may 2019 ✩ 22 pages/day
continuation of
and then there were none, agatha christie (300 pages)
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response:
I was super excited to finally be able to read a famous Agatha Christie book. Through my minimal research of her, I heard that she was known for her plot twists. Evidentially, I went into this book expecting the greatest plot twist in my reading history.
I kind of ruined it for myself.
One habit I have is reading the last page of a book before anything else. Honestly, I prefer spoiling something for myself instead of going in blind. People say that it ruins the element of surprise, which it does, but at least I’ll understand what I’m reading. Upon my bad habit, I read the last page with mild confusion, and continued on with the book with one name imprinted in my mind: the murderer.
The funny thing was that, I confused the names. I knew the murderer’s name, but I would mix everything up, so it was deemed useless. 10 characters is a lot for my one-main-character-name-basis. I think I got 3 characters’ names down by the end of it, and I’m currently self-doubting that as I type.
In regards to the plot twist, I thought it was typical. The most shocking part – to me – was the murderer itself. I didn’t think they were the type of person to kill 9 people. I really enjoyed reading about how they created the idea and put it all together. It was satisfying to read, no loose-ends.
I only have two things I want to acknowledge:
- The murders are based off of the nursery rhyme. I found that to be extremely clever. You know, if you want to mass murder 10 people, I say put some fun into it. The nursery rhyme seems so bizarre in the setting that they are in; so, you can’t help but wonder how they’re going to do it. Trust me, they do it perfectly. Plus, the nursery rhyme is really gruesome. When you see it for the first time, you know the main characters are doomed.
- There’s one character (I forgot his name already, my bad) that interested me upon introduction. I believe it was because he seemed so young-spirited and free. In a crowd full of adults with their lives together, he never fits in, and that’s why I stuck with him in a sense. Then, he’s the first one to die. I was sitting there like, “Oh my god.. are you serious?”, because it was so abrupt and shocking. I was seriously rooting for this guy, and I barely know him. That’s the thing: I wanted to get to know him as a character. In a way, his death was also clever, as the reader immediately gets pushed into the plot of murder. His death represents himself.
While the book is good, I failed to get immersed into it. I might blame that on my stress about other readings. I guess that’s what happens when you put high expectations onto a book.
to kill a mockingbird, harper lee (376 pages)
While reading And Then There Were None, I had to put my book on pause. I was at the point where finishing my English 10-1 book became my top priority. We had a lot of chapter quizzes coming up without any in-class reading, and I also like finishing class books before everyone else. (Again, that’s one of my habits). I’m estimating that I started focusing on TKAM around Chapter 16, yet I’m not sure myself.
read: 168 pages
flowers in the attic, V.C. andrews (411 pages)
Read: 237 pages
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response:
When I was younger, I had a fascination towards this book. It was interesting, but also so different from the norm of my reading style. While I love everything bloody and cold-cut murder, this book is more psychologically thrilling. My friend once pointed out the cover, which classified the book as “horror”. At first, I didn’t believe it. Now, I realize how horrifying this story can be.
I appreciate a good psychological horror when I see one. This book lays it out perfectly. Honestly, I can’t describe just how much I love this book. It’s so messed-up, cruel; and, I hate to say that I would read this book over and over again. The reader sees how the characters develop, mature, and grow, both mentally and physically.
I love the use of metaphors in this book. The title is a metaphor in itself. I think my favorite metaphor is the use of wind, as it portrays a more sinister meaning as the book progresses. The writing is almost like poetry, deep and imagination-fuelled. It is a reader’s dream.
To read a book and not have any bad things to say is rare for me. I don’t have anything negative to talk about. This book is great, truly. I understand why I remained fixated on this story for so long. While I spent nights reading plot summaries, nothing can compare to the real thing.
(Actually, the one thing that bothers me is when they talk about their bodies and stuff. It grosses me out, but that’s just my preference. It’s funny how my favorite books have explicit content that makes me super uncomfortable. Love that!)
reflection:
I finally completed my goal of 20+ pages/day! I’m mad that it took me way too long to finish one goal, but better late than never. Last month, I said I would peek at some reading ladders for book inspiration. Though I did do as I said I would, I ended up finding my next book in class. While we were doing poetry and spine-poems (?), I heard the title Flowers In The Attic and got body-slammed with memories. Despite forgetting about that book for a solid few years, I immediately picked up the book the next day without hesitation. My goal for next month, though an odd one, is to find the books I never got the chance to read. I’m pretty sure that I have a list of books I wanted.
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