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I am reading lots of books and yet my 100 list is not shrinking. There are so many books to read and so little time. I need to get back on track, this however is not on the list but an English classic none the less.
This book reminded me a little of Sister Carrie in the fact that in both books the heroine or female lead is someone that is not particularly nice or easy to warm up to. In Vanity Fair this character is Becky Sharp. She is pretty, quick witted and ruthless when it comes to making her way to the top rung of English Society.
The other leading character is Amelia. As cold and ruthless Becky is Amelia is the exact opposite . Amelia is quiet, loving, a mother like character, soft and round compared to Becky’s sharp pointed edges.
Both of these girls have different goals in life, Becky wants to be known, rich and awed where as Amelia just wants her George. Vanity Fair tells the story of these two women trying to get what they want out of life in very different ways.
I think most women can relate to this book, whether we are a Becky trying to get what we want at any cost or we are the Amelia with a distant friend like Becky. This story can still relate so well to today. I would say it is a must read for every woman. Men can read this two if they want but some how I doubt they will relate.
On a side note after reading the book I decided to watch the movie with Reese Witherspoon as Becky. I was very disappointed, they tried to make her nice and portray that what she did was necessary. The most annoying part was with the Marquise de Steyne but in case you haven’t read the book I won’t tell you what happened you have to find out for yourself.
I fear that I am becoming a book snob. While browsing the bookshelves I turn my nose up at anything that is a romance or a crime novel (the majority of English books available here). I am searching for the book that grabs me, a story that I can relate to. I want something more than a body turning up in a river or the girl meeting guy story. Does this make me a book snob?
I want a challenge, I want,… I don’t know what I want, I guess that is the biggest problem. I dont know what I want but when I find it I will know it. Any suggestions of books, places to find a better selection of English books in Berlin?
Honestly, I have to say that once you start reading a book it has to be terrible before you put it down and decide not to read it anymore at all. Actually, that only happened a few times in my life. Then there are books that you start reading and you can’t put down because they are so well written and hold your attention for a very long time – and even after finishing it. This one falls into a very special category, because “The Brief Wondrous Life” by Junot Diaz is definitely not an easy book. It takes a long time to get into it, mainly because it’s written in a very unique style with lots of drifts that go beyond the main storyline. Also, the many characters that are described all have their own ups and downs (well, mainly downs), their own stories and – to a certain degree – tragic lifes.
The main character is Oscar although more than half the book covers the stories of his mother, sister and other people around him. Oscar is a typical loser – fat, nerdy, glasses, can’t communicate normally, never had sex. You instantly feel sorry for him and take his side. I wonder if in real life we would have the guts to really help out such a guy. He also doesn’t want to be helped because he thinks he’s so far beyond any help that he retreats into his own world quite often. His own world being Dungeons & Dragons games, Anime movies, Fantasy Books and any other kind of media that a “normal” person would associate with “nerdiness”. Oscar strives to be the new Tolkien and to get laid. Two goals that couldn’t contradict each other more, I would say.
Other characters of the book are Oscar’s sister and his mother as well as a various people that cross and influence their lives. In the end their stories and lives somehow merge into one (rather sad) fate. What makes you feel for them is not the tragedy or challenges that seem to follow them on every step they take but the fact that the author, Junot Diaz, is able to make it sound real. A Puerto Rican family migrating to the US and the younger generations facing the cultural and demographic challenges – in theory a perfect place for lots of cliches and fuzzy, feel good happy endings. Not so with Junot Diaz. No artificial language, just extremely well paced storytelling. The lengthy footnotes can be a bit distracting and hard to understand sometimes (I am not an expert on Puerto Rican history… and I assume I am not the only one) but they add a lot to the atmosphere once you get used to that particular way of writing. Also, moving back and forth in time, telling stories from various points of view and really not knowing how it will all end can be very difficult in times but also makes the greatness of this book.
There are few books that hold my attention for a long time after I have finished reading them. To me that’s the best indicator of whether it has been good (excellent in this case) and giving me more than just a good time while reading it. It’s definitely not easy to read (not at all) but the effort is worth it and I would be surprised if there’s anyone who has read it and doesn’t like it. (Guest Review written by Ole Brandenburg).
