REVIEW || 'Inferno' by Dan Brown
“Dante's poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human spirit to endure any challenge, no matter how daunting.”
★★★★ [4] Stars
“Dante’s poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human spirit to endure any challenge, no matter how daunting.”
Let's just cut to the chase - I'm a Dante Alighieri fanatic. I have read The Divine Comedy in its entirety several times as well as Vita Nuova. Inferno is one of my favorite literary works of all time. My high school literature teacher is to thank for my continued obsession with Dante and his classic works. My obsession carried through to my college studies - I went as far as adding a much needed cultural break to my strict, rigid journalism courses by enrolling in a course entitled "The World of Dante." Needless to say, when my mother received the "pre-sale" email from Barnes and Noble regarding Dan Brown's newest work, she forwarded the purchasing information to me immediately!
As a true book nerd and lover of the written word, I'm ashamed to admit that until I read Dan Brown's Inferno, I had only watched the movies based on his controversial, critically-acclaimed novels. The arguments and debates surrounding his earlier works inspired me to dive in to Inferno head first.
My initial thought upon closing the book - I feel as if I have just visited Italy. Having never actually been to Europe, it was hard for me to picture all the different locations. Sometimes Brown's descriptions were a bit too lengthy. At times, it appeared he only added details to extend the length of the novel. I know he intended to paint a perfect picture for the audience, but it was a bit too tedious for me.
The premise of the book was absolutely fascinating and timely. I thoroughly enjoy books that I cannot predict, and Brown's Inferno perfectly satisfied that love. I actually really enjoyed Sienna Brooks as a character. Her frailty as a young, misunderstood woman really appealed to me. Though she developed very little, I feel she grew more than any other character in the novel. Brown exposing her motives and the desires that drove them was a refreshing relief. My loathing of her deceptive character greatly diminished, and I actually began to understand her actions (not saying I agree with them, just saying she made me think).
Overall, this book has convinced me to read his other novels. Not my favorite read of all time, but it was definitely intriguing. It gave me an opportunity to live through Dante yet again. Any book that gives me that chance has a permanent place on my bookshelves.
REVIEW || 'The Casual Vacancy' by J.K. Rowling
“It frightened people when you were honest; it shocked them.”
★★★ [3] Stars
“It frightened people when you were honest; it shocked them.”
★★★
3/5 Stars
I absolutely adore JK Rowling. Her writing style is brilliant, and her imagination knows no bounds as evidenced by the worldwide phenomenon of Harry Potter. She stole my heart long ago as an elementary school girl, and I knew that regardless of the novels central themes or plot, I would adore this book.
Then I started reading the book. The first 200 pages or so were pretty slow...Rowling spent so much time setting the stage for several different families that she almost forced me to lose interest. The best way to compare the structure of this book is to compare it to the likes of the movies "Valentine's Day," "Love Actually" or "New Year's Eve" in that there are so many intertwined stories. Don't compare the cheesy love story aspects of those movies with the deep, dark authenticity of this book.
After the first 200 pages, I could not put the book down. It kept pulling me in...to me, the underlying theme in this novel is truth. This work exposes the raw truth behind every person. It touches on just about everything you can imagine - rape, death, cheating, lying, dating, marriage, adoption, abuse, neglect, drugs, addiction, mental instability. I'm not sure it missed any potential skeletons hidden in closets around the world.
I find it brilliant that Rowling used personal influences to help build her characters. In interviews, she has stated that at least two of the characters combined are her estranged father. The fact that she has these real-life experiences to base her characters on provides unmeasurable depth.
I feel as if the book moved slowly in the beginning, then once the action began, it happened all at once. Especially the last 100 pages. I was in a constant state of shock with every new development. That's my main reason for knocking the book from a perfect 5 - plot development. I feel that JKR wouldn't have lost so many initial readers had there been some type of action to draw people in. Those of us that respect her as an author owed it to her to see it through. I am one of those people, and I was definitely not disappointed.
I would recommend this book to someone who is ready to take the plunge from the perfect bubble that was "Potter World." If you're not able to wrap your brain around the fact that JKR will succeed as a writer outside of Harry Potter, first of all, you're not a true fan. Secondly, I am sad to say you're missing out on a brilliant, truthful, raw piece of literature.
Well done JKR, well done.