Wrap up 📚 April 2020

To be honest, that month wasn't the best for me book-wise. Although the books I read were interesting, I wasn't blown away by them, which made my reading speed and my excitement to read decrease a bit. However, these books are worth sharing as the reason that I didn't enjoy them that much has to do with my personal reading preferences.

Follow your heart [original title: Va' dove ti porta il cuore] by Susanna Tamaro (1995)

A grandmother decides to write a series of letters to her granddaughter, whom she raised, explaining her lifestory. She opens her heart and she is being vulnerable by sharing all her thoughts and all her right or wrong decisions in her life as these letters will soon be the only thing left from her since the grandmother is expected to die in a few months due to health issues.

Although I find the plot interesting, I am not a huge fan of its execution; the diary format distances the protagonist from her own experiences as she records them later, and consequently I as a reader don't get to experience so many emotions and reactions as I would if all the events were taking place in front of my eyes at that exact moment. However, I had a great time reading about the protagonist's life when she was young and her struggles with her daughter because she presents the events from her own perspective while trying at the same time to be partial and non-judgmental. Plus, the non-linearity of the past events described keep the reader active and interested in putting all the puzzles pieces together in order to form a comprehensive view on the main character and her actions at the end of the book.

A Tree Grows in Brookly by Betty Smith (1943)

Francie Nolan is a young and strong-willed girl who loves learning and is determined to even go to college. The problem is that she and her family are so poor that she will soon have to choose between school and work.

This book provides a lot of life lessons, such as managing to survive in a cruel world while living with dignity, unconditional love, filtering society's norms and rules. The most important for me is that we shouldn't be quick to judge because most people are not bad or lazy beings, but just people who attempt to do the best they can despite the adverse living conditions they may face. It is the female characters that show the importance of following your heart -or your gut- and be strong whenever obstacles arise. Sissy, one of Francie's two aunts, has definitely one of the most interesting plotlines and she is my favourite character. The only issue I have with the book is the reference to the entry of the US into World War II but there is no serious talk about that affecting the country and the changes that would bring to the everyday life of its citizens.

The Little Prince [original title: Le Petit Prince] by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)

A pilot has an accident and lands in the Sahara Desert. There he meets an odd little boy from a different planet, the Little Prince.

That was the first time I had ever read this classic children's book. At my age -I am 23 years old- I wasn't blown away by it, but I do understand why it is perfect for children. Themes like kindness, curiosity and even more serious ones, such as obsessions that prevent adults from enjoying life and dealing with bereavement, are discussed in an intriguing and interesting way. The thing that impressed me the most is the fact that it encouraged me to pay attention to minor things, like the beauty of a rose, the brightness of the stars and the sound of laughter. That is astonishingly important for grown-ups who get overwhelmed by their desire to be successful and forget to enjoy their life.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

I decided to finish this month with another classic children's book that I had never read before; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While Alice was sitting with her older sister at a park, she sees a white rabbit with a waistcoat running and getting inside a rabbit hole. She follows it down to the rabbit hole and she enters a completely different world, where animals talk and their queen orders the beheading of her subjects without even having a serious reason.

My experience with this book was similar to the one with The Little Prince; I can totally understand the fascination, but at my age I wasn't so fascinated by it. The lack of a clear, purposeful plot structure can bore an adult as queer things just keep happening without any serious purpose behind it. However, all the adventures described correspond to the imaginative, creative and free from conventions way that children think. I found the theme of identity very interesting, but it wasn't explored much. I hope that this theme will play a more marked role in the Alice Through the Looking Glass that I'm planning to read next month.

And that are the books I read in April. Have you read any of them? What is your opinion on them?