tagged by @tedwinisconfused. Girl, I can’t thank you enough for this tag! There’s nothing better than nerding out to books and novels!
I) Η Νέα Παγκόσμια Τάξη - Το Δίκαιο της Ισχύος (translates as: “The New World Order - Might Makes Right”) by Konstantinos Philis and Konstantinos Arvanitopoulos.
Given that my area of expertise (and my non-fandom related hyperfixation) is EEZs, International Law and the Law of the Sea (not to be confused with Maritime Law), this book was like cocaine to me. It delves into topics like the erosion of soft power and the end of ‘Pax Americana’. It felt quite chilling at times, but I loved that neither author even tried to mince their words. At times it felt like I was reading my own thoughts— which I’m not going to lie… I quite enjoyed. Plus, their analysis of the ripple effects of the 2024 U.S. presidential election was delicious.
II) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
I had very high expectations going into this book, but all I was left with was a… ‘meh’. I am used to slightly self-indulgent prose (looking at you, my beloved ‘La plus que vive’). I was expecting something epic— and it times it was, don’t get me wrong. But the prose felt too clinical, too stilted. I wanted to inhabit every single character, get lost in their thoughts and desires, but I just couldn’t. It felt like the descriptions were too rigid, thus creating a barrier between the me and the story. Plus, I am a huge fan of rhythm and musicality when it comes to writing and, unfortunately, this book didn’t offer me that.
Not to mention that I still do not understand how Ead suddenly fell for Sabran, thought that might be a ‘me’ thing. But! What I do understand why someone might like this book. It just wasn’t for me.
A BOOK I’D RECOMMEND: Oh… fine. I’ll give you two!
I) Atonement by Ian McEwan (or any McEwan book, but especially Amsterdam and Atonement).
This book is (at least for me) a masterclass in the art of storytelling. It is deliciously lush, symphonic, unapologetically dense and deliberately performative. I mean… the man spends pages describing a single church! He analyses micro-emotions, intrusive thoughts, contradictory feelings etc. He fully grasps the essence of what makes us human. To me, he is hands down the best writer of the 21st century.
II) La Plus que Vive by Christian Bobin
This book is an elegy; a love letter to his dead partner. Bobin’s writing is the epitome of high-quality, self-indulgent prose. At first, when reading it, I audibly sighed: “My friend, I’ve fallen in love too, yet I didn’t whine or moan about it so much.” But, Christ on a bike, as I kept reading I could feel everything. He is poetic, lyrical, romantic, horny, sad. After a bit, it felt like I was reading a prayer— and I loved every second of it. It made me quite jealous as well. Why haven’t I been loved like that too? *clears throat*
This quote will stay with me till the day I die: “Tu veux savoir qui tu es pour moi, eh bien voilà: tu es celle qui m'empêche de me suffire.” It loosely translates as: “You want to know who you are for me, oh well… here it is: you are the one who keeps me from being enough (for myself)” or “You want to know who you are for me, oh well… here it is: you are the one who keeps me from being self-sufficient.”
BOOK I COULDN’T PUT DOWN:
I) La Plus que Vive by Christian Bobin (see above)
II) Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola
What can I even say about a novel written by the maître of Naturalism? This book is a dissection of the human nature. Madness, lust, murder, claustrophobia. This book is everything that would nowadays make a novel ‘catchy’ but it feels expensive and careful rather than cheap and written to sell. It’s a classic for a reason. I won’t say less, just read it.
BOOK I’VE READ TWICE OR MORE:
Atonement by Ian McEwan (mainly because I love a good romance and I am obsessed with WWII)
Crime and Punishment by F. Dostoyevsky
I don’t know what that says about me… but I found it so fucking boring! Look. I love Russian Literature. But oh my days! The book ends on this phrase: “[…]That might be the subject of a new story, but our present story is ended.”
Erm… excuse me? Thanks, but no thanks. Granted, I was 14 when I tried reading it so… who knows? I might one day try to read it again.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
FAVOURITE BOOK(s) FROM CHILDHOOD:
I) Anna Karenina by Leon Tolstoy
My mum didn’t let me read children’s books past the age of ten; said they were stupid and that I was anything but. So I walked to her bookshelf and picked out Anna Karenina. Granted, I can’t say that this book was (or is) an appropriate read for a 12-year old, but I loved (almost) every single page of it. Though, I will begrudgingly admit that I did skim over Levin’s parts. I have yet to reread it, but when I do I won’t skip anything.
II) (Can’t remember the title, but it was an illustrated, child-friendly— yet accurate… I’m looking at you, mr. Nolan— retelling of the Odyssey by Homer)
ΙΙΙ) Illustrated Aesopica (Aesop’s fables)
If I ever have a child, this will be one first books I’ll buy for them.
A BOOK I’D GIVE TO A FRIEND:
Depends of the friend, but if we’re talking about my best friend… probably Heated rivalry (haven’t read it nor will I) or another mlm spicy novel. What can I say? She loves men and their asses!
If we’re talking about my other friends (at least the ones I see regularly), probably some legal book based on their specialisation.
BOOK OF POETRY OR LYRIC THAT I OWN: Too many as I love poetry, but for the sake of naming one: Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire (early edition French hardcover, thank you very much)
WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING: Want by Gillian Anderson (see? I’m not pretentious!)
WHAT I’M PLANNING ON READING NEXT: How about I attach two photos? (Okay, I have read maybe 1/4 of them?)
No pressure tags! @sanche-damodred @fairypufferfish @m1grat0ry
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