BOOK REVIEW ; LOST CITY

Title : Lost City 

Author : Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos

HEY PEOPLE! BLOGGER IS FINALLY WORKING!

I was having problems with this book. Yes, it had references to Poe, which I appreciate, and history, which Cussler nicely laces in, but he tried too much. Was it Kemprecos' influence? It's a Kurt Austin adventure, so I was biased too (I miss Dirk Pitt!). But okay. The book was about the Fauchards, a notorious family known for arm dealing for centuries. Turns out they were the people behind the major world wars along with the other Poe's characters (I mean the other big names in the business of the underworld). Realizing there's more to war than only arms, the Fauchards hatched an idea of biological weapons. The experiments went far from right, and NUMA steps in to save the day. Again. Now this Cussler has become repetitive I really need to take a stint from this. Unless I get my Pitt back.

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW ; ONE HUNDRED NAMES

Another review from my dear friend and ex-schoolmate, Quorinna Korish. Enjoy!

PS : I know, I haven't been updating. Will do ASAP! I've been reading quite a few books :)

 Title : One Hundred Names Author : Cecelia Ahern

You literally can’t put down the book. If you ever want to read this, you better have the whole day off. Sit somewhere quiet, have a whole jug of water, a big bar of chocolates. Be probably best if you’re at home alone or locked the door to your room. Because you don’t want to be disturbed nor you want to be distracted. Seriously! The moment you open the book you’ll be intrigue of what the 100 names is all about. Would it be about how 100 people are connected? 100 random people mind you. And you wouldn’t want to put the book down because you would want to know who are those 100 people. And why there were in a list. I know that some people would just, well go to the last page to find the answer. But I want to know how the character, Kitty, figured it out. How she finally found what it is that connects all of these 100 names, this 100 random people. What is it that in their life that made this exquisite editor of the magazine Etcetera, Constance Dubois, typed this 100 names list? All these questions are the reason why you wouldn’t want to put the book down and you shouldn’t put it down. Kitty is a journalist, and her job is at stake. She had the honoured to do a tribute on her friend and boss, Constance. The only thing that she was given was a list of 100 names by Constance. No other clue on what the list is about or who the people on the list are. She have two weeks before the article is sent to print. With 100 names and a two week deadline, the next question would be ‘How is she going to accomplish that? ‘ No doubt that she figured out what the list is about. And she had the most extraordinary experience as well with extraordinary people. This is really a recommended read. That is why I’m not telling you a summary of the book or what I thought of it. Because you have to read it yourself and figured all the answer on your own.

 Rating : 10/10

BOOK REVIEW ; THE IMPERIAL CRUISE

Title : The Imperial Cruise

Author : James Bradley

Picked up the book in B&N, had sparked my interest. American history (not that I approve them though)!

Teddy Roosevelt's fan addicts, please read this book. Come and meet the dark side of him.

The Aryan's West expansion to civilize the world explains this book. James Bradley painstakingly describe in detail the dilemma of President McKinley and his successor, President Teddy Roosevelt as they champion the fight against the Others in the world. Trying to claim the world as theirs, the masterminds of this time bought together plans to conquer the Pacific and have reign (implicitly) over the Asian continent. Learn about the Japanese and Korean dilemma, and the bloody battles fought with the Red Indians and Philippines. The Anglo-Saxon powers deem themselves superior and had the responsibility to conquer and eliminate the inferiors. Princess Alice Roosevelt became the icon of America, at times banzai-ed, at times hated.

Was it worth the lives?

I stopped many times in this book as the gruesome details came out. RIP, lost souls. RIP.

Rating : 10/10

BOOK REVIEW ; HELL'S CORNER

Title : Hell's Corner

Author : David Baldacci

I DOUBTED IT. BUT HERE IT COMES. THE CAMEL CLUB!

Pardon my excitement. Oliver Stone and his club is my love when reading Baldacci. Same lines with Dirk Pitt when reading Cussler.

So this I guess is the best installment of Camel Club yet. Oliver Stone goes on the government bandwagon after 30 years with the NSC, couples up with a lethal lady from Britain's MI6, has all the govt agencies working with/for/against him, and as always, the help of Camel Club. A bomb exploded in one of Stone's fave haunts, Lafayette Park, which wasn't clear intended to whom, even though at first it was thought the British PM. As the commotion occurs only across the White House, top priority has been given to this case. A lot of top guns and top govt agents were in this, yet they sense moles among them as red herrings were thrown everywhere. Finding the right way out of the mess was critical. The stroke of genius hits Stone just in time to save 2 presidents. The journey ended where Oliver started his career as a Three Six operative and also where he saved the President's life before, Murder Mountain. Did he and the others survived the ordeal?

Oh, throw in some nano technology in! The trick that made all this possible. Ah Baldacci.

The book closes with a memorial scene.

Did he died?

*silence*

Rating : 10/10 

BOOK REVIEW ; THE MOONSTONE

Title : The Moonstone

Author : Wilkie Collins

Last book for the class. Didn't expect it to be that cliche-yet-I-still-fall-for-it book. Dang, Collins!

This book (a sensation novel) focuses on the mystery of a lost Moonstone, which hails from the deep jungles of India. A British aristocrat family is entangled in it when the diamond was given as a birthday present. Who took it? With the multitude of characters that were present, I lost track of my suspicions sometimes. Yet subtle hints were dropped from time to time, to aid the investigation. Needless to say, readers will be put in the role of detective alongside some notable characters.

The book is radically constructed by which it is a collection of accounts from different people of the period of the Moonstone disappearance (remember we're in the 19th century). While discussed in class, we also discovered radical themes (such as sex! and allegory to virginity! and marrying below class!) which isn't that prevalent in the reality at that period mentioned. So, it was a good read.

And the culprit, yes, it was half the obvious, half the unexpected. 

Needless to say the Moonstone was discovered and sent back to where it belongs. The Battle of Seringapatam (1790-ish) was put to good use. Sorry I doubted you at the beginning.

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; CRANFORD

Title : Cranford

Author : Elizabeth Gaskell

Again, this is a book for my 19th century british fiction course. It took only 3 classes to disembowel, due to being a short novel and on top of that, a realist novel. I remembered the horror of the romantics in class while we started to discuss it! How dreary, plain, and trivial it seemed! Yet with the guidance of our professor, we managed to pick the finer points of Gaskell's, passages that brings weight to the discussion much like how Jane Eyre did.

And in today's class, we ended our discussion of Cranford while sipping Gunpowder green tea. Ironic, eh? For those who've read this book, you'll understand.

Cranford is a snapshot of a provincial village in England in the mid 19th century. This particular town prides itself with its old ways and superiority of women. Gentlemen were scarce, and often sent on errands to the bigger towns of London and Manchester (in this book described as Drumble). A realist novel like Cranford focuses on the details, rather than big events, so we see a lot of attention given to the attire and small incidents that won't merit much a page in Gothic novels like Jane Eyre. (pardon me my references). Although a small town, the society clings still to the hierarchical form of classes, forming an organic society where the 'genteel' prefers the lower classes to exist only for their duties. Yet, much sympathy, comradeship and love comes up in this story.

Championed by two spinsters (Deborah and Matty Jenkyns) and narrated in vignettes by an outsider (Mary Smith), Cranford gives you the comfort of what England should be.

To those who wants to try to venture into the classics but not into reading, I reckon you guys to go on youtube and find the BBC series of Cranford. It's not the exact rendition of the book, but it's a good portrayal of what I think it should be. My professor said the series is a combination of all Gaskell's work, so you might see additional characters and twists of plot, which meshes nicely enough so you'll get the whole picture.

Rating : 9/10 (sorry, realist novel lovers)

BOOK REVIEW; JANE EYRE

Title : Jane Eyre
Author : Charlotte Bronte

Wondered where I've been, what tasks that I labor on this summer? Well I'm taking classes, up till July. And best part, I braved the intricate emotions of mine and enrolled in a literature course (19th century british fiction)! Oh, what joy! Yet how intense and tiring it is, going over plain (19th century) English in search of a hidden meaning. Believe me, closed reading can be mentally exhausting, but rewarding and in a sense, relieving. Those emotions you have stirring under your chest are vented out in group discussions with like minds. Minds who, unlike my usual crowd, dwell on the pages of literature, engrossed in the writer's world rather than reality.

Enough. On to the review.

Jane Eyre, readers (ha! note my associations to the book!) is set in the 19th century, when Britain is seen as the world's  biggest imperialist. The tale unwinds around a girl's life, where poverty and poor relations cast her into the lower rungs of society. She grows up to learn to repress and express alternately at suitable times her emotions and feelings, and this fact has helped her advance in life. From a nobody, to a student, to a teacher, to a governess, and up to a dependent, Jane learns to navigate life and its sufferings with tact. Jane finds love, only to have it flung away in most trying circumstances. 3 marriage proposals, which one had enough clarity and honesty to appeal to Jane? 


Some choice quotes that I don't use for my class discussions, but reverberates in my soul ;

"...For with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him"

"Thought fitted thought; opinion met opinion: we coincided,in short,perfectly."

"And you,sir,you are the most phantomlike of all."

"And your will shall decide your destiny,' he said' 'I offer you my hand, my heart, and a share of all my possessions.' 'You play a farce, which I merely laugh at.''I ask you to pass through life at my side - to be my second self, and best earthly companion.'

"Reader, I married him."


Rating : 10/10 (gothic classic romance, who would say less?)