Classic selection!

lovers, welcome to today’s book selection! We have 8 whole books to observe such as Animal Farm by George Orwell, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Shagreen Skin by Honore De Balzac, The Alchemist and The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho.

Let’s dive into it!

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The novella-allegory «Animal Farm» by George Orwell, awarded the «Hugo» prize, is full of sharp sarcasm and political satire. The farm’s inhabitants embody the worst human vices, and the farm itself becomes a symbol of a totalitarian society. How will its inhabitants—the animals being led to slaughter—exist in such a society?

Dear George Orwell, you were exceptionally on spot with this book, the metaphores, the comparisons, the animal embodiments, I enjoyed it all. Animal Farm is one of those books that made me want more and more. It was, it is, and it will remain an ultimate powerlust-showcasing novel.

9.2/10

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The story is dedicated to «tragic stoicism»: in the face of the world’s cruelty, a person, even when losing, must maintain courage and dignity. It tells the story of Santiago, an old, impoverished fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Determined to break his streak of bad luck, he sets out alone into the Gulf Stream.

The autobiographical novella «Green Hills of Africa» is one of the works that laid the foundation for the myth of «Papa Hemingway»—a man daring to the point of madness, an intellectual adventurer, a favorite of women, and a seeker of intense experiences and new impressions.

Today this is not our first Santiago-named main character.

In general, if we won’t consider personality and life of novel’s author, it is very important to say that the old man and the sea might cause you some ambiguous feelings, since its ending is most likely not what you expected but also expected at the same time. The synopsis itself made me intrigued. This book is neither slow-paced nor rapid in development, so it is a solid: 7/10

Green Hills of Africa

Second novel that came as a bonus to the The Old Man and The Sea is actually twice longer and more boring.

A lot of comparisons with other writers, self-centerness is crazy.

5.8/10

Dracula by Bram Stoker

There he lay looking as if youth had been half-renewed, for the white hair and moustache were changed to dark iron-grey, the cheeks were fuller, and the white skin seemed ruby-red underneath; the mouth was redder than ever, for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck. Even the deep, burning eyes seemed set amongst the swollen flesh, for the lids and pouches underneath were bloated. It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion.

HEAR ME OUT,

This book had such a big potential (I know it’s classics and + Dracula’s first ever appearance),

I mean, why do we need so so-o-o many descriptions of CLOTHES, NATURE, BUILDINGS and not the plot?

One of the most engaging characters ever created whose original piece is full of unnecessary fillers.

5.9/10

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald

Enigmatic, intriguing and fabulously wealthy, Jay Gatsby throws lavish parties at his West Egg mansion to impress Daisy Buchanan, the object of his obsession, now married to bullish Tom Buchanan. Over a Long Island summer, his neighbour Nick Carraway, a writer and a cousin to Daisy, looks on as Gatsby and Daisy’s affair deepens. Tragedy looms in Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece third novel, frequently named among the best novels of the twentieth century.

I should highlight the novel’s portrayal of the American Dream as flawed and unattainable, while also recognizing the beauty in Fitzgerald’s prose and the poignant exploration of the human condition. I also appreciate how the novel plays with time and memory,

that’s why I drew connections to my own creative work.

8.5/10

Shagreen Skin by Honore De Balzac

This novel can be called one of the most mysterious and captivating works of «The Human Comedy.»

A scrap of shagreen leather—a powerful talisman capable of granting wishes at the cost of its owner’s life—falls into the hands of the poor and ambitious Raphael de Valentin. Is it a gift of fate or a curse? What if you become the one person who manages to outwit the forces of evil?

Warning (!), the author uses some certain words that are a bit too strong and might not be understandable to kids, making an odd impression of the book.

Personally, Shagreen Skin didn’t evoke any emotions in me, both positive and negative. I couldn’t fully immerse into the plot as some descriptions were too long to keep focus on the most interesting thing here – the talisman.

However, it was humorous at times and quiet thought-provoking in terms of luck and person’s self-hypnosis.

6/10

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The parable of a shepherd named Santiago, who sets off to wander the world in search of his happiness only to find it at home, is a universal myth about self-discovery, filled with magic and wisdom. This story teaches us to listen to ourselves and follow our dreams, poses challenging questions, and helps us learn how to find the answers.

Honestly, I didn’t expect this book to be so genuinely interesting. The classical books are often wordy, outdated and slow-paced. Oppositely, The Alchemist gives so many food for thought not dragging into hundreds of thousands of words to read through. But for those for whom signs and destiny topics are boring or those who don’t believe in it,

the book might be unsuitable. Anyways, I do recommend it.

9/10

The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho

In the novel «The Valkyries,» Paulo Coelho openly shares his struggle with fears and doubts. Together with his wife, Christina, he travels to the Mojave Desert, where they encounter the Valkyries—mysterious warrior women—and spend forty days trying to achieve mutual understanding and, most importantly, to let go of the past and believe in the future.

Only when we accept ourselves with all our weaknesses do we become ready to change the world.

(Strict 16+, guys)

I liked Valkyries less than Alchemist for some valid reasons, which are weird signs of affection between main character and NOT his wife and not quite comprehensible purpose of the whole book. It definitely had some

binge-reading chapters due to the odd situations described, but that’s it.

6.5/10

That was quick! According to your recommendations, I decided to use only key points suited in 2-3 sentences so that it could be as convenient as possible. Hopefully, you liked it, bookworms! As always, we are not done yet, wait for a next even bigger portion of classics. Bye-bye!