Meet The Great Gatsby by: Uel Ceballos

I was amazed to meet Gatsby here – I mean the way F. Scott Fitzgerald presented him in the book; Jay Gatsby was quite intriguing. He was the sort of a mysterious man with deep sense of attachment to his past, driven passionately by his loyal love to Daisy Buchanan, and firmly determined to get things according to his plans.

The Great Gatsby was one of the greatest classic novels that you would treasure for a lifetime. This was not your kind of inspirational book, of which you could count on to uplift your spirit and develop your morality, but this was the type of novel that would serve as your window to human’s weaknesses and would leave you significant thoughts to ponder about.

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Jay Gatsby was an emotionally bothered individual -- toughened by difficult experiences in life, he lived with full dedication to fulfill his dreams and revive the relationship that he and Daisy had five years ago. And Daisy, oh Daisy was such a sweet siren who got me confused if she was really the fragile type or the wise one who played around with the irresistible effect she had with anyone. But one thing for sure, Daisy was the one who value status and money more than anything else otherwise Jay Gatsby wouldn’t strive really hard to level his self to the gaudy, fancy life that Daisy loved.

Looking at the story through the point of view of Nick Carraway also gave me the impression of seeing Nick as F. Scott himself. Nick was the cousin of Daisy here who happened to become Gatsby’s closest friend. You would be looking to the entire story through Nick’s spectacles, who shared the reader a shallow depiction of his self saved for the opinions and feelings he had towards the whole Gatsby-Daisy thing.

F. Scott Fitzgerald had given us a story that would leave us empathizing due to its ill-fated ending – nor affirming or refuting its possible existence. I, myself, was left drifting on thoughts of believing and denying. Denying to the sense that I don’t want such thing to happen in my case; believing because this was apparently the sort of reality and not just one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s surreal ideas.

I wouldn’t mind reading this novel for several times. The author had written here substantial phrases that I wouldn’t mind re-reading and re-digesting on my mind. For this wonderful literary piece I will give it a rate of 8 cups of latte. 

Hope you guys can find time to read this one. The novel was followed by several film adaptations bearing the same title The Great Gatsby, the most recent was this 2013 film starred by Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire. 

WICKED - GET TO KNOW THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST by: Uel Ceballos

You must have known her from L. Frank Baum’s book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and you must have despised her. She’s the green-skinned villainess Wicked Witch of the West, whom the Wizard of Oz wanted dead. Dorothy Gale had killed her unintentionally by splashing water on her, which was the Wicked Witch’s greatest adversary. Water melted her down, killing her with no traces left but her clothes, hat and broom.

We only knew the Wicked Witch as she was described and portrayed by L. Frank Baum, but another imaginative author in the name of Gregory Maguire wrote a parallel novel, serving as prequel to Baum’s book giving it the title Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of The West. Here he gave the Wicked Witch the name Elphaba and made the story revolved around the Oz, on the years way back before Dorothy comes in the picture.

The Wizard of Oz was already there in Gregory’s Wicked, and the story was strongly presented with political struggle about the rebels planning to overthrow the Wizard and bringing back to leadership the Great Ozma whom they believed has the full rights to govern the Oz. Wizard rules and projects indeed benefited the land but no matter what he does he will still remain a stranger from different world who just landed to Oz through an air balloon.

Unlike Baum’s book, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked is not the sort of reading for the children. The book displayed aggressions, immoralities, sexualities and languages not fitting for the youngsters. As The Wizard of Oz awed and entertained us as a child, Wicked will give us lots of realization as we let its story be absorbed through our adult’s senses. The author gave us a complete account of Elpahaba’s life and on how she gained the name Wicked Witch of the West.

Here you will find out that Elphaba like us is also a human who once lived, laughed, cried, loved, and fought. The book gave so much emphasis to political strife, and to the main effect that it always has -- with the civilians and the innocents being the most affected of all. Here you will see the Oz in much different angle and you will meet different characters aside from Glinda, Elpahaba and the Wizard.  The book will help you see on clearer perspective on what does it really means to be wicked, and who are really the real wicked.

Get to know Elpahaba and follow her at Shiz University where she met Glinda, Boqs, and Fiyero – some of the major characters who greatly added colors to Elpahaba’s life journey. Surely you will be fond of the Wicked Witch; or you might get to love her as well as you fully understand what she had gone through.

For this wonderful fantasy novel, I will rate it with 8 cups of latte for all its uniqueness and fabulous plots! Hope you can read this one too; I assure you it will be a worthwhile experience around the Oz!

A GAME OF THRONES -- ARE YOU IN? by: Uel Ceballos

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." 

If you’re searching for an exciting, action-packed novel with brilliant plot and excellently developed psyche of the characters then Game of Thrones book series is the perfect reading for you. A Game of Thrones is a series of fantasy novels written by George RR Martin. The series is divided in seven books, of which the first five were already released: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance With Dragons.

The story is set in a fictional setting that has a history from long way back. Being a fantasy novel, one would expect the abundance of magic’s presence all throughout the story. Only that beside of being a fantasy novel, the book is also highly political in its genre. The presence of magic is restrained at the start, but it eventually builds up through the progression of the story.

Before you get drawn to its fantasy element, first you will be magnetized to the book’s enthralling features. A Game of Thrones is set in a fictitious location but if you will disregard the unfamiliar sounds of places and terms being used in the book, you will be reminded of the historical periods associated with monarchy, ancient revolution, knighthood, dynasty war, rebellion, feudalism, slavery, and the never ending war for the throne. Without regards to its magical elements, you will almost think that you’re transported right back to that era where the fashion still means doublet, jerkins and gowns in precious silk and velvet -- wherein that idea of time travelling always give a pleasant nostalgia. 

George Martin has unique ways of arranging the flow of sequences, using multiple point of views from different characters (protagonist and antagonist alike) to narrate the events. This kind of treatment encouraged sympathy from the readers,wherein they almost come to the point of confusion on whose characters to favor or to hate, on who’s among them the real protagonist and the antagonist, the real heroes and the true victims. The author has did a great job on establishing the characters that as the readers absorbed much of what had happened on each of them, they are able to see the clearer picture that all of the characters are merely pieces in the big arena; who only got no other choice but to play the game of thrones.

Violence, sex, and ethical dilemma are often flaunted on the story, giving greater emphasizes on human’s innate characteristics. Also, the women empowering elements in the story is undeniably obvious. With the major women characters playing necessary roles, one will surely realize that women must never ever be underestimated. From little Arya to Catelyn, Queen Cersei, Asha, Sansa, Sand Snakes ladies and Daenerys – the book quiet demonstrates the wit, strong will,and excellently hidden power of the women that made them even more dangerous than anyone else in this world. 

More obvious maybe on its political struggle features, but the novel never lacks the romance, humor, drama, and the tragic elements to make the book a successful page-turner! Another remarkable feature on George Martin’s writing is its irregularity and randomness as far as the plot is concerned. The author has broken away to the cliché of novel wherein the major characters or the supposed heroes always remain safe and alive at the end. If you’re already familiar with George Martin’s style, then you should know better than to expect your favorite characters to survive that long up to the end. I have already read the five books and many events already had broken my heart so fiercely. These kinds of Martin’s approach on his writing will bring the books deeper onto your senses; like you were kidnapped from the reality and were transported onto that fiction place, alluring you not to go back any more but just stay and be part of its fantasy world.

Now all the Game of Thrones fans have been waiting so anxiously for the sixth and seventh books to come out after that George RR Martin ended the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons with such cliffhangers! He’s really so good about doing this kind of thing -- leaving his readers in the agony of waiting and anxiety!

So there Game of Thrones followers, let’s drink to it with 10 cups of Latte and wish good health to our dearest George RR Martin so he can finish the books right away!!

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE ... the final class with Morrie Schwartz by: Uel Ceballos

Photo taken from Wikipedia

It was back to the second year of my college life, on that one lazy afternoon when Yogi Bear, the name we teased to our Intro to Broadcasting professor, entered the classroom with his bearish dimples greeting us. He proceeded to the usual light-hearted discussion, cracking jokes at every half seconds interval and that never fail to uproar the laughter in the class. Ten minutes before the dismissal he announced the book-reading analysis he would require us to submit. The book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom didn’t sound appealing to me. I wondered if that had something to do with our subject or Yogi Bear was just leaving us something to do while he was commissioned to some far away island for his Press job things; he was a full-time media practitioner and a part-time professor to the poorman’s University. I didn’t get excited about the whole Tuesdays with Morrie project as that seemed to be so dull and boring…well, not after I’ve gone through the first words of Mitch Albom in this must-read masterpiece of him: 

“The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was the meaning of Life. It was taught from the experience.” –Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie was the story of a young man (Mitch) reunited with his old professor (Morrie) after long years of separation and lost contact. So intent was the dying old man to prove that the word “dying” was not synonymous with “useless”, that he made this final project with Mitch, narrating the trip as he crossed the bridge from life to death. On their reunion, the professor and the student came up with this final thesis about life’s greatest lesson. The impact didn’t affect Mitch alone but all the readers who got to know Morrie Schwartz through this beautifully written novel. The book inspired many souls especially those who have walked around for the purpose only of existing; spending their life in meaningless, light-speed pace. Indeed, to sit in Morrie Schwartz’s final class was a life-changing experience.

“Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hang on too long.” –Morrie Schwartz

When I read the chapter of Morries’ final goodbye, I was deeply moved. Suddenly I felt sad about the final class of the old professor going to an end. His life was never wasted anyway; he had lived life to the fullest and had given us profound wisdom and insight. The book is an incomparable treasure that leaves you forever warmed by its heartfelt message.  

“Be compassionate, and take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, the world would be so much better a place.”

Morrie’s wisdom continuously echoes on me and I would let it echo in my heart and soul for the rest of my life. I was very grateful to Yogi Bear for requiring us to read Tuesdays with Morrie -- this book is what I considered to be the most important lesson that he had imparted to us.

I know that it is still a long journey ahead of me, but I’m starting now to cross the bridge from “existing in life” to “living the life”.  The final lecture with Professor Morrie Schwartz was very memorable and life-inspiring.  I suggest you also take the same class. 

A MUST-READ FOR CHRISTMAS SEASON! by Uel Ceballos

Photo from Wikipedia

Since we’re just months away now from Christmas time, I suddenly feel like reading something that is Christmas-inspired, and that brings me to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While I skim through the first pages of the book it gives me the impression that the story seems unfit for the children; because C.D has a note there calling it a Ghostly Little Book. Well, you don't think the children are fond of  ghosts until I remember Casper and how I  love him when I'm a little girl.

A Christmas Carol starts with a dimmed and gloomy atmosphere, narrating about Marley being dead. So how do I take that? A Christmas story beginning with someone’s death -- well, it almost provokes me to drop the idea of reading the rest of the book. But then out of curiosity and C.D’s popularity I just decide to proceed with my reading. At the end of the story, I’m just so grateful that I finish it. The story and its lessons are priceless; and its significance to the world is definitely timeless.

The story is perfectly fit for people of all ages, from the young ones to the old ones. A Christmas Carol is the story of bitter and fed-up Scrooge, whose encounter with the Ghosts of the Christmas from the past, present and future transform him into a much better person.

Whenever the spirit of Christmas is coming into the danger of dying away from your heart,  this book will ignite the sparks that will blaze your heart into life again! A must-read for everyone especially for those who are eventually drowning deep down the life’s depression, sadness and despair, A Christmas Carol will restore you back to that hopeful and buoyant person you're once before.

Hope you guys find time to read this classic literature and as C.D says it, may the ghosts of Christmas haunt you pleasantly!