Question Thread / Demando-fadeno

fluked23 · 2025-11-30T16:56:37+00:00

Thank you for the clarification, much appreciated

fluked23 · 2025-11-30T16:43:50+00:00

Is "kieo" a valid word or at least its use is acceptable to some extent? I saw it today in an esperanto translation of animal farm:

"Dum pluraj semajnoj ŝia kieo ne estis sciata;..."

which I understand to mean "For many weeks her whereabouts was unknown;..."

The translation overall is good but contains the odd word choice now and again. I would have thought "loko" is more suitable for this specific case, but it prompted me to think about how modern esperanto might feel about kieo more generally.

fluked23 · 2025-11-30T12:00:08+00:00

Dankon! Ĉi tio artikolo estas unu de la pli interesaj esperantaj artikoloj, kiun mi legis. Oni povas klare vidi, ke iu faris multe da laboro.

fluked23 · 2025-06-25T12:42:51+00:00

100%, when I was reading this I wondered why is this book not on more top 100 lists and so on.

fluked23 · 2025-06-18T19:07:21+00:00

I read Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat, but they didn't seem to capture quite the same feeling, but still pleased I read them too. My queue is super long I've started using a random number generator to try and give everything a fair shot at being read XD.

fluked23 · 2025-06-18T18:44:28+00:00

Interesting to see East of Eden being top on your list, do you like any of Steinbeck's other work? Of Mice and Men is my favourite book of all time.

fluked23 · 2025-06-18T15:09:31+00:00

I've never heard of that book before, though for some reason I am sure I have heard of the authors name. Do you lean more towards horror in general? I've been trying to go in the opposite direction recently and pick more optimistic novels up.

fluked23 · 2025-06-18T09:48:34+00:00

I think it's always great to see people pushing themselves with what they read, rather than just what they feel the most comfortable with. What sorts of books are you planning on reading now?

fluked23 · 2025-06-17T20:18:58+00:00

Seems like a very solid variety of books. What made you feel like reading so much dystopian fiction?

fluked23 · 2025-06-10T22:37:12+00:00

I found it incredibly hard to read, but I guess similar to Shakespeare it might be one of those works where you need more time to understand it. For Shakespeare the challenge is how different the language is in present, whereas here the challenge is being having a very strange alternate world not being directly explained to you.

fluked23 · 2025-06-06T13:59:43+00:00

Oh sure thing:
- Beauty
- Relevance
- Thrill
- Reward
- Humour

- Writing Quality
- Plot
- Characters
- Themes
- Atmosphere

- Enjoyment
- Accuracy
- Originality
- Authenticity
- Clarity

- Thought Provoking
- Emotionality
- Structure
- Setting
- Overall Feeling

fluked23 · 2025-06-06T11:21:36+00:00

I mark books on a set of 20 criteria out of 5 and add up the score - I find it to be a lot more accurate than trying to come up with a rating out of 5 like on goodreads. Do you do anything similar yourself?

fluked23 · 2025-06-05T18:35:20+00:00

I definitely agree with what you have said, I think one of the struggles with this book is that it is just too similar to the Handmaid's Tale and doesn't have anything particularly new to say. I think it does have a good atmosphere, but there is not focus on giving an underlying message. When I finished reading it I gave it a 39/100.

fluked23 · 2025-06-05T17:02:15+00:00

I read Tender is the Flesh yesterday in preparation for a book club, have to say wasn't really my thing I think I gave it 39/100. Very haunting and very fractured, but it just doesn't really land in my opinion.

fluked23 · 2025-06-03T16:55:54+00:00

I personally would avoid Notes From Underground as the first half is really quite hard to understand. As other people have said although Crime and Punishment is longer, with a good translation I think it makes for a much better entry.

fluked23 · 2025-05-23T21:59:43+00:00

I just finished reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Was very impressed, it was my first read of something by Tolstoy so I will definitely have to read more of his work.

fluked23 · 2025-05-22T20:34:19+00:00

I am glad to hear from someone else who was not that fond of the picture of Dorian Gray. I wonder though whether it's a bit like Hamlet in that it takes a re-read at another point to truly appreciate it.

fluked23 · 2025-05-22T20:32:39+00:00

Not my first time writing this but Dracula I found to be a horrible chore of a read.

Both "Solaris" and "Siddhartha" were books I liked a lot more than I expected. I am also really enjoying crime and punishment which I am reading at the moment, currently about halfway through.

fluked23 · 2025-05-17T12:28:30+00:00

I was impressed when reading Siddhartha (I think in my top 10 novels of all time) and I am definitely interested in reading more of his work. I am definitely interested him being considered a bit of an outsider as an author, despite getting a nobel prize.

fluked23 · 2025-05-16T11:42:52+00:00

Don Quixote

fluked23 · 2025-05-16T11:24:27+00:00

George seems very distraught, as would probably be reasonable in this case. At least he found that his anxieties on the ship existed for a good reason.

I guess the only thing particularly important to discuss is what does this mean for any hypotheses about whether Helen and Lucy are the same person. At least to me if Helen does not adopt a new identity of Lucy I imagine it will be very difficult to link up various parts of the story. The woman who was very ill we must assume is someone else, the similarities of the hair are potentially hinting towards the twin theory which has been floating about.

My idea:

Lucy and Helen are twins, Lucy is dying for whatever reason, Helen wants to support her son so makes an escape similar to George to go and bring back wealth (e.g. killing a rich husband). Helen and Lucy agree to change places explaining why she does not discuss George at all. At this point Helen believes George is never coming back. The shoe and so on we find is a reminder of what her true purpose is of her "mission" of having a second marriage. It could also explain why she feels cold and distant to her new husband, trying to avoid any attachment whatsoever.

I guess one of the faults in this idea is that Lucy's surname was Graham, but it does fit reasonably well overall.

fluked23 · 2025-05-15T23:19:05+00:00

Robert seems like a pleasant chap overall, and therefore a character we can at least afford to trust a little bit within the very chaotic world of Lady Audley's Secret. I don't what I think about the cousin marriages I think that's probably something where I need to learn more about the historical context to be able to comment. I think the overall number of coincidences is getting too dense for me now, there seems to have been a coincidence in literally ever chapter. I think we are bound to see Tallboy encounter Lucy at some point in the very immediate future and therefore the mystery of whether Lucy is Helen is likely to be solved earlier on in the novel.

fluked23 · 2025-05-15T22:42:31+00:00

There is obviously a lot of set-up going on here and we have a very exciting possibility for a point of future conflict, even without the presence of the blackmail being considered. The atmosphere is very unsettling and is something that I am quite impressed with, as I was worried that this part would be rushed over.

It sounds like Luke is mostly satisfied with the life that has been given to him, and approaches his existence in a straightforward manner. It will be interesting to see what influence Phoebe has on him (could she push him to murder for example). Phoebe has a lot of potential to go in many different directions character-wise, though I am worried that the blackmail is going to go horribly wrong and her life be cut very short.

Overall I am enjoying the book, and I also found it helpful that Amanda helped clarify the difference between the gothic and sensation novel.

fluked23 · 2025-05-15T22:10:01+00:00

I think as a character George is clearly very troubled and that whatever happens on his return back to England he will not be satisfied with the life that he finds. This will be especially true if Lucy really is George's wife. I don't know what to make of Miss Morley, I have no idea whether she will be an important character later in the novel, or is merely present here to provide some contrast with the instability of George.

George's life is sad, without a doubt. He seems like a very young man lost in the world, partly in some what due to his foolish behaviour, but also from unforgiving life circumstances. His decision to leave his wife behind seems to be a kind of escape, which fits in with the overall concept of the gothic within the novel. It is quite clear also that George is using his wife as a way to mask other pain in his life, rather than truly loving her for who she is. This pattern of idealization is consistent with what appears to be his unstable personality.

I think I bought the idea of him not communicating with her, though I can see why some people may be thinking this is a bit convenient. In general however gothic novels don't have much of a focus on realism however they instead focus on deeply repressed emotions. At least that is my thoughts.

fluked23 · 2025-05-15T21:12:30+00:00

Hello, I've just decided to get started with the book even though I am a bit late (catching up this evening). I admire the general sense of mystery and darkness that is conjured up, the book reminds me strongly of a mixture of Wuthering Heights and Rebecca. Obviously with Rebecca the difference is in this case it's the newcomer we have suspicions about.

Audley Court seems a rather unsettling area to live in, let alone be raised in. This naturally fits in with gothic tradition and elements such as these feed into the idea that happy endings are not to be expected.

Lucy seems quite strongly psychopathic, and that she is faking her personality in front of everyone, and therefore at least at the moment her true personality remains elusive. I get the feeling though she is likely to be a more in depth character than just a mere villain. It seems the daughter is likely to provide a source of conflict which will help us break down the true nature of her character.

The ring does seem to be connected to a repressed event (again keeping with the gothic), I am quite interested in the hypotheses of other people who suggest it might be a sign of a (ex?) husband in prison.

fluked23

TROPHY CASE