when i first started this blog my intention was to have it be equal parts fashion and literature - hence the title...two of the greats from the aforementioned fields. suffice to say, i have not followed through on my initial plan.
truth is, when it comes down to it, i am a literature student at heart. even now that my days of writing essays and taking exams are over (for the moment!) i still approach pretty much every aspect of life as an english student. i am an analytical thinker, some might say, to a fault. i have the tendency to relate any and every life situation to some story that I have read. now that i have no english classes to report to, i have a growing desire to document in some way, the literature that i am reading. that is where this little blog comes in. i have decided to use this as my escape - to release the thoughts that i am so desperate to put out into the universe once again. a little outlet to satiate my ever growing desire to talk about pretty words. i understand that this is not going to be for everyone. it's just something that i really need to do for myself.
now book reviews are not my cup of tea, so that is not what this is going to be. it's more like a mini book report. i just want to express my opinions and the emotions that i feel after reading a text. anyway, enough rambling.
today's literature in question is The Pearl by John Steinbeck.
"This pearl has become my soul... If I give it up, I shall lose my soul."
now...let me begin by saying that i absolutely adore this novella. though i have not read all of steinbeck's work, from what i have read, i can see that a major theme that he deals with is the conflict between good and evil. this is the main conflict in the pearl, the story of a pearl diver from a small mexican town, whose life undergoes a dramatic transformation when he discovers "the pearl of the world". the thing that he has sought all his life, the thing that he believes to be the saving grace he has been waiting for, eventually destroys him.
although the novella is relatively simple and straightforward, steinbeck's gorgeous and evocative prose does so well to capture the complexity and dynamics of the human condition. one particular device that i found to be so unique and powerful was the inner music going on in the mind of the protagonist, kino - particular emotions and feelings bring about different songs. it all just ties in so beautifully and smoothly to create a hauntingly lovely story. the overall feel is quite melancholic, but there are plenty of moments of truth and beauty that prevent it from becoming depressing. it will really make you think about human greed and the fickle nature that lies within even the best of us.
the pearl, being a novella, is quite short...you should be able to read in a few hours and i'm sure you would not regret it.
so that's it for today. i'll keep this one short since i've already rambled like mad. hope you have a lovely day and happy reading!
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