in. It's so so quickly paced, almost breathless, and it makes the whole thing feel very rushed. Add to this the fact it's trying to take in the entire lives of two characters, often through very short chapters and the pace is just too quick to sustain over 300 pages It's a hard novel to get into as it constantly switches between telling the story of the two narrators, and between fantasy and reality, with little differentiation.
Once you get past that, the book is better. But it does seem slightly overlong: there tend to be sections which seem to be repetitive, basically telling you exactly the same thing through different snapshots of Malachy and Raphael's life.
_____________
Title: Hamlet
Author: William Shakespeare
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: Another read for school, and one of my set texts for my summer exams. And thank God because it's my favourite Shakespeare play. I'll admit, I haven't seen it performed, so my impressions are just from reading and copious amounts of studying. But the play is so dense, and it's based around an amazingly intricate, 3D character. In fact, many of the main characters have scope for discussion and questioning and I do really love that.
The speeches are infamous, the writing is amazing, the intrigue is constant. Hurrah!
And I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with Hamlet.
______________
Title: Mythology
Author: Edith Hamilton
Synopsis:(from amazon.co.uk) here
My thoughts: It's really hard to know what to say. I knew a few of the greek myths as a child (yes, I was THAT child: sitting in the corner listening to the stories of Jason and the Argonauts on a tape I borrowed from the local library) but over the years I've completely forgotten them.
And reading this, I remembered why I adored the stories so much: they're all very epic, and dramatic and shocking. (Although I had the cleaned-up versions, minus the incest etc.) I wanted to tackle the original texts, but without the time to read them, I think this collection is the next best thing, especially if you're just looking for a grounding on Greek and Roman mythology.
Up Next: Bleak House by Charles Dickens