Books on My Reading List pt. 2

 

Hello again! So this week I continue last week’s topic that is the giant pile of books I have to read. And just like last week’s post clarified: yes, these are all books I own and no, I am not rich just very strategic with my shopping. So with that disclaimer out of the way let me continue last week’s list:

 

1. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë

One of the classics I am looking forward to become acquainted with. I do have a soft spot for the classics, but alas! I have yet to read them all! But I have a feeling that this book is going to be right up my alley!

 

2. “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” By Victor Hugo

Yet another classic I am looking forward to reading. I must admit that the only knowledge I have of this work of fiction is the animated Disney movie. Now in my opinion that movie has one of the best villains in Disney history: Frollo. And if he is just half as “good” in the book, then I have something to look forward to I would say.

 

3. “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad

Originally bought for a class at University I ended up dropping, but by then I had bought the book and now it is not only a part of my “future reads”-pile but also of my little collection of classics. I have a feeling that this will not only be an engaging read, but also a terrifying read. In short: I am looking forward to having the time to read it!

 

(The three books listed above are all part of the Wordsworth Classics. These are affordable paperbacks and I have found that you can often get a good deal on them if you buy more than one. Just wanted to mention it so that those of you reading this who has limited finances like myself, becomes aware of cheap yet still good quality books.)

 

4. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I absolutely LOVE the original! And this has been recommended to me many times. I have begun reading it several times, but so far I have not been able to get even halfway. Now that has nothing to do with the book being bad, on the contrary! It is very good. And funny. It just so happens that every time I embark on the journey the outside world, for one reason or another, demands my attention. Hopefully I will soon have the time to finally read it all the way through.

 

5. “Mayhem and Murder – Narrative and Moral Problems in the Detective Story” by Heta Pyrhönen

Another book I purchased second hand in Aberystwyth. Now this one I am a bit uncertain about, but since I do like crime fiction I thought it might be something I would enjoy reading. It does look promising, but I will have to find out if it is going to rise above my mediocre expectations.

 

6. “Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King

Now I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Stephen King, but when he gets it right he gets it right. This book like Anno Dracula from last week’s post was a recommendation on Jillian Venters’ website “Gothic Charm School”. And just like Anno Dracula it features vampires. That particular monster seems to be a returning subject on this blog. Well! I guess it is just a part of my gothic leanings.

 

7. “The Passage” by Justin Cronin

First a little disclaimer: this is the only book on the list I have in Danish and so I am going to read the entire trilogy in Danish. Now with that said let me just continue with the fact that I am half way through it, but since it is over a thousand pages long it is not gonna be finished in just a few sittings. I already have the sequel on standby and I am really looking forward to continuing this during the winter break. It is so far one of the best books I have ever read. If the second half as well as the rest of the trilogy continues with the same greatness then this will definitely end up on an “all time favourite books”-list.

 

And here we go! The second half of my book pile listed. I do get a little nervous when seeing how many books that are on my shelves that I still have to read, but an even bigger part of me is very excited by all the literature I have yet to delve in to. Now will this keep me from putting even more books on my Christmas’ list this year? No. I already have five listed, so the pile might get a bit of a growth spurt this winter. I will keep you updated on that!

 

Xoxo Christina

Books on My Reading List pt. 1

 

So far on this blog I have talked about books and short stories I have already read. So this time around I will give you a list of the books I have on my “future reads”-list. Now let me just clarify that yes: all the books on here are books I own, and no: I am not rich or even well off, I just tend to buy books in bulk when they are on sale or if there are special deals. I also tend to get quite a few on my birthday and on Christmas. So a lot of planning and waiting goes in to my book-shopping. With that out off the way let me move on to the actual list!

 

1. “The Invention of Murder – How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime” by Judith Flanders

I am already a third of the way through this one, but since University came back in to my life this year I have not had the time to finish it yet. Sadly this is not the only book I have begun reading on this list, and I am usually not one to put a book away before it is finished. But these days it seems that the only books I finish are the ones I read for school. Fortunately the winter break is only a month away! I cannot wait to continue this book! So far it has been a very entertaining and exciting read.

 

2. “Dune” by Frank Herbert

Yes I know, I know. I am way behind on this one, but in my defence I have never delved much into Science Fiction. However I thought that this book would be a good place to start.

 

3.”Mort” by Terry Pratchett

I am half way through this and I hope to finish it during the forthcoming break. Like the other books in the Discworld series it is serious, philosophical and absolutely hilarious all at the same time. If you have never read anything in this series before I can highly recommend it. And I am sure that others will recommend it too.

 

4. “Victorian Writing & Working Women” by Julia Swindells

The second nonfiction book on the list so far. I picked this up at a second hand book store in Aberystwyth when I studied abroad and it bugs me that I have not picked it up yet. Hopefully it will be an interesting read since it combines some of my favourite subjects: the Victorian Era, gender roles and feminism.

 

5. “Anno Dracula” by Kim Newman

I found a recommendation of this on Jillian Venters’ website “Gothic Charm School”. And since I am a fan of the original Dracula by Stoker I thought that this would be a hit in my collection as well. I have ventured in to the first chapter and so far I really like what I see.

 

6. “The Greatest Show on Earth – The Evidence for Evolution” by Richard Dawkins

This book I have also begun reading this summer. I am a quarter into it so far and I must say that Dawkins knows how to explain the science behind evolution so that even someone as unscientific as myself can understand it. I came by him and this book when I bought the latest Nightwish album named and based upon this very work of his. And so far the book has not disappointed. And neither did the album.

 

7. “Magic(al) Realism” by Maggie Ann Bowers ( part of the New Critical Idiom series)

Another subject in literary theory I am very curious about. I hope that it will be just as interesting and inspiring read as Gothic by Botting in the same series.

 

And that is the first half of my “future reads”-pile. I will post the other half next week. And as I make my way through these books I might write up some in-depth future reviews of them. But for now I hope that this list (and the list coming next week) will not only give you some ideas for future reads of your own, but also remove any guilt you might have over your own book pile that has been put on hold for a while for one reason or another.

 

And with that I will be back next week!

 

Xoxo Christina

Book review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker: the book that is famed for having started the whole fascination with vampires. Even if someone has never read the book they are very likely to still know who and what Dracula is. This vampire has been portrayed over and over again on stage and on the big screen. The two most well known portrayals, I personally believe, are done by Bela Lugosi and Gary Oldman (that snickering laughter always manages to send a chill down my spine!). Yes, this book is a familiar read for many, but I still believe it a good idea to do a review or recommendation of it, for the odd chance that someone stumbling along this blog have yet to pick it up. So without further ado:

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker is a tale of friendship, love and the threat of not only a monster, but the monstrosity said monster can stir up within its victims. Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania where he meets the mysterious Count Dracula. He is there as a solicitor to finalise a property deal. Though he has not been there long before the situation becomes dire and he realises that not everything is what it seems. Back in Great Britain his fiancé Mina and her friend Lucy are enjoying the seaside, but they also soon find themselves in a rather dreadful situation. Then there is Dr. Seward and his patient Renfield at the asylum. Not to mention Dr. Van Helsing whose task it is to gather a group of vampire-slayers and hunt down the monster and his children.

 

This may all seem rather confusing, when just reading my short synopsis of the novel, but trust me: it is a very easy read, in the sense that the narrative is easy to follow and the characters are easy to relate to (except perhaps Van Helsing, but I will get to that later).

 

The story is told as a series of journal entries, newspaper articles and letters. This gives the story an almost detective-like atmosphere as both the reader and the characters connects the dots and form a fully fledged narrative. It is a style which gives the novel a good pace and thus you, as a reader, never feel like the story is brought to a halt for exposition, since every observation of the characters have the potential of being relevant. But even though most of the story is told through a first person narrative the sense of atmosphere is never lost, and the different locations maintain their sense of gloom and hidden terrors (though personally I always laugh when I read the passages involving Renfield). As someone whose second language is English I always am a bit nervous when reaching for one of the classics, since there is a risk of the language being so old fashioned that reading it becomes a chore rather than an enjoyment. But joy! My worries were firmly put to rest when I opened this book. So if you, for one reason or another, tend to avoid classics for this specific reason I would encourage you to pick up this book: is the style a bit old? Yes. Is it so old it becomes a chore to read? Most certainly not!

 

So it is perfect then? Sadly no. It has its flaws; however they are quite small and easy to overcome, at least for me they were. The first one is Dr. Van Helsing. Now, while there is nothing wrong with having a vampire hunter in the book (I believe that part to be essential!) Helsing becomes a bit of a problem every time he opens his mouth; he sounds like a pompous character out of a Shakespearean play. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with Shakespeare (Twelfth Night is still one of the most hilarious texts I have ever had to read), but in this particular context it seems out of place and one might find oneself rolling his (or her) eyes after several of Helsing’s speeches. The other flaw I will mention actually was not a flaw for me, but I have come across people for whom this absolutely made them put down the book and never return to it again; the view of women and their role in society. Yes, chauvinism was rampant when this was written. Yes, the vampire can be seen as symbol of the danger of female sexuality and the new woman. If this is a tiebreaker for you I understand, I often find it annoying when classics are so brazen in their misogyny (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and that damn brilliant detective of his!), but I must admit that it never bothered me with this particular novel. I personally have always thought of Mina as sort of softening to the new woman at the beginning of the twentieth century, and I have always viewed her as both smart and strong. Now, is she still in need of a man to save her? Yes. Is her place still at home? Yes. But I’ll take what I can get with this one.

 

Overall I highly recommend this book if you have never read it. And if you have I suggest that you should pick it up again. I might just give mine a third read when the holidays come along and my winter exams are all done.

 

And with that I will leave you for now. Till next time!

 

Xoxo Christina