BOOK OF THE MONTH REVIEW - MRS. DALLOWAY BY VIRGINIA WOOLF

 Genre : Classics, Fiction, Feminism, Women Literature

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Mrs. Dalloway was written by Woolf in 1925, when the world, particularly Europe, was experiencing a lot of changes in all fronts. The story is set in those days of modernism; and revolves around a woman named Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a rich influential bureaucrat, who loves throwing parties and socializing. The entire story is set in a day of Mrs. Dalloway's life, where each character tells a story about his or her life. Each character directly influencing Mrs. Dalloway, looks back on a day when they were younger, when Clarissa turned down her friend, Peter Walsh's proposal for marriage. Mrs. Dalloway is one of the classics which have been widely read and appreciated around the world.
What I loved the most about Mrs. Dalloway is it's representation of the characters. A typical London morning in 1925 will have all the prominent characters in the novel. Clarissa is a socialite who arranges parties and indulge in socializing with high class families to share gossips and talk about life in London. What is even more special about the timeline is that it is set in 1925 which means the story encapsulates the old fashioned ways of living and the new modernist approach to life. Clarissa Dalloway, is taught from her early childhood how to become the perfect wife in a rich household, and that just represents how women had a certain role in lives. While she is not happy about the ways of life, she has not been able to break out of it. On the other hand, several characters, break out of the perception to become independent and "different" from the women in that time.
The novel has no chapters, just a steady flow of thoughts which jumps from one character to another to form an entire day of activities, impressions and views. Every thought, every view has a specific opinion on life in 1920s, every argument had different approaches and every view had its consequences. Every character has a personality so strong and so different, it's hard to talk about just one character. A character, Septimus Warren Smith is particularly interesting in the story, who is apparently written as a double to Clarissa. While both of them doesn't appreciate the way of life, Septimus breaks out of it by killing himself. And when Clarissa comes to know of it, she describes it as a defiance; she sees it as a way of escaping from the world of mishaps and misfortunes.
Virginia Woolf is a genius, and someone who has read at least one of her works will agree with me when I say this.

-NIVEDITA

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS BY CRISTIN TERRILL : SCI-FI - THEME OF THE MONTH

 GENRE: Sci-fi, Young Adult, Dystopia

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All Our Yesterdays, is a sci-fi novel mainly based on the concept of time travel. To say that the concept was stunningly executed, is an understatement. It was not just the concept, but the plot, the characters and the writing also, equally contributed to the book's success in being the best sci-fi book.
To begin with, let me talk about the plot. Without revealing much, this book revolves around Em, who is currently held captive by Doctor who is ruining this world one by one. When one day, Em finds a note saying she has to complete a final instruction in the note, she finds herself fighting against the Doctor, and killing her one and only love. I am not a big fan of romance, and I never even look towards sci-fi novels, and when I find a book with romance AND sc-fi together, I knew I shouldn't pick it up. But I did. And, boy was I surprised! I literally breathed the book, taking everything like wind. Writing a proper review is still very difficult for me, because I'm still inside that book, and I refuse to come out of this.
The characters of this book were mind-blowing. The protagonist Em living in the future, is everything from badass to caring. She is definitely my favorite literary hero. On the other hand, Em's past self, Marina, is a very different, though not opposite of Em. Like every other girl, who cares about her looks, and wants to fall in love with the perfect guy, Marina is everything Em is not. But, what is strikingly similar about them is their caring nature, their love, and their strong personality. The male leads, James and Finn, love interests of Marina and Em, respectively, are pure awesomeness. And what is strangely beautiful, is the love triangle which seems to grow out their their relationships.

“I've been scared of so much stupid crap in my life. Making a bad grade or not fitting in. God, I was scared of you. And it was all such a waste. None of it matters now that the real scary shit is here.”

Lastly, what stood out for me is the writing. No matter how great a plot is, and how striking the characters, what binds a story together is its writing. I often find myself bored when the writing is not good. and if the writing is good, I'll love it no matter what the story is like. In this case, the writing was so good, that it was a cherry on the top, for such a powerful story and such amazing characters. Cristin Terrill writes beautifully, yet powerfully. It makes a lasting impact, and even when the story ends, you'll find yourself wanting for more.

“The truth is, the world is a f*cked up place sometimes.”

 What are your Sci-Fi reads this month, tell us about it with the hashtag #ficfortressreads on any social media.

October Book Picks

Hello Everyone! 
October is here and we're back, as usual, with two books, one Indian and the other, a non-Indian book to enjoy this month. We hope you enjoyed our picks for last month. 
In the last post, we asked you to vote for your favourite book on Goodreads and after an overwhelming response, we've decided on our Indian and the non-Indian books for the month; 

1. THE ILLICIT HAPPINESS OF OTHER PEOPLE BY MANU JOSEPH.

                                          

Ousep Chacko, journalist and failed novelist, prides himself on being “the last of the real men.” This includes waking neighbors upon returning late from the pub. His wife Mariamma stretches their money, raises their two boys, and, in her spare time, gleefully fantasizes about Ousep dying. One day, their seemingly happy seventeen-year-old son Unni—an obsessed comic-book artist—falls from the balcony, leaving them to wonder whether it was an accident. Three years later, Ousep receives a package that sends him searching for the answer, hounding his son’s former friends, attending a cartoonists’ meeting, and even accosting a famous neurosurgeon. Meanwhile, younger son Thoma, missing his brother, falls head over heels for the much older girl who befriended them both. Haughty and beautiful, she has her own secrets. The Illicit Happiness of Other People—a smart, wry, and poignant novel—teases you with its mystery, philosophy, and unlikely love story.

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2. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE BY ANTHONY DOERR

"WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. 

Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).

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Hope you guys join us. Don't forget to use the tag #ficfortressreads on social medias while updating your progress regarding these books.

Happy Reading, Soldiers!