Showing posts with label Books and Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books and Reviews. Show all posts
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عن الإيمان والحب والتفكّر..وعن الرافعي


منذ أن بدأت قراءة الكتب العربية وكان لدي اعتقاد بأن رضوى عاشور ستكتسح دائماً المرتبة الأولى في التأثير في لغتي وتفكيري ورؤيتي لكثير من الأمور الحياتية. لكنني لم أضع في الحسبان أن رضوى قد لا تكون إلا ناتجاً لما قرأته هي نفسها وهي صغيرة. من هم؟ أنا لا أعلم ولا أعتقد أنني سأعلم، وليس هذا مهماً طالما عرفتْ هي كيف تتأثر وتؤثر مستقبلاً..المهم هو أن أجد أنا من يؤثر في بهذا القدر الذي تفعله هي في قُرائها الآن (وأتمنى أكثر في يومٍ من الأيام)..
أُهدي كلماتي هذه لشخصٍ كان سبباً لها.
تعرفت على مصطفى صادق الرافعي بواسطة هذا الصديق العظيم عندما استعرت كتابه "حديث القمر" وقد كنت على علم بأنني سيتملكني الخوف حالما أبدأ بقراءة الكتاب (لدي مشكلة مع الكتب القوية التي قد تمنعني من قراءة كتب "عادية" بعد الانتهاء منها). وقد حدث هذا بالفعل.
عالم الرافعي غير عالمنا، أو على الأقل هو عالم لم أنظر إليه مسبقاً ولم أعرفه قبل أن أعرف الرافعي. بحور كلمات الرافعي تعطيك إحساساً بأنك لا تفقه اللغة العربية ولا تفقه عُمق الحياة أو التأمل أو التفكر أو الشكر أو الموت أو أو. لغة راقية ومخيلة وتصورات واستعارات تجبرك على قراءة كل سطر ما لا يقل عن ثلاث مرات لتتلذذ به بالطريقة الصحيحة. قد يكون أكثر ما علمني إياه هذا الكتاب هو كيف أقرأ الكتب بطريقة صحيحة وأكتشف أن كل كلمة قرأتها قبل هذا الكتاب لم تُقرأ كما يجب.
تحدث الرافعي عن الكلمات وعن الصمت وقيمتهما. عن البكاء بدموع وبدون دموع. تحدث عن الحب والمرأة والجمال والحب الطاهر حتى أنني ظننت أن كل ما نعيشه في حياتنا لا يمُت للحب بِصلة..
تحدث عن الأنبياء والشعراء، الكاذب منهم والنقي، عن الصداقة والعلم والحكمة الإلهية ومناجاة الطبيعة والتفكر في كل جانب من الجوانب الحياتية بعمقٍ أقسم أنني لم أقرأ مثيلاً له من قبل. ودائماً ما يناجي القمر في تفكره، مما أثبت لي عبقريته في اختيار القمر للتأمل في الجوانب الدنيوية والإلهية وكأنه اختاره لأنه ما بين الأرض والسماء (الدنيوي والإلهي).
أما بالنسبة للغة الرافعي فلم أقرأ مثيلاً لها في الجمال والعذوبة والصدق والرقة. ومع أن ألفاظه كانت تصعُب أحياناً إلا أنني كنت أستمتع بها كما لو كانت منافسة لي. وبرغم حجم هذا الكتاب الصغير الذي لم يتعدّى 130 صفحة، إلا أنه جرعة مكثفة من الأفكار والتأملات والعبارات التي لم أستمتع بجمال قبلها.

ففي حديثه عن الحب والحبيبة في مستهل الكتاب يقول:



وفي حديثه عن الحياة الأرضية وما خلقه الله سبحانه وتعالى من مواضع آلام  فيها يقول:

"والحياة الأرضية في طبيعتها غليظة جافية مستحكمة لو ترك لها الإنسان كما هي لأنشأته خلقاً أرضياً بحتاً، ولكن الله جعل فيها مواضع رقيقة تشف عن السماء وما وراءها إلى مصدر القوة الأزلي وهذه المواضع هي الآلام، فهي التي يرفع منها الإنسان يده إلى السماء بضراعة إنسانية متبرئاً من قوته مُقراً بضعفه، وهي كذلك التي يرسل منها الإنسان نظرة إلى الأرض برحمة سماوية تنفذ إلى قلبه بالمعاني الجمّة من شقاء الناس وبأساء الحياة".

وفي حديث آخر عن الآلام هزّ وجودي:

"أوَلا يستشعر الإنسان مما تزلزله مصائبه وآلامه أن روحه تتخطى مقرها في باطنه فكأنه يتزلزل بخطواتها"


وله حديثان عن الدموع وحقيقتها وآلامها:

"ليس كل من عصر عينيه فقد بكى، إن البكاء أشرف من ذلك"

"تُرى من أين يُذبح الإنسان إن كانت دموعه هي دماء روحه؟"

أما في حديثه عن الصداقة فقد كان حديثاً رائعاً...يقول:

"الصداقة كما عرفت منك يا صديقي السماوي لا تكون كذلك حتى تدع الإنسان كأنه يشعر في السراء والضراء بنفسين، فيضاعف  له السرور؛ لأن كلتا النفسين تطلب الزيادة منه ويضعف عنه الهم لأن كلتيهما تعمل لنقصه إذ هو همّ نفس واحدة، وتوزعته نفسان ويكون الإنسان في الحالة الأولى كأنه يلتقي روح النعمة لنفسه بروح وسرور من صديقه، وفي الحالة الثانية كأنه يلتقي روح الجزع بروح الاطمئنان، وإن أشقى الناس من لا يستطيع أن يجد إلى جنبه في سورة الجزع نفساً أخرى تجزع له باطمئنان ليطمئن في جزعه، وهي الصداقة بعينها، وما يُلقاها إلا ذو حظ عظيم"

عن الغنى الروحي:

"إن أريد إلا الغني الذي يعيش فقيراً ليموت غنياً"

وله العديد من الأحاديث عن السعادة، في تعريف الفلاسفة للسعادة ومفاهيمها اللامتناهية، وفي ربطها بالحقيقة، والثالثة في سعادة ربط القلب بالعقل، كالآتي:





"أيتها الحقيقة لا يظفر بكِ إلا سُعداء الفطرة ، وماالطبيعة كلها إلا إيمان بك ودليل عليك. فلو خلص الإنسان من وهمه لخلص من همه ولعرف كيف يُقدر الحزن بسببه الحقيقي لا بالآمال المتوهمة التي زالت بوقوعه؛ قإن تقدير المصيبة بالأمل الذي كان يرجى لو لم تقع أمر لا يحتمل حداً، بل لايزال يتسع من ظنٍ إلى ظن حتى يهيج السخط في نفس الحزين، والسخط مع المصيبة مصيبة ثانية"


وأنتَ لا ترى أسعد الناس وأهنأهم بسعادته إلا ذلك الذي يجمع قلبه وعقله أن لا يصدر أحدهما من الآخر إلا راضياً مرضيّاً فترى في آثار عقله طهارة القلب وإيمانه وفي أثار قلبه إجادة العقل وإحسانه ولو كُشف لك عن بواطن الأنبياء لتجلّت لعينيك هذه الحقيقة ماثلة

وأخيراً في حديثه عن الملحدين وكيف ينظرون إلى الحياة.. :




لن يتّسع العالم كله لامتناني لوجود الرافعي وكتبه، ووجود صديق أرشدني إليه. وتعجز قواميس لساني عن الكلام

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Mornings in Jenin [Full Review]




Mornings in Jenin is a novel that will move you to tears until you find yourself hating the world, Arabs, the UN resolutions, the peace makings that never bring peace. I have never been moved this much since the time I read my favorite book. And I’ve never felt  a novel so real as this one, I wanted the characters to be real just so I could hate myself even more.
Abulhawa’s heartbreaking plot is as real as Palestine. When I told Mom that it’s fiction, she really wondered why I cried so much, not knowing that I wept for Palestine, not for the novel.

Plot and flow of events: I love the way the author made it to all three generations in the novel while war was the only constant, common, thing between the three of them (Reminds me of Radwa Ashour’s Trilogy). The flow of the chapters was almost perfect and you could actually finish the novel in no time. One of the things I really loved about it. Not many novels tug me into reading them that much.

Language and poetry: Abulhawa’s language was quite simple and appropriate, especially with adding the Arabic words to make you live the novel more.
One of the major things I liked in this novel was how she used poems of Darweesh and Gibran and how they were fit in their place just perfectly. How she also used Fayrouz’s Zahrat Al Madaaen. I used to listen to this song in the days of the Intifada, it made me reminisce many things back then.

The ending: Some people argued that the ending wasn’t reasonable. I, on the other hand, loved it, despite the fact that I was torn apart by the last words.

Quotes:

“Strange, she thought, the things you think about in the district between life and death”

“Until there was nothing but moonlight to sweep”

“Love cannot reconcile with deception”

“Always is a good word to believe in”

“They murdered you and buried you in their headlines, Mother”

“For I’ll keep my humanity, though I did not keep my promises … and Love shall not be wrested from my veins”

Prepare a tissue while reading this novel. Or make sure there's someone's shoulder beside you.
Noor gave me hers. Thank you Noor!
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كلمات من "رأيت رام الله"

"ماذا يظن كل شخص فى هذا العالم أن وضعه بالذات هو وضع مختلف؟ هل يريد ابن آدم أن يتميز عن سواه من بني آدم حتى فى  ."الخسران. هل هى أنانية الأنا التى لا نستطيع التخلص منها 

“كيف تنعس أمة بأكملها؟ كيف غفلنا إلى ذلك الحدّ.. إلى هذا الحدّ.. بحيث أصبح وطننا وطنهم؟” 

“الغربة كلها شبه جملة ، الغربة شبه كل شىء ” 

“الغربة كالموت, المرء يشعر دائما أن الموت هو الشيء الذي يحدث للآخرين , منذ ذلك الصيف أصبحت ذلك الغريب الذي كنت أظنه دائما سواي .” 

“من السهل طمس الحقيقة بحيلة لغوية بسيطة: ابدأ حكايتك بـ ُثانيا” 

"أسوأ ما في المدن المحتلة أن أبناءها لا يستطيعون السخرية منها. من يستطيع أن يسخر من مدينة القدس؟"

"لن يستطيع في بئره الشديد السواد الآن أن ينظر إلى اطمئنانهم ليخبرهم أن السعادة تكذب. أن الأمان يكذب. أن الوسامة تكذب. أن الحب يكذب. و أن الهواء المحيط بالفلسطيني هواءٌ مهدّد".


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رأيت رام الله

"أين ثرثرتك الناعمة و أين عُزلتك الرائعة واستغناؤك عن العالم الخارجي ولو لدقائق. أين وهمك الذي فضَحَتْه الجريدة الملقاة على كرسيّ الخزيران الخالي على يسارك. أيّ غفرانٍ صغير تتدرب على منحِهِ اليوم؟ و أيُّ عتاب تتمنى محوَه؟ من يهدد أخطاءك الرائعة بسهَرِهِ لإفساد يقظتِكَ و سهَرِكْ؟ من يُخرِّبُ لك تفاهتَك اللطيفة بمهابة سائقه و مهابة خدَمِهِ و حُرّاسِه السعداء؟ من استورد ملعقة الشاي الصغيرة اللامعة هذه من تايوان؟ أيةُ سفنٍ عملاقة مخَرَت البحار لتحمل لك نكاشة بابور الكاز من ستوكهولم؟ كيف جَمَع باعة الزهور ملايينَهم و بنوا عماراتهم الفخمة من بيعهم لأطنان الباقات التي تحملُها الأمهات و الشقيقاتُ إلى المقابر التي لا تتخلى عن رطوبتها ، رذاذاً أو زهوراً أو دموعاً؟ تساؤلُك عن السبب في أن الصمت ، حتى الصمت على المقابر يكون مبلولاً. السياسة هي عدد فناجين القهوة على المائدة. إنها نسياناتك التي تباغتك بحضورها و ذكرياتك التي تخشى التحديق فيها ، لكنك تحدق فيها رغم ذلك. البُعد عن السياسة أيضاً سياسة. أليس كذلك؟
السياسة لا  شيء ، نعم. السياسة كل شيء ، نعم. أقصد في نفس الوقت."


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I Am The Messenger Review

“My full name's Ed Kennedy. I'm nineteen. I'm an underage cab driver. I'm typical of many of the young men you see in this suburban outpost of the city -- not a whole lot of prospects or possibility. That aside, I read more books than I should, and I'm decidedly crap at sex and doing my taxes. Nice to meet you. ” 

Like The bulletin's review: "Zusak outdoes himself here".
Personally, I didn't think I would love anything for Zusak after The Book Thief. It just stood out for me like no other novel did. But I'm so delighted that he knows how readers like how much he relates to reading while writing, and to writing while reading. Like I said in the blog post about him "he sees that a person in a novel must have something for novels".
Yep. That is Zusak.

Ed Kennedy's just another miserable guy, a cabdriver who's been desperately in love with his best friend for years. And he reads books. The plot of this novel may not impress many people. It's the narration that counts. The twist that counts. The writing style.
Ed receives messages on playing cards. That is the part that I really wanted to understand. I don't understand cards probably at all. I don't get what the hearts or queen of spades mean (which I suggest you look up while reading, if you're interested). I admired how his whole life was related to each part of it like a big puzzle or a circle that is connected somehow. Everything is well planned.

The most important part about I am The Messenger is that how it triggers the humane part in us. How it makes us think that the world is full of signs for those who want to help others. One way or the other, you can always find people around you doing things with a screaming voice from the inside, for people to help them. Or going through hard times and wanting to be noticed, unnoticeably. This novel is about being the messenger and the message at the same time.
I have no doubt that this will be the second life-changing novel for me, after, of course, The Book Thief.
It just made me want to help everyone around me and let myself be the message as well. It made me want to embrace humanity, no matter how much I hate it lately. We're all fighting battles alone. It is true.

Zusak's humor made me literally laugh out loud I thought my family would think I went insane. From chapter I, I knew I'd like the novel only because of the laughter it brought to my heart. While reading, allow yourself to indulge with laughter, from the inside, because if books wouldn't do that to you, I don't know which would!

I don't need to talk about Zusak's language nor style of writing. He's just too good for words.
The ending, however, perplexed me a little bit. I guess the author always leaves his readers with questions unanswered. Sometimes it's negative, other times it's positive.

Finally, I loved, loved how he even related places to books and writers. Probably the thing that impressed me the most.

I mentioned most of the quotes already, but here are they again:

“It's not a big thing, but I guess it's true--big things are often just small things that are noticed.” 

“Believe it or not--it takes a lot of love to hate you like this.” 

“I think she ate a salad and some soup.
And loneliness.
She ate that, too. ” 

“It's impeccable how brutal the truth can be at times. You can only admire it. Usually, we walk around constantly believing ourselves. "I'm okay," we say. "I'm alright." But sometimes the truth arrives on you, and you can't get it off. That's when you realize that sometimes it isn't even an answer - it's a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.” 

“I realize that nothing belongs to her anymore and she belongs to everything.” 

“If I ever leave this place-
I'll make sure I'm better HERE first.” 

"We sit on the front steps which are half in shadows, half in the sun. As it happens, I sit in the darkness and Tommy sits in the light. Quite symbolic, really.
I'd wanted to stay on that porch with him until the sun shone bright on both of us, but I didn't. I stood and walked down the steps. I'd rather chase the sun than wait for it"




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The Day I Fell For Zusak

I just found myself in Markus Zusak. No kidding.
Zusak got to me with words. He speaks almost everything I want to write, or not write. He speaks silence that I wanted to utter so long ago. He knows the exact words to tear at my heart, to touch my depth.

The Book Thief got to me more than any other book I ever read did. It actually made me read more and appreciate books and words more. It also made me always remember that silence is a great companion when words are devoid of meaning.


I still haven't finished I am The Messenger. I'm loving it so far. Zusak always knows how to relate the protagonist to books and reading. He must connect the two together, perhaps because he sees that a person in a novel must have something for novels. Maybe.

I love you, Zusak!


“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”
The Book Thief

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”
The Book Thief

“Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you've finished just to stay near it.”

“Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.”
The Book Thief

“Even death has a heart.”
The Book Thief

“I want words at my funeral. But I guess that means you need life in your life.”
The Book Thief

“I think she ate a salad and some soup.
And loneliness.
She ate that, too. ”
I am the Messenger

“Believe it or not--it takes a lot of love to hate you like this.”
I am the Messenger

“It's not a big thing, but I guess it's true--big things are often just small things that are noticed.”
I am the Messenger

“My arms are killing me.
I didn't know words could be so heavy.”
I am the Messenger

“No, I'm not a saint, Sophie. I'm just another stupid human.”
I am the Messenger

“She soon says, "You're my best friend, Ed."
You can kill a man with those words.
No gun.
No bullets.
Just words and a girl.”
I am the Messenger

“Only in today's sick society can a man be persecuted for reading too many books.”
I am the Messenger

“I realize that nothing belongs to her anymore and she belongs to everything.”
I am the Messenger





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Some Things That Meant The World To Me [Full Review]


Some Things That Meant The World To Me is one of the weirdest novels I'd read and will ever read. I think. The plot is focused on Rhonda, a guy who suffers from depersonalization, which I found out to be some sort of a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Rhonda's past, full of abuse, sexual abuse, living with an abusive boyfriend of his Mom, and his alcoholic mother, seemed to haunt him all the way through the novel. Trying to find out the truth, he dug everywhere and could actually drive you a bit crazy with him.
The novel was a bit disturbing with all the self-loving, the sex life and the brutal beating. I could not bear to allow my imagination to swim that far, since I'm not a fan of such novels, though I don't mind them in movies. I guess this novel would make a good movie, too.

I liked the chapters' titles, some of them were catchy enough to get me into further reading. Especially with one entitled "Some Things That Meant The World To Me" and another one further entitled "Some Things That Bent The World For Me".

However, Mohr's prose is admirable. Not the style that would wow me, but it was actually pretty damn good. Fresh and sometimes music to the ears. I really liked it. I would buy another novel for him, only if it is not going to be that disturbing again.
His way of shifting between past, present and future did not confuse me like other novels. In fact it was very clear and subtle. I loved that.
Overall, I think Mohr's style is very interesting and inspiring!

There's something, though, that I still don't understand and still am trying to figure out. The Roschach tattoo Rhonda had, which is the one on the cover. I'm still trying to understand, from the point of view of someone who suffers depersonalization, what it meant.
Not to mention, it's one of the things that I really liked about the novel. Psychology always adds positivity to the novel for me.

Lastly, Quotes:

"Pigeons? They're so ugly"
"That's what I like about them"
"Their ugliness?"
"The fact that they can't hide it. The rest of us spend their whole lives trying to trick each other"

"I've been there"
"Where?"
"That place where life seems easy on everyone, except you"

"You won't know until you get older, baby, but it's awful to falter at something you used to be great at"

"Please, let him hurt me"
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Nineteen Eighty-Four [Full Review]


This novel is one of the novels that make you stare at its last line and just, think. How on earth am I going to write a review about this? How am I going to pen the right words to describe a masterpiece when masterpieces cannot be put in words?
1984 is by far atop the list of the most depressing novels of all-time. Do not read this novel if you are confused or mentally unprepared for a true and honest mind-fuck. You have to be prepared that you will suffer along with the protagonist, basically because you are technically living in that world Orwell described.

Orwell's style didn't strike me as much as his ideas did. The things he came up with could only come from the mind of someone who knew exactly how this world is ruled and how it will always be ruled.
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”

It's a political dictionary, especially when it comes to Part II. The explanation of the slogan of Big Brother was what struck me the most as genius. Especially with the 'War is peace' slogan.
The words of Newspeak; doublethink, crimethink, and all the words Orwell came up with actually made so much sense and do fit in this world.

The power of stupidity in a mass could never be underestimated, the power of Big Brother to do anything to you in order to make you obey, to make you a faithful citizen (or comrade, as they said it) is just about too close to be brought to real life.
This novel made me thing of prisons, real prisons, and how prisoners are treated there, could what was described in the novel ever be close to reality? I wouldn't say no because that would be sinking in denial. Yet saying yes is a complete calamity.

Don't read this novel if you're not ready to be depressed, and sometimes insane even for a speck of a second. Don't. Just don't. However, make sure you read it, because sooner or later you will realize it is not unreal words you're reading.
You're reading us. You're reading the present.

Quotes:

"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”

“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

"If there is hope, it lies in the proles"

"We shall meet again in the place where there is no darkness"

"To die hating them, that was freedom".


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Of Mice and Men [Full Review]


Of mice and men is like half a novel half a play. It was very simple and very fast-paced which made there no place for boredom.

Plot:
I love the bond of friendship that tied the two, George and Lennie, together, it was a friendship you barely see in real life and sometimes even hard to see in novels. It was something. Something big. And the trust Lennie had in George was so admirable, even if he wasn't a sane man.
I pretty much noticed the friendship bond more than slavery by capitalism in the novel. I think Steinbeck gave more attention to friendship than labor, and to human emotions and faithfulness than anything else.

Language:
Not a fan of the slang language used in the novel. I honestly, as a reader, read novels as a way of enhancing my language (at least one of the things that made me an avid reader), thus the language Steinbeck used wasn't admirable and some lines were actually a bit hard for me to understand because of the slang.
Steinbeck's style didn't sound unique to me to be honest, perhaps because the novel, for the most part, was full of dialogues and so the writing style didn't shine that much. I shall try something else for the author though.

Quotes:

"Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other."


"A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick."


"They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head."



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The Book Thief [Full Review]




Something you should know

This novel is narrated by Death -Literally-

The book thief, as the back cover says, is a story of Liesel, a girl whose job is to steal books, amid war, street bombing and Jews. About too many Jews.
What caught my attention was first a friend, then the title of the book, and then a comment on Goodreads.

Plot:
It's about addicting books, about addicting words, thinking they're our only savior. Sometimes they actually are, but other times they're a curse.
I could really relate to this novel and to many of the girl's thoughts because I always seem to be struggling with words that I once wrote this quote to myself: "Everything is so much easier in words than how it really seems alive".
To not spoil anything, bookworms and writers would really understand this novel perfectly well as it is written and weep with it along each chapter and/or part.
What I liked best while reading was the tragedy and pain mixed with hilariousness and comedy, perhaps black comedy, but it made me-literally-laugh out loud. Yet at the very end I had to cry, and if you know me pretty well..I don't really cry in movies and barely in books.
The end was a shock to me, it taught me too many things that we keep forgetting as life keeps sucking the breath out of us each and every single day. I'll mention some down here.

The language:
I learned some German words! Mostly some cussing, but I honestly felt like I want to learn German, even for a flick of a second.
The overall language wasn't that hard, it was very neatly chosen and, as usual, I've got a dozen new words to learn.

The Symbolism:
The comment on Goodreads said this: "heavy-handed on the symbolism."
I knew once I read this sentence that this book is for people like me. I do agree at first it was not that easy to understand what this symbolic phrase meant, but as I went by, phrases seemed to be working just fine in my head and well interpreted. If they tell you "Don't judge a book by its cover", I'd say, in this novel, don't judge it by the first few chapters, because by the time you understood the plot very well, it won't be hard to get the hidden meanings within the phrases.

The Narrator:
At first you won't get how this is going, but this novel really is narrated by the life-taker aka Death; which makes it way more interesting than any other novel. He seemed to be a friend or a lover first, and then an enemy, or just the fate everyone will one day meet. Death, in this novel, is a great lesson.

Lessons:
  • If you're certain that what you'll do isn't wrong, do it here, do it now, because tomorrow may just be a little too late.
  • When there is pain, there is also a hidden consolation, or a warm hug out there.
  • Friendship, it's way more than how you define it..
  • Sometimes words will fail you, but there will always be a chance to right the wrong.
  • You'll certainly get mad at the wrong people sometime.
  • Fate is a beautiful thing to understand.
Quotes:


"But then, is there cowardice in the acknowledgement of fear? Is there cowardice in being glad that you lived?"

"A book thief requires many things.
Stealth. Nerve. Speed.
More important than any of those things, however, was one final requirement.
Luck"

"Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.
That was the business of hiding a Jew"

"There is air like plastic, a horizon like setting glue. There are skies manufactured by people, punctured and leaking and there are soft, coal-coloured clouds, beating like black hearts.
And then.
There is death.
Making his way through all of it.
On the surface: unflappable, unwavering.
Below: unnerved, untied and undone."

"Certainly, war meant dying, but it always shifted the ground beneath a person's feet when it was someone who had once lived and breathed in close proximity."

"For some reason, dying men always ask questions they know the answer to. Perhaps it's so they can die being right."

"Tell me something. Because I don't understand . . . Tell me, how she can sit there ready to die while I still want to live? Why do I want to live? I shouldn't want to, but I do."

"I see their ugliness and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. Still, they have one thing that I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die."

"The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or wordly tricks to make us feel better."


On a final note:
I would certainly read this novel again, and entitle it as one of my favorite reads.



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Fahrenheit 451 [Full Review]

"It was a pleasure to burn."

I don't actually know how to begin this review; it's hard to describe this book in a mere review on the blog. I could actually consider this book atop my favorite books after The Palace of Dreams for Ismail Kadare, if not even before it.
I'll try to sum up the review and not spoil many things.

The plot:
Book burning. Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to burn books.
The plot was the first thing that tugged me in to buy this novel in the first place. If you don't know, it's amongst the top dystopian novels of all time. The very, very first page of the novel was the most beautiful thing ever, why it's different than any other novel I've read so far, is because from page 1 in chapter 1 to page 165 of the last chapter, everything was intriguing, catchy, confusing, dark and conspiracy-soaked.
The fact that the novel was relatively short, was another reason for having enjoyed it; everything was to the point, I didn't feel bored for a second, it was very fast-paced that I could hardly hold my breath.
Finally, the open ending in the novel is something to admire, since I could barely see a reasonable ending for everything inside it, I have to say it was perfect.
I was robbed of the feeling of finishing this novel, because it didn't end, it's how our lives are and it will never end until we choose to end it. I loved that.

The language:
  • I was waiting impatiently to get to this part; the language in this novel was pretty simplistic, sometimes I'd find difficulty in the descriptions because of my English, but it wasn't something major.
  • The descriptions: they were outstanding, beautiful and very inspiring, it made me really admire the imagination of the author.
  • The metaphors: I was somehow confused by the amount of things he said that gave hints to other things, I got to understand some parts only after reading some of the reviews online. Despite this puzzlement, I was enjoying the indirectness in his words, the way he wanted us, the readers, to think, because of the fact that we are readers reading about book burning, so we must have our own justifications.
  • The repetitions: That's the one thing I completely utterly enjoyed. Some repetitions were so vague, some seemed pointless, but overall, every repetition meant something. Every line looked like the previous but somehow different. They pretty well fit the insanity in the plot, and the outstanding dullness in the protagonist. And finally, I was inspired. Really inspired.

The dialogue:
I pretty much liked all the dialogues of Montag, the protagonist, with Clarisse, Faber and Captain Beaty. Every one of them held something true, in this life, felt in reality, fed on conspiracy and dystopia. Some things were beautifully said (I'll point them out in the quotes at the end of the review), some descriptions were perfect. The book burning theory and the paradox of being a fireman to start fire not put it out is simply..all about our life.


This novel indirectly talked about everything governments are oppressing people to not contemplate, that's why I definitely recommend it to each and every one who doesn't appreciate books, to everyone who wants to read more, and while reading it live with your imagination to make it real, what would you do?

Quotes:

  • "Let you alone! That's all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?"

  • "A book is a loaded gun in the house next door"

  • "If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn."

  • "Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean"

  • "If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war."

  • "I don't talk things, sir. I talk the meaning of things.I sit here and know I'm alive".

  • "that's the good part of dying; when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want."

  • "Those who don't build must burn."

  • "Well, that's one way to get an audience. Hold a gun on a man and force him to listen to you. Speech away."

  • "live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds"

  • "oh God, the terrible tyranny of the majority."

Those are not all the quotes I loved. But I'll say enough for now.

My rating: 5/5 (first time to ever rate something as perfect)


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To Kill a Mockingbird [Full Review]

"Shoot the bluejays of you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"

The plot:
I have to say I was kind of disappointed at the plot and the narration of this novel. If you intend to read this novel, you have to be very patient because at least the first half of the novel is quiet boring and pointless-at least to me. The chapters are very slow-paced and you need to take out what you can in order to finish them and get to the good parts.

The language: I kind of thought it was hard to read, and for a person who has much admiration for literature and language like myself, the language was poor, not of the narrator's, but of the era itself; I didn't really mind it as much as I thought it was hard and sometimes not understandable.

Characters: Mostly, I loved the father, I really admired his patience and the way he was trying to raise his kids and make it up to them for having lost their mother at a young age. I admired his calmness and the way he handled frenzied situations. His way of analyzing and defending at the court, knowing that it's a lose-lose case. Away from the two main characters, who are the girl and her brother, I think the father is the most important and beautiful role in the novel.

I don't really have much to add to this novel, I didn't think I would be so eager to finish it only to know what's gonna happen not because I was utterly enjoying it; overall, I think I can give it 2.5/5, but I still gotta say I enjoyed how the author, Lee, put out the ugliness of racism in the 30s. It's a good-but-not-great novel.

P.S I remembered "Broken April" and "Chronicle in Stone", both for Ismail Kadare while reading this and I couldn't help but compare, I probably haven't read several poetic novels for one author as for Kadare.
"Chronicle in Stone" was also narrated from the heart of a young boy, but the humor was felt more than this novel.
"Broken April" also had to do with the killing of the innocent only because they committed the sin of living in this world.

Lastly,
Quotes to remember:

"I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it ــــ seems that only children weep. Good night."

"You got it backwards, Dill. Clowns are sad, it's folks that laugh at them."

"The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious - because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority.We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe-some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they're born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others-some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men."

"In the name of God, do your duty (out loud). In the name of God, believe him (to himself)."


P.S Never miss out contemplating chapter 20, I'd say it's probably the best chapter in the whole novel (:


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Lost Symbol [Full Review]






























Quoting
: "So many twists—all satisfying, most unexpected...Let's just say that if this novel doesn't get your pulse racing, you need to check your meds." —San Francicso Chronicle.

Spoiler Alert

Although this novel can be described in a thousand words, I can't find the exact words to describe it. From the very Prologue to the last chapter, it was deep-cave dark, mystifying. The twist and suspense were the main factors that kept me going. I loved so many things in this novel so I'll try as hard as possible to pen at least half of them.

Point: It felt so real that I could hardly tell I'm reading a sci-fi novel, I thought I was reading a pure science book. I got to learn so many things. Enlightenment!
Point: The end of each chapter provoked me to read another one even when I was too sleepy to concentrate, something triggered me to continue reading, and, with full attention.
Point: The symbols were so very well-chosen to perfectly serve the plot of the novel. I thought it was intelligent!
Point: I loved the fact that most of the science explained in this novel is actually real science, which proves that Brown is not just a novelist, he's way more than that.
Point: The history of the son was intriguing, it was...almost perfect for the novel.
Point: I now know more Latin words (YAY!) which is a language I've always wanted to learn, for some reason I still cannot figure out.
Point: Something I learned from this novel is to not take things literally as read, and to search for a thousand hidden meaning within one word. Which is also what poetry teaches me.

Some general points:
Point: At some point, I thought the novel was gory and outrageous, Mal'akh's parts, some descriptions were disgusting, especially the sexual ones. The description of him, however, was well enough to be pictured even by poor imagination.
Point: Some chapters were sort of lame for the suspense, because as a reader, and a regular Dan Brown reader (I'm not, I've only seen the movies Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons) you'd know that he would never kill the protagonist, Robert Langdon, even though the way he used science to prove the opposite I have to say was impressive.
Point: Sometimes I couldn't fathom the meanings of some words because of the intensity of the novel's plot that at first I thought of giving up on reading. And I actually have some parts that I didn't understand. I'm definitely googling some of them!

Things I learned from this novel:
* Some Noetic science facts.
* Stoicism.
* Total Liquid Ventilation.
* Rosicrucian Philosophy.
* The origin of many words such as Revelation.
* TGA (Thermal gravimetic analysis).
* Dura mater and Pia mater.

Some facts I liked:

"Since the days of Michelangelo, sculptors had been hiding the flaws in their work by smearing hot wax and then dabbing the wax with stone dust. The method was considered cheating, and therefore, any sculpture without wax—literally sine cera— was considered a "sincere" piece of art. The phrase stuck. To this day we still sign our letters "sincerely" as a promise that we have written "without wax" and that our words are true."

"Robert Langdon had often heard it said that an animal, when cornered, was capable of miraculous feats of strength. Nonetheless, when he threw his full force into the underside of his crate, nothing budged at all."

"Perhaps you've heard about the brain scans taken for yogis while they meditate? The human brain, in advanced states of focus, will physically create a waxlike substance from the pineal gland. This brain secretion is unlike anything else in the body. It has an incredible healing effect, can literally regenerate cells, and may be one of the reasons yogis live so long. The substance has inconceivable properties and can be created only by a mind that is highly tuned to a deeply focused state"

"If I hand you a violin and say you have the capability to use it to make incredible music, I am not lying. You do have the capability, but you'll need enormous amounts of practice to manifest it. This is no different from learning to use your mind, Robert. Well-directed thought is a learned skill. To manifest an intention requires a laser-like focus, full sensory visualisation, and a profound belief"


Some Quotes to remember:

"If enough people begin thinking the same thing, then the gravitational force of that thought becomes tangible"

"Wide acceptance of an idea is not proof of its validity"

"I beg you to remember that wealth without wisdom can often end in disaster"

"If the infinite had not desired man to be wise, he would not have bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing" Philosopher Manly P.Hall.


Final note: I would not recommend this novel to anyone, only the people I know who are wise enough to fathom the info in it the way it is, some parts were just too dark for say a beginner reader, or an innocent mind. Unless, they'll take it as just a book.
So if you're familiar with conspiracy theories and theorists, go for it!
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Broken April (Full Review)

(Yes yes Finally a book review hehe)

The plot: I can't really argue on this much, because everyone who read the novel agreed that the story itself is disturbing and dark, yet strangely captivating to the reader.
Briefly, the human life in this novel is naught, more than naught, though the idea of being killed because you killed would seem fair. Vengeance, the bessa*, the Kanun**..all these are things Kadare knew pretty well how to use. The idea of vengeance itself wasn't new to me, nor to anyone I guess, but the extinction of families was!

Gjorg: The protagonist: I guess the author likes to give life to loads of mysteriousness in his protagonists; the calmness, the serenity, yet the clarity of his case to be so. However, I wasn't drawn by his personality like the protagonists of other novels for Kadare.
The characters of this novel seriously confused me! Diana, Bessian. Ali Binak..all of them had a fateful touch of mysteriousness.

Language and Metaphors:The language was pretty simple and clear, I didn't have much difficulty, I remember I had more difficulty reading Chronicle in Stone than this one. No points raised on this.
The metaphors are undoubtedly the thing I enjoyed the most in this novel. I enjoyed every description, even harsh ones, he put beauty in ugly things very poetically.
I loved the description of April breaking and relinquishing the short life of Gjorg, the description of the old woman talking, how he described the dirt coming from her mouth, it was ugly yet beautiful.

Quotes:
Not much to mention here, a crazy novel would not really withstand wisdom, but here are some descriptions that I found lovely to pen:

"We're entering the shadow-land. The place where the laws of death prevail over the laws of life"

"That fragments of sleep tried to fill in disorder, as a few stars try to people a dark autumn sky"

"It remained there, at his very center, a lost jewel in whose making all the light of the world had been consumed"






















*The pledged word, faith, truth.
**The law
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If you hate reading, Read this!

Few days ago I was talking with a friend about people who hate reading; it's just so sad that some people prefer going out with friends and receive more fun than to read a book and learn how to give and inspire others.
So, I picked some reasons that would make you indulge with the world of readers:

1) The smell of a book to a reader is like the smell of the rain to a dancer.
G.R Gissing said: "I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things. "

2) A book is about words and emotions: words are for the brain and emotions are for the heart. It will teach you how to use your brain once, but never neglect your heart's desires.

3) At least there is one beautiful idea, in every book, that needs to be spread, if you want to change the world, a book is one of your guides to it!

4) If you find relish in reading, you'll find relish in writing (Of course if you try).

5) A book teaches you to look into the details of everything, be it ugly or beautiful. It will teach you to describe every tiny thing in the world, with a thousand words.

6) It will also teach you how to look at the big picture. E.g if it's a novel, the descriptions of the protagonist, the eyes, the walk, the body figure, the attitude and etc. will help you visualize the character, each person according to their imagination.

7) If a book resembled a part of your life, be it bad or good, your one thought will be "I'm not alone".

8) Buying an expensive book will force you to read it, and you'll gradually fall in love with it, and finally learn the beauty of spending money on things other than technology.

9) It's the most useful hobby that will broaden your imagination and the way you look at the world around you.

10) And finally, sharing a good book is like sharing your life's lessons written on paper, by someone else, who doesn't know about you, but who somehow felt the same way you did while writing.

Remember this: "Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. "
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Life of Pi [An old review]



I loved this book, thanks to Noor, she was the one who recommended it.
At first it won't draw you in that much, and that's what happened with me, I was like "So?" what is it about? and such..
I thought the sinking of the ship was like so rapid and sudden, I didn't get it until he went on with details, I kind of got distracted out there.
The parts explaining his name Piscine (piss) were hilarious :D, also how sometimes he talked about his misery with some humor. I really liked these parts.
The part about his religious views got me REALLY interested, I thought it was too cute to think this way (I'm not going to spoil it in case you want to read), but this was one of the new things in the book.
I loved the facts about animals' behaviors, I never knew human beings could understand animals this way..it was brilliant.
Pi's intelligence was amazing, and the chapter before the last was amusing and mind-catching.

I actually liked the same part Noor liked lol..so here's it (Forgive me Noor for taking the easy way and copying it) :D :

"So you want another story?"
"Uhh... no. We would like to know what really happened."
"Doesn't the telling of something always become a story?"
"Uhh... perhaps in English. In Japanese a story would have an element of invention in it. We don't want any invention. We want 'straight facts', as u say in English."
''Isn't telling about something - using words, English or Japanese - already something of an invention? Isn't just looking upon this world already something of an invention?"
"Uhh..."
"The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?"
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Chronicle In Stone Review



Plot and thoughts on the read: War, the war scenes are once again drawn in my mind. This time differently, wholly differently. There was teenage love that took place in a tiny part of the novel (which is something I REALLY liked), there was lust, sexuality and homosexuality. The scenes were perfectly portrayed in my mind like a huge movie, I love that I could visualize every single thing in the novel, everything was described amazingly, not to mention the poetic part I'll come to later on..
The ending was kind of abrupt, but I think I got used to that from the first novel I read for him. Wasn't bad though.
The protagonist: That crazy, little young man who craves for the things adults do, he has the brain of an adult, but the heart of a little boy. Loved the comedy parts in his scenes..and I definitely enjoyed accompanying him as a reader and imagining what he's going through.

The names: The only thing I didn't like about the novel; the names were uncountable and seemed endless, the complicated-looking names like for example "Mane Voco" or "Xivo Gavo" confused me so much that in the middle of the novel I was pretty lost and did not know who is who to who and when did this appear to be his Grandpa and such..

The Translator: Thank you again, thank you for being honest with your translation, thank you for the introduction you left for us, it really did help me understand things about the novel, before reading, that I would've never understood , thank you for not changing the names of the town's people-despite how hard to read they were-and most of all thank you for caring to translate such an awesome novel.

The images: Undoubtedly the best thing in this novel: I cannot believe the amount of dazzle Kadare brought to me when he came up with such images and metaphors. I'm simply in love with his imagination. I will surely mention some of them, although if I could, I would've mentioned them all for each one deserves to be mentioned. Here we go:

-"It was a slanted city, set at a sharper angel than perhaps any other city on earth, and it defied the laws of architecture and city planning. The top of one house might graze the foundation of another, and it was surely the only place in the world where if you slipped and fell in the street, you might well land on the roof of a house - a peculiarity known most intimately to drunks."

-"I tried especially hard to remember his lips, which had caught my eye that day more than anything else about his face. They were special lips: lips that had already kissed."

-"Thick clouds like wet, muddy sponges had settled over the city. The sky was black as pitch. A supernatural light spilled in through the rent in the cloud cover. It slid over the grey roofs and came to rest on a white house"

-"In our eyes that field had something sacred about it. It had been a kind of sister or bride to the sky"

-Some other comments: Kako pino's favorite saying "It's the end of the world" impressed me each time it was said. Not because of the sentence itself, it was rather because of the emotions I was imagining she's holding, while talking.
-The beard that was a metaphor for a girl being lesbian could not be comprehended if one didn't read the translator's introduction. I didn't understand it until I went back and read the introduction. It was very clever!


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100 Novels That Let You Travel The World Without Leaving Home

Travel

These novels touch down in multiple countries or are more about the journey itself.

  1. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: This action-packed classic will take you everywhere from India to the American frontier.
  2. The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain: While not a novel in the strictest sense, this book tells the story of Twain as he travels from New York to Europe to the Holy Land.
  3. The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano: Beginning in Mexico, this novel spans several continents to tell the story of a group of young poets, based largely on the life of Bolano himself.
  4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: Follow a young boy in this fable as he travels from Spain the the pyramids in search of his dreams.
  5. The Epic of Gilgamesh: Check out this book to hear a tale thousands of years old about King Gilgamesh and his travels throughout his kingdom and beyond, giving you a peek not only at a different culture, but a different time as well.
  6. The Names by Don DeLillo: In The Names, DeLillo takes readers on a journey through Greece, the Middle East and India.
  7. The Odyssey by Homer: Travel back to ancient Greece as this fictional novel details the trials of Odysseus as he attempts to return home to his wife.

North America

Read these novels to explore Canada and the United States.

  1. On the Road by Jack Kerouac: A classic of the beat generation, in this novel you'll take a road trip with some artsy types back and forth across America.
  2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomson: While much of this novel takes place in a drug-addled daze, that isn't much different than many people's experiences of this frenetic and sometimes sin-indulging city.
  3. The Call of the Wild by Jack London: Told from the perspective of a dog, this story gives readers a glimpse into the wild parts of the American wilderness.
  4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: Check out this classic book to travel down the Mississippi.
  5. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler: This detective noir novel explores the dark underbelly of Los Angeles in the 1930s.
  6. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy: Follow the lives of outcasts, robbers and ne'er do wells in this novel set in 1950s Knoxville, TN.
  7. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx: One of the reasons this Pulitzer-winning novel was so well-regarded was its depiction of a sleepy fishing town in Newfoundland.
  8. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Travel to the American South during the Civil War era in this engaging tale.
  9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Through this novel you'll not only get a taste of life in the South but also the struggles many people faced before and during the Civil Rights movement.
  10. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: The Great Depression was a hard time for many American families. In this novel you'll be able to travel from the dusty state of Oklahoma out to the promised wealth of California.
  11. The Meadow by James Galvin: This novel depicts over 100 years of ranch life along the Wyoming-Colorado border.

Europe

Set in both the past and present and set everywhere from Greece to London, these books are a great way to learn more about Europe.

  1. Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway: Learn more about the culture of Spain and the sport of bullfighting in one of Hemingway's classic novels.
  2. A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke: This fictional story follows an English man as he moves and attempts to adapt to life in Paris.
  3. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: Aside from the engaging mystery, you'll also stay entertained by the travels of this train from Paris to Constantinople in this novel.
  4. The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert: This novel takes place in Nazi Germany, and gives readers not only a slice of life during those times, but a view of the beauty of Bavaria and the city of Hamburg.
  5. Colomba de Prosper Mérimée by Patrick Berthier: Check out this novel for a frank look at life in Corsica.
  6. Dead Lagoon by Michael Dibdin: This mystery novel will take you through the canals, back alleys and homes of Venice.
  7. The Day of Judgment by Salvatorre Satta: In this novel you will learn much about the people, culture and land of the ancient town of Nuoro in Sardinia.
  8. A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter: The ill-fated love story of this novel is set against the rich background of several small French towns.
  9. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann: This novel capitalizes on the decaying city of Venice, almost creating another character out of the city itself.
  10. Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys: In this book — one of a series — the author's fictionalized life is depicted, taking her from Dominica to the quite different climes of England.
  11. Little Infamies by Panos Karnezi: Explore a nameless Greek village in this collection of charming stories.
  12. Dubliners by James Joyce: Curious about Dublin? Check out these acclaimed short stories to learn more.
  13. The Information by Martin Amis: This semi-autobiographical novel will give you a taste of life in London.

Russia

Take off to the chilly reaches of Russia through these novels.

  1. Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart: This novel documents a wealthy Russian who has been living in America as he tries but fails to get a visa back to the US.
  2. Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak: Check out this great literary work to gain a better understanding of Soviet-era Russia.
  3. Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman: In this novel you'll get an epic account of the siege of Stalingrad during WWII.
  4. The Odessa Tales by Isaac Babel: Through these stories, you'll gain a better pictures of the Ukraine under Soviet control.
  5. Chapaev and Pustota by Viktor Pelevin: Also called The Clay Machine Gun this prize-winning novel is a strange read indeed, but will still give you insights into what life is like for those living in St. Petersberg.
  6. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol: This novel was never truly finished, but in the pages that were completed, Gogol gives readers a great picture of Russian society in the mid-1800's.

Central and South America

These novels will give you a sense of the culture and landscape of Central and South America.

  1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: This epic tale of patient love spans decades and provides an interesting peek into a city that is suggestively located in Colombia, where García Márquez spent his early years.
  2. The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Jules Verne: Check out this book for a tale of crime and intrigue that takes place at the far southern tip of South America.
  3. The Pearl by John Steinbeck: In this fable, a fisherman in a small Mexican village finds a pearl of great value, teaching lessons not only about peace and happiness but about the Mexico of the past as well.
  4. Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado: This novel about a widowed woman falling in love again will help bring the vibrancy of Brazil to life for readers.
  5. I, The Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos: Banned from print and causing his exile, this novel skewers Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, Paraguay's dictator for life. The story depicts his fictitious deathbed reminiscences, covering years of Paraguayan history.
  6. Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa: Use this novel to travel to a remote area of the Andes where mysterious disappearances have sparked an official inquiry.
  7. The Dark Bride by Laura Restrepo: Through this novel you can gain insights into the city of Tora, Colombia–known for producing oil and servicing the often rough men who work at extracting it.
  8. Santa Evita by Tomás Eloy Martínez: Most readers will be familiar with Argentinean leader Eva Peron, but in this novel you will get a unique and fictionalized look at the transportation of her body after death.
  9. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende: This dramatic saga takes place in Chile, offering a taste of Chilean history as well as a fictional tale of one family.
  10. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel: In this novel, readers can travel back to turn-of-the-century Mexico.

Africa

If a trip to Africa is out of the question, consider these novels to learn about the continent without leaving home.

  1. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles: In this well-known novel, a couple and their friend travel to North Africa, falling into trouble because they are unaware of the many dangers that surround them.
  2. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: Travel to the depths of the Congo with this classic novella.
  3. The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell: These lush and imaginative novels are set in Alexandria, Egypt during the 1940s.
  4. Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage by Maria Thoma: Read this collection of stories to get a glimpse into the world of East Africa.
  5. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith: In these charming detective stories, you'll learn more about life in Botswana.
  6. What is the What by Dave Eggers: This book tells the heartwrenching true tale of a boy forced from his home by violence in Sudan. Throughout the story you'll learn more about the region today and in the past.
  7. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: In reading this novel you can learn about native Nigerian culture as well as the impact colonialism had on the region.
  8. The Posionwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover: Kingslover's novel follows a family of missionaries in the Belgian Congo–a trip not good either for the natives or the family themselves.
  9. Whiteman by Tony D'Souza: This novel takes a frank approach to many of the issues that affect the real Ivory Coast every day, telling the tale of Jack Diaz, a young American relief worker in a Muslim village in the Ivory Coast.
  10. True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway: This fictionalized memoir has readers on a safari hunting for big game in East Africa with Hemingway and his wife.

Caribbean

In these works you'll travel to the warm but sometimes tumultuous Caribbean islands.

  1. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz: While much of this book takes place in the U.S., readers will still find it an engaging read for learning more about the history and culture of the Dominican Republic.
  2. Texaco by Patrick Chamoiseau: This Caribbean epic mixes time, languages and styles to tell the story of Martinique and a family of freed slaves.
  3. Far Tortuga by Peter Matthiessen: In this stark novel, readers will follow a small turtle-hunting vessel and its crew as they travel around the Bahamas and through the Caribbean.
  4. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes: With pirates, horror and drama aplenty, this novel will show you not only Jamaica, but the Caribbean at large.
  5. The Dragon Can't Dance by Earl Lovelace: In this novel you will learn a great deal about the culture and society of Trinidad.
  6. A House for Mr. Biswas by V. S. Naipaul: Many may not know that as a British colony Trinidad became the home for many Indian immigrants. This novel tells the story of one such man, searching for his place in an adopted land.
  7. Brother Man by Roger Mais: One of the better known Caribbean novels, this story follows a young Rastafarian as he gets caught up in various intrigues in Kingston, Jamaica.

Asia

In these books you can learn more about Thailand, Vietnam and China.

  1. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham: This novel offers readers the chance to see life in rural China during a time of a cholera outbreak while also offering a compelling tale of one woman's spiritual journey.
  2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck: Check out this Pulitzer Prize winning novel about life in rural China when the last emperor reigned, before many of the modern upheavals were to change life forever.
  3. The Beach by Alex Garland: Search for a utopian island off the coast of Thailand along with the main character in this intriguing and mysterious novel.
  4. The Quiet American by Graham Greene: This classic story about the turbulent decades of conflict in Indo-China suggests that even good intentions can lead to bad results.

India

Check out these novels to travel vicariously to India.

  1. The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott: This series of books will show you a window into the last years of British rule in India, the remnants of which still survive today.
  2. Kim by Rudyard Kipling: Like many of Kipling's novels, this one is set in India, bringing to life the sights, smells and culture of the country.
  3. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: This classic novel creates a fictionalized version of the life of the Buddha, taking readers on a spiritual and cultural journey.
  4. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie While much of this novel is highly fantastical, readers can still enjoy the Indian setting in Bombay, exposing many of the challenges faced by the newly independent nation.
  5. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry: If you'd like to learn more about the lives of everyday people in contemporary India, then you can't do much better than Mistry's compelling tale in this novel.
  6. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster: See colonialism and the bitter tensions between native Indians and the British at their best and worst in this classic novel.
  7. Of Marriageable Age by Sharon Maas: In this book, you'll follow three people across three decades and three continents, exploring India, England and Guyana along the way.
  8. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy: Set in India, this award-winning novel is at once a mystery, a drama and a completely innovative work in the English language.
  9. Bombay Time: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar: This story brings to life the middle-class denizens of a Bombay apartment complex.
  10. What the Body Remembers: A Novel by Shauna Singh Baldwin: Here you'll take a trip to the Punjab to see the violent 1947 partition of India.

Japan

These novels share intimate portraits of what life is like in Japan.

  1. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata: Read this novel to spend time in the mountainous slopes of Western Japan while watching a doomed love affair unfold.
  2. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami: Like most of Murakami's work, this novel has a dreamlike quality. At the same time, readers will get a crash course in Japanese WWII history.
  3. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto: Learn more about the food and culture of contemporary Japan in this novel.
  4. The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki: Follow four sisters who are part of the fading Japanese aristocracy in years leading up to WWII, offering great insights to both domestic and social life at the time.
  5. The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel by Liza Dalby: Check out this novel to learn more about the life and times of 11th-century Japanese writer Murasaki Shikibu.
  6. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden: Become party to the exotic world of the geisha in this compelling novel.
  7. The Tale of Genji by Shikibu Murasaki: Written in the 11th century, this novel will show you the enduring qualities of human nature across time and space.
  8. Some Prefer Nettles by Junichiro Tanizaki: Amidst a disintegrating marriage you'll get a glimpse into Japanese culture and aesthetics in this novel.

Middle East

From Israel to Afghanistan, these novels will allow you to peek into Middle Eastern life.

  1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: For those who know little of Afghanistan in the years prior to 9/11, this novel reveals a compelling history and a beautiful story of friendship.
  2. A Woman in Jerusalem by Abraham B. Yehoshua: While set in Jerusalem, this the themes of this novel often transcend national boundaries.
  3. Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa: Through this novel you'll get to hear about the creation of the Israeli state from the Palestinian perspective.
  4. Adventures in the Galilee by Yehoash Biber: Think the Middle East has always been a place of conflict? These stories tell the tales of the Galilee area of Palestine before 1948, when Arab, Druse, and Jewish farmers and bedouins lived together in peace and goodwill.
  5. Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres: Set in a small village in southwestern Anatolia in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire, this novel represents the great changes that took place as Turkey entered the modern world.
  6. The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra: Through this novel you will see the effects of the Taliban regime.
  7. Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree by Tariq Ali: While this novel is not set in the Middle East, the conflicts it represents–those between Muslims and Christians–have been at issue for centuries.
  8. Cities of Salt by Abdelrahman Munif: Passing through numerous Middle Eastern countries, this novel brings to life many of the political issues that have plagued the Mideast for most of this century.

Australia

Even if you can't afford a real trip down under you can get an hint of the continent's beauty in these books.

  1. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail: This modern fable is set in New South Wales, pitting true love against a father's scheme to find a suitor.
  2. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton: This sometimes dark novel tells the story of a family struggling for survival in WWII era Australia.
  3. Tree of Man by Patrick White: In this Noble Prize winning book, readers will travel to the wilderness of Australia.
  4. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay: Through this book, readers can gain a real sense of the era and landscape of Australia.
  5. 1915 by Roger McDonald: Follow two young men as they set out to war, only to get a disastrous result at Gallipoli.
  6. The Second Bridegroom by Rodney Hall: In this story you'll learn about a man exiled as a convict to Australia, where he escapes and joins the Aborigine.

Source: Online Degrees