Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry- Rachel Joyce

Oh, this was so sad! I didn’t expect to be this sad! I don’t know what I expected! There was so much hope at the start that I allowed myself to be swept by it, against all logic.

Harold Fry receives a letter from his old friend Queenie, informing him that she is dying of cancer in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Consumed by grief, Harold sets out to the post office to send his reply. After a run in with a girl at the garage, he’s seized by inspiration and decides to take an impromptu walk all the way from Devon to Berwick to save Queenie. Armed with the belief that if he keeps walking Queenie will stay alive and dressed in his yacht shoes, Harold begins his 466 miles journey, leaving his wife, Maureen, behind.

On the course of his unlikely pilgrimage, Harold meets a host of colorful characters and comes to terms with the way his life turned out. The journey is peppered with heartbreaking revelations and moments of despair but I’d like to think the ending was hopeful, if bittersweet.

I liked this book, it’s thought provoking and inspires you to get up and do something. (For the whole two minutes it take for life to suck that inspiration right out of you again.)

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Charlotte Bronte- Jane Eyre

The Writing:



The Story:



I absolutely loved the writing, easy 5 stars for that and Jane was the perfect story teller I genuinely liked her and wanted to hear the story. Spoilers beyond this point.

It started out fine, with some child abuse and a sob story. But once Jane got to Thornfield and the love story started it just got ridiculous.

The Love Story



Some would argue that this was ok for that time and age. But it wasn't, the characters themselves expressed worry over the huge age gap. Furthermore, the whole master/servant thing followed by the manhandling when Jane found out the truth..... creep central.



The BIG SECRET, ridiculous as it was, paled in comparison to Jane's mindless flight and the CONVENIENT COINCIDENCE that followed. Because it is SO legit to get on a random coach travel cross country to an unknown town, beg for two days and the MIRACULOUSLY COME ACROSS THE HOME OF YOUR LONG LOST COUSINS!!!


Happens every day! Right!?

Don't even get me started on Mr. Rivers and how fucked up that whole scenario was. Vomit in my mouth. That was a third wave of abuse, in this case complete emotional manipulation. Ugh, repulsive character.

The Ending



This is meant to be a story of a young woman who develops a backbone and stands up for herself. While Jane is a pleasant character with common sense and tough interior, she's just an abused teenager with daddy issues who develops a school girl crush on a man her father's age and he totally takes advantage of it. #creep.