Buy the Letter

[River Fenwick]

J - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

I read this when I was about 10 or 11 and found the story entertaining. This book was the first time I had to do a book vs. movie analysis for school, and it was eye-opening how much movies often don't do the books justice. The story revolves around a young boy named James and the magical peach that grew in his aunt's garden, giant enough for him to crawl inside. It was home to some critters, some more friendly than others.

I haven't reread the book since then, and I doubt I ever will. It's an excellent book for its age group, and Roald Dahl made some literary masterpieces for young minds. I don't have much more to say on the matter other than that, as it's been some time since I was in the targeted demographic of consumers for the book.

[Emily Spencer]

G-(The) Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The book tells the story of Nobody Jenkins who was left at the local graveyard when he was a small infant. Taking pity on the baby, the denizens of the graveyard adopted him as their own and decided to raise him there. Nobody’s life was a happy one despite his surroundings, and he could see. And interact with the graveyard residents who were as ‘alive’ to him as you and I. Things went along happily for many years until tragedy stuck…Nobody Jenkins grew up.

I read this book about 5 years ago and was captivated from the very first word. Neil Gaiman’s stories are sometimes a bit too disquieting for my taste, I enjoyed this book immensely. In fact, I’ve read it several times and enjoyed every one of them. The story is light-hearted and whimsical, which is usually not my style at all, but this one somehow worked. Kudos to Mr. Gaiman for forcing me to broaden my horizons!

How I feel about it now:
I still love this book and would gladly (and probably will) read it again in the future. I see no reason why I wouldn’t enjoy it just as much today, Re-reading the book, as silly as it sounds, would be revisiting old friends. That is how captivating the characters are to me. And yes, at the end, I bawled like a baby and would probably still do the same, even though I am well prepared for it now. The story never gets old and the emotions run just as strong as it did the first time. In fact, they may even be stronger now, because I am so familiar with the characters and story. I can immerse myself in the narrative and not be bogged down by petty details.

If you’ve never read Gaiman, I would say this one is definitely worth taking the time to do so. I can’t guarantee that you will like all of his books (or maybe you will), but I’ve not yet met a person who doesn’t like The Graveyard Book.. If you decide to read it, feel free to drop me a PM and let me know how you liked it.

[Emily Spencer]

J-Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I read this book many years ago as required by my high school Literature class. To be honest, I didn’t like it as much as Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily. That aside, it was still a rather enjoyable read, and it added to my growing love of Gothic Fiction.

As would be expected, our title character, namely Jayne Eyre is the central figure of the tale. It is Jayne’s life chronicles that we follow, from earliest of childhood when she became an orphan when her parents were struck with typhoid fever, right up to her employment by the mysterious Mr. Rochester to act as governess for his young daughter.

Again,anyone who knows me at all can attest that Emily and romance novels do not mix. Put it this way, I would rather read a whole bookshelf of Stephen King novels than one book based solely on romance. So naturally, it would fair to come to the conclusion that I hated this book. Surprisingly, that was not the case at all.

The book was so much more than just a ‘romance novel’. It was atmospheric, broody, alluring, and the ending had a twist that I honestly never saw coming. I was so glad that my teacher had insisted on this book for our reading assignment.

How I feel about it now:
I have not gone back and read the book, though it remains on my ‘want to’ list and I’m sure I’ll get around to it someday. I am a bit worried, after the whole Crystal Cave debacle, that I will be put off by the archaic language and writing style, and I pray that is not the case. Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgia on my part, but I don’t believe that it will hinder my enjoyment at all. Even knowing the ending does not diminish the book’s overall gothic, brooding tone, so I would imagine that I would like it just a much today.

[Emily Spencer]

O-(The) Once and Future King by T.H. White

The book tells the story of young Wart , aka Arthur, the future king of Camelot. Wart is a rather curious sort of boy, counted as worthless by his older brothers and father. The book itself is actually a series of books that chronicle Arthur’s entire life, from earliest childhood to death and everything in between. It is based loosely on Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. The Disney movie, The Sword and the Stone is heavily influenced by White’s telling of the tale.

From earliest childhood, I loved anything having to do with King Arthur,Merlin, and Camelot. I cannot even begin to tell you how many books I have read on the subject (both fiction and nonfiction) but this was probably the first. I would dare say that it is what got me started on my love affair with Camelot.

To be honest, I saw the movie when I was quite young. My mom loved the whole Arthurian saga as well, and was very excited about us watching the movie together. My mother and I had a rather tenuous relationship, so the chance at any bonding time with her was special to me. So in this case, I saw the movie before I read the book, even though now I prefer to read the book before watching the movie version of it. I absolutely fell in love with it, and even though I’m hardly a child anymore, the Disney version is still special to me.

Anyway, I must have been in 4th or 5th grade when I ran across this book in our school library. I could scarcely contain my excitement as I started to read; it was telling the story of one of my favorite movies ever! As is usually the case, the book was much more enjoyable than the movie itself, and I think I read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. Thank you Disney and Mom for introducing me to the wonderful world of Merlin and Camelot!

How I feel about it now:

Don’t get me wrong, the book will always have a special place in my heart, and I’ve reread it a couple of times since then, the latest being about 10 years or so ago. I still enjoy it, but I find that I much prefer the grittier versions of the Arthurian tale now rather than the whimsical ones. Somehow boys turning into fish and birds does not hold the same appeal as something ‘darker’ or more ‘realistic’ like The Pendragon Cycle Series by Stephen Lawhead. That is not to say that I don’t like White’s version, but I think part of the fondness for it comes less from the subject matter now and more of the nostalgic and very special time spent with my mother that started it all.

I don’t know if I will read the book again; I have no immediate plans to do so, but one of these days fancy might strike and I will get lost once again in the magic. I have, Incidentally, kept the tradition alive with my own daughter. We watched the movie together many times since she was very young, and she is now reading the book on her own. Okay, now I’m getting very sentimental so yes, if you need me , I will be at the library…reading this book.

[Adeline Morior]

G - Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

This was a story I really liked when I was a teenager. I read this sometime during my High school years. I had a very nice hardcover copy of each. Ghostgirl being #1 followed by Homecoming #2 and Lovesick #3. Owning all three in the beautifully designed hardcover copies. I was very enthusiastic about it and found it to be a very cute typical teenage girl story with a twist.

I would probably read it again but wouldn’t feel about it as I did then since it does have pretty much a lot of teenager “clichés” in the story. I would however recommend it to any teenager or young adult if looking for a typical high school story with a twist. As I have read many more stories later on, I wouldn’t say it is the best written but I still think it is a cute story for a younger audience. Lovesick #3 being more toward young adult and a bit darker.

[Luna Ravenlong]

G-Gridlock by Ben Elton

I first read this book when I was about 15, and found it really both very funny and quite shocking. I think the characters are very well written, but almost caricatures of the types of people they’re meant to represent, which made some of the more outlandish parts of the book seem less unrealistic. The writing is very witty, which I enjoyed a lot. Some of the language used about the disabled characters does come across as pretty offensive, but I think it’s necessary for the points the book is trying to make. The ending does come out of nowhere, and probably isn’t the one you want, but I think that was really the only way it could end up.

I’ve read it a few times since (most recently a couple of weeks ago) and still enjoy the book, but there is a level of…maybe exasperation that comes with reading it now, as so many issues raised in the book are still problems now (more than 30 years after it was first published). The way people with physical/speech disabilities are seen as “lesser”, the traffic issues of big cities, and the political “posturing” that occurs are all still revel at today. I still laugh along with it though, and I think respect the author choosing to end the way he did more now.

[Luna Ravenlong]

J-Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I first read this book when I was 16, very soon after it was published as I’m a big fan of the author. I did enjoy it, but not to the same extent as other books by the same author. I think the three main characters were well written, and liked the swapping viewpoints of them, especially where it was covering the same event. I also liked the idea of sort of “ gate keeping” a fandom, and the dismissal of the views of people how haven’t “studied” the artist enough. Especially the debate between two main characters about whether the 20 plus year wait for the album that gives the book its title was worth it or not. But I struggled a bit the first time I read it, as I didn’t really connect to the characters.

I’ve come back to this book a couple of time, but not as much as other Nick Hornby novels. However, I read it again this week, and really had a different experience this time. I think, now 15 years since I first read it, I finally understand the main theme of this, which is about wasted life. All three of the main characters question whether they’ve just drifted through their prime adult years, and have a crisis about mistakes they’ve made. As a proper adult now, I can relate to this much more strongly than I could as a teenager.

[Luna Ravenlong]

O-(the) Outsider by Albert Camus

I read this book about a decade ago, in my early twenties and despite being very short, I thought it was an incredibly challenging read. The author does an incredible job of telling this story in so few pages, creating a character that I found very difficult to fully understand. At the time, I thought the main idea of the book was about the pointlessness of life, and that the whole universe is meaningless.

I haven’t ever reread this book, but I do still think about it (and I likely will reread soon). As I’ve reflected on it, I think it maybe isn’t as deep as it wants to be, and is possibly trying a bit hard? I’d need to reread though to be sure. However, I have rethought what I think the main idea of the is book is-what it means to be human and how people can be treated when they don’t “react the right way” to upsetting events. Meursalt is treating harshly by some (especially in the second part of the book) because he doesn’t seem to outwardly display emotion. Although, he does at times come across as an unreliable narrator too.

(I know this book is often published with the title “the Stranger”, but this is the title the UK uses and the one I own)

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

We've had four weeks of Buy the Letter and commence into our second half, and fifth week, of our activity.

Your challenge for this week is to find books that you've read whose names begin with E, I and V.

Most likely, you all are aware of the drill but here it is ... again. Here are reminders of 'what to do' and 'with what', as you proceed to find your books:

What you write will have two distinct parts:
First you write about the book, sort of like a book review, but you are telling us what it was like when you read it. Did you like it? Was it something about which you had great enthusiasm or was it something that you finished and never intended to pick it up again ever? When did you read this book? A year ago? Ten years ago? Last week?
Second - write how you feel about the book now. Do you have a different opinion of it? Have you since re-read the book, perhaps several times, and gaining appreciation of it each time? Or do you wish you'd never read it?

The minimum number of words, total, for the first and second parts, is 100 words (excluding the name of the book and the author). You are welcome to write more, of course.

Also, please remember to make sure that the books of which you write are HOL appropriate. As stated in our introductory post -- "Ideally, you should be posting about things that are suitable for even our younger members to read (the later Harry Potter Books are generally a good guide for the level of threat, language, and violence that is advisable)." Even if your book meets the 'appropriateness guide for younger members' of HOL, if you believe your book tackles darker or emotional themes then please include a disclaimer so that everyone can make an informed choice.

Remember, you have 6 to 7 days to write your reviews and then we will be giving you the next set of 'letters to buy'.

Enjoy!

[River Fenwick]

E - Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I was around 11 when I first read this book for school. It's about a young girl named Esperanza who is living in Mexico during the 1920s and is used to a lavish life due to being the only child of a wealthy landowner, sheltered and therefore naive about the events around the world. However, one day, her father doesn't return from work and is later found murdered by bandits, which then throws her life into disarray as she has to learn to navigate life under new circumstances. I wasn't very interested in the book at the very beginning, but I eventually got more into the book as it progressed, which led to it leaving an imprint on my brain.

I haven't reread the book, but I realize I probably should as I reflect on it. It's a well-written book that captures having to roll with the cards you're dealt and trying to make the most of it despite it possibly not being the life you were expecting or used to. The book helped put things into perspective for me, which helped form my ideologies today.

[River Fenwick]

I - If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I read this book when I was in my mid-teens. It's the first half of the book series. It's about a teenager named Mia who is immensely talented at playing the cello, and she dreams of attending Julliard. However, she and the rest of her family get into a horrific accident, which leaves Mia in a coma. The book proceeds as an out-of-body experience for her as she tries to make the tough decision of waking up from her coma or not. This book was detrimental to me at the time, making it a challenging read.

I still feel like the book is devastating, though I could probably read it a bit easier now that I know what will happen. I believe the book to be so hard-hitting because it's the vulnerability of the teenage mind through a traumatic event. After reading the book, I watched the movie, which didn't feel quite right or as emotional as the book was, which only made me realize how much more authentic the book feels when reading it.

[Emily Spencer]

E-Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

This is the second book in the Twilight saga which continues the story of star-crossed lovers Bella, Edward, and Jacob. A new common enemy briefly unites the vampire and werewolf clans, but there remains a healthy dose of animosity between the two camps, influenced heavily by Bella’s wavering affections between the vampire Edward and the werewolf, Jacob Black.

I read this book when it first came out, roughly 17 years ago. I must admit that I was “Camp Edward” all the way and, at the time, (even though I cringe even saying this now) was enamored of the series. Even though I usually despised ‘romance’ books, there were enough supernatural elements to keep me interested. Besides, I equated Edward Cullen as a vampiric version of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, which was (and still is) one of my favorite books ever.

How I feel about it now:
Both my literary preference and social awareness have changed a lot since then. Looking back, I cannot believe I was so enamored with this poorly written (my opinion only) series of books, nor that I could not see how mentally abusive of a character Edward Cullen truly was. This was one of the few times I got sept away by popular opinion, but I am not the same girl I was back then. Life’s experiences have changed me, plus age has made me a bit wiser, or so I would like to believe.

I actually tried to read the books again a few years ago, and just couldn’t force myself to do it. I wanted to give them a fair chance, but in the end, I just couldn’t do it. As a grammar nerd, I couldn’t overlook the poor writing (again, my opinion only) and the story was not strong enough to keep my interest. Needless to say, I have no plans to ever read this series again, as I doubt that my feelings would be different from the last time I made such an endeavor.

[Emily Spencer]

I-Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

*****Warning-Some adult themes/scenes including mention of a rape*****

Set in a dystopian future,the book follows the lives of two sisters, Nell and Eva who have enjoyed a very unconventional upbringing in their remote house in the forest. When disaster strikes and both parents end up dead, the girls are forced to grow up and contend with their growing myriad of problems. No electricity, dwindling food supplies, lurking danger in the nearby woods, and divided loyalties test their mettle to the breaking point.

I first read this book about 3 years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. Of course, dystopian is one of my favorite genres, so I was pretty sure that I would like it even before I started to read it. I was right! It’s a very atmospheric story and the writer’s way of wording things makes you actually feel the oppression and despair of the characters. At least it did for me.

How I feel about it now:

The timing of this challenge is rather fortuitous as I just read it for the second time a few days ago. And no, Tarma, I didn’t do it just for the challenge (lol). For whatever reason I was going through the books on my Kindle and this one caught my eye. I remembered enjoying it but had forgotten some of the finer details, so I figured it was worth a go again. Let me tell you; it was every bit as good as I remembered! If you like dystopian novels with a ‘gothic’ feel than I strongly urge you to give it a try.

Granted, some of the elements of surprise were no longer there, as I knew the eventual outcome, but the same atmosphere and tension were the same. About the only thing negative I can say about my 2nd experience reading the book was disappointment in the ending. It was rather an odd stopping point and given the story, felt a bit ‘fairy tale’ to me. That aside, at some time in the future; I will probably read it again in the future.

[Emily Spencer]

*****Warning-Some adult language
V-Vox by Christina Dalcher

Set in a dystopian (go figure) United States, the story follows along the same lines as The Handmaid’s Tale, as the government launches a campaign to silence the female portion of the population (literally). Women are not allowed to hold jobs, girls are not taught to read and write, and perhaps worst of all, all females are permitted (from birth) to only speak 100 words a day. The punishment for breaking this rule is cruel, further infractions may ultimately lead to death. Women had no choice but to accept their fate…save one who decided to fight back or die trying.

I can’t express enough how much I loved this book. Seriously, it was well-written, had an easy flow, and the characters totally relatable. As a reader, the story intrigued me, and as a woman, I went through a myriad of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I raged, and held my breath with anticipation. Their story became my story, if that makes any sense at all.

How I feel about it now:
I don’t think it’s any surprise that I say with all certainty that I would still like this book today. I’ve read other books by the author, incidentally, and loved all of them as well. Given today’s world that we live in, books like Vox begin to seem frightened realistic. Please note, I am not saying that this is the future of America, just that it is not impossible that it would not be, either. But the future of the United States aside, the story was just that darned good. It was a roller coaster of emotions and a definite adrenaline rush; a heady combination for sure. There are very few books that leave me with such lingering feelings that seem all too real. Even writing about it was enough to evoke those dormant feelings, and I will definitely be reading this one again soon.

[River Fenwick]

WARNING: This book contains adult themes

V - The Vacationers by Emma Straub

I want to say I was around 16 when I first read the book. It's about some family and friends going on vacation to Spain to celebrate Sylvia's graduation from high school. The plot revolves around the trip, with some unfavorable things coming to light in the different relationships, causing tension during their stay. After reading it, I found myself disappointed in the writing. It felt far too short and very little detail-oriented.

I have an even worse opinion of the book than when I first read it. The characters are genuinely lacking, with too many to be detailed in throughout the book. The plot followed some stereotypical situations, which I'm not a fan of, and the plot gets incredibly predictable after a while. It's far too jampacked and fast-paced for what I believe the author was trying to achieve in the book, and I wouldn't recommend it nor reread it myself.

[Adeline Morior]

E - Everafter by Elizabeth Chandler

So this is the 6th book in the Kissed by an angel series (which I will cover when getting to K). It is also the last book in the series. I cannot remember when I got this book but I know I got it with the 4th (Evercrossed) and 5th (Everlasting) books years after the first three since I didn’t know it existed. The first three ended nicely so I assumed it was the last of the story. The story did take an unexpected plot twist from the first three but continued from there and it peeked my interest. I was very enthusiastic about the books and story.

I would pick these books up again and read them again. I enjoyed the story and feel it is something anyone can pick up and read. It has been years since I read it last and I remember the series being one of my favorite earlier sometime in my life. The ending wasn't as amazing as I would have hoped, but I still liked it and would recommend it.

[Adeline Morior]

I - Infinity (Chronicles of Nick, #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

***** Warning - Some graphic themes and scenes *****

So this is the first book in an 8 book series that derives from a character from the Dark Hunter series by the same author. It is what would be called an “alternative story” line. I read this some seven plus years ago when I learned of its existence from a friend. I owned one of the graphic manga novels for this very book. I got into the story very enthusiastically even though I never liked the character from the Dark Hunter series where he was first introduced.

The story was slow and I have to say that I didn’t really like it as much as I hoped since I knew a lot of the character. I was interested in knowing where the story will go so I continued on reading the second book. I never picked up the thirst or finished the story. I would probably if given the chance try my hand at it again and see if I can finish it as I feel that I wasn’t in a good space in my life when I read it. I do have to say it is recommended for readers to first read the Dark Hunter series (*** Warning - Some graphic and very adult themes and scenes ***) before reading this one in order to understand most of the characters and meanings but it is not a must as the story is a less adult "new" alternative story line based on one character. A.k.a if you could go back in time and change the outcome of your life type story

[Adeline Morior]

V - Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

So this is a series I read over many years as I read all ten of the books and the Stephen’s diaries that came after. I do not even remember when I started this but it was probably a good ten plus years ago. I had the entire “The Return Collection”. My favorite in the series was book number five. From there you can see a different writer taking over which not only changed the series but it became different and rather dull and the writing style was really bad in my opinion. I didn’t know a ghost writer took over the sixth book until after I read it but I kept thinking while reading “What happened because this is different and really bad”. So it was definitely noticeable…

I liked the series up to and including book five. I don’t think I would read it again as I probably read it at the time a good five times (the first five books. The rest I only read once because I wanted to know how the story would end). I would recommend it. If you watched the series before reading the books, the story is not the same. At all. If you’re okay with seeing it as a different story then please do read it.

[Galena May]

E - Emma by Jane Austen
Thank you for leaving the classics for me (I know I can still write about them even if someone else writes about it).

Emma by Jane Austen (who is great at writing about quirky and or out-of-the-box women characters and their journeys of self- discovery and also at writing about "genteel" society of that period) is a novel about a rich, intelligent, and pretty, but vain and overly - confident woman named Emma who is under the impression that she is an excellent matchmaker and sticks her nose into the business of the characters around her by trying to make matches between them. When she causes chaos and hurt feelings, and discovers hidden truths that she was oblivious to, she realizes that she was being self- centered and took overdue credit for her ability to match-make and hurt the people around her in the process. She acknowledges her fault at the end of the novel and things are fixed. The climax in this novel is centered around a beautiful romance between another woman character who was secretly engaged to a man Emma thought was interested in herself. The conflict of the protagonist Emma lies in her futile plans to preserve her vanity by successful matchmaking and it is resolved when she accepts that she is not as good at it as she thinks and that she doesn't know everything and learns to appreciate the right to independence of other people and stay out of their business.
I first read Emma when I was around 18 years old. I must have been in college. I remember being a little confused back then with so many characters thrown into the mix, as well as matchmaking attempts that made it more complicated. I eventually understood the story, though. I could not relate to Emma but I was intrigued by how well- imagined a character she was. I remember finding out that Jane Austen wanted to write about a character that no one except herself would like, and I agreed that she had succeeded. Emma was indeed unlikeable and overly controlling, to say the least. The descriptions about the characters, introducing them to the readers, were a little tedious to read, because I thought that the plot of the story itself said a lot about them and those background descriptions were simply not needed. I found the book a little longer than I would have liked it to be, which is why it failed to be a page-turner for me and became the kind of read that you need to consciously remind yourself to continue, but when I had finished the novel, I was thankful that I had read it because I loved the overall plot and the character- building of Emma.
I watched the movie based on the novel about 2-3 years later, and thought it was as good as the book was. The screenplay was on spot and it felt like I was really watching the same novel being enacted out. I very rarely watch/like movies based on books, especially if I have already finished the book, but this one was okay, and that's saying something when it comes to me. I think that it sufficiently and realistically captured the novel (probably partially so because the plot in the novel itself was rife with drama and no more additional drama was needed to make it into a selling movie, in my opinion).

Anyway, looking back now, I feel that I do not exactly dislike Emma anymore, at least not in the way I did back then. I no longer see her as simply a malicious character who needed to fix herself, but as a normal woman who had her own version of the journey of self- discovery. People have their own vices, which can take many different forms, and are resolved through self-discovery due to their life experiences. Emma's vice was simply vanity and it took all that drama to make her realize that and change herself. She was just another woman needing to become a better person like any other normal human being. There is room for improvement in all of us, and we all have our vices that we realize through our life experiences, and the day we fail to recognize and agree to this simple truth, we would become like Emma's vain version ourselves. The difference merely lies in the thin line that entails recognition of the fact that no one is perfect, not even ourselves. I haven't re-read it since. I would love to re-read it, but I don't have to.

[Galena May]

I - The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Disclaimer: Content includes mention of terrorism, crime, and death by a mob attack.

I first read this book when I was in my ninth or tenth standard. I did not actually buy it. I borrowed it from my cousin. Science fiction was not one of my favorite genres up until ninth or tenth standard, but around this time I borrowed a few and actually liked them, one of the first being "Infected" by Scott Sigler (I just realized that this is an 'I' book as well) and warmed up to the genre. "Infected" was about a mysterious alien parasite that invaded human bodies and made them harm their own families, much like the zombie apocalypse. When I discovered my love for science-fiction, after reading "Infected", I borrowed a few including The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. The Invisible Man is a dramatic science-fiction thriller novel about an ex-medical student and scientist whose experiments result in his body turning invisible. He then covers himself up in bandages and clothes to hide his invisibility and moves into an inn under the name of Griffin to continue his experiments. He however demands a suspicious level of privacy to hide the truth about himself and has mysterious chemicals and glass bottles delivered to himself. He is an enthusiastic scientist who experiments on how to reverse his invisibility, damaging some of the inn's property in the process, and eventually turns out bankrupt causing him to steal and accidentally reveal his identity and invisibility to the innkeeper in his fury. This leads to an interference by the police, following which he leads a life of crime and attempts to terrorize the world with the help of his invisibility and even has the audacity to recruit his ex - friends who betray him and give him up. He is ultimately mobbed to death. (This is not the entire story, there is a lot more interesting stuff to read in the novel).
When I read it, I was curious about what kind of experiments would render someone invisible. I found it more a work of literary drama than sci-fi, because there was barely any mention about anything that caused the invisibility or could cure it. I knew that Muggle magicians go pouf all the time and turn up in another place (unless they are witches/wizards apparating against the Statute of Secrecy), but that is either a case of secret tunnels or green screens. The storyline of this novel suggested some sort of chemical. I wanted to be more involved in the actual experiments throughout the novel, no matter how outrageous the invented stuff would be. Other than that, it was a great story, a page -turner thrilling drama involving a criminal and a mastermind scientist blended in one person and with dreams of terrorizing the world. I thought that the ending wasn't befitting for the invisible man, because despite him turning to crime, I had imagined that a proper resolution would entail him being freed of his condition and successfully made visible without him dying and him showing remorse in the end or at least explaining a good reason for his crimes. You see, I was never really fully against him, even his criminal version. I found myself feeling sorry for him. Anyway, he was living my childhood dream of being invisible and going wherever I wanted without question or judgement and secretly observing things, so I didn't understand to some measure why he wanted to reverse it. He also showed me the practical downsides of invisibility, such as food hanging in the air and then disappearing in bite-sized pieces especially when there are others around, that I had not thought of. Later, learning about Harry's cloak that would cover up the food as well, solved that for me.

Looking back, I question if he was already a potential criminal who had already wanted in some measure to use his invisibility for criminal purpose, or were it his frustration at his accidental invisibility, his futile attempts to reverse it, and his eventual bankruptcy due to the costly experiments to reverse his invisibility that caused him to begin a life of crime and when he discovered how useful his invisibility could be to perform flawless crimes, he decided to turn to crime entirely? His plot to terrorize the whole world in the end was quite malicious in its own right but it is difficult to step back from crime once you enter it. You usually only go further into it once you start, never outside, especially if you aren't caught, because it corrupts your sense of morality and breaks the influence of your superego bit by bit. Crime, like the Dark Arts, is a sinkhole and the fastest route is towards the very bottom. I feel sorry for when he attempted to recruit two people, a tramp and his old friend from med school as help but got betrayed by them and turned in to the law. Yes, it took the story to the rightfully moral route, and the invisible man needed to be discovered to stop him, but I think that the invisible man, deep inside, often felt very different and lonely and even miserable. Would I read it again? Maybe. More towards yes, but this time I would fish for clues to the things about him that have baffled me.