wandering_meditations's reviews
84 reviews

Caravan of Dreams by Idries Shah

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informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

This book is a collection of stories, sayings, and proverbs that aims to teach us about various topics and life in general. One of my favourite passages:
"show me a man who thinks that he knows what 'good' is, and I will probably be able to show you a horror of a person. Show me a person who really knows what 'good' is, and I will show you that he almost never uses the word"
The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy

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

4.0

Before reading this book I knew how much Tolstoy was criticized and attacked for it when it got published, being labelled a misogynist among other names. After reading, I have to say I disagree with the criticizers. 

There is nothing remotely misogynistic about this novel at all. In fact, Tolstoy doesn't just attack women for the "excesses of sensuality", but he also attacks men, stating that the abundance of food and the physical idleness a lot of men have is a leading cause of debauchery and "excesses of sensuality". Furthermore, just because Pozdnyshev ends up killing his wife in an 'honour/rage' killing, doesn't mean Tolstoy is supporting that. In fact, at the end of the novel Pozdnyshev REGRETS what he did and begs forgiveness, not just from his dying wife but even from the narrator who he tells the story to on the train. Tolstoy was merely pointing out the fact that in Russia at the time, men could get away with committing such heinous crimes.
Pukhtun: An Insight by Asif Niazi

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informative medium-paced

3.0

This book focuses on the cultural aspect of the Pashtun people. It is not in-depth nor is it an academic work, it's intended for a laymen audience.
The Russian Religious Mind, Volume I, Kievan Christianity by G. P. Fedotov

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4.0

The Devil by Leo Tolstoy

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Terrific story from Tolstoy. If you liked Death of Ivan Ilych, you'll enjoy this one too. This story is probably the 'darkest' Tolstoy story I've read.
The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe by Barry Cunliffe

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informative medium-paced

5.0

This is a very in-depth book on the history, culture, religion, and traditions of the Scythian people and all their off-shoots like the Saka, Massagetai, Sarmatians, and Alans. This book may not be ideal if you're an absolute beginner in this topic (it might be too in-depth for you), but if you already have a general understanding of who the Scythians were and the greater context of their time and place, then this book will be great for you.
Entangled by Graham Hancock

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

3.0

Overall the story was not bad - it was engaging enough, but not breathtaking or innovative. Spoilers:
The main issue is that the story never technically finished. During the whole book it was said Sulpa/Jack is the 'big bad man' that needs to be defeated, but they never did. It's almost as if this book was supposed to be a trilogy (book 2 would've been Ria saving Leoni from underworld, book 3 would've been the final showdown against Sulpa)
Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires by John A. Tyler

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informative

4.0

A great book overall. If you're new to Afghan history, this book is perfect. It isn't too detailed or in-depth, but gives a great overview of Afghan history going back to Alexander the Great all the way to the Taliban takeover in 2021.
The Book of Enoch by Enoch

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informative medium-paced

3.0

the translation by RH Charles is written in Shakespearean-like English, so it may be a bit hard to understand at times. I noticed some of the chapter headings (which are in Roman numerals) are wrong, so it might throw you off.
The content of the Book of Enoch itself is okay. There's a lot of repetition, about 75% of the entire text can be summarized as "God will punish the sinners. The righteous will be saved". 
The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy

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dark hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Another terrific story from Tolstoy.
This book forces you to rethink your own mortality, life, and relationships. If you want a 'real' and fulfilled life, you must not live for the sake of living, but rather you must cultivate compassion for people, build empathetic connections with others, and accept that one day you will die.