Thursday 27 July 2017

June 2017 Reviews

The Monk
Matthew Gregory Lewis
1/5
1796 Paperback
Borrowed from K

Oh, the rage this book brings me. First thing: check the date, 1796! Early early early. VERY old fashioned. Second: Matty was just 19 when he wrote the manuscript. I know that is patronising beyond belief, but it does have a flavour of the juvenile in the writing. Third: It's meant to be a Gothic novel but I was fairly bored throughout the whole thing almost especially the "scary bits" the "dread" that is meant to be built up in this kind of book was dry.

It gained huge success at the time because the author was young and rich. But also at a time when women were reading novels and the biggest nightmare for a woman would be to lose her honor; especially a beautiful one. Another point where both the first and second points come into things. I know it's of it's time, but the women are totally two dimentional. There is one moment where I thought it might get interesting, but Matty failed me. Perhaps he had not had much experience with women at the time... they serve as a plot point and only virtues are being weak, rich, virtuous and beautiful. It's quite painful to read. But to be fair, the characters in general were fairly two dimensional and do not matter that much to the story at all.

Of it's time... but honestly, still not that good. Bram Stoker is chilling and incredible AND old. Wilkie Collins too. Sorry Matty, no excuses The Monk just isn't worth reading.

Butter
Erin Lange
3/5
Faber & Faber 2013 Kindle
Amazon giftcard

In total contrast, Butter was bliss. Teen fiction, with a really interesting concept that an overweight boy decides to eat himself to death. It's about friendships and teen mentality around depression. Its quite compelling and really interesting how the plot unfolds.

Worth a read, but I am aware that I may be being clouded by how bad I found the Monk to slip into Butter was a much nicer place to be. It's well written and I would definitely recommend it to younger readers between 13 and 16.

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