4. Germany and Erich Maria Remarque's "Three Comrades" (1936)

As a person being quick-bored of most things I actually read several books at the same time. Sometimes they are ore that three. Yes, four books at the same time. No, I do not muddle up them and can continue each one from whereever I stopped.

 

I was a student who loved the lessons due to their teachers and once I saw one of my not lovely dean was reading this book. From that minute on I have never an idea of reading Remarque.

Three weeks ago on Facebook I saw that our Bookclub's next discussion would be E.M.Remarque's "Three Comrades". It was a long time that I could not join the club so I decided to read the book and join the discussions. Bought the book, finished befor the discussion date but did not join the club from laziness. 

Book was over at approx. 03.00 am last night. I wish it would not have. Till the last paragrapgh I was in an opinion that the girl would recover. But she would not. Died of tuberculosis. I could not help myself from crying.

 

Till the last paragraph of the book I was charmed of the book's being so light, it was stressless story without excitement. One was not longing for the next chapter to know what was the next. Being in the state of looking for a slight reason to cry, I could not utter even a teardrop when one of three comrades got killed. The scenes where Otto Kester was looking for the murderer of his friend - Gottfried Lenz were more impressive than his death.

The book itself is about three war comrades - Gottfried Lenz, Otto Kester and Robert Locamp keeping their friendship after war, living in Germany and having their own auto workshop. After a while this triangle is enlarged with Robert's girlfriend Patricia. And till the end of her life these three war comrades were doing their best to make Pat happy.

Loving the book I decided to read some more about the life of E.M.Remarque himself. Aaaaandddd knew that Pat was a prototype of his first wife Ilse Jutta Zambona. Jutta was also ill and Remarque kept on helping her financially after they got divorced. Even after his death he left her a heritage in the amount of 50.000 dollars.

 

All my thoughts about Remarque formed while reading the book got destroyed after reading about his life. First I imagined him as a calm, pure old man but he turned out a real life-person - He was so ashamed by his first book that bought all copies. Sold his title of baron. Loved Dostoevsky. Had collections of angel portraits, carpets and impressionist paintings. By the way, his most favourite word was "ass" :D. Sometimes he was suffering impotency. Friends called him Bonnie.

Also, the book was screened after 2 years of publication in 1938.

Now my most favourite sentences from the book.

1st is from the scene when Robert got newly acquianted with Pat:

- Keep things at arm's length... If you let anything come too near you want to hold on to it. And there is nothing a man can hold on to.

2nd was also said by Robert when Pat's condition grew worse at the final pages of the book:

- You are stronger than your fate unless you give up. (my own translation from Russian)

 Finally, my lovely covers.

3. Brasil and Paulo Coelho's "By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept"

Paulo Coelho is one of those writer that each booklover at least heard of him or at least read a book by him. The only reason of my reading him in this blog is that I have some of his books and to read other author representing Brasil from iPad was just torture for me. You know, books are easier that e-books.

"By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" is about a boy and a girl growing up in the same village. The story begins to be different when the boy leaves the village in order to follow his dream of seeing the World.

The girl is living in Spain and her order gets messed up when one day she got a letter from the boy. Boy invites her an event to listen to his speech as he has become a narrator.

This book has a religious aura as the boy begins to believe in the woman face of the God. He wants magic power from The Virgin Mary and gets it. With this power he helps to all ill and other people who are in a bind of his help.

After a while he wants to leave his power and be with his lover. But during this period the girl also creates a belief in herself and leaves the boy when knows about boy's intention of leaving his power just to be with her. She tries a suicide but survives. And Happy Ending.

To be true I cannot take Coelho's book too serious except The Alchemist. And bought "By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" in case if it could be different. Read it. Not bad. Not Good.

The main plot of the books reflects in boy how a human love can overcome the devine love, and the girls shows us how a divine love can be reached by a human love.

Generally, allmost each book of Coelho has an idea of a message to the universe. It is the same in this book. Whatever you want, universe will give you. Just want in from deep inside and do not give up. p.s. I too want a Brunette, hope message delivered :P

And my sentence from the book.

"If you began chasing the love, he will welcome you himself."

And lovely covers.

 

2. UK and John Fowles' "The Collector"

The Collector is the book that I have been hearing about from my university years. Most of the people around me read this book but me. Books with butterflies on their covers have always attracted me in a different way. Untill this time the books with butterflies on have never been a-waste-of-time one for me. Each were awesome in their own. Lucky that I could been able to read them. If not this blog I think "The Collector" would still be in my pending shelf.

I enjoyed each page of The Collector. The book is about a man having psycologic problems and his dreams about a young girl - Miranda. He kidnapped the girl just to keep her by his side. He is doing nothing to her but is satisfied from the idea of owing her.

Book is written in two ways. First half is man's narration, the second one is from the diary of the girl. Last pages are written by the man either. The Shocked End. I know, while reading these sentences some of you begs not to reveal the ending but I can't deprive myself from this pleasure :P

The Collector is a book in steady mood with a shocking ending. I could not even utter a word to express my shock. The things that I could say were just "Why? How? WTF? Are you kidding me? It cannot be so? DAMN!" My reaction was so impressive that even my family members were aware of my finish the book.

And I won`t reveal the ending. Read yourself :)

I have read the book in russian, and would like to translate the sentece that I liked very much. Hope I will be able to reveal the literally right meaning of it:


"Two people in a desert look for an oasis for being together besides of each other." 

And here are my most lovely covers.

1. Turkey and Ece Temelkuran's "Women Who Blow on Knots" (2013)

 When I was reading this book I had no idea of this blog. I decided to create this blog when I was on the last 30 pages of "Women Who Blow on Knots" and was so impressed by the book that made it first book of the blog.

Before beginning the book I had no ideas about the writer, had never heard of her before. It was the title of the book that made me to order the book from Turkey. After reading the book, I made a little search about Ms. Temelkuran and loved her as much as her book.

"Women Who Blow on Knots" - is a road trip story consisting of 4 separate women stories. These stories have been merged into whole. The book is telling us the Madam Lilla's revenge and other three women's lifelines. Each woman can take a lesson from this book and can find herself in this book. it is beginning with the revenge passion of a woman and ends in the withdrawal from her idea. 

"Women Who Blow on Knots" reveals that each woman is a Godess, she should have her own rules, her own battles, her own wars. The have to fight their battles and win their wars otherwise Life would not be easy for them. 

The events are taking place in african countries like Libya, Egypt, Beirut and shows us some of their traditions, everyday life, cuisine and so on.

My sentence is this book is:

“Each extra well-behaved man turns into a scoundrel”.

And here is the Original Cover of the book

Idea of this blog

Recently I have heard about Ann Morgan and her A year of Reading The World project by one of my book friends. I was so excited thinking myself creating my own book list so that I began it with the book that was already reading and coming to an end.

The Book that I am reading now - no name yet :) - is so exciting and full of actions that I thouth it should be the 1st book of the list. Hope I’ll enjoy it as Ann did :)

At least, a person being fond of getting brand new interesting things ought to enjoy.

p.s. At present I am on my 23rd country and is reading the 24th. But my original blog is in my native language - Azerbaijani. So I began to translate all of the posts into English so that every one interested in reading could share my opinions.