Là-bas (The Damned)

The Damned/Là-bas (1891)

Author: Joris-Karl Huysmans
Publisher: Penguin Classic
Pages: 320 pages

I had this book on my Amazon wish list for a long time even though I didn’t know much about it except for it to be about Gilles de Rais and satanism. When I visited the fascinating Gustave Moreau Museum [...]

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The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher

Author: Elfriede Jelinek
Release Date: May 3 2005
Publisher: Serpent’s Tail
Pages: 288
Austrian author Elfriede Jelinek won the 2004 Nobel prize for literature. The Piano Teacher was her classic from early 80s. Between the book and the acclaimed 2001 film version, I’m glad that I read the book first because…I don’t think I can stomach the [...]

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The Monk

The Monk (1796)

by Matthew Lewis
Another Gothic related entry~ ^_- I have a BLAST reading this, it’s a pity this novel is burdened with the status of “Classic Literature”, when in fact it is a galloping over-the-top, exploitative sensational shock entertainment (you know, trashy like Wuthering Height). It is a DAMN good read! I feel ashamed [...]

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Bonjour Tristesse

Bonjour Tristesse (1955)
by Françoise Sagan
I better write down my thoughts before my memory starts to fade. I admit I read this solely out of my slight Francophile tendency and cute cover. ^_- Bonjour Tristesse means ‘Hello Sorrow.’ Author Françoise Sagan, one of famous French literary prodigies , wrote it when she was only 17 years [...]

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Troll ~A Love Story~

Troll ~A Love Story~ (2000)
Johanna Sinisalo
Originally titled ‘Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi‘ (translated as ‘Not Before Sundown’) in Finnish, it finally got translated and released here four years later. It won the highest Finnish literature award Finlandia. The story set place in contemporary world with a slight alternate history twist: mythical creature troll’s existence has been [...]

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Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel
Susanna Clarke
Finally finish this 800 pages book after spending the past month reading it, absorbing the richly detail world setting, investing in the colorful cast of characters and stories-within-stories that’s full of mysteries and twist and turns. Now I feel a sense of lost and wish there’s a sequel!! [...]

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Once is Not Enough

Once is Not Enough (1973)
by Jacqueline Susann
I read Valley of the Dolls few months ago, it was the famous (infamous?) best-selling trash classic from 60s. It sure was a hell of an enjoyable read. Once is Not Enough was last of her “trash trilogy,” finished shortly before her death. It followed the [...]

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Battle Royale

Battle Royale (1999)
by Koushun Takami
The premise sounds great: A class of junior high students were forced to participate in a survival game on an isolated island conducted by a (hypothetical) Fascist government. Each were given a random weapon, ranged from utter useless things to a machine gun. They have to kill off each other within [...]

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Winter Rose

Winter Rose
by Patricia McKillip
After finishing Johnathan Strange I wanted to read more about faeries. I picked up this book based on the reviews saying that: 1) it is a retelling of the Scottish Tam Lin legend, and 2) the author is acclaimed to be a modern day Hans Christian Andersen. However it didn’t live [...]

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Two George MacDonald Fantasy

The Princess and the Goblin (1871)
by George MacDonald
I found these expensive luxury UK import Children books on bargain at a bookstore for only $5 each. They’re all richly cloth bound with very nice paper and printing. Inside are classic illustrations from the 19th century edition. So I picked up two that I’ve always wanted to [...]

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