Scan barcode
aclassicalmess's reviews
137 reviews
The Lost Decade by F. Scott Fitzgerald
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
‘I’ve been it — lots of times. But I’ve never seen it. And now it isn’t what I want to see. I wouldn’t ever be able to see it now. I simply want to see how people walk and what their clothes and shoes and hats are made of. And their eyes and hands. Would you mind shaking hands with me?’
Had to read this for my university’s matching procedure.
Had to read this for my university’s matching procedure.
Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
‘Among these unhappy mortals is the writer of dictionaries; whom mankind have considered, not as the pupil, but as the slave of science; doomed only to remove rubbish and clear obstruction from the paths of Genius and Learning, who press forward to conquest and glory, without bestowing a smile on the humble drudge that facilitates their progress.’
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
‘I’ll love you in the rain and in the snow and in the hail and - what else is there?’
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment I had an inkling of what it might be like if instead of two people in The World. There were thousands.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
‘I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me around the world.’
The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto by Eme Flores, Vikky Storm, Lila Monster
informative
reflective
fast-paced
2.0
‘Gender forms the basis of sex. We are not born with gender already within us. We have penises, vaginas, breasts, beards, chromosomes, etc, but these things are not sex on their own. They are features of our biology, but we group them into sexes. When we call penises boy parts we are creating and imposing gender upon the body.’
While valid points were made and it was generally interesting to learn about how ‘sex serves to reinforce gender’, the history of our gender system, and why it is necessary to criticize gender as a social construct, the solution that the manifesto suggest may be a bit too radical.
While valid points were made and it was generally interesting to learn about how ‘sex serves to reinforce gender’, the history of our gender system, and why it is necessary to criticize gender as a social construct, the solution that the manifesto suggest may be a bit too radical.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What we took for a docile, ordinary weight (gentle plunk, swift rush to the bottom, dark waters closing over without a trace) was in fact a depth charge, one that exploded quite without warning beneath the glassy surface, and the repercussions of which may not be entirely over, even now.
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
‘She doesn’t say - she doesn’t say - well, not whether she cares for me or not?’
Poirot turned back the pages.
‘I think you are mistaken, Hastings.’
‘Where?’ I cried, leaning forward eagerly.
Poirot smiled.
‘She tells you that in ever line of the letter, mon ami.’
Poirot turned back the pages.
‘I think you are mistaken, Hastings.’
‘Where?’ I cried, leaning forward eagerly.
Poirot smiled.
‘She tells you that in ever line of the letter, mon ami.’
Verity by Colleen Hoover
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0