Reseñar clásicos es difícil, pero aquí van unos apuntes para los que no son de clásicas:
-El lector moderno suele preferir la Odisea, *Puntúo según GR*
Reseñar clásicos es difícil, pero aquí van unos apuntes para los que no son de clásicas:
-El lector moderno suele preferir la Odisea, al ser más entretenida, menos repetitiva y tener una estructura más interesante; sin embargo, el antiguo prefería la Ilíada por el pathos. Es decir, a los antiguos les era más fácil identificarse con esta obra por la temática de la guerra.
-La novedad de Homero consiste en contar sólo una parte de un mito gigantesco: la cólera de Aquiles. Éste es el tema de la obra y todo gira en torno a él.
-También es de destacar que cada personaje tenga una personalidad propia que brilla en cada acción y diálogo.
-Aquí viene el pathos: por muchas vueltas que Aquiles, encolerizado, dé en torno al túmulo donde Patroclo yace arrastrando el cadáver de Héctor, lo cierto es que éste no va a volver a la vida, como bien dice Hécuba cuando pronuncia los lamentos funerarios. Y lo peor es que como deja caer Andrómaca, el ciclo de violencia no va a cesar.
Y ahora, lector moderno, ponte en el lugar de un antiguo o de alguien nacido en cualquier otra época o incluso en un lugar de nuestro mundo actual en guerra y, cuando llegues al último capítulo, comprenderás por qué la Ilíada ocupaba un lugar de honor en el mundo antiguo y más allá (además, por supuesto, de la forma; Homero escribe versos preciosos).
Aparte de eso también resulta entrañable pensar en esa gente escuchando al aedo interpretar el poema y reconociendo a todos los héroes, los mitos, a aquellos que procedían de sus tierras, etc... Las batallas se me hacen pesadas, pero entiendo que al que lo escuchaba hace 2000 años lo más seguro es que no. También es de destacar que entre tanta muerte, desgracia y gore hay lugar para el humor, normalmente dado de la mano de los dioses o por parte de los guerreros mismos, que se jactan de otro irónicamente, aunque la palma se la lleva Ayante cuando traga mierda de buey. ...more
Yes! After months I finally read a -serious- book! Look at me! I'm an adult!
Joking aside, this was a touching and rea*I rate according to GR's system*
Yes! After months I finally read a -serious- book! Look at me! I'm an adult!
Joking aside, this was a touching and realistic read. Loved the references to classical culture, literary authors, Italian culture, the Jewish background of the main characters, etc. I felt like they really enriched the text.
And well, as for the main relationship... Now, that's love, my friends.
Second: It started slow, certainly way slower than the first one, but once the pace picked up it was hard to stop reaFirst: I SHIP HELENE AND AVITAS.
Second: It started slow, certainly way slower than the first one, but once the pace picked up it was hard to stop reading. And it was also hard to keep reading this book at times because horrible things kept happening. Seriously, if something could go wrong, it went wrong and I came to dread those moments went I know shit was about to hit the characters.
Third: those two reveals were fantastically done. I'm going to be a vague as possible, but let's just say that the first reveal basically made invalid one of my main complaints of the first book. Back when I was reading AEITA I found that subplot strange, weird, like something was off. And it was even weirder here. AND I WAS RIGHT.
As for the second reveal, that one I didn't expect. However, at the same time I was expecting something important about that character because of how the author had started giving them more and more protagonism as the novel went on. It was cleverly done, in a subtle and natural way.
Four: I liked Elias so much, so much more here. Also, I'm glad the author limited his abilities. Laia keeps developing as a normal girl who gets shit done no matter how difficult it is, and Helene... oh Helene. Secondary characters like Izzi, Cook, Avitas or Afya were also remarkable.
Disclaimer: I rate according to GR's system, so that means I liked this book.
*Si alguien quiere que traduzca la reseña al español que me lo diga*
This Disclaimer: I rate according to GR's system, so that means I liked this book.
*Si alguien quiere que traduzca la reseña al español que me lo diga*
This was a very nicely paced and well-written fantasy book, with a cast of interesting characters. First, let's say that the mix of the author's nice prose and the way the chapters went back and forth between Laia's and Elia's POVs, teasing about what happened previously or is going to happen next without giving out the truth, and how their stories intermingled with each other's worked like a wonder for the pace of the book. It has been a long time since I last couldn't put down a novel, but this one kept my interest throughout.
As for the characters, I think the author managed to create three very interesting protagonists. Maybe Laia's normal-ness will put off some people, but I actually liked that instead of being a natural-born fighter with super skills she's just a normal girl who just happens to have an iron will. Elias, on the other hand, is a super soldier who at times thinks too much with his genitals, and while he's not my favourite of the bunch (I like Izzi and Cook who are secondaries more), at least being inside his thoughts was amusing and he was a decent person who just wanted to lead a normal life far away from Blackcliff. Then we have Helene, who may be the most interesting one and the one with the most capacity for massive character development, but saying more about her would be a spoiler.
Still, it's interesting to note that how Laia led a 'normal' life before she decided that she had to stand up for what her conscience tells her she has to do in is a contrast to Elias's character, who doesn't lead a normal life and who is destined and pressured by everyone to do great things while he himself would rather just go back to his tribe and live peacefully. And then we have Helene who knows that she's part of the 'special' ones who hold the world's fate in their hands and who is willing to go along with it because she feels it's her responsibility. Will Laia's objectives shift to something bigger than rescuing his brother? Have they shifted yet given the secrets his brother holds? Will Elias embrace his role as a major player? Will Helene direct her determination to a cause more in league with what the other two want? These questions aren't ground-breaking, but I want to know how these characters will fare because I think the author did a good job with them and clearly put effort in their arcs.
Furthermore, among the secondaries there's Izzi and Cook, who I like a lot, the Commandant who is a horrible person but at least interesting, poor Zac, his twin Marcus who is as irredeemable as the Commandant but still manages to show some humanity twice, etc.
There are things that could have been better, but overall I think this is a good book that is worth checking out.
PD: also, I don't understand why some people call this a dystopia. To me it feels like a classic fantasy story, but set in a fantasy world where life for a certain group of people is shit because *spoilers*. ...more
¿Por qué tanta prisa en consumar ese romance? ¿Por qué? ¿De verdad era necesario? Porque si no fuera por ese amor instantáneo (meta al microondas dos ¿Por qué tanta prisa en consumar ese romance? ¿Por qué? ¿De verdad era necesario? Porque si no fuera por ese amor instantáneo (meta al microondas dos minutos y listo), Legend habría puntuado más. Y sí, este es un fallo grave porque la relación entre Day y June es vital para la trama, así que si ésta falla, el conjunto se tambalea en algunos momentos.
Resumiendo, que no me creo ese romance. No es posible. No lo he sentido.
Sí he notado, por otro lado, la curiosidad que sentían el uno por el otro, ya que son dos adolescentes que, a pesar de venir de dos sectores de la sociedad completamente opuestos, tienen mucho en común. Y esto les fascina.
Ah, si tan sólo Marie Lu se hubiese quedado en esa curiosidad y fascinación, alargando la UST hasta finales del segundo libro otro gallo habría cantado.
El resto de la novela está mejor. No es ninguna maravilla, pero me ha gustado. Vale la pena echarle un vistazo....more
WHAT KIND OF END WAS THAT? (ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻
One more time, I get to be the queen of unpopular opinions, because I lovedWHAT KIND OF END WAS THAT? (ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ 彡┻━┻
One more time, I get to be the queen of unpopular opinions, because I loved this much more than If I stay and Where She Went. [image]
Reasons for loving this much more:
1. Allyson. Unlike with Mia, I could connect with her. I could also feel her becoming alive. Meanwhile Mia always seemed so unreal to me. I never felt any connection with her, I never felt she had a personality.
2. Willem. Yep, he is kind of a player. But I still liked him lots! He's just so fun. Again, I could connect with him, something that didn't happen with emo boy Adam, whom I could barely digest at all.
3. The romance. There was chemistry between Allyson and Willem and I could see why the first fell with was in love with the latter, and as for the other way around, I'll have to wait for the next book. [image]
4. Paris! I swear I've always preferred Italian cities as background for romantic stories (Roma is Amor backwards, hehe) to Paris, but this time Gayle Forman won me over with her Paris. See, my mom was born in the French Provence and she kind of thinks the city of lights is dull and boring and ugly and uninteresting and the part of France I was born in is much, much better, daugther.
5. ...And the rest of European cities Allyson visited, really. I feel like Gayle Forman understands the art of travelling. I, too, like the feeling of getting lost somewhere unknown.
6. Dee. And Wren. And the rest of secondary characters. No matter if they only appeared for just a chapter, they were full of life. They brought a breath of life to this novel, really.
Overall I think this book improved a lot on If I Stay and Where She Went. I know those two will always be more loved among the fans but... I'd many problems with them that I'd better write in their own reviews....more
I approached Ferragost with a bit of caution, since it's the first short story I read by Melina Marchetta and those are a different beast altogether fI approached Ferragost with a bit of caution, since it's the first short story I read by Melina Marchetta and those are a different beast altogether from full-lenght novels.
Ah... Silly me. Of course, it was excellent. Melina Marchetta managed to do in about 50 pages, more or less, a layered story with multi-dimensional characters.
I'll write more in the future. But lastly, I can't be the only one who saw clearly gothic influences in Ferragost, right?...more
Going by the title, and since the "bone" and "smoke" of the first part turned out to be pretty relevant, I think we'll find tons o528 pages? O_O
YESSSS
Going by the title, and since the "bone" and "smoke" of the first part turned out to be pretty relevant, I think we'll find tons of violence (lol obviously) and fights for the "blood" and romance and hope for the "starlight".
EDIT:
Ah.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH.
Oh. My. God.
I was slow reading DoBaS at first because a) I had to write a gigantic essay and study for an exam, and b) the pace was uneven, the POVs always changing, etc. But once I got past the half-mark way I devoured the rest in a day.
Ellai and Nitid, I love Taylor's world. I love many characters too, like Akiva (who I didn't especially favour in DoSaB), Karou (sweet and poor Karou), Zuzana and Mik (love for them being such great friends), Hazael and Liraz, Ziri, Sveva, etc.
I can't tag this as YA. It just doesn't fit, because the protagonist may look like a teen girl, but she talks and acts like an adult woman, and considI can't tag this as YA. It just doesn't fit, because the protagonist may look like a teen girl, but she talks and acts like an adult woman, and considers herself one. What were the publishers thinking?
Onto the book, it was lovely. Another character-driven novel to my list (heh, these are my favourites, can you guess?) These depend entirely on their cast, especially on the main cast, and in that sense, Nasty (HAHA!) worked perfectly.
Not much happens here- Mostly flashbacks and the protagonist re-discovering her 500-year old self. But it's engaging and has some important things to say about life and the cost of immortality without sounding preachy....more
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