I have a lot to say about this book. A lot. But before I start, I would like to refute some false ideologies—and, sorry to say, blasphemy—for those whI have a lot to say about this book. A lot. But before I start, I would like to refute some false ideologies—and, sorry to say, blasphemy—for those who aren’t Muslim. Okay, bismillah:
1. It is completely forbidden for Muslims to drink alcohol/wine. The “Muslim� characters in this book do so freely, but our religion strictly does not permit this.
2. Allah � is the Lord of All Worlds. There were multiple stories within this book where alternate worlds existed and Allah’s Lordship was “unknown", astaghfirullah. This is, so, so, so incredibly wrong and blasphemous. If you would like to write a book filled with such fantasy and myths, it should not be done riding on the back of Islam. We have an obligation to represent Allah � as Exalted and Glorified as He is, or we should, out of respect, not represent Him at all if we can’t do it properly.
3. Allah � is All-Powerful. Nothing could ever, ever, ever, ever fight or defeat Him. Once again, there were many tales of jinns and monsters that stood a chance against Allah �, authubillah, Exalted is He above such claims. In Islam, jinns—even Satan himself—fear Allah �, nothing overrides His Decree, nothing overrides His Power.
4. We do not equate anyone to our beloved Prophet � as was done in this fictitious tale. Especially a man who, in this story, could never hold a candle to our Nabi.
5. The last story that Shahrezade told included a description of Angel Jibrael’s voice, may Allah’s peace be upon him, that is not specified by our religion. We do not indulge in such characterisations.
6. There were many other small innovations in this book that do not pertain to Islam.
Due to the above, I will not rate this book. I was sourly offended—especially because the author is Muslim—by the utter disregard of the basics of the monotheism of Islam. This book would have been a completely different experience had the author treaded more carefully.
I do not know what to say. I cannot lie, this was a beautiful and detailed tale of medieval Persian war and history (which, by the way, was very confusing at first—no explanations to the political system whatsoever) and the pain of the sacrifice of women, the pain of loving the idea of someone versus loving their reality, the pain of war and all the loss that comes with it, the pain of losing your homeland, the pain of losing family.
The main characters Shahrezade and Shahryar were deeply intricate characters, so very gripping and heartfelt, and the family bonds between Shahrezade, Baba and Dunya were utterly gut-wrenching. Atsiz, on the other hand? I hated him and all that came with him. He popped out of nowhere and the author’s hope of making us like him was far from successful. Furthermore, the first half of the novel was tedious to go through—I am sorry to say, but Shahrezade’s stories were so boring. It picked up (regarding both Sharezade’s tales and the story itself) after the Seljuk army sets off to war.
I cannot believe it took this author fourteen years to write this novel—it shows, it is very detailed and dense with history and culture and rich characters (save Atsiz). It is unfortunate to see her efforts thrown down the drain, but if one wants to include Islam in a story, one must respect our Lord and represent Him as He truly is, in all His Glory and Power. اللهم اغفر لنا ذنوبنا...more
I’ve never been in this position before—being extremely unsatisfied with a book that has approximately 4 million readers in awe. I like to think of myI’ve never been in this position before—being extremely unsatisfied with a book that has approximately 4 million readers in awe. I like to think of myself as someone who is easily captured by stories, so me feeling this way is a rare occurrence.
I was, unfortunately, very detached from The Night Circus. I had absolutely no connection to any of the characters, most especially the ones that are detrimental to the plot (Bailey, Frederick Thiessen, Tara, the Murray Twins). All the aforementioned fell flat; 2-D objects with no personality even though they are ironically supposed to be eccentric circus performers. This is quite concerning considering the length of the novel�500 pages. I did not get to know these people, nor did I end up caring for them. One must ask, then: what in the world did the author spend all those pages talking about?
The so-called “competition� or “game� that had these characters running circles was dull, lifeless, unadventurous. I saw no competition of skill, the excitement and thrill that is usually supposed to be present was painfully missing. And I do not want to get into the uncomfortably quick love that had Marco and Celia willing to give up everything. Two words: How? When?
I don’t know. Everything happened so…robotically. Like a checklist. The mixed timeline also wasn’t doing this book any favors. It only succeeded in making me confused. Nonetheless, this book was beautifully written, the idea unique, the world-building solid. Unfortunately the execution was not what I expected from such a highly rated book. I feel cheated.
My first and worst reading slump of five months is slowly coming to an end, alhamdulillah!
What can I say about this book that I haven’t already said My first and worst reading slump of five months is slowly coming to an end, alhamdulillah!
What can I say about this book that I haven’t already said in my review of Little Women? It is consuming such stories that remind me of why I read: to grow as a human. Fictional books these days don’t do that anymore; they don’t make you feel like a better person or make you want to improve and become one. They act as a means to escape reality, not a means to reflect.
There is so much to absorb and apply from the March sisters, all the trials and tribulations they underwent, their patience and gratitude, their love and duty to their parents—it all resonated so deeply within my heart. This isn’t just a book to pass time with. It is a series of lessons on life, grief, marriage, love, hidden within the messy, emotional and hilarious lives of Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth. I have so much to say, but I think I will just leave it to this: I truly love and admire every single character in this book. They’ve taught me a lot about life and opened my heart to be more contemplative of my actions, especially towards family. They grew and were unabashed of the trials of life and the evil that existed within themselves. They strove for goodness, always. What made this book settle comfortably within my heart even more is because of how Islamic the lessons and morals felt—Islam encourages the exact same values, it is just our modern society that has become so corrupt.
And on that note, I cannot wait to reread this....more
What a rich, heart-breaking story of hope and strength and love. Of persevering through the darkest of times, blinded, yet trusting that the light of What a rich, heart-breaking story of hope and strength and love. Of persevering through the darkest of times, blinded, yet trusting that the light of faith in your heart will be enough of a guide.
The Girl You Left Behind feels like a glowing orb of life in my hands. A story of two women--a century apart--a painting, and the inexplicable power of love and kindness that binds them all together. The torment that Liv and Sophie went through--and the relentless strength and hope that they still possessed throughout it all--it truly makes one turn their gaze inwards and reassess: could my heart ever be as strong?
I love this story (calling it a “story� feels underwhelming) immensely. It has transported me to France, 1917, to London, 2006, to a love that surpasses the barbarity of humanity, to a painting done using the colours of love, to a lifetime of sorrow and heartache and family and loss. Reading books like this never fails to leave me in awe of the immense power of intimacy between two souls.
I don’t know what more to say, honestly. Just another book to reaffirm that Historical Fiction is my favourite genre and that any 5-star book in said genre automatically winds up on my all-time-favourites shelf. Hey, I don’t make the rules. ...more
Honestly, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in with zero expectations and, if I’m being honest, I was quite doubtful after rHonestly, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in with zero expectations and, if I’m being honest, I was quite doubtful after reading some GR reviews, but I am so happy to say that GR negative reviews are wrong, once again. This was one of the most unique books I have ever read. So many aspects of this story pleasantly surprised me, and I don’t mean in a “twist-you-never-saw-coming� type of way (even though it has this element) but rather the fact that every minute detail shocked me from its absolute peculiarity.
1. I just need to emphasise on the slavery aspect of this book--wow. Wow. Honestly, I have never been so immersed in African-American History more than I did while reading this book. The depth of the History in this made the story so realistic that the fine line between reality and fiction started to blur for me. I would get up to eat some biscuits and suddenly I would find myself worrying and thinking, What the hell is going on in Pinebank? or Why hasn’t CNN covered the news about Thomas Perkins? You know, the usual.
2. What genre does this book go under? Fantasy? Historical Fiction? Horror? Romance? The answer is yes, my friends. Yes. It is all of the above. I loved how intertwined the magical aspect of this book was to the factual and logical part. A girl who sees ghosts and a boy who wants to be an architectural historian. Literally the perfect mix for disaster.
3. The plot was so addictive. I finished this book in one sitting (in case you were wondering; yes, my back and butt are sore). As soon as I flipped the first page, I was hooked by these characters and their weird families and that goddamned house and all the eerie and spooky things that surrounded it.
4. Despite how much I hated Law’s Homelife and parents, I cannot help but show appreciation for the author’s clever idea of making Law’s parents an interracial couple. I could literally feel Law’s internal struggle between the two halves of himself. Will he stand up for the injustice that was caused to black people for centuries in America? Will he follow his dreams and save an architectural perfect house owned by a slaver? Will he disappoint his dad? Will he believe Katie? Will he? Will he?
5. Talk about grey areas. If you’re reading this book for a simple good-versus-evil plot, you’ve got another thing coming, let me tell you.
6. (view spoiler)[I’m kind of sad for Katie... I was hoping her mum would visit her and she would get some closure. (hide spoiler)]
7. WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO FUNNY? Katie and Law were sarcastic little beans. When Law said he felt whiter than Eminem I had to reread that line about three times before I fully allowed myself to laugh at it.
8. Um, the knowledge I gained about African-American history? Unmatched.
If there’s one thing I’m learning about myself, it is that I am an absolute sucker for unknown books that sweep you off your feet. The Other Side of Dark should honestly have more ratings than it does. I feel so transformed and doused in a kind of ethereal entity. My only complain about this novel would have to be the fact that the great abundance of history got slightly confusing at points, but I am willing to overlook this because of how different this story was. 5 stars!!...more
The house became her world and the world shrank to only that, to John, her darling boy, and the grave of her little girl, buried still with the twi
The house became her world and the world shrank to only that, to John, her darling boy, and the grave of her little girl, buried still with the twigs and the leaves in her hair.
Alas, I am mad at myself yet again.
The Garden of Lost and Found would have easily made it on my all-time-favorites shelf if not for two things:
1. Juliet and her annoying children 2. The horribly busy week I had that did not allow me to enjoy this book in its entirety
Oh, I loved this book. Immensely. I always get so enthralled with novels set in a time way before our own, when pain and misery were common and (ironically) everything was so...innocent. I wish I had more time to read this book. I wish I was more patient with Juliet’s story. The Garden of Lost and Found is the type of novel that does not hesitate to show you the pain that is life. It is the type of book that wraps vines around your heart and squeezes and squeezes until your heart is equivalent to a piece of paper. I was transported to a world of pain and love and friendship and harsh brutalities that life is never easy.
1. Tragedy at every turn of a page, be it Juliet, Liddy, Mary, Dalbeattie, Ned, John...every single character has their woes, even little Sandy. I think this is something I really admired about this book, the fact that nobody had the perfect life, that no matter what life throws your way, you must learn to overcome it.
2. The casual Muslim Representation made me so happy: Zeina, a hijab-wearing Lawyer? Liddy quoting a verse from the Qur’an that she found resonated deeply within her? It is not yet the amount of representation I wish to see in novels, but it is representation all the same, and I cannot express how soft my heart was when I read these parts.
3. Despite having absolutely no magical aspects whatsoever, this book still did not fail to be exactly that: magical. There’s just something about a house and garden that is treasured within generations of a family and a lost painting capturing the innocence of childhood that does not fail to sprinkle a hefty dose of ethereal and mystical feelings to your day.
4. This is what I am talking about when I say I love family sagas. This is what I mean. A perfect transition from present to past. Mystery. Pain. Confusion. Lost love. The bonds of friendship and companionship and love and the extents to which one goes for the people they love.
5. There was so much history within these pages. The world-building and time setting was honestly spot-on; I really did feel like I was strolling the streets of London in the late 1800’s to 1900’s or lying in the soft grass of the garden in the Nightingale House or falling in love with a man who risked everything to be with me. It was surreal.
6. Juliet’s children about drove me crazy with anxiety. I am sure that was the author's intention, but I absolutely hated it. I hated Bea and Isla and Sandy and Matt. The irrational part of my brain wishes that this book was just about Ned and Liddy, but the rational part knows if Juliet’s part was taken out, The Garden of Lost and Found would lose its mysterious, magical appeal. So, as annoying as Juliet and her children were, stay they must.
7. I loved the nuggets of symbolism I found while reading. I was so intrigued by the name of the novel and Ned’s drawing that I really tried connecting every event-be it good or bad-that happened in this book to the name of the painting: The Garden of Lost and Found. There was not one moment where I could not relate any instance in the book to it...a first. Also, the symbolism of spring...so thought-provoking. It’s these type of things that make a book stick in your mind.
8. Can we talk about the soul-crushing love between Ned and Liddy and Mary and Dalbeattie? Love that survives wars and abusive nursemaids and distance and years and pain and death. That kind of love.
9. Sisterhood, years of pain and love bonding two sisters in a way so endearing to the heart. Family will always resurface, will always be tied, no matter what you try to do. Mary and Liddy reminded me of what I would do for my sisters and, honestly, need I say more?
The Garden of Lost and Found was a whimsical, magical, sad, surreal, mysterious, page-turning book that made ghosts swim out of pages and dance before my eyes. I don’t know what to tell you. I only wish that I had read this in one sitting rather than elongate it over 9 days-what blasphemy. I am very disappointed in myself, my procrastination and my busy schedule. Maybe I can hope to find a book that enticed the same nostalgic feeling The Garden of Lost and Found gave me? Is that such an impossible thing to ask?...more
Do you know what this book has taught me? It has taught me that Magical Realism has become a new f
I loved you before, Ava. Let me love you still.
Do you know what this book has taught me? It has taught me that Magical Realism has become a new favourite genre of mine. Wow. What a gem. I won’t lie, it took me some time to wrap my mind around the peculiarity that is this book, but once I’d done a little research on magical realism, it became easier to accept and value these strange things as they came along.
I am sure I am not the only one who experienced three lifetimes worth of the most horrible heartbreak within the 300 pages that make up The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. We follow what seems to be a very specific and detailed memoir of Ava and her ancestors lives (which, if you ask me, was too detailed to be just research that she gathered over time. I didn’t consider this a flaw, though. I found it rather eerie that she knew everything down to their thoughts and summed it up as yet another strange characteristic of the Lavender women). I remember reading reviews here on ŷ that were rather unhappy with Walton’s focus on the entire bloodline of the Lavender women. I found it to be utter literary genius. It made me appreciate the value of ancestry and how every little action has a greater impact beyond what we can see. If John wasn’t horrible to Jack, he wouldn’t have had the need to prove himself useful and leave Viviane. If Satin Lush didn’t betray Emilienne, she would have never settled for Connor. It was like watching how their different lives all merged into each other to give us Ava’s story, with an almost eerie similarity in the fact that love always, always made them such fools.
I almost thought it to be a curse, the fact that Maman, Emilienne, Viviane and Ava could not find true love-or rather, could not open their hearts once they were broken, sitting idly and blind as true love passed them by. I am happy that Viviane finally opened her eyes and saw Gabe for what he was-a man that loved her patiently and vigorously, a thousand times more than that coward Jack every could. This book just proves that there is by no means a shortage of horrible people in this world, and each of our characters had a taste of that, from Beauregard to Satin Lush to William Peyton to Jack Griffith to that filthy animal Nathaniel Sorrows.
But I realised that with every tragedy came a new hope, a new love. Gabe, our gentle giant, loving Viviane from a distance, staying with her through the thick of it, loving her kids as his own, just waiting and waiting and waiting to be the balm that healed her broken heart. Rowe, who loved Ava despite everything that happened to her, that remembered her everyday after her wings were sown off and her innocence was crudely taken from her (just a side note: whenever I read such things, about people who send letters to their loved ones who are oceans away, I can’t help but admire the depth of that love. We humans thrive on reality, on our senses. One must have such earth-shattering love to go to such lengths). Even Penelope and Wilhelmina.
It is important to remember that love doesn’t only exist between a man and a woman, but a mother and her child, between two friends, between workers, a brother and sister, all of which were portrayed in this novel. Cardigan visiting Ava twice a day to feed her and read to her and lie down next to her. Henry and Ava’s tender relationship, the fact that they could understand each other with no words spoken at all. We even see the stone-cold Emilienne shed her hardened shell towards the end of the novel, opening her heart to her daughter and grandchildren, and, eventually, her own deceased siblings. Love seeps through our bones no matter how hard we might try to block it.
I do not see this novel as one of pain, though it is portrayed in great abundance. Though our characters had horrible lives, met some horrible men and were forced to make tough decisions. This was a book of love, a book brimming with it. I am sure we all know this very worn saying: love and pain come hand in hand. You cannot choose to love and expect there to not be pain. No matter what path you decide to walk, pain will be but a step away. If you choose not to love, are you not setting yourself up for pain? It is how life works, and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender portrayed that exactly. I am absolutely enamoured with this book and its omnipresent narrator, its lyrical writing, its strange and heart-warming people, the magic weaving through the words. It was really thought-provoking and allowed me to really appreciate this mixture of love and pain that is life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: I reread this-only 4 days after reading it the first time, mind you-and I think I have a few different interpretations of the ending:
1. I would like to think Walton was trying to communicate to us through a symbolic and hopeful ending (this is certainly less frustrating than considering option 2). We all know that Ava’s wings are brown, but at the end, we learn that the new wings she has sprouted are white and angelic. The part of me that despises option 2 hopes that Walton was trying to say that with love, you can sprout new and better wings to overcome any boulder that is placed in your path. With love, you can start to hope again, and hope on its own gives us wings. Ava was surrounded by such love that I am rather shocked I didn’t sprout a pair of feathered attachments of my own. I want to believe the intended ending was one of hope, and that René’s little meeting with Ava only a few minutes before she soared into the sky was but a coincidence.
2. Ah, the dreaded option 2. If I hadn’t seen Walton’s answer to a question about her intention behind the baffling ending, I most probably would have stuck with this rather sullen option. My second interpretation is that René came to take Ava’s soul away, and that she died and became an angel. It would make sense considering the context of their conversation prior. I dislike this interpretation very much, because I believe that magical realism is all about the hidden meanings and what the strange occurrences in the book mean to the character, and is not about taking things so literally. I have also taken into consideration that René did end up taking Emmiliene’s soul instead of Ava’s. As sad as this was (especially because she was just opening herself to love again), I couldn’t help but be relieved. Ava still has a lot to live for-she is only just spreading her wings-which is why I truly and sincerely believe that option 1 is the more sensible theory.
Reading this book a second time really put a few things into perspective for me, and I truly appreciated feeling like the omnipresent narrator (mostly because I already knew what would happen, obviously)....more
I cannot believe I wrote my extended essay on this book and my love for it still didn’t diminish. Review on my blog: I cannot believe I wrote my extended essay on this book and my love for it still didn’t diminish. Review on my blog: ...more
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