Tereza, Tomas, Sabina and Franz navigate life and love in postwar Europe (and US, a bit) They experience Communism and soviet occupation, make life altering decisions and are plagued with existential questions, and meaning crises. Their entangled lives provide the meat for this novel-philosophical tale-romance-assay-psychoanalysis-satire. "Can proximity cause vertigo?It can. When the north pole comes … Continue reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being (TULOB), by Milan Kundera
"This is an enchanted place. Others don't see it but I do." It’s not easy to find the words to talk about this one. It’s a searing yet oddly gentle dive into a prison, focusing on its death row. It’s unlike anything I have read before. The hardest story, imparted with the most tender, lyrical … Continue reading The Enchanted, by Rene Denfeld
A few days before embarking on my plane trip to my new dwelling across the Atlantic, I visited Penelope at my favourite bookstore in Paris, The Red Wheelbarrow . I asked her what my "last title" should be. She recommended this, the second installment of Deborah’s Levy “living autobiography”. I asked if I should not … Continue reading The Cost of Living, by Deborah Levy
What an odd and extraordinary little book that was. It follows the adventures of the narrator who wants to write a book about what famous figures were doing on the day of the end of the world. That is, the fateful day of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He starts with one of the … Continue reading Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
"For me, the aim of poetry is to capture the true essence of things. But Truth is difficult to catch, understand and explain. Truth is hard to embrace in one sweep. So one must go tangentially, and turn around with a laser beam. One must shed light on each side of Truth like this, with words. And little by little, from this literary exploration, an approximation of Truth emerges. That's what poetry does."
"I turned my nightmares into fireflies and caught them in a jar." Strange the Dreamer had been sitting on my shelf for years, when I finally cracked it open a few days ago. I actually got my hands on it while looking for another time in the depths of my overflowing bookcase. I am very … Continue reading Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor
Mindless, throwing a thirsty hand forth, Hoping to snatch more. More more and new.
I received a copy of I Am Change from the publisher, and here is my honest review. It has been a while since I posted a review on here. I am happy to come back to talk about such a great novel. I actually shared my thoughts on Instagram already, but I will try to … Continue reading I am Change, by Suzy Zail
Phew! It took me a while to gather my thoughts on this stunning, elusive piece of a novel. For a time, I even abandoned the idea of reviewing it. But the thought of it came at me again, and here I am, trying my best to render the otherworldly splendor of it. I did not … Continue reading The Changeling, by Joy Williams
After having heard -read- about The Night Circus everywhere, I finally got my hands on it and even found my way through my overflowing TBR to open it. The first try, in August, was a false start, though, because at the time, after a long stretch of reading in English, I felt the need to … Continue reading The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Kemy's bookshelf 