The Bibliophile's Compass

Title : The May-Pole of Merry Mount Author : Nathaniel Hawthorne Publication Year : 1836 Rating : ⭐⭐ Genre : Allegory Source : Ebook @everand_us I usually avoid anything that resembles an allegory because they often come with preachy morals and religious advice that feel irritating. However, this one is an exception! Why? Because it turns the tired lessons on their head and doesn't trample on people's freedom and individuality. Ironically, it also critiques free thinkers! So, where exactly does Hawthorne want us to land—on a comfortable fence? It feels like he’s trying to balance on that fence while juggling the skeletons of his Puritan ancestors, who are likely rolling their eyes from the afterlife. This piece seems like Hawthorne's version of a therapy session—he's airing out the family laundry and trying to redeem his lineage from its uptight ways.

  1 |   ONYX STORM  by Rebecca Yarros | Red Tower (9 weeks)   2 |   THE STRAWBERRY PATCH PANCAKE HOUSE  by Laurie Gilmore | HarperCollins ( New this week)    3 |   THE WRITER  by James Patterson and J.D. Barker | Little, Brown  ( New this week)  (TBR)   4 |  FOURTH WING  by Rebecca Yarros | Red Tower ( 87   weeks)   5 |   THEHOUSEMAID   by Freida McFadden | Grand Central  ( 89  weeks)  ⭐⭐⭐    6 |  IRON FLAME  by Rebecca Yarros | Red Tower (61 weeks)   7 |   THE NIGHTINGALE  by Kristin Hannah | St. Martin's (74 weeks)  (TBR)   8 |   STORY OF MY LIFE  by Lucy Score | Bloom (2 weeks)  (TBR)   9 |   WARD D  by Freida McFadden | Poisoned Pen (3 weeks) 10 |   BROKEN COUNTRY  by Clare Leslie Hall | Simon & Schuster (3 weeks)  (TBR) 11 |   THE CRASH  by Freida McFadden | Poi...

Ah, The Awakening . I recently plunged back into this classic, and it was, as always, a delightfully despairing experience. My last book club, to my genuine surprise, unanimously adored it, a welcome change from previous meetings where the attendees had mixed feelings about the books we read.  This book, a perennial favorite, grapples with a timeless and disturbingly relevant theme: a woman's battle to define herself outside the suffocating societal roles of being a wife and a mother (there is even no wife or mother in this equation). We witness Edna's journey of self-discovery, knowing with grim certainty that the final stop isn't a confetti-filled celebration. Chopin seems to argue that straying from society's well-worn path leads to a lonely precipice with no comfortable middle ground to be found. Can one truly shatter the mold and still expect a warm embrace from the very society that cast it? The novel's tragic beauty lies in its starkly negative answer. Now,...

Title : Diary of a Madman Author : Nikolai Gogol Publication Year: 1835 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : --- Source : Ebook @everand_us The title "Diary of a Madman" is less a suggestion and more a blaring siren, announcing the delightful unraveling within. Gogol doesn't tiptoe into madness; he cannonballs in, using language, content, and the very elastic nature of time to mirror the protagonist's delightful descent. It's a darkly comedic freefall into insanity, feeling less like a study and more like a gleeful, untamed ride. It's worth noting that alongside the portrayal of madness, the story also reflects various forms of societal prejudice prevalent at the time. The narrative doesn't shy away from showcasing racism, misogyny, and sexism, which can be jarring for a modern reader. It's interesting how these elements are woven into the protagonist's distorted perception of reality. Interestingly, Gogol seems content to let the madness simply exist ...

Title : The Sphinx Without A Secret Author : Oscar Wilde Publication Year : 1887 Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre : Mystery, Humor Source : Ebook  @everand_us A biased reviewer here! My students had me laughing with their reactions to the story's absurdity—"What just happened?" was the general consensus. As a Wilde enthusiast, I'm giving this one a solid four stars. It’s as if Wilde took a mundane plotline, stripped the mighty Sphinx of her power, and tossed it in a blender with a dash of chaos. Voilà! Out comes a story that is both simple and layered like an onion, ready to evoke those "awww" moments. Imagine a gentleman who becomes infatuated with a woman he believes is shrouded in mystery. He thinks he has solved the puzzle, Sherlock-style, but oh, how mistaken he is! Here’s a little spoiler: Virginia Woolf believed that a woman needs this! I'll refrain from giving away any more spoilers. Quotation 1. 'I don't understand women well enough,...