fiction – The Reading Vault

Shame

By: Salman Rushdie Disclaimer: my year of absence from this blog was due to life changes, not a lack of reading. I finished some amazing books in Summer 2023 but could not bring myself to write about them. The two semesters of college that followed were filled with influential novels and cultural short stories thatContinue reading “Shame”

The Trial

By: Franz Kafka The law is the law. In a world filled with cruelty and secrets, puppet masters and their toys, and racial and socioeconomic segregation, the law is the law. Going into The Trial, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Kafka is known as a literary genius for his other works, butContinue reading “The Trial”

Bunny

By: Mona Awad The essence of both female rage and yearning seems to have been injected into the storyline of Bunny. The hypnotic events that take place are a sickening mix of Mean Girls and Suspiria, with the Christian Slater reference drawing in some traits from the classic Heathers. Despite this familiar foundation, the plotContinue reading “Bunny”

The Importance of Being Earnest

Play By: Oscar Wilde “Earnest: resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction;” This definition is what first popped into my head when I started reading one of Oscar Wilde’s famous plays. However, the further I got into the story, the more I realized that ‘Earnest’ holds the symbolism of a two-sided coin. In TheContinue reading “The Importance of Being Earnest”

Nine Stories

Novel By: J.D. Salinger I think it’s best to divide this review into chunks, allowing me to effectively describe the nine individual stories, and the similarities they had with one another. The first story was none other than the infamous A Perfect Day For Bananafish. I find it interesting that this was the introduction pieceContinue reading “Nine Stories”

Franny and Zooey

Novel By: J.D. Salinger I need to start off this review by sharing that I am writing this on January 3rd, 2022. I finished Franny and Zooey a little earlier today, and it may very well be the best book I will read this year. Not kidding. As a high school student interested in literature,Continue reading “Franny and Zooey”

Normal People

Novel By: Sally Rooney Love, death, college, and careers are variables that shape an individual’s life. In Normal People, they are presented through a new, but frighteningly ordinary light. This story follows the unique yet completely realistic relationship between Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan; two oddly connected humans that are figuring out their respective placesContinue reading “Normal People”

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Novel By: Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wow. The story follows Dorian Gray, a newly introduced member of high society, and his two companions, Lord Henry Wotton and Basil Hallward. The young, British aristocrat is seen navigating his own personal maze of romance and enrapturing conversation, while battling to keep his own darkContinue reading “The Picture of Dorian Gray”