Although I’ve been self-isolating since late March, I haven’t been reading as much as I thought I would. It’s probably due to the sheer anxiety and emotional rollercoaster we’ve all been feeling since all this started.

But, for me at least, my main goal each year is to read at least a book each week. And in May I have exceeded that goal. I don’t think that putting too much pressure on the amount is helpful right now. Quality and variety are what I look for in my reading, and thankfully that has been achieved in May. I’ve read a total of 6 books in May, however, I’ll only discuss 5 in this post.

Side note: some of the books I read are in Arabic, so I will write my thoughts about them in Arabic, however, I will link to their GoodReads pages in case there is a translated edition that you might be interested in.

2. Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontës by Isabel Greenberg – 2020

Glass Town is a graphic novel based on the early writings of the Brontës and their juvenilia. Trying to escape the pain from the loss of their two eldest siblings, the rest of Brontë children; Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell take to their imagination and start writing elaborate and fantastical stories around their fictional world Glass Town.

Armed with the Brontës biographies and early juvenilia, Greenberg retells their story with her own fictional twists and wonderful illustrations that bring it all to life. It was an absolutely wonderful and heartwarming experience reading Glass Town, however, I don’t really recommend it if you don’t know anything about the Brontës, or if you haven’t read some of their works. I believe this is intended for Brontë fans out there, and to those I say, you won’t be disappointed.

3. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – 1940

Ah Ernest, I’ve given you another chance and I must say, I remain baffled by your popularity. I have previously read The Old Man and the Sea and I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, hearing nothing but praise about Hemingway. But this novel was just OK. The novel follows Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit during the Spanish civil war. Robert is given the task of blowing up a strategic bridge to counteract Franco’s forces. It is a novel about war, courage, love and defeat.

The novel started just fine, the premise was interesting, the events are somewhat intriguing, but the characters leave much to be desired. Where does one start with the characters in this novel? I guess I should start (and end) with Maria, Robert’s “love” interest. They supposedly fell head-over-heels in love in a matter of days! There’s no other way to say it, Maria is just so badly written. Here’s a character who’s been sexually assaulted by multiple men at a young age, who somehow falls in love with a foreign man she knows nothing about in a few days time. Robert says he’s in love with her, but every time he thinks of her, he vividly recalls her breasts! He promises Maria that when this war is over, they will marry and live happily ever after, and she begins to ask him so many questions about how she could be the perfect wife/sex slave for him. It’s just bad.

Of course, there are some redeeming qualities to this novel. Hemingway’s language and writing style is wonderful, the plot is interesting and the ideas discussed are intriguing. Ideas about war, brutality, blind loyalty, disappointments and the death of ideals are all ideas worth exploring in this novel.

I can’t say I recommend reading this novel, I’m sure you can find better works surrounding the Spanish civil war. However, if, like myself, you’re a student of classics and modern classics, then perhaps reading Hemingway and this novel is worth it.

4. The Sonnets by William Shakespeare – 1609

What is there to say about Shakespeare’s sonnets? Well, I must admit that half, if not most, of the sonnets went through my head. I don’t pretend to be an expert on Shakespeare, but I have loved and enjoyed quite a few of his tragedy and comedy plays.

The Sonnets is a full collection of Shakespeare’s poetry mostly from the 1580s through 1610. Around 150 poems that discuss love, friendship, time, beauty, death, and much more. The language is absolutely beautiful, the meaning can sometimes be elusive unless you’re an expert in the matter. However, the ones that stood out for me include the following

• Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? – Sonnet 18
• My glass shall not persuade me I am old – Sonnet 22
• No longer mourn for me when I am dead – Sonnet 71
• Some glory in their birth, some in their skill – Sonnet 91
• My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Sonnet 130