Cleopatra and Frankenstein

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By Coco Mellors

This is a debut novel by the author.

I started of thinking if this is a romance novel. The story starts with the meet-cute and that is highly unlikely for a romantic novel. And hence this book is. Cleopatra and Frankenstein is more than romance, it is more than a relationship, but it dwells deeper into the aspects of life and the people it is embedded with.

Cleo is an art student from London, who lives in US and she might have to leave the country sooner and that’s when she meets Frank and they talk, flirt and like each other. Six months in, they get married. There is a constant doubt in the air whether they married for love or out of desperation. Frank is 40-something ad exec, while Cleo is trying to figure out an identity for herself.

The dynamics of their individual lives is already a lot, let alone the life they try to work out together. Cleo’s friendship with Quentin doesn’t make things easier. She had the longest friend in him. But, the perception of his life makes Quentin even more hard to work with. He tries to establish a status around Cleo, on how his friendship with Cleo will never be matched by any relationship of hers, be it her marriage.

It starts from a point where Quentin tries desperately to suppress his feelings to being immature about them. His hold on drugs and sabotaging relationships makes things go even more harder to restore to normalcy and adds on to Cleo’s plate. The uncertainty grappling both of them, makes their friendship go more incomprehensible.

Zoe, Frank’s sister tries to find her place in Frank’s life after his marriage to Cleo. She is studying and is monetarily dependent on Frank. Cleo wants to have a friendly relation with Zoe, for she feels Zoe can understand her more than any of the people in Frank’s circle because of their age as well as she knows how important is Zoe to Frank. Zoe and Cleo share a bond, but which the author fails to take it any further.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein’s side characters had a vivid life with too many details, but it misses when they just disappear as side characters. The author was trying to show how everyone in this world made sense but actually couldn’t make it to a point. Eleanor and a possible affair, completely drives the plot to a whole another path. I liked how Eleanor’s life was written in first person, it is hard to not like Eleanor. She is a simple 30-something woman who is still figuring out her life with her own set of obstacles.

Sometimes, it felt like Coco really liked the side characters and she went on talking about them and suddenly gets reminded of whom the book is about and returns back to them. But it is hard to not fall in love with them, so who am I to blame !

The plot was too short, too chaotic to give them a space to fill. It encompasses on relationship, marriage, friendships sometimes complicated, trauma and separation. But it was a whole less soup with many ingredients. They were flavorful, yes, but could have had much more as well.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein is an interesting read, you can take up your cup of coffee and enjoy the drama it has to unfold. Would have loved it more, if for less sway.

Rating: 4/5

3 Books that made me Happy

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Everyone has impeccable interest on how to become happy. There are numerous articles, videos and even research papers dictating ways to make a human soul happy. Undoubtedly, I embarked on the same journey a year ago. I was on a quest to unlock my happiness chest.

On this way, I stumbled upon numerous paths across the internet. But finding the one that suited me took a while, and most importantly following that took me months of consistency and effort.

These 3 books were the most important ones that paved the way to my journey towards happiness.

1. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh

Meditation or I would like to term it as a tool for mindfulness, is one of the most widely recognized ways to attain peace. Thich Nhat Hanh, known as the father of mindfulness, in this book establishes that mindfulness is simply focusing on the present. Often, in our busy schedule and lifestyle, we are carried away through the day without us being able to pin-point our activity during a particular time of the day. This is a clear indicator of how less mindful we are.

Following this book, was no easy task for me. I am not the person who does a single task at hand at a time. I used to multi-task, that often affects the quality of those tasks. I used to go through my mundane tasks, by listening to songs or podcasts. But I believe most of us are. Thich Nhat Hanh, says however mundane let the work be, it should be done mindfully and bring your mind to the present gradually, when you find it wavering around. He advises to live a mindful life and not just do minutes-long eye-closed meditation and call it a day. Truly it was Miracle of Mindfulness.

2. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I stumbled upon this book and loved the concept of it. Gretchen takes us through a year of her life, 12 months with 12 new things she introduces each month to cultivate happiness in her life. Gretchen describes her life as not good and not bad, she can’t rejoice and feel happy, even if things were good. That’s when she started this.

The practical guidelines that helped her, along with her good and bad moments of living by the resolutions she established gives an interesting perspective on things and helped me to adapt as per my life.

Let me share some of the concepts that bestowed a significant impact on me.

First, Boost Energy. I was tired and had nearly 0 energy at the end of the day to do anything interesting and it also affected the mood and my relationships with people. This first phase, she starts on January. Exercise, sleeping early and at regular time and acting more energetic helped me on the long run to gain my energy and that considerably influenced my relationships as well.

Buy some Happiness. This was about how to use money on modest splurges to be more happy. I started to buy needful things and small bytes of happiness. I loved gifting people and seeing their happy faces. To feel good, do good.

Overall, it is an interesting read to look on in Gretchen’s journey towards happiness and even more interesting to embark on our journey alongside.

3. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

In this book, Jay Shetty reveals the findings of his own quest to being monk and unlocking the purpose of his life. Finding a purpose and living by it is the most proven methods to be happy. Jay tells us how he had started meditating little by little to lead a meaningful and mindful life. Other principles like, quit complaining gives us a positive outlook on ourselves and in front of others. Some of his advises proved fruitful, while I should say, after few chapters it felt monotonous.

But, I am sure this will be a good start for anyone who has no reservations about a monk life and is open about it. The book, in no way, asks you to leave your life and become a monk, but rather poses an even more challenging task of staying in your own life with responsibilities and commitments and still act like a monk.

These are my most interesting as well as helpful reads while hunting for the happiness treasure chest. Hope you read it as well and let me know other books that helped you in your life.

A Humorous Journey Through ‘Breakfast of Champions’ by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. – Analysis and Review

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I have known about Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s famous book Slaughter House Five, and it is still in my tbr list. But a friend of mine suggested this book, with the pretext that this is kind of dark humor book. This is my first humor read. There are so many interesting things about this book. Let me share them one by one.

A Feast of Humor

As I already mentioned this is my first humor read, I was piqued and enjoyed the author’s satire. He adds these drawings, often to elaborate the context, helps in interpreting and gives a companionship oddly. Let me explain; So you read this book alone right, sitting somewhere at your home or a public place, you continue reading the book. The marriage of words that induce a quick chuck under your breath, arises with the doubt, wait is that what he meant?! These drawings, somehow reinforce the absurdity at times, and gives you company of the author in the chaos. At the very least, those drawings meant that way to me.

I am the Creator

Let me quickly summarize the plot before I go any further. Dwayne Hoover is a well-established used Pontiac car dealer in Midland City and he owns various other businesses as well. His wife died by suicide recently and he is lived by a son. Kilgore Trout is a science fiction writer. He has written many novels and short stories, but he is not aware if his works are published, because he sends them to random publications without any follow-up. Sometimes, he finds his work in porn magazines. He has three ex-wives and a son.

Kurt reveals that these two characters meet and that meeting is not going to be a pleasant one, as Dwayne is losing his sanity gradually. The whole book then focusses on things that are most often irrelevant, ( let me come to this later ), while also expanding on the journey of the two characters, circumstances they dwell in and the thoughts of the individuals, with overpowering narration.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., often confronts the characters and takes ownership of their being. As of now, I haven’t read a book where the author interferes with the characters this way. This also indicates that the author can actually take the plot to any length and not follow the rules we expect, that the story must follow. It jolts the reader to pay attention as well as wonder why the author takes over control at times. It does not fail to give the idea that, the perspective is what matters and there is no one who has control over things. This idea will be carried forward by one of the Kilgore Trout’s works and Dwayne Hoover interpretation leads to the course of that one meeting, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. described at the start of the book.

Post Modernism

I didn’t have any idea about this book being an attempt of post-modernist work, while reading the book. A quick internet search revealed this to me and after that, the book made sense to me.

So Kurt Vonnegut Jr. put forward this work of his, Breakfast of champions as his 50th birthday gift to himself. The interference with his characters and the absurd stuffs that he disguises in the form of Kilgore Trout’s sci-fi stories, creates a chaos where search for order is kindled.

Postmodernism embraces ambiguity, complexity, and the idea that meaning is subjective and context-dependent. It often incorporates elements of past styles and rejects the notion of a linear progression in art, literature, philosophy, and other disciplines. Postmodernism encourages a playful and self-aware approach to storytelling, art, and thought, acknowledging the influence of diverse perspectives and the impact of mass media on shaping contemporary culture.

So, there was no purpose of certain narrations of the author. There need not be a purpose is the idea. The notion of finding a purpose in the life, following and there by growing is an illusion. There is no need for us to contemplate, understand and live by the higher order. Sometimes and some things are devoid of order and its complexity puts forward the essence of perspectives and subjectivity. To establish a non-linear storytelling style with his own signature of humor elements elevates the book to being an interesting read to an introspective read as well.

Conclusion

Breakfast of Champions also puts forward the idea of how we judge someone by the wrong things, often things that don’t matter. The title itself is a ploy by the author. I enjoyed reading this book and more that that, reflecting on it. If you need a fun, humorous and easy read, this book is a go-to. Fingers crossed to read his other works !

Rating: 4/5

Navigating Grief: A Candid Review of ‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ by Joan Didion

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Do you remember that I had the goal of reading at least one of Joan Didion’s book in 2023, when the year began?

So here we go, let me embark on a heartfelt exploration of grief with Joan Didion’s ‘The Year of Magical Thinking.’ The book contained everything that a book on grief will venture upon, say the emotional depth, moments of reflection, but needless to say the narrative’s repetitive nature for emphasis, made me lose attention as well.

Compelling Introspection in Early Chapters

Didion’s eloquence invites readers to introspect on their own experiences of loss. The narrative skillfully captures the universal nature of grief, resonating with those who have navigated similar emotional landscapes.

In the opening chapters, Didion’s poignant prose captivates, into an introspective exploration of grief. Her raw and unfiltered reflections create a profound connection, making it a compelling read for anyone grappling with loss.

I was able to completely relate to her grief, it brought back my own memories, which I often wish, they were parts of a nightmare. The surrealness she describes, when she realizes her husband has passed away, not in the first night but in the upcoming nights, when she will be all alone, grappling the grief single-handedly is what the true form of grief seems like. One can not escape feeling sorry and heartbroken if they haven’t experienced such a personal loss.

Navigating the Labyrinth of Repetition

While the initial allure remains, the narrative encounters hurdles with repetitive content. The revisiting of certain themes may lead to occasional bouts of boredom, as the storytelling seemingly retraces familiar emotional territories.

Yet, as the narrative progresses, the recurrence of certain themes becomes apparent, posing a challenge to sustained engagement. The book revisits emotional landscapes, occasionally leading to a sense of monotony tested my patience.

An Unflinching Portrayal of Despair

As the story unfolds, a prevailing sense of hopelessness begins to overpower. Didion’s unflinching portrayal of grief can be emotionally taxing, making it a challenging read for those seeking a more uplifting perspective.

I read this book when I was reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin parallelly. In fact, the idea of reading this book was inspired by her book, which dedicates a chapter for gratitude and introspection. She explains how the grief memoirs made her feel the intensity of luck bestowed upon her. More on this book later…!

Hence, when I was reading with this mindset, the journey through ‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ became increasingly challenging as a pervasive sense of hopelessness permeates the narrative. The emotional weight may be overwhelming for readers seeking a more balanced exploration of grief and healing.

‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ by Joan Didion offers a profound exploration of grief, prompting introspection and connection. However, the repetitive nature and the overarching sense of hopelessness may pose challenges for some readers, leading to moments of disengagement.

Rating: 3/5

Image credits: amazon

Monstrously Brilliant: Exploring the Depths of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a timeless masterpiece, captivates readers with its haunting narrative and profound exploration of human nature. In this review, let’s delve into the intricacies of Shelley’s magnum opus, examining its thematic richness, compelling characters, and enduring relevance.

Unraveling the Narrative Tapestry

Shelley weaves a tapestry of suspense and horror, skillfully blending Gothic elements with philosophical depth. The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who defies the laws of nature by creating a sentient being. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, adding layers of complexity that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

In the dark recesses of Shelley’s prose, the reader is enveloped in an atmosphere of chilling suspense. From Victor’s feverish pursuit of knowledge to the creature’s poignant self-discovery, every twist in the narrative is a masterstroke of literary prowess.

Characters that Transcend Time

Frankenstein introduces characters that resonate across centuries. The novel doesn’t seem like a work of 1818. Victor Frankenstein’s tragic ambition and the creature’s existential quest for identity offer a profound commentary on the human condition. The depth of characterization elevates the novel beyond a mere horror story, making it a timeless exploration of morality and empathy. It can be rightly termed as gothic fiction.

Shelley’s characters are not mere specters in a Gothic tale; they are vessels of universal truths. Victor’s ambition mirrors our relentless pursuit of progress, while the creature’s isolation reflects the consequences of societal rejection. The yearning of the monster to have at least one life beside him to truly understand his nature and who he has become, resonates the human mind that longs for sense of belonging to a community, often bound by love.

Shelley tackles ethical dilemmas, the consequences of unchecked scientific ambition, and the societal rejection of the ‘other.’ The novel’s relevance persists, echoing warnings about the ethical implications of modern scientific advancements.

The book was written in a period when curiosity of mankind was proving to bear fruits. Industrial Revolution was transforming all walks of life. As society grapples with ethical questions surrounding technology and artificial intelligence, Frankenstein’s cautionary tale gains renewed significance. Shelley’s exploration of scientific responsibility remains a pertinent guidepost in the face of our own technological advancements.

In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein stands as a literary colossus, weaving a narrative that transcends time and speaks to the deepest recesses of the human psyche. Its enduring themes, unforgettable characters, and philosophical depth ensure its place as a masterpiece that continues to resonate with readers across generations. Dive into the world of Frankenstein, where horror meets profound introspection, and discover a timeless tale that remains as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.

Rating: 3.5

Adelaide

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By Genevieve Wheeler

Before delving into the review of this book, I would like to take a moment to applaud myself for reading a romance novel, well something close to the genre after being slapped by a book I didn’t like of the same genre.

I am just feeling good about myself that, even though I decided maybe romance books are not my cup of tea, and I would only end up enjoying non fiction or maybe thriller books, I still was open to books that are not in my comfort zone. And sometimes, as they say when you step out of your comfort zone is when you realize the true beauty the world has to offer.

Adelaide was one such beauty the literary world has to offer. It is primarily about Adelaide Williams’ relationship with Rory Hughes, but also makes sure the readers are told enough about the characters, to understand the decisions and the reactions when something occurs. It is a no surprise book, as for me, it doesn’t make us feel dumb, it won’t let us wonder, what is going on!

The narrative is not exactly linear, but in glimpses we get to understand the past of the protagonist. Adelaide, true to its name, concentrates on Adelaide, her understanding of the relationship, while also providing an overhead narration of Rory’s behavior, so the reader can take a chill backseat and witness the drama that unfolds.

But, the book does a very good job in having the readers’ hand at the edge of the page to immediately turn without wasting a millisecond to know what happens next.

You have to love fiercely, and unselfishly, and with intention. It’s the only way.

Mental Health

The book begins with the chapter that stresses on mental health, the events of Adelaide’s life and how she handles it, how hard she strives to establish an ounce of stability is very thought provoking.

Life is not a pond. It doesn’t come with cute little water birds and lilies, but it’s an ocean that comprises of huge whales, sharks and deep sea currents. But it sure does house cute jellyfish or oysters.

Adelaide has her ups and downs, she feels each of them very strongly. At twenty-six, she moves to another continent from her home and pursues her masters. Life has a lot for her in shelves. When she gets to unravel them, she is sure surprised and shocked; delighted and depressed; surfs through and gets stuck, sometimes, of course.

Closing Thoughts

I don’t want to give a label to this book, giving a clear picture of what to expect. I don’t believe in labeling stuffs when it makes me feel something and makes me question even further. I often feel labeling might make it look like it is tangible. But, when we are unable to make up our mind about what is that I feel, we get to feel even deeper.

Adelaide made me feel deeper. In a very easy to read narrative, Genevieve did a great job in writing a heart-felt novel.

LOVE ONLY COMES IN WHOLE

Sometimes it’s the very less combination of simple words that provokes something within us to empathize with the world.

Rating: 4.5

Image credits: https://genevieveewheeler.files.wordpress.com/

Twists of Imagination: Reflecting on ‘Kafka on the Shore’ and ‘Bunny’

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I read Kafka on the shore a while back and Bunny recently. Both the books are totally different in genre and the world they delve into, but the one commonality I could find was, both of them left me confused at the end. To make it very clear, I am not comparing these two books, but just reflecting on how I felt after both the reads and trying to analyze how they might impact the readers.

Kafka on the shore
Bunny

A quick intro to both the books

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami is a contemporary fiction/fantasy set in Japan. It involves around two characters Kafka Tamura, a 15 year-old boy and Nakata, an elderly man who can speak to cats but has lost his memory after an incident in his childhood. The book begins with narrating both their stories alternately. It proceeds to unfold its magical realism when both of these characters meet.

Bunny by Mona Awad is a dark academia and satirical fiction book set in American college campus. Samantha, who is a young fiction writer, mostly writes on dark themes, gets admitted to a prestigious MFA program. But things get difficult and weird as other members of the cohort are privileged and Samantha has quite strong and mixed feelings on the four women whom she finds, calling each other Bunny.

Enigmatic style and other similarities

Both of the books were good in blurring the boundaries of reality and imagination. By introducing elements of magical realism, it often results in ambiguity and frankly difficulty in categorizing them as truth and dream.

Kafka runs away from his home, displaying a coming of age scenario. But Murakami underplayed that style of narration to let the character to have his freedom to be adult and explore his self. When his actions quite often relate that of an young adult, rather than a teenage boy. On the other hand, Samantha is doing her masters, so we can assume that she is in her twenties. But most of the reactions that Samantha displays often becomes close to how a typical teenager behaves, hence I had quite a time to scoff at the book, but this is for a later time. Moving on…

Both the protagonists isolate, alienate themselves to an extent from their peers. When Kafka goes to the library, the conversations he has with the librarian and Saeki, clearly conveys that he is mature for his age and he is perfectly capable of holding interesting conversations with adults and also bring insights to the table. He also refuses explicit help and tries to take care of his own self. Similar scenario goes on with Samantha, she tries to persuade her instructor to pursue her semester individually and not with the group that she was assigned to. Samantha takes care of herself and she gets threatened by the four other privileged women of her cohort and develops a sense of hatred to overcome her jealousy and how threatened she feels by them.

A wonderful self-exploration by the characters in both the novels makes the reading even more intriguing. When elements apart from reality enters the plot, it takes its place very comfortably, in other words, I could let them ease me into the transition and it is not off-putting. Since the boundaries are very ambiguous, surrealism finds its sweet spot.

They are different

Though there are some commonalities, both are completely two different books with their own wonderful plots, narrations and genre.

Starting with Kafka on the shore, the character Nakata was completely different from any other character I have come across. After the incident, Nakata navigating his life with little memory he has and the ability to talk to cats is perplexing but that is exactly the randomness that is required to be curious on what is supposed to happen now. I am not going to say I completely understood the book. Yes, it left me quite confused, I sought out internet and read thoughts of so many other people on the book. It really made understanding pleasurable. All aside, Murakami with his minimalistic writing style and simple words, still kindled questions on reality. It was intended for the readers to form their own sense of the book.

Bunny, was the What did I just read now book. It never stops to create a jolt. Just when I thought, ohhh ok now I get it, it slaps the next second with another what now. The writing was vague in some places and it becomes hard to relate to the characters after a point. When you want to get hooked on to a book, Bunny will be the perfect read.

Happy reading and let me know your thoughts when you read or have read the book(s).

Featured Image credits: Rene Magritte, The False Mirror, 1928. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of © 2017 C. Herscovici, Brussels / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Other Images credit: Goodreads, Amazon

Animal Farm

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By George Orwell

When someone says the life you live is basically an exploitation carried by people who feed and shelter you, all that comes to mind is perplexity. But, when Old Major, the Manor Farm’s old boar says it with utmost belief, it is as if the animals in the farm have been deceived all along and it only took for the words of the boar to realize that they are obliged to change it otherwise.

If the point made by Old Major makes true sense, is beyond the book. As George Orwell tried to depict the Russian history with his story, the question of political philosophy lingers all along the book.

After Old Major dies, the other pigs in the farm headed by Snowball, lead the revolution. They wage a war against Mr. Jones and drive him off his farm. Later the pigs, educate the animals in the farm to read and write. But not everyone excel at the skill. They add 7 important rules that animal Farm should abide by.

It is not all roses after it. Mr. Jones returns to claim his farm, but the animals do their best to win the Battle of Cowshed. The plight of the farm later is the core of the Animal Farm.

If the pigs truly are devoted to the upbringing of the animals and hence the farm, or were they far better with Mr. Jones heading the farm.

George, in his attempt to depict Russian Revolution of 1917, tries to portray that there is a huge dismay among the ruled. Does the belief once placed on the leaders stand true, or should it be re-evaluated? How much power does the words in the rules and laws hold; and the stand you can take in your life when the world around you is in chaos!

My thoughts (contains spoilers)

Personally, my thoughts wavered around things like; if at all the animals could read and write just like the pigs, if at all they had the audacity to question them, if at all they had known their role in the farm and how the farm and the pigs could have no meaning if they refused to act as they were demanded to. There were many disturbing thoughts such as, how Boxer’s labor was exploited and how tragic it was, that he could never taste the fruits of his labor.

The power of the image and repeating something strongly and repeatedly, just enough for the new verses to be registered such that you won’t realize you have forgotten the old verses is alarming. The importance of the past and history and the need for it to be carried forward to the future generation and how essential it is for everyone to question things when their hearts says so and not oblige, just because you believe someone. The responsibility of power is so huge, that it could change ages just by the handling of few things, without being realized by the masses.

I really enjoyed the book. Though this book was published in 1945, it is truly a classic. A very short read that renders you with many thoughts and wonders – Animal Farm is worth your time.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

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Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is not a review article. It contains spoilers, and this article is focused on my thoughts on the plot and the characters. So, if you are here looking if you should read this book, I would say, go for it, if you like good writing, dramatical romance and elegant, hubris and well-defined characters. Please don’t read this further if you haven’t already read the book or if you don’t want to read any spoilers.

Evelyn Hugo

She is one sophisticated woman. She is strong, courageous, gentle, kind woman, who has meticulously planned her life. On the other hand, she could have been nurtured, helped, accompanied, rather than left all alone. To figure out the world on your own, without any hints and help from anyone is a lot for anyone, let alone a woman in 60’s, whose dreams are too big.

She is lucky that she has a leverage with her beautiful and perfect face, along with a body that men long to bed with and women long to get for themselves, if you describe the world where sexuality is black and white. Since it is not, Evelyn was a dream to everyone who wanted to share their bed with her.

This is how she enters the world, nothing but her beauty. She is not a booksmart girl or a conservative girl. All she had was the urge and the fire in herself to achieve what she wanted and what her mother longer for, before she left the world, leaving young Evelyn Herrera behind. Her personality shaped by her childhood is so nuance and deep.

Taylor didn’t let readers to dwell on her foundation a lot. She made that very short and let Evelyn speak for herself when she describes how her life turned out to be and what were the various impacts of her origin throughout the journey, with an amazing set of words. Bare with me, for all through this article, I am going to speak highly of Taylor’s writing, because it was a book tough enough, to leave it alone, once I had started reading. It’s been so long since I was hooked to a book in this way. I don’t like romance books in general. Though this book is categorized in romance, it is clearly more than that. The impactful story narration by Evelyn leaves you mesmerized with the words and her life.

For me, there are many places where I have felt sad by the world’s structure, mostly by the people inhabiting it.

I’m just saying it’s not so great being loved for something you didn’t do.

Why didn’t Evelyn have friends?

I know Harry was her best friend. But, isn’t it sad to think that the only one friendship she could have was with a homosexual man? Since Evelyn found herself attracted to men and a woman, she labelled herself bisexual after all the years. Why was no one just friends with Evelyn, why did everyone of them had a huge desire for her body over her heart. There is other way of looking, yes, that Evelyn somehow valued herself with the same metric, that she is valuable only because of her beauty and attractiveness. But it was all when she was young and wanted to etch her name in Hollywood. She also learned acting to mark herself; she didn’t bet only her beauty. She did all for her job, which would get her fame. Later during the Vivant photoshoot, we could clearly understand that, it was because of her that she was there and not totally because of her beauty and her body.

When she was starting a family with Harry or after that, why could no one see her for her and not who she was, and just the image that she established for her work and fame. This is fiction, but it is highly likely that an attractive woman could go about her life without having one true friendship without any desire involved. In plain simple words, I was longing for a straight man to be her best friend, to know her completely, to whom she could share all that she was hiding her whole life, without having to sleep with each other.

Don’t get me wrong, Harry is wonderful. He is an amazing friend to Evelyn. Even when he lost the love of his life, he got up, to get his friend the Oscar she has longed for right from the beginning of her career. It’s very hard to be up and about for others when the ship you are in has sunk so deeper, that all you can now see is the darkness around, and somehow you want to find solace in the same, because there is purely nothing under the sunlight that can possibly excite you anymore.

All is fair in love and war.

Yes, life is not fair to anyone and of course, Evelyn is no exception. She got the fame and the money which she wanted when she was 15 and under false pretenses married her first husband. So, yes she didn’t play by the rules of being fair. But when Don Adler hits her and there is a consensus that women, even when they were sort of high in the ladder of the society can’t talk about it to anyone or out the person who did that, is very painful and annoying to take in.

Is it even fair to hit the person when they are in love with that person. It can be labelled as a behavioral pattern that the individual has to address. But, how does a heart heal from the bruises, when it has only been red with the roses that bloomed once. Is it really fair in love? It is tough, it is very tough to be locked up in that situation. Evelyn had to create a name for herself before going separate ways and she has to stay locked up for a while. Even when she finally could not bear with it, and went free, she was partly locked up in a life that others created for her. She got the house and the money which is not a rock-bottom from which she made here before. But, why has she got to struggle? It’s not fair, is it? And it is painful to witness that.

The Evelyn Hugo

After all that she has gone through, losing her best friend and her lover, later her daughter. To live the last days of life, without loved ones’, she was still the courageous Evelyn Hugo. No matter how many times the tabloids name her sexpot, the way she paid less attention to it as time proceeded, creates a longing if and only if, everyone realizes it soon enough. There is not much to gain from a scandal than a few gossips that last for a chit-chat but it creates a loss of lives, true and genuine lives to be led on the same earth as the people who enjoy the scandal.

The notion of false narrative and narrow-mindedness sickens the soul when it knows all this is meaningless when it comes to the D-day.

Why the mankind (I wonder why we have this word to indicate human race, though?!), let me correct, the humans have to care so much about glamor, beauty, fame and gossips, if it ends up hurting people, rather than rejoicing everyone involved. Why are the pillars so high, that once it is reached, it should feel as if a level has been unlocked and why the onlookers should astonish the sheer act of reaching the hill top. Why is it a hill?

These are some of the questions that rose in my mind, after reading the book.

There are a quite a lot of thoughts, which I have not mentioned here. If possible, let me write another one.

I don’t want to give this a rating, it has made me think a lot on many things, a mere number would not signify anything I feel.

I don’t expect anyone else to feel the same about this book, it was purely my thoughts on this book. It may or may not be ground breaking for you. But, happy to know what you feel.

Featured image courtesy: www.simonandschuster.com

Clever Girl Finance

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By Bola Sokunbi

I started reading this book on my birthday. When I turned 22, I realized, I can no longer be excused and should take up the responsibility of being an adult.

Finance books intimidate me, for they are bulkier, loaded with all the information, let alone making me use some of the steps provided. That’s when I stumbled upon this book in the internet.

This book is a very beginner friendly guide to finance. As the name suggests it is targeted to help women, but in my opinion, it is a super friendly guide irrespective of gender.

The book starts by advocating the mindset to have a healthy finance. Money is not something too alien to avoid it, we must own up to it, and that is how we will make sure, that we don’t do great blunders with respect to it.

I was already tracking my expenses for the past one year. So, when the second chapter of the book was about getting organized about money, I felt confident that I am in the right path and also it sure opened up many psychological tricks to make money more fun.

In simple words, Bola covers the basics of budgeting, getting out of debt, using credit cards wisely, investing, creating back up plans, side hustles, and very essentially negotiating.

You need to be razor sharp and crystal clear with your goals and affirmations if they are to become your reality.

Paying off debt, using debt snowball method and debt avalanche method was quite interesting tips. So basically debt snowball method is about quick victories, where by you ought to pay the smallest debt first from the debt payment budget, and go on paying the others. The debt avalanche method lets you pay the high-interests debts first, reducing the overall amount of interest you pay.

Depending on your way of doing things, you can opt for either.

This is how the book works. It gives plans for people of different financial personalities to solve their problems and also to lose all their fear about having financial control. Also, the various chapters contains stories of women who faced similar problems and how they won over them.

A very good book if you want a head start towards managing your finance.

Rating: 3.5/5

Featured Image credits: clevergirlauthor