#tumblrlibrary

[weeklylibrary]

“Most of us have only one story to tell. I don’t mean that only one thing happens to us in our lives: there are countless events, which we turn into countless stories. But there’s only one that matters, only one finally worth telling.”

This book starts off interestingly about a 19 year old man who has come home from college for his summer break. It could have been a better read had it involved more characters but then again I think that was the idea since the book is called “The only story”. It is a different kind of romantic novel that explores the relationship between a 19 year old and  48 year old married woman and it is as though the author aims to deconstruct the shock waves that take place due to this arrangement. 

I decided to read more from Julian Barnes after having read The sense of an Ending which was very philosophical. This  however is a breezy book and perfect for light reading. 

“Things, once gone, can't be put back; he knew that now. A punch, once delivered, can't be withdrawn. Words, once spoken, can't be unsaid. We may go on as if nothing has been lost, nothing done, nothing said; we may claim to forget it all; but our innermost core doesn't forget, because we have been changed forever.”

[bnceoffmybelly]

I’m currently reading this.

What about you?

[weeklylibrary]

“I was taught never to take advantage of anybody who was less fortunate than myself, whether he be less fortunate in brains, wealth, or social position; it meant anybody...”

Harper Lees Go Set a Watchmen is the book she wrote after To Kill a Mockingbird which is considered  a classic in Modern American Literature. Of course years have passed, the world has changed, however the foundations surrounding racism - the core topic in both the books - remain the same. Despite having read To kill a Mockingbird a few years ago, it remains one of the most compelling stories I have ever read and I still remember finishing it on an overnight train journey.

In her second book, Lee yet again writes about the undertones of societal situations which go ignored because we tend to avoid dwelling into the dirty picture. Here she presents them in an ambiguous manner and the harsh truth of it moved me as a reader. I would recommend reading both of these books because of how relevant they still are. 

“I'm only trying to make you see beyond men's acts to their motives. A man can appear to be a part of something not-so-good on its face, but don't take it upon yourself to judge him unless you know his motives as well. A man can be boiling inside, but he knows a mild answer works better than showing his rage. A man can condemn his enemies, but it's wiser to know them. ... Have you ever considered that men, especially men, must conform to the demands of the community they live in simply so they can be of service to it?”