manatad's reviews
24 reviews

The Palace of Love by Jack Vance

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I was excited to start this book, but my enthusiasm waned the further along I read. It's hard for me to describe exactly what it is that I didn't like about it as much. It might have simply been that it featured my least favorite cast of characters yet, with Viole Falushe being my least favorite of the demon princes so far. I guess he was the most human compared to the rest in the way that he had the most immature and emotional motivations for his crimes, and that made him even more detestable to me. I was also not very enthralled with the story mostly taking place on Earth in northern Europe, since I love reading about Gersen's excursions to other planets. For me, the most entertaining part of the novel was Gersen's little stint in acquiring Cosmopolis magazine. And as a side note I was a little uncomfortable with how much every teenage girl was desired by the older male characters, but I also found it unsurprising in this storyline with its themes regarding power and ownership of women. Anyway, The Palace of Love didn't quite hit the spot for me in the same way the previous two installments in the series did, but I am still eager to start the next one. 
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The Killing Machine by Jack Vance

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I enjoyed this book significantly more than The Star King, the first book in the series. I found the story, the settings, and the characters more intriguing and a bit less flat than in the previous book. Even Gersen himself was a bit more likeable. I suppose the romantic subplot serves to show a more amusing side of his character. The book starts pretty slow, but by the time I reached the second half, it was hard for me to put it down. I feel eager to read the next book now. 
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Ματίλντα by Roald Dahl

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Άλλη μια σπουδαία πρόταση απ' τη δασκάλα μου. Ήταν και η πρώτη μου φορά διαβάζοντας ένα βιβλίο του Ρόαλντ Νταλ παρά το γεγονός που είναι ένας από τους πιο διάσιμους παιδικούς συγγραφείς της αγγλικής γλώσσας, αλλά τέλος πάντων...

Η Ματίλντα είναι πραγματικά φανταστική και αστεία ιστορία που έχει κάποια από τα πιο γοητευτικά και τα πιο απαίσια πρόσωπα που έχω ξαναδιαβάσει ποτέ σε κανένα βιβλίο. Απορρίφτηκα εντελώς στο υπέροχο μυαλό της Ματίλντα, τις πονηρές της τιμωρίες και την επιθυμία της να κάνει πάντα το σωστό και το δίκαιο. Το μύνημα που πήρα απ' το βιβλίο είναι πόσο σημαντικό είναι το να φερόμαστε σε παιδιά με τρυφερότητα και κατανόηση, κι επίσης το να μην τα υποτιμάμε ποτέ. 
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The Star King by Jack Vance

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

For what I expected to be a revenge story, The Star King was not nearly as dark or as violent as I thought it would be. The protagonist is motivated by a pragmatic sense of duty more than he is by hatred, and most of the nasty stuff that occurs in the story is either implied or not described in gross detail. The highlight of the book, for me, was definitely its worldbuilding. The characters, though one-dimensional, were also fairly distinct and memorable. 
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

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adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

After revisiting this book since I read it for the first time 13 years ago, I think I can see why it didn't leave a very big impression on me, especially compared to the other dystopian novels I had read around the same time, Brave New World and 1984 (the latter I had also revisited last year). Fahrenheit 451 certainly does describe a few interesting and relevant observations about people's shortening attention spans and resistance to confronting challenging or uncomfortable topics, but I don't agree with the whole "books good, TV bad" sentiment that is strongly expressed throughout the novel. And while its warning message regarding censorship was undeniably relevant at the time when it was written, I'm not sure that it still holds up in the context of today's world. I guess some say now that it's more of a warning against political correctness, but even that interpretation feels like sort of a cop-out to me. 

My favorite thing about the novel is actually Ray Bradbury's writing style. I found his imaginative use of simile to be quite wonderful, and I did sense a feeling of great passion from the book in general. I think the short length of the novel is appropriate too, because the prose would very likely have worn out its charm if I had to read 300 pages or more of it. 

There's not much else I can say about such a famous book that hasn't already been said a hundred times before. Overall, I think it is an enjoyable read, and quick, so there is no reason for anybody who is interested to not to read this classic. 
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Ο μικρός πρίγκιπας by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Χαίρομαι να γράψω ότι έχω διαβάσει επιτέλους το πρώτο μου βιβλίο στα ελληνικά! Ήτανε πολύ δύσκολο να καταφέρω, αλλά έχω νιώσει μεγάλη βελτίωση αφού άρχισα. Αξίζει τελείως. 

Αυτό το βιβλίο διάλεξα γιατί η δασκάλα μου μού το πρότεινε συγκεκριμένα. Είναι κοντό στο μήκος του και κάπως ευθύ σχετικά τα θέματά του, δηλαδή είναι κατάλληλο για κάποιον του επίπεδό μου. Αν και είχε πάρα πολλές λέξεις που έπρεπε να ψάξω (πάνω από 500 να πω την αλήθεια), το αγάπησα παρά τις δυσκολίες. 

Ενώ φαίνεται καταρχήν σαν αθώο παιδικό βιβλίο, είναι πραγματικά μία ιστορία με βαθιά θέματα σχετικά αγάπη, φιλία, αποχωρισμό και χάσιμο. Προκαλεί και την φαντασία. Μ' έκανε να γελάσω και μ' έκανε να κλάψω. Δεν έχω συγκινηθεί πολύ καιρό από ένα βιβλίο. Δεν μπορώ να πιστέψω ότι δεν είχα ακούσει ποτέ για αυτό το βιβλίο μέχρι πρόσφατα! 

Θα πρότεινα αυτό το βιβλίο σε σχεδόν οποιοσδήποτε. Θα μου άρεσε και κάποια μέρα να διαβάσω την αγγλική μετάφραση. Μπορεί να μου δώσει διαφορετική αίσθηση. 
Dracula by Bram Stoker

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adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The Iliad: A New Translation by Peter Green by Homer

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4.0

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

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2.0