I don't know how, but the idea of the story is remarkably simple, yet it's enthralling and thrilling as you turn thwell,
I did not expect the ending...
I don't know how, but the idea of the story is remarkably simple, yet it's enthralling and thrilling as you turn the pages one after another. It was set in the event of the election of a new Pope, where cardinals around the world would gather and vote for the Pope in the Conclave. At some point, it feels like the main character, Lomeli, is just trying to gather some tea from another pope, and it's intriguing and exciting at the same time.
Also, I don't know what to make of the ending. It will be fine for me if it stops after they elect the pope with the highest number of votes in the end. But yeah, you can read it and see it yourself......more
It’s beautiful how Ta-Nehisi Coates describes every scene and crafts each sentence for his son. But the beginning is dark, and you can feel the weightIt’s beautiful how Ta-Nehisi Coates describes every scene and crafts each sentence for his son. But the beginning is dark, and you can feel the weight of generational trauma and fear lingering throughout his life, even though they were living in a so-called land of freedom.
I am speaking to you as I always have—as the sober and serious man I have always wanted you to be, who does not apologize for his human feelings, who does not make excuses for his height, his long arms, his beautiful smile. You are growing into consciousness, and my wish for you is that you feel no need to constrict yourself to make other people comfortable.
None of that can change the math anyway. I never wanted you to be twice as good as them, so much as I have always wanted you to attack every day of your brief bright life in struggle. The people who must believe they are white can never be your measuring stick. I would not have you descend into your own dream. I would have you be a conscious citizen of this terrible and beautiful world.
Toward the end, things start to feel more hopeful, and I love how the writer experiences real freedom when he travels the world. I came to the U.S. to study, and I’m so glad I read this book—it let me see through the writer’s eyes, even if just for a little while. As an outsider, I can’t fully imagine the struggles and the mental strength Black people have had to carry in this land, but this book is such an important reminder that the struggle is real and that the Dreamers are the ones that we all should fight with dignity....more
What would you do if your actions were dictated by God? Is the cycle of violence something that only a higher power can break?
“Ah how shameless � the w
What would you do if your actions were dictated by God? Is the cycle of violence something that only a higher power can break?
“Ah how shameless � the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone they say come all their miseries yes but they themselves with their own reckless ways compound their pains beyond their proper share.�
For me, the most fascinating part of The Odyssey is how mortals and gods interact. No matter how long the journey or how wild the adventures, I’ve always found the gods in Greek mythology so entertaining—and a bit over-the-top in the best way.
That said, some parts of the story didn’t make much sense, and honestly, I didn’t find Odysseus very likable. But weirdly enough, what I enjoyed more was reading the introduction. Learning about the manuscript’s history and the whole debate over whether Homer was even a real person was way more interesting than I expected.
I do not know how but Shirley Jackson has this way of making the ordinary feel deeply, skin-crawlingly wrong. Every story in this collection starts ofI do not know how but Shirley Jackson has this way of making the ordinary feel deeply, skin-crawlingly wrong. Every story in this collection starts off so normal, just people going about their lives, making small talk, dealing with relationships, routines,
But then, almost naturally, the power dynamics come in. By the time you realize what’s happening, the unease has already settled in.
One of my favorites, The Intoxicated, is deceptively simple. A drunk man at a party stumbles into a conversation with a teenage girl, and she casually paints a picture of the world’s inevitable downfall. That mix of youthful certainty and quiet doom hit me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s the kind of story that lingers, not because anything dramatic happens, but because it taps into something real, this underlying dread that we don’t usually say out loud.
Some stories made me physically uncomfortable, like Like Mother Used to Make. I could feel my social anxiety spiking as the protagonist, this simple guy or kind of OCD guy, watches his own home and comfort get taken over by a pushy guest. That feeling of powerlessness, of being unable to say no, is so real it's terrifying..
And then there are the stories that feel almost too familiar. Charles and The Witch both play with childhood innocence in a way that makes them both funny and disturbing. Kids lie, push boundaries, and say terrifying things with complete sincerity, and Jackson captures that so perfectly. I still can’t get over the way Charles ends, it’s one of those moments where you laugh, but also get a little chill down your spine.
Seven Types of Ambiguity made me irrationally angry. It’s just people being awful in the pettiest ways, but it’s so sharply observed that I couldn’t stop reading. It reminds me how cruel people can be without even realizing it, how social dynamics can be little battlegrounds where no one wins.
And of course, The Lottery. It’s impossible to talk about this collection without mentioning it. I’ve read it so many times, and it still hits like a punch to the gut. The slow realization, the casualness of the horror, the way tradition becomes an excuse for violence, it’s perfect, and I kind of hate how relevant it still feels.
I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of Jackson’s stories. They don’t just scare you; they make you sit with your own discomfort, force you to notice the cracks in everyday life. It’s not ghosts or monsters that make her stories unsettling, it’s the people. And that’s what makes them impossible to forget. ...more
It was only 92 pages, and yet there was so much room for sadness that the aftertaste left you longing for the main charThe silence could speak louder.
It was only 92 pages, and yet there was so much room for sadness that the aftertaste left you longing for the main character to be okay and better.
"As soon as he takes it, I realise my father has never once held my hand, and some part of me wants Kinsella to let me go so I won’t have to feel this. It’s a hard feeling but as we walk along I begin to settle and let the difference between my life at home and the one I have here be."
The sadness didn’t even come from grief or tragedy, but from simple kindness—the kind the main character had been deprived of before. It was the kind of sadness you feel when you are grateful for the love you receive.
"You don't ever have to say anything, always remember that as a thing you need never do. Many's the man lost much just because he missed a perfect opportunity so say nothing."
"I feel at such a loss for words but this is a new place, and new words are needed."
Sometimes, it is interesting how a book gets into your hands, and this one is really interesting. I once happMore like unregulated tears everywhere....
Sometimes, it is interesting how a book gets into your hands, and this one is really interesting. I once happened to hear an interview where Michelle Zauner said that Housekeeping is one of her favorite books,
and just like that, I bought this book at Barnes and Noble, where the cashier almost tearing up saying that this is a good story...
“Hers was tougher than tough love. It was brutal, industrial-strength. A sinewy love that never gave way to an inch of weakness. It was a love that saw what was best for you ten steps ahead, and didn't care if it hurt like hell in the meantime. When I got hurt, she felt it so deeply, it was as though it were her own affliction. She was guilty only of caring too much. I realize this now, only in retrospect. No one in this world would ever love me as much as my mother, and she would never let me forget it.�
I found this book intriguing, and it happens not because of ghosts or external forces but purely because of the human and the creepy and goofy narratoI found this book intriguing, and it happens not because of ghosts or external forces but purely because of the human and the creepy and goofy narrator, Mary Katherine Blackwood. "Silly Merricat"
“I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.�
My favorite character will be Jonas, the cat!!
I read somewhere that Shirley Jackson struggled with agoraphobia, and this is clearly seen in the character of Constance, Mary's older sister. Mary's perspective builds the whole scenery of the story; we do not know whether her story is accountable, but the way Mary thinks and acts is exciting and different. A sense of creepiness and childishness sometimes makes the narrative mysterious and funny.
The best part of this book is in the middle when some scene reminds me of "The Lottery." I don't get the ending, but the writing is clear and elegant, like Shirley Jackson's remarkable style. ...more
It was interesting to follow Lara's life, the way she chooses her path, and then see her story unfold. At first, I wSo, what is life up to in the end?
It was interesting to follow Lara's life, the way she chooses her path, and then see her story unfold. At first, I was like the children, intrigued by the mother's ex, who happened to be a Hollywood superstar. But as the story progressed, I realized that Lara's storyline is much more compelling, despite her decision to become an "ordinary" person. In the end, everything comes down to whether you love what you choose or not.
I remember extensively reading about the stories of people who sailed through the Drake Passage when I was a kid, but I didn’t know they were put on tI remember extensively reading about the stories of people who sailed through the Drake Passage when I was a kid, but I didn’t know they were put on trial when they returned.
The Wager told the entire story. It was an exciting read, and the writing style made it feel like a reality where you have to decide which perspective you believe is right....more
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