I decided to be a bit different for this blog post, so I will be doing “blind reviews” of four pieces of literature, meaning that I have never read them, but I have a basic understanding of each. On top of reviewing these books, I will be ranking them based off of quotes that I found in my research. Without further ado, let’s get to this review!
#4 – How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
“And she comes to you, and she does not speak, and the others do not notice her, and she takes your hand, and you ready yourself to die, eyes open, aware this is all an illusion, a last aroma cast up by the chemical stew that is your brain, which will soon cease to function, and there will be nothing, and you are ready, ready to die well, ready to die like a man, like a woman, like a human, for despite all else you have loved, you have loved your father and your mother and your brother and your sister and your son and yes, your ex-wife, and you have loved the pretty girl, you have been beyond yourself, and so you have courage, and you have dignity, and you have calmness in the face of terror, and awe, and the pretty girl holds your hand, and you contain her, and this book, and me writing it, and I too contain you, who may not yet even be born, you inside me inside you, though not in a creepy way, and so may you, may I, may we, so may we all of us confront the end.”
This particular quote is crazy to me. It’s all one, huge sentence, and I think it was written for one of two reasons: to force the reader to slow down and savor what exactly is being said, or to make the reader speed-read the line to cause confusion until they make it to the end. Perhaps, the author wrote it with both reasons in mind, but who am I to say such a thing? You know what’s even more wild? The fact that this book is not necessarily a coming-of-age story or anything, but it’s about the protagonist trying to find love while working in the bottled water industry. For that reason, I think How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia is worth giving a read for the sole reason of wanting to understand how the book arrived to its final line.
#3 – Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
“Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.”
Ellison’s novel is about an African-American man who learns that the only role of black people is to be the entertainment of white people. For example, in order for him to get a scholarship for a black college, he is forced through a battle royal setting for the enjoyment of several white dignitaries. To me, Ellison’s words are powerful, honest, and still relevant. Even when not considered from the racial perspective (which it is), he has a point. People want to live and experience what life has to offer for everyone, and humans generally do not want to be restricted. You have to be ready to fight for your freedoms, beliefs, and pleasures. We have sayings like “YOLO” or “just do it” because humans are forward-thinking – I don’t mean in the progressive way. Many humans like to live in the moment and refuse to let themselves be restricted.
#2 – Middlemarch by George Eliot
“We mortals, men and women, devour many a disappointment between breakfast and dinner- time; keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips, and in answer to inquiries say, “Oh, nothing!” Pride helps; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our hurts- not to hurt others.”
This quote spoke to me a bit more than the others did for a few reasons. I don’t think it is pride that makes me not want to tell certain people when I’m hurt, but there’s always a thought in the back of my head, saying “There’s no point. It’ll go away soon.” And sometimes it does. Other times, that’s not the case. Anyways, the book Middlemarch, is a roller coaster. It follows four plots in 864 pages, and they all seem to crossover randomly. Based off of the summary and SparkNotes I read to understand the book and the quote, I think Eliot’s novel would be interesting to read. However, I’d have to keep a journal full of the characters’ names and relationships to make sure I don’t get anything confused. Fun fact: I learned that trick from my uncle because that’s how he made it through Game of Thrones.
#1 – Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”
If you don’t know this yet, I don’t sleep much at night. I started using melatonin in the beginning of the year because my mind wouldn’t shut off. Paranoia and/or insomnia is probably to blame for that though. Enough about me; let’s move on to Don Quixote.
From what I understand, Don Quixote (the main character) has read a little too much and gets the idea that he is the equivalent to a knight. He begins his adventure to save the poor and unfortunate, gain the companionship of a squire, and to find himself a princess. What is really happening is that this middle-aged man is going insane, and he becomes the joke of the Duke and Duchess. He wore his body out with his constant adventures and lack of sleep, and Don Quixote went nuts. As all the insane do, he didn’t have a happy ending: an old friend of his bested him in an illusioned fight and he later died from his wounds. Personally, I think this would be a great book to read because I hurt for Don Quixote, yet at the same time, I wanted to laugh at him for his… flaws.
