“We are the dead."   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   After the first few chapters I had to put it down for a few weeks. It’s not a book to read lightly, it requires a lot of our attention and focus. When I picked the book up again, it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Orwell is a pseudonym for the author Eric Arthur Blair, a political essayist, English journalist and strong socialism supporter. There’s something to keep in mind: Orwell lived through the Great Wars, including the Spanish Civil War, where he fought against the fascism. He was a democratic socialist, that fought fiercely against totalitarianism. In fact, that is the whole point of 1984 – the totalitarianism and its way to convert the masses into renounce their liberty. I suggest, if you don’t know a bit about politics, that do a quick google search of socialism, totalitarianism, autocrats and capitalism (at least their definitions). In 1984, we see a world divided in 3 s...

“Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía había de recordar aquella tarde remota en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo. Macondo era entonces una aldea de 20 casas de barro y cañabrava construidas a la orilla de un río de aguas diáfanas que se precipitaban por un lecho de piedras pulidas, blancas y enormes como huevos prehistóricos. El mundo era tan reciente, que muchas cosas carecían de nombre, y para mencionarlas había que señalarlas con el dedo".”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   One Hundred Years of Solitude always intimidate me for the fact that everyone told me to read it in the right time, and mightn’t even be able to read it at first but only at the second or third try. I’ve read it once, and I would read it all over again. My advice, before you enter the world of Macondo the Buendía family, is to keep an open mind and drop everything you know as possible, real or defined by our s...

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”   ☘      Opinião em Português       ☘   The newspaper “Journal des débats” published this Alexandre Dumas’ novel periodically, in 18 segments, starting in August 1844 and ending in January 1846. The Count of Monte Cristo became the most popular book in Europe. Dumas based this story on the real account od Pierre Picaud who was charged of treason by 3 friends that coveted his rich fiancée. When he got out, he started working with a cleric that, when he died, left Pierre all of his fortune. Pierre tricked one of his friends, faking his death, so that he can give out the names of his traitors. When he got what he wanted, he punished them all (fiancée included). After the revenge, Picaud was killed by the friend who told him the names. All the Bonapartist references, including the representation of some of the characters, is based on Dumas’ father, a general under Napoleon’s comma...

“People really do like seeing their best friends humiliated; a large part of the friendship is based on humiliation; and that is an old truth,well known to all intelligent people.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   This book was my first ride through Dostoievski books, and I couldn’t have started in a better way. In October of 1866, the editors put Dostoivesky under pressure to deliver a novel by the end of the year, otherwise Dostoievsky wouldn’t get paid for 9 years for his, already published, books. So, he wrote The Gambler in just little over 20 days. Alexei Ivanovitch is a young tutor working for a Russian family, that currently are in the imaginary city of Roulettenbad, in Germany. Alexei is in love with his employer’s stepdaughter, Polina, and tries to demystify the reason of why Polina always asks him to play the roulette claiming that she needs money urgently. Dostoievsky writes this book as if a Diary and we fall to Alexei’s li...

“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive. It's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"   ☘      Opinião em Português       ☘   The book was published in 1908, years after the author sent the manuscript to several editors and being rejected by them. Ths children’s novel portraits Anne’s the adaptation and growth after being adopted by a couple of brothers who initially wanted a boy to help in their farm. The brothers, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, despite refusing Anne at first, end up keeping her. The book accompanies Anne through 1876 all to 1981 – since she was 11 years old until her late teens. Because it’s a children’s book, it’s vital to read it as such, through the magical and imaginary mind of a child and, for that reason, Anne is one of the swe...