vendredi 30 septembre 2016

Update September 2016 #02

Ces deux dernières semaines étaient riches en nouveauté puisque j'ai enfin commencé mes cours en Master. Je n'arrive pas à croire que je suis déjà à BAC+4, j'ai l'impression qu'hier encore j'étais en terminale à bosser sur mes dossiers d'histoire de l'art et en prise à mes déprimes adolescentes ! Pour l'instant mes cours se passent bien, j'essaye tant bien que mal de ne pas prendre de retard et de travailler sur mon mémoire (= passer des heures à BU à lire des essais). Pour l'instant j'arrive à gérer le stress et les devoirs mais je pense que tout va se compliquer quand je devrais chercher un stage pour mon deuxième semestre...



L'été avant la guerre de Helen Simonson :
* L'histoire suit Béatrice, une professeur de latin lorsqu'elle débarque dans le village de Rye, Sussex sur la recommandation d'Agatha Kent, figure influente et hôtesse hors pair. Béatrice devra faire face aux rumeurs et mauvais esprits d'une partie de la ville ainsi qu'à ses sentiments naissants pour le neveu de sa chaperonne, Hugh, futur chirurgien appelé sur le terrain.  
* J'ai adoré l'atmosphère du roman, ça me rappelait Downton Abbey ou Jane Austen puisque l'histoire avait pour cadre la campagne anglaise et s'intéressait surtout aux relations entre les personnages de Rye. Même si la Guerre jète son ombre sur la ville, elle n'apparait qu'à la toute fin, laissant le reste du roman dans une sorte de bulle fleurie.  
* J'ai trouvé cette quatrième et dernière partie peu nécessaire car ce qui, à mon sens, donnait son sel au roman était la vision de la guerre depuis cette petite bulle protégé des combats et seulement touché de façon indirecte (réfugiés, enrôlement des hommes, parades militaires...). J'ai trouvé intéressant de montrer ce point de vue finalement beaucoup plus commun, beaucoup plus proche de nous, d'actualité. Les passages de descriptions de tranchés et de combats m'ont semblé à côté de la plaque et comme venant briser l'harmonie de l'intrigue. J'aimais cet aspect critique et presque cynique de la vie de petits bourgeois empêtrés dans leurs problèmes de campagne et parfois touchés au coeur par l'Histoire. 
* Le sujet principal reste la romance entre Béatrice et Hugh, mais elle est traversé par d'autres choses tel qu'une réflexion sur les classes sociales ou le droit des femmes. Ce dernier sujet était particulièrement bien traité dans le roman, c'est incroyable de voir qu'il y a seulement un siècle les femmes étaient vue comme de simples ventres procréateur ! Toutefois je tiens à préciser que ce n'est pas un roman proprement féministe, ces sujets reste largement secondaires. C'est un roman très classique dans sa façon de traiter les sujets, même sensibles, et en cela parfaitement agréable à lire.

15/20


Les Adieux à la Reine de Chantal Thomas :
* L'auteure s'intéresse au point de vue de Agathe-Sidonie Laborde, lectrice de Marie-Antoinette, lors de ses derniers jours à Versailles. Ce court roman de 240 pages retrace les 14, 15 et 16 Juillet 1789, à partir de la prise de bastille jusqu'à la fuite de la cour.
* J'avais vu le film avec Léa Seydoux et Diane Kruger parut en 2012 et lorsque j'ai vu le livre dans la bibliothèque de mes parents j'ai sauté sur l'occasion de parfaire mes connaissances en histoire. Au printemps dernier j'avais savouré ma lecture de la biographie de Marie-Antoinette par Stefan Zweig et depuis avait eu envie d'en apprendre plus sur ce moment de notre Histoire.
* Chantal Thomas a une écriture très fine, un peu comme de la dentelle, très délicate. J'ai même noté quelques citations (c'est plutôt rare, je n'y fait forcément attention). Malgré les évènements terribles qui sont raconté, j'ai ressentit beaucoup de douceur et une vrai affection pour ses personnages. Marie-Antoinette est une femme fascinante et incroyablement complexe, c'est d'autant plus visible qu'on la voit à travers les yeux d'un témoin silencieux, qui est finalement très proche de nous: elle est une observatrice passive du drame inévitable. C'est passionnant car elle entre dans l'intimité de la Reine et on s'y sent comme des intrus qui regarde par le trou de la serrure...
* L'intrigue n'est pas incroyable, on s'attend à tout puisqu'on connait la finalité du roman, que Laborde survit, que Marie-Antoinette meurt. Mais tout l'intérêt réside dans la description de l'atmosphère de la cour de Versailles dans ce moment crucial. Thomas parle si bien de l'égarement des courtisans livrés à eux-mêmes, en proie au doute et à la panique. J'aime sa façon de personnifier des sentiments et des idées pour montrer que ce sont plus que des vents passager mais quelque chose de compact, de solide, que chacun peut sentir et toucher.
* Le seul petit défaut que j'aimerais signaler qui ne me fait passer la barre du coup de coeur c'est peut-être que je n'ai peut-être pas été assez émue. Je sais qu'on ne peut pas toujours être ému, mais j'aurais aimé ressentir plus.

17/20. 

Retour à Little Wing de Nickolas Butler :
* Quatres amis d'enfance, Lee la superstar de country, Ronny ex-star de rodéo, Kip le business man et Hank le fermier, se retrouvent constamment attiré vers la ville de leur enfance, celle qui a vu naître leur amitié: Little Wing. 
* Je vais commencer par le point négatif du roman; selon moi il y a trop de récit au passé. En théorie ça ne me dérange pas, puisque le principe même du roman est de montrer l'attachement à un lieu par le souvenir. Mais ce qui me pose "problème" c'est que en conséquence tout les moments décrits sont presque bâclés, racontés à la va-vite, truffés de parenthèses souvenirs, j'avais toujours le sentiment d'être dans un train sans arrêt ! Je n'avais jamais le temps de m'imprégner d'une ambiance, de jauger les relations entre les personnages qu'on passait déjà à autre chose. 
* Par contre, ce que réussit très bien à faire l'auteur c'est de nous transmettre son amour du Wisconsin. J'ai vraiment eu le sentiment de visiter la région, j'avais en permanence la bande-son country et blues derrière le texte. C'est un peu une lecture "spécial automne" avec les champs de blé, une belle histoire d'amitié et ce côté typiquement américain.

14/20

jeudi 22 septembre 2016

Movie Review : NERVE


The other day me and a friend went to see Nerve at the cinema, and I liked it much more than I thought I would ! The movie revolves around Venus an 18 year old photographer who is far from being the coolest girl in high school. Her best friend Sydney is her total opposite and apparently fearless: she plays this online game called Nerve in which there are Players doing Dares chosen by Watchers. After a fight with Sydney, Venus decides to subscribe as a Player. What seems to be an innocent game soon turns into a nightmare of which you can't wake up. 

I loved the visual quality of this movie: a lot of it is based on social media interactions which is not easy to show on-screen without it being plain boring. The whole photography gives those fluorescent, futuristic video game vibes, very cool if you ask me. 
The actors are top notch as well, Emma Roberts (I love 99% of the movies she makes...) does a good really good match with Dave Franco. 
It really makes you think of our use of social medias, this game reminded me of Periscope because the Players have to film themselves while making their dares and people comment at the same time. I could see this type of thing happening in real life. They really take it as far as it could go which I appreciated. Maybe it's a little bit cheesy in the end, but to me it doesn't make it any less good. 

And last thing, the soundtrack it insanely good !




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jeudi 15 septembre 2016

Update September 2016 #01

The beginning of this month was filled with responsibility, stress and changes. I attended my cousin's wedding at the beginning, started a new semester in a new university and reunited with my friends. Little I need to say that sometimes, books weren't my priority. Finding a new life rhythm can sometimes be tricky, managing work, friends and hobbies can quickly get overwhelming. I think, I needed some time to adjust and leave my three month of holidays behind me...

1. Dalva by Jim Harrison: 3/5

* This is the story of Dalva, a forty-something woman of Sioux descend. When she was fifteen she got pregnant of the love of her life and gave the child to adoption. Thirty years later she tries to find her son as well as going back to her hometown and roots.

* This is my father's favorite book and this was a gift from him, I kinda felt like I had to like it. unfortunately, it wasn't the time for me to read this novel. I never properly got into it, I was reading the words but I did not understand them. I was bored and I did not want to be so.
* The second half of the book interested me more, I slowly got to know the characters and grew interest in their fate, but nothing too passionate or remotely strong. I was actually happy to end it. I neither enjoyed nor disliked it.
* I really believe that we weave connections to certain characters and stories because they find an echo in ourselves, and I guess that this one didn't find any yet in me. I think that in some years I might read this again and love it, who knows.
* I would recommend this book if you're into nature writing, alcohol and sex themes as well as family secrets and meditative descriptions.

2. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild : 4,5/5
* The story follows Annie who has the incredible luck of finding a Watteau in a junk shop. The whole novel narrates her adventures finding out about the lost painting, trying to tie it to its roots as well as dealing with the people of the art world. Weaved in this pursuit of the truth, a love story might bloom...

*At first, what draw me to this book was the incredible reviews AND the fact that one of the narrators was the painting itself. I found it original and actually useful, sometimes funny... When the painting wasn't narrating i would find myself wondering what it thought or how it felt haha.

* If you are a lover of art, it's a delight to read as it references to a bunch of painters and technical facts about art. It's witty and interesting. I must say, as a former art student, I knew a lot of the artists and paintings, or artistic movements the author referred to, but I also learned a lot of things on the actual making of a painting !
* It's also a very sharp critique of the art world and how money rules most things and how sometimes the artistic and emotional value of a painting is forgotten. I thought it underlined some deep issues of the modern art world and how some paintings are more commercial product than works of art.
* So-many-plot-twists, like seriously, until the very end, you don't know what's coming for you, you think t's going to go one way, but it goes the other. 
* My only issue with it, and why I didn't give it a 5/5 on goodreads was the love story between Annie and Jesse. Even though it wasn't the main subject of the novel and a side plot, I thought it lacked of something. For a while nothing happens (at all), then they both become super-cheesy, then nothing much again, then bam the very-predictable-end. I found it rather odd and, from my opinion, it lacked strength ? 

lundi 12 septembre 2016

August Wrap Up part II



And here is the second part of the August wrap up ! I read a total of 9 books this month woo ! I am quite proud of myself... I don't think I've read this many books in a month since... maybe middle school ?


{ Harry Potter & the chamber of secrets by J.K. Rowling  }
* DO I NEED TO SUM THIS UP ??
*This is always a pleasure to re-read Rowling's masterpiece. I have read this series countless times but I always understand new elements, discover new things and find joy in seeing my beloved characters once more. That probably sounds insane, but Hogwarts really is a second home for me.
* I am just so impatient to read the Cursed Child that I needed to read another HP just to soothe my heart. I haven't read this last "bonus" book and I feel like i'm betraying myself because for the last 15 years Harry has been my life, but my best friend bought it for my birthday so I have to patiently wait to see her (a tear runs down her cheek, looks up at the sky with great sorrow "why art thou doing this to me ? Oh cruel fate !" I read too much Shakespeare I guess)

{ The Reader of Broken Wheel recommend by Katarina Bivald } VF
* This is the story of Sara Lindquist a swedish librarian who exchanges letters with an old american lady, Amy Harris. When Sara looses her job, Amy asks her to spend a couple of month in her little town in Iowa. But, when Sara arrives in Broken Wheel Amy is deceased.
* It's one of those good chick lit novels that makes you happy and gives a positive message but also deals with serious matters. I loved how this novel constantly refers to other novels, and how it gives some food for the thoughts on how literature can change a life or how you can have the Emma Bovary syndrome and think that books are better than reality. I would definitely recommend reading this on holidays or on a gloomy autumn day. It was lovely read.

{ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith } VF
* Francie is a little girl living in Brooklyn, New York in early 20th century. She's very poor and has to  deal with hunger and money issues on a daily basis. Francie loves books and movies, she wants to be a writer, but how to be one when there's barely enough money to get through the week ?
* Not exactly what I am used to read. I was pleasantly surprised that the narrator didn't dwell on the sadness and harshness of poverty. Yes, a big chunk of the story is about how Francie and her family deals with money and work and food, but really, what we see is the love in this family.
* I loved Katie the mother, such a strong woman ! surprisingly, I didn't feel connected to Francie, she's a very nice kid, but I don't know... I wasn't moved by her fate.

{ La drôle de vie de Zelda Zonk by Laurence Peyrin } VF + french author
* Hanna lives in the irish countryside near Cork with her husband jeff and her sister's daughter Patti. Unfortunately a car accident sends her to the hospital. That's where she'll meet Zelda, a bubbly old lady with a very handsome son. Hanna's life will never be the same.
* The first part of the novel was quite good, fresh, lovely and with good promises. But from the moment Hanna travels to Paris everything goes wrong. I didn't understand the author's decisions and it only got worse. The ending got me jumping off my seat and spit my orange juice, it was that bad. I'm disappointed because the first half was such a good start, it's a pity it had to end this way !

{ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling & Jack Thorne }
* The story picks up nineteen years later, in King's Cross station. Albus, Harry's son is torn between what the world awaits from him and what he feels.
* I don't want to reveal too much of the plot as it appears quite late in the script. I must WARN YOU that this is NOT the 8th Harry Potter book. It's, from my humble opinion, a bonus story that you certainly don't need to read. I loved getting to dive into the HP world once more, I loved the little things that reminded me of the original series. I also thought in depth, the plot is interesting, there were some good ideas. Unfortunately, the authors tried to cram too much in this play, meaning that a lot of things seemed too easily resolved, too fast paced and some ideas just...terrible (the trolley lady was probably the most WTF thing I've ever come across). On top of that I regretted the absence of some characters such as George or teddy Lupin as well as the misreading of Ron's character.

credit image: google + tumblr "the-book-ferret" 

vendredi 9 septembre 2016

August Wrap Up Part I

I was absent for awhile here, but I intend on trying to keep up with this blog. I realized that I couldn't write book reviews at every book i read because i read too much and I would have to write two posts per week and basically only talk about that which is not what i want. So, i will still be talking about books I've read but in a more concentrated version ! Here is the very first wrap up of the blog :



{Middlemarch by George Eliot}
* I was looking for a nice big chunky novel and my eyes fell on this. This is the story of three complicated love stories in the english countryside.
*I loved Eliot's humor very cynical and Jane Austen-esque. The novel is very descriptive and full of little details about the character's psychological traits, sometimes a bit too much.
*That was way too long and detailed. I love long descriptive novels but this was over the board. I found a lot of moments irrelevant to the plot and useless for our understanding of the characters. I got bored approaching the end... I'm kind of sorry because I really wanted to like it.

{ The Rook by Daniel O'Malley } VF
* This is a sci-fi novel in which the main character Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in the middle of the street surrounded by men with rubber gloves. She doesn't know who she is or what happened, but her life is under threat and she has to make choices.
* This whole story was DA BOMB, i absolutely loved Myfanwy the most sassy character ever after Harry Potter. I also enjoyed the men in black atmosphere as Myfanwy is working in a british paranormal secret agency called the Chequy and has for co-workers vampires and mind-readers. She herself has powers and is a total bad-ass. If I had to describe it in a word it would be Sassy.

{ A clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin } VF
* I read the second part of this huge book where the story picks out on Arya, Jon and Tyrion's adventures and misfortunes. I can't reveal much because of spoilers.
*I didn't like it that much. I was happy to read about my favorite characters (all listed above) but this felt like a transitional book where nothing much happened and I felt like I was endlessly waiting for something to happen. I could definitely feel like "winter is coming" but after 400 pages I didn't see a single snowflake. Damn You George.

{ Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer }
* After writing an article on the tragic quest of Christopher Mccandless and his death in an abandoned bus in Alaska, Jon Krakauer digs deeper in the life of this epic wanderer in an essay.
*This is a re-read for my "mémoire" (I don't know how this translate but this just a long dissertation on a subject that I choose and that has to be around 60 pages) and I loved it just as much as I did when i first read it in high school. I love how Krakauer tells the story and immerse us in McCandless' hopes and train of thoughts. I also loved how he incorporated letters from people reacting to his first article and criticizing their point of view in a clever and argued way.