Tag Archives: Dystopia

Book 2: 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami

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Murakami, Haruki - 1Q84It may have taken two weeks to read this book, but it was completely worth it. I don’t know the last time I’ve spent this much time basking in the beauty and wonderment of a novel. 1Q84 counts for my 2013 Mount TBR and Tea & Books challenges. Now on to my response, which is jumpy and hardly all-inclusive, but hopefully it portrays some of the wondrousness this novel is. Let’s just say I can’t wait to read more Murakami, regardless of if it’s a mind f*ck like Kafka on the Shore or like 1Q84, which is also technically a mind f*ck.

How does one even begin to classify Murakami. From the two books I’ve read the only things I can definitely say are that he defies genres and bucks trends, is incredibly well versed in classic literature and music and popular culture (films and music) and his descriptions are so vivid you don’t have to strive to imagine things because you see them completely formed in front of you. What I can appreciate is Murakami usually drops a line into his books which perfectly explain the books (so far, again I’ve only read two) and this books is (NOT A REAL SPOILER, but maybe skip the quote if you don’t want to know anything – the rest is okay though.), Click here to continue reading

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Book 78: Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

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Mitchell, David - Cloud AtlasWhat a wonderful novel AND a beautiful film! The day I bought this book my roommate asked if I wanted to go see the film and after a lot of internal dialogue made external I decided to see the film before reading the book and it was well worth it. The score of the film was one of the most beautiful I’ve heard in ages and it was also visually stunning.

I knew this would be a good novel because it was only short listed for the Man Booker Prize! It was nominated for and won a few other awards. I’m still convinced, in general, the runners-up on the shortlist are often better than the winners. I have read the winner that year, Alan Hollinghurt’s The Line of Beauty, and although I really enjoyed Hollinghurst’s novel it was a tome and I struggled, so this book was easier to read and I would say more enjoyable for it’s set up and it’s approachability.

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Book 68: 1984 – George Orwell

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I started to read this a few months ago, but I just couldn’t get into it in the first few pages. Setting it aside was apparently the right thing to do because when I read it this time I enjoyed everything about it (with the exception of the ending). 1984 counts for both my 2012 Back to the Classics Challenge (20th Century Classic) and The Classics Club.

Once again, as it seems happens more and more frequently, I’m at a loss of how to respond to a novel. I both loved and hated 1984. I thought the ending was a bit tough to get through, but once you got through it the middle of the novel was amazing and kept me wanting to know what happened, but then the ending was let down, even though I get it.

I want to talk a bit more about the ending. I mean I get why it happened the way it did and I think Orwell was right in doing what he did. Part of this books charm/draw is that for 99% of the book Orwell keeps you interested and hopeful that Winston will break the trend, will do what no one else (that we know of) will be able to do. Even at the end of the novel you think – this is it, he’s going to break free, but then Orwell shuts you down and you, the reader, begin to feel the helplessness and despair that the party members of Oceania must feel.

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Book 2: Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro

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This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful novels I have read.  I had some inclinations of how beautiful it was from reading the synopsis and reading Robert’s review and author post over at 101 Books.  Now before we go any further, if you haven’t read the book, go here and read the book description.  After you’ve read it, If you have any desire to read the book, don’t read this review. Although I don’t tell everything, and actually leave out a good bit, it still reveals a lot.

Prior to Robert’s posts, all I knew about Never Let Me Go, was that it was short listed for the Man-Booker Prize in 2005, but was over-shadowed by Ishiguro’s better known book (and prize winner) Remains of the Day. After reading his review, I realized he book was tangentially similar to Chromosome 6 by Robin Cook which I read in high school and the book quickly jumped up my reading list/it came in at the library.

Click here to continue reading, to see the recommendation (READ IT!), and for quotes.)

Book 33: Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

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First I have to apologize for the length of the post, it definitely got away from me. I planned on discussing the condition of the book when I bought it used (covered in ink writing, highlights, penciled notes, underlines, etc.) but will save that for another post.  If you’re interested in the points I found most interesting click here. If you’re interested in quotes click here. If you want to know whether I think you should read it click here.

As pertinent today as when first written in 1931. The question though is when you read the novel whether you read it as a utopic or dystopic (anti-utopic novel). Having written a paper on these type of novels (A Handmaid’s Tale and Woman on the Edge of Time) I determined, and supported by many reference works that you can’t have one without the other.

This is the story of the future, of what happens when science and religion no longer exist or are whitewashed into a non-existent form. There were various things that intrigued me about the novel and I’ve included them below. It’s hard to write about each one when there were so many things that went (and could go) wrong in a future world such as this.

Click here to continue reading the review.