Book Tamers| book reviews

Even if it is the only book written by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel which easily won a place among the classics of American as well as universal literature and also a Pulitzer Prize in 1960.

It places Harper Lee next to writers like William Faulkner or Truman Capote, as representatives of the Southern American literature which gets rid of the traditional myths about the idyllic South and steps out through realistic descriptions.

Although the action takes place during three years (when the Americans were faced with the Great Depression), the book can also be thought of as a bildungsroman, due to the evolution of the main character and the events faced during the course of action.

The novel is set in a small town in Alabama and has as main characters the Finch family- little Scout (the narrator), her brother Jem and their father Atticus. Because of the numerous biographical similarities, the presence of a playmate named Dill is often identified by critics with Truman Capote, the author’s childhood friend.

Although apparently the action develops on two levels- the children trying to solve Boo Radley’s mystery and Atticus Finch trying to defend Tom Robinson in court- the coming to the end offers the solution and binds the two worlds in a single lesson for life.

The novel approaches important and thorny themes, as education, grim racism of the interwar society and the incapacity of justice to be impartial.

If Scout proves to be a very intelligent, precocious child, with a lot of personality and capacity to distinguish between right and wrong, we discover that this is due to the education given by Atticus. A nonconformist parent, Atticus encourages the independent development of his children, without throwing into social preconception or imposing barriers.

Starting from this aspect, Harper Lee delicately explores the morality issue, looking for the answer to the enigma that is man’s fundamental good or worse.

The narrator, the adult narrating through a child’s eyes, is vibrant, honest and strong. Harper Lee proves to be an unsurpassed magician of words, juggling easily with the language of a six years-old with that of an adult, and hindering the reader in noticing Scout’s unusual manner of speaking.
Even if the title is only reflected once in the novel and doesn’t have a clear connection the action, one can feel its symbolic meaning: the killing of the innocence, the unforgivable sin of killing what is beautiful inside our soul.

Written by: Ana-Maria

I began this month with a book written by David Lodge and this is why I chose to tell you today about his novel, Nice Work. If you are familiar to the Thatcher period in Great Britain, then this novel will charm you with the two universes belonging to that period.

Vic Wilcox is one of the managers of a factory, while doctor in feminist literature Robyn Penrose belongs to the tight space of universities. I think it is necessary to bring to attention the Iron Lady’s period, when the interest was centered upon industry and privatization, the reason for which many other branches, the academic one included, suffered from reorganization and closing of their gates.

Well, it is Industry Year in Great Britain and an Exchange Scheme takes place, between the academic and industrial domain. Who are the main characters? Doctor Robyn Penrose agog being fired and the tough industry man Vic Wilcox. Even from the beginning the two cannot stand each other but during the course of action Vic and Robyn come to “borrow” characteristics one from another and become better persons.

It’s not necessary for me to tell you about the knowledge Robyn acquires following the Exchange Scheme, because certainly that was not the author’s purpose. Written with a lot of humor, the book talks about the different worlds that coexist, about differences, cooperation and acceptance. On the one hand Robyn manages to accept the tough way of doing business and on the other Wilcox learns what sensitivity means.

To tell you the truth, I was expecting a frank, undeveloped fresco of the English society. But if I look between the lines I see a certain empathy in Lodge caused by the tough measures adopted by the Iron Lady, an empathy which is visible in the mutation that takes place inside the characters.

What is important in the novel’s construction is exactly the characters’ background and also their beliefs. Vic Wilcox was raised in the spirit of labor and money earned with difficulty; Robyn Penrose, on the contrary, is the daughter of two intellectuals, who grounds her existence on the denial of capitalism and promotion of culture.

In conclusion, what is there, after the Exchange Scheme? Two completely different characters, who have kept their values but at the same time accepted the other world and ceased denying it. There are two universes at battle (because of the times) which come to interweave and finally mix.

Written by: Cristina

One of the most important qualities of an informative book, no matter the domain, is the accessibility of the message. The book has to be read and understood easily. If it is about a dry domain as personal finances, the achievement is even greater. From this point of view, I have discovered a diamond. Being a field which captivates me, I read anything that is published, no matter the publishing house, author, the quality of the printing or the appearance. I have no preconceptions and I try to get the message as well as I can. The publishing house of this book has as its main domain esoteric books therefore one wouldn’t expect to find books about financial education there.

The Instant Millionaire is a pleasant reading even from the first pages. The author chooses to use classic writing techniques, but perfect for his purpose; I only note a few of them: the esoteric journey, the master-disciple relationship, the allegory. Basically, it is about a young man who wants to become rich and becomes a millionaire’s disciple who will tell him a special secret: how to become rich over night.

Do not expect financial revelations or investment techniques. These are methods, not ways. The message is clear: wealth is achieved beginning from the inside, by changing the mentality and the way one looks upon oneself and the reality around.

All really important financial education books emphasize this aspect: beginning with excerpts from the Bible (don’t laugh, I’m not joking!) and ending with Kiyosaki, the books dealing with this subject state that:
- wealth is an interior state of being, determined by the confidence in the self, in the fact that one deserves to become rich;
- it is achieved by minutely setting goals, mentioning the quantity (I want to have assets and liabilities worth 3 million $), and the time at hand to reach them (I want to get the money in 3 years);
- one must benefit from all the opportunities one has, immediately and without hesitation.

The Instant Millionaire emphasizes very well these phases, but touches other sensitive spots too, like the ways to exploit the extraordinary power of the subconscious, the way to relate to obstacles (they must be treated as opportunities and exploited as though), the way to look upon the issue of wealth, a.s.o.

You might say that these are not new things, that you have read them in other personal development or financial education books. True, but the way they are presented by Mark Fisher, the accessibility of the concepts achieved through the use of the story and narration bring great service to the reception of the message. In the end the reader can say that he or she has clearly understood what the author wanted to transmit, and has integrated the concepts in the mind. There is a reason for which Plato has chosen this dialogue technique, also used by the author.

However, the book is only an introduction in this area, it doesn’t go into details. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the author didn’t make a goal from going into details. It remains a foundation stone in the ground that each of us should build, that of competence in personal finances.

 Written by Luca