**spoiler alert** My experience with Faulkner's books so far has been like the sawtooth , a great book followed by a total garbage blabbering.
First bo**spoiler alert** My experience with Faulkner's books so far has been like the sawtooth , a great book followed by a total garbage blabbering.
First book was Light in August which was awesome, cut to the point, murder of black upon white neatly packed with southern atmosphere.
The next was Absalom a total trash , waiting 400 pages without any hint , and getting the whole story in the last 20 pages, full of useless southie blabber.
Then The Mansion was a total masterpiece happening in Mississippi...
And now behold the rule stands, another trash !
300 pages of useless southie negro blabber with hints here and there, add to this the fact that we have a Quentin female and a Quentine male , whose arcs overlap (similar to what Vargas Llosa does with multiple timelines) and you get a total shit show of trying to understand what the fuck happens there.
I didn't understand the plot completely , hell i didn't understand why Quentin was sometimes called as 'he' and sometimes as 'she'.
The ending was something along the lines of "shit happened , we move with our life"
Hemingway was right when he said to Faulkner he doesn't need 100 complicated to write a good story....
If i would've read this book first and only , i would've probably ditched Faulkner forever, now i feel like every book of his is like a tossing of a coin. Heads for masterpiece, tails for utter garbage.
And this shit book gets so much attention , unbelievable !...more
**spoiler alert** Precum dintii de fierastrau - ciclul plictisitor-deosebit de captivant se tot repeta. Se incheie in mult alcool si oameni distrusi ti**spoiler alert** Precum dintii de fierastrau - ciclul plictisitor-deosebit de captivant se tot repeta. Se incheie in mult alcool si oameni distrusi tipic Fitzgerald...more
**spoiler alert** Mare cocainar Paler asta, jumatate din carte am crezut ca omul e pe heroina/cocaina sau ceva psihedelice....cand defapt a scris poat**spoiler alert** Mare cocainar Paler asta, jumatate din carte am crezut ca omul e pe heroina/cocaina sau ceva psihedelice....cand defapt a scris poate romanul cu bataia cea mai lunga din ce am citit.
A construit o intreaga luma/scenariu/"script" in jurul ideii de frica de cum frica afecteaza societatea.
Este prima oara cand cineva isi ia indatorirea de a explica atat de laborios cat de nemernica este frica in societate si indiferenta fata de semenii nostri.
Fiecare dintre noi in goana noastra prin viata decidem sa ne izolam cu un asa numit "dom de sticla" , dom prin care nu mai putem auzi necazurile altora, tipetele lor de ajutor. Gonim uitandu-ne doar in fata zicandu-ne ca nu e problema noastra sa ii ascultam pe ceilalti cand in definitiv oricum cu totii ajungem in acelasi loc.
Poate cea mai grozava idee este aceea ca frica naste mai multa frica si incet incet, daca nu actionam, daca toti ne retragem in grota noastra sigura ca sa traim, societatea cade prada fricii, se degradeaza, iar cei ce favorizeaza frica capata puteri din ce in ce mai mari.
Mi-sa parut superb modul in care autorul spune ca mai vinovat decat Robespierre pentru toate crimele comise in timpul revolutiei franceze a fost insasi multimea. Multimea care de frica doar a asistat , a privit esafodul in timp ce executiile se desfasurau in lant. Multimea e cea mai vinovata , oamenii care au acceptat toate acestea de frica sau ca pe un spectacol.
Poate cel mai interesant a fost faptul ca executiile lui Robespierre ar fi continuat mult si bine caci avea gloata in jurul lui agregata ori de spaima ori pentru spectacol, pana cand dusmanii sai au trimis politisti sa-l inhate facand o declaratie multimii cum ca cei ce il sustin vor ajunge pe esafod si ei. In acel moment gloata s-a dezintegrat lasand-ul pe Robespierre prada celor cativa politisti.
Imi pare ca aceeasi situatie o gasim si in cadrul Orientului Mijlociu. Degeaba ni-se spune ca Islamul este o religie a pacii si ca doar X% din credinciosi sunt radicali. Daca restul de 99 % dosr asista si accepta inseamna ca tolereaza si ca sunt de acord cu asta. Multimea este mai nemernica si mai vinovata decat calaul si cel ce ordona aceste fapte oribile !
Cartea dupa mine, e un apel la societate intru lepadarea letargiei si a fricii noastre de zi cu zi. Vezi un seaman care tipa/care sufera, dute si intreaba-l ce a patit, nu il ignora crezand ca nu e treaba ta, caci facand aceasta doar te minti singur ca nu e problema ta, te retragi in cosmelia ta si raul castiga teren, empatia dispare,raul mai castiga un pic teren in ziua aceea
Am stat destul de mult sa deliberez ce nota sa dau acestei opere. Daca la 50% voiam sa ii ofer un maxim 2/5 dupa 90% pot spune ca am vazut in sfarsit imaginea de ansamblu , de ce a stat atata sa construiasca acest univers , aceasta fabula. Totusi cred ca m-as fi putut lipsi de mult din ce a scris. Daca ar fi fost doar partea de argumentare presarata cu argumentele istorice invocate ar fi fost un 5/5 fara doar si poate.
P.S daca va apucati sa o cititi, mergeti pana la capat chiar daca vi-se va parea ca consumati refularile, spasmele mentale ale unui nebun cu scte in regula, ale unui schizofrenic !...more
**spoiler alert** Started the book expecting some hard drama/thriller, "X strangers stranded in a bus during a storm". This book wasn't the case. Its a**spoiler alert** Started the book expecting some hard drama/thriller, "X strangers stranded in a bus during a storm". This book wasn't the case. Its about different people from different walks of life sharing a bus ride in southern California, each with his own insecurity, dreams and all looking for something in post World War 2 America. Due to the unusual course of the ride each of them is taken out of their cofmort zone and their true colors are marvellous.
The reason its marked with 3 stars instead of 4 is because i felt the author lingered too much in the intro and one particular character, while abruptly ending when the story gets juicy. I really wanted to share the ride a couple more miles with the characters...
The book is open ended and the idea of free will is contoured, which i felt was like a draft or experimenting on the part of the author before writing the masterpiece East of Eden , 5 years later.
I really enjoyed the way a character is first seen and stereotyped by others and then we get into his mind ajd thoughts, and we see the beauty in each Jane/Joe Doe with his feelings, trauma/frustrstions , dreams and aspirations....more
**spoiler alert** This book was total garbage ! Lots of unnecessary pages, characters and stories , just for the sake of writing! Hemingway was right w**spoiler alert** This book was total garbage ! Lots of unnecessary pages, characters and stories , just for the sake of writing! Hemingway was right when he said he doesnt need 100 words per sentence (like Faulkner) to write a good story.
Its a huge 600 page book which felt like a total drag. It feels like you are mining for gold and you find here and there small trinkets of gold which is the main story; these small grains of gold keep you on your toes, keep you going and hunkering down and resist abandoning the file of shit altogether.
The author repeats himself thinking he is emphasizing some key points, but its just useless descriptions which serve no purpose for the reader.
So from 600 pages the first 450 pages are like 10% main plot and 90% useless shit (gibberish that secondary characters say about the main ones or their miserable life , dark descriptions and senzations). Then, right when you are fkin tired of it all, he starts speeding up and unveiling the main plot in the last 100-150 pages.
Its not that i cant accept cliffhangers in a story, but i should feel.that the story shouldnprogress as i read it , not that im stuck in a limbo of repetitions until the very end, until the author decides to just unveil it at max speed .
I felt that the whole story was like a building and you just looked at it from the outside for the first 450 pages and then you entered the building very fast , and it couldve been filled with anything , literally anything , it was totally decoupled from what you have read while being outside the it.
Summary:
What the book is all about in a pharagraph:
White guy Thomas arrives in a village in 1833 Misissippi , builds a farm and marries a high society wife. He has two kids Henry and Judith. Henry goes to college where he meets Charles. They befriend. Charles and Henry visit Thomas for christmas. Charles thus meets Judith and starts planning to marry her. We later find out Charles is Henry's and Judith half brother from Thomas first marriage, when he worked and lived to make money in Haiti. Thomas repudiated first wife while fidning out she has black ancestry. Thomas tells Henry that Charles is his brother (hiding the black blood that runs through Charles veins). Civil war breaks out and Charles and Henry enlist and go fighting for the Confederation. During the next 4 years Henry contemplates the idea of approving the incestous marriage between his sister and half brother. He decides he is ok with it , up until Thomas merts him and tells him that Charles is of black ancestry. The absurdity and WTF moment is when you realise Henry was finally ok with the incestous marriage but will never tolerate a man of black ancestry to marry his sister. He goes back to Judith with Charles and shoots him right in front of Thomas house.
Trash book, trash author attitude towards the reader , for the first time i felt disrespected as a reader. You are way better off reading the damn resume , its so much wasted time i can't believe !
PS: maybe my experience would've been a bit different if i would've read it in English and not in Romanian , maybe the translation was a bit bad and i couldn't enjoy all the southern side stories and culture , so factor this in , also....more
**spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, **spoiler alert** Dupa nenumarate dictaturi militare in anii 50', singura initiativa puternica de a transforma Guatemala intr-o democratie autentica, initiativa, care incearca, precum Taiwan-ul, sa imparta pamanturile in parcele si sa le distribuie cetatenilor de rand pentru a facilitata competitia si libera initiativa, este innabusita in sange de armate de mercenari internationali. Acesi mercenari sunt finantati de o America prost informata, o America care se lasa prostita de teama aparitiei comunismului la ea in ograda.
Basically coporatia United Fruit , cea care a adus banana in America de Nord si a facut-o "staple food in SUA" , corporatie ale carei activitati in Guatemala erau total neregularizate, de teama aparitiei legilor si a controalelor si evident a TAXELOR , provoaca zbonuri si stiri false cum ca noua conducere (care incearca sa aduca democratia in Guatemala) defapt este pro rusa si comunista. Guvernul de la Washington distruge orice sansa la democratie si stabilitate pentru Guatemala, inflacarand astfel spiritul revolutionar in tarile americii latine pentru deceniile urmatoare (inclusiv in Cuba) apropiindu-le astfel de Rusia. They basically fucked up big time.
O carte care imprumuta si se foloseste destul de mult de o opera precedenta a lui MV Llosa si anume Sarbatoarea Tapului ce descrie dictatura lui Trujillo din Republica Dominicana.
Desi personajele nu sunt atat de contrastante, si ritmul si desfasurarea actiunii nu sunt nici pe departe atat de alerte precum cel din celalata carte mentionata, volumul de fata aduce claritate in ceea ce priveste situatia politica din Guatemala si America Latina a mijlocului de secol XX....more
**spoiler alert** Romanul de fata isi propune sa ilustreze viata unei femei virtuoase in Franta primei jumatati a secolului XIX.
Inceputul este repreze**spoiler alert** Romanul de fata isi propune sa ilustreze viata unei femei virtuoase in Franta primei jumatati a secolului XIX.
Inceputul este reprezentat de scena fetei naive , care, lasandu-se in mrejele infatuarii , se casatoreste cu un colonel de cavalerie din armata lui Napoleon ( in ciuda rugamintilor si pledoariei blandului si batranului sau tata) colonel a carui mediocritate respectiv moravuri usoare ii vor fura anii tineretii , si destin al copilului zamislit , o va urmari toata viata ca un efect de bumerang l
Ca cititori o vom urma in calatoria sa prin viata de-a lungul primei jumatati a secolului XIX , plina de suferinta , durere , melancolie dar si dragoste , iubire , virtute si compasiune.
Mi-se pare fenomenal modul in care autorul zugraveste universul interior al acestei femei , si tulburarile launtrice la care este supusa , precum si numeroasele portrete ale ei si ale tuturor celor ce intra in contact cu aceasta fiinta de o noblete rara.
Din cartea aceasta , ideea cu care am ramas este ca profunzimea si complexitatea femeii sub toate aspectele se naste abia la varsta de 30 de ani , moment , cand a carei existenta a fost marcata deja de marile drame respectiv bucurii ale vietii.
Recomand cu caldura !
P.S E primul meu roman de Balzac si clar voi mai servi !...more
**spoiler alert** While I like Llosa due to his multiple chronological threading writing style and the strain it puts on the reader's brain when tryin**spoiler alert** While I like Llosa due to his multiple chronological threading writing style and the strain it puts on the reader's brain when trying to figure out who does what and when , this book is not like that .
This book is about a religious fanatic that uses his assertiveness to draw people from all walks of life including thieves, murderers, rapists , sick , orphans and old from all over Brazil mainland villages and bring them together on a mountain to build a civilisation which opposes the newly formed Brazilian republic , politics , imperial units of measurement.
The gonverment sends 3 military expeditions (20 ,100 and then 1000 people) to.cull this cult each with the same disastrous result. The soldiers are massacred , cut to pieces , their heads hung on spikes.
In this place and under the leader's influence , the murderers turn to generals that protect the place , the thieves to scouts , a baby killer female becomes the nun etc....
Under the leader's influence these broken people start to show solidarity , love , kindness and compassion for themselves.
Looking from an outside perspective , these same people including young teens , show no remorse to anybody that tries to.interfere with their community. They fight gonverment forces , burn army supply locations , go onto suicidal errands. Mothers jump.with their babies in the fires then be caught by army forces.
My dilemma: Is it moral to fix a broken man , give him a sense of purpose in life , make him a valuable part of society given the fact that that society harms anybody not belonging to it ?...more
Minusuri : Atentia mea de-a lungul cartii a fost similara unei sinusoide. Zeci de pagini plictisitoare in**spoiler alert** Voi incerca sa fiu obiectiv :
Minusuri : Atentia mea de-a lungul cartii a fost similara unei sinusoide. Zeci de pagini plictisitoare in care nu se intampla nimic , autorul incercand sa para istet , integrand explicatii , adaugiri si exemple "moderne" care de multe ori mi s-au parut la limita penibilului , pagini ce au fost scrise de dragul scrisului ca sa se ajunga 400 si ceva de pagini. Am stat zeci de pagini pe visele lui Iosif , framantarile Mariei , pustiul Isus , dar , partea cea mai importanta a vietii lui Isus si anume ultimele sale clipe au fost tratate pe repede inainte in ultimele zece pagini.
Nu am aflat mai nimic despre parerea Romei , nu am asistat la modul in care iudeii au vazut amenintarea unei noi religii , mai mult decat atat , am fost serviti cu pareri personale , interpretari despre mai tot ce e in luna si in stele (sandalele lui Iosif , visul repetitiv , strachina lui Isus) mai putin momentele cheie despre care se vorbeste si in Noul Testament. Putea fi lejer o carte de maxim 250 pagini.
Ce m-a impreisonat: Modul in care Isus afla de la Dumnezeu cum va prinde radacini noua religie ; pagini intregi dedicate martirilor din secolele care il vor succeda pe acesta , o lista imensa de nume din tot bazinul Marii Mediterane impreuna cu modurile brutale in care au sfarsit.
Aici chiar am apreciat faptul ca autorul a cercetat acest aspect , si a reusit sa ofere cititorului magnitudinea in sacrificii de vieti omenesti a religiei ce avea sa rasara.
O lectura precum drumurile de la noi din tara, 10 m drum drept apoi 3 gropi etc....more
Mika Waltari describes the last months before the fall and the Ottoman siege of Constatinople of 1453 so vivdly that you might think he lived in that Mika Waltari describes the last months before the fall and the Ottoman siege of Constatinople of 1453 so vivdly that you might think he lived in that period and interviewed the survivors.
A story of true love ending in tragedy between an outcast emperor that returns from the west to his beloved city right before its fall and the daughter of the highest noble.
I am still amazed by the amount of hate between orthodoxy and catholicism at that point in time. Despite the desperate calls for help of the greeks towards the pope ,only two mercenary companies totalling ~1000 men ,one genovese the other venetian , heed the call and defend the city. The fact that most greeks view the 'damn latins' worse then the turks and would rather open the gates (which they do) to the latter is also compelling.
Though i refuse to believe it to be true , Transilvanian John Hunyadi is depicted as giving the turks advice on how to storm the city.
Another amzing fact is that there are large numbers of christians in the turkish army including serbian sappers.
The siege is described in a journal-like manner , for me , with an unprecedented level of detail including : Cannons , their operators , the damage inflicted upon stone infrastructure and inhabitants , repair and molding processes , assaults on the castle walls, underground sapper warfare , hand to hand combat and also naval battles.
The author does not sugarcoat the events even one bit - we are also shown the grim fate of the defenders and also non combatants after the fall of the city.
For a history lover (or a romance fan) this book is pure gold. Looking forward to read more of Waltari's books !...more
**spoiler alert** O nuvela interesanta din punct de vedere istoric precum si al spatiului geografic- Sfantul Imperiu Romano-German in secolul XV. Asist**spoiler alert** O nuvela interesanta din punct de vedere istoric precum si al spatiului geografic- Sfantul Imperiu Romano-German in secolul XV. Asistam la tragedia unui om , un om caruia i-a fost facuta o nedreptate; un om care a incercat prin toate mijlocele legale , apeland la stapanire de nenumearate ori( jalbe )sa repare raul suferit , de fiecare data fiind in zadar. Omul nostru isi ia dreptatea in maini si provoaca multa dauna si distrugerii stapanirii.
O nuvela un pic prea lunga.Cred ca s-ar fi putut incheia mai elegant si mai scurt....more
**spoiler alert** Dupa primele 3 pagini am stiut ca Isabel Allende este o scriitoare in adevaratul sens al cuvantului si mai mult decat atat , cred ca**spoiler alert** Dupa primele 3 pagini am stiut ca Isabel Allende este o scriitoare in adevaratul sens al cuvantului si mai mult decat atat , cred ca il depaseste chiar si pe Hemingway atunci cand zugraveste scene de razboi/teroare/drama.
Povestea este cea a unui cvasi-cuplu catalan (el doctor, ea piansita fiind sotia fratelui decedat in razboi) care fortat de razboiul civil spaniol (iminenta victorie a lui Franco) se vad nevoiti sa abandoneze patria ,fugind in Franta (chiar inaintea inceperii WW2) si de acolo prin pur noroc reusesc sa isi asigure locuri pe vaporul de refugiati Winnipeg cu destinatia Chile , "acea lunga petala de mare" ce ii va primi cu bratele deschise.
Odata cu evolutia vietii de cuplu a celor doi protagonisti , asistam si la schimbarile prin care trece lumea in perioada 1936-1994 , razboiul civil spaniol , WW2 dar mai ales Chile de la republica moderata , la ridicarea miscarii de stanga a lui Salvador Allende pana la asasinarea acestuia si instaurarii huntei militare ale lui Augosto Pinochet ,fapt ce ii va determina pe cei doi sa fuga din nou , de data aceasta in Venezuela.
O poveste incredibila ce trateaza drama razboiului , fuga , refugiul , pierderea caminului dar si viata , speranta , perseverenta si puterea de a incepe din nou de la zero....more
**spoiler alert** Asasinarea unei intregi familii respectabile (ca sa nu spunem piloni ai comunitatii ) dintr-un mic oras din Kansas in anul 1959 serv**spoiler alert** Asasinarea unei intregi familii respectabile (ca sa nu spunem piloni ai comunitatii ) dintr-un mic oras din Kansas in anul 1959 serveste drept catalizator al povestii noastre.
Autorul ne ofera o imagine holistica a societatii , prezentand cu lux de amanunte , atat vietile victimelor , a faptasilor precum si a tuturor persoanelor care interactioneaza intr-un fel sau altul cu cei mentionati .
Vietile personajelor sunt disecate de-a lungul romanului pe toate planurile temporale.
Asadar aflam motivul crimei , planificarea , executia , fuga urmand apoi urmarirea (se detaliaza punctul de vedere al anchetatorilor ) , procesul , inchisoarea si in cele din urma pedeapsa.
Poate cea mai impresionanta parte este inchisoarea. Asistam indeaproape la evolutia (sau stagnarea) viziunii asupra vietii a faptasilor precum si la raporturile acestora cu alti detinuti care isi asteapta pedeapsa.
This book was a disapointment.I understand the book is pretty much a recollection of facts seen first hand by the author ...but even so it focused too This book was a disapointment.I understand the book is pretty much a recollection of facts seen first hand by the author ...but even so it focused too much on lousy descriptions of episodic characters.There were too many unimportant satraps, chieftains and even soldiers where the narrator dedicated entire pages that were abruptly forgotten.
The most important and interesting part was the first part of the returning journey mainly from Babylon to the Black sea.
The book went downhill from there and stood that way with some small exceptions....more
The story focuses on the regime of the Dominican Republic dictator Trujillo written in Llosa's characteristic style oAnother Vargas Llosa masterpiece.
The story focuses on the regime of the Dominican Republic dictator Trujillo written in Llosa's characteristic style of multiple chronological plains.
We get to see closehand the regime's most proeminent people : the head of internal security with his barbarian yet efficient and clever methods when dealing with political dissidents; the regime's propaganda master , the armed forces commander etc...This glimpse is shown through the eyes of the dictator himself.
Interpolated with the above we get to know the conspirators that are planning to take out Trujillo.We learn about their motives , their life before the dictator and more specifically how does a civilian turn into a conspirator soon to be assasin.
Probably the most shocking is the woman that returns to the DR years after Trujillo's death to visit her currently impaired father (ex- one of the most respected personalities of the regime )
The most amazing thing regarding this book besides the gory details of the regime is how after the death of the dictator life moved on and fast , a state that was governed by force for 30 years where the dictator had complete power has been able to forget mostly everything in a matter of months.
Besides some really memorable moments and dialogues , i felt that the book with all of its descriptions regarding the people of Marycomb was boring anBesides some really memorable moments and dialogues , i felt that the book with all of its descriptions regarding the people of Marycomb was boring and i could hardly find reasons for their existence.
The book follows a pattern similar to a game where you have 3 uninteresting and boring sub-quests that nonetheless have to be completed in order to get to the main quest. This pattern stayed true throughout the book....more
Pana la aceasta carte , turbulenta ar fi fost ultimul adjectiv cu care as fi asociat america anilor 50. Cartea de fata aduce sub lupa comportamentul dePana la aceasta carte , turbulenta ar fi fost ultimul adjectiv cu care as fi asociat america anilor 50. Cartea de fata aduce sub lupa comportamentul delirant, fara speranta, nabadaios , aventurier , excentric al tineretului de dupa al doilea razboi mondial , comportament ce are la baza dorul de duca , vagabondajul , aventura , drogurile , sexul si bautura de-a lungul marilor sosele si drumuri americane.
Marturisesc ca am pierdut sirul kilometrilor parcursi , a oraselor in care au oprit pentru mancare la 50 centi , a masinilor furate, lovite , a prostituatelor ieftine sau a concertelor de jazz prin care trec ca vantul protagonistii in cautarea lor disperata de acel "ceva" unic , ingredient care face viata sa merite traita.
P.S Cartea clar trebuie citita daca sunteti pasionati de geografia continentului american...more
From the first pages it became clear to me that i was dealing with an author of a diferent caliber.
The book is so geniune , so psichologically deep , From the first pages it became clear to me that i was dealing with an author of a diferent caliber.
The book is so geniune , so psichologically deep , it tackles so many aspects of life but the one that stuck with me and opened my eyes was : be open , accept other people as they are , don't assume your vision of life is the correct one and discard everything else.That is how intolerance , racism and all the nitty gritty's start (foreshadowing WW2 in the book).
Also don't take yourself too seriously , don't build your ivory tower and hunker down in classics and old eras while despising your time.
Life is hard , was hard and will be hard and miserable and you will never understand it all , nor will people try to understand you.
Take all with a grain of salt , try new things and the most important thing ...Laugh !!!!!...more
The story of 3 generations of vietnamesse immigrants: --gen 1: the female that finds love - in a us soldier- during Saigon's siege in the Vietnam WarThe story of 3 generations of vietnamesse immigrants: --gen 1: the female that finds love - in a us soldier- during Saigon's siege in the Vietnam War. -gen 2 : the mother that takes hard jobs in order to provide for her son , until the onset of schizophrenia . - gen 3 : A boy and his coming of age in the 90's , finding out he's gay , and getting bullied for showing his sexuality openly.Also his experiences with love , drugs and also death. It tries to depict life and feelings using unusual terms , that in the end make the story harder to read and frustrating.
The author is young and i firmly believe he will get it right eventually....more
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