♥ Godiva Rachel ♥

The words “scarlet letter” feels so controversial and popular yet I do not know whether it pertains to an actual letter or a letter as in a love letter. I bought it, not knowing what to expect and hopefully it will cheer me up as the novel of Flaubert had dampen my soul.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, ah… an author so much admired that Herman Melville had dedicated his ever so popular novel, Moby-Dick on this man who brought to us The Scarlet Letter.

I won’t lie, it has a similarity to Madam Bovary but this novel is something like, what Madame Bovary could have done otherwise…

The answer to the mystery, unfortunately, will only be given at the end and so it really bugged me through out the novel. You can really feel Hester Prynne, who has been ashamed to the eyes of her neighbors and yet for 7 years or so continued to live her life and become the carrier of the legend of the scarlet letter.

Hawthorne even used symbolism as he used Pearl, Hester’s daughter, the living representation of the Scarlet Letter. Oh, how I enjoyed Pearl and her antics. She is compared to an imp for her unruly behavior, always jumping up and down, dancing all around, and yet, possesses a great beauty that people admire but still connects to evil.

Reading this novel made me recall Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo of Jose Rizal. It attacks the people seated in power. Why, he had written it beautifully indeed! The mixture of love, hope, sacrifice, mystery, pride, power and vengeance… who wouldn’t get absorbed in the world of The Scarlet Letter?

I then realized, that no matter how much I have ashamed myself in the eyes of the public, no matter how much people criticize and hate me, no matter how much they love to see my downfall, and no matter how they condemn the love I feel for a person to whom they think is wrong for me to love…

I will strive hard, and I will strive good. For though I hold in my being an invisible scarlet letter, I’ll live by my curse and make my name. For no legendary icon has made it through the history books without injuring a fate similar to mine… or much worst!

So, does that mean you’ll now have the guts to stay in your university having that enigma similar to the scarlet letter of Hester Prynne? We’ll see… We’ll see…

The original French Edition, 1857

It was regarded as the most important French Literature in the 19th century. I’ve mentioned in one of my post before how I’ll never touch another novel similar to Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. But thinking, this is a controversial and very much celebrated French novel, it wouldn’t gain its reputation if it is anything similar to Coelho’s novel. So I bought; and true to its claim, it is controversial, it is so much French and yes it’s not at all similar to Coelho’s.

How can I start? This novel took my breath away. It made me moody, it made me think and it it made me feel. Oh Madame Bovary, a woman disillusioned by romantic fantasies and played every possible drama in life. She is a woman of the past and yet she seems to represent the woman of the present. Yes… very much the present. Upon reading it until the end, I said to myself, I don’t want to have the fate of Madame Bovary! Heck, I don’t even want to feel what she felt! But alas! I am a reader and the reader will always (most of the time) feel every emotions in the novel.

Again, I will not spoil this one for you but believe me, this author really knows how to pierce into your heart. It’s not really a novel I’d recommend for the young ones to read (unlike Little Women) but if you are smart enough to admit that in one way or another you’re life might end up like hers, then go on and read it (at your own risk… this novel went through court before it was published!). Then perhaps the darkness will sooner (or later) fade and you’ll see the glimpse of truth…

That happily ever afters are not for everyone and yet those who died never having to reached it are the ones who leave the most beautiful and valuable lessons in life.

Way before I’ve bought the classical novel, Little Women, I have watched it before as an animation in Animax. This served as the image I’ll use in my imagination. And so, on with my reading, not knowing that this novel would forever change my life.

Reading Little Women was like dreaming a good dream. It was so idealistic and yet it felt so real. I saw myself in three of those little women, Jo, Meg and Amy. Jo for being wild, unruly, lover of books and having a risky personality, Meg for being vain and wanting to feel luxury and Amy for being spoiled and trying to live by the standard of the society. How about little Beth? Aw… I am no little Beth. She is quite, kind, generous and saint. An epitome of values and morality.

I won’t spoil this novel for you dear readers. But I will tell you one thing I’ve learned. As long as you have a loving and unselfish family… be damn to all the richness, luxury and diamonds of the world. I actually saw (or maybe read) how having a family can replace the abundance of gold and silver. There are so many Romantic Novel out there that radiates of love and happily ever after but it is in this one sole novel have I found, what the bible had often times describe, as unconditional love.

Some of you may get disappointed in one or two events… (oh why does he have to marry….) Oh just kidding! I did promise not to ruin the novel right?

Nobody had ever painted a family so inspiring as Louisa May Alcott did.

My humble collection of classical books.

I remember, when I was in elementary, the very first classical book I’ve ever read was Wuthering Heights. From then on, I fell in love with reading and playing with my imagination. Though I must say, I’ve been through Harlequin Romance, Mills and Boons and Avon books, it thought me a lesson on how to compare a good indispensable novel to a so-so one. But I must admit that two of my favorite authors are form Avon books, Kathleen Woodiwiss and Lisa Kleypass. But their novels feels “classical” to me. Oh, I can’t truly describe the beauty of their work, it will not give it justice, so here, may I recommend some to you: The Flame and The Flower by K.W. and The Prince of Dreams by L.K.

Ever since stepping to 2nd year, I could barely even remember the heroines of Sidney Sheldon’s novels (me and my aunt has a complete collection of all his novels… so sad he died). I’ve read and bought books from anatomy to psychology and though I’ve learned a lot, my soul felt so empty. Just when I thought a bunch of beauty magazines and advertised best sellers can satisfy the emptiness inside… I turned back to what had inspired me almost 10 years ago… Classic Books.

So I went to the bookstore and tried to find the “Classic”. I saw them all… Ivanhoe, Huckleberry Finn, Frankenstein… what would I choose first? You might think, “Wuthering Heights”? Oh how it tempted me so! But choosing a book is not merely choosing. Its not about the cover or the summary at the back… You will actually feel it calling at you. Its like, at that moment, when you will choose a classic novel, you’ll know that after you’ve read it… it will forever be a part of you.

But what did I choose? Ah.. even if I turned back time, I’ll still choose this classic novel over and over again… Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.