Religion, revolution, thieves
11. The Guide - R.K. Narayan (1958) 2 / 5
Formerly India’s most corrupt tourist guide, Raju—just released from prison—seeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Mistaken for a holy man, he plays the part and succeeds so well that God himself intervenes to put Raju’s newfound sanctity to the test.
Yet again I'm in the minority because I didn't care about this that much. Writing style is nice and the story is ok, maybe there's something up for a discussion too, but I didn't get inside everything.
12. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (1859) 4 / 5
Depicts the plight of the French proletariat under the brutal oppression of the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution.
There are some passages I will not forget, one of them being the description of wine flooding in the streets of Paris which would soon become blood. People are devouring wine even from pieces of wood like they will devour blood during the time of La Guilloutine. Sydney Carton is undoubtedly a charismatic character and the ending made me blink my eyes in disbelief. Dickens does a lot of subtle foreshadowing but I still couldn't believe it for some reason.
13. Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (2002) 3 / 5
In Victorian London, the orphaned Sue Trinder is raised by Mrs. Sucksby, den mother to a family of thieves, or "fingersmiths." To repay Mrs. Sucksby's kindness, Sue gets involved in a scam but soon regrets it.
At some parts the story dragged and overall the book could have been a lot shorter but I nevertheless enjoyed it. The mental institution part was creepy. To think that someone sane could actually be stuck in such a place... Who wouldn't eventually become crazy?
14. Nétotchka Nezvanova - Fyodor Dostoevsky (1849) 2 / 5
Story of a childhood dominated by her stepfather, Efimov, a failed musician who believes he is a neglected genius. The young girl is strangely drawn to this drunken ruin of a man, who exploits her and drives the family to poverty. But when she is rescued by an aristocratic family, the abuse against Netochka's delicate psyche continues in a more subtle way, condemning her to remain an outsider - a solitary spectator of a glittering society.
First, this is not even finished so it shouldn't be judged too harshly. To me this was more than enough, the main character annoyed me too much.
15. The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky 3 / 5
Formerly India’s most corrupt tourist guide, Raju—just released from prison—seeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Mistaken for a holy man, he plays the part and succeeds so well that God himself intervenes to put Raju’s newfound sanctity to the test.
Yet again I'm in the minority because I didn't care about this that much. Writing style is nice and the story is ok, maybe there's something up for a discussion too, but I didn't get inside everything.
12. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (1859) 4 / 5
Depicts the plight of the French proletariat under the brutal oppression of the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution.
There are some passages I will not forget, one of them being the description of wine flooding in the streets of Paris which would soon become blood. People are devouring wine even from pieces of wood like they will devour blood during the time of La Guilloutine. Sydney Carton is undoubtedly a charismatic character and the ending made me blink my eyes in disbelief. Dickens does a lot of subtle foreshadowing but I still couldn't believe it for some reason.
13. Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (2002) 3 / 5
In Victorian London, the orphaned Sue Trinder is raised by Mrs. Sucksby, den mother to a family of thieves, or "fingersmiths." To repay Mrs. Sucksby's kindness, Sue gets involved in a scam but soon regrets it.
At some parts the story dragged and overall the book could have been a lot shorter but I nevertheless enjoyed it. The mental institution part was creepy. To think that someone sane could actually be stuck in such a place... Who wouldn't eventually become crazy?
14. Nétotchka Nezvanova - Fyodor Dostoevsky (1849) 2 / 5
Story of a childhood dominated by her stepfather, Efimov, a failed musician who believes he is a neglected genius. The young girl is strangely drawn to this drunken ruin of a man, who exploits her and drives the family to poverty. But when she is rescued by an aristocratic family, the abuse against Netochka's delicate psyche continues in a more subtle way, condemning her to remain an outsider - a solitary spectator of a glittering society.
First, this is not even finished so it shouldn't be judged too harshly. To me this was more than enough, the main character annoyed me too much.
15. The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky 3 / 5