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Classic Books Total: 15
Finally, I am getting somewhere with the classics!
Book #165: Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This book is said to be the world’s most beloved children’s book. It was written in 1943 and has since sold about 140 million hard copies… 20 million more than Harry Potter and the Something Stone making it the bestselling story. But does it live up to its standards?
I love the illustrations in this book by the author! This children’s book was written for adults with the main protagonist being a beautiful golden-haired child. It’s like anime for most anime are actually for adults. Anyways, this book was meant for adults to dig up nostalgia for the comforts of childhood that they know they can never go back to. It’s a salute to childhood.
French literature are hitting all the right spots at the moment even more so than the British and Russian ones I’ve attempted. Had I not given up French for the 1,994th time, I would’ve appreciated the deliciousness of the sweet language even more when it came to reading this book.
However, I cannot give this book five cups of steaming coffee. I find it to drag in some areas. I’ll like to think that the story actually revolved around a pilot that crashed his plane in the desert and hallucinated about the alien prince. That’s why the prince had to “die” for when the pilot finally finds a well and hydrates, the royal hallucination fades away. On the other hand, we spend too much time focusing on the wrong things and not enough time enjoying life, the little things… and I appreciate this message. And I do like that scarf. It’s as golden as the little prince’s hair and I’ll like to have one.
As an adult, if we don’t “get it”, it’s our own fault for children are the only ones that sees what matters seem to be the overall attitude of this book. But growing up is good. We’re even told to put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11) so the romantic obsession with being a child never sits well with me.
On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur.
Final Verdict:
Book #166: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
This book read as if someone sat at home and researched all geographical locations for the various settings without actually leaving home. And what do you know? Mr. Verne is actually THAT guy! In the story, Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg wagers half of his fortune on a proposition that he can travel around the world in 80 days. His French valet, Jean Passepartout accompanies him and to be honest, Passepartout is the only character that made me want to see this adventure to the end. The Frenchman was full of character, pumped with personality, filled with excitement, came with a great background (he was a firefighter, a singer, a gymnast, a circus performer etc.), and was the real hero of this story. He isn’t afraid to try new things, and he apologizes whenever he is in the wrong. He is kind, fun and brave. I love everything about him!
He is the true MVP. I mean, he rescued a woman from her deathly demise and helped saved people on a train. What did Fogg do? As for Aouda, she spends the entire story doing what any damsel does best: crying at every womanly opportunity. *sighs*
Vehicles used to travel the world in this story were steamers, railways, carriages, yachts, trading vessels, sledges, and elephants. It was a good story and a wonderful adventure although at times it was a bit boring, yet somehow managed to pick up speed at the end.
This book was written in 1873. I actually read this book to my youngest sister, and she thought it dragged in some areas and was a bit boring as well. Overall, her favorite character was Passepartout, and she rates it a 3. She’s too kind. Well, actually, she’s not.
Final Verdict:
Book #167: Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Fern lives on a farm and wanted to do something noble by trying to save the runt of a litter of newborn piglets. She stopped her father from killing Wilbur, but she’s a hypocrite for she eats bacon for breakfast. Why didn’t she try to save the other pigs from becoming bacon? What was so special about Wilbur that he was to be saved from turning into bacon? Apparently, Fern has special Doolittle powers as she can hear the animals talk. But I want to make this about the web spinner because I still love her.
Charlotte was my favorite character overall. Where Wilbur was whiny and self-absorbed, Charlotte was selfless, humble, willing, friendly, and outgoing. I always thought spiders to be fascinating, but their short lifespan is also a reminder to us: life is fleeting (Psalm 39:4-5). The gray spider died alone on deserted Fair Grounds after Wilbur got a special prize at the Fair and the author couldn’t have said it better:
She never moved again.
The Fair Grounds were soon deserted. The sheds and buildings were empty and forlorn. The infield was littered with bottles and trash. Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important of all. No one was with her when she died.
Keep in mind that this is a children’s book, but this was some of the best writing in this book!
When I was younger, I didn’t get why Charlotte had to die. However, she dies because her short life-cycle as a spider is completed. Had it not been for Charlotte’s intervention, Wilbur the Runt’s life would’ve been shortened. Just as many classics, this story paints a biblical portrait. Charlotte A. Cavatica paints a picture of Christ. Yes, you heard right. Wilbur was born a pig (sinner) and he is destined to die. Charlotte comes on the scene and promises to save Wilbur’s life despite the fact that she’s expecting 514 babies! Whiny Wilbur can’t do anything for her, but she spends her short life here on earth saving the pig.
Wilbur’s like…
And Charlotte’s like…
Charlotte is intelligent and very skillful at writing words in her web. The girl’s vocabulary is also off the chain. However, she uses the lowlife Templeton (a rat) to bring her words that’ll save Whiny. Charlotte wrote “terrific” and “radiant”, but it was the word “humble” that’ll eventually bring salvation to Whiny. Charlotte is also above everyone else meaning that she spins her webs in high places so it’s safe to say that help certainly came from above.
When Christ was here on earth for a short time, He did not spend it selfishly. He humbly served others. Even while He was nailed to the cross for us, He could’ve said “Forget it, I’m out”, but He loved us too much to even go back hence why we have beautiful salvation. It’s because of this allegory, the story gets the rating below. By making friends with Jesus, we can enjoy a beautiful relationship with Him and banish our fears.
Final Verdict:
Other classics I’ve read, but didn’t bother to review were:
I found “The Old Man and the Sea” to be quite boring. Like, just throw the fish back in! I did not find anything sensible or interesting in this book. He kept saying “I wish the boy were here” and that alone made me want to set the book on fire.
“Siddhartha” was simply pretentious babble.
I hated the “Pinocchio”! He’s a heartless, lying ungrateful bastard, but what else do I expect from a wooden “boy”? This book was too cruel and violent and certainly not for children.
As for “The Railway Children”, let’s just say that it was meh!
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