⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) � Reading this alternate Christmas classic to my family on the nights leading into Christmas is a rare kind of pleasure. This absolut⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) � Reading this alternate Christmas classic to my family on the nights leading into Christmas is a rare kind of pleasure. This absolute classic definitely does & even Clement’s more bright version still somehow manages to fly slightly under the radar in my country - Australia - And I for one wish it was a greater part of our consciousness come this special time of year.
Nikolai Gogol’s The Night Before Christmas isn’t your typical holiday story—it’s a mischievous, magical, and utterly delightful tale that brought a unique flavor to our family’s pre-Christmas tradition this year. Reading it aloud to my children over a few cozy nights turned into an unexpected adventure through snowy Ukrainian villages, absurd humor, and devilish trickery.
The story brims with Gogol’s trademark blend of the surreal and the heartfelt. From the crafty devil stealing the moon (“The devil, darting about in the sky like a fiery serpent, stole the moon to wreak havoc on the villagers�) to the blacksmith Vakula’s daring quest for Oksana’s love (“He knew the stars could not guide him, but his resolve burned brighter than any flame�), every moment felt alive with vivid imagery and boundless imagination. My kids were particularly enchanted by the devil, who felt more like a cheeky troublemaker than a menacing villain.
One of my favorite passages captures the magic of the snowy setting: “The frost sparkled like crushed diamonds on the ground, and the stars seemed close enough to pluck from the sky.� These descriptions transported us to a world where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, making every scene feel enchanted.
What strikes me most was how Gogol weaves humor, folklore, and the spirit of Christmas into something deeply human. This tale captures not just the chaos of a devil’s antics, but also the warmth of community and the lengths we go to for love. It’s a wild, joyful ride that left my family laughing and dreaming of sleigh rides through snowy nights....more
2.25 ⭐️ DNF 72% (rnd ⬇️) � Just not for me! Miller seems like she has a genuinely adept skill set that makes for strong writing, however the story her2.25 ⭐️ DNF 72% (rnd ⬇️) � Just not for me! Miller seems like she has a genuinely adept skill set that makes for strong writing, however the story here in which she has chosen to tell is just so far off the mark for me it’s a crime to go any further. I loathe giving low ratings like this, but it’s not like it’s a choice! The emotive nature of this book left me tired, be it hearing about Achilles soft delicate feet or the fact that so many of the characters are completely unlikeable!
While The Song of Achilles is undoubtedly a labor of love, Madeline Miller’s retelling didn’t resonate with me � which kinda was the way I’d anticipated but I took it on for my mother & am not angry about it, it’s just not my thing. The narrative is steeped in sentiment & romance, with layers of overly complex drama that often feel less like authentic emotion & thus more like calculated melancholy-manipulation of the character subverting the observer. Miller can turn a phrase for sure � some lovely sentences indeed but the narrative feels a hostage & the story often lingers too long in its own sorrow, sacrificing the grit and grandeur I expect from a tale rooted in Greek mythology. While Miller’s prose is undeniably beautiful, the focus felt misplaced, drowning in melodrama and soft edges rather than the sharpness of heroism and fate. A miss for me.
My First official DNF of the year I think (copious amounts I DNF after 2-20p but I don’t review unless I’ve gotten 65% thru or blv I have a handle on the story) which is a good thing albeit there’s 4-5 books I probably should review as they wasted 30+ hrs of reading at least but each of them were monster-size-reads so as a result I was only 20-40% through so it’d be unfair to review them.. I’m babbling cus it’s 3am & I’m in retail at Christmas sooo you can imagine the hours I’m putting in RN ...more
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