Tag: Controversial

Jeffrey Eugenides – The Virgin Suicides | Review

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 250

Rating: 5/5

This book caught me off guard, because I wasn’t expecting it to be anywhere near as good as it actually was. I’d heard a few good things about Eugenides and I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen the movie based on this as well, although it was years ago and so I didn’t really remember it.

I’m glad of that, because for me, the real genius in this book is in the writing. Eugenides has this prose style that really just made me want to keep on devouring this book, and in a way it reminded me of Stoner by John Williams in the way that he could have been writing about literally anything and it would have still been a pleasure to read it.

I guess if I had to categorise it, I’d call this literary horror, and I think that’s a good thing. It might not be for everyone, and I’ve seen a lot of people particularly hating upon Middlesex because of the way he writes. Maybe he writes differently in that book, I don’t know.

All in all then, I was pretty impressed by this one and it’s already made me interested in seeing what else Eugenides has written. Although knowing my luck, it’ll turn out that he’s done something terrible and controversial and everyone will try to cancel me for enjoying his book. But it was good.

Learn more about The Virgin Suicides.


William Shakespeare – Measure for Measure | Review

Title: Measure for Measure

Author: William Shakespeare

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 144

Rating: 3/5

This is probably one of my least favourite of all of the Shakespeare plays that I’ve read so far, in part because it was pretty difficult to follow. With that said, it does have some interesting stuff about it, and I imagine it was pretty controversial in its day because it has themes of a sexual nature.

Unfortunately, that’s what kind of put me off it. It just felt a little bit seedy, because we basically have a man condemned to death who might be able to avoid the noose if his sister is willing to have sex with someone.

It wasn’t Shakespeare’s best, and while I would check out a performance if one was happening, I’d rather see some  of his other plays.

Learn more about Measure for Measure.