Arana

• Rated 3 stars

“It should be 3.5 stars. I liked it but not adored it. ”

Arana wrote this review Sunday, November 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Not the best of Marquez, but a unique literary experience. A must-do for all Marquez lovers. ”

Arana wrote this review Monday, May 11 2009. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“It was my first - and I am not sure whether there will be another - encounter with Murdoch and I absolutely enjoyed it. The think that drag me into this book was its title. I love the sea, so I was simply not able to ignore a book entitled as this one.

I must say I was a bit skeptic about it and, well, I was afraid the nothing but the image of the sea would attract me. However I proved myself wrong and it seems that Murdoch turned out to be quite a talented novelist, with extreme care for details, with a nice storyline, a large imagination. Something that disturbed me were the reactions of certain female characters. It was too much for the story, too non-realistic, but cheap in the same time. You can express madness by some other means, not necessarily meaningless hysteria.”

Arana wrote this review Friday, July 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is quite exquisite... one of the books that excede the classical pattern that Dostoevsky follows. Back when i read it, i really enjoyed the most out of it. Intriguing, yet not mind-blowing, a piece of human architecture.”

Arana wrote this review Sunday, June 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is fascinating... undescribable.. metaphoric, naive, beautiful, dream-like, depressive... everything. A perfect book. An incredible surprise!”

Arana wrote this review Thursday, May 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“It is quite hard to review this book. As i started it, i was somewhat disappointed - i'm a Kundera fan and i expected more out of him. I just had that sensation of been there, done that. But at one point, the book just turns dramatic. The metaphysical approach, the author making out a character of himself, but in the same time taking the vivid approach to limits i haven't encountered anywhere else. This approach on immortality is a natural following after the lightness of being and then laughter and then, unavoidably, death. But death taken to its extreme limit... death beyond death and so on.

Many of the reviews i've read had a problem with the 6th episode. Just that, as Kundera himself says - there is no such thing as an episode - if we are immortal, it is only a matter of time for each episode to explode and to create a whole new meaning to our life. Many have ignored Agnes' dream about that question - if you lived again, would you do it next to Paul? NO. That's because she wants smth else, she wants her body reflected in the giant mirror in the hotel (remember how Rubens is obsessed by that image himself, by that metaphor, by that almost irrelevant part of Agnes).

As a whole this book was overwhelming. The things that disturbed me are simply ideas, visions that are contrary to some of my - let's say beliefs, even though it is smth else. All in all a great reading experience, probably my fav Kundera novel after The Unbearable... so, i'll rate it a 5 stars. ”

Arana wrote this review Sunday, March 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Quite a fascinating piece of writing. All the contrasts and decadence, the philosophy behind the erotism make this book a true thrill. Though I wanted to throw it out the window at some points, feeling repulsed, I still enjoyed it and it reached up to my expectations. ”

Arana wrote this review Sunday, February 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The best part about this book is its technique. Quite unique and thrilling, it has an important part in keeping your attention at its peak all through the book. Of course, the first chapter took me by surprise, since it was written by a... corpse, but the flow if events is then described in such a manner that book becomes a riddle within a puzzle. Or viceversa.

The second best part is the subject. I don't mean the murder, love story etc (I'll come back to these), but the ART. I had absolutely no knowledge about the art of miniaturists and their complex and intriguing philosophy on art and style. It was so intriguing to read and discover this book, I had my eyes on the glossary in the back constantly and i was amazed by the importance of miniaturism in the Ottoman Empire. It was not only drawing, but so much more. Sometime, I'll definitely take some time and study this aspect of history. It's one of the best parts about literature in general - it takes you to corners so wonderful, yet so hidden.

Now, why my rating is only 4 stars. Well, the main story is a bit dull and made for selling. The murder, the playing detective part and why not, the love story. A bit to accesible, no profound feelings at all at some points; I just find it not very accurate for the main idea, which I just exposed.

My favorite parts were... about Red - colour and blood. Asolutely brilliant how the author manages to describe that. Quite a talented author. He deserves his Nobel prize, imo. ”

Arana wrote this review Wednesday, January 30 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“There's quite some years since i've read this book, it was one of the first important novels that i read, that marked my passage from childhood literature to serious one. Back then I enjoyed every bt of it. Writing an objective review is quite impossible, but I can still remember how well the author describes the two opposite civilisations, how it takes you into a journey back in time, making you believe every bit of what he's writing there. I know that while I was reading it I managed to learn many expressions in Jappanesse, along with the main character. A beautiful beautiful book.

The interesting part is that it's Clavell's sole work I actually enjoyed. I started readin Tai-Pan and another one as well, but they were simply dull, after the exciting experience of Shogun, ”

Arana wrote this review Wednesday, January 30 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I would give this 3.5, but i can't so it's 3 stars. Why? Because I expected more. It started out so wildly and powerfully, ready to captivate you in a halucinating story and it slowly became boring and clisheic. Maybe it is just me and my constant search for inovation and astonishment. The idea is great, the character well-built, but somehow it is not complex enough and it is a bit predictable. ”

Arana wrote this review Tuesday, January 29 2008. ( reply | permalink )