The Book Slump

Tag: Classic

  • Perfume

    Perfume

    By Patrick Süskind

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 1985, 263 pages.

    Born in sweaty, fetid eighteenth-century Paris, Grenouille is distinctive even in infancy. He has the finest nose in Paris and no personal odour. Süskind develops this idea into a tale of murder controlled by a loathing of humanity. 

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: CLASSIC, DARK, HISTORICAL, HORROR, MEDIUM-PACED

    Since infancy Grenouille has had one notable quality, he has no personal odour – but ironically, the best nose in Paris and can distinguish a smell off a few inhales.

    Grenouille goes through life as an unremarkable man, that nobody notices. Though, this works to his advantage because one day, he smells something so incredible that he becomes obsessed.

    I have been trying to get into more classics this year, and Perfume has decisively good reviews – which I concur, as it is in my top three (for classics).

    The story centres around Grenouille and is set-in eighteenth-century Paris, which is described as a crowded, foul-smelling city. It starts off on bleak circumstances, setting the story up on a miserable note, which makes sense – but is misleading. It was not nearly as grim as anticipated, because the writing style effectively distracts from the more sinister elements of the story.

    The concept of Perfume is unique and something I have not encountered before, or since for that matter.

    Süskind has a way of making his readers question their own morality – because whilst the subject matter is perverse, having it written from the antagonists’ perspective changes the whole perception of the story. I found myself dismissing Grenouilles sinister hobby, because of his frank, almost innocent outlook.

    It makes you wonder whether a horror is only effective if told from the perspective of the ‘victim’ – since, in turn, that makes the reader the victim too.

    I would recommend this to any horror readers, especially if you are looking to get into the classics.

    You can also find this reviewed on ‘Books to cure your Reading Slump’.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE.

  • The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

    The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

    By Yukio Mishima

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 1963, 181 pages,

    A band of thirteen-year-old boys reject the stupidity of the adult world. They decide it is illusory, hypocritical and sentimental, and train themselves in a brutal callousness they call ‘objectivity’. When the mother of one of them begins an affair with a ship’s officer, he and his friends idealise the man at first, but it is not long before they conclude that he is, in fact, soft and romantic. They regard this disillusionment as an act of betrayal on his part – and the retribution is deliberate and horrifying.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: DARK, DISTURBING, CLASSIC, MEDIUM-PACED.

    Warning; animal abuse and incestuous behaviours, gore.

    The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea follows a single mother, Fusako, and her son, Noboru. The dynamic between the two is complex and unconventional – which only becomes more bizarre once his mother meets Ryuji, an experienced sailor. Noboru and his friends start to develop a set of expectations on how people should behave, and unfortunately Ryuji is not meeting his criteria.

    This is such a strange book, it makes you wonder what the author experienced to even think to write it. It is not a ‘horror’, per say, but at times reads like one.

    The characters are interesting. Noboru and his friends are the epitome of childish arrogance, with their self-assured dogmatic views. It perfectly captures that time of youth when you think you know everything and it makes me cringe.

    His mother, Fusako brings some much-needed normality to the book, nicely evening out all the absurdity. The boyfriend of the Fusako, Ryuji, is my favourite character. Whilst at times his choices are, questionable – overall you can tell he is trying his best to make do with the situation at hand.

    The plot is intense and confronting, there are so many incidents that leave you feeling violated. Though, despite it all, I felt nowhere near as bleak as I have with other books, that are far less severe.

    Overall, I enjoyed the book, despite the disturbing content. I would recommend to horror readers – or someone who has an interest in books that feature peculiar family dynamics.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE.

  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    By Mark Twain

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 1884, 327 pages.

    A nineteenth-century boy from a Mississippi River town recounts his adventures as he travels down the river with a runaway slave, encountering a family involved in a feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and Tom Sawyer’s aunt who mistakes him for Tom.

    Rating: 0.5 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: ADVENTUREOUS, HISTORICAL, CLASSIC, MEDIUM-PACED.

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of a young boy who flees his hometown to escape his abusive father. Along the way, he meets both old and new friends and embarks on an adventure — but it doesn’t come without risks. To stay out of trouble, Huck must get creative and think on his feet.

    If you love The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I strongly advise you click off this review.

    I try to give all books the benefit of the doubt and look at them from different perspectives, but this was truly one of the dullest books I have ever read.

    Each character felt like a mildly altered version of the last — there was no individualism; they all just blended into one. Finn was so mediocre, I felt like I was reading from the perspective of a wet piece of bread. He added nothing to the book. And why did he say “wigwam” so much?

    Whilst there is a vague plot, all the “adventures” (a huge stretch, if you ask me) amount to nothing. The best way to describe it is listening to someone else’s dream — which is often an excruciating experience.

    I don’t doubt there are elements of the book that are appealing, but I stubbornly refuse to analyse — or waste — any more time on it than I already have.

    This was a very negative review, and I apologise if you liked the book — but I really struggled with it, and believe me, I tried so hard to find the silver lining.

    If you couldn’t tell, I would not recommend this book. But again, you may love what I hate. At the very least, do not start with it if you’re trying to get into classics.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE.

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray

    The Picture of Dorian Gray

    By Oscar Wilde

    SPOILERS

    Released 1890, 272 pages.

    ‘I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me … Why did you paint it? It will mock me some day – mock me horribly!’

    A story of evil, debauchery and scandal, Oscar Wilde’s only novel tells of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian’s own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a masterpiece of the evil in men’s hearts, and is as controversial and alluring as Wilde himself.

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: DARK, REFLECTIVE, HORROR, LITERARY, FAST-PACED.

    A plot description was surprisingly hard to come by, but as in the overview, The Picture Of Dorian Gray is about a man who becomes obsessed with his appearance and will do anything to stop himself from aging.

    What I enjoy about this book is the plot, the characters and Wilde’s expression.

    The plot is captivating and well thought out. The best way to describe it is that you are experiencing someone else’s mania – but not in a jarring way that confuses you. Personally, I have yet to read anything like it, which is surprising considering the number of unavoidable repeats on the market nowadays, where the same idea gets re written in ten different ways.

    The characters feel appropriate to the time. Now, this is coming from someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, but if asked to show an accurate depiction of nineteenth-century Victorian elites, I would show an excerpt from this book. The characters are eccentric yet predictable — Gray being the exception. He has a raw, unapologetic nature, which leads me to believe he may have been Wilde’s alter ego.

    ‘Wilde’s expression’ means that I could feel him through his writing. Whilst I do not think this book is ‘LGBTQIA+’ – as there is no explicit homosexuality – Wilde’s writing conveys his preference for men, as there is an intensity within the male friendships (Gray and Wotton), that exceeds anything platonic. Then again, knowing Wilde’s sexual orientation may have swayed my judgement.

    Wilde’s writing style is generally consistent, though halfway through, there’s about ten pages of drivel. I understand the purpose: to encapsulate mania and/or portray the bottomless time Gray has on his hands — yet it falls flat and reads like word vomit. It feels as though Wilde is trying to show off his expansive knowledge of different subjects in a covert way.

    I’m not a fan of Lord Wotton’s character. The way he is written is so pretentious. His constant witty remarks and over-the-top language feel affected. And I have to blame Wilde’s writing, not just my dislike for the character.

    I also found the ending a little cliché — although, to be fair, this might be the story that started it all.

    All in all, it’s a decent classic. I banged it out in one day — though I’d avoid that. It’s bleak and gave me a headache.

    I would recommend this to lovers of classics (though it has probably already been ticked off the list), those looking to get into classic literature, and horror readers.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE.

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray

    The Picture of Dorian Gray

    By Oscar Wilde

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 1890, 272 pages.

    ‘I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me … Why did you paint it? It will mock me some day – mock me horribly!’

    A story of evil, debauchery and scandal, Oscar Wilde’s only novel tells of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian’s own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a masterpiece of the evil in men’s hearts, and is as controversial and alluring as Wilde himself.

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: DARK, REFLECTIVE, HORROR, LITERARY, FAST-PACED.

    A plot description was surprisingly hard to come by, but as in the overview, The Picture Of Dorian Gray is about a man who becomes obsessed with his appearance and will do anything to stop himself from aging.

    What I enjoy about this book is the plot, the characters and Wilde’s expression.

    The plot is captivating and well thought out. The best way to describe it is that you are experiencing someone else’s mania – but not in a jarring way that confuses you. Personally, I have yet to read anything like it, which is surprising considering the number of unavoidable repeats on the market nowadays, where the same idea gets re written in ten different ways.

    The characters feel appropriate to the time. Now, this is coming from someone who has no idea what they’re talking about, but if asked to show an accurate depiction of nineteenth-century Victorian elites, I would show an excerpt from this book. The characters are eccentric yet predictable — Gray being the exception. He has a raw, unapologetic nature, which leads me to believe he may have been Wilde’s alter ego.

    ‘Wilde’s expression’ means that I could feel him through his writing. Whilst I do not think this book is ‘LGBTQIA+’ – as there is no explicit homosexuality – Wilde’s writing conveys his preference for men, as there is an intensity within the male friendships that exceeds anything platonic. Then again, knowing Wilde’s sexual orientation may have swayed my judgement.

    Wilde’s writing style is generally consistent, though at times it becomes erratic. There is a part of the book that goes on a deranged tangent which I still cannot understand. If you have read the book, you may know what I mean. I also do not care for one of the characters. He is written in a rather pretentious manner, which I found off-putting.

    All in all, it’s a decent classic. I banged it out in one day — though I’d avoid that. It’s bleak and gave me a headache.

    I would recommend this to lovers of classics (though it has probably already been ticked off the list), those looking to get into classic literature, and horror readers.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE.

  • Memoirs Of A Geisha

    Memoirs Of A Geisha

    By Aurthor Golden

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 1997, 448 pages.

    In “Memoirs of a Geisha,” we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl’s virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion.

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: HISTORICAL, EMOTIONAL, DECEPTION, FRIENDSHIP, MEDIUM-PACED.

    This book definitely deserves the reputation it has earned. I always see it in the second-hand shops, so I – unfairly – assumed it was ‘good’ but nothing special. This was one of those books where I knew within the first few pages that I would love it.

    The relationship dynamics that Sayuri has with each character feels realistic. Golden is able to subtly display the impact that each character left on Sayuri, no matter how small – respective to the roles they played in her life. His writing style is immersive, and his storytelling allows the mind to wander into the pages of the book.

    I love how female-centred this story is. Regardless of any transgressions the women commit, they have strength in their own right and are respected in their role.

    It is a common misconception that a Geisha is akin to a prostitute – whilst this is addressed in the book – it is not pushed or stigmatized like it could have been. Although, I do not want to praise an author for doing the bare minimum – as it should be expected that a male, white author would respect a traditional, Japanese (female dominated), profession.

    I know that some of the behaviours exhibited in the story were accurate to the time, however there are some grey areas I am sceptical of. I am also not a big fan of a certain aspect of the book, but I digress, as I do not want to spoil anything.

    I would recommend anyone give this book a go, especially if you are interested in Japanese history or Japanese culture.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE