Author: Monica Ali
Book: brick lane
Method: borrowed (mum)
Reading about weak female characters can be so infuriating. I suppose I have become so accustomed to reading about strong and powerful women that I forget the opposite exists. I forget about women who have no outward strength and who have to find it. I was going so crazy reading the first half of this book because I just wanted nazneem to stand up for herself and to break out of her shell.
In this regard cross cultural novels can be so difficult. Nazneem is a bengaladesh woman who is send to marry a bengaladesh man in London England. I was driven so crazy by both of these characters, he for not standing up for herself or ever disputing anything he said, and him for being the most delusional character. He created this idea of himself that he was so brilliant and modern and wonderful while he was actually oppressive and misguided. He may not have been as aggressive or abusive as other husbands but his delusions make him monstrous in a different way.
I found that when nazneem finally did find her strength I was too far gone. I had been waiting too long for her to grow and was disappointed when she finally did.
xo- ellebee
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Family fun
Book: the corrections
Author: Jonathan Franzen
Completion Date:
Method: borrowed (mum)
I don't know if I've ever read such an honest portrayal of family life before. This book was quite astounding in this regard actually because franzen so simply conveyed the complications and hazards of family life. I was thrilled for this entire novel. Each of the characters are so complex and frustrating, and by the end you see your own family hurried within them.
The most compelling character relationship i felt was between the eldest son and his wife. She was so infuriating and so real. Throughout the novel they are constantly entangled in a battle it seems over his parents and their children. She seems to use their kids to manipulate him into doing what she wants. It's all about winning for the 2 of them, and David seemed to always come out on the bottom. I feel like this is a book that I'm going to have to read again when I am older. It seems like the kind of novel where each time you read it you feel sympathy for a different character depending on your current situation.
Maybe one day I'll have inlaws and understand why Caroline acted the way she did. To me she felt selfish and rude. She was constantly using davidson children against him and treating him like he was a total asshole when she was being the jerk. It seemed she never stopped to really consider what kind of pain she was putting her husband in.
This novel left me feeling both victorious and very sad. I felt that no one won or really felt that much better, but I suppose that's a pretty honest portrayal of family life. There are all these small battles and struggles that are won or lost but there's no great victory, just continuing to deal.
xo- ellebee
Author: Jonathan Franzen
Completion Date:
Method: borrowed (mum)
I don't know if I've ever read such an honest portrayal of family life before. This book was quite astounding in this regard actually because franzen so simply conveyed the complications and hazards of family life. I was thrilled for this entire novel. Each of the characters are so complex and frustrating, and by the end you see your own family hurried within them.
The most compelling character relationship i felt was between the eldest son and his wife. She was so infuriating and so real. Throughout the novel they are constantly entangled in a battle it seems over his parents and their children. She seems to use their kids to manipulate him into doing what she wants. It's all about winning for the 2 of them, and David seemed to always come out on the bottom. I feel like this is a book that I'm going to have to read again when I am older. It seems like the kind of novel where each time you read it you feel sympathy for a different character depending on your current situation.
Maybe one day I'll have inlaws and understand why Caroline acted the way she did. To me she felt selfish and rude. She was constantly using davidson children against him and treating him like he was a total asshole when she was being the jerk. It seemed she never stopped to really consider what kind of pain she was putting her husband in.
This novel left me feeling both victorious and very sad. I felt that no one won or really felt that much better, but I suppose that's a pretty honest portrayal of family life. There are all these small battles and struggles that are won or lost but there's no great victory, just continuing to deal.
xo- ellebee
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