- 43 - Girl Online

Author:

Zoe Sugg aka ‘Zoella’

Published:

November 2014

Genre:

Romance, Novel, Young Adult

352 pages [English Edition]

499 pages [German Edition]

I know that 'St Nicolas' Day' isn't celebrated in every country or region... buuuut nontheless... Happy Nicholas to all of you! 🎅🤶🎄

Eat tons of mandarins and nuts and have a very good day, I will do the same! <3

Content

Penny Porter runs a secret Blog on the internet. 

‘Girl Online’ is a place for her to share all her feelings, fears and awkward things that happen to her with her followers that she is too afraid to talk about in real-life. The only one to know about her blog is her best friend Elliot.

When being in New York with her parents and Elliot for Christmas, Penny meets the mysterious, dark-haired, guitar-playing and extremely attractive Noah. Soon, the two teenagers fall in love with each other.

All Penny can think about is if and how they are going to keep up their relationship when she has to return home to far-far-away Great-Britain.

But then, a shocking secret about Noah is revealed.

Will the love of the two teens be strong enough to overcome these rough times, or will it break before it even really started?!

My Review

Because this is going to be a post that is a bit shorter, I am directly going to come to the thing I liked best about this book and that made it very special to me: The main character Penny suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.

The episodes she is having are described in a very good way that makes you as the reader understand how it really feels like having a panic attack. This was especially interesting and helpful to me, because for the last one and a half months my sister is suffering from similar attacks and I don’t really know how to deal with that… :o

Mental health is a topic that definitely needs to be talked about more openly in public. People need to be sensitized for mental health! Starting with slowly showing this to teens in the context of such a lovely romance-story is a very good way to start with I think.

The next thing I want to write about is the general atmosphere that is being created in ‘Girl Online’.

It is a very sweet, fluffy, pink and happy novel. –It all was a bit ‘too perfect’ to me!

It is not like nothing bad happened at all, but the whole plot still is very smooth and positive. The ‘bad guys’ are 100% evil and disgusting persons and the ‘good guys’ are too good to be alive, honestly! In real live, no one can be sorted in the ‘good’ or the ‘bad’ drawer that easily because everyone unites a bit of both in himself…

… BUT! I probably am not the reader this book has been targeted to! 

For teenagers this book might be perfect and exactly what they need to understand the world and themselves a bit better, but for ‘adults’ [like me *cough*] maybe not.

Despite the fact that ‘Girl Online’ addresses some serious topics like anxiety, panic attack, bullying and safety on the internet, it still manages to keep a very warming and positive atmosphere.

Recommendation and Stuff

All in all I can say that ‘Girl Online’ is a very cute book that I enjoyed reading a lot! 

I definitely am going to read and review the second book as well, so strap yourself in for that exciting sequel to this amazing post. xDD

I would still only recommend you to read this book if you are a teenager, or an adult on the hunt for a really cute book to heal your soul. Maybe you could give this book to your little brother or sister and then read it yourself later [I kind of did the same thing with my sister xDDD].

The very last thing I want to write about here is a thing that I found online while trying to find out, whether this book was autobiographical or not [because Zoe also has to deal with panic attacks]. What I found instead were an awful high amount of websites that claimed that ‘Girl Online’ was ghost-written and that Zoe only put her name on it in order to make money.

I don’t want to make any suggestions or start drama here. I just wanted to let you know in case this would be a reason for you not to buy this book. 

I personally don’t think that she did it, but as always, feel free to have your own opinion and maybe even share it down in the comments. :D

Thanks for reading this review,

Hopefully see you soon.

leonie

=^-^=

G E R M A N   C O V E R

- 42 - Mirror Mirror

Author:

Cara Delevingne

Published:

October 2017

Genre:

Novel, Teen Drama, Crime

368 pages [English Edition]

368 pages [German Edition]

The author of this book is the actress of Laureline in ‘Valerian’. Maybe she already seems familiar to you because I massively fangirled over her at the end of my post about this film… xD

Content

This book is about the four teenagers Red, Leo, Rose and Naomi.

All of them are very different and all have different problems in their lives: One has an alcoholic mother and an absent father, another one a violent and criminal brother and the last one dumps boy after boy in order to numb a supressed pain from the past.

What unites all of them and ties them together is the band they all play in together!

At the beginning of the summer Naomi vanishes. Eight weeks later she is found barely alive in the Thames. While she is fighting for her live in hospital, her friends try to find out what exactly happened to her.

 Could it be that the police are right and Naomi ran away from home herself- and the friends simply didn’t pay enough attention to her and missed some important warning-signs?

Or is something much darker behind it all?!

The only certain thing is that at the end of this journey none of the friends is going to be the same as he was before, because...

"

Once a mirror is broken, it can’t be repaired

"

My Review

Literally the only reason for me to buy this book was the woman that wrote it. xD

Maybe [Hopefully!?] you will have some more rational reasons for and against buying this book after having read this review. xDD

To begin with, I want to talk about this book’s language:

It is a bit vulgar; nothing extremely beautiful or with extraordinarily high literal finesse,

BUT, it suits this book and its narrator so well!

‘Mirror Mirror’ is written out of the perspective of ‘Red’ one of the band’s members. He is telling the reader what happens in all honesty and without minding how he says it; which I hail a lot.

This leads me to the next aspect I want to talk about: ‘Mirror Mirrror’s’ narrator

He is very quit, shy, hard with opening up to others and loyal to the ones he loves. He seemed very likeable and relatable from the very beginning. 

With the ongoing of the book something is revealed about ‘Red’ that I would never have expected. 

I can’t tell you what exactly happens without spoiling you, which I obviously am not going to do… BUT this secret showed me once more, that I still am stuck in the schema based on which society judges people by.

I really do believe that people should be free to wear / do / say / think / ... no matter what gender / religion / sexuality / … they have. Nonetheless, it is very hard not to consider all the stereotypes you grew up with and have been confronted for your entire life at all… I [and maybe you too?! <3] really need to work on that harder in the future!

I have come to realize that half of my reviews is consumed by me ranting about random topics and telling you my opinion without having been asked!

I am going to continue with the review now and I really need to work on that for future reviews: xD

The ending of ‘Mirror Mirror’ was a bit silly and predictable, BUT *as I see it* the strength of this book isn’t its outstanding plot or its amazing language. What makes it special and definitely worth reading is the message it and its characters are sending and showing to the reader.

I see this book as an homage to friendship and love, but also as a reminder to the reader that everyone fights his own fights maybe no one, not ever ones closest friends, know about. Identity Struggles, individuality and the painful truth of growing up also are being discussed.

Recommendation and Stuff

I would recommend you to read this book if you search for a book that is a bit ‘lighter’; maybe something for in between reading two very thick and heavy weighty tomes. :3

Despite the important and serious values it talks about, ‘Mirror Mirror’ is not a depressive, sad book that makes you feel bad and horrible. It probably will make you think and question stuff a bit; but in a good and positive way.

I really enjoyed reading Cara Delevinge’s book and I hope for a second one.

I still think that that actress / model / author is a bomb of a woman and I definitively am going to follow her ‘career’ in the future because I think that we have a lot of awesome stuff to expect from her! :D

Thanks for reading this review,

Hugs,

leonie

G E R M A N   C O V E R
[THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO COVERS; I KNOW xDD]

- 41 - Stranger Things [Season 2]

Actors you might know:

*literally all the actors from the first season*

*but apart from that, I didn’t know anyone*

Published:

2017

Genre:

Series, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Episodes:

9

Episode duration:

40-60 min

This is the review of the second season of this show. If you are interested, feel free to read my review of the previous season first. It is linked HERE. xD

I was and still am hyped about this show!

It is so incredibly good that I had to binge-watch it even though I don’t normally do that. :3

Content

The second season is set one year after the last one ended. [Again, if you are interested in its summary, click HERE to be transferred to the one I wrote.]

The four friends Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will try to live a normal live and to forget the horrible happenings of last year.

The boys however are reminded of it more often than they would like to be. Will regularly is shook by mysterious panic attacks where he finds himself in the upside-down facing a horrible creature all on his own and Mike is still missing his friend ‘eleven’ so badly, that he tries to call her every night on his walkie-talkie.

Soon, Will’s panic attacks are getting more frequent and mysterious things start happening in the boy’s hometown Hawkins again.

Might Will’s visions of a gigantic monster attacking the town be true? Will they be able to defend themselves against such a powerful opponent?

And, even more important, where the heck is ‘eleven’?!

My Review

I had very high expectations ON and a very big fear OF this second season not being as good as the first one. My expectations were more than fulfilled and my fears were smashed into tiny, little pieces.

First of all [this always is very important to me], this season does not seem to only be made for the money; it seems to be made because it makes sense for the plot. I actually really enjoyed it from the very beginning.

In my first season’s review I talked about the lovely and adorable characters of this show for an inacceptable big amount of time. That’s why I am going to keep this part as short as possible in this review. xD

The main and the side characters still are as amazing as they were in the first season. They all grew up a bit and are different from how they were a year ago, BUT the change they went though is realistic; not too much and not too little.

Some new characters are added to the already known ones from first season.

I was very suspicious and uncertain when I first hear about this, but now I can say, that these new characters fit in really well and that I didn’t mind them at all.

The plot of ‘Stranger Things – Season 2’ is very good: thrilling, exciting, addicting, …

For me, it was just as good, maybe even slightly better than the first one’s! :D

A thing that I need to mention at least on a quick note is the fact, that of course ‘Stranger Things’ is a bit scary from time to time. It is nothing that can’t be endured, believe me, but if you can’t stand creepy stuff on any level, this series probably isn’t the right thing for you… [Nothing to worry about, there are countless series that might be the right thing for you <3]

The ending is very good.

I have to admit that I cried several times during the last episodes. Not necessarily because it is a sad and horrible ending, but more because it was so moving and overwhelming.

Recommendation & Stuff

I would definitely recommend you to watch this series if you search for:
a bit suspense, adorable characters, incredibly good actors, supernatural abilities and a bit of drama and romance. 

It would probably be better to watch the first season first, but if you don’t want to do so, you could also start with this one, I guess. 

A third season already is confirmed.

The release date is not out yet, but I would guess that is going to be a bit more than a year again.

👾-> More than enough time for YOU to watch the first two seasons! 👾

Some time ago, I renamed this part of my reviews to ‘Recommendation AND STUFF’.

I now, am going to make use of the ‘and stuff’-part. xD

There currently is a little bit of an online storm around Finn Wolfhard, the actor of Mike. Apparently, some fans waited outside of his hotel for him to return. When he saw them, he didn’t stop to take pictures with them, but he immediately went to his room.

These fans then wrote hate messages to him on social media later. He himself and a lot of other actors reacted to this hate by saying, that everyone needs some privacy from time to time and only the fact that you are an actor doesn’t make you having to spend time with your fans all the time.

Hey everybody! I don't wanna ex-communicate anyone from this fandom, but if you are for real you will not harass my friends, or co-workers. Ya'll know who you are.

— Finn Wolfhard (@FinnSkata) 8. November 2017

I just wanted to use this example as a reminder to all of us, that we need to respect people’s privacy; Also, or especially when, people are famous and decide to share a lot of their lives online with us. NOONE has the right to camp outside of the hotel room of a 14 year-old and then expect him to take pictures with you.

Why I even have to tweet that, I don't know. Anyone who calls themselves a "fan" and actively goes after someone for literally acting and doing their job is ridiculous. Think b4 ya type boiiii

— Finn Wolfhard (@FinnSkata) 8. November 2017

Sorry for this off-topic-rant, but I needed to get this off my chest. xDD

The internet is a very lovely place that I really like going to, but it also has its negative sides that we, as its users, should be more aware of…

If you want a save place to go to on the internet without hate and drama, I will tell you secret one :

There is a certain blog talking about books and series and stuff…

… it is called 'lelo.loves.books' and it is run by an extremely attractive and professional blogger… not...

WoW, I am sorry for that, I don’t know where that came from. I understand every single one of you who leaves and never returns after this disgusting self-promotion. xDDDD

Anyways, thanks for being here and maybe returning soon.

Virtual hugs,

Leonie

=^.^=

- 40 - A Herring Without Mustard

Flavia De Luce #3

Author:

Alan Bradley

Published:

2011

Genre:

Detective Story, Mysterie, Children

399 pages [English Edition]

352 pages [German Edition]

HELLO PARTY PEOPLEZ

I have been absent on here for some time. First I was very sick and I couldn't leave my bed for three weeks and then school was killing me. Now I am back and I am currently watching incredibly many good series and reading an awful lot of really, really good books! I am looking so forward to sharing all this with you! :D

So, after this short personal note, back to the actual review! <3

thanksforvisitingmyblogthanksforvisitingmyblog

This is the third book of the ‘Flavia De Luce’ book series.

I already wrote reviews for the FIRST and the SECOND book on my blog. Feel free to read them first, but it also won’t kill anyone if you don’t do so and start with this one. :D

Content

England in the 1950s

11 year-old Flavia de Luce visits her home town’s small annual fair together with her family. Some hours after being told her future by an old mysterious Gypsy woman, the exact same old lady is found severely injured in her small caravan.

Because the police are clueless as always, Flavia feels compelled to solve the case herself.

Her old bicycle Gladys and her love for chemistry are just as essential for doing so as her passion for poisons.

Soon, other corpses are found and the situation seems to be getting more dangerous and shady with every page you turn.

My Review

If you already have read my reviews of the first two ‘Flavia de Luce’ books, this opinion of mine might already seem familiar to you:

The language is amazing and the best and lovely and, and, and

The descriptions of the settings, the involved characters and the ongoing action always are beautiful and with loving attention to detail.

[If you have been following my blog for some time you will already know this:]

I LOVE the English language and everything connected to it; I especially fell in love with Great-Britain. This book-series is very British and that’s why -for me- even more adorable and fascinating.

I read the first two books in German and I am going to read the other ones in German as well because I want to understand every single of the beautiful phrases the author is using. Because of my love for the English-language I swore myself to reread at minimum one of the books in English though! xD

G E R M A N   C O V E R

Now to the actual review of this third book.

The plot is good; Catchy, not boring and different from the ones before.

My reviews of the other two ‘Flavia’-books both contain a very long and detailed talk about the main-character Flavia herself. I didn’t hate her, I just couldn’t really relate to her and she annoyed me a bit. I don’t know why, but in this book she wasn’t annoying at all and I really came to enjoy spending my time with her.

Another thing that annoyed me a lot in the other two books is the horrible relationship of Flavia to her father and her two sisters. This also is on the way of getting better in this book. :D

The very last aspect that I really enjoyed about this book is that the side characters of the other books are mentioned again. If you have read the other books, this will also please you. If you didn’t read the other ones, you still can enjoy 'A Herring Without Mustard'.

The character that I was the happiest about seeing him again was Dogger. He is the 'De Luce's' Butler and the good soul of the house. He is a very wholesome character who silently tiptoes his way into the reader's heart. :D

My father and I both are reading this book-series together.

He prefers this third book from the second one. I actually planned on writing here that I don’t agree with him because both of the books are equally good, but during writing this review I couldn’t help but to agree with him.

”

ALONE AT LAST!

Whenever I’m with other people, part of me shrinks a little. Only when I am alone can I fully enjoy my own company.-Flavia de Luce

”

Recommendation and Stuff

If you have read the first two books, you definitely should read this one as well.

If you haven’t read any of the ‘Flavia de Luce’ books until now, you really should do so! xD

Here’s my suggested reading order: Start with the first one, then read the third one and then the second one. As soon as I have read and reviewed the other books, I will of course update this list. xDD

I have already bought the next book of this adorable series. It is called ‘I Am Half-Sick of Shadows’ and as soon as I finish this one, its review will also be uploaded on here. :D

I would be very glad if you would join me with reading this series. Having other people to exchange with about books, films, series, … always is a nice thing. ^^

If you don’t want to read it, you can just keep reading my reviews which of course I am incredibly thankful for! :D

Hugs,

leonie

=^.^=

↘ OHHHHHHH, I nearly forgot something very important  ↙



👻❤ Happy Halloween to all you lovely people! ❤👻

- 39 - Snatch

Actors you might know:

Rupert Grint *Ronald Weasley in ‘Harry Potter’*

Ed Westwick *Chuck in ‘Gossip Girl’*

Published:

2017

Genre:

Crime, Comedy

Episodes:

10

Episode duration:

~ 1 hour

Why I started watching this series you ask?

Well, that question can easily be answered: Rupert Grint 

xDD

Content

‘Snatch’ is about a group of small-time crooks that accidently steal a truck-load of gold bullions from one of the biggest drug barons in the area…

… Suddenly, Albert, Charlie and Billy are thrust into the high-stakes of organized crime with a lot of gold at hand that they don’t know what to do with.

My Review

I binge watched this series on summer holidays two month ago and I finally decided to write its review now. :D

‘Snatch’ is a very entertaining, funny, ironic, sarcastic and also a bit stupid series.

It is based on a film of the same title from 2000.

I didn’t know this film when watching the series and I still don’t know it while writing this text.

I read some other people’s reviews however that compare the two ‘Snatches’ with each other:

Most of the people seemed to apotheosise the old film. The series mostly was liked, but not as much loved as the film it is based on. But Again: I can’t have an opinion on that topic because I didn’t come to watch both of these pieces of art until now. xD

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this post, 'Snatch' rather is a comedy then a serious crime-story. It doesn’t take itself and its mostly highly incompetent characters too seriously; it just makes a lot of fun to watch.

Speaking of incompetent characters…

… the actors and the acting is incredibly good! Rupert Grint is a bomb, but also all the other actors are nailing their performances.

The figures they play mostly are those funny people you laugh about, but in the end who you also pity. They aren’t deep or special individuals; they are “normal” small-time crooks that try to come to rich and fortune. All the characters are extremely likable nonetheless and you really feel with them!

Due to the already given fact that you come to like most of this series’ characters, you will probably enjoy its ending. It isn’t a stereotypical “happy end” but it also isn’t as horrible as you could have expected it to be from such an ironic series. xD

In my opinion, ‘Snatch’ is one of the better new series out there and it definitely is worth watching.

You will most likely find yourself watching it very fast once you start it; and when you are finished you will probably crave for more.


In my eyes the ending is veeeery good and it just leaves you sitting in front of your TV with a big grin on your face.

I can’t even say why, but even several days after finishing this show I still happily had to think of it from time to time. :D

Recommendation and Stuff

I would recommend you to watch this series if you search for something light to make you laugh which still isn’t too “flat” or boring.

If you decide to watch ‘Snatch’, I promise you, that you will want more of it after its last episode…

… Well, your [and my] wish is going to be satisfied because a second season already is confirmed. :D

↘ I linked the first season's Trailer down here in case I intrigued you:  ↙

I hope you enjoyed reading this review,

Thanks for clicking

Hugs,

leonie

=^.^=

- 38 - Steven Universe [Season 1]

Published:

2013-2015

Genre:

Animation, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, Children

Episodes:

52

Episode duration:

11 min

I started watching this series because two of my favourite YouTubers recommended it and because it is very, very famous on Tumblr. :D

I am super hyped about ‘Steven Universe’, so please read my entire review and give this lovely show a chance!

Content

Steven Universe lives together with three magical gem women and his father in a town called Beach City. The three women Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst call themselves ‘Crystal Gems’ and travel all over the world and to space to solve “magical” problems in order to keep the earth save.

Steven is a half-human, half-gem boy. 

His mom also once was a member of the ‘Crystal Gems’. She gave up her physical form as a gem to create Steven. Her son now has to learn how to use his mother’s gem’s powers in order to join and help the crystal gems himself.

This series mainly is about Steven expanding his knowledge of his power with the help of the Crystal Gems, missions the Crystal Gems go on and also some conflicts between the rest of the inhabitants of Beach City.

My Review

Well, where do I even begin with this…

… I feel like, no matter how long I will take for writing this review, it will never be good enough for this awesome show! :o

‘Steven Universe’ officially seems to be a show for children…

… but there is so much more behind it, that it is impossible to label it as something “only” made for children. It is so deep, so many lessons can be learned and the songs... don’t even get me started about the songs!

This might be a bit superficial, but another aspect of this show I really enjoyed is the length of its episodes.

Honestly, one can always spare ten minutes for watching an episode… or two… or ten.

This brevity still doesn’t lead to the episodes being pointless or unsubstantial!

In contrary! The ten-minute episodes made me be more attentive and more hyped about starting a new one. 

[If you compare this to the one-and-a-half-hour ‘Sherlock’ episodes, it is in an entirely different universe –get the reference?! Lol –that one was horrible –kill me plz]. 

For me, it is just was very refreshing to have a completely different and new plot every ten minutes. :D

Another veeery positive aspect about ‘Steven Universe’ is its characters.

G A R N E T

Firstly, there aren’t that many characters and that’s why it is possible for you to keep up and really get to know every single one of them. After some time you know most of Beach City’s lovely inhabitants and you feel like you are living there yourself. xD

Secondly, all the characters are so nice; I can’t put it in words.

I will talk about the Crystal Gems later, but also every single side-character has grown to my heart while watching ‘Steven Universe’. The producers invested a lot of time in really picturing a lot of different characters, with different personal strength and weaknesses. –which definitely was worth it!

The crystal gems and Steven’s father and Steven himself are generally nice people and they are full of love for each other and the rest of the world. They care, respect, protect, understand and LOVE each other from the bottom of their hearts and you, as the spectator, feel loved as well.

S T E V E N' S   D A D

One could think that Steven is annoying because he is that ‘stereotypical’ looser kind of guy.

But this isn’t true at all!

He is a very cute and lovely thing that must be protected at all cost! Honestly!

But also the other ‘Crystal Gems’ and his father are incredibly adorable!

In addition to the fact that all the characters already are amazing at the beginning of ‘Steven Universe’, the development nearly all of them go through with the ongoing of the show makes them being even more amazing!

I am going to stop fangirling over the characters and go on with my review now. xD

A M E T H Y S T

The next aspect is a very positive and important one for me but it probably doesn’t apply to all of you:

I am no Native English speaker, so I mostly have some difficulties whenever I watch a series in English. ‘Steven Universe’ however was very easy for me to understand. Firstly because it also is for children and that’s why there aren’t that many complicated words in it. 

Secondly because it is an animated show and because of that all the audio is recorded separately in a studio. You don’t have any distracting and annoying background noises and the dialogues and songs can all be understood very easily. This helps all the not-native-English-speakers out there to understand what’s going on. xD

For all of these reasons, I would definitely recommend you to watch this show in its original language! [I will recommend some legal streaming websites at the end of the review. :D]

P E A R L

The very last thing I want to say about ‘Steven Universe’ is something very basic...

It is something different!

There are tons and tons of series out there, but this one sticks out.

It is something completely different, it imparts social values, it doesn’t seem to care about norms and *in case of repeating myself* it just generally is a lovely and amazing thing to watch! *____*

I literally can’t think of a single negative thing to say about ‘Steven Universe’ for this review. 

I am sorry. :p

Recommendation and Stuff

Well, I have two words for you: WATCH IT

Please. 

Every episode only takes about ten minutes. Please at least try to watch a single one!

If you like it after watching the first episode, but you aren’t super hyped about it, don’t worry, the more episodes you watch, the better it gets. At the latest after the first season’s finale, you are going to be obsessed with ‘Steven Universe’, believe me.

You can watch all the first season’s episodes for free on ‘Daily Motion’, which is even more of a reason to watch this lovely show! -> click HERE to start with this amazing piece of art

I forbid myself to continue watching ‘Steven Universe’ until the second that its review is uploaded to my blog.

… sooo, I sadly have to say goodbye to you now in order to hide myself away in my bed and binge watch the second season of this [more than adorable] show…

… I am definitely going to review this one on my blog as well, so stay tuned for it to come. :D

If you want to share your opinion on ‘Steven Universe’ as well, feel free to write a comment, or an E-Mail directly to me. :D

Thanks for clicking and

Hugs,

leonie

=^.^=

- 37 - Narcissus and Goldmund

[original, German title: 'Narziß und Goldmund']

Author:

Hermann Hesse

First Published:

1930

Genre:

German books, Classics

304 pages [German Edition]

320 pages [English Edition]

I am only going to write a short post about this book because it is a very old, unpopular, German book that probably NOONE of you is ever going to read. xD

Content

The reader finds himself in medieval monastery.

He gets to know the two diametrically opposite young men Narcissus and Goldmund.

Narcissus is a strict, ascetic monk who finds fulfilment in sticking to his religious routine, teaching students and studying science to expand his knowledge.

Goldmund however is a young, energetic, lyric man who needs to travel the world and experience what it really means to be alive, on his own.

A very strong friendship starts to grow between those two very different characters, which drastically changes both of them.

My Review

This book isn’t some old, dusty relic of the past that should stay in the past; the topic it deals with can easily be translated on our current lifes.

Goldmund is lost and he is floating through life. The reader follows him on his journey from one extreme of human nature to the other and experiences everything he has to go through together with him.

The constant “fight” between the beauty of the moment, visual art, the heart and the spirit, but also logic, science and head is something that follows the young man on his journey.

If you permit it, ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ is probably going to make you question your way of living and what kind of personality you have. 

For me, another very positive aspect about ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ was and is the friendship and deep-rooted love between its two main characters.

Their friendship is very pure and honest and the way both of the young men influence each other is very lovely. Sometimes their friendship even seemed to be a bit more than “only” a friendship but a romantic relationship. This may seem to be normal nowadays, but I imagine that when this book first was published it was something frowned upon.

[I researched a bit, whether Goldmund and Narcissus can be considered to be gay or not. Both opinions are well-represented. So, as always when it comes to interpreting books, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ opinion]

“

We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement.

”

A thing that annoyed me a bit about ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ is, that Goldmund’s voyage sometimes is a bit boring. Some things are described too detailed and others are mentioned too shortly for my liking.

A thing that was described way too detailed for example is Goldmund’s sex-life:

At the beginning it really wasn’t a problem but later he is having sex, page after page with women after women and you just get a bit tired of it. xD

There is nothing and no one steady in the young men’s life and after a while you probably will be annoyed by the way he behaves. :o

H E R M A N N   H E S S E

The very last positive thing I want to mention about Hermann Hesse’s book is its language.

I probably should have written about this one at very the beginning of this review…

… the book is very old and that’s why its language of course is very old-fashioned as well.

I personally really like reading books written in ancient language, especially if it is as beautiful and figuratively as the one of this book.

Recommendation and Stuff

I am a bit afraid of really recommending this book to any of you.

I fear that a very big part of you wouldn’t enjoy reading it and that you wouldn’t listen to any of my recommendations afterwards because of that. :o

That’s why I am going to place this decision entirely in your own hands.

Based on the information I gave you about ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ in this review you have to decide on your own, whether you want to read it or not. xD

If you want to do so, but you don’t want to spend any money on it, you can click HERE to read it for free. :3

Hugs,

leonie

=^.^=