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North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (published 1854)

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First, I should probably mention that my grandmother as well as my aunt are also devoted readers of classics. We often exchange book recommendations and discuss what we have recently read. That is how I came across North and South. When both my grandma and aunt spoke so highly of it, I became curious. Now that I have read it myself, I can say that their praise was certainly justified. When I first began the novel, I assumed it would be similar to the style of Jane Austen. However, I soon realised that it was quite different. At the beginning, I was slightly confused to learn that Margaret, the protagonist, was living with her aunt rather than her parents. Later on, it becomes clear that this arrangement was considered beneficial for her upbringing, particularly in relation to her brother’s situation. As I have already mentioned, the novel has a distinctive writing style. Elizabeth Gaskell describes her characters in great detail, carefully developing their personalities and...
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The Firm and The Exchange by John Grisham

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Unfortunately, I made the mistake of reading The Exchange first. At the time, I was unaware that it was the sequel to The Firm. Nevertheless, it proved to be an engaging and fast-paced story, making it difficult for me to put the book down. John Grisham is a well-known and bestselling author, which is how I came across his work. While shopping at Coop, I noticed a display of books near the checkout counters and picked up the one that immediately caught my attention. After reading the blurb on the back cover, I decided to read it. Later, I purchased the book at a bookstore in Basel and finished it within a week. After completing it, I realized that I had read the sequel before the original, which was somewhat frustrating. Shortly afterwards, I ordered The Firm online and began reading it as soon as it arrived. Although I enjoyed both novels, I found the sequel more compelling. In the following report, I will briefly review both The Firm and its sequel, The Exchange. At first...
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To Kill a Mockingbird

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Book review: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee This book is without a doubt my favourite so far. I instantly fell in love with the storyline. Why this book? A couple of years ago, when I was in a Waterstones bookshop in England, my Dad pointed this book out to me, and said that he had the pleasure of reading it when he went to school. I became interested but went for another book instead - Jane Eyre.   Somehow I never forgot about it. I always had this book in the back of my mind. So when I was perusing the Orell Füssli bookshop back in Switzerland 2 months ago I happened to see it again. Without even thinking, I snatched it from the shelf and bought it. I started reading it after I had finished reading The Picture of Dorian Gray - see my last book report. Short Summary This book is quite famous, so you`ll probably have heard about it before. Nonetheless, I`m going to give you a quick summary of what happens: The Protagonist, Scout, is a young girl aged 6 at the begi...
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The Picture of Dorian Gray

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After having recently read a couple of books by Austen and a few by Dickens I thought of taking on a different author for a change. So my choice fell on Wilde. When I found out that he was Irish I thought I would be learning some Irish culture, but I was completely unaware of the fact that Ireland at the time in the late 18 hundreds was still a part of Great Britain. Besides, this story is set in London. Pre-Expectations I must admit, my expectations before reading his book were somewhat different to the actual plot, partly because I thought it would be similar to Austen's writing. But I was mistaken. I am not saying that I prefer her style to his, I am simply saying that they are different. The story did have an effect on me in the most unexpected way though. It is highly psychological in terms of the characters' actions and pursuits. The story revolves around a young man, Dorian Gray, who was later in possession of a portrait which aged while he stayed outwardly beautiful, an...
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"Persuasion" by Jane Austen

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If you haven't yet read a book by Jane Austen, I strongly recommend that you do, you truly have no idea what you're missing out on. One of her most powerful works,  Persuasion , was the last novel she wrote before her death, and it was published posthumously in 1817. Though her life was short, her writing continues to inspire generations. And for me, this book was nothing short of magical. First Impressions: Misleading but Necessary When I first picked up  Persuasion , I have to admit I found it quite hard to get into. At first, it seemed like the story would revolve around the boring life of the selfish and arrogant Sir Walter Elliot, a man obsessed with appearance and social status. But I was wrong. As I read on, I realized that the real heart of the novel was Anne Elliot, his quiet, kind, and emotionally intelligent daughter who had been poorly treated and overlooked for most of her life. Relating to Anne Elliot In many ways, I found myself relating to Anne. Now...
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