The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

An elaborate tale of a young man, Dorian Gray, who was introduced to vanity and was reared by a vile amoral influence, Lord Henry Wotton. Even though Basil Howard, his friend, tried to pry him from the claws of the wicked ways, Dorian Gray had already traded his soul to the immoral pleasures of the world.
This was a tragic tale. No heroine to root for and not a single thing to love. The only thing you could take from this book was the lesson of having a narcissistic life. You have nothing to gain from the immoral pleasures of the world aside from temporary satisfaction. This book was a reminder of what was important in life than having a good time, which was having a friend who rebukes you to lead you to the right path, and a friend who would stick to you in the worst of times.
I would still recommend it but only to those who have strong sense of their values because this book is not for the easily swayed. I would recommend it for it’s a classic.
My rating: 3 out of 5

Clockwork Princess

 

"At last, the wheel comes full circle..."

 

Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

I could not ask for a better ending than this, but I could ask for another book! The conclusion was similar with Mockingjay and the Deathly Hallows; our beloved characters have their hearts broken and was mended over time, then lived through their days in contentment or as they say, "happily ever after."

Even though the Mortmain issue was resolved in a predictable manner, I was very taken by the peculiar love triangle between Jem, Tessa, and Will. I had to pause my reading several times because I was in an emotional distress with Jem's dire situation. In the wee hours of the morning, I was crying silently trying to relieve some of the agony Jem has given me in the first half of the book. I have fallen for Jem's character more than Will's and I guess because he was musically inclined and naturally sweet in a shy kind of way. Don't get me wrong, I love Will's character as well because he was a book nerd and who wouldn't fall for someone who quoted the classics? With his flowery words and sarcastic antics, Will could be our generation's Mr. Darcy.

If this novel would have a classical music soundtrack it would be Paganini's Violin Sonata 6 together with Antonio Vitali's Chaconne and Elgar's Salut d'Amour. Listen to it, you'll know what I mean.

Have you ever heard a violin when it glides over a high note and produces that thin string sound that makes your heart soar? Or when a cello plunges into a series of pulsing notes caressing it with a vibrato and gives you a melancholic feel? I have felt those in the scenes mostly when Jem was in. This book has been a musical ride. I felt like every scene had a classical song accompaniment in my head. I was emotionally taken by the exceedingly passionate confessions of love from both Jem and Will. Both sweet in their own way and both rang of purity and honesty.

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I have so much to say about this novel but I still have to gather my thoughts about the other characters so that my review wouldn't be all fan-girling about Jem and Will. I would edit this review when I have read it again and have settled my feelings over the things that have happened. I am still overwhelmed. Whew!

I would leave by saying that Madam Cassandra Clare has scored not only a 5 starred rating but a "turkey."

*applauds*