رواية ١٩٨٤ هي تعبير عن فكرة صارخة للإنسانية إذا ما استمرت على نفس النهج المعتاد في الحياة. بل هي أكثر من مجرد فكرة؛ أعتبرها دراسة فعلية جادة عن سكّان رواية ١٩٨٤ هي تعبير عن فكرة صارخة للإنسانية إذا ما استمرت على نفس النهج المعتاد في الحياة. بل هي أكثر من مجرد فكرة؛ أعتبرها دراسة فعلية جادة عن سكّان كوكب الأرض ونظرة ثاقبة لأفعالهم على مر الزمان. رواية مهمة تكاد أن تكون كتاب ذو حقائق مدروسة مما تحتويه على تشابه مخيف جدًا لواقعنا الحالي (وهو المستقبل آنذاك)....more
"Super Mario" is a terrific book not only for people who are passionate about Nintendo, but for any person whose pop culture and video-games matters t"Super Mario" is a terrific book not only for people who are passionate about Nintendo, but for any person whose pop culture and video-games matters to him. Jeff Ryan wonderfully tells the story of Nintendo – way before its gaming debut, and back when they produced cards and whatnot. From the spectacle arrival of the Famicom/NES till the game-changing Wii that revolutionized how we approach games and added a new dimension to gaming; an area that was tackled before but not as marvelously as the Wii: motion controls. It goes in-depth about the gaming crash as well and gives an informative retelling of its happenings, and then goes upwards to all that was going around in the gaming world in a very good, non-confusing way.
Definitely a fantastic read, and recommended for all – gaming is as big as Hollywood nowadays, you ought to understand how it all started. (If it weren't for Nintendo, there would be no Sony, no Microsoft, no Sega. None. Zilch. Nada.)...more
Enjoyed the writing, and I'm a huge fan of dystopian literature, so I absolutely loved the settings and the theme and the characters – really, everythEnjoyed the writing, and I'm a huge fan of dystopian literature, so I absolutely loved the settings and the theme and the characters – really, everything. The whole atmosphere was just thrilling. Jonathan is a brilliant writer; this book could be easily mistaken as a Philip K. Dick's creation, and that's a huge compliment. He has a profound way of painting vivid imagery, which made the world seems not only plausible but also terrifying.
I thought the story dragged a bit halfway through, but it picked up upon reaching the second half of the story, which made it a whole lot more interesting....more
What can I really say that hasn't been said before about Harry Potter?
I never read the books nor watch the films before. When the Harry Potter crazineWhat can I really say that hasn't been said before about Harry Potter?
I never read the books nor watch the films before. When the Harry Potter craziness spread all over the world, I was very busy with my Agatha Christie books, and I couldn't care less - back then- about Harry Potter. I absolutely love the fantasy genre, and always told myself I'm going to read the Harry Potter books someday, and only just finished the first volume.
I'm very happy with the book. I smiled and let out a happy sigh when I finished –in only two sits, which is a record for me. Everything was crafted perfectly; the writing is superb, the events were remarkable and gripping, and the characters -all of them!- were interesting and memorable.
Harry Potter is the perfect fantasy formula, drawing apparent inspirations from Tolkien but branching deeply and separately to form its own league. This is a book to be read by everyone. Excellent blend of literature & imagery. The book often reminded me of the Dragon Quest games – light-hearted; yes, but it's simply perfect....more
Enjoyed the narrator's sharp descriptions, loved the characters; which Murakami did a terrific job at fleshing them out, and enjoyed the art house filEnjoyed the narrator's sharp descriptions, loved the characters; which Murakami did a terrific job at fleshing them out, and enjoyed the art house films & jazz music mentions, but it misses something crucial. Uncertain of what it is, but I found myself a bit unsatisfied after I was finished....more
"The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good" – Stanley Kubrick
This is a very interestin"The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good" – Stanley Kubrick
This is a very interesting book, and nowadays I can see that it's even a polarizing one. In short, it's the story and inner struggles of a boy transitioning from adolescence into adulthood and all the mental conflicts that goes on with it. It's a character study more than a plot-driven book. It is also considered a literature fiction and not a genre fiction.
Catcher has a plot, however minimalistic, and is very subtle; it focuses on a realistic narrative from a single point of view. One must be aware that you're not only seeing things from the perception of Holden, an angry teenager, but also being in his mind, with all the stuff that's been shooting up and down, randomly and furiously. And at the time (even now) it is unparalleled and entirely unthought of to write a novel from the POV of a teenager. Who doesn't remember his teen years? Being misunderstood all the time, walking on the line that separates a boy from a man, and trying to fit in life and understanding the cruelty of it. That follows depression and angst, which adults mostly disregard as a "phase", resulting in an even deeper disconnection between us, teenagers, and our surroundings.
This mental deterioration drives one insane, and with practically no one around, it's not just hitting rock bottom – it's teething through said rock and descending into a new low. I believe that Salinger portrayed that time period impeccably well, and his style of writing was gripping. I extremely disliked the settings at first, and found Holden to be obnoxious and annoying, but you have to get to the mindset of a teenager to understand him, and that's what Holden was in reality – an obnoxious little man who is annoyed at his own life. I had never had such a change of heart before with a book, but I regard that to Salinger's terrific way of telling his story and letting you delve deeper in an angst-soaked mind. While I'm not a fan of Holden, the protagonist, Salinger's addictive way of storytelling made me appreciate everything I initially disliked and ended up enjoying the book after about the first third.
The emotional gravity of the story doesn't rely on plot, as much as it is on the characters, and it's not just Holden. Take Phoebe, his sister, for example. She's one of the very few who appear frequently in the book, and she's my favorite character because Salinger portrayed her wonderfully, and even was able to descend a bit, to that field of innocence, and capture her feelings pretty well. The fluctuating anger, the fear, the unconditioned attachment – that was one hell of a character. I'm highly impressed because it is extremely hard to make a child's persona appealing and interesting and not cliche, and Phoebe was anything but that.
You ought to read it even if you ended up disliking it, and I find it an essential read for any teenager. The fact that this book was written 50 years ago and is still funny (the flower on the tomb part, for example) and can resonate with me is a magnificent celebration in itself....more
This is my first book by Cheever and I meant for it to be a novella; I tend to read shorts by acclaimed authors before delving into their other longerThis is my first book by Cheever and I meant for it to be a novella; I tend to read shorts by acclaimed authors before delving into their other longer books to get a grasp and a feeling of the author's style. Cheever did not disappoint and I had fun reading this novella. I don't know how to classify it, whether drama or mystery. It is, definitely, a slice of life novella. At times, it reminded me of the melancholic "A Single Man" (film). I was going to give it 3 stars (my "good & enjoyed it" rating) but the last page, though short, was written beautifully and let my imagination soar high, that I went from "good & enjoyed it" to "very good & made me shut up and think"....more
إذا كان جبران سفير النثر والخاطرة، فنجيب ومن دون شك هو سفير الرواية العربية. كم هي ممتعة القصص هنا، وعلى عكس مجموعة بهاء القصصية، استطاع نجيب أن يخلق إذا كان جبران سفير النثر والخاطرة، فنجيب ومن دون شك هو سفير الرواية العربية. كم هي ممتعة القصص هنا، وعلى عكس مجموعة بهاء القصصية، استطاع نجيب أن يخلق مني حماساً لكل قصة ومن بداية صفحاتها. أسلوبه المثير في وصف الشخصيات والأماكن والمشاعر لا يكف عن إذهالي، ولم أتذوّق كوميديا سوداء بهذه البراعة من قبل. كتاب ممتاز لمن يريد تجربة سريعة وخاطفة لنجيب محفوظ، وأستطيع القول أنك ستدمن أسلوبه الروائي المممتاز، ولن تهاب الإبحار في ثلاثية القصر الشهيرة (بين القصرين – قصر الشوق – السكرية)....more
يا الله كم هو مُلهم هذا البشري؛ لا أستطيع التعبير بكلمات عن مدى إعجابي بهذا الإنسان والمعجزة الأدبية. حرف جبران لا مثيل له، ولا يوجد من اتّقن تزويج اليا الله كم هو مُلهم هذا البشري؛ لا أستطيع التعبير بكلمات عن مدى إعجابي بهذا الإنسان والمعجزة الأدبية. حرف جبران لا مثيل له، ولا يوجد من اتّقن تزويج الحروف والكلمات ثم الفقرات كما يفعل جبران هنا. خذ “رحماك يا نفس رحماك” كمثال؛ يخاطب جبران النفس البشرية ويسبح في فضاء الفلسفة قاصداً معاني الحياة بأسلوب أدبي بلاغي مرعب. قد تكون أفضل ثلاث صفحات قرأتها في حياتي؛ أشعر بإنتماء يصعب وصفه حين أغوص في معانيها. وهذه مجرد ثلاث صفحات من عشرات غيرها لا تكف عن الإذهال والإبهار. كتاب يحمل وزنه الأدبي ذهباً. لا عجب أن واشنطن شيّدتهُ تمثالاً في أرجائها....more
رواية رمزية مبهمة من الألف إلى الياء. لم يرق لي الترميز المعقّد والذي وصل حد الثمالة؛ لم أفهم مقصد الحديث في معظم الأحيان وبالتالي لم أستمتع بتطوّر الرواية رمزية مبهمة من الألف إلى الياء. لم يرق لي الترميز المعقّد والذي وصل حد الثمالة؛ لم أفهم مقصد الحديث في معظم الأحيان وبالتالي لم أستمتع بتطوّر الأحداث على الإطلاق. استخدام نصرالله رائع ومثالي للغة العربية، وهو شيء متوقع من شاعر -قبل أن يكون روائي-، وقد تكمن المشكلة هنا: قد تمتعني الرمزية أحياناً، ولا شك أنني أعشقها في الشعر، ولكنها تجاوزت حد الفهم في هذا الكتاب. تعجبني رمزية جبران خليل جبران والتي في الغالب تكون كثيفة ولكن على دفعات قصيرة، على عكس رمزية نصرالله في هذه الرواية. مائة وستون صفحة من الترميز المستمر أرهقتني ولم تترك أي مجال لمخيلتي أن تربط ما بين الأحداث المختلفة. لغة جميلة؛ عشوائية مفرطة....more
لم يعجبني كثيراً أسلوب بهاء الروائي. لست معجباً بعشوائية ترتيب الفقرات والحوارات، ولا أعلم إن كانت غلطة بهاء أم دار النشر، ولكن اللخبطة في التنسيق أزعلم يعجبني كثيراً أسلوب بهاء الروائي. لست معجباً بعشوائية ترتيب الفقرات والحوارات، ولا أعلم إن كانت غلطة بهاء أم دار النشر، ولكن اللخبطة في التنسيق أزعجتني وبالتالي لم أستمتع في السرد. لم يلهمني أي من القصص، ومللت سريعاً. واحة الغروب هي روايته المشهورة، وقد أنصح بها، ولكن، وبناءاً على هذه المجموعة القصصية، لا أعتقد أنني سأقرأ باقي مجموعاته، وسأكتفي بكتاباته الإعتيادية....more
It's a lovely lecture on the importance of literature, of reading and writing, and of fiction. He delves into politics a bit but I found it all to be It's a lovely lecture on the importance of literature, of reading and writing, and of fiction. He delves into politics a bit but I found it all to be an important piece of work for any one who enjoys reading books. Very short. Recommended....more
I'm astonished. This is a remarkable & thoroughly original love story. The gimmick is interesting and lovely from beginning to end; Henry time-travelsI'm astonished. This is a remarkable & thoroughly original love story. The gimmick is interesting and lovely from beginning to end; Henry time-travels because of a deform/abnormality in his genes which leads to a variety of undesirable situations. I usually enjoy dramatic love-driven books, but this is a monstrous effort and on an entirely different scale; it showcases more than the tale of Henry & Clare and how they got to be together and survived the strangeness and awkwardness -and, worst of all, the longing- of it all. At its core, it is a love story, but it extends deeply and way beyond that. I am absolutely stunned at the later twists, that I didn't see coming nor even slightly predicted, and it plays them all very well. This is Audrey's first published novel, but it's a work of a master. Everything is well thought out and beautifully presented, and Audrey's style is compelling enough that you don't want to stop reading; it's too much fun, while being -in nature- sad and nostalgic.
This goes as one of my favorite books I have ever read; highly recommended....more
This my first Palahniuk book. He's most famous for Fight Club, which I'm sure a lot of Palahniuk's readers (and potential readers) have seen before. IThis my first Palahniuk book. He's most famous for Fight Club, which I'm sure a lot of Palahniuk's readers (and potential readers) have seen before. I didn't, though. So I have no experience with his narrative style nor approach.
Survivor is a three-part story. I loved every part immensely. There's an obscene sense of solitude and tragedy in this book, which I mostly loved and enjoyed in the first part. I loved how the 2nd part wonderfully showcased a life in where the day after a triumph is as hollow as a day after a tragedy. And then everything goes on a whimsical shock(s) at the end.
Aside from loving the structure of the novel, I absolutely loved Palahniuk's style. It's sometimes so lovely that you want to read it out loud to someone (thank God for Twitter!).
I loved the book and I recommend it. The first thing I thought after finishing Survivor: I need to read more Palahniuk. An instant-favorite author....more
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