Tag: Classic Books Review

“And Then There Were None” By Agatha Christie Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , 1 Comment

First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion.

I gotta admit here that this book was much better mystery book read than a lot of those modern day mysteries I have read in my time writing reviews on this website. 

This book is a very cozy mystery read which can be read during one weekend which have done. 

The story in this book is very chilling and uncomfortable. Because the plot in this book is about 10 strangers on a private island and one of them is actively killing the other 9 people on that island. And the entire story in this book is the 9 strangers trying to work together to catch the killer and survive. 

This book is exactly what I love about mystery books, which is the tense moments where the characters try to work together and do anything in their power trying to catch the killer and survive. 

The story in this book amazing, interesting and super engaging or at least it was that for me. I was practically clued to this book from start to finish. At the same time this book is pretty short (only 250 pages or so) which means that there is a lot of action packed into this short book. Which means that there is something constantly happening in the story of this book. Which in a way made me like this book, because this book doesn’t have any boring moment.

The pacing of this book is pretty fast, because as Ive said above has a lot of action in this book. Which made me like this book so much better because the modern day mystery books tend to be very slow and boring at times, but this book is the complete opposite of that. 

The writing style in this book is very good, because it was like Agatha Christie knew exactly what words to use to completely grab my attention and not let it go until the very end of this book. Which of course made me give this book some extra points for doing. At the same time the writing style in this book has this old English writing and words to it. Which really gives this book a vibe that makes you feel like this book happened a long time ago where phones, internet, laptops, iPad weren’t available. If you have been around on this website for a while, you might know that I love the old timey vibe in books which of course made me like this book even more.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is the fact that it was so short. In a way I wanted this book to be longer just because I really really liked the plot in this book and wanted it to be longer.

The characters in this book are very good which really made this book so much better and fun in my opinion. Again if you been around on this website for a while you might know that I put a lot of rating I give books on the characters (if the book is a fiction book) in each book. 

The characters were very realistic in a way, but also they were very likable and interesting which made me feel like I would have no problem being friends with the characters in this book in real life if they were real.

The plot twist at the end of this book where the killer gets revealed, was a bit of a shocker for me personally. Because I didn’t expect the person who was the killer to be the killer. Which really made me like this book even more because it shows how well this book was written in a way that it didn’t spoil the big killer reveal until the big plot twist at the very end of this book.

I Give This Book 4 / 5

“The Scarlet Letter” By Nathaniel Hawthorne Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , Leave a comment

Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and will not reveal her lover’s identity. The scarlet letter A (for adultery) she has to wear on her clothes, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. She struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

I need to admit here that this book wasn’t the best classical book Ive read in my time, but it wasn’t the worst either. I have pretty mixed feelings about this book on one side I liked this book but on the second side I didn’t like this book. So this book might be a mixed review between me liking this book and me not liking this book. So lets get into this review and lets see how this review turns out to be in the end.

The plot was kind of nice in this book because it is about Hester which sort of is a outcast of the society and I do love when a book has its main character being a outcast or a loner. I personally think that this book paints the perfect picture of a a strict society and how they don’t work because every human being is different in their own way.

However I think that this book is way too long that what it needed to be. I think that the plot which this book has would have done a better job if it was a 50 pages long rather than being over 250 pages long which of course this book is. 

There are many times the book uses a lot of words to describe things which could have been described in a sentence or two instead of dedicating a page or two to describe the thing. Which made me very bored at times because how this book would stretch itself out without an reason.

The writing style in this book has also the very old English writing style which at times annoyed me because I needed to google certain words to understand what they meant. When that happens to me, it usually means that I wont give the book a high rating.

The characters in this book are all over the place for me personally at least. On one side I liked the characters but on the other side I feel like the author was trying too hard to make us think that the main character was a witch even though the author didn’t give us a lot of evidence supporting that other than saying “trust me, the main character is a witch”.

Overall I wasn’t a big fan of this book but Im glad I read this book because I was able to cross out another classic book from my reading list.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” By F. Scott Fitzgerald Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , Leave a comment

In 1860 Benjamin Button is born an old man and mysteriously begins aging backward. At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life — he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse. 

I gotta admit here that the only reason why I read this book is because I’ve read a lot of good things about it on the Internet and I just thought that this book was just one of the way overhyped books which I read in my time. But after I read this book I gotta admit that it is pretty good after all, and of course I will explain everything in this review. So if you are interested in hearing my thoughts about this book then keep reading. 

As some of you might know if you have been sticking around my website for a while, I’m a huge F. Scott Fitzgerald fan after reading for the first time “The Great Gatsby”. So of course I needed to read this book at some point in my life. And im very happy that I finally read this book.

The plot of this book is very interesting and enjoyable. Because as many of you would know the plot in this book is abut a guy who is born old, and as he grows older he becomes younger. Which had really fascinated me a lot because it is very unique plot and it was very well written. 

The story in this book was very well written, at the same time it is also very fun and intriguing to read to follow this guy who ages backwards. Yes this book was a little bit quirky but in my opinion thats what made this book extra good.

However the story in this book doesn’t go into a lot of details which really annoyed me personally, because I really wished that it would have gone into more details at times because it would have made this whole story so much better at times.

The writing style in this book is incredible, because it was like the author knew exactly how to present the storyline to get me completely obsessed and hooked on the plot.

The writing style in this book is very straightforwards and doesn’t use a lot of unnecessary words to describe things which really made me really glad. Because I’ve come across a lot of classic books where the authors used war too many words to describe things which made the story unbearable long and boring. Which this books avoids doing which really made me very happy and love this story even more than I already did,

The characters in this book were very good. Yes we had very few characters in this book but the once we got in this book were very well written and created. Because the characters felt like real human being with real emotions and thoughts which made it very easy for me to like them and relate to them. 

It could be just my opinion but I think that F. Scott Fitzgerald is incredible on writing very amazing characters which makes me always love the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books.

The only downside this book had in my opinion was the length. This book could have been easily longer and go into more detail about things this book talks about just because I couldn’t get enough of this book and I really wanted to learn more about the main character, the side characters and the whole plot.

I Give This Book 4 / 5

“The Sun Also Rises” By Ernest Hemingway Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , Leave a comment

The quintessential novel of the Lost Generation, The Sun Also Rises (Fiesta) is one of Ernest Hemingway’s masterpieces and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style. A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway’s most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions. First published in 1926, The Sun Also Rises helped to establish Hemingway as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.

I wanted to to read this book for a very long time now, and now I read it. I gotta admit that this book is much better than I expected it to be which really surprised me a lot. But of course I will explain everything in this review so if you are interested than keep reading. 

The plot in this book is very comfy. Which really made it so fun for me. At the same time the plot in this book is very engaging, interesting and enjoyable. Because in a way the plot makes it seem like we as the readers are a part of the journey which the characters take in this book. 

I found the plot to be very compelling and fun to read. Because the plot gives us a vivid portrayal of the “Lost Generation” and their search for meaning in a rapidly changing world which I loved a lot in this book.

I got so hooked into the plot of this book that I read this book in one sitting which shows how engaged and interested in the plot I was as I was reading this book. 

The characters in this book are very good, because they felt like real human beings which I would be friends with in real life without any problems. The characters here are very good because they are very complex and memorable characters. 

The interactions between the characters is very realistic, the interactions is also pretty rich with unspoken tension and emotional depth. The characters’ flaws and desires are intricately woven into the narrative, providing a realistic and poignant exploration of human relationships

The only downside to this book is that it is very short, and I wish that it was longer than it is because I was so hooked in this book that a part of me didn’t want the book to end. 

The writing style in this book is very minimalistic. Which I don’t tend to like a lot, but this book offers us minimalistic writing style which gives the storyline in this book strength in a way. At the same time the writing style effectively captures the emotional undercurrents and sense of disillusionment which I loved a lot.

This book in my opinion is a must read, for everyone who loves to read books and wants to get into the classic books. This book is the perfect start into the classic books category because of how good it is.

This book gives us the themes of love, identity, and the search for purpose are central which is the main aspect of this book. The themes are very well explored in this book through the characters’ experiences and interactions,  which offers us a nuanced reflection on the human condition. Which I gave this book some extra points for doing.

I Give This Book 4 / 5

“Jane Eyre” By Charlotte Brontë Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , Leave a comment

Charlotte Brontë tells the story of orphaned Jane Eyre, who grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane’s natural independence and spirit – which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall’s terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions – even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman’s search for equality and freedom.

I didn’t know much about this book before getting into it. A part of me was expecting me not liking this book, but I actually did like this book. I don’t think it was a master piece but I am glad that I read it. 

This book talks about Jane Eyre who is a orphan, and we follow her journey through her passions, anger, defiance, strength and overwhelming desire. And I gotta say that this book takes us in a lot of places. No matter how it sounds I actually liked in a way.

A lot of people on the internet says its a “cute romance” book, but in my opinion its very far away from actually being a “cute romance” book. She had two romances going on and but of them were train wracks. Its no other way to summarizes her romances. 

I personally liked Jane Eyre as the main character, but the rest of the characters in this book I didn’t like as much. All the characters expect of Jane Eyre were very generic and I had hard time trying to tell them apart. 

The writing style in this book was very good, which really surprised me because I wasn’t expecting it to be so good as it was. And because of the writing style I gave this book some extra points for this. 

To be very honest I don’t have any strong feelings or thoughts about this book. Im very neutral about this book and I think it was a okay read. I know I am very picky when it comes to books, but thats just how I function as I human being.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Hard Times” By Charles Dickens Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , Leave a comment

Without a moral compass to guide them, the children sink into lives of desperation and despair, played out against the grim background of Coketown, a wretched community shadowed by an industrial behemoth. Louisa falls into a loveless marriage with Josiah Bouderby, a vulgar banker, while the unscrupulous Tom, totally lacking in principle, becomes a thief who frames an innocent man for his crime. Witnessing the degradation and downfall of his children, Gradgrind realizes that his own misguided principles have ruined their lives.

I had a lot of expectations for this book since I’ve heard so much good about it. But after reading this book I gotta say that I’m very neutral about this book. I don’t have any strong feelings or thoughts about it. 

This book is one of Charles Dickens shortest books, and I gotta say that that this one is far from being one of his best books. If you want to get into reading Charles Dickens books don’t start with this one choose instead “A Christmas carol” or “a tale of two cities”. Because if you start with this one, it might quickly end your journey with Charles Dickens.

This book is set in a fictional town and it is about the utilitarian and the industrial influence had on the Victorian society. Its for sure a new topic for me since its the first book I’ve read so far about this topic and I gotta say that this book got me interested in this topic in a way. 

The plot as I said above was very unique for me. And I really liked it for the most part but there were times where I found the plot to be dragging at times. I feel like there were some moments in this book which could have been cut short and it would only make this book better.

The characters in this book were amazing, I feel in love with them very quickly. But towards the end I was so tired of them that I started in a way disliking them. Which really disappoint over this. 

The writing style here was okay, but to be very honest after having read other books from Charles Dickens in the past I know that this guy can much better work than what he did in this book.  

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Godfather” By Mario Puzo Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , Leave a comment

Almost fifty years ago, a classic was born. A searing portrayal of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and their powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor. The seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and the allegiance to family—these are the themes that have resonated with millions of readers around the world and made The Godfather the definitive novel of the violent subculture that, steeped in intrigue and controversy, remains indelibly etched in our collective consciousness.

This book has to easily be the best book I’ve read this entire year (2024). I never expected this book to be so incredible as it was.

From the very moment I started reading this book I was sucked into it and I just couldn’t pull myself away from this book. And even when I wasn’t reading this book I was thinking about and what will happen next in this book. Which was really surprising because I couldn’t never actually finish the movie based off of this book which is a paradox I will not understand.

The plot in this book was purely gold. It was very interesting, enjoyable, fascinating, tense and instant attention grabber. There was a lot of action in this book but there wasn’t actually a lot of killing happening, it was a decent amount of killing happened but we actually weren’t there when the killing happened but rather we got told by different character something like “he is dead, so and so person killed them” and we would just move on to the next thing happening. Which I found to be a more tense solution than the author writing the murder scenes in details which never worked for me personally.

The edition I have of this book has almost 600 pages, but it really felt very short because I read this book so fast because I so sucked into this book. And after reading this book I fully understand why so many people love this book, it is because this book is so very good, and it is easily in my top 10 all time favorite books and it might or might not be the number one for the moment.

All the characters in this book are very very incredible. It will very easy to relate to them but more importantly they felt like real human beings which I personally wouldn’t have any problems being friends about. 

But also you know that the Corleone family is up to no good, you can help but root for them and see them survive and be successful in whatever shade things they are doing. And thats what happened to me during the process of reading this book. 

The writing style in this book is very incredible because it was like the author knew what words to use to grab my attention and to not let it go to the very end of the book. And as I have said above somewhere, I was completely clued to the book and the writing style was one of the reason why I was clued to it. 

I Give This Book 5 / 5

“Pinocchio” By Carlo Collodi Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , Leave a comment

This is the story of Pinocchio, filled with harrowing yet inspiring adventures. Carved by a poor man named Geppetto, Pinocchio is a wooden puppet that comes to life. He soon leaves his maker and commences a journey of misadventures.

Again reading a classic clearly meant for children as an adult is not the greatest decision to be made. Because I didn’t like it and I found it not as good as it would have been if I had read this book as a child. 

Before picking up this book I was expecting to get a lot of nostalgia from this book because I liked a lot as a child watching the Pinocchio movie. But it didn’t happen, instead I was reminded how stupid Pinocchio was and I really made an opinion that if he was a real human child he wouldn’t survive for 2 minutes without an adult supervision. 

My opinion is probably very unpopular because a lot of people seem to love this book, which my opinion doesn’t align with. Because I didn’t like this book after reading it. 

Before reading this book you should be warned that this book isn’t as fairy tale like as the Disney movie, instead this book has a lot of violent moments which involve cut-throat, thieves, bullies, murder, imprisonment and other violent things. So maybe giving this book to an young child maybe want be such as good thing.

But don’t get me wrong this book had some good moments here and there but those moments were very rare and they weren’t long enough for me to truly give this book an higher rating than I did.

The characters here were not the best ive seen. I personally liked the father of Pinocchio but we didn’t get enough of him in this book which really made me sad. As of the other characters including Pinocchio were very arrogant, stupid and they didn’t use their brains a lot in my opinion. 

The writing style here was actually surprisingly good because I wasn’t excepting such a good writing style from a classic book meant for children because my journey with those books tend to be very rocky. 

I Give This Book 1 / 5

“The Haunting of Hill House” By Shirley Jackson Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , Leave a comment

It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

I had a lot of exceptions for this book, because I’ve heard a lot of good about this book but also as someone who watched and loved the Netflix show “The Haunting Of Hill House” of course I was expectations to love this book which didn’t quite happen.

The plot here is for sure unique, but it wasn’t as great as a lot of people on the interest claim it to be. Its important to say that the terror in this book focuses on the psychological horror than what we see in movies like paranormal activity.

I personally felt like nothing happened in this book which would make me love or hate this book, and because of it I am very neutral about this book. Im glad that I finally read it but I probably wont recommend this book to anyone.

As for the horror in this book, it is almost none existing. Yes some things which happened in this book were creepy and I personally would scream bloody murder if they happened to me, but I was expecting something more scarier and something bigger than what we got in this book.

There aren’t a lot of characters in this book, but the once we get are good and I liked them a lot even despite the fact we don’t spend a lot of time getting to know them other than knowing the brief facts we need to know about them. 

This book doesn’t use a lot of time on getting us familiar with the characters in this book, but rather it goes straight into the plot. Which I liked in this book because I feel like I wouldn’t like the character if we spend more time getting to know them. 

I read this book in one sitting, but it wasn’t because it was so engaging but rather because it was short and I haven’t had any plans for that Sunday I was reading this book so I decided to just read this book in one sitting.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Wuthering Heights” By Emily Brontë Review

Posted in Book reviewTagged , , , Leave a comment

At the centre of this novel is the passionate love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff – recounted with such emotional intensity that a plain tale of the Yorkshire moors acquires the depth and simplicity of ancient tragedy.

Ive heard a lot of good about this book, so I finally decided to read it. I had no expectations for this book and the book really surprised me because it was good.

The plot it this book is very unique because it is about two characters with bad temperaments. Well what can go wrong there right ? It is for sure very unique and original, which really made me like it more than I should.

The plot in this book is dark and it is more or less pretty fucked up. I personally had hard time trying to find the “romantic” part about this book. There are some very sweet lines here and there in this book but other than that there is no romance in this book.

The characters in this book, were very good and they had so much depth into them. I really liked them even thou I wasn’t the biggest fan of them. But there was a part of me which really related to them in some weird way.

The writing style in this book was very amazing here, the old writing style together with the old English really set a comfortable mood to it. And it was like the author knew exactly what words to use to grab my attention.

However there were couple of things which I didn’t like about this book. One of these things I didn’t like was Heathcliff’s obsession if you will for Catherine. 

This book is full of revenge moves, toxic relationships and misery. But in a way these things was what made me like this book, and grab my attention to the ending.

I Give This Book 3 / 5