Lily Briscoe's Book Blog

  Co-winner of the booker prize 2019, this book is written as a compilation of narratives of 12 women in various treads of life of all ages, all societal statuses and all sexual preferences. The characters explored in detail are given separate sections within the chapters of the book and they are: Amma, Yazz, Dominique, Carole, Bummi, La Tisha, Shirley, Winesome, Penelope, Megan/Morgan, Hattie and Grace. This story describes the various lives of British people of color. Numerous issues and political topics are addressed through the eyes of these several generations of people and we can see how the lives have progressed and what else is yet to be acknowledged and brought into light. Issues of feminism, transphobia, gender fluidity are directly addressed in the narrative as well. It is very well written in a way that we were brought into the conversation with our own prejudice, thoughts and opinions. Moving on to the 12 characters I found that even though some characters were richly ...

  'To the lighthouse' is an extraordinary work of literature which dwells into the consciousness of the human mind. The basic plot of novel is around a family 'The Ramsay's and there friends and admirers. The Ramsay's have 8 kids and the other acquaintances are Lily Briscoe, William Banks, Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, Charles Tansley, Minta Doyle and Paul Rayley. This crowd is vacationing in an island in Scotland one Summer. the story unfolds with the young son of the Ramsay's, James wanting to go to the lighthouse and his father telling him that the weather conditions are not suitable for that. The novel is set during a period of 11 years. The first section 'The window' is set before the World War 1 and the final section 'The Lighthouse' is set 11 years later. However the actual scenes of the novel concentrate on 2 days only. One before the way and the other after.  This is not a plot driven novel. As soon as we get into the novel we get dragged int...

The picture of Dorian Gray is considered to be the greatest work of Oscar Wilde and his only novel. It was first published by censoring some of the parts of the story which as deemed to be vulgar and inappropriate. I actually read the uncensored 13 chapter version but could not understand why it was recognized to be not suitable in the early 1900s .   The story revolves around the life of the charming and most handsome Dorian Gray who is invited to the studio by Basil Hallward who is a painter. Basil Hallward captures the utmost beauty of Dorian Gray in his painting so much so that he thinks that he has captured part of his affections for Dorian in the painting as well. Basil reveals this to Lord Henry who is close friend of his and from that moment Lord Henry is eager to be introduced to Dorian Gray.   The first encounter of Lord Henry with Dorian Gray is at the studio. Before their meeting it is Basil who says that "He has a simple and a beautiful nature. Don't spo...

  SECTION 1   Chapter 1 Chapter 1 brings forward the basic relationships of Stephen with his mother and father even before he is brought out in to the world. His parents expect a boy but instead Stephen is a girl. The mishap of the name also stems from this premonition of the baby being expected to be a boy. In the early 1900s when this was written I guess it was of a necessity to have a backstory as to the reason for Stephen being this "queer" kid.   The physical resemblance of Stephen to that of her father more than the angelic mother Anna is also emphasized and this chapter also sets forward the idea that Stephen and mom do not actually get together well and that there is some sort of inexplicable barrier between them. It seems to somewhat be attributed to the fact that Stephen and Sir Philip are similar in appearance as well. Stephen is an only child to the household and thus the shattered dreams and disappointment in both Sir Philip and lady Anna is...