Category: Book Reviews

A Letter to Elena Greco (My Brilliant Friend Series by Elena Ferrante)

I see parts of myself in you and Lila but yet found myself rooting more for Lila. I couldn’t particularly understand why until the third book when I saw you taking more confidence in yourself and I started taking more of your side. I failed to root for you because you weren’t rooting for yourself, especially as much as, despite however much you claimed to wish her dead, you rooted for Lila. Lila understood earlier the need to live for herself, which I guess is something I valued more. Maybe she was pushed by the excruciating beatings from life early on, that lacked in your life.

I wanted you to recognize in yourself the same tenacity and “evilness” you saw in Lila. You had it too, I wanted you to be able to see that you did demonstrate that same aura you saw in Lila. The difference is solely in that Lila was not able to hide hers, it was expressed outwards. Instead you, you Elena, had learned how to hide it, internalize it. Doing evil only to yourself.

It’s often obvious that you forget or don’t understand that just because someone else’s light shines bright, doesn’t mean yours doesn’t. One’s light doesn’t have to dim for yours to shine. Too many times in this friendship was that the tone. The expectation. Be proud you left the neighborhood, be proud Lila stayed.

You give importance to everyone surrounding you even when they are not worth it, failing to see how important and spectacular you are, you could be. How spectacular you could be if you lived life for yourself, rather than how you should as the poor girl allowed to study at these places with these people. You forget the part where YOU earned those opportunities. You continue to live life as expected but no one is doing the expecting but yourself.

You fail to see the greatness in you, just yourself without Lila. The only time I ever liked Nino was when he said to you “you ended up attributing to Lila capacities that are only yours.”

I can not and will not judge you for your relationship with Nino. The bond between two people can only be fully understood by those in it. When it comes to love, I have learned that the statement “that could never be me” can easily become untrue.
Yet I hope to not make the decisions you did.
I hope not to be proud of my accomplishments only when recognized by others. I hope not to dismiss my feelings when they are not shared by others. I hope to not shrink myself to comfort others or when others are greater than me. My lights shine, even when others do not shine or shine brighter.

Yet I hope, Elena, to have the bravery you emulated by recognizing my strengths and passions and having the courage to pursue them. To not give up because things do not come easily. To love Love as much as you did. To invest in my imagination even when others do not see its worth. To see the beauty in the people around me when they failed to see it.

Elena, you lived a full life, one I hope to see you proud of.

Videos To Watch:

My Brilliant Friend series on HBO Max…duhhhh.

In addition: The lasting legacy of r*cist pseudo sciences | Khadija Mbowe

The Art of Language “Nameless Serenade” by Maurizio De Giovanni

Descriptive, wordy. At first it was hard to follow due to things not being explicitly clear but I guess that’s what mysteries do? I haven’t read a mystery novel since I was a kid, and it took some time to get adjusted. 

Some language used can be quite let’s say culturally unacceptable in our current time…but I had to actively remind myself that the book is set in a different time, in a different environment. Made me think about how much (also how little) things have changed. Made me realize that my recent reading choices have been much on the modern side (more concerned with trying to highlight what can be improved in world) while this book was pure fiction, with no intent to educate or induce change in society. I hadn’t read something like that in a long time. 

I could definitely tell that this book had been translated from a different language not just because the author is Italian, but also because as I read I got the feeling that some sayings do not quite fit, don’t run as smoothly. In addition, the use of and/or transitions to Italian words created a sense of warmth in me but also brought a bit of confusion. I understand the importance of keeping some words in their original language (some sayings just can’t be translated), however sometimes it was abrupt. I would say the translation could have used some more work in my humble opinion.

However, overall, the book was able to carry the sense of the story, and quite a well written novel I will surely say. It was a story that I kept thinking about even when I paused reading to go on my with my real life. While reading I found myself fully emerged in the town, time period, lives of the characters.

The way of speaking, languages used in the novel are something to pay particularly attention to. I think it carries a great significance into not just the story but also understanding the characters. The words used by the characters while conversing gave me a little bit more understanding about their views on life, their surroundings, and even themselves.

At times, this novel was such a poetic read, with verses about love, conflicting emotions, filled with metaphors, a yearn for that deep connection of love…very characteristic of Latin languages and cultures.I loved how different this book was from the ones I have been reading lately. It was like a breath of fresh air, with the deep descriptions of various characters, the romance integrated in the story but without taking it over, the complicated thoughts and lives of the characters, the message stated implicitly in between the lines.

Left me desiring more.   

perseverance

the boy who harnessed the wind-william kamkwamba

So much about this book made me feel fulfilled, inspired and made me realize the importance African stories.

The author’s perseverance, love for education, resilience in not giving up even through hardships made me realize that there is nothing that should stop me from pursuing my dreams.I have been blessed with opportunities and resources and as the author stated “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.”

I have been really appreciating and finding a different kind of satisfaction, solidarity, understanding when reading African stories.

While reading I had to pause several time just to appreciate parents, parents like William’s, parents like mine who sacrifice so much to give us plenty. Many cheers to them!

daily reads with trevor

Born a crime by trevor noah

I have always loved reading about (and I particularly cherish) stories by African authors. Not only am I inspired by them, I see myself and my family in them. I devoured this book in a matter of hours. I just laid in bed on a rainy Saturday and read it. This did not come to me as a surprise because: 1. I wanted to escape the world and my problems for a bit and a good book is perfect for that, 2. I love watching Trevor Noah and I knew I would love reading his story equally, if not a bit more. Now that I think about it is not often that I read a book where the protagonist is male, and a black male at that (this year two so far, and that is because I am making a conscious effort to read more black stories); so I was particularly curious to read about someone I have been watching for a long time.

Now unto the story…fyi I hate spoilers so I won’t include too give many details in that regard!

Due to my cultural background I found parts of it very relatable (the dynamics of hours spent at church and daily life in school, the mix of faith and cultural superstitions, family dynamics). Nonetheless, I was also submerged in new environments that made me think about how I would react and evaluate the different perspectives presented by the characters in the book. 

In addition, I loved the insight to history and culture I got from the book. It’s like you don’t know much about an historical event you personally did not live through, but you hear about it, you learn about its impact from textbooks, you see social changes it created…however you rarely get to hear a personal story of how a person’s life was affected by it. In a way this book gave me something like that with describing how the Apartheid affected Trevor’s life. With the little chapter introductions (I just refer to them as that) the author gives little historical context about racism, colonialism that relate to actual events in his life. The book discusses heavy topics mixed with life events in a way that forces you think even though sometimes you can’t help but laugh. Just as in his talk show his words can make you laugh but you can also comprehend the significance and impact of what he talking about. And also, wow, to hear the story of Trevor’s mom, her resilience, strength, faith is truly inspiring. 

Lastly, I was totally hearing his voice in my head the entire time. Which makes me think when you read whose voice do you hear?