Why have you not popped in my "what to watch" feed!!!? 6 book reviews & a TBR in less than 10 min, multiple f-bombs, a hilarious dance (I mean music) break AND you said "maligned." Plus I can pretend like I'm listening to a young James McAvoy...a little bit. You know...Mr. Tumnus. Lol. Going to subscribe...now!
BAZ. THANK GOODNESS. THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE BACK. I didn't realize how badly I missed you until I saw this. I really can't comment because I haven't read any of these books (shame on me, shame on me) but I thoroughly enjoyed this :)
Heart of Darkness is one of my favourite books, and also one of those that get so much better when you have a great teacher to study it with you. Great on its own as well, of course. I'm glad you liked it! Also your edition is gorgeous.
HAHAHA I actually laughed out loud when you played that clip of fancy Fantastic reviews! You really know what you are talking about. I enjoyed all the bits of background knowledge. Subscribed right away
Sent here by Ariel, subscribed by the second minute of this video. Wow. Discovering lots of great books here, a nice break from the primarily YA-centered book reviews (love YA, just something different is good every once in a while). And, I really like your personality. :D
I read Moby-Dick over Christmas break and it was a nautical fever dream. I loved it. Hope you do too. PS: the disjunction between Tenant and Agnes Grey is bonkers. how on earth did the same person write both? baffling.
You sell The Bronte sisters so well oh my god I have never heard someone speak of them the way you do. I still haven't read any of them and I need to!!!
A video on my least favourite books? Do you want me to be lynched?! Yeah I might do a video on the best written books, that seems quite interesting actually thanks :)
The manuscript editor for my one published novel was an English professor who had made a specialty of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. He found my tale of intra-family betrayal and treachery to be fun and upbeat. (He also told me to stop trying to imitate James Joyce because I didn't have the chops for it. [sigh]) Glad you're back. Love your reviews. I have a complete set of Dickens but I've only scratched the surface so far (A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol). Read Moby-Dick in high school many years ago and weird odd chunks of it are still stuck in my head: the whale as fish, how to cook a whale steak, the "gam" when ships meet at sea, quenching the harpoon in blood, the weird homoerotic first meeting of "Ishmael" and Queequeg.
It's incredible that you've managed to read all those books in such short time! I read Agnes Grey a while back and although I liked it less than Jane Eyre, I like how it really shows what it meant to be a governess at that time. As for the Bell Jar I'm a bit on the fence after your review. The plot sounds interesting but I might end up pushing it a bit down my reading list. Anyway, it was an interesting selection of books, as always.
I think it goes without saying that you can combine brains and natural comedy into hysterically coherent thoughts. Your videos are always a pleasure to watch. I haven't read a lot of stream-of-consciousness books. I enjoyed THE GREY by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers. Thank you for the challenging recommendation in A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING. I enjoy a good challenge.
Moby Dick...so so so good! One of my favorites reads from graduate school! I probably never would have read it on my own, but I am so glad it was assigned! Good luck!
Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Moby-Dick! I personally hated it the first time, but the second time I picked up on so much more and found it a really incredibly odd, yet spectacular read.
To be honest, people who like The Bell Jar like it because they tend to be able to relate to the darker aspects of it, specifically Esther's depression. It is one of my favorite books for this reason.
I actually really liked The Bell Jar. I think I just appreciated her harshly realistic depiction of depression. But I can definitely see why it wouldn't be for everyone. Oh man I haven't read any of Anne Bronte's works (which is probably Charlotte's fault tbh) but I have The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall sitting on my shelf. Maybe I'll have to get to that as my next read. Fantastic reviews as ever. Great to see you back!
Can I suggest that you read Perfume by Patrick Suskind as soon as you can! Read the synopsis - it's literally so weird I think you'd love it. I read it last year and found it quite disturbing but beautiful if that makes sense aaaah. I read it because the Nirvana song 'Scentless Apprentice' was based on it. pls read it barry pls
It's great to see you back. I'm reading Under the Greenwood Tree right now, and it's my first Hardy. So far, I like it and I picked it up mainly because I wasn't ready for one of his more pessimistic works. And I completely agree with you on Agnes Grey, it was so different to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which I loved. I was rather disappointed and bored by Agnes to be honest. Have you read Villette by Charlotte? Sometimes I think it is even better than Jane Eyre.
I finally finished Moby Dick last year. It took me quite a while (at one point I gave up completely, but then went back to it, feeling guilt.). I will admit that parts of it are incredibly dry. Detailed descriptions of the physicality of whales are not really my thing, but there are bits of amazingness within. Best of luck to you!
Discovered your channel via Ariel Bidsett's recommendation :D Like your way of reviewing! And finally someone talks about books that I haven't seen a hundred times already. Which means I actually discover books that are highly interesting and different from all the YA, Romance, Urban Fantasy stuff. Thank you for that. I subscribed!
Enjoyed your wrap up! I totally hated Heart of Darkness, it was just so tedious to me. The part with the heads on the fence totally turned me off, ugh. Too bad you didn't like The Bell Jar! I'm really into books about mentally ill women so clearly it was up my street. I love how you talk about the Bronte sisters. I haven't read any Anne Bronte at all, which I hope to soon rectify. Good luck with Moby Dick and the Old Curiosity Shop! I'd love to see reviews on those, not many on TH-cam.
I definitely agree about The Bell Jar. Haha, I'm one of those people that'd compare it to Catcher in the Rye, though - Esther is without a doubt the female Holden Caulfield, and both of them annoy the crap out of me. I totally get a lot of what Sylvia Plath is trying to do with The Bell Jar, and I appreciate the themes she explores, but I guess found it a lot harder to empathize with Esther than I thought I would. Oh well I guess.
Currently reading Jane Eyre. It's quite great, really. It's taking me a while, though, and I'm not sure why. Might be that I know most of what happens in the book, so it's not exactly compelling me on. Still, great book. Good reviews! I may just read Heart of Darkness next, actually. Your video has made it quite tempting. Plus, that way I won't feel bad about watching Apocalypse Now.
Yours is the best book review on youtube i have seen so far. Among my best reads so far is Disgrace by Coetzee. Have u read it? If not, i highly recommend it and tell what u think of it. Thanks for sharing.
The kind of people happy to tackle 'The Girl is a Half Formed Thing' is the kind of person who reads Gertrude Stein. People into experimental literature would leap on it and not be put off in the slightest by the form. In fact, it would be the main attraction.
I want to read Moby Dick as well, but I'm a little put off by the length of it (plus English is not my first language and I'm a bit afraid that I won't be able to follow the plot properly). This is my first time on your channel, and I really like your reviews! (just thought I should say this)
Omg the music scared me, lol! I read The Bell Jar, and as someone who deals with clinical depression on a daily basis, I liked the accurate depiction of depression (and that ended up being why I gave it as many stars as I did), but I generally wasn't into the novel because I guess her life just bored. I think the style worked to write about depression, but it still did it in a way that just bored me or didn't even excite me to keep reading--I was really glad when I finally finished reading it. You make me want to read more of the Brontes. I've only read Jane Eyre, and a small biographical account of their life written by someone who was their contemporary. There is probably no book that I hate as much as Heart of Darkness. I had to read that book 3 or 4 times as an undergraduate. I'm tired of it, and I wish professors would stop using it. I'm going to read A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing because of the buzz around it, but I'm really dreading it now b/c I hate stream of consciousness writing
I felt the same when I finished The Bell Jar, I was glad that I'd finally finished it. Please read more Brontës, they're so fantastic! Hah, Heart of Darkness really splits opinions, people who had to read it in school tend to really loath it :P If you're not a fan of stream of consciousness then you will probably find AGIAHFT hellish...
Huzzah Barry, I love your book reviews! Question: The Thomas Hardy novel, is it an easy read? I'm reading Tess right now, and it's my second Hardy novel (I read The Mayor of Casterbridge for uni and really disliked it), and I'm finding it quite slow-going because EVERYTHING IS DESCRIBED IN MINUTE DETAIL DEAR LORD. So yes... is that one a quick read? Or does Tess get easier? Feel free to answer both of those questions if you're feeling particularly energetic. Good luck with July, and I love seeing your Dickens progress! Again I've only read three plus his ghost stories, so really need to get on that more...
Now I can't get the picture of Fancy being played as elevator music out of my head. I also had exams and stuff too, but I managed to read 5 books at the end of the month.
Does the entire of Ireland have the same box set edition of The Chronicles of Narnia? I got two of them for Christmas ages and ages ago. Really enjoyed them anyway. I was going to buy 'A Girl is a Half Formed Thing' but didn't in the end. I saw you tweet about it. Also I'm reading Dracula at the moment, have you read it?
Well it's not that I can't find the edition anywhere it's that everywhere I look the shipping is bank-breakingly expensive. I can't wait to visit Penguin in August :D :D
Bazpierce ah I see. Fair enough :) Oh and make sure you check the opening times of Penguin! I turned up once and they were closed. It's also both easy and hard to find ha! Easy because the whole building its housed in is huge, but hard in the fact its not a shop front that says "penguin in here" lol.
I missed your videos. I'm glad you're back. While you're away booktube got a lot worse. Thank god we have somebody who actually reads the books he bought and not just those shitty YA ones.(Seriously whenever I hear trilogy/series I want to hit my computer screen) I'm afraid of Dickens too much. Being a not native speaker I feel that she would be too much for me. I don't know. But I want to have as many as possible of the Penguin English Library editions. They are all so pretty and I love touching them. :D
You match your room! And we tried to read Heart of Darkness in my English class. We *tried*. I think we got to Chapter 2 and then stopped. But then again, we were studying it in 10th grade, not 12th grade like the rest of my school! Buuttt we did read Things Fall Apart which was written to combat the racism in Heart of Darkness, and that was a wonderful book!
Nice video! I hope your leaving cert went well. Are you planning on studying English in college? I'm going into my final year of an English degree and having watched most of your videos you've basically read my entire course so far. I studied Plath for my leaving cert back in 2012 and I think the fact she didn't come up in the exam is one of the reasons I hate her :L I read The Bell Jar and despite the fact I had to put it down several times and remind myself that happiness exists I did like it but I wouldn't exactly describe it as the female Catcher in the Rye...
I read Heart of Darkness on my kindle and I pretty much agree with you on it; I did get kind of confused at times which I think was largely because I read it in several sittings and there aren't many convenient stopping places in it! Like you say, it's well written but I just thought it lacked substance in some parts, I think it is enjoyable once gotten into but the racism put me off with it to be honest!
I'm re-reading The Bell Jar (this time in english) and I'm loving it even more than the first time. I identify myself a lot with Esther (which is not something very good I guess). So sad you didn't enjoy it :/
I really liked The Bell Jar but I don't think it was that interesting a story, I just love Sylvia Plath and her poetry so I think I just like anything she writes! I had no idea that Aslan was an allegory, I've haven't read it before though!
Same here with The Bell Jair, but unlike you I didn't find it too depressing, in that case I'd like it, on the contrary it didn't convey any kind of feeling to me, especially the anguish that I expected. I really wanted to like it but is just not my thing apparently. And please don't disappear again I missed you so much!!
I re-read Heart of Darkness, in lit in uni, while on a course of post-colonialism, and the rascism became more interesting (wrong word) when put into the perspective of and the time, and the authors views. And like other people has said, The Bell Jar might become a better book if you gone through depression yourself, because you can recognize so much of you own experience, as well as feel less alone. Personally, I adore Sylvia Plath. I also need to pick up the McBride book, because I LOVE stream of consciousness narrative styles.
Great book reviews. Question man, I own wuthering heights, is that a good place to start with bronte. Also have you ever read finnegans wake by James Joyce? I hear that ones a tough one to get through. I love classics! I really like how you present yourself so confidently but at the same time self-deprecating. It's really neat! -Tristan
Thanks Tristan! Wuthering Heights is a good place to start yeah, but prepare yourself for one of the most depressing books of all time! :P I haven't gone anywhere near Finnegan's Wake, it's damn near impossible to read.
I will skip past your reasonable opinion of Plath, and then say "yay! Emily Dickinson". I recently picked up a copy of the complete work of the Bronte sisters, and I am super excited to read some of Anne's work. For some reason I have never read anything she wrote. I wish you luck with Moby Dick. After studying it for extra credit I suggest bring a harpoon and some extra sanity.
You mention poetry, as you did today, but I've never heard you review any poetry. What about history, biography, philosophy, essays, plays? Don't you get bored reading novels?
Well, I like novels. I do read poetry a lot as well but usually online instead of you know, big anthologies. I used to read plays a lot in the past and it's something I need to get back into. As for philosophy and essays, they're really not my thing tbh.
Bazpierce Plato's a great start to get out of your comfort zone; The Apology and Symposium are short a stimulating, and you could spend a lifetime arguing with the Republic. And if you plan to tackle Moby Dick there's no reason not to jump into Paradise Lost, easily the greatest poem in the English language. I can't believe you wouldn't love Shaw--both the prefaces and the plays.
I adored the lion the witch and the wardrobe as a kid and I can't let go of that feeling I got when Aslan came back. But as a massive atheist (even as a kid) when I found out it was an allegory it felt like such a betrayal, all those loving emotions felt tainted. Whatever...I'm not bitter...not at all.
ugh really? I only read the first two. That significantly decreases my motivation to read the rest. But good luck with your challenge, at this rate you'll be done in like 2016 :)
I felt the same way about The Bell Jar that the beginning was really boring, them i found out what the book was about (someone depressed who ends up in the mental hospital) and the last half got more interesting. I actually ended up reading Catcher in the Rye because of this book and i don't know which i like more since i did enjoy the last half of Bell Jar, plus i connected with her a bit more than the character in Catcher in the Rye who i guess i feel like he didn't quite make profound wrap it all up sentences that hit me like a few in the Bell Jar. But as a whole book i probably like Catcher in the Rye more since Bell Jar is basically terrible in the beginning. I haven't read any of her poetry yet. And i really wasn't to read more Salinger but don't know which to read next. Moby Dick is long. I hated it as i made my way through the first half because it was a bit boring when they stopped focusing on queequeepeg (no idea how to spell his name lol) and Ishmael, But upon starting over and speeding through it in a week for school i found that it was okay (I'm probably the one person on earth that didn't know the ending. I was so mad! I wanted them to win!) And then, i sat in on a college class studying it and i really like it upon further inspection. Point: I found studying it really fun but reading it, not so much.
I liked The Chronicles of Narnia,but the last book... the most dissapointed book ever read. The feeling was awful. Bye the way, I'm reading the Lord of the flies thanks to you :) until now, so much interesting.
Tomorrow I will be finishing the book, and until now, it has been so much interesting. Although, I remember watching part of the movie, and I don't know why, because I don't remember the details, but I didn't like it. But the book is so catchy. Greetings!
Love love love Heart of Darkness- does that make me racist? I put it in context. I read it in one sitting too, I was so hooked, the ending was beautiful. I wanted to read A Girl is a Half Formed Thing... although not a fan of stream of consciousness. Hmm... might give it a miss.
baz idk why, but i fucking love you maybe its because we're the same age maybe its your accent (im american btw) maybe its because you read maybe its because you swear a lot (which i love) either way i love you.
Hmmm... Finally a reason to disagree with you. I find Sylvia Plath's depressing writing fantastic. Maybe it is because I am a eccentric teenager, but I find it interesting. The reason so many people say it is the female catcher in the rye is because teens like me can relate to it. She exaggerates emotions and situations to the same degree as an after school special.
It's funny when I read The Heart of Darkness in high school the teacher completely ignored the racial tones in this novella. She decided to teach it based on Sigmund Freud's Ego, Superego, and Id (the journey down the Congo river). I couldn't believe it considering everything told in the novella. The second time I read in my post-colonial literature class they were covered. I agree it is a well written novel, but it's extremely racist.
ugh, I loathe Thomas Hardy. But optimistic Thomas Hardy? That sounds slightly better... only slightly. Also, good luck with the next Narnia book, I found it rather bland and a tad bit racist.
Yours is the best book review on youtube i have seen so far. Among my best reads so far is Disgrace by Coetzee. Have u read it? If not, i highly recommend it and tell what u think of it. Thanks for sharing.
I will skip past your reasonable opinion of Plath, and then say "yay! Emily Dickinson". I recently picked up a copy of the complete work of the Bronte sisters, and I am super excited to read some of Anne's work. For some reason I have never read anything she wrote. I wish you luck with Moby Dick. After studying it for extra credit I suggest bring a harpoon and some extra sanity.
Oh my god, that music break. Why is no one commenting on the brilliance of that music break??
Haha thanks Rincey! :)
Why have you not popped in my "what to watch" feed!!!? 6 book reviews & a TBR in less than 10 min, multiple f-bombs, a hilarious dance (I mean music) break AND you said "maligned."
Plus I can pretend like I'm listening to a young James McAvoy...a little bit. You know...Mr. Tumnus. Lol.
Going to subscribe...now!
BAZ. THANK GOODNESS. THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE BACK. I didn't realize how badly I missed you until I saw this.
I really can't comment because I haven't read any of these books (shame on me, shame on me) but I thoroughly enjoyed this :)
HI ARIEL I'm back and better than ever (if I do say so myself :P)
Heart of Darkness is one of my favourite books, and also one of those that get so much better when you have a great teacher to study it with you. Great on its own as well, of course. I'm glad you liked it! Also your edition is gorgeous.
HAHAHA I actually laughed out loud when you played that clip of fancy
Fantastic reviews! You really know what you are talking about. I enjoyed all the bits of background knowledge. Subscribed right away
really glad that you're back. you know how to encourage people to pick books up again
Aww thank you! :)
You're videos are amaaazing! and you are geeenius! You can totally be a literature professor, right now!!! All the best from Tokyo ^^
Sent here by Ariel, subscribed by the second minute of this video. Wow. Discovering lots of great books here, a nice break from the primarily YA-centered book reviews (love YA, just something different is good every once in a while). And, I really like your personality. :D
I read Moby-Dick over Christmas break and it was a nautical fever dream. I loved it. Hope you do too.
PS: the disjunction between Tenant and Agnes Grey is bonkers. how on earth did the same person write both? baffling.
I'm so excited for your bookshelf tour!
Love your videos and missed them. Couldn't help but wonder, though, what IS the worst book ever written, in your opinion?
You sell The Bronte sisters so well oh my god I have never heard someone speak of them the way you do. I still haven't read any of them and I need to!!!
Hahaha when Iggy came on! Love your book reviews :)
Great reviews, I really want to start A Girl is a Half Formed thing it sounds really fascinating!
Thanks! Do read it, it's really interesting.
I love your videos, you have such a wide range of literary interests, I'll have to read Jane Eyre this summer, you sparked my interest!
You will LOVE Jane Eyre, it's a masterpiece
Haha I love your book reviews so much.
Can you do a video on your least favourite books (cause its fun hearing you rant) and a video on the best written books? Thanks in advance :)
A video on my least favourite books? Do you want me to be lynched?! Yeah I might do a video on the best written books, that seems quite interesting actually thanks :)
The manuscript editor for my one published novel was an English professor who had made a specialty of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. He found my tale of intra-family betrayal and treachery to be fun and upbeat. (He also told me to stop trying to imitate James Joyce because I didn't have the chops for it. [sigh])
Glad you're back. Love your reviews. I have a complete set of Dickens but I've only scratched the surface so far (A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol). Read Moby-Dick in high school many years ago and weird odd chunks of it are still stuck in my head: the whale as fish, how to cook a whale steak, the "gam" when ships meet at sea, quenching the harpoon in blood, the weird homoerotic first meeting of "Ishmael" and Queequeg.
People who like videos about books here in Brazil loved you're back!! =D
Yay thank you! :)
You might like Edna O'Brien's novels "The Girl with Green Eyes" and "The Country Girls". They are lots of fun.
After watching your reviews I feel like reading now ... that's good :)
I love your brain!
(just needed to say this...)
It's incredible that you've managed to read all those books in such short time! I read Agnes Grey a while back and although I liked it less than Jane Eyre, I like how it really shows what it meant to be a governess at that time.
As for the Bell Jar I'm a bit on the fence after your review. The plot sounds interesting but I might end up pushing it a bit down my reading list. Anyway, it was an interesting selection of books, as always.
I already read Far from the madding crowd and really liked it so I expect to be reading more from him :) love ur reviews
I think it goes without saying that you can combine brains and natural comedy into hysterically coherent thoughts. Your videos are always a pleasure to watch. I haven't read a lot of stream-of-consciousness books. I enjoyed THE GREY by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers. Thank you for the challenging recommendation in A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING. I enjoy a good challenge.
Moby Dick...so so so good! One of my favorites reads from graduate school! I probably never would have read it on my own, but I am so glad it was assigned! Good luck!
Thanks, I need the luck (and maybe a harpoon? :P)
Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Moby-Dick! I personally hated it the first time, but the second time I picked up on so much more and found it a really incredibly odd, yet spectacular read.
To be honest, people who like The Bell Jar like it because they tend to be able to relate to the darker aspects of it, specifically Esther's depression. It is one of my favorite books for this reason.
Dear god I missed your videos!!
I actually really liked The Bell Jar. I think I just appreciated her harshly realistic depiction of depression. But I can definitely see why it wouldn't be for everyone. Oh man I haven't read any of Anne Bronte's works (which is probably Charlotte's fault tbh) but I have The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall sitting on my shelf. Maybe I'll have to get to that as my next read.
Fantastic reviews as ever. Great to see you back!
Can I suggest that you read Perfume by Patrick Suskind as soon as you can! Read the synopsis - it's literally so weird I think you'd love it. I read it last year and found it quite disturbing but beautiful if that makes sense aaaah. I read it because the Nirvana song 'Scentless Apprentice' was based on it. pls read it barry pls
It's great to see you back.
I'm reading Under the Greenwood Tree right now, and it's my first Hardy. So far, I like it and I picked it up mainly because I wasn't ready for one of his more pessimistic works.
And I completely agree with you on Agnes Grey, it was so different to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which I loved. I was rather disappointed and bored by Agnes to be honest.
Have you read Villette by Charlotte? Sometimes I think it is even better than Jane Eyre.
I own Villette, I'll be reading it soon :D
I finally finished Moby Dick last year. It took me quite a while (at one point I gave up completely, but then went back to it, feeling guilt.). I will admit that parts of it are incredibly dry. Detailed descriptions of the physicality of whales are not really my thing, but there are bits of amazingness within. Best of luck to you!
Discovered your channel via Ariel Bidsett's recommendation :D Like your way of reviewing! And finally someone talks about books that I haven't seen a hundred times already. Which means I actually discover books that are highly interesting and different from all the YA, Romance, Urban Fantasy stuff. Thank you for that. I subscribed!
The best disgruntled sigh to finish.
I look forward to everyone of your videos. You're just too damn funny :-)
Enjoyed your wrap up! I totally hated Heart of Darkness, it was just so tedious to me. The part with the heads on the fence totally turned me off, ugh. Too bad you didn't like The Bell Jar! I'm really into books about mentally ill women so clearly it was up my street.
I love how you talk about the Bronte sisters. I haven't read any Anne Bronte at all, which I hope to soon rectify. Good luck with Moby Dick and the Old Curiosity Shop! I'd love to see reviews on those, not many on TH-cam.
I definitely agree about The Bell Jar. Haha, I'm one of those people that'd compare it to Catcher in the Rye, though - Esther is without a doubt the female Holden Caulfield, and both of them annoy the crap out of me. I totally get a lot of what Sylvia Plath is trying to do with The Bell Jar, and I appreciate the themes she explores, but I guess found it a lot harder to empathize with Esther than I thought I would. Oh well I guess.
Currently reading Jane Eyre. It's quite great, really. It's taking me a while, though, and I'm not sure why. Might be that I know most of what happens in the book, so it's not exactly compelling me on. Still, great book. Good reviews! I may just read Heart of Darkness next, actually. Your video has made it quite tempting. Plus, that way I won't feel bad about watching Apocalypse Now.
Yours is the best book review on youtube i have seen so far. Among my best reads so far is Disgrace by Coetzee. Have u read it? If not, i highly recommend it and tell what u think of it. Thanks for sharing.
The kind of people happy to tackle 'The Girl is a Half Formed Thing' is the kind of person who reads Gertrude Stein. People into experimental literature would leap on it and not be put off in the slightest by the form. In fact, it would be the main attraction.
I want to read Moby Dick as well, but I'm a little put off by the length of it (plus English is not my first language and I'm a bit afraid that I won't be able to follow the plot properly).
This is my first time on your channel, and I really like your reviews! (just thought I should say this)
Omg the music scared me, lol!
I read The Bell Jar, and as someone who deals with clinical depression on a daily basis, I liked the accurate depiction of depression (and that ended up being why I gave it as many stars as I did), but I generally wasn't into the novel because I guess her life just bored. I think the style worked to write about depression, but it still did it in a way that just bored me or didn't even excite me to keep reading--I was really glad when I finally finished reading it.
You make me want to read more of the Brontes. I've only read Jane Eyre, and a small biographical account of their life written by someone who was their contemporary.
There is probably no book that I hate as much as Heart of Darkness. I had to read that book 3 or 4 times as an undergraduate. I'm tired of it, and I wish professors would stop using it. I'm going to read A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing because of the buzz around it, but I'm really dreading it now b/c I hate stream of consciousness writing
I felt the same when I finished The Bell Jar, I was glad that I'd finally finished it. Please read more Brontës, they're so fantastic! Hah, Heart of Darkness really splits opinions, people who had to read it in school tend to really loath it :P If you're not a fan of stream of consciousness then you will probably find AGIAHFT hellish...
Huzzah Barry, I love your book reviews!
Question: The Thomas Hardy novel, is it an easy read? I'm reading Tess right now, and it's my second Hardy novel (I read The Mayor of Casterbridge for uni and really disliked it), and I'm finding it quite slow-going because EVERYTHING IS DESCRIBED IN MINUTE DETAIL DEAR LORD. So yes... is that one a quick read? Or does Tess get easier? Feel free to answer both of those questions if you're feeling particularly energetic.
Good luck with July, and I love seeing your Dickens progress! Again I've only read three plus his ghost stories, so really need to get on that more...
Yeah "Under the Greenwood Tree" is a quick, easy read I'd say. I haven't read Tess so I don't know. Dickens is god, I love that man :D
Now I can't get the picture of Fancy being played as elevator music out of my head. I also had exams and stuff too, but I managed to read 5 books at the end of the month.
Does the entire of Ireland have the same box set edition of The Chronicles of Narnia? I got two of them for Christmas ages and ages ago. Really enjoyed them anyway.
I was going to buy 'A Girl is a Half Formed Thing' but didn't in the end. I saw you tweet about it.
Also I'm reading Dracula at the moment, have you read it?
Can always try eBay for Barnaby Rudge if you're after a particular cover :) or when visiting London in August, go straight to penguin on the strand :)
Well it's not that I can't find the edition anywhere it's that everywhere I look the shipping is bank-breakingly expensive. I can't wait to visit Penguin in August :D :D
Bazpierce
ah I see. Fair enough :) Oh and make sure you check the opening times of Penguin! I turned up once and they were closed. It's also both easy and hard to find ha! Easy because the whole building its housed in is huge, but hard in the fact its not a shop front that says "penguin in here" lol.
I missed your videos. I'm glad you're back. While you're away booktube got a lot worse. Thank god we have somebody who actually reads the books he bought and not just those shitty YA ones.(Seriously whenever I hear trilogy/series I want to hit my computer screen)
I'm afraid of Dickens too much. Being a not native speaker I feel that she would be too much for me. I don't know. But I want to have as many as possible of the Penguin English Library editions. They are all so pretty and I love touching them. :D
I agree with you on Sylvia Plath... Uughhh
You match your room!
And we tried to read Heart of Darkness in my English class. We *tried*. I think we got to Chapter 2 and then stopped. But then again, we were studying it in 10th grade, not 12th grade like the rest of my school!
Buuttt we did read Things Fall Apart which was written to combat the racism in Heart of Darkness, and that was a wonderful book!
I need to read Things Fall Apart, I've been recommended it a lot
Nice video! I hope your leaving cert went well. Are you planning on studying English in college? I'm going into my final year of an English degree and having watched most of your videos you've basically read my entire course so far.
I studied Plath for my leaving cert back in 2012 and I think the fact she didn't come up in the exam is one of the reasons I hate her :L I read The Bell Jar and despite the fact I had to put it down several times and remind myself that happiness exists I did like it but I wouldn't exactly describe it as the female Catcher in the Rye...
I read Heart of Darkness on my kindle and I pretty much agree with you on it; I did get kind of confused at times which I think was largely because I read it in several sittings and there aren't many convenient stopping places in it! Like you say, it's well written but I just thought it lacked substance in some parts, I think it is enjoyable once gotten into but the racism put me off with it to be honest!
I'm re-reading The Bell Jar (this time in english) and I'm loving it even more than the first time. I identify myself a lot with Esther (which is not something very good I guess). So sad you didn't enjoy it :/
I really liked The Bell Jar but I don't think it was that interesting a story, I just love Sylvia Plath and her poetry so I think I just like anything she writes! I had no idea that Aslan was an allegory, I've haven't read it before though!
Same here with The Bell Jair, but unlike you I didn't find it too depressing, in that case I'd like it, on the contrary it didn't convey any kind of feeling to me, especially the anguish that I expected. I really wanted to like it but is just not my thing apparently. And please don't disappear again I missed you so much!!
It was a really emotionless read I find. Eh, Plath will be Plath. (I won't be disappearing for a long while don't you worry)
T.T Fancy Day omg.
Yay another Irish booktuber! New subscriber here!
I re-read Heart of Darkness, in lit in uni, while on a course of post-colonialism, and the rascism became more interesting (wrong word) when put into the perspective of and the time, and the authors views.
And like other people has said, The Bell Jar might become a better book if you gone through depression yourself, because you can recognize so much of you own experience, as well as feel less alone. Personally, I adore Sylvia Plath. I also need to pick up the McBride book, because I LOVE stream of consciousness narrative styles.
We read Heart of Darkness in school and I loved it, I was the only one in my class though, everyone else hated it.
Great book reviews. Question man, I own wuthering heights, is that a good place to start with bronte. Also have you ever read finnegans wake by James Joyce? I hear that ones a tough one to get through. I love classics! I really like how you present yourself so confidently but at the same time self-deprecating. It's really neat! -Tristan
Thanks Tristan! Wuthering Heights is a good place to start yeah, but prepare yourself for one of the most depressing books of all time! :P I haven't gone anywhere near Finnegan's Wake, it's damn near impossible to read.
Anne Brontë ♥
That's all I have to say.
I will skip past your reasonable opinion of Plath, and then say "yay! Emily Dickinson". I recently picked up a copy of the complete work of the Bronte sisters, and I am super excited to read some of Anne's work. For some reason I have never read anything she wrote. I wish you luck with Moby Dick. After studying it for extra credit I suggest bring a harpoon and some extra sanity.
If you want to read Barnaby Rudge you can get an electronic copy at the gutenberg.org website for free :)
You mention poetry, as you did today, but I've never heard you review any poetry. What about history, biography, philosophy, essays, plays? Don't you get bored reading novels?
Well, I like novels. I do read poetry a lot as well but usually online instead of you know, big anthologies. I used to read plays a lot in the past and it's something I need to get back into. As for philosophy and essays, they're really not my thing tbh.
Bazpierce
Plato's a great start to get out of your comfort zone; The Apology and Symposium are short a stimulating, and you could spend a lifetime arguing with the Republic. And if you plan to tackle Moby Dick there's no reason not to jump into Paradise Lost, easily the greatest poem in the English language. I can't believe you wouldn't love Shaw--both the prefaces and the plays.
I listened to the audio book of heat of darkness on holiday last year, not the wisest idea. It was to depressing...
Have you read The Picture of Dorian Gray? I really want to know your opinion on it bc I love that book :)
I haven't but I adore Wilde, I've read all of his plays! I own Dorian Gray and I really need to read it, I'll pick it up soon :)
Your video is in 3D! ??? Booktube in 3D!
the british too excited when they speak about J
I adored the lion the witch and the wardrobe as a kid and I can't let go of that feeling I got when Aslan came back. But as a massive atheist (even as a kid) when I found out it was an allegory it felt like such a betrayal, all those loving emotions felt tainted. Whatever...I'm not bitter...not at all.
Yeah the allegory does become overly prevalent and hinders the plot at some points. I've heard it just gets worse as the books go on, oh dear.
ugh really? I only read the first two. That significantly decreases my motivation to read the rest. But good luck with your challenge, at this rate you'll be done in like 2016 :)
Just adore ya and your reading picks...~jennyinseattle
the bell jar is great
the language bruh
Random question, did you finish high school or do you have one more year to go?
Yeah I'm finished high school now, now onto university in September
I felt the same way about The Bell Jar that the beginning was really boring, them i found out what the book was about (someone depressed who ends up in the mental hospital) and the last half got more interesting. I actually ended up reading Catcher in the Rye because of this book and i don't know which i like more since i did enjoy the last half of Bell Jar, plus i connected with her a bit more than the character in Catcher in the Rye who i guess i feel like he didn't quite make profound wrap it all up sentences that hit me like a few in the Bell Jar. But as a whole book i probably like Catcher in the Rye more since Bell Jar is basically terrible in the beginning. I haven't read any of her poetry yet. And i really wasn't to read more Salinger but don't know which to read next.
Moby Dick is long. I hated it as i made my way through the first half because it was a bit boring when they stopped focusing on queequeepeg (no idea how to spell his name lol) and Ishmael, But upon starting over and speeding through it in a week for school i found that it was okay (I'm probably the one person on earth that didn't know the ending. I was so mad! I wanted them to win!) And then, i sat in on a college class studying it and i really like it upon further inspection.
Point: I found studying it really fun but reading it, not so much.
I liked The Chronicles of Narnia,but the last book... the most dissapointed book ever read. The feeling was awful.
Bye the way, I'm reading the Lord of the flies thanks to you :) until now, so much interesting.
Glad you're reading Lord of the Flies, it's a fantastic read! :)
Tomorrow I will be finishing the book, and until now, it has been so much interesting. Although, I remember watching part of the movie, and I don't know why, because I don't remember the details, but I didn't like it. But the book is so catchy. Greetings!
Blasphemy: I've never read any of the Bronte sisters.
Love love love Heart of Darkness- does that make me racist? I put it in context. I read it in one sitting too, I was so hooked, the ending was beautiful. I wanted to read A Girl is a Half Formed Thing... although not a fan of stream of consciousness. Hmm... might give it a miss.
baz idk why, but i fucking love you
maybe its because we're the same age
maybe its your accent (im american btw)
maybe its because you read
maybe its because you swear a lot (which i love)
either way i love you.
Maybe it's Maybelline... (I'm sorry I had to) Thank you dearie, big hugs! :)
haha maybe you're born with it (I'm sorry, I reallyy love bad jokes xD)
I'm soo fancy xDD I died ajajajajajajajajajajajjaja
I will read the books you put here!
Hmmm... Finally a reason to disagree with you. I find Sylvia Plath's depressing writing fantastic. Maybe it is because I am a eccentric teenager, but I find it interesting. The reason so many people say it is the female catcher in the rye is because teens like me can relate to it. She exaggerates emotions and situations to the same degree as an after school special.
I'm an eccentric teenager too and I found it dull. Oh well.
not at all
It's funny when I read The Heart of Darkness in high school the teacher completely ignored the racial tones in this novella. She decided to teach it based on Sigmund Freud's Ego, Superego, and Id (the journey down the Congo river). I couldn't believe it considering everything told in the novella. The second time I read in my post-colonial literature class they were covered. I agree it is a well written novel, but it's extremely racist.
ugh, I loathe Thomas Hardy. But optimistic Thomas Hardy? That sounds slightly better... only slightly. Also, good luck with the next Narnia book, I found it rather bland and a tad bit racist.
Yours is the best book review on youtube i have seen so far. Among my best reads so far is Disgrace by Coetzee. Have u read it? If not, i highly recommend it and tell what u think of it. Thanks for sharing.
I will skip past your reasonable opinion of Plath, and then say "yay! Emily Dickinson". I recently picked up a copy of the complete work of the Bronte sisters, and I am super excited to read some of Anne's work. For some reason I have never read anything she wrote. I wish you luck with Moby Dick. After studying it for extra credit I suggest bring a harpoon and some extra sanity.