Neo-Victorian fiction: Sarah Waters and Victorian narratives from the shadows of Victorian society
After reading Affinity, I wanted to dive into the genre of neo-Victorianism and more of Sarah Waters’ writing. Novels like Affinity and Fingersmith belong to the genre of neo-Victorianism. This can be defined as modern reworkings of Victorian society in adaptations, novels, or other forms of media. What makes something neo-Victorian is that it engages with the Victorian age often…
Book Review: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid now has a great summer read. Though Reid has her own characteristic style, she has created a surprising novel, building on older writing styles. Malibu Rising tells the story of the Riva family. From the point where Mick and June met, up till a party organized by Nina and attended by Jay,…
Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ever wanted to step into the glamorous Hollywood of the 1960s or ’70s? Then this is the novel to read. In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Evelyn is ready to tell the world about her life. She does so to Monique Grant, a relatively unknown reporter at Vivant. Throughout this process, Monique finds that…
Book Review: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Even though not much is known about Shakespeare’s son Hamnet, as Maggie O’Farrell states at the end of her novel, she has imagined what his short life could have been like. To clarify, the novel Hamnet tells the story of Shakespeare’s family, and specifically on the death of Hamnet, Shakespeare’s son. Despite the lack of…
Book Review: Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Exciting times is a novel full of social commentary, as well as a complicated love story. For me, the novel’s social dynamics sometimes felt a little unrealistic, perhaps due to my personal taste. In her gap year, Ava lives in Hong Kong with a banker named Julian. She teaches at a TEFL school. While Julian…
Summer Reading List 2021
For my summer reading list, I am planning to read some novels that have been sitting on the shelf for a while now. This makes my reading list perhaps a bit outdated, but I still want to share it because I have heard a lot of praise for these books. Perhaps you can get some…
Book Review: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & the Six is about a band in the 1970s, a wild period for the industry of rock and roll. Daisy enters this world on her own in her teens – getting a taste of rock and roll life – but her singing doesn’t go unnoticed and she and the band The Six form…
Book Review: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
As a dystopian novel, not like any other dystopian novel, Never Let Me Go is set in England, but with a mysterious twist. The narrator, Kathy, tells about her time at the boarding school Hailsham and her life after leaving it. While I did not have a lot of experience reading dystopian novels, this story intrigued and…