Seriously? honestly, I've loved and respected Merrick since the first book, and while the first took me a day to finish, this book took me several daysSeriously? honestly, I've loved and respected Merrick since the first book, and while the first took me a day to finish, this book took me several days only because i couldn't like it. let me explain:
maybe unpopular opinion: i don't think lessia deserved Merrick AT ALL. I also think she's only using him for her benefit. She accepted the bond when they told her he won't be beneficial in the war, and she started loving him because loche wasn't around ...more
i missed reading YA its been a while, the cheesiness and romance in the middle of war has not changed since the last time i read something similar. ahi missed reading YA its been a while, the cheesiness and romance in the middle of war has not changed since the last time i read something similar. ahhh so sweet my guilty pleasures. the writing could use some work though, there were also some stuff that made no sense...more
this is actually a review of another book from the same author, but its just not on 欧宝娱乐 at the moment. the book is called Karen and Hasan, 450 pthis is actually a review of another book from the same author, but its just not on 欧宝娱乐 at the moment. the book is called Karen and Hasan, 450 pages~ish, i read the first print, 1972s.
the story is about a Lebanese guy who gets a scholarship to Germany to study and learn languages where he meets a beautiful blond German girl with whom he falls in love and its mutual. it was all during the time where the Nazi party was gaining influence and ideas like war and invasions and the like were rampant. as such, him knowing several languages including Russian, the German Bund recruited him and later also Karen and they trained them not to tell each other too but that wasn鈥檛 for long. he was the translator to some high up guy and they traveled to Moscow to talk politics, allies and ....
and that鈥檚 how the story starts, in Moscow the KGB also recruit him, then he goes to France where he collects info, and then some stuff happens where they end up in danger and the stress of it all gets to them so they use the KGB to leave the bund and on the way they steal secret info about the war and diffuse them to the KGB mostly the important ones, and that valuable info is used to buy them an escape to Beirut Lebanon where Hasan feels most at home and away from the danger and at a time where Lebanon started gathering its wits for independence seeing as France was taken over by the Nazis. at first a German operative finds them and tries to eliminate them but he was killed by Hasan instead, by consequence Hasan and Karen flee to a village in Chouf in which Hasan has relatives that take them in, then Hasan becomes a strong supporter of riad El Soleh and his home country鈥檚 independence 鈥�.and in the thrill of all that and El Soleh being kidnapped, Hasan and Karen run to help and Karen is assaulted by a French soldier which Hasan tries to kill and is killed in the process. Karen ends up going to Deir El Salib to become a nun and eventually kills herself with a pill.
what i liked about the story is definitely how true karen and hasan were to their love, there was no betrayal or looking at other people, i loved the feelings, the time it was in, the description of how the politics and societies were described. a lot of times being honestly, the history ran too long.... and i鈥檓 talking entire chapters long where neither hasan nor karen were mentioned. i understand why the author puts them to explain in what position each country was in and how it affects the direct politics and events they were going through (and maybe in 1970s idk history maybe maybe wasn鈥檛 written as much as now or well known, i could be wrong). Anyway, the adventures or better yet journey was very cute and interesting, the author mentioned details that were well researched. a solid book, really just the history was long....more
The ending was very disappointing, the third act was her pining for a guy and giving up her job and everything she stood for. The first half of the stThe ending was very disappointing, the third act was her pining for a guy and giving up her job and everything she stood for. The first half of the story was great, beginning to open up and showing in fiction the reality of Lebanese society, family organisation, and government at the time. Still, the end stole all the things she was trying to stand up for....more
it's not the best written book. but the concept is super simply put that it makes it easy to use and understand in relationships. i think there comes it's not the best written book. but the concept is super simply put that it makes it easy to use and understand in relationships. i think there comes sometimes where someone tells you i feel good when i get gifts, so love languages are literally all around us. however, well, defining them in this book and being actually consciously aware of them makes it easier to foster good relationships, and for that, thank you....more
love this. very simple, granted its a very short book but i like that he doesn't babble useless stuff. the concept is clear from the title and even thlove this. very simple, granted its a very short book but i like that he doesn't babble useless stuff. the concept is clear from the title and even though you would think you know everything about your thinking being wrong, i like that using simple language and straight to the point sentences he explained why we suffer from our thoughts. i declare myself cleansed ...more
The first time he mentioned 'broken wings', he meant the broken wings of Salma and his love, when she got married to the other guy. The second time heThe first time he mentioned 'broken wings', he meant the broken wings of Salma and his love, when she got married to the other guy. The second time he used 'broken wings' when Salma's dad died and his wings broke while flying him out of the prison of life. And finally the third time was when Salma broke up with him to save his life from the corrupt men in her life.
i can say that his descriptive writing of Salma's beauty and his love for her is soulful, amazing, heavy and even lighthearted since they feel so light and happy when together, and yet its not enough to describe his descriptions and formulations of feelings and views. i may have not read enough original Arabic books yet (working on it), but this has been the most beautiful Arabic Lebanese writing I've read so far. [i read the book in Arabic, I'm just more comfortable writing my reviews in English]. As for the plot, at first up until Salma gets married it was almost purely just Gebran expressing poetry towards Salma and his love for her (his writing is in prose and yet it feels poetic in the way he formulates phrases, the rhyming especially), in this part i felt impatient because he loved her from the very first moment he laid eyes on her, but when they started talking and going to the garden is when i really got into the story. for a book this short the plot is great there's plenty to cover.
My only issue is that i can't quite understand why her father made her marry the Bishop's nephew especially knowing that she doesn't care about him, that he's a corrupt pure disgrace of a man and most importantly knowing that he himself is the one who introduced Gebran to her and made them meet up so frequently. Maybe it's the society's influence marry from the same class or something like that, but like he married for love so he knows its value....
anyway amazing book, the Arabic wording and formulation is something i can't forget, so lovely, so sweet and so heavy when needed. You just can't not fall in love with the Arabic language....more
La narration est mon style pr茅f茅r茅, c鈥檈tait pas depressif, plut么t r茅aliste, direct, pas de double sens, pas de mots inutiles. D鈥檜n c么t茅, Ok, le caractLa narration est mon style pr茅f茅r茅, c鈥檈tait pas depressif, plut么t r茅aliste, direct, pas de double sens, pas de mots inutiles. D鈥檜n c么t茅, Ok, le caract猫re principale utilise a plusieurs reprises des histoires refabriqu茅 pour faire son trajet, sachant que sa naissance en elle m锚me 茅tait une histoire fabriqu茅 aussi. En revanche, ses pens茅es intimes sont loin de la fiction. Je pense il y a un manque inaper莽ue a la surface d鈥檈spoirs, je ne peux pas me rappeler d鈥檜ne instance o霉 il s鈥檃ttendait vraiment a des choses dans sa vie, sauf la certitude qu鈥檌l voulait mari茅 la fille tsigane qui la l芒ch茅. De l鈥檃utre c么t茅, mr l鈥檃ttach茅 (...more
I liked the diversity of beliefs and how they presented them in the context of each ones own lives, and i really liked the characters, even the ones wI liked the diversity of beliefs and how they presented them in the context of each ones own lives, and i really liked the characters, even the ones who were disliked...more
It's a nice premise, and it also sheds light on social media moderators. But the plot is: she couldn't help with the lawsuit because of her ex, and thIt's a nice premise, and it also sheds light on social media moderators. But the plot is: she couldn't help with the lawsuit because of her ex, and the ending was???...more
I get why some people said it was repetitive or preachy, but it can be looked over. I found this book soothing and calming, and honestly, it helped meI get why some people said it was repetitive or preachy, but it can be looked over. I found this book soothing and calming, and honestly, it helped me clear my mind about certain frustrations. It basically helps you say to yourself, from the words of Minjun, that the past me is okay with who I am now, and the present me is okay with who I've been. Just enjoy life, and don't be ashamed to take a break....more
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