How Fires End

Well, here's another book that has left me with many questions to dwell on, and I cannot seem to move on to another. How Fires End by Marco Rafalà was, to me, an exquisite journey through memory lane, and I can't stress enough how compelling it all was.

5 out of 5 stars.

     In short, it was a book that had handled every detail with extreme care: relationships, history, setting, and character voice and development. And in all of its ups and downs, I was left to question the need for one's memory, relate to Salvatore's loss of faith, and share his regrets.
     For me, the book presented a variety of subjects, and through them, I focused on one's memory. I have come to ask myself whether it's even healthy to cling into certain memories, and thus, question why we allow their creation in the first place. The dead, for instance, are to be remembered, otherwise, well, they're completely dead. However, isn't remembering them a way for the bomb in us to detonate? Aren't we better left with no memory of loss, or else we are haunted by them and are then destroyed, or permanently damaged?

     Well, it seemed to me that Salvatore's refusal to let go of his brothers' death caused his fall in the end, and resulted in further loss, as David ends up following leads into the past. Salvatore's firm grip on the past begins to slowly loosen, I believe, when he's confronted by his son. It all went downhill from there, and everyone around them was affected -- broken.
     Memory was what caused their demise, and it puzzles me. Salvatore kept those memories hidden, kept them safe from everyone, but they eventually broke out, and I think he, among many, regret ever keeping them in mind.

     Faith, too, was a big theme in the book. It, mixed with tradition and culture, resulted in a death sentence, that is in no way merciful or just. It was particularly cruel, as it was passed unto a child, a mere boy of about nine-year-old. Young Salvatore saw his faith crumble in front of his eyes, while blame ate him up from the inside. To him, Saint Sebastian was just a myth; a story told to children, and the people condemned him for it. Faith is not only about love and care. It is not mere peace, for it also is ruthless in the eyes of its believers.
     Frankly, it makes me wonder, are we to have faith, even when faith takes everything away from us?

     How Fires End doesn't necessarily provide us with answers, but it certainly helps us sort out our inner conflicts, showing us that we are not alone.

The Book Thief

Here comes a first -- an actual book review! Rest assured, my reviews have no spoilers. Anyways, about three days ago, I have finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and despite my delays and reading slumps, it was such a splendid read.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

     So here goes... personally, I am a big fan of war novels. War is one of my favorite themes, and in The Book Thief, it was well-handled. Zusak not only talked about Nazi Germany and the persecution of Jews, but he also highlighted many aspects of the life lived back during World War II. It was not just a war-themed novel, for it handled family relationships and friendships in great manner. This book's 550 pages were never boring. On the contrary, reading it always put me on the edge of the next page; wanting to know more, and see more. Zusak, I believe, creatively used foreshadowing in his narrator's voice in order to pull readers in -- to make them another part of the story. The narrator, I must say, is most likely the key with which the author excelled. Death, being the narrator, was more than just a third perspective; he also took part in the story. To a point, it was more of Death's story than Liesel's. Having mortality walk by your side offers a whole new perspective on the concept of death. Death was not that Reaper holding a scythe, no, in The Book Thief, he was only doing his job. To me, he seemed like a very tired man, who's constantly misunderstood. In short, the narrator was written in a way to enable readers to see through him, which I loved.
     I highly enjoyed the author's writing-style. It was poetic, yet direct in conveying its points. That and the humorous tone he instilled in his beautifully written characters was indeed lighthearted. Getting the novel to be a fun ride of ups and downs despite its focus on such a terrible theme is, in my opinion, a work worthy of applause. And let's not forget the little details denoting Liesel's growth; they were subtle and well-thought.

     Honestly, I'm not sure whether this review is coming out of me because of the book's length, which is the first relatively long book I've read, or because I've gotten quite attached to the characters. The latter actually amuses me, because the narrator was that type which gives you continuous insights. If a character would die, you'd know beforehand, but maybe the mystery of how they'd die was why one would get attached to an already dead character. I assume Death would trigger those that despise spoilers, but he really does it with quite a sympathetic tone, so that's his defense.

     To put an end to this review and for me to finally move on to another book, I'd just have to express how sentimental this book was. It wasn't just a book to allow readers to sympathize with Jews, but also with the ones that were supposedly part of Nazi Germany -- the so-called enemy. Every war and every system that runs it is proof that life is not just black and white. Some people from the conqueror's side appear even more unfortunate than those on the conquered's side. Life, after all, works in such ways to entwine one end to the other. All the characters were down to earth; they were real in their flaws and weaknesses, and to each their own moral compass. In the end, all thanks to Markus Zusak for writing a marvelous book.

This is a 4.5 out of 5 book for me, and I recommend it to all those who like to read on war.

The Importance of Reading

The books I've read in July.

Last month marked a tremendous breakthrough to be quite honest, and I'd be lying if I didn't give half the credit to reading. I remember Dr. Keith stressing on the importance of reading, that it almost seemed to me as if it was the ultimate reason behind humanity. I thought: "Sure, reading allows us entrances to many worlds, and without it, we'd remain oblivious," but only now do I believe I see the true reason behind his insistence. Reading heals the soul -- as cliche as that might sound, it holds truth in it. Reading allows us to see into the lives of others, even if fictional, and relate or even sympathize. It gives us a chance to redeem ourselves, and build our character. Reading should be integrated into our lifestyle, not just to be a part of it, but to help shape it.

Near Open Water would provide you with harsh facts about the world we live in.

     That being said, I have never felt better about myself more than I did when I realized that I started reading almost on a daily-basis, and that really impressed me. It meant that I was open to learn more, and enjoy books as I previously did in college. That's exactly why I believe there is no such thing as a mood, because there shouldn't be a mood for reading, or doing whatever you like -- it should simply be a part of your life.