Penguin Classics!

Hello, everyone!

I just received The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde from the Book Depository, and I thought I'd share a picture of it in case you're thinking about getting it too!

It cost me €15, which I don't think is bad considering it's a hardback.

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, and with this book in my bookshelf it won't take long until I'll just have to pick it up and read it.

I'm definitely buying more books in the Penguin Classics series. I've seen there are other books by all sorts of writers, ranging from Homer to Austen to Dickens.

The title page

What do you think?

If you've read the book, did you like it?

- Charlie.

The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton

I decided it was time I learned some more about Greek mythology, and my order from the Book Depository just arrived with this lovely hardback:

The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton is a complete guide for those interested in learning about Greek mythology. The book takes you through famous stories and characters in addition to showing you maps and illustrations.

Though I haven't had much time to read it yet, the language used seems simple and easy to understand. I probably won't be reading this book from cover to cover, but rather look up a couple of things from time to time.

If you're interested in Greek mythology, I definitely recommend this book. It's not that expensive in the Book Depository, either, considering the quality of it and especially considering it's a large hardback with lots of colored pictures.

Are you interested in Greek mythology? Do you have any other books like this one that you would recommend?

How I feel about Murakami

I don't know how I feel about him.

So far I've read three books by him: After Dark, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and Norwegian Wood. To be honest, the only one I liked was Norwegian Wood.

I read all three books in Norwegian, which may explain why I sometimes felt like the language didn't quite live up to my expectations. All the books I've read by this publisher have been terribly translated and I'm never buying a book translated by them ever again.

I generally like the storylines of the books I've read so far, and I often like the main characters of the novels. Sometimes, however, the characters are just a bit too unrealistic, making me fall out a bit.

I've heard a lot of good things about his new trilogy, 1Q84, though. I'm planning on ordering it soon and see whether I like this one. After having disliked two of the three books I've read by him, I'm afraid of having to make a gamble every time I open another one of his novels.

People either love him, or they think he is overrated. There doesn't seem to be anything in between. I guess I'll just have to make up my mind.

What do you think about Haruki Murakami? Do you love everything he has ever written? Are you like me, and can't make up your mind?

And last, but not least, do you recommend 1Q84?

- Charlie.

How Should I Organize my Bookcase?

Hello everyone!

If you're anything like me, you also wonder how to organize your bookcase. There are several ways to go: you can organize your books by name of author, genre, date of publication or even by color! How is it possible to decide?

I used to organize my book shelves by the first letter of the authors' surnames, but after a while I decided to organize according to genre. At the moment, these are what my various book shelves contain:

• British classics like Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens
• Wordsworth classics
• Classics by foreign authors (like Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Henrik Ibsen)
• Books that look old-fashioned (just because they look good together, sigh.)
• Books I don't plan on reading right away (gifts etc.)
• Fantasy.

How do you organize your books? Are you satisfied with the way you've organized them?

- Charlie.

Let There Be Change!

So I've been thinking about the blog and whether it should only consist of book reviews - the answer is no.

From now on, the blog will also give you updates in my life related to books. I will try to make the blog more interesting for you as a reader, and I hope you will enjoy my future posts!

- Charlie.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.

 

I don’t get why I hadn’t read this before. After having received it for Christmas last year, I thought I’d give it a try. The book was a delight.

            Nineteen Eighty-Four was written by George Orwell and published in 1949. It is set in Great Britain, now known as Airstrip One, in the super state Oceania. The state is controlled by the Party, led by “Big Brother”; the great leader who may not even exist. This society is constantly monitored by the Party, where a single sign of independent thinking is considered “thoughtcrime” and must be punished. Whenever the Party claims something which is contradicted in any article or historical work, the texts must be changed to fit with what is currently being stated by the Party. In addition to doing this, the Party is also determined to change the way the citizens speak, to entirely remove individualism and any sense of justice or freedom. Controlling historical works and the way people speak, the Party’s plan is to control people’s minds too; a totalitarian society.

            The main character of the novel is Winston Smith. He is a member of the Outer Party and works on changing newspapers and writing new newspaper articles. In the novel we see how Winston tries to resist the Party and Big Brother, creating the plot of the book.

            The novel is full of descriptions of how the Party works, which is probably why it’s so scary to read. It seems as if Orwell is justifying the realism of the scenario. A lot of the argumentation makes sense, and we even see some traces of doublespeak in euphemisms used today (saying “neutralize” instead of “kill”, etc.) Seeing the realism of it is probably the scariest part of this book.

            The language is smooth and simple. Orwell’s simple use of language may be to show how much Winston’s range of thought has narrowed down because of the Party. It may also have been to get the message across to as many people as possible; the easier the language is, the more people will understand.

            The book was extremely exciting. It didn’t feel like reading at all. I couldn’t wait to find out more about Winston and his fate; whether he could find a way to destroy the Party. The novel is intriguing and so original that you just have to keep going.

 

Image from the movie adaptation, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). The person on the screen in the middle of the picture is Big Brother.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Nineteen Eighty-Four, and I give it 5/5.

- Charlie.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: For Fans or For Everyone?

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the collection of fairy tales mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; the seventh and last novel in the Harry Potter series. The whole work is a spin-off book written by J.K. Rowling and first published in 2007. Other spin-offs like this one are, for instance, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them. I started reading this book immediately after having finished the seventh book in the Harry Potter series (as I for some reason never thought of reading them as a child, I decided to finally do so now). Without spoiling anything, I will be going through what I liked and did not like about this collection.

            Just the fact that Rowling took her time to write this book amazes me. These additional books make the reader even more involved in the Harry Potter universe. The foreword, footnotes and afterword (by none other than Albus Dumbledore himself) are extremely witty. Sometimes Dumbledore makes reference to events that occurred in the Harry Potter series, making the reader feel even more connected to Hogwarts and its history. Thus the book itself contributed to the authenticity of the world and the involvement of the reader.

            The audience is not necessarily limited, either. While having read all of the Harry Potter books will make the experience even better, it is not a necessity for enjoying the fairy tales. If you have children, you might even consider reading them this book before reading the first one in the actual series. That way, when you reach the last novel, your children will recognize the fairy tale, which could be exciting for them. Except for the occasional references to magical terms, there really is no reason why anyone cannot read these fairy tales.

            The language is very clear and simple. This has two effects: the authenticity of the spin-off (as it is supposed be a collection of children’s tales) and the possibility to read it aloud for children. Because the book found in the Harry Potter series is meant for children, this one is, too. All the fairy tales follow the pattern that fairy tales and fables often do, with morals like: do not try to trick death, tell the truth, help others who are in need, etc. As “normal” fairy tales (or should I say “Muggle fairy tales”?) often include magic, there really is not much difference between the famous Grimm’s Fairy Tales and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

            The pace of the stories is perfect for fairy tales. There is usually an introduction, with the exposition and the everyday life of the protagonist, followed immediately by the problem. Like in tragedies, the characters’ faults are usually what catch up to them in the end, creating a tragic irony in the tales. I always enjoyed fairy tales as a child and could not stop reading until I had finished the book (though it is not that long).

 

As a spin-off, the book is extremely well made. It fits perfectly with the Harry Potter universe and is definitely recommended for both those who are and those who are not fans of the Harry Potter series. Of course, the book will be most enjoyable if one has read all of the books, as one will know more about the circumstances around the book and how it was used by Harry and his friends.

I give this collection of fairy tales 5/5, as it is the perfect spin-off book. I recommend it to everyone.

 

- Charlie.