saarahnina's reviews
539 reviews

It is really short!

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I found it more humorous than horrific. This is a short tale of a man who goes into a surgery to undergo a vasectomy. During his time waiting to be called in, he imagines a deathly scenario.

But the surgeon and his wife have a point, men indeed do not know what pain is, and the ordeal of childbirth is far greater than that of several snips and injections. Please note, I have no actual first-hand knowledge of either experience. And I don't believe myself to be a man-hater, it was just Bryan's foul language that led my repulsion of him.

Better than most

This book is short, consisting of ten chapters, and is mostly comprised of the letters between Teresa and Luke, as they begin their acquaintance. It then follows them on their journey to beginning to know one another- in person away from pen and paper.

I say it is better than most of this genre, because there was genuine feeling in its pages.

But, there were errors and slight contradictions, which I don't feel like going into. Hence, the four stars. But, looking past those, I can easily recommend this- if you're looking for a light read to keep you for a couple of hours, this is adequate.

An ambitious novel set against the backdrop of conflict
This is an emotional, passionate read about a young mother dealing with the unstable times of Ireland's potato blight, or The Great Famine. The author creates a fictional drama centred around the crisis of 1845. Though, I cannot judge this book on account of its factual detail, since I lack the sufficient knowledge, I appreciated the story for what it was- a work of fiction.

And I was captivated by the red-haired woman, Ellen O'Malley, as much as Robourteen. Indeed, her bravery was astounding. She faced the loss of her husband and had to sacrifice her children because of her sense of duty to travel to Australia, to seek a better life for herself and her unborn child. I realise she is only a character- but she was written so impressively, that I cannot help but respect her as if she were a real person.

I received this book through NetGalley.

I want to read more books like this, and I'm overjoyed that there is to be a sequel. I can't wait! This book will stay with me, for a very long time, it's so fascinating.

In the book, we learn of a society which refuses to accept mistakes, those who make one - be it something like failing their organisation- they receive a branding. They are no longer regarded as people, they are Flawed. They have new rules to abide by, and their lives are thrown into turmoil, under the malicious scrutiny of society. At the head of this is Judge Crevan, a man who is seemingly the epitome of perfection. He also happens to be the father of Art, the young man the protagonist -Celistine North- is dating.

She also is seen as perfect, initially: she has the grades, the dress sense, the brains, the looks: you name it, she has it all. Maths is her subject- she likes a logical structure to things. For me, History is my subject- I prefer logical reasoning, I take pleasure in learning from and of the past- the mistakes and victories of a previous generation. I saw a lot of myself in Celistine. She was the girl who excelled in all aspects of her life, but was never really in the limelight- she was just going with the motions of time. That is until the society's affairs hit closer to home (this reminded me of "First they came" poem by Martin Niemöller). She makes a bold mistake of her own- only she doesn't consider it a 'mistake' at all. Personally, I felt her 'crime' was the most honourable. In spite of this, that one flaw in her character manages to wreak havoc on her lifestyle. And that is when it becomes a problem. Previously she had rooted [for], and defended, the system which sought to eliminate corruption in society- it had seemed logically sound.

This was a captivating novel, and helps us think of the baseless nature of our own prejudices, many of which are fed by the media (think: Trump). And the writing is good, especially in tha there is no flitting between different character's perspectives, so it is very discursive and not distracting, which is more suitable for a book of this kind.

I would say this novel would be suitable for young adults- only because an older person may find it difficult to relate to some of the protagonist's insecurities. But, I have no doubt that fans of Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses would devour this novel. I would say that I want it to be developed into a film, but I don't want it to be ruined.

This novel, has such profound intellect and proposes such incredulous implications on any society. I'm now curious about the Criminal Justice System. It makes us question society's integrity, and the ethicality of the control a government system imposes on a society. "Anyone can become the voice of change." We hear that all the time, it's always about the 'talk'- we now need to 'walk the walk'. Our actions speak louder than our words.

I received this novel through NetGalley.

Astonishing!

It was amazing how so many different emotions can be provoked through short tales, this book is one of the sweetest. A valuable treasure, I especially loved the story of the grieving widow. As saddening and wistful as some of the stories were, there were others that were equally hopeful. I can promise that you will find a valuable tale in this book.

Cute, and sweet.

This book began differently than most of this kind...it emphasised fate's and God's role in bringing two people together, in spite of a series of mishaps and consequential plots. The couple Toby and Emily fitted together well- a sweet couple united by love at first sight. Their love blossomed quickly, and I can't fault the story telling- I have no experience of love at first sight nor of its impact.

Though, I couldn't stand the fact that Slim Jim-the conspiring, manipulative villain of the tale- manages to get away with his criminal acts... Surely, people who preach honesty and good virtue would have no trouble to take measures to rid themselves of corruption that infiltrates their society? Or even speak of it? I simply can't accept that no one spoke of the crimes inflicted by the hands of such a vile man.

Helpful

This book offers a number of dating tips in a somewhat light hearted and hopeful way: to find your man it may just be up to fate. I would say that there were chapters of this book which had me thinking 'TMI' (Too much information). I could have done without those...

A short cliché.

Average, I'd say. But it had its moments, I liked the characters the charming friendship and the way it manifested, eventually, into something more. I liked how East didn't have any reservations in the way he behaved- he didn't let the usual "you're too good for me" become a hindrance to their budding relationship.

Personally, I found it unbelievable that a woman as smart as Meg would not care to consider the future-East is only just learning to commit, how can she be so sure that he'll stick around? I suppose this book is trying to give the impression-forget your thoughts, your sensibilities, and just ho for it. I can't say that I agree with such a sentiment.

Alain de Botton has mastered the art of Romance

This is the book that should be gifted to all newly weds. It reads like a Bible! Not quite so difficult, though. Alain de Botton offers inspiring guidance that will prove sufficient in helping one survive any life-committed relationship. But he doesn't write in a way that piles and burdens us with buckets of wisdom and advice...Instead he takes a more subtle approach, less accusing, he creates a fictional couple: Kristen and Rabih who experience life together and then officially get married, have children and live life as we know it. He highlights the instances when their relationship becomes bumpy, and how they each react, their character flaws (and strengths) and then how they should have reacted. The latter of which is his way of sharing the advice.

The book helps us reflect on our own relations with the people we love, not necessarily just romantic love. De Botton has a talent for describing mundane things in a story-like manner, and in a manner to inspire questions which come as realisations. I don't think I have ever read a book where I know so much about the characters: from their careers to their unique habits, their annoying antics. I don't even think I know a real person quite that well!

There were instances in which I was taken aback by the advice he shared- in a short dialogue, he delivered a way to solve the issues of mis-communication in a marriage, how to stop blaming your significant other for the problems in your life, how to cope after a recent heated argument.

I read this book from an objective perspective- being unmarried myself, my words on this book are not biased but I can't say whether the book works. What I can say is that his words are logical- they are reasonable and I know for one thing, when we are in a heated argument with absolutely anyone, logic and reason escape us (most of us, most of the time). So, The Course of Love provides us with theoretical guidance that we can adapt in a practical situation. When we can't think for ourselves, we need someone to tell us what to do, so why not listen to Alain de Botton?

I have no doubt that de Botton would make an excellent marriage counsellor- or even a partner. I recently read an article of his in the Guardian's opinion column (Why work is much easier than love)- and at the time, his name didn’t ring a bell (I actually disagreed with him and said so in the comments!) But now I'm at awe with his work. This is definitely a book I will happily consult when I'm frustrated with someone!

Though I found that the logic in de Botton's work was not always consistent: he reference Freudian concepts, particularly Oedipus and Electra Complexes. I I have never been able to see make sense of Freud's work. This tied in with de Botton's description of seeing your partner as your own parent was also confusing, creepy, and down-right uncomfortable. I'm not refuting the truth of it (I'm actually quite unsure of whether there is truth to it), just that it was a bit much. I have studied Sigmund Freud myself, and whilst his conclusions seem obscure- I know that there's evidence for the claims he makes regarding romantic love. But the Oedipus Complex still puzzles me- and this somewhat put me off the book slightly. This doesn't at all distract from the other content in the book, but nonetheless it does bring my rating to four stars.

I want to give you a glimpse of what you're in for, with this book. This is an example of a passage that for reasons unknown to me, I especially liked: Alain writes:
"To be mature is, we’re told, to move beyond possessiveness. Jealousy is for babies. The mature person knows that no one owns anyone. It’s what wise people have taught us since our earliest days. Let Jack play with your fire engine: it won’t stop being yours if he has a turn. Stop throwing yourself on the floor and thumbing your small clenched fists on the carpet in rage. Your little sister may be Daddy’s darling, but you’re Daddy’s darling too. Love isn’t like a cake: if you give love to one person, it doesn’t mean there is less for anyone else. Love just keeps growing every time there’s a new baby in the family."
It is when you apply this to a romantic, intimate relationship that you question the validity of his words- what an interesting topic of conversation. Such words are dangerous in challenging monogamy.

I received this book through NetGalley.

Ended too soon.
This story is told in a true storytelling fashion, very anecdotal. It is narrated by Evelyn Eibhlin and the story is told from the perspective of a young lady, who suffers a mortifying experience involving her poverty stricken family. Whilst I could not relate to their dire financial situation, I certainly am no stranger to social embarrassment: from those visits to the doctor's clinic, where we would all crowd into a small room with not enough chairs....All the way down to those parents' evenings, when my mother would bring me and my older siblings in, for good measure, and we'd all be forced to squeeze ourselves into a child's chair. Not an easy feat. There were times when I'd have stood, had it not been for the implications that I was intimidating a teacher. That, and I can't stand for too long. This story allowed me to reminisce about my past, only good stories inspire me to think of those good, carefree times.

Also, the narrator's voice was very fitting: the right blend of hopeful and regretful. A weird mix, but enough to keep it light and interesting.

NB: I received this audiobook via Audiobook Blast.