I swear that I read this when I was younger, but when I went to add this to Goodreads as a re-read (it was the January selection for my Completist BooI swear that I read this when I was younger, but when I went to add this to Goodreads as a re-read (it was the January selection for my Completist Book Club), I did not find it in my list. And, because this is one of those books that has a plot people tend to know because of movies and/or its general pop culture relevance, it is difficult for me to know which parts of my memories of this are from the book and which are from other places. But, re-read or not, I am glad I read it in January 2022.
This is classic sci fi. It is easy to see how many parts of this led to the tropes we see in literary and cinematic sci-fi today. And it is pretty amazing the creativity Wells had for coming up with such vivid and scientifically based alien technology and biology. This book was way ahead of its time!
While the setting is late 1800s England (horse carriages, telegrams, etc.), it is not hard to picture this in a modern setting. Wells did a great job making the story timeless. Often when I read books set in this era, they may be good, but they can also feel dated – not a bad thing, it is just that time moves on. But, with this one, society may have advanced, but it did not feel like time had moved on.
If you love the classics and/or love sci-fi and you have not read this book, I feel like it is a must for you to get it on your list right away. I was leaning toward 4 stars on this book, but the classic status and the effect it has had on sci fi over the years push that up to 5 stars!...more
I am pretty sure I read this book when I was a kid and loved it. I figured it would be a great book to read out loud to my kids. Unfortunately 3 Stars
I am pretty sure I read this book when I was a kid and loved it. I figured it would be a great book to read out loud to my kids. Unfortunately it ended up being a somewhat painful book to read out loud.
While the stories are cute and memorable, the writing and dialogue is frequently convoluted and confusing. There is such and excess of run-on sentences that Milne even breaks the fourth wall at one point to comment about run-on sentences. Also, there is random capitalization throughout the book - which I don't think would be much of an issue reading silently to myself, but I never realized how much my brain would use capitalization as a visual cue to decide how I would say something out loud. Every chapter was stopping, restarting, apologizing to the kids, etc. All of this ended up tainting family reading time a bit.
My daughter pointed out that one of these stories is in her third grade reader. After this refresher, I fear that this book might promote some bad reading and grammar habits in kids just learning to read.
A classic, sure, but just not as fantastical and fun as I remember. I feel like being exhausted at the end of every chapter because of the writing is not a great thing....more
I know that this is a reread for me, but I never had Of Mice and Men marked as read in Goodreads. I am pretty sure it was required reading in high schI know that this is a reread for me, but I never had Of Mice and Men marked as read in Goodreads. I am pretty sure it was required reading in high school and I know I enjoyed it the first time around. And, as luck would have it, I enjoyed it this time as well.
I can sum it up by saying that Steinbeck can write (and that is an understatement)! I have loved every book I have read by him. The descriptions are vivid, the characters are richly developed, and stories are powerful. Of Mice and Men is no exception. In fact, if you have been wanting to try Steinbeck but find the size of Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden daunting, this is a great place to start.
Even if you have never read this book, you have probably seen many tributes/homages to its main characters George and Lenny; cartoons, movies, tv shows, etc. George is the gruff and scrappy brains of the operation while Lenny is a mentally challenged giant who does not know or understand his own strength. Their relationship is an odd one but kind of beautiful. Without it, this story would just not be the same.
Also, this book has one of the most (view spoiler)[tragic and gut-wrenching finales in literature (hide spoiler)]
This is a classic that I feel everyone should read. And, I feel like Steinbeck is an author that everyone should read at least once. The writing is just too amazing to miss out on and it is so awesome how consistently amazing Steinbeck was. ...more
Another fun time reading a classic and nostalgia filled book to my kids!
Probably the best part of the experience was when it came to sharing my progreAnother fun time reading a classic and nostalgia filled book to my kids!
Probably the best part of the experience was when it came to sharing my progress on Goodreads and the wide array of responses I got. Everything from, “Wow, I haven’t read this in years! I was one of my favorites!” to, “WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU READING!” I mean, it is a book about a vampire bunny and if you saw the cover come across your feed, and you had never heard of it, you might have had a similar shocked reaction!
I did enjoy reading this to my kids and have enjoyed the fact that they have now consumed three straight books one chapter a night with great enthusiasm. However, unlike Charlie and the Chocolate factory, it did not quite translate to a 5-star read for me as an adult and, if I had not been enjoying it along with my kids I might have not enjoyed it quite as much. But, still, a classic!
One of my favorite things about this book is that it does have a similar feel to Dracula in the narration by Harold the dog. His delivery and diction felt very similar to Harker’s letters in Dracula. That was a really cool connection – and I hope if my kids get to read Dracula some day they remember Bunnicula!
So, either enjoy a nostalgic “horror” trip to your childhood or continue to be confused as to why someone would want to read this. Either way, Bunnicula is not going anywhere in the annals of classic youth literature ...more
Original rating: 3 stars Updated rating: 3 stars (yup, no change)
I originally read this book when I was 12 or 13. I wrote a book report on it for a midOriginal rating: 3 stars Updated rating: 3 stars (yup, no change)
I originally read this book when I was 12 or 13. I wrote a book report on it for a middle school English class. I also remember that I read it while on Spring Break in Florida - so it was kind of cool to read this while in a somewhat tropical climate. I remember that I liked it okay, but when you are reading it for school, you sometimes cannot trust a lukewarm memory of a book.
In this case, my memory was spot on!
I can describe this book two ways:
- An okay seafaring/pirate tale that will probably be loved by hardcore pirate fans and people who like nautical tales - Tedious
When I mentioned it was tedious to my wife, she asked if it was repetitive. But, repetitive is not quite right. More like each scene/part of the book is drawn out to the point I was relieved when it moved on. Kind of surprising as it is not all that long of a book. If you are anything like me you will spend a lot of your time thinking "Get on with it!"
One interesting "Ah-ha" moment I had: As you may know, this book features Long John Silver. In my mind, and probably most peoples' minds, he is a famous pirate from a famous pirate book and there is a seafood chain named after him. The ah-ha, and maybe this was not intentional, is that his cover in the book is that he is a cook on the boat. So, naming a restaurant after him makes perfect sense!...more
Y'all are out there watching Avengers: Endgame while I am at home watching the classic 80s cartoon of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A whole lY'all are out there watching Avengers: Endgame while I am at home watching the classic 80s cartoon of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. A whole lotta nostalgia going on.
Why am I watching it right now?
Well, I just finished a reread of the book, and it is simply as magical as I remember. It is a well written fantasy story that is not too complex and, therefore, is accessible to young and old alike. It does indeed have Christian allegory, but it is up to you whether you want to read it with that in mind or not.
One thing about the dialogue is that while it is simple, there are some words and phrases that are dated to the time period it was written. Because of this, a dictionary may be helpful every so often throughout the book. One place where Google came in quite handy was in the chapter about Turkish Delight. It might have been more common long ago or in other parts of the world, but I was not quite sure what it is.
Finally, the best part of this reread was that I read it out loud to my 7 and 5 year old. It feels great to pass great books on to them. Also, it was magical to watch how much they enjoyed it. They we're even drawing pictures of the characters and running around the house pretending to look for the wardrobe!
Side note: some versions of the series have this as the first book. Some have it as the second. Even though I have read them all before, I don't really have an opinion on the matter. I think either order is just fine....more
This review is being posted mainly because of the awesome backstory. I actually had to read this twice in high school and didn't care for it much eithThis review is being posted mainly because of the awesome backstory. I actually had to read this twice in high school and didn't care for it much either time.
But, here comes my great story!
When I was a sophomore in high school I went out with this girl who eventually dumped me and gave the reason that she was only going out with me until the guy she really liked showed interest in her. A real downer!
Fast forward to senior year . . .
I was in theater and I just so happened to do shows at the all girls school where the aforementioned girl went. After a performance (I was Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie), she came up to me and said that she needed to talk to me and that she was interested in me attending prom with her!?? WHAT!?? I hadn't talked to her in a couple of years . . . my mind was blown!
I said yes, but I was skeptical . . .
While at prom she sat me down for "the talk". She said that she felt terrible for what she did to me. She said that while reading The Awakening, she started to realize that I was really good to her and being the place holder for this other guy was not fair to me. *VINDICATED!* She wrote an essay about what she had done to me and how the book had opened her eyes (an awakening, perhaps???). This essay ended up winning some sort of state-wide competition. *Feeling pretty great by this point!*
Epilogue
She came up to me at the end of the prom and asked me if she could leave with another guy who she has been kind of interested in for awhile . . . (you can't make this stuff up!) So, I got my vindication, but history repeated itself - at least I wasn't officially dating her this time!...more
This was a reread for the first time in about 25 years. The last time was in high school for required reading. As much as I love reading, I t4.5 stars
This was a reread for the first time in about 25 years. The last time was in high school for required reading. As much as I love reading, I tend to not remember required reading very fondly. For that reason, I like to try and go back to revisit them with an open mind.
This I remembered this as 3 stars. That got a few shocked responses (see the comments below - the first few were from before my re-read!)
I am glad I reread. It really is a great book. Very creative and unique especially considering it originally came out in the early 50s. I would find this work of what could be considered speculative science fiction creative and unique even if it was released today.
Charlie is a fantastic character study. And, what is probably the most interesting thing is that while we are studying him, he is studying himself. Very meta! Charlie is now probably now in my top 10 most interesting literary characters.
If you are looking for a classic to that is written in a very relatable way give this one a try. And, if you were required to read this back in high school and you don't remember liking it, you should probably try it again!...more
This is a Bildungsroman – that is a word I always think sounds fun but I always foFirst read back in High School – 2 Stars
Reread as an adult – 4 Stars
This is a Bildungsroman – that is a word I always think sounds fun but I always forget what it means. I only realized this book is one because of my followup review of it on Wikipedia for extra facts. For those who are like me and think it is a fun word but can’t always place how to use it, it is “a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood . . . . in which character change is important.” Basically, a coming of age story.
I didn’t remember a lot about this book from the first time I read it, but I remember that I didn’t like it. And, in rereading it I can definitely tell why I didn’t like it. While my most recent experience with this book is 4 stars, it does get a bit wordy, long winded, repetitive, and maybe even a bit boring at times. I think teenage me was probably needing something a bit more exciting to keep his attention and interest.
Two things I think helped me appreciate this book more this time around:
- More life experience to reflect on - much like the main character and author are reflecting on their coming of age - Listening to it made the experience very enjoyable. Colin Farrell did a great job!
I have read one other Joyce (Finnegans Wake) and that one is complete nonsense. I know someone is going to see that and want to preach at me why it is not, but . . . sorry, it is incomprehensible nonsense. This one was much more pleasant and easy to follow and I really did enjoy watching the protagonist’s journey from boy to man as he struggles with school, authority, religion, sex, relationships, and “What is Art?” It is worth the read and its classic status....more
This was a reread of a required reading book from high school. Usually I am rereading required reading because I did not like the book b4 to 4.5 stars
This was a reread of a required reading book from high school. Usually I am rereading required reading because I did not like the book back then and I want to see if I like it now. But, in this case, I really liked this one when I read it in high school and I really liked it now, too!
There is just something about Hardy that I enjoy. In the past couple of years I read Far From The Madding Crowd and loved it as well. The feel of the writing is not much different from other books I have read from the time period, but I don't always seem to connect with those. With Hardy, I have been pretty lucky so far and I am looking forward to trying others.
There are a few repetitive/draggy parts. I think if I did not enjoy this book as much as I did those parts would have had a much more negative effect on my overall experience. But, I am able to let them slide and, honestly, the repetition probably adds to the frustration I have with the characters when they finally do something different and it is the wrong thing. (This is a good thing - any time I shake my fist at the characters through the page it means I am totally engaged)
I think I can summarize Tess of the D'Urbervilles in a few bullet points:
- Men suck but women pay the price for their suckage - Honesty is not always the best policy - That thing you need to happen will not happen until right after it is too late - Cow milking can be sexy
If you have read other Hardy and liked it, read this. If you have read other books from this genre and liked them, read this. If you are looking for something to read, read this. Heck, just read this!...more
4 Stars from what I remembered from reading this in high school 3 Stars from rereading it now
This book is a classic that is on a lot of required readin4 Stars from what I remembered from reading this in high school 3 Stars from rereading it now
This book is a classic that is on a lot of required reading lists. I can understand that as it gives a fictional glimpse into the Westernization of Africa. A topic like this is very heavy, controversial, and important – because of this, a tale in this genre is going to have a big impact and will easily make its way to must read status.
When I read it in high school, I think I enjoyed it more than now because the style of writing and subject matter were different than the typical high school reading. Also, back then I was much more interested in politics – in our current world, while I know stories like this are important, I tend to immediately shy away from being deeply interested in politically controversial stories. That doesn’t lessen the quality of writing or the message!
When I read it this time, it felt very clinical and not very riveting. I know that some of the story was to lay the background of the people and how they lived, but it had trouble holding my interest. The book is only about 200 pages but it felt like it took forever to read. A couple of times I got done with a chapter feeling like I must have put a huge dent in it for the day, but when I went to update my status, I had only read 10 pages!
Interesting side note: I remember the project I had to do for this book in high school was to write my own Clif Notes for the book. It was and enjoyable project, but I don’t think I did very good!...more
One of my bookclubs (Click to check out Reading List Completists) is reading this for September 2018. I figure it was a good time for a reread since it was one of my favorites and it has been over 20 years since I read it.
I did enjoy it again this time and it stands up to the 5 star review and designation of classic. There were a few slow parts - mainly when Dr. Frankenstein would stop the narrative to wax poetical about something - but, not enough t take a way from my overall enjoyment.
I still recommend this for everyone and be sure to check out my full original review below.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
This is definitely one of my favorite books I was required to read in High School. Also, it is my favorite of the classic horror novels. It is perfectly written, suspenseful, and is a bit more thought provoking than scary. One of the best ways I can compare it to other classic horror novels is to Dracula - which I read recently. Dracula has so much repetitive filler that you do not find in Frankenstein, which is the main reason I find Frankenstein to be a more enjoyable book.
Also, I would say that this is more a novel of the human condition than an actual horror novel. Some terrifying things happen, but it is the monster within all of us that may end up being more terrifying!
Funny side story: when I read this in High School, it was around the same time that the Kenneth Branaugh adaptation came out at the theaters. We were all encouraged to go see it and found it pretty close to the source material. What was amusing was that Time Magazine had a review of the movie bashing it as untrue to the source material and how disappointed Shelley would be that the Boris Karlovian depiction of a lurching, flattop monster with bolts in its neck was ignored for a more serious drama movie. WHAT!? Time Magazine, for goodness sakes, published an article that claims to know the content of the book but is completely wrong and does it while bashing a movie that did a pretty good job with it!? I mean, it it is okay if you prefer the old time movie version of Frankenstein - and it is a classic - but to make definitive statements that are completely wrong in what is supposed to be a well thought of publication (not your typical tabloid supermarket checkout fodder), that is just too much!
Another classic read with the kids! I love reading to them – they enjoy a chapter every evening and it gives us some good, quality family time. Also, Another classic read with the kids! I love reading to them – they enjoy a chapter every evening and it gives us some good, quality family time. Also, it is cool to see them disappointed if we don’t have time to read (sad, but cool that it is so important to them!)
If you don’t remember Charlotte’s Web from your childhood, did you even have a childhood?
While it is dated – even more so now than when I read it as a kid – it is a timeless tale of life, death, and friendship. There are so many amazingly deep facets in this little book written for children. I am pretty sure a group of adults could still have a very deep discussion about the themes, plot points, and characters in this book.
I mentioned that death is a key part of this book. Some may think that could be too much for kids. But I feel like White presented it in the perfect way to show that death and rebirth are a part of life; perfect in a way as to not upset kids and allow them to explore their curiosity on the subject.
If you have never read Charlotte’s Web, you really should!
Evening reading time with the kids continued with Prince Caspian. Last year we read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and then we watched both the Evening reading time with the kids continued with Prince Caspian. Last year we read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and then we watched both the old cartoon and the recent live action version. The kids frequently asked for the next one, so it was time. Now, I know there is some debate as to the order of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia, but we choose to go with these two first as it seemed like the most cohesive storyline to keep the kid’s attention.
We all enjoyed family time together with this book, which was a reread for me. We had to break the chapters up because they were kind of long to hold the attention of a 6 and 8-year-old. Also, the language is a bit complex at times and I found myself getting all turned around while reading it out loud. Several times we had to stop and go back over a section to make sure we all understood what just happened (not just the kids!) Also, Lewis loves his run on, comma-delineated sentences!
This is a great series for some classic fantasy. It is especially nice if you don’t want to commit to some of the larger classic fantasy tomes. And, while they don’t stick exactly to the plot, a few of the Chronicles have movies to watch afterwards – which is always a bonus for the kids! However, the Prince Caspian movie is over two and a half hours long, so we had to take it in chunks.
Next stop – The Voyage of the Dawn Treader! ...more
In the darkest throes of the longest slump ever . . . Harry Potter helps me through!
The last couple of years I keep trying to get back to reading and In the darkest throes of the longest slump ever . . . Harry Potter helps me through!
The last couple of years I keep trying to get back to reading and reviewing and enjoying it all like I did before the beginning of 2020. But, reading feels like a chore almost every time I do it. Most of my reading has been audiobooks when I run errands and go for a walk. One of the books I have been reading I started well over a year ago. This is just not the normal me . . . but I fear it is becoming the normal me.
This is why re-reading the second Harry Potter book has given me a little gimmer of hope. I am reading it out loud to my kids in the evening and they are SO into it. Seeing their enthusiasm with the magic of the written word and getting a chance to have some quality family time as well really gets those book-reading juices flowing. We are planning to start the next one soon and I hope the joy continues; I am pretty sure it will!
Since it has been over 20 years since I originally read this book, and most of what I remember from it was from the movie or other pop culture references, it was nice to get back into it. I will say that they did seem to keep the movie pretty close to the book (we watched it again right after we finished reading). It is nice that they did this because so often book adaptations stray way off the mark.
The book perfectly carries over the story from the first. Maybe a little repetitive at times ((view spoiler)[another trip into the bowels of Hogwarts to face Voldemort (hide spoiler)]) but not too much to spoil my enjoyment. I also like the fact that this book is still a “reasonable” length. Not that I minded some of the extra content as the books got into the 500+ pages range later on, but the events and the storytelling, for me, are much more to the point in these earlier books. That serves well to keep my interest better than the later entries.
In general, I am sure most people reading this review already have read the book and have seen the movie, so I am not telling you anything you do not already know! I hope you enjoy this series as well and it brings a little magic to you and your family. ...more
This is hands down the best James Bond book and it was turned into the best James Bond movie. I have yet to read all the books, but I have read a fairThis is hands down the best James Bond book and it was turned into the best James Bond movie. I have yet to read all the books, but I have read a fair amount so I think it is okay for me to have the opinion that this is the best!
I read this twice and loved it both times. The second time I read it was on a train in Switzerland between Bern and Brig. This just so happens to be part of the route of the train included in the climactic scene in the book. This was not an intentional coincidence, but very cool!
If you have wanted to try James Bond, this is a good place to start. You might say “but Matthew, it says right here this is book 5 in the series!” I will say for the person who wants to do the hardcore Bond route, start at the beginning with Casino Royale. But, if you are just feeling casual and not sure you want to commit to the whole series, you can start here. I personally don’t feel like there is enough carry over from book to book for you to miss out by starting in the middle. ...more
Tommyknockers on my first read – 3 stars Tommyknockers on my reread – 3 stars
I remembered this not being one of my favorite Stephen King books and I reTommyknockers on my first read – 3 stars Tommyknockers on my reread – 3 stars
I remembered this not being one of my favorite Stephen King books and I remembered correctly.
Even Stephen King regards this as one of his least favorite novels. He was quoted in a Rolling Stone interview as saying it “is an awful book”. I may not go that far, but I cannot say that it is great, either.
For me, it just never gets really going. At times it feels like the plot is moving towards a breakthrough, but then it just stagnates. And, because the book is so long, the stagnation leads to repetition. If this book had been half as long, I think it would have been much better.
I wouldn’t really recommend this book to new King readers, and I wouldn’t recommend it to King fans. I would only recommend this to hardcore Stephen King completists. ...more
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