Notice for Review Requests

I receive review requests weekly. However, my personal schedule is hectic and I no longer review actively. (I also manage another blog called The Toronto Cafe and Food Blog). I do read every request sent but I apologize in advance that I do not reply to them all.

If I do take on a request, I will forewarn that it may take some time before I can review it. I am now looking to review adult fiction and self-help books instead of young adult fiction because I have grown out of it. If you are to request a review for either adult fiction or self-help, I will more likely to give it a shot.

In the meantime, Stop, Drop, and Read! serves as an archive book review blog. When I have the time, I may post a review. Thank you for understanding.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Short & Simple (10): Gothic Horror Special

I haven't been able to review as much this summer as I hoped because I ended up taking a summer class. But! It's an English course so I have been reading quite a bit of Gothic Horror for this past month. So I will give you a quick take of my opinions on the reads I had to do thus far! All these stories could be found online for free if Googled. :)


Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Age Group: Adults
# of Pages: N/A (Read online edition)
My Rating: 4/5


Sentence Summary: Victor Frankenstein desire to create a man goes awry, leading to his downfall.


Speaking Straightly: Everyone who knows of Frankenstein but have yet to read the novel would be in for a surprise. Definitely a captivating read and one would much sympathize for the creature compared to what has been portrayed in Hollywood for years. It questions the morality of playing with life and death and as well as playing the role of God.


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Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Age Group: Adults
# of Pages: 229 (Oxford World's Classics Edition)
My Rating: 4.5/5


Sentence Summary: A gorgeous man wishes to be young forever and it comes true, while a painting of him begins to age and decay with every corrupted deed.


Speaking Straightly: This is a brilliant and dark story that captures the Victorian's fascination with aestheticism and the corruption of the human mind. Wilde writes a very captivating plot and mindset of the protagonist, Dorian. I was able to chuckle in a couple of places here and there, something I wouldn't think I would be able to do for a 19th century lit. I admit though, towards the middle, it got slow for a couple of chapters. However, it picks up again. Definitely recommended.


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Title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Age Group: Adults
# of Pages: 200 (Broadview Literary Texts' Edition)
My Rating: 3/5


Sentence Summary: A respectable doctor is strangely associated with a brute with a mysterious background. For what reason may that be?


Speaking Straightly: Luckily this is a novella and it wasn't a very long read. However, I wasn't captured by this story compared to the first two. I guess maybe I more or less knew the end result? The content and writing weren't bad though and I can see why it's a classic, especially for its era. 

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1 comment:

Liviania said...

Sounds like a fun class! Dorian Grey is one of my favorites.