The Night Circus

The Night Circus is probably one of the greatest fantasy novels I've ever read and after discovering it on my "one random book a week" challenge [Where I pick one random book to read that I either find, get recommended or just see on my Amazon homepage] I loved the entire thing. After being written in 2011 [originally for NaNoWriMo], this novel is perfect for light-reads and for using as an analysis text (which I did).

Characters:

My favourite character is probably Celia as she seemingly represents this state of heroine forced between right and wrong, friends and family, magic and reality and ultimately life and death. Her whole life is like a chess board - black or white with no grey area. She must make decisions that you cannot see characters like Poppet and Widget, Bailey or even Marco or Tsukiko making. 

Themes:

Obviously, the very best theme is the theme of binary realities. Black and White with no grey area. The constant symbol of the chessboard adds to this - and so do the states of Celia's decisions. These all finally build to the grand finale in which Celia must choose between life and death in order to save or kill her opponent (Marco) who is also her lover. This includes betraying Tsukiko and Prospero (her father) and intentionally killing herself. Her choices are solely binary: Lover or Family, Life or Death and Save or Kill. I think this is amazingly explored and deserves more recognition as a major theme. Also, if you want to check out more stuff to do with the binary reality in narrative - check out this theorist: Tzetan Todorov and his Theory of the "Equilibrium". I bet you've heard me mention him more than once - he's quite easy to read so why not have a go and impress your friends with your English Literature Nerd-ism. [I do not own the slides used on this link]. 

Storyline: 

The storyline is amazing, filled with strange and macabre ideas - you can just imagine the Saint-Saens song Danse Macabre playing in the background as you read it. It's amazing, really - don't believe me? Read it for yourself! 

[Also, it's really good to listen to that song in the background when you do read it. I'm a huge advocate for getting into book moods]. 

Verdict:

I give this book 9/9 

100% for character: I really do love Celia and Marco and Poppet and Widget and Tsukiko and even Prospero and the rest of them! I can't choose and it was really difficult to decide that Celia was my favourite character! 

100% for themes: I really got into the theme of binary reality and love the way it's written because it represents that it wants you to make the decision with Celia and carry on reading in order to find out her fate. Her and Marco are the Black and White of the game in The Night Circus. 

100% for storyline: The way this book is written makes it an excellent YA novel and a brilliant light read - I love re-reading it in my spare time and having it on hand whenever all my textbooks are getting too boring and I want something fun and exciting! 

Buy the book?

The Death of Bunny Munro

Apart from the enthralling concentration on drug abuse, this book gives a great insight into the downfall of a man called Bunny Munro and how exactly, he died. Nick Cave presents us with a tragedy that is up there with a Bret Easton Ellis novel - but even more twisted... Twisted, yet brilliant.

Characters:

I believe that Bunny Munro's son - Bunny Jr is probably the best character as he becomes the only person that Bunny actually wants around him. The entirety of Bunny's downfall seemingly takes place quite quickly, but then Bunny Jr steps in as the only dependency his father has anymore. Witnessing it first-hand, he grows up quickly and finds his father's life spinning wildly out of control, yet is unable to do anything to stop it. 

Themes:

I think the theme of morality is most important here. Bunny seems to teach his son the difference between right and wrong and tries to show that he is a good and willing parent. Yet, Bunny does not practice what he preaches and acts completely immorally - especially towards women. Whether you think Bunny deserved his downfall after his wife's death, or whether you feel sympathy towards him; I believe that Bunny taught his son things that normal parents do not. 

Storyline:

In some places, the storyline is a little choppy; as if it's done on purpose. Yet, there is always a sense of urgency about it - as if Bunny could die at any time. You're always left waiting to find out the consequences of Bunny's actions and even though you do not get them immediately, they seemingly accumulate and force their way into Bunny's life. 

Verdict:

I give this book an 9/9

100% for characters: Nick Cave's writing style is brilliant and his critique of characters in a society that does not recognise or acknowledge a man that is self-destructing in their hands is very Bret Easton Ellis-esque. 

100% for themes: The themes established in this novel seem to be a mixture of Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, Less Than Zero and American Psycho. They are beautifully conducted and have a sense of foreboding about them; even if they are positive. 

100% for storyline: Even though it is purposefully choppy, I believe that its purpose is beautiful and it is grotesque where it has to be. A valiant discovery and undoubtedly poignant finding of the "self" and everything Freudian - this book is a great read if you want any genre.  

Jane Eyre

This masterpiece first conducted by Charlotte Bronte tells us the story of a young orphan thrusted into victimisation and insanity as she battles the undying forces of the upper class whilst retaining her sense of humility. Told entirely in first person, through three volumes of buildungsroman - this is the ultimate light read for a Victorian Era fanatic and someone who enjoys the orality of autobiography in a fashion that was not yet seen until the publishing of Jane Eyre itself. 

Characters:

My favourite character throughout the entire novel is Helen Burns. She may not be a major character, but she is one of the major influences on Jane's life. Not only does she teach Jane how to bear the scrutiny and to calm herself down - but she also gives Jane life lessons that she'll take with her to places such as Thornfield Hall and the home of St. John Rivers. Helen's teaching is what gives Jane nerve, courage and humility in a world that Helen tells her is against her in every way. Helen produces claims that the hatred should continue until Jane wises up and masters her own faults - showing the world that she can survive without their help. Jane faces the fact that she is a whiny child and quits complaining about everything - she wises up and takes Helen's advice in order to find her true place in the world. 

Themes: 

The most important theme throughout the entire novel, I believe, is loss and grief. The ways in which Jane deals with losses throughout the novel seemingly change drastically from character to character or place to place. 

*SPOILER ALERT*

DO NOT READ ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ THE BOOK FIRST. 

We shall continue then...

Themes cont'd:

At first, she deals with the loss of Helen; and this is the biggest shock to Jane's life. She seemingly handles it as an emotional outcry and clutches on to Helen's dead body only moments before she is taken away. This is a complete contrast to the way in which she deals with the death of Mrs. Reed. This is because Jane's mannerisms have completely contrasted as she's gotten older and with remembering all of the hatred Mrs. Reed gave her, she does not mourn very much. But, she does not feel glad that Mrs. Reed is dead either; she is simply contented with knowing that Mrs. Reed is not in harm's way anymore and has been put out of her misery. 

Storyline:

The storyline of Jane Eyre is simply a buildungsroman of a young orphan growing up in a world that seemingly hates her. But this is not the only important thing we witness - the main thing we establish from reading the novel is not that it's a world that hates Jane. On the other hand, we have already claimed this as a buildungsroman - which is a book about self-discovery in growing up. This means that we should in fact, be saying that the storyline is about a young orphan discovering that she hates the world she lives in and must come to terms with her own faults if she is to be contented. 

Verdict:

I give this book a 7/9

100% for characters: Helen Burns is one of the most three dimensional characters of the Victorian Literary World. I believe that Helen is the embodiment of the "mentor" in Christian Volger's cycles and mythical structures. A brilliant character with not enough recognition. 

2/3 for themes: Some themes such as youth and beauty are missed out or even forgotten in analysis. We must not forget that Georgiana and Eliza are the personification of shallow beauty when we read a novel like this. We must remember that these two are the contrasts to Jane's character. Yet, I believe this is our fault and not Bronte's.

2/3 for storyline: Sometimes the storyline can be somewhat predictable, or even a little long winded. Such as the section with the red room is pretty long compared to the section dedicated to the death of Mrs. Reed. Somewhat symbolic that one was traumatic and the other was contented, Jane Eyre does not seem to devote time reasonably in places. But, the part where Jane draws Blanche Ingram is simply brilliant and so instead of an initial 1/3, I gave it 2/3. 


Quotation to find!


"Reader, I married him..." 

The Picture of Dorian Gray

I promised I wouldn't review this because I'd go on forever and ever...

One of Wilde's most famous masterpiece's is constructed as a microcosm of aristocratic scrutiny whilst showing us that the maintenance of true youth is almost impossible without a quintessential source of internal corruption. This piece of decadent art makes the very essence of human nature destroy itself and become reborn in a novel that took the gothic genre by storm. 

My favourite novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Character:

Now, my favourite character throughout the entire novel is not Dorian; but it is in fact, Lord Henry "Harry" Wotton. This man seeks to corrupt what Basil knows as incorruptible. He seeks to maintain Dorian's beauty whilst morally unhinging him and creating a mass hysteria amongst the women of London - who boundlessly fall in love with him. I see Lord Henry as Dorian's true source of corruption and, with his paradoxes, seeks to not only unhinge Dorian's mind, but also control it. He speaks of marriage as a subject of "deception" being "absolutely necessary" and states that Dorian has "the only two things worth having" which are "youth and beauty." But, he also tarnishes Dorian's imagination with rough hedonism and images only possible to attain from the experience of cultural and moral denial amongst a world that is so full of intrigue. These ideals make Lord Henry a villain with his intention to do good - his attempts to make Dorian realise his own ability of control are used against him when Dorian becomes the despot of his own image - ruling the beautiful class of London; one killing and one downfall at a time. The painting is therefore an image that Dorian wishes to keep but cannot fully obtain - his youth remains, but the beauty underneath sinks and eventually disappears. This, being the cause of Lord Henry and his influence - is Wilde's description in the preface of "those who look beneath the surface do so at their peril." At this, Lord Henry does in fact look beneath the surface - and unfortunately realises he's created a monster. He pollutes Dorian's mind and all of this can be seen in Chapter 1 in which Lord Henry is outside the studio, smoking in a pure spring garden. All of these allusions to the 'pure' and the 'beautiful' presenting us with the true "burden of beauty" are allusions to Dorian Gray (that we shall meet in Chapter 2). The fact that Lord Henry is smoking in it means that he is polluting the air. A foreshadowing that we can understand to mean that he is polluting Dorian Gray's mind.

Themes:

The best theme in this entire novel is probably the question of morality. Where do we draw the line between what is moral and what is not? 

Dorian Gray seemingly finds justification in his actions by resorting to his youthful ways. He explains that he is inexperienced in dealing with certain situations, but then switches to harsh and unwilling tones through the novel - making it obvious that his beauty has become his "burden" rather than his gift. He denounces Sybil's affection with a harsh tone and uses his youth to his advantage to cause terrible happenings. He looks James Vane in the eyes and asks him that if he had killed his (James') sister, wouldn't he (Dorian) look at least 18 years older because it had been so long... But obviously, James Vane finds out that Dorian "sold his soul to the devil for a pretty face." 

Human understanding is somewhat confused over what this novel means by "moral" and "immoral" because of the era that it is written in. The Victorian Era was a time of gothic morality questioning and a critique of the aristocracy. This was because people now believed that those who had the resources to do wrong, would have the knowledge and want to do wrong. What was considered wrong in this case though, was more of a personal question. For example: lying to one's own self was considered an immoral thing to do, but not wrong upon others. Thus, the self-destruction of the protagonist relies on his ambition to continue lying to himself whilst he gains notoriety for his monstrosity and perfection at different sides of the spectrum. 

Storyline:

The storyline is complex as it is contradictory. I believe that the very nature of contradiction in this Wilde novel is done on purpose to create this ambition of perfection being contradictory of its cause. Wilde's preface tells us everything about the relationship between artist and art - but suppose this isn't an explanation of what happens in the novel between Dorian and Basil, but actually a critique of Wilde's relation to the work itself as a book. As writing is an art. Wilde's purple thread of doom runs through this book as a critique of various things (not entirely negative): aristocracy, art, aesthetics, decadence, beauty, homoeroticism, youth and morality. The only thing that is really positively taken to is homoeroticism as Basil constantly dotes upon Dorian, giving him a heroic view before we've even met him. The entire artistic nature of the novel bases itself on the fact that Dorian Gray is beautiful, but then he quickly turns tragic with his corruption by Lord Henry. The fact that his appearance never changes tells us exactly what we were looking at in Wilde's preface about "looking beneath the surface" and as we too, "look beneath the surface" we tend to find more of Wilde's character than Dorian's, or Basil's, or even Henry's coming out here. The Lacanian viewpoint is that "the reader's interpretation does not reveal the author, but reveals about the reader themselves..." This, I believe is true and in the case of The Picture of Dorian Gray this becomes more and more apparent as Oscar Wilde is, in fact, dead. We cannot possibly know exactly what he was like, so we interpret his book by "looking beneath the surface" and "do so at (our) own peril." Thus showing that Wilde thought of this theory maybe years before Lacan ever did. The storyline therefore is a multiplicity of hypocrisies of the aristocracy and its "reasoning" and its inability to sort what is moral from what is immoral. 

Verdict:

I give this book 10 out of 9 (I know).

100% for character:

Not only Lord Henry, but Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray, Sybil Vane, James Vane and even Lady Agatha and duplicitous characters in a society that not only requires them to be, but also tells them that they shouldn't be. This hypocrisy played out is one of the keys to the lock that holds the downfall of the eponymous protagonist. 

4/3 for themes:

I believe that each one of the themes of this novel is highlighted to its full extent in images that are so impossible to miss, yet easy to misinterpret. Wilde seeks this to attain who his reader really is and what person they are. Whether they view Dorian as a tragic hero, or a valiant villain - whether they view Henry or Basil as the true corruption of Dorian's nature - whether they view Sybil as manipulated by Dorian or simply young and naive. All these aspects do not tell us about Wilde, but in fact tell Wilde about us. 

100% for storyline:

This storyline is so intricate that there a very few (to no) plot holes that we can find. The essence of Dorian's existence relies on the picture being kept safe - but the essence of our understanding requires us to know whether the painting is destroyed. An ideal so basic, yet so very contradictory is one of the many fine art contradictions that are finely artistic about The Picture of Dorian Gray. The very picture being a critique of human existence without being human - yet having the abilities to be. A great storyline pitched on a perfect note - this composition of life and death in a truly decadent society of aristocratic dictatorship of morality seeks to lose us in a fine finish of chaos and cruelty. 

My favourite quotations (for my favourite novel!)

"Marriage is what makes a life of deception absolutely necessary..." - Lord Henry

"You have the only two things in the world worth having. Youth and beauty." 

- Lord Henry

"There are no limits." 

- Lord Henry

"All art is quite useless." 

- Oscar Wilde (Preface)

"Art's aim is to reveal the art and conceal the artist." 

- Oscar Wilde (Preface)

"I feel like I have put too much of myself into it..."

- Basil Hallward

"London was like the dull note of a distant organ..." 

- Omniscient Narrator (Chapter 1)

"...their burden of beauty..." 

- Omniscient Narrator (Chapter 1)

"...only when they saw the rings on the fingers did they realise who it was..." 

- Omniscient Narrator (Chapter 20) 

Julius Caesar

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare is one of those plays where if you enjoy blood, guts and people killing people for no/little reason - you'll love it. The language is evocative as it is duplicitous and the structure of the play slowly murders you as you become enticed with a cyclical reality that spins continuously like a broken record. 

Character:

My favourite character from the play is most probably Cassius. Cassius is a puppeteer of madness and the first domino in the trail of destruction. From the vert first act, Cassius blends concealment with persuasion to influence and interest Brutus' mind in Caesar's victorious return. He warns those around him of Caesar's tyrannous reign, unaware that Brutus is his direct mirror image because of the vast influence he's had. The turn of Cassius is the most important as we must discover where Cassius decides and reforms his morality and ultimately comprehends his own downfall.

Themes: 

The theme of fortune and free will is the most important here, I believe. The free will of Brutus is first manipulated by Cassius and then the Soothsayer attempts to manipulate the imagination of Julius Caesar (to very little avail) - Calphurnia's free will is manipulate with the witness of Julius Caesar's Rome being "covered with blood" - which it metaphorically becomes. Fate and free will become manipulated and reformed like a Rubik's cube so that even the characters are baffled by which is which. We, as the audience, know that nothing in "Julius Caesar" is up to fate - everything is based on a continuation of the chaos theory. One bad idea can cause the deaths of many, many people.

Plot:

The plot of this play is pretty strange:

*SPOILER ALERT*

- In Act 1, we witness the return and celebration of Julius Caesar, in which he is told to "beware the ides of march."

- In Act 2, we watch the scheming of Cassius and the gang to kill Julius Caesar

- In Act 3, they kill Caesar and-

WAIT! They kill Caesar in Act 3? Then, why is the play called Julius Caesar?

Well, the answer is simple.

In order to sell the play, Shakespeare would've had to name it after a well-known historical figure. Not as many people know who Brutus is as people who know who Julius Caesar is. So, this is why the play is called Julius Caesar. Also, because of the fact that the entire play revolves around the image of Brutus slowly evolving into Caesar's before his death in the final act.

Act 4 - we witness the bafflement and intrigue of Cassius and Brutus as they become unreliable and secret from one another.

Act 5 - Death, death and more death. Finally ending with Brutus' suicide.

What a brilliant outlay for an even more brilliant play.

Verdict:

"Experience is the teacher of all things."

A very important quotation in the play that we don't fully pay attention to. But if you do read Julius Caesar, please pay more attention to this quotation. 

I give this play 8/9:

100% for characters: No matter how much you hate him, Cassius is a character not to be reckoned with. A brilliant development of a puppeteer of the play, we can see a three-dimensional experience of tragedy from the very beginning. A revenge plot in a character bursting with anger. His language is evocative and passionate in a world of destruction, finally ending with his own demise. 

100% for themes: The theme of fate and free will isn't questioning how one is different to the other, but how they are both the same. Shakespeare, hundreds of years before any scientist did - questioned the very existence of free will and whether one could achieve it. The self-actualisation of Brutus that causes his suicide is the fact that he realises that none of these events have been acts of free will - but acts of planning and scheming by Cassius. This means that his fate was also controlled in a way he didn't seek to know. From the very start of the plot, we can see that fate and free will are not acts of God - but plans of antagonists seeking desperate revenge. 

2/3 for storyline: Purely because I felt the death scenes were cut a little short. A little underwhelmed by the death of Brutus and Cassius, I sought more solace in the explanation into the death of Caesar; the discussion between Brutus, Cassius and Antony afterwards. The arrival of Octavius and the rise against Brutus. Act 3, Scene 1 was probably the highlight of the whole play for me. 

Moby-Dick; or The Whale

This book's hauntingly great opening resonates over 100 years of literature and echoes the personalities throughout the novel...

"Call me Ishmael."

Character:

That first line gives us a personality and hides us from one. Ishmael is a great sailor who witnesses Queequeg's descending into madness first hand and even at one point, thinks he's killed himself. A brilliant opening that still, after so many years of reading it, brings tears to my eyes; Herman Melville creates a beautifully poetic tone from the first line - preparing us for a character who is emotive, perceptive and evocative beyond our wildest imaginations.

Themes:

A brilliantly airy and poignant theme of perception and reality is found in this novel to those who seek things below the ocean's surface. Small phrases that change the tone ever so slightly, as if Ishmael wants us to know something - but then retracts, conceals, or debunks the information/theory that you have. Perception - is greatest when we see Queequeg at his worst and we witness the solidarity of Ishmael first hand. The isolation blended with the need for compassion and requirement of morality only makes our perceptions greater, more profound and raises questions evermore. 

Storyline:  

I don't want to reveal too much of the novel, as I want you to read it. But this novel's premise is upon the ocean - making it a multi-layered morality check for the characters and a wide open space in which Melville composes a grand masterpiece on an international scale. This novel's storyline intertwines the lives of humans and whales - putting them in a hierarchy as they move ever closer to becoming one of the same - we question a monstrosity and they question ours in return. Whoever they are eludes us until the very last line of the novel. But, from the beginning, we must trust a man who tells us to: Call (him) Ishmael. A line that we can only assume, reveals his honesty in a world seeking shelter from liars and betrayers alike. A world where honesty is a dangerous and elusive thing tossed about undignified - we cannot make top or tail of who we believe portrays honesty, but seeks compassion in his solidarity.

Verdict:

I give this book 9.

100% for characters: 

"Call me Ishmael." - Needn't I say anymore? 

100% for themes:

A perceptive glance at the world through the eyes of the man who is still trying to figure out his own existence. We get a first hand incite into a world packed full of philosophy and existentialism as if we were witnessing someone else's death and rebirth in their own lucid dream.

100% for storyline:

A brilliantly simple storyline woven around human and sea relationships. We know that land is not enough for humans and that we must have more than we can handle - but maybe the Nantucket bit off more than they could chew in this tragedy of morality and passion as they move as one towards an elusive and artistic design based around madness and descent. 

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

This book by Thomas Hardy is one of the beautifully tragic novels of the Victorian Era. Some might say that it is depressing as Hell (I quote that from my work colleague). In summary, this novel is a great read if you're looking for something complete and incomplete - something pretending to be pretentious - something that may just provoke more thought than you intended it to. 

Characters:

The eponymous protagonist - Tess, is the central and most three dimensional character in the novel. We also have Alec and Angel who are beautifully villainous characters. But Tess embodies the mobility of tragedy in a world filled with classism and cruel intentions. The life of a woman - misbelieved, misinterpreted and mistaken - is told in a poetically absurd style that makes us feel as if we are stuck in a Shakespearean tragedy told through the narrative of a story. It keeps bringing us back to the fact that this woman is tragic and helpless in a society that pins her up like a puppet, only for her puppeteers to take advantage of her strings. A crafted, yet crafty character who ends up turning her own fate and then losing all sense of control of it. She is both in control and out of control at the same time. 

Themes:

Obviously, the most complete theme is tragedy. The best part of this "complete" theme is that it is completely incomplete. We are left like a pendulum stuck in motion between the separation of good and bad in a world where gender and class are the pinnacles of gossip, oppression and evocative intrigue. The tragedy is word-of-mouth and acts of the people on the outskirts of those involved, which makes it weave like a spider web, from the inside outside. Then, like a spiral of a phobia - from the outside to the inside. Ultimately, it all ends up in Tess's hands - whether she can control this tragedy or not - it will still happen. 

Storyline:

The entirety of the storyline destroys its own senses of ambiguity at the end of the novel. This is a symbolic moment as the same tragedy is encountered by Tess and notably symbols and signposts this sense of losing control. This manic hysteria of misunderstanding and misinterpretation - and this is the very essence of the novel. Gossip and intrigue are caused by misunderstanding and the lack of knowledge in the states of gender and the hierarchal perspectives on the class system. Revolving around these primary concepts of gender, class, intrigue, gossip, wealth, love and hatred - we can only assume that only the worst can come up for Tess and her self-respect.

Verdict:

I give this book a 8 out of 9

100% for characters: Tess is a beautifully dramatic character that embodies a catharsis of a denouement in a world completely out of control when it comes to gender and class. A violent world erupting with sadness has only one character that seemingly takes it all like a storm strikes thunder

2/3 for themes: Even though the themes of this book are beautifully written and ever so poetic - the tragedy is seemingly shortcut, just like this sent-

100% for storyline: Seeing as this is my best friend's favourite book she'll probably kill me if I write anything bad about it. Just please, read it!