Milan/zzz's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:54:02 -0800 60 Milan/zzz's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg St. Petersburg City Guide 2370723 L'auteur a plus de 20 ans d'expériences de voyages en Russie.
Des interviews d'habitants offrent aux voyageurs un intéressant aperçu de la ville au quotidien.
Une couverture très exhaustive de nombreuses escapades autour de Saint-Pétersbourg : la Carélie et ses lacs (Onega et Ladoga), la magnifique Novgorod, Pskov l'oubliée, Petrodvorets, Tsarskoe Sela, Strelna, Valaam, Kizhi ou encore Vyborg aux portes de la Finlande.
Une section de 16 pages en couleurs sur le musée de l'Ermitage, le plus grand musée de Russie, étage par étage.
Plusieurs cartes et plans détaillés de Saint-Pétersbourg ainsi que le plan du métro avec les noms des stations en cyrillique et en transcription.]]> 272 Mara Vorhees 174059827X Milan/zzz 4 3.67 1996 St. Petersburg City Guide
author: Mara Vorhees
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2008/09/10
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 1Q84, #1 10394543 Віра і релігія, кохання й секс, зброя і домашнє насилля, вбивство за переконанням і суїцид, втрата себе й духовна прірва між поколіннями батьків і дітей - усе це майстерно переплетено у детективному сюжеті роману, де події відбуваються у двох паралельних реальностях: Токіо 1984-го і Токіо, за висловлюванням головної героїні Аомаме, "незрозуміло якого (1Q84)" року.
До видання увійшла перша книга роману Харукі Муракамі "1Q84".]]> 399 Haruki Murakami Milan/zzz 4 asia, nongenre "I have to finish last chapter" so I turned on the lamp, finished last chapter and went to sleep.

This is not my first Murakami and to be honest he never left be breathless. I enjoyed in his work but have never been blown away. This book however, really grabbed me like none of his previous. It is huge but really fluid. In Book #1 most of the things are realistic with several quite subtle drops of surrealism (lovely mixture).
Now (in book #2) he goes on a bit more slippery ground (as far as I'm concerned) with the increasing the amount of those drops from Book #1. We'll see how it'll go......

Мало је тешко написати коментар за 1/3 прочитаног романа па ћу уместо тога да наведем једну анегдоту у вези са читањем књиге:
Кад сам се вратио из ноћне смене негде око 05:30 и легао рекох себи "морам да завршим последње поглавље " иако сам морао да устанем за свега пар сати. Тек пошто сам завршио прву књигу сам могао да угасим лампу и заспим.

Ово није мој први Мураками и да будем искрен до сад ме није остављао без даха. Уживао сам у његовим књигама али увек је нешо фалило. Ова књига међутим ме је заинтересовала више него претходне. Добар део онога о чему пише у првој књизи је реалистично приповедање са свега пар суптилним магијских елемената (комбинација која ми се прилично допала). Сад у другом делу ће бити знатно више паранормалног па ћемо видети на шта ће то да изађе. ]]> 4.28 2009 1Q84, #1
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2011/11/01
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: asia, nongenre
review:
Well it's kind of hard write review for 1/3 of the novel so I'll put just one anecdote: Last night, actually this morning I came back from night shift around 5.30AM (and had to get up at 10:00AM), went in bed and said to myself "I have to finish last chapter" so I turned on the lamp, finished last chapter and went to sleep.

This is not my first Murakami and to be honest he never left be breathless. I enjoyed in his work but have never been blown away. This book however, really grabbed me like none of his previous. It is huge but really fluid. In Book #1 most of the things are realistic with several quite subtle drops of surrealism (lovely mixture).
Now (in book #2) he goes on a bit more slippery ground (as far as I'm concerned) with the increasing the amount of those drops from Book #1. We'll see how it'll go......

Мало је тешко написати коментар за 1/3 прочитаног романа па ћу уместо тога да наведем једну анегдоту у вези са читањем књиге:
Кад сам се вратио из ноћне смене негде око 05:30 и легао рекох себи "морам да завршим последње поглавље " иако сам морао да устанем за свега пар сати. Тек пошто сам завршио прву књигу сам могао да угасим лампу и заспим.

Ово није мој први Мураками и да будем искрен до сад ме није остављао без даха. Уживао сам у његовим књигама али увек је нешо фалило. Ова књига међутим ме је заинтересовала више него претходне. Добар део онога о чему пише у првој књизи је реалистично приповедање са свега пар суптилним магијских елемената (комбинација која ми се прилично допала). Сад у другом делу ће бити знатно више паранормалног па ћемо видети на шта ће то да изађе.
]]> Go Tell It on the Mountain 18920654 In one of the greatest American classics, Baldwin chronicles a fourteen-year-old boy's discovery of the terms of his identity. Baldwin's rendering of his protagonist's spiritual, sexual, and moral struggle of self-invention opened new possibilities in the American language and in the way Americans understand themselves.

With lyrical precision, psychological directness, resonating symbolic power, and a rage that is at once unrelenting and compassionate, Baldwin tells the story of the stepson of the minister of a storefront Pentecostal church in Harlem one Saturday in March of 1935. Originally published in 1953, Baldwin said of his first novel, "Mountain is the book I had to write if I was ever going to write anything else." ]]> 242 James Baldwin 0345806557 Milan/zzz 4 debut, nongenre Now, I'm usually quite bothered with overly religious texts and this one is heavily loaded with metaphors related to biblical texts (which I'm not too familiar with). So many references are from the bible and even the language they speak seems to be biblical. However it perfectly fitted into the milieu, the scene that I really couldn't imagine being different. But I probably missed something in those preaching moments. I could recognize the parallels with the Bible. The predominant theme is birth and (more) rebirth, therefore genesis which made astonishing contrast with the actual world characters are living in: depressing, filthy, unjust, miserable and above all sinful. Sin is everywhere and especially where you least expect. Those who are most pious or at least leaving such impression are loaded with all sorts of sins.

All characters have biblical names that supposed to mirror their personalities. Now I'm not very familiar with all of them but surely Gabriel can not be anything remotely similar with his biblical counterpart (except that he delivers the word of God to his flock). Deborah is however very similar with her biblical counterpart with exemplary faith and courage. They same is with Elisha who in the Bible ministered mainly among the common and poor people. He was very sensitive to the needs of the suffering and performed miracles to alleviate their pain. Elizabeth, a Virgin Mary's cousin, very devote woman whose son was John the Baptist and in the novel Elizabeth is John's mother.
The plot concentrates on John, who is turning 14 and wrestling both with the natural physiological transformation that is taking place within him and with his confused social and religious status. John sees himself connected to evil. Also because his father, Gabriel told him that he is ugly and that the face of Satan can be seen in his features. But John also feels this way because he is reacting as a normal young male reacts who, during puberty, is confused by the irresistible urges of his new sexuality juxtaposed to the social, religious, and parental proscriptions against them. And to add nuance his sexual/moral conflict is emphasized with the possibility of John's homosexuality (he's terrified by his "sin" of masturbating in the restroom of his school while thinking of the older boys who competed to see "whose urine could arch higher"). John is indeed a tortured soul who struggles hard to find a place for himself in his body, in his home, and in his life.

The character with the most thematic significance is Gabriel, who has a major impact on every other character's life. Gabriel is the product of the racist environments in which he has existed from birth. He suffered the anxiety of the Southern, newly freed, slave environment and the angst and ego-devastating environment of the Northern oppression and bigotry

Generally, the novel has scriptural tone that demonstrates biblical influence in everyday life of the community but also in the very language they speak among themselves. And truth, that can be a bit tiring because from time to time Baldwin interweaves present and past and the bible and visions and when all is painted in those sacred colours it can be hard to notice the boundary where one ends and something else begins. I had to re-read some parts because I found myself walking through the darkest valley of confusion.

All characters are Afro-Americans (and the language used here I'm sure is pretty much politically incorrect) so the race and racism is a big, fat shadow that levitates above the novel. We can see the lives in the South and the North and the difference and how black people were treated by white majority. It's pretty much what we already knew. Every character is predominantly the result of racist concepts, racist values, and racist activities. There is one very graphic illustration of the racism in the form of castrated African-American soldier: sex and sexuality has been tightly linked with the issues of race (present even nowadays!) in the form of white fears and myths related to sex organs, interracial rape, etc. Racism is evident in nearly every paragraph of the novel.

There are few vignettes describing the past of characters. It's incredible how little love there are in the lives of such pious people. With few exceptions, it seems they are all driven by sheer hatred. Incredible! And (but this can easily be cultural difference) it somehow goes along the decibels one produce praising the Lord: louder one is more sinful turns out. Now I must say those religious deliriums people are experiencing in the church are quite foreign to me so I was reading it with eyebrows up: language one is shouting, visions they have and physical appearances are really more like a show. But then, all that is very authentic. It really fits perfectly into scenario.

Very good and apparently very important novel.]]> 4.11 1953 Go Tell It on the Mountain
author: James Baldwin
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/31
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: debut, nongenre
review:
I didn't expect I'll read this one so fast. I had some vague idea what this novel is about and therefore I thought it will take me longer to finish it. In the end I've read it in two sittings.
Now, I'm usually quite bothered with overly religious texts and this one is heavily loaded with metaphors related to biblical texts (which I'm not too familiar with). So many references are from the bible and even the language they speak seems to be biblical. However it perfectly fitted into the milieu, the scene that I really couldn't imagine being different. But I probably missed something in those preaching moments. I could recognize the parallels with the Bible. The predominant theme is birth and (more) rebirth, therefore genesis which made astonishing contrast with the actual world characters are living in: depressing, filthy, unjust, miserable and above all sinful. Sin is everywhere and especially where you least expect. Those who are most pious or at least leaving such impression are loaded with all sorts of sins.

All characters have biblical names that supposed to mirror their personalities. Now I'm not very familiar with all of them but surely Gabriel can not be anything remotely similar with his biblical counterpart (except that he delivers the word of God to his flock). Deborah is however very similar with her biblical counterpart with exemplary faith and courage. They same is with Elisha who in the Bible ministered mainly among the common and poor people. He was very sensitive to the needs of the suffering and performed miracles to alleviate their pain. Elizabeth, a Virgin Mary's cousin, very devote woman whose son was John the Baptist and in the novel Elizabeth is John's mother.
The plot concentrates on John, who is turning 14 and wrestling both with the natural physiological transformation that is taking place within him and with his confused social and religious status. John sees himself connected to evil. Also because his father, Gabriel told him that he is ugly and that the face of Satan can be seen in his features. But John also feels this way because he is reacting as a normal young male reacts who, during puberty, is confused by the irresistible urges of his new sexuality juxtaposed to the social, religious, and parental proscriptions against them. And to add nuance his sexual/moral conflict is emphasized with the possibility of John's homosexuality (he's terrified by his "sin" of masturbating in the restroom of his school while thinking of the older boys who competed to see "whose urine could arch higher"). John is indeed a tortured soul who struggles hard to find a place for himself in his body, in his home, and in his life.

The character with the most thematic significance is Gabriel, who has a major impact on every other character's life. Gabriel is the product of the racist environments in which he has existed from birth. He suffered the anxiety of the Southern, newly freed, slave environment and the angst and ego-devastating environment of the Northern oppression and bigotry

Generally, the novel has scriptural tone that demonstrates biblical influence in everyday life of the community but also in the very language they speak among themselves. And truth, that can be a bit tiring because from time to time Baldwin interweaves present and past and the bible and visions and when all is painted in those sacred colours it can be hard to notice the boundary where one ends and something else begins. I had to re-read some parts because I found myself walking through the darkest valley of confusion.

All characters are Afro-Americans (and the language used here I'm sure is pretty much politically incorrect) so the race and racism is a big, fat shadow that levitates above the novel. We can see the lives in the South and the North and the difference and how black people were treated by white majority. It's pretty much what we already knew. Every character is predominantly the result of racist concepts, racist values, and racist activities. There is one very graphic illustration of the racism in the form of castrated African-American soldier: sex and sexuality has been tightly linked with the issues of race (present even nowadays!) in the form of white fears and myths related to sex organs, interracial rape, etc. Racism is evident in nearly every paragraph of the novel.

There are few vignettes describing the past of characters. It's incredible how little love there are in the lives of such pious people. With few exceptions, it seems they are all driven by sheer hatred. Incredible! And (but this can easily be cultural difference) it somehow goes along the decibels one produce praising the Lord: louder one is more sinful turns out. Now I must say those religious deliriums people are experiencing in the church are quite foreign to me so I was reading it with eyebrows up: language one is shouting, visions they have and physical appearances are really more like a show. But then, all that is very authentic. It really fits perfectly into scenario.

Very good and apparently very important novel.
]]> Slade House 24499258 Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door.

Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents—an odd brother and sister—extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late. . . .

Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it.]]> 238 David Mitchell 0812998685 Milan/zzz 3 fantasy
It's usual Mitchell: few separate short stories but this time strongly than usual linked together to make one story: sort of a novel. This one belongs to that paranormal group of Mitchell's novels (unlike "Black Swan Green" (still my favourite Mitchell) or "Jacob de Zoet") but the stories are more .... meaningfully (?) linked together.
However this is rather unambitious book in comparison with its predecessors. As if Mitchell had a fun writing it (once again) out of the leftovers from "The Bone Clocks".

Strange thing about this one is that its para-normality is much more ... sort of down to earth (much more than in other, bigger books). As if you're reading some textbook about paranormal activities (but much less dry). There are (and I can't believe I'm writing this) logical explanations, how they've learned telepathy and then developed it into something much bigger. Hallucinations are also fantastically described. They are not too (if at all) confusing which is not quite the case in other books. It's really straightforward, quite nicely and (more important) fully developed background story of the main characters.
Surely enough narration, as always, is gorgeous.

And I'm sure we can expect characters from this novel to appear in some future Mitchell's work. Not surprisingly of course. Here as well we'll see references to some other characters, companies, books from his previous novels which always brings smile to my face because it's a nice reminder. So yes, characters from this one will surely appear in next novels (especially one particular which is of course quite obvious).
It seems that Mitchell with each novel adds actually a chapter in his one Opus Magnum which is quite plausible I think.

Also I was surprised to see this book nominated for ŷ Best Horror book 2015. Horror? Really? I've read also one reader's impression how this is the eeriest, creepiest book s/he ever read (or read in years) so I really expected anything remotely scary. I found nothing of that sort I'm afraid.

In many reviews I saw suggestion how "Bone Clocks" should be read first because the story of this one is in that same world. I'm not sure if I'd agree with that. Sure, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" helps a bit in understanding the world of "Slade House" but I'm sure people would figured out easily what's going on without it too. However, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" will make the end of "Slade House" utterly predictable. I can't imagine anyone who read "The Bone Clocks" had any doubts what's going to happen when the last "guest" appeared in Slade Alley, right? So, then when one should read "Slade House"? I think (and this might sound ridiculous) somewhere in the middle of reading "The Bone Clocks". And maybe even interweaving the reading: "Clocks" and then one story from "Slade House" and again "Clocks" and then second story from "Slade House" and so on. Of course one can read entire "Slade House" and then go back to "Clocks" and take it as a side story picnic of one of the "Clocks" characters. I suggested jumping from one to other and then back to not go too far from the main story (which is in "The Bone Clocks" of course) but on the second thought I can't see that happens even without jumping.

But definitively you should read this one WHILE reading "The Bone Clocks".

"Grief is an amputation, but hope is incurable hemophilia: you bleed and bleed. Like Schrödinger's cat inside a box you can never open." ]]> 3.81 2015 Slade House
author: David Mitchell
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: fantasy
review:
I was a bit surprised when I saw "Slade House" on the market because it wasn't so long ago Mitchell published his "The Bone Clocks". Now after I read it (rather fast) I'm less surprised. Moreover I could easily imagine this (in a form a small short story or a vignette from the life of one of characters) being a drop out from the "Bone Clocks" and went through some small evolution and became a separate novel.

It's usual Mitchell: few separate short stories but this time strongly than usual linked together to make one story: sort of a novel. This one belongs to that paranormal group of Mitchell's novels (unlike "Black Swan Green" (still my favourite Mitchell) or "Jacob de Zoet") but the stories are more .... meaningfully (?) linked together.
However this is rather unambitious book in comparison with its predecessors. As if Mitchell had a fun writing it (once again) out of the leftovers from "The Bone Clocks".

Strange thing about this one is that its para-normality is much more ... sort of down to earth (much more than in other, bigger books). As if you're reading some textbook about paranormal activities (but much less dry). There are (and I can't believe I'm writing this) logical explanations, how they've learned telepathy and then developed it into something much bigger. Hallucinations are also fantastically described. They are not too (if at all) confusing which is not quite the case in other books. It's really straightforward, quite nicely and (more important) fully developed background story of the main characters.
Surely enough narration, as always, is gorgeous.

And I'm sure we can expect characters from this novel to appear in some future Mitchell's work. Not surprisingly of course. Here as well we'll see references to some other characters, companies, books from his previous novels which always brings smile to my face because it's a nice reminder. So yes, characters from this one will surely appear in next novels (especially one particular which is of course quite obvious).
It seems that Mitchell with each novel adds actually a chapter in his one Opus Magnum which is quite plausible I think.

Also I was surprised to see this book nominated for ŷ Best Horror book 2015. Horror? Really? I've read also one reader's impression how this is the eeriest, creepiest book s/he ever read (or read in years) so I really expected anything remotely scary. I found nothing of that sort I'm afraid.

In many reviews I saw suggestion how "Bone Clocks" should be read first because the story of this one is in that same world. I'm not sure if I'd agree with that. Sure, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" helps a bit in understanding the world of "Slade House" but I'm sure people would figured out easily what's going on without it too. However, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" will make the end of "Slade House" utterly predictable. I can't imagine anyone who read "The Bone Clocks" had any doubts what's going to happen when the last "guest" appeared in Slade Alley, right? So, then when one should read "Slade House"? I think (and this might sound ridiculous) somewhere in the middle of reading "The Bone Clocks". And maybe even interweaving the reading: "Clocks" and then one story from "Slade House" and again "Clocks" and then second story from "Slade House" and so on. Of course one can read entire "Slade House" and then go back to "Clocks" and take it as a side story picnic of one of the "Clocks" characters. I suggested jumping from one to other and then back to not go too far from the main story (which is in "The Bone Clocks" of course) but on the second thought I can't see that happens even without jumping.

But definitively you should read this one WHILE reading "The Bone Clocks".

"Grief is an amputation, but hope is incurable hemophilia: you bleed and bleed. Like Schrödinger's cat inside a box you can never open."
]]> Slade House 40611069 Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door.

Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents � an odd brother and sister � extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late...

Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it.]]> 241 David Mitchell 0812998693 Milan/zzz 3
It's usual Mitchell: few separate short stories but this time strongly than usual linked together to make one story: sort of a novel. This one belongs to that paranormal group of Mitchell's novels (unlike "Black Swan Green" (still my favourite Mitchell) or "Jacob de Zoet") but the stories are more .... meaningfully (?) linked together.
However this is rather unambitious book in comparison with its predecessors. As if Mitchell had a fun writing it (once again) out of the leftovers from "The Bone Clocks".

Strange thing about this one is that its para-normality is much more ... sort of down to earth (much more than in other, bigger books). As if you're reading some textbook about paranormal activities (but much less dry). There are (and I can't believe I'm writing this) logical explanations, how they've learned telepathy and then developed it into something much bigger. Hallucinations are also fantastically described. They are not too (if at all) confusing which is not quite the case in other books. It's really straightforward, quite nicely and (more important) fully developed background story of the main characters.
Surely enough narration, as always, is gorgeous.

And I'm sure we can expect characters from this novel to appear in some future Mitchell's work. Not surprisingly of course. Here as well we'll see references to some other characters, companies, books from his previous novels which always brings smile to my face because it's a nice reminder. So yes, characters from this one will surely appear in next novels (especially one particular which is of course quite obvious).
It seems that Mitchell with each novel adds actually a chapter in his one Opus Magnum which is quite plausible I think.

Also I was surprised to see this book nominated for ŷ Best Horror book 2015. Horror? Really? I've read also one reader's impression how this is the eeriest, creepiest book s/he ever read (or read in years) so I really expected anything remotely scary. I found nothing of that sort I'm afraid.

In many reviews I saw suggestion how "Bone Clocks" should be read first because the story of this one is in that same world. I'm not sure if I'd agree with that. Sure, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" helps a bit in understanding the world of "Slade House" but I'm sure people would figured out easily what's going on without it too. However, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" will make the end of "Slade House" utterly predictable. I can't imagine anyone who read "The Bone Clocks" had any doubts what's going to happen when the last "guest" appeared in Slade Alley, right? So, then when one should read "Slade House"? I think (and this might sound ridiculous) somewhere in the middle of reading "The Bone Clocks". And maybe even interweaving the reading: "Clocks" and then one story from "Slade House" and again "Clocks" and then second story from "Slade House" and so on. Of course one can read entire "Slade House" and then go back to "Clocks" and take it as a side story picnic of one of the "Clocks" characters. I suggested jumping from one to other and then back to not go too far from the main story (which is in "The Bone Clocks" of course) but on the second thought I can't see that happens even without jumping.

But definitively you should read this one WHILE reading "The Bone Clocks".

"Grief is an amputation, but hope is incurable hemophilia: you bleed and bleed. Like Schrödinger's cat inside a box you can never open." ]]> 3.79 2015 Slade House
author: David Mitchell
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:
I was a bit surprised when I saw "Slade House" on the market because it wasn't so long ago Mitchell published his "The Bone Clocks". Now after I read it (rather fast) I'm less surprised. Moreover I could easily imagine this (in a form a small short story or a vignette from the life of one of characters) being a drop out from the "Bone Clocks" and went through some small evolution and became a separate novel.

It's usual Mitchell: few separate short stories but this time strongly than usual linked together to make one story: sort of a novel. This one belongs to that paranormal group of Mitchell's novels (unlike "Black Swan Green" (still my favourite Mitchell) or "Jacob de Zoet") but the stories are more .... meaningfully (?) linked together.
However this is rather unambitious book in comparison with its predecessors. As if Mitchell had a fun writing it (once again) out of the leftovers from "The Bone Clocks".

Strange thing about this one is that its para-normality is much more ... sort of down to earth (much more than in other, bigger books). As if you're reading some textbook about paranormal activities (but much less dry). There are (and I can't believe I'm writing this) logical explanations, how they've learned telepathy and then developed it into something much bigger. Hallucinations are also fantastically described. They are not too (if at all) confusing which is not quite the case in other books. It's really straightforward, quite nicely and (more important) fully developed background story of the main characters.
Surely enough narration, as always, is gorgeous.

And I'm sure we can expect characters from this novel to appear in some future Mitchell's work. Not surprisingly of course. Here as well we'll see references to some other characters, companies, books from his previous novels which always brings smile to my face because it's a nice reminder. So yes, characters from this one will surely appear in next novels (especially one particular which is of course quite obvious).
It seems that Mitchell with each novel adds actually a chapter in his one Opus Magnum which is quite plausible I think.

Also I was surprised to see this book nominated for ŷ Best Horror book 2015. Horror? Really? I've read also one reader's impression how this is the eeriest, creepiest book s/he ever read (or read in years) so I really expected anything remotely scary. I found nothing of that sort I'm afraid.

In many reviews I saw suggestion how "Bone Clocks" should be read first because the story of this one is in that same world. I'm not sure if I'd agree with that. Sure, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" helps a bit in understanding the world of "Slade House" but I'm sure people would figured out easily what's going on without it too. However, being familiar with "The Bone Clocks" will make the end of "Slade House" utterly predictable. I can't imagine anyone who read "The Bone Clocks" had any doubts what's going to happen when the last "guest" appeared in Slade Alley, right? So, then when one should read "Slade House"? I think (and this might sound ridiculous) somewhere in the middle of reading "The Bone Clocks". And maybe even interweaving the reading: "Clocks" and then one story from "Slade House" and again "Clocks" and then second story from "Slade House" and so on. Of course one can read entire "Slade House" and then go back to "Clocks" and take it as a side story picnic of one of the "Clocks" characters. I suggested jumping from one to other and then back to not go too far from the main story (which is in "The Bone Clocks" of course) but on the second thought I can't see that happens even without jumping.

But definitively you should read this one WHILE reading "The Bone Clocks".

"Grief is an amputation, but hope is incurable hemophilia: you bleed and bleed. Like Schrödinger's cat inside a box you can never open."
]]> Annabel 19456141 Haunting, sweeping in scope, and stylistically reminiscent of Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, Annabel is a compelling tale about one person's struggle to discover the truth about their birth and self in a culture that shuns contradiction.]]> 480 Kathleen Winter 0887842763 Milan/zzz 2
Then, there is that issue of mine with child protagonists in literature. Vast majority of them horribly irritate me. I couldn't wait to finish chapter about bloody swimming suite (conversation between Wayne and his mother). And yes big chunk of the book describes Wayne as a kid from kid’s perspective (ugh).

What has happened to Wayne somewhere in the middle of the book (I’m quite sure being a medical worker) is NOT possible. And I think after that point I was like “OK, whatever� I lost interest in what’s going on with him and just start marveling (yes there IS a nice part here) beautifully described life on Labrador; its wilderness; natives and their connection with the nature; structure of small-town-mentality; Treadway is one of few bright spots here. I’d say he’s the only character fully developed and made with integrity.

I do have soft spot for debuts but I definitively think this novel is way overrated and probably because of that I expected much more than what it gave me. I’m not even ambivalent, I’m disappointed.
]]> 4.11 2010 Annabel
author: Kathleen Winter
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2011/12/01
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves: debut, lgbt, nongenre, young-adults
review:
I really wanted to like this book. I was almost sure I will after reading praises and considering the fact that it’s shortlisted for all major of Canada’s book awards. However it didn’t fulfill my expectations whatsoever. The major, general flaw is lack of profoundness. I felt as if I’m watching some Sunday afternoon TV show about quite unusual topic told in one unappealing way that led in the end that I actually didn’t care about (main) protagonist(s). It was quite one dimensional and unconvincing, especially part where Wayne finds out what happened at his birth. I really can’t imagine such enormous lack of reaction in reality. I expected a massive implosion but nope, that’s not what has happened. Not that, nor pretty much anything and then further it turned out as if all characters are taking some tranquilizers that are calming them down and preventing reaction (there are more than one moment where you will expect a scream!). It’s amazing how dry the writing was considering what kind of story it was telling. Amazing really.

Then, there is that issue of mine with child protagonists in literature. Vast majority of them horribly irritate me. I couldn't wait to finish chapter about bloody swimming suite (conversation between Wayne and his mother). And yes big chunk of the book describes Wayne as a kid from kid’s perspective (ugh).

What has happened to Wayne somewhere in the middle of the book (I’m quite sure being a medical worker) is NOT possible. And I think after that point I was like “OK, whatever� I lost interest in what’s going on with him and just start marveling (yes there IS a nice part here) beautifully described life on Labrador; its wilderness; natives and their connection with the nature; structure of small-town-mentality; Treadway is one of few bright spots here. I’d say he’s the only character fully developed and made with integrity.

I do have soft spot for debuts but I definitively think this novel is way overrated and probably because of that I expected much more than what it gave me. I’m not even ambivalent, I’m disappointed.

]]> <![CDATA[Millennium Approaches (Angels in America, #1)]]> 92250
The play is a complex, often metaphorical, and at times symbolic examination of AIDS and homosexuality in America in the 1980s. Certain major and minor characters are supernatural beings (angels) or deceased persons (ghosts). The play contains multiple roles for several of the actors. Initially and primarily focusing on a gay couple in Manhattan, the play also has several other storylines, some of which occasionally intersect.]]> 119 Tony Kushner 1559360615 Milan/zzz 5 awarded, lgbt, theater I was hooked instantly. I wasn't surprised a bit this won Pulitzer Prize! Such an imaginative and poetry like writing. Such a wide spectrum of characters and topics; omnipresent the shadow of AIDS. But what strike me most is what Roy Cohn is saying to his doctor when he's about to tell him diagnosis (which he [Cohn] knows of course). First I should mention that then people thought that AIDS is an illness reserved almost exclusively for homosexual population. So the quote: �...homosexual is what I am because I have sex with men, but really this is wrong. Homosexuals are not men who sleep with other men. Homosexuals are men who, in fifteen years of trying, cannot pass a pissant anti-discrimination bill through City Council.� That was written 20 years ago! It surely sounds quite fresh and accurate even now.
Now on “PٰǾ첹�. ]]> 4.27 1993 Millennium Approaches (Angels in America, #1)
author: Tony Kushner
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2011/09/01
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: awarded, lgbt, theater
review:
I failed to see theater play last season (really can't explain why/how). It was such a surprise and courage to put it on the repertoire here in one quite homophobic society. Anyway, recently I've listened an interview of Tony Kushner when I found out that now is the 20th anniversary of the premiere of “Angels� which reminded me that I could at least read the play if I missed the to see it.
I was hooked instantly. I wasn't surprised a bit this won Pulitzer Prize! Such an imaginative and poetry like writing. Such a wide spectrum of characters and topics; omnipresent the shadow of AIDS. But what strike me most is what Roy Cohn is saying to his doctor when he's about to tell him diagnosis (which he [Cohn] knows of course). First I should mention that then people thought that AIDS is an illness reserved almost exclusively for homosexual population. So the quote: �...homosexual is what I am because I have sex with men, but really this is wrong. Homosexuals are not men who sleep with other men. Homosexuals are men who, in fifteen years of trying, cannot pass a pissant anti-discrimination bill through City Council.� That was written 20 years ago! It surely sounds quite fresh and accurate even now.
Now on “PٰǾ첹�.
]]> <![CDATA[The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible]]> 17616126 The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Atlantic delivers his first book about America: a fascinating look at the men whose efforts and achievements helped unify the States and create one cohesive nation

"History is rarely as charming and entertaining as when it's told by Simon Winchester."-New York Times Book Review

For more than two centuries, E pluribus unum-Out of many, one-has been featured on America's official government seals and stamped on its currency. But how did America become "one nation, indivisible"? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? In this monumental history, Simon Winchester addresses these questions, bringing together the breathtaking achievements that helped forge and unify America and the pioneers who have toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizens and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.

Winchester follows in the footsteps of America's most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, including Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery Expedition to the Pacific Coast, the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph, and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland; Rochester to San Francisco; Truckee to Laramie; Seattle to Anchorage, introducing these fascinating men and others-some familiar, some forgotten, some hardly known-who played a pivotal role in creating today's United States. Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree.

Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh, lively, and erudite look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together, from one of our most entertaining, probing, and insightful observers.]]> 691 Simon Winchester 006207962X Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction I love that author is non-American (OK he is USA-passport holder but you know what I mean) so there is no that patriotic tone which one could have expected. And that's good.
Speaking about patriotic tone I have to admit I enjoyed so much when reading chapter about Nikola Tesla. I've read it twice and couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was a bit unpleasantly surprised when he didn't mention him in his "Atlantic" when writing about Marconi and radio so, yes I really enjoyed reading about Tesla.
]]> 3.95 2013 The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible
author: Simon Winchester
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2014/01/01
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Just what I expected from Winchester. Very informative, interesting story about (for me) mostly unknown people and their effort to make what USA is now. As usual, the topic is gigantic and it's quite optimistic to expect that everything and everyone will be covered. Well, not optimistic but delusional.
I love that author is non-American (OK he is USA-passport holder but you know what I mean) so there is no that patriotic tone which one could have expected. And that's good.
Speaking about patriotic tone I have to admit I enjoyed so much when reading chapter about Nikola Tesla. I've read it twice and couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was a bit unpleasantly surprised when he didn't mention him in his "Atlantic" when writing about Marconi and radio so, yes I really enjoyed reading about Tesla.

]]> <![CDATA[If on a Winter's Night a Traveller]]> 52513609 If on a Winter's Night a Traveller Italo Calvino. You like it. But there's a printer's error in your copy. You take it back to the shop and get a replacement. But the replacement seems to be a totally different story. You try to track down the original book you were reading but end up with a different narrative again. This remarkable novel leads you through many different books including a detective adventure, a romance, a satire, an erotic story, a diary and a quest. But the hero of them all is you, the reader.]]> 260 Italo Calvino Milan/zzz 4 I mean, have you ever thought about how huge your reading passion is? To be honest I didn't. Of course I love to read and on question "Without what you can imagine your life?" my answer always includes books but what would you do (not literally of course) to find your missing book and to heal your reading fever? I'm not sure I ever felt that agonizing reading fever - until now. I know this might sound silly but let me explain:

Of course when you enjoy enormously in book you're reading you'll finish it in one swallow and maybe (probably) reread some of its parts or entire book; maybe you'll copy some quote in your special notebook and memorize them etc. and that is I guess normal destiny after meeting right book with right reader. But imagine this situation: You're reading one of the best books you've ever read and you're aware of that fact so you're eating, drinking, breathing pages, one after another; film is rolling in your mind, you thinking about surprise on the next page and you're running to see what is behind the corner and then ... nothing... blank wall, no streets, no cars, no people, no nothing ... blank page.... OK maybe this is printing error, maybe after that blank page the story will continue ... imagine that state of mind: no rereading, no quotes, no following of your new friends destiny. You're feeling cheated. Isn't that horrible? Oh it is, it is...
And this book is about that sudden emptiness you're feeling and that desperate search to find next page. And yes, the main character is "You" (dear reader), and yes precisely you are feeling tachycardia and yes your blood pressure is rising in that dark, surreal chase ... for a book (imagine this!)

This postmodern novel is some sort of reader's nightmare, always in search for your book or women (or both), or feeling writer's agony. This book is from time to time dark, totally surrealistic, and breathtakingly inventive. Did I mention that "You" are the main protagonist?

With its 260 pages some might think it's easy, light read but no, not easy read at all; sometimes you just need to rest a little bit to digest all what you eat so far (and it's a quite menu), this book is for savoring, for letting each sentence to melt slowly on your tongue. Or that is case with me who doesn't read several novels in the same time. However for some of you who practice that, reading this book will be, most likely, different experience.

Here I'd like to include one quote I like very much:

"Reading is always this: there is a thing that is there, a thing made of writing, a solid, material object, which cannot be changed, and through this thing we measure ourselves against something else that is not present, something else that belongs to the immaterial, invisible world, because it can only be thought, imagined, or because it was once and is no longer, past, lost, unattainable, in the land of the dead...
... Or that is not present because it does not yet exist, something desired, feared, possible or impossible. Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be"]]> 3.83 1979 If on a Winter's Night a Traveller
author: Italo Calvino
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/06/11
shelves:
review:
WOW what a strange book!
I mean, have you ever thought about how huge your reading passion is? To be honest I didn't. Of course I love to read and on question "Without what you can imagine your life?" my answer always includes books but what would you do (not literally of course) to find your missing book and to heal your reading fever? I'm not sure I ever felt that agonizing reading fever - until now. I know this might sound silly but let me explain:

Of course when you enjoy enormously in book you're reading you'll finish it in one swallow and maybe (probably) reread some of its parts or entire book; maybe you'll copy some quote in your special notebook and memorize them etc. and that is I guess normal destiny after meeting right book with right reader. But imagine this situation: You're reading one of the best books you've ever read and you're aware of that fact so you're eating, drinking, breathing pages, one after another; film is rolling in your mind, you thinking about surprise on the next page and you're running to see what is behind the corner and then ... nothing... blank wall, no streets, no cars, no people, no nothing ... blank page.... OK maybe this is printing error, maybe after that blank page the story will continue ... imagine that state of mind: no rereading, no quotes, no following of your new friends destiny. You're feeling cheated. Isn't that horrible? Oh it is, it is...
And this book is about that sudden emptiness you're feeling and that desperate search to find next page. And yes, the main character is "You" (dear reader), and yes precisely you are feeling tachycardia and yes your blood pressure is rising in that dark, surreal chase ... for a book (imagine this!)

This postmodern novel is some sort of reader's nightmare, always in search for your book or women (or both), or feeling writer's agony. This book is from time to time dark, totally surrealistic, and breathtakingly inventive. Did I mention that "You" are the main protagonist?

With its 260 pages some might think it's easy, light read but no, not easy read at all; sometimes you just need to rest a little bit to digest all what you eat so far (and it's a quite menu), this book is for savoring, for letting each sentence to melt slowly on your tongue. Or that is case with me who doesn't read several novels in the same time. However for some of you who practice that, reading this book will be, most likely, different experience.

Here I'd like to include one quote I like very much:

"Reading is always this: there is a thing that is there, a thing made of writing, a solid, material object, which cannot be changed, and through this thing we measure ourselves against something else that is not present, something else that belongs to the immaterial, invisible world, because it can only be thought, imagined, or because it was once and is no longer, past, lost, unattainable, in the land of the dead...
... Or that is not present because it does not yet exist, something desired, feared, possible or impossible. Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be"
]]> The Gargoyle 3939184
On a burn ward, a man lies between living and dying, so disfigured that no one from his past life would even recognize him. His only comfort comes from imagining various inventive ways to end his misery. Then a woman named Marianne Engel walks into his hospital room, a wild-haired, schizophrenic sculptress on the lam from the psych ward upstairs, who insists that she knows him � that she has known him, in fact, for seven hundred years. She remembers vividly when they met, in another hospital ward at a convent in medieval Germany, when she was a nun and he was a wounded mercenary left to die. If he has forgotten this, he is not to she will prove it to him.

And so Marianne Engel begins to tell him their story, carving away his disbelief and slowly drawing him into the orbit and power of a word he'd never love.]]> 480 Andrew Davidson 0307356779 Milan/zzz 4 debut
This is a love story. A bit twisted just like one of two main characters with several side stories. Also love ones and also twisted, macabre not very happy (ending wise). And I was thinking "what a nice story for burnt patient's ears (or better "ear" since one is missing) crippled by his wounds" but then there is a pattern: ultimate sacrifice driven by pure love. Yes I am a bit sarcastic but I think I was in forgiving mood because the stories are told by apparently disturbed character.
So stories are interweaving building the main one (equally insane) creating some sort of false (I hope) history of the actual places. It is nice to think about Dante's "Inferno" from a different angle :)

I think what I didn't like too much is that in the end there is a possibility that dismisses mental disturbance but then, how would he end the novel?]]> 3.97 2008 The Gargoyle
author: Andrew Davidson
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2024/02/03
shelves: debut
review:
This is an interesting one. And a rather fast reading. It did grab me from the start with beautifully graphic and gruesome description of the burns. I love the author didn't run away from the medical vocabulary (apparently he was well informed *thumbs up*) nor from the detailed explanation of all procedures, both medicinal and physiological. Fantastic! But my advice is if it happens that you're eating while your reading this part just stop one of those two. I'm familiar with all those descriptions due to my profession (hence my fascination) and thought I'm immune but to be honest I didn't enjoy my supper as much as I normally do (salad dressing just didn't look as salad dressing).

This is a love story. A bit twisted just like one of two main characters with several side stories. Also love ones and also twisted, macabre not very happy (ending wise). And I was thinking "what a nice story for burnt patient's ears (or better "ear" since one is missing) crippled by his wounds" but then there is a pattern: ultimate sacrifice driven by pure love. Yes I am a bit sarcastic but I think I was in forgiving mood because the stories are told by apparently disturbed character.
So stories are interweaving building the main one (equally insane) creating some sort of false (I hope) history of the actual places. It is nice to think about Dante's "Inferno" from a different angle :)

I think what I didn't like too much is that in the end there is a possibility that dismisses mental disturbance but then, how would he end the novel?
]]> The Shipping News 7354
A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary American family, The Shipping News shows why E. Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today.
(back cover)]]> 337 Annie Proulx 0743225422 Milan/zzz 4 awarded, nongenre 3.88 1993 The Shipping News
author: Annie Proulx
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2014/11/01
date added: 2023/10/31
shelves: awarded, nongenre
review:

]]> The Gardener 166346 150 Rabindranath Tagore 1594568030 Milan/zzz 5 asia, poetry 4.36 The Gardener
author: Rabindranath Tagore
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2011/12/01
date added: 2023/10/31
shelves: asia, poetry
review:

]]> <![CDATA[S one strane dobra i zla / Genealogija morala]]> 12071835
"Čovek mora samog sebe izložiti iskušenjima kako bi video da je predodređen za nezavisnost i naređivanje; a to valja pravo­vremeno učiniti. Ne treba se kloniti svojih iskušenja, premda su ona možda najopasnija igra koja se može zapodenuti, i to samo onih iskušenja kojima je čovek izložen u prisustvu nas samih a ne nekog drugog sudije. Ne treba se vezivati za neku ličnost, pa bila ona i najdraža - svaka ličnost je tamnica, a i skrovište. Ne treba se vezivati za otadžbinu - čak ni ako je najizmučenija i naj-nevnljnija - već je manje teško odvojiti svoje srce od pobedničke otadžbine. Ne treba se vezivati za sažaljenje: čak ni ako se ono odnosi na višeg čoveka u čiju retku muku i bespomoćnost gleda­mo samo zahvaljujući slučaju. Ne treba se vezivati za nauku: pa makar nas mamila najdragocenijim nalazima koji su, naizgled, sačuvani upravo za nas..."

Čovek mora znati da se čuva: to je najveće iskušenje nezavisnosti.
(Fridrih Niče - iz knjige )]]> 276 Friedrich Nietzsche 8673466482 Milan/zzz 4 4.33 1887 S one strane dobra i zla / Genealogija morala
author: Friedrich Nietzsche
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1887
rating: 4
read at: 2011/10/01
date added: 2023/06/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Izdisaj 52479663
U „Trgovcu i alhemičarevoj kapiji�, portal kroz vreme primorava prodavca tkanina u drevnom Bagdadu da se uhvati u koštac sa greškama iz prošlosti i novim prilikama. U „Izdisaju�, tuđinski naučnik dolazi do preneražavajućeg otkrića sa posledicama koje su bukvalno univerzalne. U priči „Nespokoj je vrtoglavica slobode�, sposobnost zavirivanja u alternativne univerzume nalaže radikalno novo ispitivanje koncepata izbora i slobodne volje.

Zbirka priča Izdisaj je Ted Ćang u svom najboljem izdanju: dubokouman, saosećajan i poučan.]]> 296 Ted Chiang 8680830380 Milan/zzz 5 4.10 2019 Izdisaj
author: Ted Chiang
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/20
date added: 2021/12/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Joga 59513789
Emanuel Karer je na desetodnevnom kursu vipasane, na kojem učesnici ne mogu da komuniciraju međusobno niti sa spoljnim svetom, kada se dogodi napad na Šarli ebdo. Zamoljen da napiše govor u čast nastradalog Bernara Marija, naglo prekida odmor i vraća se u Pariz. Život mu se raspada: njegov brak se okončava, a zatim i veza s ljubavnicom. Sledi razdoblje duboke depresije koje ga vodi u bolnicu na terapiju elektrošokovima. U pokušaju da preokrene svoju nepodnošljivu svakodnevicu, odlazi na ostrvo Leros, gde provodi nekoliko meseci moderirajući radionice pisanja za mlade avganistanske izbeglice.

Ne štedeći druge, a ponajmanje sebe, Karer nam donosi bolno iskreno priču o jogi i depresiji, meditaciji i terorizmu, čežnji za jedinstvom i bipolarnom poremećaju. Stvari koje na prvi pogled ne idu zajedno, a ipak � idu.

Joga je jedna od onih dragocenih knjiga koje nas teraju da cenimo trenutke čiste radosti ma koliko bili mali, kao i da pokušamo da postanemo bolji ljudi.

„Možda najbolja knjiga Emanuela Karera.�
� France Inter

„Hteo je da napiše ’veselu� knjigu o jogi, a onda ga je zgromila depresija. U ovom maestralnom zaronu u ponor ipak se nazire put do oporavka, koji jeste moguć.�
� Télérama

„Emanuel Karer na sebi svojstven način govori o svom silasku u pakao depresije.�
� Le Devoir

„Emanuel Karer je hteo da napiše knjigu o jogi. Naslov i jeste Joga, ali boje koje je koristio su tamnije nego što se očekivalo.�
� Le Soir

„Šest godina posle Carstva, Emanuel Karer se vraća s Jogom i priča o tome kako mu se život preokrenuo. Vrlo lepa priča koja se bavi iluzijom i istinom.�
� Les Inrockuptibles]]> 294 Emmanuel Carrère Milan/zzz 4 3.78 2020 Joga
author: Emmanuel Carrère
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/20
date added: 2021/12/20
shelves:
review:

]]> The Haunting of Hill House 10863147 246 Shirley Jackson Milan/zzz 4 3.73 1959 The Haunting of Hill House
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1959
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/20
date added: 2021/12/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Polje 58897222
A šta bi oni rekli? Kakvu bi priču o svom životu odlučili da ispričaju? Da li bi to uopšte bila priča, ili tek sećanje na trenutak ili određeno osećanje, radost, ljubav ili mržnju?

Polje čini dvadeset devet priča i glasova koji se ponekad nadopunjuju a ponekad suprotstavljaju jedni drugima. To su ležerne, dirljive, dramatične i bizarne priče, različite koliko i ljudi sami. U ovom susretu s mrtvima, ispunjenom mekim humorom i prijateljskim prepoznavanjem, Robert Zetaler iz usputnih i naizgled nevažnih stvari gradi nešto veće: sliku ljudskog suživota.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

„Jedna od onih retkih knjiga koje vas egzistencijalno dirnu i promene vas.�
� SWR

„Veliko je umeće tako istančano i nimalo patetično opisati ljudska osećanja: gubitak, ljubav, nadu i usamljenost. Zetaler nam to umeće ovde veličanstveno razotkriva.�
� ZDF Aspekte

„Kao malo koji pisac današnjice, Robert Zetaler ume svojim likovima da podari ljudsko dostojanstvo.�
� Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

„Robert Zetaler umešno priča o tišini i kraju. Majstor je jednostavnosti, trenutka, prolaznog; sve lebdi, sve je lako, čak i težina, i sve jednom dolazi svome koncu, nekako, a u međuvremenu živimo svoj život.�
� Focus]]> 177 Robert Seethaler 8680830704 Milan/zzz 1 Možda bih i dao malo bolju ocenu (veliko možda) da nemam preovlađujući utisak jedne pretencioznosti bez pokrića. Ovo je jedna dosadna i besmislena priča. Srećom kratka.]]> 3.57 2018 Polje
author: Robert Seethaler
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2021/11/04
date added: 2021/11/04
shelves:
review:
Okej... ali uopšte mi nisu jasne visoke ocene za ovaj roman. Ideja da mrtvi pričaju priču je odlična ali ipak nje dovoljna. Nužno je i da je to što pričaju zanimljivo ali ovde to (meni) nije slučaj. Jedino što mogu da zaključim je da su vodili neverovatno nezanimljive živote ako su se odlučili za ovakve priče kada im je pružena prilika. U kom slučaju stvarno bolje da su nastavili da leže u svojim grobovima u tišini i da ništa nisu rekli. Ja sam bih izmaštao mnogo zanimljivije priče u njihovo ime.
Možda bih i dao malo bolju ocenu (veliko možda) da nemam preovlađujući utisak jedne pretencioznosti bez pokrića. Ovo je jedna dosadna i besmislena priča. Srećom kratka.
]]> հćԲ 58897281
Zbunjenost glavne junakinje je potresna, baš kao i njeno naivno uverenje da će njeni najmiliji uvideti svoju grešku i doći po nju. Za Vraćenu, kako je drugovi nazivaju, počinje novi život, život u kome je čekaju odricanja, borba i odmeravanje snaga sa ženom koja ju je rodila.

Dočaravanje ovako temeljnih životnih potresa traži grube i sirove reči, a Donatela di Pjetrantonio savršeno vlada snagom tih reči. հćԲ je moćan, težak i očaravajući roman o ljubavi i napuštanju, mučnom prilagođavanju, emotivnom previranju i sazrevanju.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

„հćԲ� je jednako dirljiva koliko i potresna knjiga. U ovom lucidnom proučavanju identiteta i pripadnosti, Donatela di Pjetrantonio je učinila da gubitak njene junakinje bude čist dobitak za čitaoce.�
� The Economist

„Di Pjetrantonio piše s varljivom jednostavnošću. Svaka scena, svaki detalj izvedeni su pedantno, bez viška sentimentalnosti. հćԲ je bolno lepa i razorno snažna knjiga.�
� Star Tribune

„Upečatljiv i ganutljiv roman o sazrevanju, neizmerno lepo napisan.�
� Kirkus Review

„Tanana a snažna proza Donatele di Pjetrantonio donosi priču o odrastanju, majkama, ćerkama, sestrama i samootkrivanju.�
� World Literature Today]]> 177 Donatella Di Pietrantonio 8680830712 Milan/zzz 4 nongenre 4.28 2017 հćԲ
author: Donatella Di Pietrantonio
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2021/11/04
date added: 2021/11/04
shelves: nongenre
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Smrtni ishod atletskih povreda]]> 58566819 146 Milica Vučković 8680830658 Milan/zzz 4 serbian Pročitah je u jednom sedenju što nije bilo teško: lak, neposredan stil koji ti se drektno obraća. Kao da sediš sa prijateljicom na kafi i slušaš je...otvorenih usta naizmenično želeći da joj zagrljajem istisneš sav vazduh iz pluća i da je uhvatiš za ramena i protreseš je kao kesu iz usisivača urlajući da se probudi, osvesti, otvori oči...

Neverovatno je koliko su profili zlostavljača slični, gotovo isti bez obzira na nivo obrazovanja, milje iz kog dolaze... čovek bi pomislio da moraju da postoje individualne razlike ali nekako su svi isti kao što fizički liče ljudi koji imaju Daunov sindrom bez obzira na rasu tako i sindrom zlostavljača čini da su isti, koriste iste metode manipulacije, izgovaraju iste rečenice, isto se prikazuju kao žrtve i tako opravdavaju zlo u sebi...i svi veruju u to što izgovaraju. To nije samo (mada često jeste i to) predstava za druge, oni veruju u svoje interpretcije, svoje priče koje se nikada nisu desile, poruke koje nikad nisu poslate, reči koje nikad nisu izgovorene....međutim ono što je strašnije od ovog šablona po kom se svi oni ponašaju je to što je stvarna žrtva bez obzira na očiglednost šablona, bez obzira što svaki postupak, svaka očigledna laž, manipulacija, sumnja, preki pogled i na kraju šaka preko usta ili oko vrata.... vrišti da beži glavom bez obzira odatle, ostaje gluva na taj vrisak. Što nalazi opravdanja, što ubeđuje sebe da veruje u nešto što i sama zna da je laž. Čak i kad se ponavlja iznova i iznova i svaki put je prvi put. I svaki put je poslednji. Do sledećeg prvog. I poslednjeg.

Dakle postoji i šablon po kom se i žrtve ponašaju, isti mehanizmi odbrane, odbijanja da se otvore oči (nekad i zbog podliva i masnice), nalaženja opravdanja za zlostavljača....I žrtve imaju svoj sindrom koji ih čini sličnima....samo mislim da taj sindrom činimo mi koji ih okružujemo, koji ih guramo u taj šablon bivajući zid ili osuđujući ih ili sumnjajući da je sve baš tako kako kažu ili govoreći im da je to normalno, da je tako u svakom odnosu, da misli na dete/decu, šta će okolina, rođaci, komšije reći....
Zato je ova knjiga važna. Da nama koji ih okružujemo stavi do znanja da samo treba da smo tu za žrtvu, da saslušamo, bez ikakvih pitanja, ponudimo rame i pružimo podršku hrabrosti. Jer progovoriti je hrabrost ali i da imamo razumevanja za ćutanje. Pogotovo ovo drugo.]]> 3.79 Smrtni ishod atletskih povreda
author: Milica Vučković
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2021/10/06
shelves: serbian
review:
Kad sam prvi put video knjigu (na instagramu) pomislio sam "kakav bizaran naziv" (bizarno znači sviđa mi se) i pri prvoj poseti knjižari je kupio nemajući nikakvu ideju o čemu se radi.
Pročitah je u jednom sedenju što nije bilo teško: lak, neposredan stil koji ti se drektno obraća. Kao da sediš sa prijateljicom na kafi i slušaš je...otvorenih usta naizmenično želeći da joj zagrljajem istisneš sav vazduh iz pluća i da je uhvatiš za ramena i protreseš je kao kesu iz usisivača urlajući da se probudi, osvesti, otvori oči...

Neverovatno je koliko su profili zlostavljača slični, gotovo isti bez obzira na nivo obrazovanja, milje iz kog dolaze... čovek bi pomislio da moraju da postoje individualne razlike ali nekako su svi isti kao što fizički liče ljudi koji imaju Daunov sindrom bez obzira na rasu tako i sindrom zlostavljača čini da su isti, koriste iste metode manipulacije, izgovaraju iste rečenice, isto se prikazuju kao žrtve i tako opravdavaju zlo u sebi...i svi veruju u to što izgovaraju. To nije samo (mada često jeste i to) predstava za druge, oni veruju u svoje interpretcije, svoje priče koje se nikada nisu desile, poruke koje nikad nisu poslate, reči koje nikad nisu izgovorene....međutim ono što je strašnije od ovog šablona po kom se svi oni ponašaju je to što je stvarna žrtva bez obzira na očiglednost šablona, bez obzira što svaki postupak, svaka očigledna laž, manipulacija, sumnja, preki pogled i na kraju šaka preko usta ili oko vrata.... vrišti da beži glavom bez obzira odatle, ostaje gluva na taj vrisak. Što nalazi opravdanja, što ubeđuje sebe da veruje u nešto što i sama zna da je laž. Čak i kad se ponavlja iznova i iznova i svaki put je prvi put. I svaki put je poslednji. Do sledećeg prvog. I poslednjeg.

Dakle postoji i šablon po kom se i žrtve ponašaju, isti mehanizmi odbrane, odbijanja da se otvore oči (nekad i zbog podliva i masnice), nalaženja opravdanja za zlostavljača....I žrtve imaju svoj sindrom koji ih čini sličnima....samo mislim da taj sindrom činimo mi koji ih okružujemo, koji ih guramo u taj šablon bivajući zid ili osuđujući ih ili sumnjajući da je sve baš tako kako kažu ili govoreći im da je to normalno, da je tako u svakom odnosu, da misli na dete/decu, šta će okolina, rođaci, komšije reći....
Zato je ova knjiga važna. Da nama koji ih okružujemo stavi do znanja da samo treba da smo tu za žrtvu, da saslušamo, bez ikakvih pitanja, ponudimo rame i pružimo podršku hrabrosti. Jer progovoriti je hrabrost ali i da imamo razumevanja za ćutanje. Pogotovo ovo drugo.
]]> Tatarska pustinja 28454617 213 Dino Buzzati 9536683504 Milan/zzz 4 4.19 1940 Tatarska pustinja
author: Dino Buzzati
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1940
rating: 4
read at: 2021/08/01
date added: 2021/10/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Polovina koja nedostaje 58753921
Polovina koja nedostaje Brit Benet provokativna je priča o nasleđu, begu od nametnutih identiteta i redefinisanju sebe.
Potku romana čini priča o dve afroameričke bliznakinje koje su sa šesnaest godina pobegle iz gradića u Luizijani. Jedna od njih shvata da može da se predstavi kao belkinja i nestaje bez traga, dok se druga vraća u rodni gradić bežeći od nasilnog muža.
Dinamičnom naracijom, vešto preplićući sudbine svojih protagonista kroz nekoliko decenija, Benet gradi potresnu priču o sestrinskoj povezanosti s iznenađujućim zapletima i impresivnim psihološkim uvidima.
Polovina koja nedostaje je kompleksna priča o Americi, njenoj rasističkoj prošlosti i sadašnjosti, koja zadire i u pitanja izbora i nasleđa. Razmatrajući koliko prošlost oblikuje naše izbore, želje i očekivanja, Brit Benet nam nudi izuzetan roman o netrpeljivosti, internalizovanom rasizmu, homofobiji i ličnom identitetu, pun saosećanja i mudrosti.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

„Drugi roman Brit Benet je ambiciozno razmišljanje na temu rase i identiteta. Autorka uspeva da pronađe ravnotežu između književnih zahteva dinamične karakterizacije likova i istorijske i društvene stvarnosti teme kojom se bavi.�
The New York Times

„Rečiti doprinos književnim delima koja se bave najsuštinskijom od svih tema � ličnim identitetom. Polovina koja nedostaje je roman godine.�
Time

„Šta znači autentičnost kada smo suočeni s rasizmom, seksizmom i homofobijom? Koliku cenu plaćamo da budemo svoji? Koliko nas odluči da pobegne od onoga što se od nas očekuje? I šta se događa s onima koje ostavljamo iza sebe? Polovina koja nedostaje odgovara na sva ova pitanja u izvrsnoj priči o ljubavi, preživljavanju i trijumfu.�
The Washington Post

„Međugeneracijski ep o rasi i redefinisanju sebe, ljubavi i nasleđu, napravljenim i prevaziđenim podelama, traumi i sveprisutnoj prošlosti.�
Booklist]]> 363 Brit Bennett 8680830682 Milan/zzz 3 Sure, there are times when you need something just like this and then, it's a perfect read. I'm not disappointed with this at all. It was quite satisfying read]]> 4.06 2020 Polovina koja nedostaje
author: Brit Bennett
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/01
date added: 2021/09/05
shelves:
review:
Here on ŷ 3 stars means "I liked it" and .... I did like it. It was an easy, fast, interesting read that I would recommend for lazy, rainy afternoons, to kill the time while traveling, to enjoy it at the beach or café sipping your coffee or tea or whatnot... Saying that, it's really unchallenging read which is fine and something I needed when I took it. Truth, I was also drawn to it because of the hype and frenzy surrounding the book. It was nominee/winner of many awards (including here on GR), HBO will make it into a limited series...but for me it didn't live up to expectations, to its hype. It doesn't challenge the reader whatsoever, it's rather predictable... quite safe actually.
Sure, there are times when you need something just like this and then, it's a perfect read. I'm not disappointed with this at all. It was quite satisfying read
]]> Utopia Avenue 50882945 Utopia Avenue might be the most curious British band you've never heard of.

Emerging from London's psychedelic scene in 1967, folksinger Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss, guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet and jazz drummer Griff Griffin together created a unique sound, with lyrics that captured their turbulent times. The band produced only two albums in two years, yet their musical legacy lives on.

This is the story of Utopia Avenue's brief, blazing journey from Soho clubs and draughty ballrooms to the promised land of America, just when the Summer of Love was receding into something much darker - a multi-faceted tale of dreams, drugs, love, sexuality, madness and grief; of stardom's wobbly ladder and fame's Faustian pact; and of the collision between youthful idealism and jaded reality as the Sixties drew to a close.

Above all, this bewitching novel celebrates the power of music to connect across divides, define an era and thrill the soul.]]> 592 David Mitchell Milan/zzz 0 4.14 2020 Utopia Avenue
author: David Mitchell
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2021/05/04
date added: 2021/05/04
shelves:
review:

]]> Besnilo 20946768
Vizija kraja sveta koja odgovara onome što smo od sveta napravili.

Biološka katastrofa, u razmerama nepoznatim savremenoj istoriji, pogađa londonski aerodrom Hitrou u jeku letnje sezone. Usled mutacije virusa besnila u jednoj naučnoj laboratoriji, epidemija se širi zastrašujućom brzinom jer nijedna vakcina ne deluje.

U karantinu, koji obuhvata ogroman kompleks, zateklo se na desetine hiljada putnika i nameštenika aerodroma...]]> 604 Borislav Pekić Milan/zzz 5 awarded, favorites, serbian Being familiar with viruses, especially rhabdovirus-es since this is kind of my profession at first I was surprised by impossibility of the story. I was reading with my eyebrows on the ceiling keep repeating "this is not possible" but was sure that Pekić was fully aware of that scientific fact so I waited explanation to arrive enjoying the ride. And indeed it arrived.
The story, idea, how he developed it, included Biblical parallels, Nazis, geopolitics.. how all that is interweaved beautifully .... such a pity this was not translated into more languages (English being one of those). ]]> 4.36 1983 Besnilo
author: Borislav Pekić
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/02
date added: 2021/05/02
shelves: awarded, favorites, serbian
review:
It's so beyond my comprehension how/why on earth this masterpiece is not translated in English. It was published 1983, long before the zombie/apocalypse/virus mutants frenzy, by a Nobel Laureate worthy writer. Absolutely stunning! Just like in his other books, readers can clearly see an encyclopedic knowledge of the author (probably the best Serbia ever had). Fantastic scenery, beautifully and thoroughly researched: Heathrow security actually interrogated him because he was suspicious spending days there writing notes about where's what. After they've heard that he's a prominent Yugoslav writer they actually helped him by providing all requested information including all detailed maps of the airport. Which he fully used and included it in the novel. Readers who never set their foot on Heathrow would have a perfect idea of how the airport looks.  
Being familiar with viruses, especially rhabdovirus-es since this is kind of my profession at first I was surprised by impossibility of the story. I was reading with my eyebrows on the ceiling keep repeating "this is not possible" but was sure that Pekić was fully aware of that scientific fact so I waited explanation to arrive enjoying the ride. And indeed it arrived.
The story, idea, how he developed it, included Biblical parallels, Nazis, geopolitics.. how all that is interweaved beautifully .... such a pity this was not translated into more languages (English being one of those). 
]]> Pedro Páramo 8370435 144 Juan Rulfo 0802143512 Milan/zzz 3 It was a surprisingly fast read, fantastic idea/stage/atmosphere but it didn't grab me the way I expected it will. Initially I wanted to read it in original but then someone wrote it's full of strange idioms and archaic language so I decided against and then read it in translation (not in my mother tongue). Maybe if second reading happens in my mother tongue will be better experience.]]> 3.86 1955 Pedro Páramo
author: Juan Rulfo
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1955
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/08
date added: 2021/04/06
shelves: latin-america, magical-realism, nongenre
review:
Quite dense, multilayered story with the abundance of different narrators. all telling the story from first person jumping from past to present and back. I did have difficulties to catch whose story I'm reading at the moment... I must say it was confusing and I thought I have lost something in translation. Or maybe I really wanted to like this book too much. I don't know...
It was a surprisingly fast read, fantastic idea/stage/atmosphere but it didn't grab me the way I expected it will. Initially I wanted to read it in original but then someone wrote it's full of strange idioms and archaic language so I decided against and then read it in translation (not in my mother tongue). Maybe if second reading happens in my mother tongue will be better experience.
]]> Kirka 49854969
„Izvanredno� Daily Telegraph

„Hrabro, provokativno i nadahnjujuće� Observer

U domu Helija, boga sunca i najmoćnijeg među titanima, rađa se kći. Ipak, Kirka je neobično dete � niti je, kao otac, moćna, niti je zavodnica poput majke. Bežeći od usamljenosti, ona se okreće svetu smrtnika i otkriva da ipak poseduje moć � veštičje vradžbine, koje mogu suparnike pretvoriti u čudovišta i predstavljati pretnju i samim bogovima.

Kada Zevs posumnja da Kirka može da ga ugrozi, progoni je na pusto ostrvo, gde ona usavršava okultne veštine i kroti divlje zveri. Putevi joj se ukrštaju s mnogim čuvenim mitskim junacima, uključujući Dedala, njegovog zlosrećnog sina Ikara, Minotaura, Medeju i prevejanog Odiseja.

Ipak, ženu koja želi da bude nezavisna vrebaju različite opasnosti. I ne znajući, Kirka navlači na sebe gnev i ljudi i bogova, a naposletku se suočava sa najstrašnijom, najosvetoljubivijom ličnošću među svim Olimpljanima. Kako bi zaštitila ono što joj je najdraže, Kirka mora da prikupi svu snagu i konačno odluči da li joj mesto uz bogove, od kojih je potekla, ili uz smrtnike, koje je zavolela.

„Ono najneverovatnije u ovom romanu jeste činjenica da znamo kako će se sve završiti � znamo to već hiljadama godina � a ipak, ova sočna pripovest, koju nam autorka prikazuje u jednom sasvim novom svetlu, napeta je i puna neočekivanih elemenata.� Washington Post]]> 437 Madeline Miller 8652136157 Milan/zzz 3 awarded, myths Ja volim mitove i njihove prepeve. Priča o Kirki mi nije bila poznata...poznata mi je bila priča o Odisejevoj posadi koja je pretvorena u svinje ali ništa više od toga. Ne bih joj se imena setio. A još manje familijarnih veza sa likovima o kojima bih znao kudikamo više (Arijadna ili Medeja ili Minotaur).
Lagano štivo za lagana zimska praznična popodneva :)]]> 4.17 2018 Kirka
author: Madeline Miller
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/05
date added: 2021/04/06
shelves: awarded, myths
review:
Lep, lagan roman koji se jako brzo čita. Pročitao sam ga u dva sedenja, mada imao sam vremena :)
Ja volim mitove i njihove prepeve. Priča o Kirki mi nije bila poznata...poznata mi je bila priča o Odisejevoj posadi koja je pretvorena u svinje ali ništa više od toga. Ne bih joj se imena setio. A još manje familijarnih veza sa likovima o kojima bih znao kudikamo više (Arijadna ili Medeja ili Minotaur).
Lagano štivo za lagana zimska praznična popodneva :)
]]> Klara and the Sun 54112560 ‘The Sun always has ways to reach us.'

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

In Klara and the Sun, his first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly-changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?]]> 307 Kazuo Ishiguro 057136487X Milan/zzz 2 dystopia, nobel, nongenre The Buried Giant. I avoided all those 5 stars screaming reviews of the ARC before the novel was officially published. But there were so many 5 stars!

So when I set my hands on it I stormed into it with full force cautiously hopeful that I'll be overwhelmed and bewitched like with The Remains of the Day or Never Let Me Go. That didn't happen. So after I hungrily reached the middle of the novel the reality kicked in: this is bad... boring... banal... it was frustrating but not in the way The Unconsoled was frustrating (which is one of the most frustrating novel I've read and also my favourite Ishiguro's novel). There was nowhere to see the brilliance I was expecting. This was flat, one-dimensional, pale imitation of that macabre, twilight-zone-ish atmosphere so fantastically executed in "The Unconsoled" and "Never Let Me Go".

I'm baffled what on earth those who gave 5 stars liked here that much. Honestly I have no idea. Is it a blasphemy to publicly trash the work of amazing Ishiguro? Of Nobel Ishiguro? Is this really at the level of a Nobel prize laureate? So predictable, unoriginal, story that is milked from already dry udder.

The only thing that was a bit interesting was (I've no idea if this will be a spoiler or not) religious thoughts of a robot. Just as ancient civilizations not being able to explain natural events around them but realizing the significance of one celestial body, the robot here as well knew only one god and put all her hopes in it, willing to put a sacrifice on the altar to please her god. It was an entertaining idea but hey, we're talking about highly, yes artificial but still intelligent machine who processed information as humans that lived several thousand (hundreds of thousand?) years ago had. Less entertaining.

And so I'm in the middle of the novel realizing this is not nearly what I expected, what I hoped for. I felt as if I inhaled all Polution Cooting Machine released from the pages and my vision became partitioned into several boxes, each had a different font. Those boxes were not inline logically so that I could read till the end of one and continue to the adjoined one but had to skip to the diagonally positioned box. In other words it wasn't pleasant experience finishing the book. This was quite disappointing read.]]> 3.74 2021 Klara and the Sun
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/05
date added: 2021/04/06
shelves: dystopia, nobel, nongenre
review:
This was highly anticipated novel from the author I enjoyed very much in the past when he set up the bar pretty high. So expectations were high but I was careful with it cause I wanted to avoid disappointment I felt with his previous work The Buried Giant. I avoided all those 5 stars screaming reviews of the ARC before the novel was officially published. But there were so many 5 stars!

So when I set my hands on it I stormed into it with full force cautiously hopeful that I'll be overwhelmed and bewitched like with The Remains of the Day or Never Let Me Go. That didn't happen. So after I hungrily reached the middle of the novel the reality kicked in: this is bad... boring... banal... it was frustrating but not in the way The Unconsoled was frustrating (which is one of the most frustrating novel I've read and also my favourite Ishiguro's novel). There was nowhere to see the brilliance I was expecting. This was flat, one-dimensional, pale imitation of that macabre, twilight-zone-ish atmosphere so fantastically executed in "The Unconsoled" and "Never Let Me Go".

I'm baffled what on earth those who gave 5 stars liked here that much. Honestly I have no idea. Is it a blasphemy to publicly trash the work of amazing Ishiguro? Of Nobel Ishiguro? Is this really at the level of a Nobel prize laureate? So predictable, unoriginal, story that is milked from already dry udder.

The only thing that was a bit interesting was (I've no idea if this will be a spoiler or not) religious thoughts of a robot. Just as ancient civilizations not being able to explain natural events around them but realizing the significance of one celestial body, the robot here as well knew only one god and put all her hopes in it, willing to put a sacrifice on the altar to please her god. It was an entertaining idea but hey, we're talking about highly, yes artificial but still intelligent machine who processed information as humans that lived several thousand (hundreds of thousand?) years ago had. Less entertaining.

And so I'm in the middle of the novel realizing this is not nearly what I expected, what I hoped for. I felt as if I inhaled all Polution Cooting Machine released from the pages and my vision became partitioned into several boxes, each had a different font. Those boxes were not inline logically so that I could read till the end of one and continue to the adjoined one but had to skip to the diagonally positioned box. In other words it wasn't pleasant experience finishing the book. This was quite disappointing read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Oxford Book of Exploration (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)]]> 8995026
Divided into geographical sections, the book takes us to Asia with Vasco da Gama, Francis Younghusband, and Wilfred Thesiger, to the Americas with John Cabot, Sir Francis Drake, and Alexander Von Humboldt, to Africa with Dr David Livingstone and Mary Kingsley, to the Pacific with Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook, and to the Poles with Robert Peary and Wally Herbert. Driven by a desire to discover that transcends all other considerations, the vivid writings of these extraordinary people reveal what makes them go beyond the possible and earn the right to be known as]]> 576 Robin Hanbury-Tenison 019958320X Milan/zzz 0 wishlist 4.75 1993 The Oxford Book of Exploration (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)
author: Robin Hanbury-Tenison
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.75
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/22
shelves: wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kompletna keto ishrana za početnike]]> 46212943
- 75 praktičnih recepata u kojima se koristi do pet osnovnih sastojaka

- dvonedeljni plan za uspostavljanje keto režima ishrane sa spiskovima za kupovinu

- kompletan pregled osnovnih principa keto dijete i uputstva za keto način života

- pregledne tabele koje vam daju podatke o kalorijama i nutritivnim vrednostima]]> 224 Amy Ramos 8610024954 Milan/zzz 3 nonfiction S obzirom da je u pitanju prevod, pojedini recepti su egzotični (za neke sastojke nikad nisam ni čuo pa ni ne znam šta su (ili su loše prevedeni)) ili ako već i mogu da se kupe sastojci negde u fantastično snabdevenim supermarketima, cene mogu biti astronomske. Svakako da se isti mogu modifikovati i prilagoditi dostupnosti i budžetu. U svakom slučaju nema puno takvih. ]]> 3.80 2016 Kompletna keto ishrana za početnike
author: Amy Ramos
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/05
date added: 2021/03/05
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Prilično dobra knjiga za početnike koji ne znaju odakle da krenu. Najpre je vrlo razumljivo objašnjen princip keto ishrane, potom su tu "shoping list"-e za prve dve nedelje sa sve rasporedom za svaki dan od doručka do večere i u poslednjem delu su recepti. Recepti su krajnje jednostavni i mahom za spremanje nije potrebno puno vremena. Svaki sadrži kalorojski unos kao i vrednosti ugljenih hidrata, proteina i masti da bi se vodila računica o ukupnom unosu što je opet važno da se organizam ne izvede iz stanja ketoze.
S obzirom da je u pitanju prevod, pojedini recepti su egzotični (za neke sastojke nikad nisam ni čuo pa ni ne znam šta su (ili su loše prevedeni)) ili ako već i mogu da se kupe sastojci negde u fantastično snabdevenim supermarketima, cene mogu biti astronomske. Svakako da se isti mogu modifikovati i prilagoditi dostupnosti i budžetu. U svakom slučaju nema puno takvih.
]]> Istine i laži o hrani 57009990
Among other things, you can learn from this book:

� what is original, primal human food and what people used to eat prior to the epidemic of modern diseases;
� how the myths about fats and cholesterol have lead to the deterioration of human health;
� whether grains are truly healthy or just profitable food;
� which commercial interests are hidden behind the official dietary guidelines;
� about wheat and gluten, a hidden cause of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases;
� about the food that harms and the food that heals;
� how to lose weight without being hungry with LCHF;
� about healthy digestion as a precondition for good health;
� about the importance of a healthy intestinal microflora and the problem of leaky gut;
� how to restore and keep your health and vitality by simply changing your eating habits.
]]> 207 Anita Šupe 8686653758 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction Najveći problem koji ja lično imam sa ishranom o kojoj se ovde afirmativno govori je što sam ja naklonjen vegetarijanskoj/veganskoj ishrani a čije uklapanje u ovaj koncept je na granici nemogućeg. Ali to je već moj problem.
Vrlo me zanima analiza krvi nakon neka dva-tri meseca ovakve (LCHF/keto) ishrane i da li će pokazati promenu u vrednostima HDL/LDL molekula i ukupnog holesterola, triglicerida, ugljenih hidrata u odnosu na vrednosti od pre 6 meseci. Tada ću dobiti pun utisak i o knjizi a u međuvremenu je svakako preporučujem s obzirom da na jedan krajnje razumljiv (i laiku iako ja to nisam) način objašnjava fiziologiju ishrane i razbija mnoge duboko ukorenjene predrasude u vezi sa našom ishranom.

(Uzgred tekst je trebalo da bude bolje lektorisan od strane nekog medcinara s obzirom da obiluje greškama koje paraju moje medicinsko uho: npr svuda stoji "dijagnostifikovano" (umesto " dijagnostikovano") ili "štitna žlezda" (umesto "štitasta" kako je pravilno s obzirom da ne štiti već je u obliku štita) i td.)]]> 4.50 2012 Istine i laži o hrani
author: Anita Šupe
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/05
date added: 2021/03/05
shelves: nonfiction
review:
Knjigu sam kupio po preporuci osobe koja se "bavi" ishranom dugo, uglavnom na sebi. Već izvesno vreme mi pominje autorkin blog s obzirom da zna da i ja u priličnoj meri vodim računa o tome šta jedem. Uglavnom sam bio upoznat sa stvarima o kojima piše, ne naravno sa svim i zaista je postojao u meni otpor ka onomoe čemu su nas "učili" godinama u vezi sa svakodnevnom ishranom i zdravim navikama. Ovo se u prvenstvenoj meri odnosi na žitarice (hleb na prvom mestu a potom i sve ostalo). NIkad nisam imao problema poput bilo kakve netolerancije međutim nikad nisam ni proveravao imam li bilo kakva antitela čije je sinteza indukovana određenim sastojcima hrane. Ovde prvenstveno mislim na gluten. Naime celijakija se dijagnostikuje ukoliko je nivo antitela iznad određene granice međutim šta ako je ispod iste? Zašto bismo uopšte jeli nešto protiv čega će naše telo sitetisati antitela iako u maloj količini? I kakav je kumulativni efekat tih antitela i kontinuirane ishrane koja stimuliše njihovo stvaranje na duže staze? Nikad nisam razmišljao o tome.
Najveći problem koji ja lično imam sa ishranom o kojoj se ovde afirmativno govori je što sam ja naklonjen vegetarijanskoj/veganskoj ishrani a čije uklapanje u ovaj koncept je na granici nemogućeg. Ali to je već moj problem.
Vrlo me zanima analiza krvi nakon neka dva-tri meseca ovakve (LCHF/keto) ishrane i da li će pokazati promenu u vrednostima HDL/LDL molekula i ukupnog holesterola, triglicerida, ugljenih hidrata u odnosu na vrednosti od pre 6 meseci. Tada ću dobiti pun utisak i o knjizi a u međuvremenu je svakako preporučujem s obzirom da na jedan krajnje razumljiv (i laiku iako ja to nisam) način objašnjava fiziologiju ishrane i razbija mnoge duboko ukorenjene predrasude u vezi sa našom ishranom.

(Uzgred tekst je trebalo da bude bolje lektorisan od strane nekog medcinara s obzirom da obiluje greškama koje paraju moje medicinsko uho: npr svuda stoji "dijagnostifikovano" (umesto " dijagnostikovano") ili "štitna žlezda" (umesto "štitasta" kako je pravilno s obzirom da ne štiti već je u obliku štita) i td.)
]]> The Song of Achilles 11887641
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles� mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.]]> 378 Madeline Miller 0062060619 Milan/zzz 3
First impression: it's clearly there is a massive research about the topic behind the story (which is not surprise considering professional background of the author); I liked a lot she took “Iliad� and Homer as a main resource, therefore there is no famous legend about “Achilles� heel� (which is unseen in the “Iliad�). Truth, she changed characters, chronology, etc a little bit but that’s fine considering it’s a piece of fiction and in that case artistic freedom is untouchable constant.

When I've read “Iliad� in high school I didn’t like Achilles that much. He was like a savage, truth just like the world he lived in. Patroclus as well, though he was kind but nevertheless quite a valiant warrior. However, in the novel they couldn’t be more different from their image in “Iliad�. They were soft, nature and music loving characters, artistic souls. That especially is the case with Patroclus who is presented as weak (physically and mentally), clumsy, even as a coward (except that famous last move he made but then it was more love that lead him than his rational being) � it was weird and I’m not sure if I liked that. And the language didn’t help either. It’s strange to mark as a flaw beautiful writing style. It is lovely but in kind of over-blossoming way, it’s lyrically overwritten. Even though the narrator is a man (yes, homosexual but still) those words, sentences he’s saying are so feminine. You simply know those words have been put in his mouth by a woman’s hand. This is (or should be) historical novel with one love story as a main theme and as such there are moment when you can’t escape from the feeling that descriptions are kind of soft-porn-ish. But don’t get me wrong, there are no sex scenes whatsoever.

Even though I never thought profoundly about that, it’s pretty much obvious that Achilles and Patroclus were lovers. I like she put an accent on their relationship as it was [in one interview she expressed her hope the novel will at least slightly change that homophobic perception about homosexual relationships] but then she made a crucial error: She described their society exactly as if they live in our own. They were facing disapproval of both men and gods because of the feeling they had. And while you can give yourself artistic freedom to change the legend, with this issue you’re entering into the sphere of historical (more/less) facts where you don’t have that freedom anymore.
Not only ancient Greeks but pretty much all pre-Christian civilizations: Romans, gosh just remember (or check if you’re unfamiliar with) Khajuraho Temples in India! I visited India (and temples) in March and you just can’t not be stunned with what you’re looking at as well as with nonchalant way they were depicting all varieties of sexual activity (and I mean ALL!). And temples were built 1000 years ago!

Anyway, point is: homosexuality was something quite common and definitively not prohibited or shameful (like in the novel). It was even called: "the principal cultural model for free relationships between citizens.� (Wikipedia). Truth that mostly (probably exclusively) refers to men. Women were quite socially excluded which is one of the reason why it was acceptable relationship between two men.

Therefore it was kind of strange to see how society is judgmental toward Achilles and Patroclus just as nowadays society would be. And here (along with few more issues, some of which I mentioned here) novel falls horribly.
But even so I think it’s worth reading and, as my friend who gave me the book said (don’t be surprised if you realize that you’ll) “think of Achilles differently now�.]]> 4.31 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/05/01
date added: 2021/01/20
shelves: awarded, debut, lgbt, historical-fiction, myths
review:
I’ve read this novel few weeks ago and ever since am thinking to write review. I’m somewhere in between and not sure what to think about it. So first I’d like to stress that the book is definitively worth reading and I liked it. Truth, I tend not to be too strict, too judgmental when reviewing debut novel (yes, there is “but�).

First impression: it's clearly there is a massive research about the topic behind the story (which is not surprise considering professional background of the author); I liked a lot she took “Iliad� and Homer as a main resource, therefore there is no famous legend about “Achilles� heel� (which is unseen in the “Iliad�). Truth, she changed characters, chronology, etc a little bit but that’s fine considering it’s a piece of fiction and in that case artistic freedom is untouchable constant.

When I've read “Iliad� in high school I didn’t like Achilles that much. He was like a savage, truth just like the world he lived in. Patroclus as well, though he was kind but nevertheless quite a valiant warrior. However, in the novel they couldn’t be more different from their image in “Iliad�. They were soft, nature and music loving characters, artistic souls. That especially is the case with Patroclus who is presented as weak (physically and mentally), clumsy, even as a coward (except that famous last move he made but then it was more love that lead him than his rational being) � it was weird and I’m not sure if I liked that. And the language didn’t help either. It’s strange to mark as a flaw beautiful writing style. It is lovely but in kind of over-blossoming way, it’s lyrically overwritten. Even though the narrator is a man (yes, homosexual but still) those words, sentences he’s saying are so feminine. You simply know those words have been put in his mouth by a woman’s hand. This is (or should be) historical novel with one love story as a main theme and as such there are moment when you can’t escape from the feeling that descriptions are kind of soft-porn-ish. But don’t get me wrong, there are no sex scenes whatsoever.

Even though I never thought profoundly about that, it’s pretty much obvious that Achilles and Patroclus were lovers. I like she put an accent on their relationship as it was [in one interview she expressed her hope the novel will at least slightly change that homophobic perception about homosexual relationships] but then she made a crucial error: She described their society exactly as if they live in our own. They were facing disapproval of both men and gods because of the feeling they had. And while you can give yourself artistic freedom to change the legend, with this issue you’re entering into the sphere of historical (more/less) facts where you don’t have that freedom anymore.
Not only ancient Greeks but pretty much all pre-Christian civilizations: Romans, gosh just remember (or check if you’re unfamiliar with) Khajuraho Temples in India! I visited India (and temples) in March and you just can’t not be stunned with what you’re looking at as well as with nonchalant way they were depicting all varieties of sexual activity (and I mean ALL!). And temples were built 1000 years ago!

Anyway, point is: homosexuality was something quite common and definitively not prohibited or shameful (like in the novel). It was even called: "the principal cultural model for free relationships between citizens.� (Wikipedia). Truth that mostly (probably exclusively) refers to men. Women were quite socially excluded which is one of the reason why it was acceptable relationship between two men.

Therefore it was kind of strange to see how society is judgmental toward Achilles and Patroclus just as nowadays society would be. And here (along with few more issues, some of which I mentioned here) novel falls horribly.
But even so I think it’s worth reading and, as my friend who gave me the book said (don’t be surprised if you realize that you’ll) “think of Achilles differently now�.
]]> Midlseks 17929020
"Sada, u četrdeset i prvoj, osećam da se ponovo rađam. Posle više decenija, ponovo se sećam umrlih prababa i pradedova, davno izgubljenih rođaka, nepoznatih srodnika ili, u slučaju ukrštenih porodica, kao što je moja, svih njih zajedno. I zato, pre nego što bude kasno, želim sve da zabeležim: putovanje ovog gena kroz vreme. Pevajte sada, o muze, o recesivnoj mutaciji mog petog hromozoma...

...oprostite ako ponekad zvučim pomalo homerovski. I to nosim u genima."

Pred vama je klasik novog milenijuma!]]> 616 Jeffrey Eugenides 868441361X Milan/zzz 5 awarded, nongenre 4.54 2002 Midlseks
author: Jeffrey Eugenides
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/01/10
shelves: awarded, nongenre
review:
I've read this long time ago but it remained on my top 10 list.
]]> <![CDATA[Troy (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #3)]]> 53443339
In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.]]> 414 Stephen Fry 0241424585 Milan/zzz 0 wishlist 4.36 2020 Troy (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #3)
author: Stephen Fry
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/06
shelves: wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold]]> 38213085 No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.

In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments and watch with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.

Mythos captures these extraodinary myths for our modern age - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.]]> 459 Stephen Fry 1405934131 Milan/zzz 0 wishlist 4.18 2017 Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
author: Stephen Fry
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/06
shelves: wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)]]> 42643896 Mortals and Monsters. Quests and Adventures . . .
__________

There are Heroes - and then there are Greek Heroes.

Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.

In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.

Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.
___________

'Ebullient and funny' The Times

'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph

'A rollicking good read' Independent

'Fry exhibits enormous erudition and enthusiasm' Mail on Sunday

'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' Guardian]]> 496 Stephen Fry 1405940360 Milan/zzz 0 wishlist 4.23 2018 Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)
author: Stephen Fry
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/01/06
shelves: wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Svedočanstva (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)]]> 52049244
Svedočanstva su moderno remek-delo, moćan roman koji se može čitati zasebno ili kao nastavak kultnog romana Sluškinjina priča.

Više od petnaest godina nakon događaja opisanih u Sluškinjinoj priči teokratski režim Republike Galad zadržao je svoju moć, ali se naziru prvi znaci urušavanja sistema. U tom sudbinski ključnom trenutku preplešće se životi tri radikalno različite žene. Posledice će biti razorne.

U Svedočanstvima, Margaret Atvud ulazi u srž delovanja galadskog sistema, dok je svaka junakinja prisiljena da se suoči sa sobom i otkrije do koje granice je spremna da brani svoja uverenja.]]> 480 Margaret Atwood Milan/zzz 4 dystopia, nongenre, awarded 4.18 2019 Svedočanstva (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/02
date added: 2021/01/02
shelves: dystopia, nongenre, awarded
review:

]]> Strah i njegov sluga 7106937 254 Mirjana Novaković Milan/zzz 5
The novel is set in XVIII century in Belgrade under Austrian administration and the topic is one historical event: Investigation of vampires. By the way for the first time in the western world Serbian word “v辱� has been documented (and the adopted by everyone else)! In the year of 1725 in the Serbian village Kiseljevo peasant Petar Blagojević died and soon after him few peasants more. All of them in their dying moments were talking that late Petar is coming to them during the night and drank their blood. Then commission along with the priest exhumed Petar, stabbed his heart with hawthorn stake and burned the body. Peter has been proclaimed as “archvampire�, the report has been sent to Belgrade and from there to Vienna and after publication in The Wiennerisches Diarium it was the main theme in Vienna’s public circles.

So, theme for this novel is a historical fact from 1725, arrival of the commission from Vienna that supposed to investigate article in Wiennerisches Diarium about vampires in Serbia and the main role plays Devil himself! (in strange way similar with “Sympathy for the Devil� by Rolling Stones).So it seems by default this novel suppose to be horror and in some way it is: we have vampires, placed in the system of manipulations, money, politics � yes it is actually kind of political horror novel. Therefore there’s no problem to put in this sub-genre at the same place vampires, devil, princes, Maria Magdalene, Christ � Politics is the biggest horror because it is true horror. In politics, nothing is fiction!

As I said devil plays the main role and is one (of two, second is Princess Maria Augusta Turn and Taxis) narrators of the story. He is disguised in false count Otto von Hausburg (one of many historical allusions) and is coming with his servant Novak, Serb (amazing character, Christian who is willingly work for devil as a way of self punishment) to check if the rumors about vampires are true. He has his own reasons. In one moment devil says “I don’t have enemies among people. Everyone loves me!� and in some way you can believe in that (remember Rolling Stones from above) because we are meeting men that are much worse than the devil. Here, devil is an anthropomorphous being, almost common man who doesn’t have any supernatural powers but has flaws common to majority of human beings. And that is the irony: Devil meets people much worse than he is and he’s afraid and wants to avoid them. It seems that devil is afraid of Serbia (and Serbs)!

So this is mixture of horror and fantasy with postmodernistic elements. This is the story where the history is turned upside down! Vision of Christianity through the eyes of the devil, from the night in the Gethsemane Garden through the centuries is so intelligent and with amazing humour! We see devil as a common man who drinks, smokes hashish, sleep, is running away from love and is afraid of vampires! And why’s that? Well, think! If dead people are arising Judgment Day is near, meaning farewell to the devil!

Images of Belgrade from the early XVIII century are magical! The city has been divided in two parts: “Austrian� (which means: European, Christian, white (Belgrade means Beli-White Grad-City)) part and the second “obscure other� part that is on the other side of the Wall, behind the Prince Eugene Line, where through the night and fog roam vampires, ghosts, road bandits and other Serbian and Turkish natives. I said that the history has been turned upside down but there are many historical facts, especially about the history of my Belgrade.

Through entire novel many pseudo-biblical stories are interweaving and are initiated with the constant devil’s self-reexamination, his desperate need to treat Christ with irony and author with many beautiful marginal allusions is canceling linearity of time. We are sailing from the New Testament to Ludwig Wittgenstein, from Dante to Rolling Stones and through the huge part of Serbian literature.

In the same time, Novaković is telling story about one Belgrade that is nothing but apocryphal place for any nowadays Belgradian because there is almost nothing left from those past times. That was "deorientaled" place, with three circle of strong walls, full of cathedrals build by Austrians, and destroyed by the same Austrians when the Austrian regent sold Belgrade back to Turks. And if there is a place where that town still exists, it must be in that other world where, even today many undead souls of the always obscure, dark Balkans are roaming; about which Mirjana Novaković is writing with cheerful, ironical tenderness, precisely in the way one should write about something that is dear as much as is crazy, about place where even devil himself in one moment is putting cross around his neck!]]> 3.80 1999 Strah i njegov sluga
author: Mirjana Novaković
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2021/01/02
shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, myths, nongenre, serbian
review:
I've read this novel for the first time several year ago and then I came back to it. Fiction with vampires is usually not my cup of tea but this one caused quite a stir in Serbian literary circles once it was published that I just had to give it a go. There was even a play settled under the open sky, during the night on the Belgrade fort Kalemegdan (where the novel is set as well).

The novel is set in XVIII century in Belgrade under Austrian administration and the topic is one historical event: Investigation of vampires. By the way for the first time in the western world Serbian word “v辱� has been documented (and the adopted by everyone else)! In the year of 1725 in the Serbian village Kiseljevo peasant Petar Blagojević died and soon after him few peasants more. All of them in their dying moments were talking that late Petar is coming to them during the night and drank their blood. Then commission along with the priest exhumed Petar, stabbed his heart with hawthorn stake and burned the body. Peter has been proclaimed as “archvampire�, the report has been sent to Belgrade and from there to Vienna and after publication in The Wiennerisches Diarium it was the main theme in Vienna’s public circles.

So, theme for this novel is a historical fact from 1725, arrival of the commission from Vienna that supposed to investigate article in Wiennerisches Diarium about vampires in Serbia and the main role plays Devil himself! (in strange way similar with “Sympathy for the Devil� by Rolling Stones).So it seems by default this novel suppose to be horror and in some way it is: we have vampires, placed in the system of manipulations, money, politics � yes it is actually kind of political horror novel. Therefore there’s no problem to put in this sub-genre at the same place vampires, devil, princes, Maria Magdalene, Christ � Politics is the biggest horror because it is true horror. In politics, nothing is fiction!

As I said devil plays the main role and is one (of two, second is Princess Maria Augusta Turn and Taxis) narrators of the story. He is disguised in false count Otto von Hausburg (one of many historical allusions) and is coming with his servant Novak, Serb (amazing character, Christian who is willingly work for devil as a way of self punishment) to check if the rumors about vampires are true. He has his own reasons. In one moment devil says “I don’t have enemies among people. Everyone loves me!� and in some way you can believe in that (remember Rolling Stones from above) because we are meeting men that are much worse than the devil. Here, devil is an anthropomorphous being, almost common man who doesn’t have any supernatural powers but has flaws common to majority of human beings. And that is the irony: Devil meets people much worse than he is and he’s afraid and wants to avoid them. It seems that devil is afraid of Serbia (and Serbs)!

So this is mixture of horror and fantasy with postmodernistic elements. This is the story where the history is turned upside down! Vision of Christianity through the eyes of the devil, from the night in the Gethsemane Garden through the centuries is so intelligent and with amazing humour! We see devil as a common man who drinks, smokes hashish, sleep, is running away from love and is afraid of vampires! And why’s that? Well, think! If dead people are arising Judgment Day is near, meaning farewell to the devil!

Images of Belgrade from the early XVIII century are magical! The city has been divided in two parts: “Austrian� (which means: European, Christian, white (Belgrade means Beli-White Grad-City)) part and the second “obscure other� part that is on the other side of the Wall, behind the Prince Eugene Line, where through the night and fog roam vampires, ghosts, road bandits and other Serbian and Turkish natives. I said that the history has been turned upside down but there are many historical facts, especially about the history of my Belgrade.

Through entire novel many pseudo-biblical stories are interweaving and are initiated with the constant devil’s self-reexamination, his desperate need to treat Christ with irony and author with many beautiful marginal allusions is canceling linearity of time. We are sailing from the New Testament to Ludwig Wittgenstein, from Dante to Rolling Stones and through the huge part of Serbian literature.

In the same time, Novaković is telling story about one Belgrade that is nothing but apocryphal place for any nowadays Belgradian because there is almost nothing left from those past times. That was "deorientaled" place, with three circle of strong walls, full of cathedrals build by Austrians, and destroyed by the same Austrians when the Austrian regent sold Belgrade back to Turks. And if there is a place where that town still exists, it must be in that other world where, even today many undead souls of the always obscure, dark Balkans are roaming; about which Mirjana Novaković is writing with cheerful, ironical tenderness, precisely in the way one should write about something that is dear as much as is crazy, about place where even devil himself in one moment is putting cross around his neck!
]]> Men Without Women 33652490 Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.

Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all.

Marked by the same wry humor that has defined his entire body of work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic.]]> 242 Haruki Murakami 0385689454 Milan/zzz 2 asia, stories 3.75 2014 Men Without Women
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2020/05/13
shelves: asia, stories
review:
Average. There's nothing to like (or dislike) here. It's kinda interesting and that's it. I don't quite understand people raving about it which makes me wonder would reaction be the same if the author is someone else (unknown)?
]]> سامسای عاشق 23830306 48 Haruki Murakami 6007556204 Milan/zzz 3 nongenre 3.52 2013 سامسای عاشق
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/11/01
date added: 2020/04/30
shelves: nongenre
review:

]]> Argentina 16206739
Our Promise
You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage so you can rely on us to tell it like it is.

Inside This Book�
Pull-out city map of Buenos Aires
Full color
261 days (and nights) of research
154 delicious steak restaurants
67 National Parks & Reserves
Includes Chilean Patagonia
Inspirational photos
At-a-glance practical info
Outdoors feature
Comprehensive planning tools
In-depth background]]> 640 Sandra Bao 174220015X Milan/zzz 4 Really good guide! ]]> 3.95 1992 Argentina
author: Sandra Bao
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2013/04/01
date added: 2019/11/09
shelves: latin-america, nonfiction, travel
review:
I have found this guide surprisingly helpful. I say "surprisingly" because I usually combine two guides when traveling. But this time LP was more than sufficient and not only that, it was way better than everything else I had (and I had a lot of material). The only thing are prices but they stated at the beginning this might be a problem because of never-stopping inflation in Argentina (some prices are doubled and I was traveling only 5 months after this edition is published).
Really good guide!
]]> Finland 182880 384 Andy Symington 1740597915 Milan/zzz 4 travel 3.60 1999 Finland
author: Andy Symington
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2008/09/10
date added: 2019/01/31
shelves: travel
review:

]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 834695 367 Khaled Hosseini 0747582793 Milan/zzz 3 asia
This is a story of two women against the background of the last forty years in Afghanistan. Two women from completely different milieus but almost equally tragic destiny. Of course this can’t be different considering the problems their country has had. We see what means to be a harami (bastard) in the same country but under different circumstances. Either way it’s very hard but sometimes that might be a deadly mark. So from the very beginning we are confronted with the position of women in society where like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.

There is one nice picture of Afghanistan before and then during Taliban rule and period of war against Soviets in between. Therefore we can see how life might be wealthy, the one we are more/less familiar and not nearly like the images we have when thinking about nowadays Afghanistan. Namely, other character is from a wealthy family who is investing in her education and has big planes for her. She has been raised in the “Western� tradition and does not share rigid and traditional Muslim customs. The ones which broke wings of the first woman and the ones which will some twenty years later inevitably knock on her door as well when series of horrifying events will unite destinies of these two women.

Under impossible repressive regime towards women where they must wear burqa, where education is forbidden, where there are no female doctors and male ones can only examine males, where they can’t leave the house without a man � the only salvation is friendship.

Indeed the story might look soap-opera-ish: there is a saintly best friend who commits an act of enormous self-sacrifice to aid the heroine (as in The Kite Runner); romantic twists with sometimes ridiculous description of sexual awakening of young Laila and I’m afraid too many fairy-tale turns as if they were lifted from some B movie. Characters are one-dimensional that they feel like cartoons. Laila is the great beauty, with a doting father and a protective boyfriend � a lucky girl whose luck abruptly runs out. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a bitter woman and a disloyal father � an unlucky girl whose luck turns from bad to worse. There is just too many black/white characterizations.
Luckily Mr. Hosseini succeeds in making the emotional reality of Mariam and Laila’s lives tangible to us, and by conjuring their day-to-day routines, he is able to give us a sense of what daily life was like in Kabul � both before and during the harsh reign of the Taliban and for me that was the most valuable thing here.
He was describing Taliban’s “beard patrols�; despair of women who can’t find hospital where can be treated (or even give a birth); black market where one can buy forbidden things such are TV, music or movies. Very interesting was “Titanic� fewer in 2000 when parts of the town was named after the movie, also toothpaste, deodorant and (imagine this!) burqas! (recently I’ve read memoirs of girl who lived under Taliban regime “My Forbidden Face� by Latifa (pseudonym) and indeed she wrote about the same “Titanic� fewer)
In some weird way this story is very similar with the movie “Titanic�: They are living on the sinking ship desperately relying on clichés: childhood promises are sacred; true love never dies; justice will be done; sisterhood is powerful. Love will save us and sacrifice for love will always be awarded, in this or in afterlife. It’s very fairy-tale-ish, unrealistic and eventually hard to put-down-able story. ]]> 4.41 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2018/12/04
shelves: asia
review:
In his bestselling debut The Kite Runner the accent is on the relationship between father and son and friendships between men, in this novel relationship between women is in the focus. Moreover Mr. Hosseini is precisely dedicated this novel “to the women of Afghanistan�.

This is a story of two women against the background of the last forty years in Afghanistan. Two women from completely different milieus but almost equally tragic destiny. Of course this can’t be different considering the problems their country has had. We see what means to be a harami (bastard) in the same country but under different circumstances. Either way it’s very hard but sometimes that might be a deadly mark. So from the very beginning we are confronted with the position of women in society where like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.

There is one nice picture of Afghanistan before and then during Taliban rule and period of war against Soviets in between. Therefore we can see how life might be wealthy, the one we are more/less familiar and not nearly like the images we have when thinking about nowadays Afghanistan. Namely, other character is from a wealthy family who is investing in her education and has big planes for her. She has been raised in the “Western� tradition and does not share rigid and traditional Muslim customs. The ones which broke wings of the first woman and the ones which will some twenty years later inevitably knock on her door as well when series of horrifying events will unite destinies of these two women.

Under impossible repressive regime towards women where they must wear burqa, where education is forbidden, where there are no female doctors and male ones can only examine males, where they can’t leave the house without a man � the only salvation is friendship.

Indeed the story might look soap-opera-ish: there is a saintly best friend who commits an act of enormous self-sacrifice to aid the heroine (as in The Kite Runner); romantic twists with sometimes ridiculous description of sexual awakening of young Laila and I’m afraid too many fairy-tale turns as if they were lifted from some B movie. Characters are one-dimensional that they feel like cartoons. Laila is the great beauty, with a doting father and a protective boyfriend � a lucky girl whose luck abruptly runs out. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a bitter woman and a disloyal father � an unlucky girl whose luck turns from bad to worse. There is just too many black/white characterizations.
Luckily Mr. Hosseini succeeds in making the emotional reality of Mariam and Laila’s lives tangible to us, and by conjuring their day-to-day routines, he is able to give us a sense of what daily life was like in Kabul � both before and during the harsh reign of the Taliban and for me that was the most valuable thing here.
He was describing Taliban’s “beard patrols�; despair of women who can’t find hospital where can be treated (or even give a birth); black market where one can buy forbidden things such are TV, music or movies. Very interesting was “Titanic� fewer in 2000 when parts of the town was named after the movie, also toothpaste, deodorant and (imagine this!) burqas! (recently I’ve read memoirs of girl who lived under Taliban regime “My Forbidden Face� by Latifa (pseudonym) and indeed she wrote about the same “Titanic� fewer)
In some weird way this story is very similar with the movie “Titanic�: They are living on the sinking ship desperately relying on clichés: childhood promises are sacred; true love never dies; justice will be done; sisterhood is powerful. Love will save us and sacrifice for love will always be awarded, in this or in afterlife. It’s very fairy-tale-ish, unrealistic and eventually hard to put-down-able story.
]]> I Remember You 16248796 400 Yrsa Sigurdardottir 1444729276 Milan/zzz 3 fantasy Horror is totally not my genre but from time to time I can lay my hands on something that someone recommends which I did with "I Remember You". It was the author that was recommended to me, not this novel but after learning about her I checked other books and since this one is not part of the series I decided to read this one. Other reviewers said how the pattern is like in majority of horror books and that's the main flaw (otherwise it's quite good, scary and all that). In my case repetitive pattern is not a flaw simply because me, not reading the genre am completely unfamiliar with the pattern.

Umm... it wasn't scary at all. And I really, really wanted to be. There were one or two goosebumpish moments but no more than that. It's fast read, a bit exotic (I guess if you place story on Iceland you can't avoid that, right?), nicely written. Two stories that are slowly approaching one to another. What I did like is that things are not revealed before the right moment and she never reveals more than it should so you can imagine what might be at the end of the road but you don't have enough material to be be sure.
I'll avoid commenting paranormal elements but putting psychiatrist and police officer in that environment was really good move because their rational thinking is what gives the balance.

It was as if I was watching the film and not quite reading the book but I think that might be the case of the genre and the way I'm seeing it more than the novel itself.

What baffles me is the line "partly based on a true story". I can assume which part could be true and that's indeed the scariest thing here. ]]> 3.96 2010 I Remember You
author: Yrsa Sigurdardottir
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2013/09/01
date added: 2018/06/27
shelves: fantasy
review:
First thing I saw about this novel is the warning "Do not read this book when you're alone" and "Don't read this book after sun goes down" so logically I've read it exclusively alone during the night.
Horror is totally not my genre but from time to time I can lay my hands on something that someone recommends which I did with "I Remember You". It was the author that was recommended to me, not this novel but after learning about her I checked other books and since this one is not part of the series I decided to read this one. Other reviewers said how the pattern is like in majority of horror books and that's the main flaw (otherwise it's quite good, scary and all that). In my case repetitive pattern is not a flaw simply because me, not reading the genre am completely unfamiliar with the pattern.

Umm... it wasn't scary at all. And I really, really wanted to be. There were one or two goosebumpish moments but no more than that. It's fast read, a bit exotic (I guess if you place story on Iceland you can't avoid that, right?), nicely written. Two stories that are slowly approaching one to another. What I did like is that things are not revealed before the right moment and she never reveals more than it should so you can imagine what might be at the end of the road but you don't have enough material to be be sure.
I'll avoid commenting paranormal elements but putting psychiatrist and police officer in that environment was really good move because their rational thinking is what gives the balance.

It was as if I was watching the film and not quite reading the book but I think that might be the case of the genre and the way I'm seeing it more than the novel itself.

What baffles me is the line "partly based on a true story". I can assume which part could be true and that's indeed the scariest thing here.
]]> Footprint India Handbook 2009 5809120 1540 Annie Dare 1906098387 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction, travel, asia 4.00 2008 Footprint India Handbook 2009
author: Annie Dare
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2012/03/01
date added: 2018/04/23
shelves: nonfiction, travel, asia
review:
I haven't read whole book but only parts that about places I was visiting in Feb/March and it was quite useful.
]]> Argentina 16178399 DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Argentina leads you straight to the very best this vibrant country has to offer.

This complete travel guide for Argentina includes street-by-street neighborhood maps of Buenos Aires, unique cutaway illustrations, floor plans, and reconstructions of the city's stunning architecture, plus 3-D aerial views of the key areas to explore on foot. You'll also find detailed listings of the best hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops for all budgets in this fully updated and expanded guide.

Insider tips and essential local information will help you explore every corner of Argentina, from the best milonga--a place for dancing and listening to tango--in Buenos Aires, to the best horse riding in the pampas and the best parrilla (steakhouse) in every region of the country. Practical travel information will help you get around by train, bus, or car.

Discover the authentic spirit of this colorful, chaotic, and enchanting Latin American nation, with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Argentina.]]> 352 Wayne Bernhardson 0756685796 Milan/zzz 2 4.08 2008 Argentina
author: Wayne Bernhardson
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2013/04/01
date added: 2018/02/22
shelves: latin-america, nonfiction, travel
review:
Quite average. Nice to have it on the shelf after the trip (because of photos and vignettes that will remind you on the places you visited) but practically useless on the field. Truth, quite possibly this rating is result of LP guide being so good and in comparison this one is less than mediocre.
]]> <![CDATA[Jerusalem, Israel, Petra & Sinai. (DK Eyewitness Travel Guides)]]> 10047146 328 Elizabeth Atherton 1405358564 Milan/zzz 4 travel 3.93 2010 Jerusalem, Israel, Petra & Sinai. (DK Eyewitness Travel Guides)
author: Elizabeth Atherton
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2011/05/01
date added: 2018/02/07
shelves: travel
review:
Quite satisfied with this one. Helped me a lot during my travel to the Middle East in April/May.
]]> On Canaan's Side 10904329 From the Man Booker short-listed author of The Secret Scripture comes a magnificent new novel that is the story of twentieth-century America.


Sebastian Barry returns with the extraordinary story of Lilly Bere, the youngest daughter of the Dunne family. Forced to flee Ireland with her fiancé as a teenager under threat of death from the IRA, Lilly discovers herself in America. Her rich and tragic life takes her from Chicago, where her fiancé is brutally murdered, to Cleveland where she marries and finds happiness even as she survives the Great Depression and World War II. Joyfully pregnant at forty-three, Lilly moves to Washington, D.C., her husband mysteriously disappears, and she finds work as a cook for one of the most prominent families in the country. Lilly follows the family to Bridgehampton, New York, and there she brings up her son, Ed, who at eighteen is called up to Vietnam and vanishes on his return to America. Mr. Nolan, a close friend, is dispatched to find him and returns from the Smoky Mountain wilderness not with Ed but with Ed's young son, Bill, whom Lilly will raise and adore until tragedy strikes.
Told in the first person as a narrative of her life over seventeen days, On Canaan's Side is the heartbreaking story of a woman whose capacity to love is enormous and whose compassion, even for those who have wronged her, is extraordinary.]]> 256 Sebastian Barry 0670022926 Milan/zzz 0 to-read 3.93 2011 On Canaan's Side
author: Sebastian Barry
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Norwegian Wood 818108 Alternate cover edition here.

When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.]]> 389 Haruki Murakami 0099448823 Milan/zzz 4 nongenre 3.99 1987 Norwegian Wood
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/01
date added: 2017/04/23
shelves: nongenre
review:

]]> Pijanista 10624506 الساندرو باریکو

گاهی در رویاهایم به کشتی برمی‌گشتم� به سالن درجه سه، برای گزارش دادن به مهاجرانی که اپرا می‌خواندن� و نووچنتو که موسیقی عجیبی می‌ز�. و من، دست‌هایش� چهره‌ا� و اقیانوس اطرافش را مجسم می‌کرد�.]]> 55 Alessandro Baricco 8609005542 Milan/zzz 4 4.25 1994 Pijanista
author: Alessandro Baricco
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/01
date added: 2017/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Priče o sreći 17619152 Kafke, ali i nešto satiričnije kod Harmsa.
Babić je u "Pričama o sreći" primijetio da u savremenom svijetu upravo nedostaje sreće, pa je namjerno i stavlja u naslov kao neku vrstu provokacije.
Ono što zaključuje u posljednjoj priči je da, osim sreće, nedostaje i tuge (scene umiranja u starakom domu) ili kako Babić kaže: "Jedino što sam mogao da vidim je telo koje se gasi, a najupečatljivija stvar pri tome je bio nedostatak tragedije." Babić veliku pažnju
poklanja upravo tom sve prisutnijem fenomenu nedostatka osjećanja (priča "Jevanđelje", u kojoj glavni junak ravnodušno posmatra i filozofira o smrti sopstvenog sina).
Svijet sve više zapada u ravnodušnost, uljuljkan u sopstvene privide i samoobmane na koje Bojan Babić nepretenciozno ukazuje, bilo da govori iz lične perspektive, perspektive svojih junaka ili društva.
Ono čemu će se narugati u prividnom izobilju svega što nudi današnji život je upravo nedostatak suštinskih stvari koje se ne mogu kupiti iako postoje i oni koji pokušavaju i njima trgovati (priča "Šoping").

TANJA STUPAR TRIFUNOVIĆ]]> 67 Bojan Babić Milan/zzz 3 stories 4.25 2008 Priče o sreći
author: Bojan Babić
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2016/12/01
date added: 2016/12/29
shelves: stories
review:

]]> Нула и ништа [Nula i ništa] 8698347 127 Daniil Kharms 8685063388 Milan/zzz 4 4.49 1993 Нула и ништа [Nula i ništa]
author: Daniil Kharms
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.49
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2016/12/01
date added: 2016/12/29
shelves:
review:

]]> The Girl on the Train 23364977
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…]]> 418 Paula Hawkins Milan/zzz 3 4.01 2015 The Girl on the Train
author: Paula Hawkins
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/12/01
date added: 2016/12/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Half of a Yellow Sun 576650 448 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 0007200285 Milan/zzz 5 africa, awarded
Half of a Yellow Sun (related with Biafran flag, look the photo) is a story about birth and short life of Biafra, life that ended in one of the worst possible way while “the world was silent when they died� . Before reading this book I didn’t know much about Biafra, I didn’t even know it was an independent country (*blush* I should know that!). For me Biafra was a synonym for starvation, for hunger, misery, I was always picturing children with huge bellies and limbs like toothpicks. Now I know the word for that: ”kwashiorkor�, difficult word isn’t it?

Everything started 1960 when Nigeria independence from British colonialism; few years later there was a coup d’état led by Igbo tribe. Since Nigeria was the country with many clans ethnic tension started to sparkle between Muslim Hausa and Christian Igbo clans and eventually resulted with ethnic cleansing of Igbos that were living in the north of the country with Muslim majority. Because of that atrocity Igbo clan has proclaimed independence of theirs own country named after Biafran Bay in the southeast of Nigeria (the problem was, as one of the characters said was the fact that Biafra has huge oil reserves). Few countries have recognized new country, however the most powerful ones (i.e. United Kingdom and Soviet Union) supported Nigeria with military supplies and after three years (1967-1970) the war of Biafra secession ended in a humanitarian catastrophe as Nigerian blockades stopped all supplies, military and civilian alike, from entering the region. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) people died in the resulting famine.

The story has been told through the lives of three very different people: Ugwu,13 year old boy from some remote village who is starting to work as a houseboy in the house of university professor with revolutionary aspirations. Ugwu is a magnificent source of Nigerian (African?) folklore and mythology. His superstitious-ness is beautiful, pure and incredibly authentic. Being uneducated his provincialism and thinking of everything authentically African as inferior comparing with everything British is very strong! (I sound as if I’m justifying his attitude with that “being uneducated�, well it’s really hard dislike Ugwu)
Olanna, young women with university diploma from London, member of Nigerian aristocracy who rejected privileged life and follow her heart. Strong, modern, enthusiastic woman with strong vision of her future life liberated from the chains of her family’s expectations.
Third one is Richard, man I identified myself with. He’s an Englishman who came in Nigeria because he fell in love with the ancient piece of local art (I think I could do the same). Man who being white has had to put much more effort to prove himself as true Biafran and was doing this in the best possible way.
What I especially like is that all three main characters are real humans; they are not flawless. On the contrary, they are making horrible mistakes which might be even unforgivable under different circumstances.

But this is not only story about the war. War with its horror is scenery for the story of love, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness about fight and survival. It is very universal story placed in one precise historical context.

Truth, some of the scenes are so graphically described that I had to close the book and take a deep breath before continue. But of course why should she use euphemism for truth? In spite that this is really page turner. I was little afraid after warning from the back cover “I wasted last fifty pages, reading them far too greedily and fast, because I couldn’t bear to let go…� but I’ve done the same (and of course then reread them).
This is one testimony of the things that mustn’t be forgotten! And oh, don’t be surprised if you find your eyes filled with tears. In spite the fact that last sentence wasn’t surprise for me, that I expected that, I couldn’t help myself...]]> 4.25 2006 Half of a Yellow Sun
author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2016/12/14
shelves: africa, awarded
review:
She did it again. And she did it (again) masterfully! While reading this novel I was often thinking of García Márquez’s words: ”The worst enemy of politicians is a writer� and I would amplify that with not only of politicians. Now, I’m not sure if Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has had intention to accuse (probably not) but you cannot avoid truth and, as always truth is hurting so badly.

Half of a Yellow Sun (related with Biafran flag, look the photo) is a story about birth and short life of Biafra, life that ended in one of the worst possible way while “the world was silent when they died� . Before reading this book I didn’t know much about Biafra, I didn’t even know it was an independent country (*blush* I should know that!). For me Biafra was a synonym for starvation, for hunger, misery, I was always picturing children with huge bellies and limbs like toothpicks. Now I know the word for that: ”kwashiorkor�, difficult word isn’t it?

Everything started 1960 when Nigeria independence from British colonialism; few years later there was a coup d’état led by Igbo tribe. Since Nigeria was the country with many clans ethnic tension started to sparkle between Muslim Hausa and Christian Igbo clans and eventually resulted with ethnic cleansing of Igbos that were living in the north of the country with Muslim majority. Because of that atrocity Igbo clan has proclaimed independence of theirs own country named after Biafran Bay in the southeast of Nigeria (the problem was, as one of the characters said was the fact that Biafra has huge oil reserves). Few countries have recognized new country, however the most powerful ones (i.e. United Kingdom and Soviet Union) supported Nigeria with military supplies and after three years (1967-1970) the war of Biafra secession ended in a humanitarian catastrophe as Nigerian blockades stopped all supplies, military and civilian alike, from entering the region. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) people died in the resulting famine.

The story has been told through the lives of three very different people: Ugwu,13 year old boy from some remote village who is starting to work as a houseboy in the house of university professor with revolutionary aspirations. Ugwu is a magnificent source of Nigerian (African?) folklore and mythology. His superstitious-ness is beautiful, pure and incredibly authentic. Being uneducated his provincialism and thinking of everything authentically African as inferior comparing with everything British is very strong! (I sound as if I’m justifying his attitude with that “being uneducated�, well it’s really hard dislike Ugwu)
Olanna, young women with university diploma from London, member of Nigerian aristocracy who rejected privileged life and follow her heart. Strong, modern, enthusiastic woman with strong vision of her future life liberated from the chains of her family’s expectations.
Third one is Richard, man I identified myself with. He’s an Englishman who came in Nigeria because he fell in love with the ancient piece of local art (I think I could do the same). Man who being white has had to put much more effort to prove himself as true Biafran and was doing this in the best possible way.
What I especially like is that all three main characters are real humans; they are not flawless. On the contrary, they are making horrible mistakes which might be even unforgivable under different circumstances.

But this is not only story about the war. War with its horror is scenery for the story of love, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness about fight and survival. It is very universal story placed in one precise historical context.

Truth, some of the scenes are so graphically described that I had to close the book and take a deep breath before continue. But of course why should she use euphemism for truth? In spite that this is really page turner. I was little afraid after warning from the back cover “I wasted last fifty pages, reading them far too greedily and fast, because I couldn’t bear to let go…� but I’ve done the same (and of course then reread them).
This is one testimony of the things that mustn’t be forgotten! And oh, don’t be surprised if you find your eyes filled with tears. In spite the fact that last sentence wasn’t surprise for me, that I expected that, I couldn’t help myself...
]]> <![CDATA[Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy]]> 25075991 226 Irvin D. Yalom 0349407436 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction, psychopop 4.57 2015 Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
author: Irvin D. Yalom
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/10/01
date added: 2016/12/08
shelves: nonfiction, psychopop
review:

]]> Zorba the Greek 18186814 320 Nikos Kazantzakis Milan/zzz 4 nongenre 4.14 1946 Zorba the Greek
author: Nikos Kazantzakis
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1946
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves: nongenre
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Novi Jerusalim: gotska hronika]]> 7201314 Borislav Pekić

Novi Jerusalim je zbirka priča široke vremenske perspektive, ali i veoma široke perspektive karaktera; od ljudi koji stvaraju svet i novi sadržaj do onih koji ruše. Karakteri u sebi nose, kao dominantnu osobinu, pečat i lik vremena, kao sudbinu, iskušenje i tragiku postojanja. Svakom junaku Pekić je odredio jedan od osnovnih elemenata � metal, zemlju, vatru, vazduh, vodu �

Kada osmotrimo vremenski raspon koji pripovetke iz Novog Jerusalima obuhvataju (a to je luk od ranog srednjeg veka do daleke, antiutopijske budućnosti), možemo reći da „hronika� u datom slučaju označava integralni letopis sveta.
U Novom Jerusalimu cela istorija je u stvari gotska hronika, beskrajni niz tajnovitih, tragički osenčenih sudbina. Preispitujući i kreativno nadograđujući neke karakteristike upravo tog i tako odabranog žanra Borislav Pekić ispunio ga je smislom za koji možemo reći da podjednako pripada svima nama, da je univerzalan. A tamo gde se govori o univerzalnom, tamo govori istinska, najviša umetnost.
Mihajlo Pantić]]> 201 Borislav Pekić 8633115425 Milan/zzz 5 4.33 1988 Novi Jerusalim: gotska hronika
author: Borislav Pekić
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1988
rating: 5
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[O Senhor Eliot e as conferências]]> 9802436 83 Gonçalo M. Tavares 9722120816 Milan/zzz 3 3.70 2010 O Senhor Eliot e as conferências
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[O Senhor Swedenborg e as Investigações Geométricas]]> 8550213 120 Gonçalo M. Tavares 9722120565 Milan/zzz 3 3.76 2005 O Senhor Swedenborg e as Investigações Geométricas
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[O Senhor Breton e a Entrevista]]> 8550231 56 Gonçalo M. Tavares 972212014X Milan/zzz 3 3.83 2008 O Senhor Breton e a Entrevista
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> O Senhor Walser 8546539
«Como o senhor Walser está contente! No meio de arbustos, ervas selvagens e outras manifestações da natureza ainda em pleno e imprevisível trajecto de vida, eis que foi possível construir � por via de um sentido técnico especializado de que só a grande civilização é capaz � a casa simples, sem nada de luxuoso ou ostensivo, uma mera casa para viver, a de Walser, homem que se encontra, por enquanto, sozinho no mundo, mas que vê naquela construção finalmente terminada � quantos anos demorou?! tantos! � uma oportunidade para no fundo, sejamos sinceros, encontrar companhia.»

«O genial Tavares, que inventou o Bairro onde vivem os mais estranhos e ao mesmo tempo os mais simples senhores que um Criador poderia imaginar, é um se- nhor que gosta de sumo de ananás e que leva inscrito na cabeça tudo o que já escreveu e tudo o que ainda escreverá. Há anos que suspeito que ele também vive no Bairro.» [Enrique Vila-Matas]

«Os diferentes volumes abrem para o mapa deste bairro utópico, para não dizer ideal, constituído por altos edifícios estreitos, dispostos em fila, flanqueados pelos nomes ilustres dos seus habitantes. […] Tavares descreve cada um deles como um feroz solitário, preso na armadilha do seu pensamento, esforçando-se por reordenar o mundo segundo a sua própria lei, dando corpo a um sonho que agita e abala o real.»[Le Monde]

«Um autor que entra na História da Literatura […]. A sua prosa descaradamente poética, a sua matriz filosófica e a sua capacidade icónica não têm comparação entre os contemporâneos.»[Andrés Sánchez Magro, La Razón]

«As piruetas abstractas e os jogos de lógica zigueza- gueiam nestas histórias extraordinariamente inteligentes» [Gilles Heuré, Télérama]

«Deliciosa invenção gráfico-literária.»[La Repubblica]]]> 48 Gonçalo M. Tavares Milan/zzz 3 3.70 2006 O Senhor Walser
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> O Senhor Calvino 2580569 Gonçalo M. Tavares retoma a sua obra de construção de um espaço único e inigualável.]]> 69 Gonçalo M. Tavares Milan/zzz 3 3.92 2005 O Senhor Calvino
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> O Senhor Kraus 8550248 Gonçalo M. Tavares retoma a sua obra de construção de um espaço único e inigualável.]]> 124 Gonçalo M. Tavares 9722117580 Milan/zzz 3 3.97 2005 O Senhor Kraus
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> O Senhor Juarroz 8546477 Depois de muito meditar sobre esta hipótese o Senhor Juarroz decidiu desligar o quadro da electricidade.]]> 72 Gonçalo M. Tavares 9722116576 Milan/zzz 3 3.85 2004 O Senhor Juarroz
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> El señor Brecht 20757874 64 Gonçalo M. Tavares 8439720750 Milan/zzz 4 3.64 2004 El señor Brecht
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> El señor Henri 2581246
Llega a nuestro fascinante y particular barrio un pariente cercano del señor Valéry: el señor Henri, que es un poco más egocéntrico que el señor Valéry, pero igual de carismático. El señor Henri es dueño de un conocimiento infinito, enciclopédico, que reparte entre sus semejantes de un modo, digamos, peculiar. Al señor Henri le gusta abordar cuestiones paradójicas y juegos lingüísticos, y le encanta la absenta.]]> 96 Gonçalo M. Tavares 8439720521 Milan/zzz 3 3.72 2003 El señor Henri
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> El señor Valéry 30236622 84 Gonçalo M. Tavares 8439720319 Milan/zzz 4 3.62 2002 El señor Valéry
author: Gonçalo M. Tavares
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> Svila 10624577
There Joncour meets a woman. They do not touch; they do not even speak. And he cannot read the note she sends him until he has returned to his own country. But in the moment he does, Joncour is possessed.]]> 99 Alessandro Baricco 8674640192 Milan/zzz 4 nongenre 4.07 1996 Svila
author: Alessandro Baricco
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2016/08/07
date added: 2016/08/10
shelves: nongenre
review:
Kratak roman o tome da reči zapravo nisu uvek neophodne. Štaviše u najvažnijim stvarima su čak i suvišne. Ne samo da nam je to jasno iz priče koju priča već i iz same forme romana. Naime, vrlo je kratak, konkretan, bez detalja koji bi nas odvojili od glavne priče (čovek je nekoliko puta prevalio put od Francuske do Japana i natrag uključujući i jahanje hiljadama kilometara kroz Sibir pa ipak, svako od tih putovanja je opisivano gotovo istom (jednom!) rečenicom a svakako da je samo jedno putovanje moralo imati materijala za zaseban roman). Možda (verovatno) zbog Japana ali kao da je haiku roman, podeljen na vrlo kratka (haiku) poglavlja. Ljubavna priča ali je čak i ona nekako sporedna, više kao scenografija... više priča o toma kako je ispunjenost (ne nužno i sreća) moguća u pukom saznanju o nečijem postojanju tamo negde daleko (gde "daleko" ne igra nikakvu ulogu).
]]> <![CDATA[Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction]]> 18794 213 J.D. Salinger 0606288384 Milan/zzz 4 nongenre Beautiful book!]]> 4.04 1955 Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction
author: J.D. Salinger
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1955
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/23
date added: 2016/07/23
shelves: nongenre
review:
A birthday gift from a friend who unkowingly and rather accidentaly has saved Salinger in my heart. There is an eternity from the last Selinger I have read (for reason) and I'm happy to say that my love for Seymour can only rival my disgust for Holden.
Beautiful book!
]]> <![CDATA[Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War]]> 28388895 New York Times National Bestseller

"America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected, and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war.

Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries—panic, exhaustion, heat, noise—and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them. Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper. She visits a repurposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for the shock and gore of combat wounds. At Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, in east Africa, we learn how diarrhea can be a threat to national security. Roach samples caffeinated meat, sniffs an archival sample of a World War II stink bomb, and stays up all night with the crew tending the missiles on the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee. She answers questions not found in any other book on the military: Why is DARPA interested in ducks? How is a wedding gown like a bomb suit? Why are shrimp more dangerous to sailors than sharks? Take a tour of duty with Roach, and you’ll never see our nation’s defenders in the same way again.]]> 283 Mary Roach 0393245454 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction That doesn't mean it's dry and humourless. She makes jokes, on her own account.

We aren't involved into military industry nor we have troupes that brings democracy anywhere and consequentially we don't have industry that deals with vast majority of issues described in the book. Therefore I found this a quite interesting and informative read.
I really like how she's bringing to the light somethings that many don't think about whatsoever. When you think about injured soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan the image is usually an amputee (in recent months there is an influx of amputee models in the fashion and photography industry but "Despite or possibly because of their low profile, the less visible injuries of war can be the hardest kind to have."
Not surprisingly I was very interested in chapters about phalloplasty. Who thought about those kinds of injuries? I never did and of course if you can lose a leg you most certainly can lose your junk.
Crafting a working penis from other parts of patients body (forearm skin, or urethra tissue made from the tissue from your mouth (it's always moist and doesn't have hairs which tells us that they tried with other tissues that has hair follicles and you can imagine problems caused by hair producing tissue in your urethra!!!)). Then penis transplantation (obviously from cadaver) and making a manual how to use reconstructed penis (touchy subject writing some weird variant of Kama-Sutra for phalloplasty patients but apparently quite necessary one. There is one soldier whose comment was something how he had thirty-something operations on his penis but not a single word about how he should use that new one). Also it was quite striking reaction of one medical worker when author asked the rate of divorces, she said that's not an issue, the real question is the rate of suicide.
Also very interesting (and again something I never thought about) was the reason why they never transplant testicles. The reason is quite logic: the child would be a biological/genetic offspring of testicle donor and not the guy who actually had sex and made that child.

Also very interesting chapters were with maggots (who are our allies this time!) and diarrhoea. I love the reaction of those tough soldiers when she [author] said it's a silly topic and they replied "no it's not, thanks for asking".
And of course used tampons to attract/repel sharks (now I have an idea how seal smells LOL!).]]> 4.17 2016 Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War
author: Mary Roach
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/14
date added: 2016/07/14
shelves: nonfiction
review:
I liked the book but it's not typical Mary Roach in the way it's not as funny. But I'd say it would be rather weird if that wasn't the case. There are many readers who either have experienced what she's writing about or have someone who who did (and especially those who had that someone). So, it's quite slippery field to be a mocking bird.
That doesn't mean it's dry and humourless. She makes jokes, on her own account.

We aren't involved into military industry nor we have troupes that brings democracy anywhere and consequentially we don't have industry that deals with vast majority of issues described in the book. Therefore I found this a quite interesting and informative read.
I really like how she's bringing to the light somethings that many don't think about whatsoever. When you think about injured soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan the image is usually an amputee (in recent months there is an influx of amputee models in the fashion and photography industry but "Despite or possibly because of their low profile, the less visible injuries of war can be the hardest kind to have."
Not surprisingly I was very interested in chapters about phalloplasty. Who thought about those kinds of injuries? I never did and of course if you can lose a leg you most certainly can lose your junk.
Crafting a working penis from other parts of patients body (forearm skin, or urethra tissue made from the tissue from your mouth (it's always moist and doesn't have hairs which tells us that they tried with other tissues that has hair follicles and you can imagine problems caused by hair producing tissue in your urethra!!!)). Then penis transplantation (obviously from cadaver) and making a manual how to use reconstructed penis (touchy subject writing some weird variant of Kama-Sutra for phalloplasty patients but apparently quite necessary one. There is one soldier whose comment was something how he had thirty-something operations on his penis but not a single word about how he should use that new one). Also it was quite striking reaction of one medical worker when author asked the rate of divorces, she said that's not an issue, the real question is the rate of suicide.
Also very interesting (and again something I never thought about) was the reason why they never transplant testicles. The reason is quite logic: the child would be a biological/genetic offspring of testicle donor and not the guy who actually had sex and made that child.

Also very interesting chapters were with maggots (who are our allies this time!) and diarrhoea. I love the reaction of those tough soldiers when she [author] said it's a silly topic and they replied "no it's not, thanks for asking".
And of course used tampons to attract/repel sharks (now I have an idea how seal smells LOL!).
]]> The End of the Affair 11332777 The love affair between Maurice Bendrix and Sarah, flourishing in the turbulent times of the London Blitz, ends when she suddenly and without explanation breaks it off. After a chance meeting rekindles his love and jealousy two years later, Bendrix hires a private detective to follow Sarah, and slowly his love for her turns into an obsession.]]> 196 Graham Greene Milan/zzz 4 3.80 1951 The End of the Affair
author: Graham Greene
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1951
rating: 4
read at: 2016/06/30
date added: 2016/07/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Back Rooms: Voices from the Illegal Abortion Era]]> 513306 234 Ellen Messer 0879758767 Milan/zzz 2 nonfiction Well what to say about the book? I've read these very touching stories I didn't change my mind - I'm against abortion as a method of planning family! Of course I'm not against abortion per se (not to mention cases such as malformations of the fetus or pregnancy after raping). There's much more better, easier and surely more responsible ways to plan the family.
here, abortion is presented precisely as a method for planning a family. Because here are sentences like ... neither of these girls knew anything about birth control or rhythm but then many of "these" girls have found their way to do abortion and that more than once!
I'm not conservative or anti-feminist; on the contrary. I consider myself a feminist, I'm all pro gender equality! I'm talking about responsibility! And here there is no any! So I'm criticizing lack of responsibility, abortion is just its consequence.]]> 4.25 1988 Back Rooms: Voices from the Illegal Abortion Era
author: Ellen Messer
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1988
rating: 2
read at: 2006/01/01
date added: 2016/04/12
shelves: nonfiction
review:

Well what to say about the book? I've read these very touching stories I didn't change my mind - I'm against abortion as a method of planning family! Of course I'm not against abortion per se (not to mention cases such as malformations of the fetus or pregnancy after raping). There's much more better, easier and surely more responsible ways to plan the family.
here, abortion is presented precisely as a method for planning a family. Because here are sentences like ... neither of these girls knew anything about birth control or rhythm but then many of "these" girls have found their way to do abortion and that more than once!
I'm not conservative or anti-feminist; on the contrary. I consider myself a feminist, I'm all pro gender equality! I'm talking about responsibility! And here there is no any! So I'm criticizing lack of responsibility, abortion is just its consequence.
]]> The Jungle 17306020
Long acclaimed around the world, Upton Sinclair's 1906 muckraking novel The Jungle remains a powerful book even today. Not many works of literature can boast that their publication brought about actual social and labor change, but that's just what The Jungle did, as it led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. In today's society, where labor and safety of the food we eat remain key concerns for all, Sinclair's shocking story still resonates. Bringing new life and energy to this classic work, adapter and illustrator Kristina Gehrmann takes Sinclair's prose and transforms it through pen and ink, allowing the reader to discover (or rediscover) this book and see it from a whole new perspective.]]> 414 Upton Sinclair Milan/zzz 4 historical-fiction, nongenre I've heard about the novel mostly because of its graphic descriptions of the meat industry, its sanitary issues etc. It apparently had a massive impact on American society and has triggered some laws and regulations to be created. Fantastic example how book can be influential.
Then of course the story of immigrants and their horribly tough life they were facing in new homeland. All tricks and traps they couldn't miss, their misfortunes that are piling up with every page. It fills you with rage.
And then by the end of the book its political twist reminds you how similar problems but better disguised and more subtle still pretty much exist. And it goes beyond nationalities (but of course doesn't neglect them either). I'm not an American but I do follow US elections that are ongoing now and I see shockingly minuscule difference between what political candidates were saying in the book addressing social injustice and inequality across the (well, not nation) but people of Chicago and what Bernie Sanders are saying. Jungle is still very much alive and I so feel the Bern. Sadly it doesn't look good but it's very good that predominantly young people are also feel the same.
Very good book! ]]> 4.00 1906 The Jungle
author: Upton Sinclair
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1906
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/01
date added: 2016/03/24
shelves: historical-fiction, nongenre
review:
"I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach." this is how Sinclair commented public reaction on his novel. Since I am familiar what happens among the walls of slaughterhouses it punched me in the heart. Quite! But also reminded me (as if that was needed) why I'm distancing myself from the meat on the plate.
I've heard about the novel mostly because of its graphic descriptions of the meat industry, its sanitary issues etc. It apparently had a massive impact on American society and has triggered some laws and regulations to be created. Fantastic example how book can be influential.
Then of course the story of immigrants and their horribly tough life they were facing in new homeland. All tricks and traps they couldn't miss, their misfortunes that are piling up with every page. It fills you with rage.
And then by the end of the book its political twist reminds you how similar problems but better disguised and more subtle still pretty much exist. And it goes beyond nationalities (but of course doesn't neglect them either). I'm not an American but I do follow US elections that are ongoing now and I see shockingly minuscule difference between what political candidates were saying in the book addressing social injustice and inequality across the (well, not nation) but people of Chicago and what Bernie Sanders are saying. Jungle is still very much alive and I so feel the Bern. Sadly it doesn't look good but it's very good that predominantly young people are also feel the same.
Very good book!
]]> The Lottery 28454663 32 Shirley Jackson 144345110X Milan/zzz 4 stories, dystopia
*there might be spoilers here*
I have so many questions: mostly why? Then I was struck with the children's reaction (they "beamed and laughed" upon opening their papers). There was such a horrifying nonchalance among all of them: the villagers but also members of the family. And they know how neighbouring villages abandoned traditions (to which one old villagers responded: "Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves..." oh what an irony!). Now one can think about ancient tribes who make human sacrifices to the gods so it's brings goosebumps when you see the same among people who wear jeens. Then, the way everything is done: horrific. One just cannot to shake of the words, screams, the irreversibly of the act. But the worst thing is lets-done-with-this-and-go-back-to-our-chores attitude ]]> 3.79 1948 The Lottery
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1948
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/29
date added: 2016/02/29
shelves: stories, dystopia
review:
I didn't have a clue what I'm reading and where the story will lead me. I was reading it aloud enjoying in rather lovely crafted sentences. Everything was going fluidly which is why I had some suspicion about the game. It crossed my mind the purpose of (to avoid spoilers) boys' activity at the beginning but only jokingly. However after a while that suspicion was back. And also my reading increasingly became mumbling: it was fast and the change of the expression was apparent (and listener had to become reader in order to finish the story).

*there might be spoilers here*
I have so many questions: mostly why? Then I was struck with the children's reaction (they "beamed and laughed" upon opening their papers). There was such a horrifying nonchalance among all of them: the villagers but also members of the family. And they know how neighbouring villages abandoned traditions (to which one old villagers responded: "Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves..." oh what an irony!). Now one can think about ancient tribes who make human sacrifices to the gods so it's brings goosebumps when you see the same among people who wear jeens. Then, the way everything is done: horrific. One just cannot to shake of the words, screams, the irreversibly of the act. But the worst thing is lets-done-with-this-and-go-back-to-our-chores attitude
]]> <![CDATA[A Single Man (Vintage Classics)]]> 19032108 A Single Man is the story of George, an English professor in suburban California left heartbroken after the death of his lover, Jim. With devastating clarity and humour, Christopher Isherwood shows George's determination to carry on, evoking the unexpected pleasures of life as well as the soul's ability to triumph over loneliness and alienation.]]> 162 Christopher Isherwood Milan/zzz 4 nongenre, lgbt
And yes, I saw the film and loved it very much and therefore couldn't expel Colin Firth (and the rest of the crew) from my mind while reading this. I guess Tom Ford has done marvelous job in casting so I don't think it affected negatively the experience of reading. ]]> 4.05 1964 A Single Man (Vintage Classics)
author: Christopher Isherwood
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1964
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/01
date added: 2016/02/15
shelves: nongenre, lgbt
review:
Such an elegant little novel about loss. Primarily loss of a partner, Jim who died in a car crash and he (George, the main character) is still in early stage of coming to terms with the tragedy. George is an Englishman, middle aged professor of literature at University in LA and his grieving is quite according to that. He sticks with his daily routine robotically, trying to deflect his emotions. He's trying to find solace through failed attempts to create meaningful interactions and relations with other people. And it's heartbreaking. There's that cut that splits George into two: his mind and his body that goes through the novel as two almost independent entities. While his mind wanders everywhere his body is on autopilot doing what is expected from him to do. It emphasizes disconnection George feels with his surrounding and the lack of wholeness. Even in a front of mirror he can't see himself as one entity. And that separation that is mirrored in so many things: when he think about the life he lived without fully realizing those relics are part of the past and dead so some parts of him are still living it, his longing, his need to preserve the surface intact that remain in presentable state that is expected. And of course there's his sexuality but I really think labeling this novel as "gay fiction" disserves it immensely because it will repel some readers which is surely such a shame. It's a gorgeous, humane novel that everyone should read.

And yes, I saw the film and loved it very much and therefore couldn't expel Colin Firth (and the rest of the crew) from my mind while reading this. I guess Tom Ford has done marvelous job in casting so I don't think it affected negatively the experience of reading.
]]> Cena soli 22571393
„Svedočanstvo o progonjenoj ljubavi � savršeno.�
- The Independent

„O progonjenoj ljubavi, i istinskoj sreći... Prepoznatljiva Hajsmit, s podrhtavanjem i pretnjom, roman prepun njene čudesne genijalnosti u prikazivanju anksioznosti.�
- The Sunday Times

„Patrišini romani su opaki... bacaju čini na čitaoca, nakon čega sledi osećaj omađijanosti... Ona је veliki američki pisac koji se vraća da tu i ostane.�
- Entertainment Weekly]]> 310 Claire Morgan Milan/zzz 3 lgbt, nongenre OK roman ali nije ispunio očekivanja. ]]> 3.98 1952 Cena soli
author: Claire Morgan
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1952
rating: 3
read at: 2016/02/01
date added: 2016/02/15
shelves: lgbt, nongenre
review:
Želeo sam da pročitam "Cenu soli" pre nego odgledam "Kerol". Naravno da sam čitajući roman video Blanšetovu i Maru što nije nužno bilo loše. Međutim, izgleda da su moja očekivanja ipak bila prevelika. Zanimljiv je svakako u tome gde slika život u Njujorku sredinom dvadesetog veka ali u toj centralnoj vezi, odnosu koji je tema romana, nešto mi nije leglo. Nekako, kao da fale emocije. U jednom trenutku (pri kraju) se govori o zaista ogromnoj žrtvi ali je nekako došla poput iznenađenja jer je nije ispratila emocija. Neuporedivo mi je bolje i snažnije (emotivno) opisan odnos i šta se dogodilo između Tereze i Ričarda nego nje i Kerol.
OK roman ali nije ispunio očekivanja.
]]> Bez utehe 10886570 595 Kazuo Ishiguro 8644701207 Milan/zzz 5 nongenre, magical-realism I just wanted to post this as some kind of “warning�.
Once again: I LOVE this book but hey, that’s me � ]]> 3.91 1995 Bez utehe
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2009/01/01
date added: 2016/01/29
shelves: nongenre, magical-realism
review:
This is probably the most frustrating book I’ve ever read, and certainly one of the most amazing. I was enjoying in every single page of this massive (600 pages), dark, surreal, sometimes grotesque, labyrinth-tale. This is ‘either you love it or hate it� type of novel and I’m considering it as nearly a masterpiece. But indeed, sentence from above (“…for serious fiction readers�) is absolute truth. This novel is not for everyone and I don’t say this in some negative tone: my friends who are quite serious readers just couldn’t get into it too.
I just wanted to post this as some kind of “warning�.
Once again: I LOVE this book but hey, that’s me �
]]> The Magus 17309439
'A major work of mounting tensions in which the human mind is the guinea-pig... Mr Fowles has taken a big swing at a difficult subject and his hits are on the bull's eye' Sunday Times

On a remote Greek Island, Nicholas Urfe finds himself embroiled in the deceptions of a master trickster. As reality and illusion intertwine, Urfe is caught up in the darkest of psychological games. John Fowles expertly unfolds a tale that is lush with over-powering imagery in a spellbinding exploration of human complexities. By turns disturbing, thrilling and seductive, The Magus is a feast for the mind and the senses.]]> 672 John Fowles 1409059944 Milan/zzz 5 nongenre
The story ... wow I have no idea where to start and when I do where to go. It's such an amazing mishmash of many invented and real histories, philosophy, Greek mythology, psychoanalysis, theater, when you think you know one character it turned out he or she is someone else and quite probably not even that. I have no idea how to categorize it (or even if that's possible!): it's an allegorical romance, a hilarious charade of mystery and suspense, sophisticated account of modern love, galvanizing chase through the labyrinth of the soul, stream of consciousness, twilight-zone-ish, provocative, erotic, compulsive, inventive, horribly theatrical but surely convincing. Convincing! Isn't that the point of magician's trick? To leave you convinced :)

I'm not going to summarize the plot. Now, that would be quite unjust and I'm not even sure if it would be possible (plus it would be full of spoilers) so I'm not going to even try.

But why I liked this book so much? Sure, give me stylish writing and I'm fine with the weather-cast. The language and style were so lovely but there's more: from time to time I felt as if I'm not holding book but the mirror. Those moments were not pleasant whatsoever. Those mind-games that pulled me under left me in daze more than once. It forced me to analyze myself and how I see things that surround me, situations I'm involved in and emotions I feel. That can be related with those of the main character of course. So apparently I've read "The Magus" in very right time. I needed this for so many reasons, not only related with nostalgia for a good old classic novel, but many more.

"Love may really be more a capacity for love in oneself than anything very lovable in the other person" ]]> 3.80 1965 The Magus
author: John Fowles
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1965
rating: 5
read at: 2016/01/28
date added: 2016/01/28
shelves: nongenre
review:
What a satisfying read this was! I didn't realize how much I miss real, fat, classic novel! I've read his "The Collector" few years back and it wasn't as satisfactory as I hoped it will be so when I picked up "The Magus" it was more because it happened to be the "closest to my hand/Kindle/whatever" and I kinda had intention only to lurk a bit until I decide what I'll read next. But I was so hooked. The narrative is absolutely brilliant and even though the pace was rather slow it was incredibly enjoyable. And when it set foot on the Greek island ... well the only reason I *know* I wasn't there is the fact that "Phraxos" does not exist. Geography proved me wrong! That's how Fowles was good.

The story ... wow I have no idea where to start and when I do where to go. It's such an amazing mishmash of many invented and real histories, philosophy, Greek mythology, psychoanalysis, theater, when you think you know one character it turned out he or she is someone else and quite probably not even that. I have no idea how to categorize it (or even if that's possible!): it's an allegorical romance, a hilarious charade of mystery and suspense, sophisticated account of modern love, galvanizing chase through the labyrinth of the soul, stream of consciousness, twilight-zone-ish, provocative, erotic, compulsive, inventive, horribly theatrical but surely convincing. Convincing! Isn't that the point of magician's trick? To leave you convinced :)

I'm not going to summarize the plot. Now, that would be quite unjust and I'm not even sure if it would be possible (plus it would be full of spoilers) so I'm not going to even try.

But why I liked this book so much? Sure, give me stylish writing and I'm fine with the weather-cast. The language and style were so lovely but there's more: from time to time I felt as if I'm not holding book but the mirror. Those moments were not pleasant whatsoever. Those mind-games that pulled me under left me in daze more than once. It forced me to analyze myself and how I see things that surround me, situations I'm involved in and emotions I feel. That can be related with those of the main character of course. So apparently I've read "The Magus" in very right time. I needed this for so many reasons, not only related with nostalgia for a good old classic novel, but many more.

"Love may really be more a capacity for love in oneself than anything very lovable in the other person"
]]> <![CDATA[Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter]]> 9618230
But when a teenage girl disappeared after a date with Larry, their friendship was irrevocably broken.

Now Jones is the small town's sole law-enforcement officer, and Ott is an outcast, never able to rise above the suspicion that he was the girl's abductor.

Their paths have no reason to cross, until the town's peace is shattered once again - when another young woman disappears...]]> 272 Tom Franklin 0230753051 Milan/zzz 0 to-read 3.86 2010 Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
author: Tom Franklin
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Zovem se Crveno 6147146
Orhan Pamuk ovoga puta vaskrsava čudesni svet Orijenta s njegovim bojama, njegovom umetnošcu, estetikom, njegovim tajanstvenim duhom. Zovem se Crveno je pripovest o umetnosti, ljubavi, sreći, životu, smrti, na trenutke rasprava o suštini islamske umetnosti i poimanja sveta, ispričana kroz sudbine slikara minijatura i kaligrafa u Carigradu s kraja 16. veka. Bogatstvo jezika, obilje slika, asocijacija, poniranje u bit islamske civilizacije i njene dodire s renesansnim duhom, jedinstvena kompozicija i struktura dela potvrđuju da je Orhan Pamuk jedan od najvećih pisaca dvadeset prvog veka.

doc. dr Mirjana Marinkovic, upravnik Katedre za orijentalistiku Filološkog fakulteta u Beogradu

"Knjiga Zovem se Crveno koristi umetnost minijature kako bi istražila dušu nacije." - Džon Apdajk

Veza između prošlog i sadašnjeg vremena sadržana je i u boji. Crveno je boja osvete i smrti, ali, ponajviše, boja strasti, nadahnuća i umetnosti. A možda je, po Pamuku, ime univerzuma - Crveno! Odavno taj svet Zapada i Istoka, novog i starog, nije tako sažeto, a sveobuhvatno opisan kao u ovom remek-delu: "Na Zapadu slikaju ono što vide, a mi ono što gledamo."

Vladislav Bajac]]> 524 Orhan Pamuk 8676660905 Milan/zzz 5
Also I could say that I've met one Nobel Prize Laureate in person on 17th May 2006. That meeting is the most important literary event in my life so far. I was in the army but still, that fact couldn't stop me to go. It was unforgettable experience indeed and this picture shows me with Mr. Pamuk:



Now I should say something about this book:
(These are my impressions I posted on my blog after I read the novel)
After this novel East is not what it was before. Unrepeatable travel through the history of Islamic culture which I wasn’t familiar with. Orhan Pamuk this time resurrects magical world of Orient with its colours, its art, esthetic, its secret spirit.
My Name is Red is story about art, love, happiness, life, death, sometimes discussion about essence of Islamic art and understanding world told through destinies of painters, miniaturists, illuminators and calligraphists from 16th century Constantinople (Istanbul).
Richness of language, abundance of images, associations, deep penetration into the essence of Islamic civilization and its touches with renaissance spirit, unique composition and structure confirm that Orhan Pamuk is one of the greatest writers 21st century.
Connection between past and present time are implicit in the colour. Red is colour of revenge and death but most of all, colour of passion, inspiration and art. Maybe, according to Pamuk, the name of universe is � RED.
I don’t know if that world of East and West, new and old, was so concise but in the same time so comprehensively described before this masterpiece:

...On the West they paint what they see and we [on the East:], what we are looking at]]> 4.08 1998 Zovem se Crveno
author: Orhan Pamuk
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2016/01/17
shelves: asia, awarded, historical-fiction
review:
I'll never forget day when my friend called me to tell me great news: "That Turkish writer of yours has won Nobel!" Gosh I was so enormously happy (that "of yours" is quite indicative!). I would be happier only if some Serbian writer has won the prize instead. That day my inbox was full of Congratulations! e-mails so you can imagine how huge fan of Pamuk's work I am :)

Also I could say that I've met one Nobel Prize Laureate in person on 17th May 2006. That meeting is the most important literary event in my life so far. I was in the army but still, that fact couldn't stop me to go. It was unforgettable experience indeed and this picture shows me with Mr. Pamuk:



Now I should say something about this book:
(These are my impressions I posted on my blog after I read the novel)
After this novel East is not what it was before. Unrepeatable travel through the history of Islamic culture which I wasn’t familiar with. Orhan Pamuk this time resurrects magical world of Orient with its colours, its art, esthetic, its secret spirit.
My Name is Red is story about art, love, happiness, life, death, sometimes discussion about essence of Islamic art and understanding world told through destinies of painters, miniaturists, illuminators and calligraphists from 16th century Constantinople (Istanbul).
Richness of language, abundance of images, associations, deep penetration into the essence of Islamic civilization and its touches with renaissance spirit, unique composition and structure confirm that Orhan Pamuk is one of the greatest writers 21st century.
Connection between past and present time are implicit in the colour. Red is colour of revenge and death but most of all, colour of passion, inspiration and art. Maybe, according to Pamuk, the name of universe is � RED.
I don’t know if that world of East and West, new and old, was so concise but in the same time so comprehensively described before this masterpiece:

...On the West they paint what they see and we [on the East:], what we are looking at
]]> The Kept 18052979
Her lone comfort is her twelve-year-old son, Caleb, who joins her in mourning the tragedy and planning its reprisal. Their long journey leads them to a rough-hewn lake town, defined by the violence both of its landscape and of its inhabitants. There Caleb is forced into a brutal adulthood, as he slowly discovers truths about his family he never suspected, and Elspeth must confront the terrible urges and unceasing temptations that have haunted her for years. Throughout it all, the love between mother and son serves as the only shield against a merciless world.

A scorching portrait of guilt and lost innocence, atonement and retribution, resilience and sacrifice, pregnant obsession and primal adolescence, The Kept is told with deep compassion and startling originality, and introduces James Scott as a major new literary voice.]]> 384 James Scott 0062236660 Milan/zzz 3 debut, historical-fiction Very strange story, very strange and numerous sins that are only piling up. From time to time I felt fed up and solely for the sake of finishing it this year and complete challenge I forced myself to keep on reading. In the end, it was quite nice debut but I definitively need something less dark. ]]> 3.43 2013 The Kept
author: James Scott
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/30
shelves: debut, historical-fiction
review:
The year is 1987, upstate New York and it's winter. Plus the cover art looks fantastic so I took it. It's a horribly bleak story and it's amazing how life was cheap. It's unimaginable really from this distance. There is no happy place here between these covers and I guess it suits the season. Ah the season, it's so bloody cold that you see spring out of your window :)
Very strange story, very strange and numerous sins that are only piling up. From time to time I felt fed up and solely for the sake of finishing it this year and complete challenge I forced myself to keep on reading. In the end, it was quite nice debut but I definitively need something less dark.
]]> Baba Jaga je snijela jaje 6437644
Baba Jaga uvek spava s mačem pod jastukom. Slovenski čitaoci, a srpski će biti prvi od svih, po svoj prilici će spavati sa ovom knjigom pod jastukom � kao uspavankom i kao oružjem istovremeno.

Vladislav Bajac

Geopoetika zajedno s još preko četrdeset izdavača iz celog sveta, od Severne i Južne Amerike, preko Azije i Australije, do svih delova Evrope - gradi ediciju Mitovi. Nosilac ideje od 1999. godine jeste škotski izdavač Canongate. Ova serija knjiga sastoji se iz uvodne studije i kratkih romana (ili kraćih proznih formi) naručenih posebno za ovu ediciju. Od pisaca je zatraženo da po slobodnom izboru, kako god to žele, iznova ispričaju već postojeće i znane mitove iz bilo koje kulture sveta. Među autorima su najveća i najzanimljivija imena savremene svetske književnosti. Planovi su da edicija potraje makar do svoje stote knjige.

Dakle, izvornici prevoda na srpski jezik potiču iz rukopisa, a ne objavljenih knjiga, i projekat edicije Mitovi redak je i originalan poduhvat u međunarodnom izdavačkom zajedništvu.]]> 347 Dubravka Ugrešić 8676661413 Milan/zzz 5 myths, nongenre 4.03 2007 Baba Jaga je snijela jaje
author: Dubravka Ugrešić
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2015/12/26
shelves: myths, nongenre
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It]]> 10865206 The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.

After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community already knew about self-control, McGonigal created a course called "The Science of Willpower" for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. The course was an instant hit and spawned the hugely successful Psychology Today blog with the same name.

Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonigal's book explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. Readers will learn:

Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are healthier, happier, have more satisfying relationships, and make more money. Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health. Temptation and stress hijack the brain's systems of self-control, and that the brain can be trained for greater willpower.

In the groundbreaking tradition of Getting Things Done, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from a healthier life to more patient parenting, from greater productivity at work to finally finishing the basement.]]> 275 Kelly McGonigal 1583334386 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction, science 4.11 2011 The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
author: Kelly McGonigal
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/25
shelves: nonfiction, science
review:

]]> <![CDATA[En el corazón del mar (Spanish Edition)]]> 25440031 La dramática travesía del Essex cobra vida en la gran pantalla con espectaculares imágenes en alta mar, un Moby Dick de tamaño impactante y con un reparto plagado de estrellas.]]> 416 Nathaniel Philbrick Milan/zzz 5 nonfiction 4.32 2000 En el corazón del mar (Spanish Edition)
author: Nathaniel Philbrick
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/24
shelves: nonfiction
review:
¡Que librón! Es una historia tan increible que está en el borde de la ficción. Todo el mundo sabe sobre Moby Dick. Pues desde aquí el cuento de esa famosa ballena proviene. He visto que van a hacer la pelí y no sé que pensar sobre esto. Es una muy buena historia pero la historia que muy vale la pena leerla, no verla (o no solo verla).
]]> Best Boy 24823249 Best Boy—with its unforgettable portraits of Todd’s beloved mother, whose sweet voice still sings from the grave, and a staffer named Raykene, who says that Todd “reflects the beauty of His creation”—is a piercing, achingly funny, finally shattering novel no reader can ever forget.]]> 256 Eli Gottlieb 1631490486 Milan/zzz 4 nongenre
When I started reading, I was afraid it'll be the same case with "Best Boy". Narrator is not a child but a fifty-something autistic man and the way they speak is quite similar. However, it worked very well with Todd (narrator of this one). It was very new angle to see the world. I don't think I ever heard the story from such character. It was so touching seeing a grown up man expressing himself and explaining his world, his emotions with such language.
Of course he's innocent and pure and vulnerable and honest both in describing his own emotions but also the world that surrounds him. It worked lovely his lack of ability to elaborate more profoundly his wish, his longing to go home. I think if he used one more word in his "When can I come home?" it would be less convincing.
It really aches spotting his brother's refusal to pay extra for a better medicine or playing on wife's card expecting, insisting on gratitude and threatening with his withdrawal while acting as caring one. For me that was worse than his experience with his violent father.

I have no experience with autistic people but to me this book and the way this beautiful mind works were quite believable. Yes there is a diagnose but behind it is a person, human being who is much, much more than what diagnose is saying. And sometimes we need to be reminded of that. ]]> 3.93 2015 Best Boy
author: Eli Gottlieb
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/19
shelves: nongenre
review:
I like to be challenged with the narrative an the language and style which is why I'm not quite a fan of books in which the narrator is a child. It's a tricky because it's either not challenging enough or the kid is so eloquent that is unconvincing. So, I guess I'm hard to please with that one.

When I started reading, I was afraid it'll be the same case with "Best Boy". Narrator is not a child but a fifty-something autistic man and the way they speak is quite similar. However, it worked very well with Todd (narrator of this one). It was very new angle to see the world. I don't think I ever heard the story from such character. It was so touching seeing a grown up man expressing himself and explaining his world, his emotions with such language.
Of course he's innocent and pure and vulnerable and honest both in describing his own emotions but also the world that surrounds him. It worked lovely his lack of ability to elaborate more profoundly his wish, his longing to go home. I think if he used one more word in his "When can I come home?" it would be less convincing.
It really aches spotting his brother's refusal to pay extra for a better medicine or playing on wife's card expecting, insisting on gratitude and threatening with his withdrawal while acting as caring one. For me that was worse than his experience with his violent father.

I have no experience with autistic people but to me this book and the way this beautiful mind works were quite believable. Yes there is a diagnose but behind it is a person, human being who is much, much more than what diagnose is saying. And sometimes we need to be reminded of that.
]]> The Sleeper and the Spindle 24579603
You may think you know this story. There's a young queen, about to be married. There are some good, brave, hardy dwarfs; a castle, shrouded in thorns; and a princess, cursed by a witch, so rumor has it, to sleep forever.

But no one is waiting for a noble prince to appear on his trusty steed here. This fairy tale is spun with a thread of dark magic, which twists and turns and glints and shines. A queen might just prove herself a hero, if a princess needs rescuing. . . .]]> 89 Neil Gaiman 0062398261 Milan/zzz 4 Beside it 's a dark and creepy story it's a sort of feminist tract that is crushing image we grew up with about woman (princess/queen) in a fairy tale and what she stands for (or better, lie for). In this one, she's the man! :) Down to Disney!!! And indeed, why prince charming shouldn't be a lesbian?
And of course, illustrations are stunning! But I'm kinda more impressed what Gaiman did with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. It's fantastically subversive version of these two that every parent should read to their daughter. I'm so buying this to my niece ;) ]]> 3.93 2013 The Sleeper and the Spindle
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/18
shelves: fantasy, graphic-novels, young-adults
review:
OK, I'm not a fan and therefore I took this one with non-existing expectations and as it happens when one doesn't expect much, I liked it. Very much actually. It was quite surprising fusion of two very well known fairy-tales that kept only their very well known shell. But substantially tales are completely changed. And they are beautifully changed.
Beside it 's a dark and creepy story it's a sort of feminist tract that is crushing image we grew up with about woman (princess/queen) in a fairy tale and what she stands for (or better, lie for). In this one, she's the man! :) Down to Disney!!! And indeed, why prince charming shouldn't be a lesbian?
And of course, illustrations are stunning! But I'm kinda more impressed what Gaiman did with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. It's fantastically subversive version of these two that every parent should read to their daughter. I'm so buying this to my niece ;)
]]> All the Light We Cannot See 20884937 This is an alternate cover edition of ASIN B00G1TOJ7Y

The epic new novel, set during WW2, from Sunday Times Short Story Prize-winner Anthony Doerr.

Marie-Laure has been blind since the age of six. Her father builds a perfect miniature of their Paris neighbourhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. But when the Nazis invade, father and daughter flee with a dangerous secret.

Werner is a German orphan, destined to labour in the same mine that claimed his father’s life, until he discovers a knack for engineering. His talent wins him a place at a brutal military academy, but his way out of obscurity is built on suffering.

At the same time, far away in a walled city by the sea, an old man discovers new worlds without ever setting foot outside his home. But all around him, impending danger closes in.

Doerr’s combination of soaring imagination and meticulous observation is electric. As Europe is engulfed by war and lives collide unpredictably, ‘All The Light We Cannot See� is a captivating and devastating elegy for innocence.

]]> 544 Anthony Doerr Milan/zzz 4 historical-fiction 4.31 2014 All the Light We Cannot See
author: Anthony Doerr
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/13
shelves: historical-fiction
review:

]]> Earth calling Taylor 20527093 David Mitchell Milan/zzz 2 stories I don't really have some opinion about this one. Oh it's cute that Jason became speech therapist (LOL!). ]]> 3.72 2010 Earth calling Taylor
author: David Mitchell
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2015/12/02
shelves: stories
review:
"Black Swan Green" is my favourite Mitchell's novel and this short story is fast forward in the world of its main protagonist Jason Taylor though Jason is not that Taylor from the title.
I don't really have some opinion about this one. Oh it's cute that Jason became speech therapist (LOL!).
]]> Our Souls at Night 23602562
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf's inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis's wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with.

Their brave adventures - their pleasures and their difficulties - are hugely involving and truly resonant, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature.]]> 179 Kent Haruf 1101875895 Milan/zzz 5 nongenre
The relationship between main characters, their needs and longings for a simple presence and talk as well as the impact they've made in a small town and then the consequences they had to suffer... everything so beautifully described. These two totally pulled me under.]]> 3.91 2015 Our Souls at Night
author: Kent Haruf
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2015/11/29
shelves: nongenre
review:
"Tender" or "quiet", certainly "unpretentious", "liquid"... I could make a list of words that describes how I see/feel this novel. I've read it in one sitting (truth to be told it's not a large book) and quite accidentally: I opened it to see how it goes and it grabbed me from the very beginning. After it was said why she came I just couldn't put it down. There is a personal "involvement" in the story but I don't think that played a crucial role for me to love the story this much.

The relationship between main characters, their needs and longings for a simple presence and talk as well as the impact they've made in a small town and then the consequences they had to suffer... everything so beautifully described. These two totally pulled me under.
]]> The Handmaid's Tale 7439970 Previous cover edition of ASIN B0082BAJA0

'I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.'

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford � her assigned name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

There is an alternate cover edition for this ASIN: B0082BAJA0]]> 325 Margaret Atwood Milan/zzz 5 dystopia It's bleak and dystopian and actually realistic. People tend to forget that system described in the novel exists nowadays. In a slightly different form but surely it does.
I wouldn't dare to paste a feminist label on this novel. It surely talks about position of women and how they are degraded but I still wouldn't make that gender division. This is simply one profoundly humane story. And as many humane stories this is one sharp criticism to all sort of extremism: religious (of course!) in the first place but also political, cancelling individuality, imposing some sort of tribal versions, etc.

Atwood created a world/system that is only on the first glance fictional but we could recognize many of its elements in our recent (!) history. Including the most gruesome actions by the government. And therefore this story is certainly not a science fiction. I'm afraid we as a society could quite easily slip into this story making it our reality.]]> 4.20 1985 The Handmaid's Tale
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2015/11/29
shelves: dystopia
review:
WOW, this is an amazing story! I've read book few weeks ago and ever since I'm postponing to write review thinking about it and in the end ... I should've sit and write it the day I finished reading.
It's bleak and dystopian and actually realistic. People tend to forget that system described in the novel exists nowadays. In a slightly different form but surely it does.
I wouldn't dare to paste a feminist label on this novel. It surely talks about position of women and how they are degraded but I still wouldn't make that gender division. This is simply one profoundly humane story. And as many humane stories this is one sharp criticism to all sort of extremism: religious (of course!) in the first place but also political, cancelling individuality, imposing some sort of tribal versions, etc.

Atwood created a world/system that is only on the first glance fictional but we could recognize many of its elements in our recent (!) history. Including the most gruesome actions by the government. And therefore this story is certainly not a science fiction. I'm afraid we as a society could quite easily slip into this story making it our reality.
]]> The Weir 27754604
“He realizes how big the river is, now that he is inside it, how strong, how lost the woman must be, and how slim his chances are of finding her.”]]> 20 Mark Haddon Milan/zzz 4 stories
"He’s never thought of it this way—that a life is something held in common, that we lose a little of ourselves with every death. "]]> 3.87 2015 The Weir
author: Mark Haddon
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2015/11/29
shelves: stories
review:
Lovely short story about life's complexities. Tender, a bit melancholic as well.

"He’s never thought of it this way—that a life is something held in common, that we lose a little of ourselves with every death. "
]]> Crna kutija 16108254 Kada poruči da oni koji su najbezbedniji, najveća su pretnja, Škerović razložno konstatuje stanje, a tamo gde ustvrdi kako je prvo sve bilo savršeno, a zatim je oživelo, on bespoštedno iznosi vrednosni stav. „Crna kutija� je poetsko–filozofski roler–kouster čije kočnice ne škripe� Konstruktor je naprosto odbio da ih ugradi.
iz pogovora Adrijana Sarajlije

Zbirka pesama „Crna Kutija� sastavljena je od dva ciklusa uglavnom kratkih pesama koje variraju od epigramskih izjava ili filozofskih zapažanja do moderne, minimalističke „haiku� forme, često začinjene sarkazmom, poetskim humorom i kritičkim cinizmom. U prvom ciklusu pod nazivom „Lančana reakcija�, pesnik polazi od specifičnog viđenja moderne, kosmičke ere, „proverava� naučne teorije često otvoreno izražavajući sumnju u važeće „prirodne zakone�, a svoj kritički stav podupire preispitivanjem logike koja je prethodila nastanku „doba razuma�.
Kosmos nije isprazan
Sve je popunjeno
Sarkazmom]]> 192 Slobodan Škerović Milan/zzz 4 poetry 4.67 2010 Crna kutija
author: Slobodan Škerović
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/01
date added: 2015/11/29
shelves: poetry
review:

]]> Gone Girl 13530788 434 Gillian Flynn 0307588386 Milan/zzz 2 3.88 2012 Gone Girl
author: Gillian Flynn
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2014/12/01
date added: 2015/11/13
shelves:
review:

]]> The Historian 288557
Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library -- a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send her on a journey of mind-boggling danger. While seeking clues to the secrets of her father's past and her mother's puzzling disappearance, she follows a trail from London to Istanbul to Budapest and beyond, and learns that the letters in her possession provide a link to one of the world's darkest and most intoxicating figures. Generation after generation, the legend of Dracula has enticed and eluded both historians and opportunists alike. Now a young girl undertakes the same search that ended in the death and defilement of so many others -- in an attempt to save her father from an unspeakable fate.]]> 676 Elizabeth Kostova 0316154547 Milan/zzz 5 nongenre 3.69 2005 The Historian
author: Elizabeth Kostova
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2006/01/01
date added: 2015/11/08
shelves: nongenre
review:
Oh Historian is one of my favourite reads in last 2006. I enjoyed enormously and was reading it ONLY during the night � the effect was astonishing! Actually something I’ll never forget. Namely I live alone and once around 3.00-4.00 am I started slowly to move my head to see who is standing behind me. Somewhere on the half way I realized what I’m doing and couldn’t believe it. It was quite scary (and I’m not person who is easy to be scared). Great book indeed!
]]> Sofijin svet 9637698 511 Jostein Gaarder Milan/zzz 5 I don't have a clue should I tag this as nonfiction or fiction LOL!]]> 4.25 1991 Sofijin svet
author: Jostein Gaarder
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at: 2005/01/01
date added: 2015/10/30
shelves:
review:
I heated philosophy in high school. We had horrible professor and the classes were utterly boring. Therefore I was quite reluctant to start to read this book but when I started ... oh gosh. It blowed me away! Absolutely brilliant! It surely is one of my all time favourite!
I don't have a clue should I tag this as nonfiction or fiction LOL!
]]> A Sheltered Woman 22883767 16 Yiyun Li Milan/zzz 4 stories "death does not take the dead away; it only makes them grow more deeply into you"

I must say I didn't expect I'll like this short story as much as I did. It's a really good characterization and not only of the mail character but also those who plays episodes even if they appear in a single sentence. Really, really good. The main story is interesting all right but the side stories are what I liked more. Definitively worth reading. ]]> 3.66 2014 A Sheltered Woman
author: Yiyun Li
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/27
shelves: stories
review:
"death does not take the dead away; it only makes them grow more deeply into you"

I must say I didn't expect I'll like this short story as much as I did. It's a really good characterization and not only of the mail character but also those who plays episodes even if they appear in a single sentence. Really, really good. The main story is interesting all right but the side stories are what I liked more. Definitively worth reading.
]]> Reverting to a Wild State 17873891
Short story, told in reverse chronological order, about the breakup of a relationship…]]> 7 Justin Torres Milan/zzz 2 lgbt, stories 3.84 2011 Reverting to a Wild State
author: Justin Torres
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/27
shelves: lgbt, stories
review:
Quite interesting way to tell a story but that's pretty much all that is unique. The story itself is meh. I'm not too impressed.
]]> Little Man 26029657 14 Michael Cunningham Milan/zzz 3 stories 3.90 2015 Little Man
author: Michael Cunningham
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/25
shelves: stories
review:
Different angle of the well known story. It was quite interesting at the beginning but then it didn't follow expectations. Still nice retelling.
]]> <![CDATA[My Curls Have Blown All the Way to China]]> 26514892
“What foolishness, to go and get my hair cut. . . . And on that very same morning.”]]> 15 Amos Oz Milan/zzz 4 nongenre, stories And then analyzing and reanalyzing her marriage (she's a cheated wife and a wife that is about to be left) that by all means was a really bad one. Of course I'm saying this from the distance in the way that I (!) wouldn't consider such marriage as a happy one. She actually reminded me on one woman who was wondering how is it to have orgasm because she never felt it in her 20 years of marriage (I've actually read that in an interview with (I think) Bjork where she mentioned that woman). Well I'm not sure if that's the case with Bracha (although there are some inklings) but I wouldn't be too surprised.
Of course you see her husband in the real light (it's not that complicated) and really feel sorry for her for spending (wasting really) her life on such man but then I was really annoyed with her because of her submissiveness, lack of being vocal and ultimately being boring. So then, who would spend life with such woman anyway? No, her husband is a bad guy no doubt. But not because he's leaving her but because the way he's dealing with his decision. And then there is that possible ending (that's not the ending by the way) that lingers that she would be all too eager to forgive him if only he decides to be her husband again. Maybe you should be married to understand that logic.
But anyway, lovely story, masterfully crafted which is no surprising for Oz. ]]> 3.54 2015 My Curls Have Blown All the Way to China
author: Amos Oz
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/24
shelves: nongenre, stories
review:
What a great story this is (though maybe I like it because someone I know is passing through the same situation as Bracha). I think Oz described perfectly stream (or better diffusion) of thoughts when you suddenly lose ground beneath your feet (which is what Bracha experienced). How she desperately clings at a straw of normality only to realize in the very next moment that it's in vain. That buying toothpaste or taking jacket to dry cleaner will not somehow make other things disappear.
And then analyzing and reanalyzing her marriage (she's a cheated wife and a wife that is about to be left) that by all means was a really bad one. Of course I'm saying this from the distance in the way that I (!) wouldn't consider such marriage as a happy one. She actually reminded me on one woman who was wondering how is it to have orgasm because she never felt it in her 20 years of marriage (I've actually read that in an interview with (I think) Bjork where she mentioned that woman). Well I'm not sure if that's the case with Bracha (although there are some inklings) but I wouldn't be too surprised.
Of course you see her husband in the real light (it's not that complicated) and really feel sorry for her for spending (wasting really) her life on such man but then I was really annoyed with her because of her submissiveness, lack of being vocal and ultimately being boring. So then, who would spend life with such woman anyway? No, her husband is a bad guy no doubt. But not because he's leaving her but because the way he's dealing with his decision. And then there is that possible ending (that's not the ending by the way) that lingers that she would be all too eager to forgive him if only he decides to be her husband again. Maybe you should be married to understand that logic.
But anyway, lovely story, masterfully crafted which is no surprising for Oz.
]]> <![CDATA[Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage]]> 18690640 Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage is, of course, no exception. It is a fairly conservative collection of nine stories, none of which move far beyond Munro's favored settings: the tiny towns and burgeoning cities of southern Ontario and British Columbia. There are glimpses of youth here--in the title story, an epistolary prank by two teenage girls leads to a one-sided cross country elopement and, seemingly, a happy marriage, and in "Nettles," disrupted childhood affection fleetingly returns through a chance meeting--but most of these pieces are stories of aging women and men, confronting the twin travails of death and late love. As is always the case with Munro, their plots are too elegantly elaborate to summarize, and their unsentimental power is a given; baroque praise would be futile. Read these stories--it is the only way to really understand the miracles that Munro so regularly performs. --Jack Illingworth

]]> 338 Alice Munro Milan/zzz 4 nobel, nongenre, stories And the topic is equally, at the first glance simple: ordinary people living their ordinary lives but behind those doors, hidden from the public eyes there is a whirlpool of emotions. Relationship between woman and man is in the focus here and indeed, it's such a vast canvas to be painted and we are lucky that Munro was the one holding the paintbrush ]]> 4.11 2001 Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
author: Alice Munro
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/18
shelves: nobel, nongenre, stories
review:
This is my first Munro and I honestly don't know why I waited for so long. Especially because short form is one of, if not my favourite literary form. And really, who can be better in it than someone who earned Nobel for writing precisely short stories?! So I picked this one (I think I do have almost everything she published) and dive into it. My expectations were quite high and they are surely fulfilled. The prose is gorgeous, you can sense the master behind every sentence. Sentence that seems to be quite simple and often is but when you think about it (really analyze one single sentence) you see that you got so many information from that single sentence! Many writers would need entire passages to deliver what Alice Munro delivered in one simple sentence.
And the topic is equally, at the first glance simple: ordinary people living their ordinary lives but behind those doors, hidden from the public eyes there is a whirlpool of emotions. Relationship between woman and man is in the focus here and indeed, it's such a vast canvas to be painted and we are lucky that Munro was the one holding the paintbrush
]]> <![CDATA[Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage]]> 22130605 Experience one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age: The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole.

In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. When their ship was finally crushed between two ice floes, they attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization.

With an introduction by Nathaniel Philbrick, Endurance is the definitive account of Ernest Shackleton's fateful trip. Alfred Lansing brilliantly narrates the gripping and miraculous voyage that has defined heroism for the modern age.]]> 292 Alfred Lansing 0465058795 Milan/zzz 4 nonfiction, travel Endurance stranded in ice. Many (me included) searched to see what happened with her and her crew. So how interesting can be the book you know how will start, what will happen and how will end? Well, the answer is one thought that has stuck into my mind: Upon almost reaching the shore of South Georgia island but still remaining far from it facing again the current and wind and ice that convinced folks in the ship they'll fail after so many months of trying, one of the members whose soaked diary was in the ship thought how the diary will be lost along with the ship and their lives and was overwhelmed with sadness because loss of that diary will mean that the world will never found out how they struggled and how close they were to save themselves.
You should read that diary. This is such a good book that beside the obvious (chronology of the events and struggle with nature) shows us something that is equally valuable: the relationship, camaraderie between the people and how nobility can (and should) be preserved in spite the circumstance. And under these circumstances it was such an achievement that they managed to stay alive.]]> 4.71 1959 Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
author: Alfred Lansing
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 4.71
book published: 1959
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/18
shelves: nonfiction, travel
review:
This really is such a good book. I guess we all have at some time when sailing through the internet stumbled upon the image of Endurance stranded in ice. Many (me included) searched to see what happened with her and her crew. So how interesting can be the book you know how will start, what will happen and how will end? Well, the answer is one thought that has stuck into my mind: Upon almost reaching the shore of South Georgia island but still remaining far from it facing again the current and wind and ice that convinced folks in the ship they'll fail after so many months of trying, one of the members whose soaked diary was in the ship thought how the diary will be lost along with the ship and their lives and was overwhelmed with sadness because loss of that diary will mean that the world will never found out how they struggled and how close they were to save themselves.
You should read that diary. This is such a good book that beside the obvious (chronology of the events and struggle with nature) shows us something that is equally valuable: the relationship, camaraderie between the people and how nobility can (and should) be preserved in spite the circumstance. And under these circumstances it was such an achievement that they managed to stay alive.
]]> Prototipo 8115531 116 Ralf König 8478338578 Milan/zzz 4 graphic-novels, humour Es una vista muy inteligente, también filosófica, muy, muy divertida sobre las cuestiones eternales. ]]> 3.70 2008 Prototipo
author: Ralf König
name: Milan/zzz
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/01
date added: 2015/10/18
shelves: graphic-novels, humour
review:
Encontré este tío (Ralf König) por casualidad pero seguro que voy a buscar otros libros de él. Este, primer parte de la trilogía "Génesis" es una sátira del cuento del jardín de Edén y primer hombre ("¡gruñ!") junto con el serpiente, Luci y al final con la primera mujer. Claro el omnipresente es presente también en las letras góticas.
Es una vista muy inteligente, también filosófica, muy, muy divertida sobre las cuestiones eternales.
]]>