Listen, We Need a Break…

I’ve been mulling this over for a while now, and I think it’s time to take a break. I launched hebereads at the beginning of August 2018, and since then I’ve been putting out content once a week every week, sometimes more. Literature has always been my biggest interest, and I began this blog, in part, to be able to demonstrate my passion to universities. Since then, I’ve received offers from everywhere that I’ve applied to and I’m beyond excited to have the opportunity to study literature to degree level. But, in terms of hebereads, I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, and I feel like I’ve been putting pressure on myself to keep putting content out, when I’m not actually clear on what my end goal is.

In all honesty, I’m just at a bit of a loose ends. I don’t know what to write, what people would read, what people would enjoy, and I don’t feel like I’m engaging in the book-blogging community at all. I feel as though most book blogs are heavily focused around young adult fiction, and I’ve been struggling to find blogs that discuss the literature I’m reading, which has been contributing to my slump. However, at the same time, I’m really enjoying reading lifestyle blogs, and so I’m not sure if branching out would be a worthwhile move, or just to stay occupying my tiny space in the book community. With the Easter Holidays coming up this week,  I think it’s best to take some time to collect my thoughts and figure out where I’m going with this blog. If you have been in this position before, and have any advice, or suggestions, please do let me know.

Love,

Hebe x

The Road by Cormac McCarthy Review

“Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world entire.” – Cormac McCarthy, The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a post-apocalyptic novel, which tirelessly details the bleak day-to-day journey of a father and son, as they travel across America. The country is barren, and the few people they do encounter transpire to be ‘the bad guys’. The Road subverts many of the conventions of apocalyptic fiction, as it remains unclear throughout what caused the apocalypse, or how our two protagonists managed to survive. Written with such brutal, gentle honesty, McCarthy perfectly captures the tone of not knowing where the next meal is coming from, and the pain of being in this situation with no help, and a young child to protect. There is a complete absence of self-pity and nostalgia, which is unusual in the post-apocalyptic genre.

Our two protagonists are left nameless throughout the novel, which is effective, referred to simply as ‘the man’ and ‘the boy’. McCarthy uses secondary characters, such as the boy’s deceased mother, to reinforce the state of mind that has led to the dwindling population. Fundamentality, The Road is an exploration of father-son relationships, and the dilemma of striving to keep your child alive, whilst not knowing what you’re trying to keep them alive for. There is something so displaced about the instilling of moral values in a child living in the wake of an apocalypse; the never stray from their status as ‘the good guys’. The Road is the right balance of grit and tenderness.

Rating: 4.5/5

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson Review

“In the library I felt better, words you could trust and look at till you understood them, they couldn’t change half way through a sentence like people, so it was easier to spot a lie.” – Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a semi-autobiographical novel by Jeanette Winterson. Originally published in 1985, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit proved so relevant that it warranted a BBC television adaptation in 1990. The novel tracks the early life of Jeanette, who, despite her mother predetermining her fate as a missionary, soon finds herself drifting from this ideal, and many of the other ideals set upon her from birth.

A serious but oftentimes humorous coming of age story, Winterson constructs a familiar narrative voice. The careful interweaving of fairytales and legends adds depth to Jeanette’s journey to self-discovery and acceptance. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit deals with sexuality, small rebellions, and the disparities between finding God and finding yourself. Naming each chapter after a book in the bible, Winterson discusses growing up an absolutist, religious environment, without seeking to demonise it.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding Review

“Should never, ever have got involved with men again. Had completely forgotten the nightmare of ‘Why hasn’t he called.’” – Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a fictional diary based around the bumbling British character of Bridget Jones and her struggle to navigate everyday life. This is the third in the Bridget Jones series, and whilst the previous instalments have often been chastised for lacking substance, Mad About the Boy delves into deeper topics of bereavement and single parenting. Fielding manages to find the right balance between this much needed shift in tone and the classic lightheartedness of Bridget Jones.

Whilst some people find Bridget Jones’ distinctive diary entry style difficult to get into, there was noticeably more experimentation in writing style in this book. And though you don’t necessarily have to read the first two books to grasp the novel, I find that this does add depth to each of the characters. Mad About the Boy, so far, is the strongest of the series.

Rating: 4/5

 

Spring Reads 🌱

Unfortunately, spring is actually my least favourite season of the year, and, as I came to write this list, also appears to be the season with the least amount of literature dedicated to it. However, ever the trooper that I am, here is a selection of spring-appropriate reads to get you through those April showers.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats 

The etherial overtones and references to flowers definitely makes La Belle Dame Sans Merci an appropriate read for spring.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

One of the most famous and best-loved fantasy novels of all time, The Hobbit opens with Bilbo Baggins’ quaint hobbit-hole in Bag End, and the fertile landscape of this is definitely reminiscent of springtime.

The January Man: A Year of Walking in Britain by Christopher Somerville

Yes, yes, January is winter – but in The January Man, Christopher Somerville really re-explores his love of nature, which is what, I think, spring is best for.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Arguably Jane Austen’s most well-remembered book, Pride and Prejudice centres around the initially rocky relationship of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, and the fresh landscapes are most certainly fitting with the season.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Just as flowers are beginning to bloom once more, the fantastical descriptions of The Secret Garden will have you embracing the new year and the new season a little more readily.

Tales from Watership Down by Richard Adams

What spring reading list is complete without the classic Tales from Watership Down? I have a rabbit myself, and I love the way that they’re celebrated at this time of year.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

It’s unclear when exactly Twelfth Night is set, but the light, jovial tone of the play definitely seems to fit best in spring. The play is about twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck, and the comical scrapes that they get themselves into whilst trying to find each other.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Any kind of anthropomorphism is gratefully received in spring, and The Wind in the Willows is one of the best-loved examples of this, following the adventures of Ratty, Mole, Badger, and Mr Toad.

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Famous for its film adaptation starring Judy Garland, that is always shown around Easter-time, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy as she is blown far from home in a tornado, and must try to find her way back.

To Spring by William Blake

This poem is the most overtly spring-based text on the list, and is four quatrains dedicated to the season.

Discussion: instapoetry – is it poetry?

A new trend has been gripping the ‘gram for a while now, and is slowly but surely leaking into the literary scene. Rupi Kaur, a 26 year old Indian-Canadian writer, is the self-proclaimed ‘trailblazer’ of what has been dubbed ‘instapoetry’, initially self-publishing her writing on the social media platform ‘instagram’, rather than going through the more conventional route of publishing houses. However, what Kaur and many other define as poetry is arguably not poetry in the true sense of the word. The ‘Oxford English Dictionary’ defines poetry as: “Literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm.” Try saying that when you’ve had a few. Essentially what Kaur is writing (although she is by no means the only culprit, more so a figurehead for the movement) is actually a series of statements. One piece of hers, called ‘growth is a process’, reads, ‘you do not just wake up and become the butterfly’. That’s it. That is the entirety of what she calls a poem. No distinctive style or rhythm, but one statement that she’s plonked in the middle of a page and demanded praise for. They’re pretty, self-indulgent words, but does this constitute poetry?

Clearly her writing resonates with a lot of people, and that in itself gives it an intrinsic value. Not only that, but the people that her poetry is reaching, young women, are generally not exposed to enough poetry in a wider context, and so one could argue that anybody getting a younger generation interested in literature is important. Kaur’s first collection, Milk and Honey, sold over two-point-five million copies worldwide, and her most recent collection The Sun and Her Flowers is currently sharing in that same success. There is definitely something to be said for self-publishing, and utilising social media to make literature more accessible. The issue as I see it, is that this form of writing clouds the meaning of poetry, and devalues the poetry that came before it. Whilst Blake and Yeats and Keats were slaving away at rhyme schemes and iambic pentameters, Kaur feels fully able to write a whole ten words, a fleeting thought that went through her head, and call it a day. There is a place for this writing, somewhere, I’m sure, but I have to wonder… instapoetry – is it poetry?

 

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur Review

“Trying to convince myself I am allowed to take up space is like writing with my left hand when I was born to use my right”

– Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry by the bestselling instapoet Rupi Kaur. Her work centres around trauma, femininity and relationships. I can’t say I understand the hype around this collection. There is no doubt that Rupi Kaur can write. But for whatever reason, she chooses not to. Some of her “poems” are two lines long. She also recycles metaphors; all bodily fluids are “honey”, all strong emotion is “burning”.

The irritating thing about the instapoetry craze is that people are afraid of capital letters and punctuation. Kaur claims this is an homage to her Punjabi roots, which is an interesting format, but for every single poem it becomes predictable. Her work is easily imitated and often quite cringeworthy. Whatever gets people into poetry is surely a good thing but I think Milk and Honey is highly overrated.

Rating: 2/5

Heroes by Stephen Fry Review

“No labour was more Heraclean than the labour of being Heracles.”

– Stephen Fry, Heroes

I read Mythos a little while ago and loved it, and Heroes focuses more on the mortals and demigods of Greek mythology, rather than the Gods themselves. Heroes touches upon the revered figures of Greek mythology such as Perseus, Jason, and Heracles (whose final wife was Hebe, the goddess of youth).

Volume II of this series definitely lived up to its precursor, and covered more widely known tales, like that of Jason and the Argonauts. Classicists may argue over certain facts and timelines, but this collection of stories works well as an introduction to the famous myths. Fry also includes footnotes for extra-depth, and these can be both insightful and distracting.

Rating: 4.5/5

Mythos by Stephen Fry Review

“It is enough to say that the Greeks thought it was Chaos who, with a massive heave, or a great shrug, or hiccup, vomit or cough, began the long chain of creation that has ended with pelicans and penicillin and toadstools and toads, sea-lions, lions, human beings and daffodils and murder and art and love and confusion and death and madness and biscuits.”

– Stephen Fry, Mythos

Mythos is Stephen Fry’s captivating retelling of the major Greek myths, which he does with great character. He also, in true Stephen Fry fashion, narrates the audiobook version of Mythos, if that’s a format you’d be more interested in, although, I’d heartily recommend reading the book. Fry has also, only recently, released the sequel to Mythos, Heroes, which covers more favourites, such as the stories of Atalanta, Perseus, Jason, and Heracles.

Though Mythos isn’t intended to be taken as the most academic recounting ever written (note, for instance, the way in which Gaia nonchalantly laments “Oh god,” before the advent of the Greek gods), it is certainly an enjoyable, lighthearted take on the stories that have been told and retold countless times throughout history. Fry’s Mythos is a wonderful gateway to Greek mythology for a reader that finds the idea intimidating.

Rating: 4.5/5

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Review

“Don’t think of me too often. I don’t want to think of you getting all maudlin. Just live well. Just live.” – Jojo Moyes, Me Before You

Me Before You is a romantic novel about the perfectly bland life of Louisa Clark and how it is spun into disarray when she is offered a job caring for quadriplegic Will Traynor. Pleasantly, the storyline wasn’t as predictable as many romances, and there was an impressive complexity to the plot that grew as the characters developed.

Furthermore, whilst the majority of the novel is written from Louisa’s point of view, Moyes does make use of alternative perspectives in order to deepen the reader’s understanding of each character. Moyes also uses these separate viewpoints to address the current dilemma of assisted suicide in a neutral yet poignant manner.

Rating: 4/5