Nostalgia

For the Popsugar Reading Challenge, two categories are a book you haven't read since high school and a book translated from another language.  I picked titles that brought back a bit of nostalgia for me as a reader.

The Great Gatsby is an American classic usually read in high school.  I was assigned the book as a junior.  I remembered the basics but honestly must have blocked out much of the actual plot which I find humorous. I'll chalk it up to immaturity and the passage of time.  Revisiting this I remembered primary character but nothing of the affairs, the jealous rage or the subsequent murder/suicide.

I definitely have a better appreciation for the depection of'1920s society and the greater nuances regarding the themes of the decline of the American Dream and the shallowness of the upper class.  This is never going to be a standout classic for me but it was interesting to revisit it as an adult.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Night was a book that truly changed by perspective as a reader. I'd never experienced a true story that was written is such an engrossing and haunting way.  As assigned reading in 9th grade, I remember this as one of my first "grown-up" books.  The narrative moves quickly and adeptly portrays the attrocities Wiesel and so many others endured during the Holocaust. The gravity of this book has always stayed with me even after nearly 25 years.
I remember being surprised that there are three books to Wiesel's story.  I plan to read Dawn and Day to finish the trilogy.

If you haven't experienced this on audio, I highly recommend the experience.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars






#popsugar #readingchallenge #nostalgia #greatgatsby #night #holocaust #YAlit