Handmade in the UK by My Retro Closet, Peggy is a playful pinup style, made from a sheer stretch polka dot mesh. The vintage inspired babydoll nightie features ultra bouncy wide ruffles on the hem, creating the ultimate swish-factor. The Peggy knickers offer a cheeky open back style, both styles are finished with satin ribbon ties. Launching in dreamy Lilac and fiery Red.
It was on my long list of to be reviewed books, mostly because it’s one of my favorites. The books I’ve already read are actually taking me longer to review since I have to go back and read them, but someone in my inbox told me I should review it so it’s the first on my list now to review.
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
Another short that I absolutely loved, so why not bundle my two favorites to review.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (1-3) by Sarah J. Maas
I read the series last summer and I have to revisit my thoughts of the series, but I did immensely enjoy them. I’m not reviewing the last book, A Court of Silver Flames, because I haven’t read it, yet and I’m sorta hesitating until the next book is released (Mostly because I hear it might be around Azrael, so might as well bundle the two books together).
Throne of Glass Series (1-7) by Sarah J. Maas
literally just finished the last book yesterday and while I did review the first one and wasn’t all that excited to read the rest of the books, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I never doubted Sarah J. Maas (one of the few authors I like off of BookTok), but the first two books were an uphill battle to get through. Though the last books make me emotional unstable…I’ll just save the rest of my comments for the reviews.
[Originally published on my Medium page: link here]
If you’re looking for a book that its title can summarize, then you’re in luck. The Old Man and The Sea is basically what you get when reading this. The old man is actually an old fisherman, who has spent most of his life with the sea and has gone a while without catching a fish. From the moment he saw the giant marlin (type of fish), the reader goes along on an adventure that can be interpreted in millions of ways. The entire story works as an allegory and can connect towards various classical works, with similar one-man journeys. What I’d like to wrap the review on is that it is a very pleasant story to read. The beauty is in its simplicity, and when put under the microscope, it can hold its ground.
Read this book if you’ve always wanted to read Hemingway or you’ve heard his name a little over 5 times in your lifetime — this would be a great starter novel, plus it’s not that long.
Rate: 3.5/5
Time: less than 5 hours
Book-shelf Worthy: Great addition to a library
Quoteworthy
It is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.
I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run. If I were him I would put in everything now and go until something broke. But, thank God, they are not as intelligent as we who kill them; although they are more noble and more able.
You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?
Fish, you are going to have to die anyway. Do you have to kill me too?
[Originally published on my Medium page: link here]
Newland Archer is our guide through the high society of New York, a lawyer engaged to May Welland, contempt with the world around him, fully immersed in his position in life and in love with his fiance. Enter Countess Ellen Olenska, who, when compared to May, is the complete opposite; she doesn’t allow social constructs and obligations to dictate her life; she questions the regulations of society and who makes them. Fearing a family scandal, Archer convinces Olenska not to divorce her husband but ends up fearing for his own growing affections.
I found Archer annoying at first, all the talk of New York society, but he’s what I’d like to call the character development effect; turns a smidge attractive as the story progresses. Olenska is hands-down my favorite character, unapologetically herself in a world where it’s extensively criticized. Archer experiences the feeling of living, but can’t hold on to it; that is what love stories are made of. This story seems to be told before, in different time periods, characters, locations, etc. The Age of Innocence reads like many historical romance dramas and I love it. It’s always the raging war and discussion between love and obligation; the answer never is as simple as we make it out to be. Spoiling nothing, I’d like to say that if you’d like a happily ever after, please read one of the other many historical romance dramas (I always recommend Pride and Prejudice) and then come back to The Age of Innocence to fully bask in the angst. I have a love-hate relationship with the ending, but I wouldn’t want to change it.
Read this book, if you’re interested in taking a trip to 1870s New York and mingling with society. Tell me if you broke a smile whenever Olenska spoke or pulled eyebrows from the love, and don’t forget to count the mental eye rolls dedicated towards society!
Rate: 3/5
Time: 2 days
Book-shelf Worthy: deserves to be up there with the others of its genre
Quoteworthy
Women ought to be free — as free as we are.
What’s the use? You gave me my first glimpse of a real life, and at the same moment you asked me to go on with a sham one. It’s beyond human enduring — that’s all.
To have you here, you mean-in reach and yet out of reach? To meet you in this way, on the sly? It’s the very reverse of what I want.
The real loneliness is living among all these kind people who only ask one to pretend!
[Originally published on my Medium page: link here]
Surprisingly, the narrator is not present when introducing the novel, rather the landladies nephew is the one who manages to share.publish the manuscript left behind by Harry Haller. Unsurprisingly, like many Hesse novels, it reads like day-to-day journal entries, which critically focuses on human psychology.
There’s a clear conflict from the beginning, Harry Haller is too intelligent to be stuck in a world constructed by and for the bourgeois society. Haller does come off as extremely arrogant, however, his whole “spiritually and intellectually awakened” persona isn’t ideal, rather it becomes the main reason for his disconnection with society and others.
On our late night walk with Haller, we come across The Treaties of the Steppenwolf, a short pamphlet that is claimed to be “not for everyone” and is a margin-writers dream. The pamphlet examines and introduced us to the perceived duality of the soul one being a man and the other a wolf; grouping savage, instinctual qualities to the wolf and civilized, posed qualities to the man. Both sides of the soul seem to be in constant disagreement, but one cannot rule without the other. This part was pretty comical to me, first because I think anyone could relate towards this simple explanation of the human soul — the constant struggle between instinctual gut feelings and society norms. As I was getting comfortable in the rant of dualistic entities inside of the soul, the pamphlet does a complete 180 and calls this idea idiotic and rudimentary; people that accept this do not understand the complexity that the human soul actually is — not two but many that cannot be defined nor understood in this lifetime. I highly enjoyed the pamphlet.
It does also touch lightly on the subject of depression and suicide — being as they are a result of the disconnect from others. The sole focus on the self, thinks only as far as the self, hence the timed lifespan (theres a bunch of other rabbit holes one can venture down).
After the pamphlet, Hesse provides a small encounter between Harry and a past friend to further prove that his intelligence serves as more of a burden; the arrogance is not intentional rather unavoidable (almost like a sickness). That being said, Steppenwolf does leaves on a hopeful note. It emphasizes the human need to connect and the constant struggles in belonging.
The novel is a hit or miss for readers, either the tone of Harry Haller becomes intolerable, the monologues becomes gruesomely long, or simply this work dims in comparison towards Hesse’s other works.
If you think this book is about a man turning into a werewolf — totally not for you.
Read this book if you try your best to understand others and even at time try to understand yourself.
Rate: 4/5
Time: Took me 3 days, tried to pace myself — could’ve done it in 2 days
Book-Shelve Worthy: It’s in the Hesse collection
Quoteworthy
Solitude is independence. It had been my wish and with the years I had attained it. It was cold. Oh, cold enough! But it was also still, wonderfully still and vast like the cold stillness of space in which the stars revolve.
You are willing to die, you coward, but not to live.
In eternity there is no time, only an instant long enough for a joke.
For what I always hated and detested and cursed above all things was this contentment, this healthiness and comfort, this carefully preserved optimism of the middle classes, this fat and prosperous brood of mediocrity
The man of power is ruined by power, the man of money by money, the submissive man by subservience, the pleasure seeker by pleasure.
I cannot understand nor share these joys, though they are within my reach, for which thousands of others strive.
I cannot understand nor share these joys, though they are within my reach, for which thousands of others strive.
[Originally published on my Medium page: link here]
Rate: 4/5
Time: Can be read in less than a day
Length: Smidge over 100 pages (short)
Demian is a coming-of-age novel of the protagonist and narrator Emil Sinclair. The reader is pulled into Sinclair’s psychological labyrinth as it grows desire, fear, confusion, and frustrations with the world and his own being. The underlying themes of the book bringing up age-old discussion and interpretations that reads differently towards every reader. I’d like to say that the first half reads as an autobiography of an ordinary person. The last bit of the novel does venture deep into Carl Jung’s’ theory of the collective unconscious, embedding archetypes and symbolisms that would make Jung proud.
I planned to take my time, reading only two chapters a sitting. However, it became impossible to want to put it down. Didn’t love Sinclair nor felt particularly any hate for him, I was curious to see where Sinclair ended up; Hesse has a way of introducing a character and wrapping you into them, as opposed to their world or relationships. I will say that I had to double-take when trying to figure out the Emil/Demian/Eva scenes.
Would you need to know psychology to enjoy the book? Nope, it’s a good story for readers that love classics and take pride in discussion (either alone or with a book club!)
Would it help to know a little psychology? Yes, and it’ll take you on a margin scribbling joyride.
Final sayings? Totally PG should be in the school curriculum, and the egg/bird quote is phenomenal
If you’ve already read it or don’t care for spoilers keep reading below.
Concept Spoilers:
TWO WORLDS: At first glance, this concept seems to reflect heavily on religious upbringing that a vast majority of individuals experience. The notion of growing up with preconceived ideologies attach Sinclair to dogmatic judgements of everything from the world, his peers, and even towards himself. While this concept and system of rights and wrongs does hold some foundation, it doesn’t encompass the complexity of the real world. The black and white perspective gets ultimately defeated and rendered useless when the argument of what is forbidden and permitted come up. The individual is in control of the rights and wrongs through their own boundaries, the external enforcement (be it laws or religion) deters back the Lawrence Kohlberg’s first level of cognitive development.
DEMIAN: Theres an interesting push and pull throughout the novel, as Demian, this enigmatic characters is a key figure in the development of Sinclair, allows Sinclair to do as he pleases only acting and speaking in pivotal scenes. Arriving with a district interpretation of the biblical Cain and Abel, he embodies the conflict and the temptation of breaking out of the two worlds view. He lets Emil retreat into his safe heaven after rescuing him from Franz’ tormenting, withdrawing his thoughts when going too far, and not interfering when seeing him at his lowest point. Guidance is the main word that comes up when thinking of Demian and he plays the role flawlessly.
ABRAXAS: I think the presence of the bird/egg painting and Abraxas is the major turning point in the novel where Emil goes from going through life to seeking a purpose and venturing into and outside of himself. Can write a 10 page essay on just how much I love the quote. The processes of Emil being introduced to his passion and his life goal and desires depends desperately on him breaking free from his past self and world. To be reborn into something new there must be the destruction of the old self/way. Abraxas also has strong attachment towards mysticism, mystery, and exclusivity of acquired knowledge - it is something that is not found by accident, but by intention.
PSYCHOLOGY: The concepts are there and this book provides great points of psychological discussion involving Freuds’ Oedipus complex and the majority of archetypes and symbols in Jung’s Collective unconscious. This shifts a lot of the relationships between the characters to be treated more like symbolic events/theories and personas. It’s would be simple to say Emil love Eva, but it wouldn’t do the novel justice by dismissing many other references that fit into this; such as the great mother, the dual mothers, and the animus-anima. Pick your poison, explore, and discuss.
Noteworthy Quotes:
When poets write novels they are apt to behave as if they were gods, with the power to look beyond and comprehend any human story and serve it up as if the almighty himself, omnipresent, were relating it in all its naked truth. (Prologue, Demian)
When I pictured the devil to myself, I found no difficulty in visualizing him in the streets below, disguised or undisguised, or at the fair or at the taverns but never at home. (Chapter 1, Demian)
He too was a ‘temper’ and moreover my link with the second, evil world with which I never wanted anything more to do. (Chapter 2, Demian)
Therefore each one of us must discover for himself what is permitted and what is forbidden as far as he himself is concerned. It is possible never to do a forbidden thing yet be the real villain. (Chapter 3, Demian)
It was the pattern of my life and death; It expressed the tone and rhythm of my fate. (Chapter 4, Demian)
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born must first destroy a world. The bird id flying to god. The name of the god is called Abraxas. (Chapter 5, Demian)
When we hate someone we are hating something that is within ourselves, in his image. We are never stirred up by something which does not already exist within us. (Chapter 6, Demian)
I have grown accustomed to my inner life, resigned to the fact that I had lost my feeling for the outside world and that the loss of its bright colors was an inseparable part of the loss of childhood and that one must to some extent pay for the freedom and maturity of the soul with the renunciation of those pure gleams of light. (Chapter 6, Demian)
