Impressions - Dune Messiah

"You wish to draw me into this fools' fight?" Scytale asked. "Very well. We're dealing with a potential messiah. You don't launch a frontal attack upon such a one. Martyrdom would defeat us."


Let me begin by saying that I love Dune. It had a lot going for it, like political intrigues, adventure, journey, betrayal, society, ecological problems, ethical questions. The writing was perfect for the material and the genre. There is a reason why Dune won the first Nebula award, next to a Hugo award. It was of such sci-fi magnitude, that it even inspired George Lucas, as he clearly references the universe of of the Dune novel in the Star Wars films. Spice is a drug; the sandmen wear stillsuits like Fremen; Tatooine is a sandy planet, much like Arrakis. In fact, many people say that if you want to watch a good movie adaptation of Dune, watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. And I second that recommendation, even though the film references Dune very loosely.

Impressions - Tender is the Night

The first book on my reading challenge list, Tender is the Night, is a novel written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. It is partially based on his own life experiences, his spiral into alcoholism and his wife Zelda's increasing psychological problems.

The book is divided into various parts, each part taking place at a particular location during a one to three year time span and representing one important step in the lives of the two protagonists.

The most focused on protagonist of the novel is Dick Diver, a young and handsome, if not particularly rich, American who left his homeland for Europe during the first World War and remained in Switzerland after the war had ended. Having studied there to become a psychologist, he works at a Kurort for the wealthy, where he meets Nicole Warren, a very pretty, very young and very rich American girl who is suffering from schizophrenia.

Judging a Cover by its Book

I have mentioned in the previous post that I would start a second literary review series, this time involving a book's exterior rather than its interior. And here it is.
I will be reviewing the covers of books that I have read or that I have happened to find, from cheap books to expensive books. Do not be surprised if this series happens to run parallel to my book review series, Impressions, and to my reading challenge, which I do not plan to update in separate posts.

We learn early on in life that you should never judge a book by its cover. This proverb is not so often used with actual books as it is with people or situations: you can never tell how a person really is just by looking at them, nor can you tell if, say, a planned conference will be boring just by hearing its announcement. Basically, you should not judge superficially and hastily. It will rarely turn out right. As my mother frequently tells me: "You meet a person and notice first their looks, but when you leave a person you remember only their personality."
My mother is a very wise lady.

Book Impressions: A review in review

In addition to my 100 books reading challenge, I will be posting my impressions of the various books that I have read on the list, along with a summary and the reasons why I liked the book (for which I will include a final verdict complete with a rating system from 0 to 10). Perhaps this will come in useful for those of you who are interested in said book and cannot decide whether you should read it or not.

100 Books Reading Challenge Part 4

 Finally, I have finished this list. Yes! Now I just have to actually read some books from it. You can't hear me right now, but I am groaning because I am suddenly faced with a lot of work. Ah well, it was my idea in the first place, and by God I am going to see it through. 

100 Books Reading Challenge Part 3

First, an update: I have just finished Tender is the Night, so I will be crossing the title out from this list, and I will do so with every book once I've finished it.


And now, here's the third part!

100 Books Reading Challenge Part 2

I've kept my word, and here is the second part of my reading challenge list.

100 Books Reading Challenge

I've just discovered that reading challenges are a thing. I had no idea. I've always read books out of a sense of duty and pleasure, but now I can actually make it into an objective! For sheer amusement, and to test out how solid my will of rusty corrugated iron really is, I've decided to compile a 100 books reading challenge list, so that I can start my own reading challenge!